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A Model Family
Spoiler Alert: Content in this post is from the December 10, 2014 episode of The Goldbergs
We’ve all “walked the walk” at some point in our lives.
And by “walk the walk,” I mean strutting down our own personalized, made-up model runway in our house. For Barry, fashion recruiter/agent John Calabasas was going to make his wildest dreams come true. Paris is beautiful this time of year! Having more than a strong hunch that this was a scam, Erica desperately tried to talk her brother out of changing the world with his one-of-a-kind look…discovered in a Philadelphia mall…on a random weekday. All it would cost Barry was $100. To him, that seemed like a completely fair and legitimate deal.
The clothing line, “Barry Comfortable” would be hitting shelves in the very near future!
But then Beverly (at the request of Erica) decided to investigate this modeling agency more closely with a mother’s eye. After doing so, she entered the modeling picture…literally.
Hanging out at the other end of the mall was Adam, Emmy and Murray, as they waited in a long line for E.T. The tenth time is always the charm. What wasn’t a charm was seeing Murray’s dad (ie – Pop Pop) that same afternoon. This mini family reunion was short, tense and unsatisfying, which created a lasting and palpable awkwardness. Clearly, there was a serious problem problem with Pop Pop.
Barry, the delicious boy that he is (Beverly’s words), certainly took suburban Philadelphia by storm. This was especially true once the very professional looking and qualified agent from John Calabasas discovered Beverly as the next great “mom model.” The ensuing photo shoot was priceless:
(The Goldbergs, Twitter)
Pure modeling talent aside for a moment, Adam intentionally and unintentionally forced his dad (who protected his feelings like a prison guard at Alcatraz) to confront his dad, Pop Pop. Declaring to his son Adam that they would not have the same argumentative and distant relationship that he had with his father, Murray stormed over to Pop Pop’s house and finally told his dad how he felt. It was out there in the open for the first time. It was a walk and stare down that Adam had never seen before in real life.
It was like discovering an alien with a glowing finger in your family’s shed in the backyard. This was uncharted territory.
Plus, the “no pants rule” was clearly hereditary.
While the next chapter of the Murray-Pop Pop feud was spoken and heard, Erica finally convinced Beverly to second-guess John Calabasas. How? She did the only thing she could at this point, which was to reveal her embarrassing modeling pictures from the very same agency. Erica knew it and now Beverly knew the truth: it was a scam. So, after confronting the perfectly cast John Calabasas agent (Rob Huebel), mom model Beverly got her son Barry an official modeling job. Sure, it was the cover of the John Calabasas modeling brochure with the caption that essentially read, “If I can be a model, then you can be a model,” but that seemed to satisfy Barry’s modeling craze for the last days of this year in 1980-something.
And what about Murray and Pop Pop? Let’s just say they quietly made a new years resolution to change their moronic ways. It was a smile worthy moment.
This episode is the last one of 2014 because the family celebrated the television countdown of New Year’s Eve together. But have no fear, 2015 is just a few weeks around the corner!
Last night’s story proved that E.T. is still awesome, sometimes it’s a really nice bonus to feel like a model in someone’s eyes for just a little bit (even if it’s a scam) and that spending time with family doing things is important because, otherwise, we’d all just be a bunch of moronic strangers living together instead of being a connected group of people (who do moronic things) who are there for each other no matter what.
Fittingly, all of the Goldbergs ended New Year’s Eve in 1980-something by walking their own walk.
Happy New Year ’80s style!
Back to the Family
Spoiler Alert: Content from this blog is from the December 3, 2014 episode of The Goldbergs
“We have as dish named after that one: Big Tasty Pork”
When a food dish at a restaurant is named after you, odds are pretty high that you’ll be visiting that establishment with some frequency…as in everyday. This was the dilemma facing Beverly, with her enemy clearly identified as “Dave Kim’s mom.” After discovering the new Chinese restaurant in town (run by Dave Kim’s mom), the Goldbergs were hooked. Hot plates were being brought out left and right and the family couldn’t get enough of this great new food. But, as we all know, Beverly needs to be the source of every moment of her family’s happiness.
So, this meant war…and lots and lots of cheese.
Aside from eating the insanely delicious sweet and sour chicken, Adam was facing an embarrassment of Wham! proportions. All of us guys like rock ‘n roll, but we also enjoy that tantalizingly catchy song. George Michael’s song, “Faith” is one that comes to mind. Fortunately for Adam, it did in the form of a videotaped, choreographed dance number while wearing clothes straight out of George Michael’s closet.
Adam was clearly feeling good and flawless.
But when Beverly’s little snuggle monster got too overzealous with his groovy moves, his right arm broke like the book shelves he crashed into. This humiliating musical and dancing expression led to a chain of events that included lying to his best friend Emmy, lying to his science class and science teacher all the while learning how to lie from his older sister Erica. And what was the lie, you ask? Well, the star of his lie was certainly not going to be centered on the former lead singer of Wham! No.; Instead, one of the greatest sequels in movie history would provide the source for his most epic lie: he told everyone that he rode a hoverboard like the one from Back to the Future: Part II.
After promising a video recording of him riding a hoverboard (which he impressively built himself) that was gold except for the rope showing, Adam had no choice but to do the right thing…He faked a letter forbidding the proof he rode a hoverboard. But, as well all do, we have our moral limits to our cover-ups. While Dave Kim enjoyed shrimp parm and cheesy watermelon at the Goldberg residence as part of Beverly’s plan to get back at Dave Kim’s mom for leading her family to say they enjoyed her cooking more than Beverly’s, Adam prepared a devastating presentation to his science class and teacher: the truth. Demonstrating the bravery to humiliate himself in front of everybody with his George Michael moves, as well as his touching plea to Emmy about forgiveness and being part of his family, the dynamic duo reunited in their spot: the tree house.
Speaking of pleas, perhaps the best of the episode was Beverly’s to her family. She sincerely explained how dinner time was her time to spend with her family and just how valuable it was to her day. Clearly, cooking Chinese food completely alluded her (ketchup as a base?). But, sensing her genuine nature, the Goldbergs returned to their dinner table as a family.
It was a little cheesy, but good cheesy.
This episode reminds me of a movie marathon of sorts I recently had with my nephew just a couple weeks ago and we actually watched The Back to the Future trilogy, which included those unforgettable scenes with the hoverboards. And watching those moments, while also watching my nephew watch them for the first time with wide-eyed wonderment, was like traveling back in time myself to when I first saw that movie magic unfold before my eyes. It was the same excitement that Adam showed and this storyline in the show underscored not only the magnificent and lasting impression a movie can have, but also the pure joy of dreaming of and for the presently impossible.
Returning back to The Goldbergs, Adam’s science teacher relentlessly proclaimed his belief in science and fact: hoverboards, in the 1980s, is impossible. Adam, on the other hand, relentlessly envisioned a world in which hoverboards are possible. This was back in 1980-something (had to be 1989).
How fitting it was that the eternal dreamer Adam sang and danced to George Michael’s popular song “Faith” because people will have the opportunity to ride the very first hoverboard in Silicon Valley early next year.
Having faith in family, friends and the existence of Marty’s hoverboard: That’s a recipe for success that worked back in the 1980s and still does in 2000-something.
The Epic Name of (and for) James Bond 24
There is one word to describe the 24th movie in the James Bond franchise.
And here it is:
If the movie is anything nearly as cool and sublime as the Aston Martin DB10, then fans will be in for one hell of a ride.
Spectre already feels like it will be amazing…simply amazing.
“Coming Soon” Redefined
2015: Welcome back dinosaurs and the epic battle of good vs. evil.
Reflecting on last week’s treasure trove (however small) of movie trailers slated for mid-late 2015 release dates, it’s clear that audience engagement and connectivity is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Jurassic World and Stars Wars: The Force Awakens are already two of the must-see movies of next year. Not this year, but next year. In fact, the soonest one of the aforementioned films will be released is in seven months.
Why mention this marketing strategy now?
Because movie studios and directors are continuing to forge relationships with their fans during the speculation phase of their projects right through the development of the plot, filming in the various settings/locations and character leaks and special social media reveals several months and even a year before its theatrical premiere (ie – Interstellar’s first teaser was last November). And let’s not forget about the DC Comics Universe announcing that seemingly endless list of future superhero movies that give fans years upon years of movies to look forward to. Marvel also does its part as well in this department. This modern, evolving dynamic in the film industry is fascinating because it connects movie makers with its fans on a surprisingly constant basis. Some in Hollywood, understanding the incredible interest in amazingly sublime and complex stories with popular actors, actresses, writers, producers and directors, have created an investment in cinema.
Are the days of going to see a movie as a spontaneous weekend fling going away?
No. However, for the most ambitious and popular movies/stories (live action and animated), the trend is moving towards more involvement/persistent awareness between movie producer and fan. This can be viewed as good because the interest and connection is voluntary and exciting to its willing participants (sans spoilers). But this can also be viewed as bad because of intrigue fatigue. We live in a minute-to-minute and even second-to-second world. Few secrets are held for very long these days. Eventually, widespread speculation or new information will be released to the public. With that in mind, how many seconds and/or minutes are in seven months? One year?
While the movie going experience is becoming, well, more of an experience, it does work. Interstellar was undeniably worth the wait (I saw it twice in IMAX), as was The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel, serving as just a few examples. It’s likely that Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be as well. It should be noted that the films that are promoted with such surreal longevity are films that reward its dedicated fans with an unforgettably rich movie experience.
In the age of information, driven through the lightning fast digital medium, the questions are whether this epic marketing strategy of teaser trailers and perfectly placed clues/special reveals can continue to sustain and produce epic results without the eventual exhaustion of an epic journey before making it the theater? Is too much being revealed in the trailers?
For now, I’m entranced by the new lightsaber, in awe and suspense of a genetically modified dinosaur (and story 22 years in the making) and delightfully eager to witness James Bond’s 24th cinematic adventure in a finely tailored suit.
2015 is setting up to be legen-wait for it…
Jimmy's Daily Planet 