A Vampire, a Werewolf, and a Ghost Walk into a Bar... (Being Human - TV-14)

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, which is probably why Syfy's "Being Human" doesn't take itself too seriously. The show follows three not-so-human roommates and their desperate cling to whatever shreds of humanity they have left.

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Aidan (Sam Witwer - "Star Wars: The Clone Wars") has been a vampire since the redcoats invaded New England. Josh (Sam Huntington - "Fanboys") is a werewolf, frustrated and ashamed for what he is. The two meet through their day jobs as nurses at a local hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Aidan suggests an experiment - monster cohabitation. Aidan thinks that if he and Josh live together as roommates, they can help each other keep their monstrous selves in check and finally find a sense of normalcy.

The two decide to rent a house together, but unknowingly choose a house with a dark past. Here they find Sally Malik (Meaghan Rath - "Three Night Stand"), the ghost who haunts the house and has no memory of how she died. When she is finally able to reveal herself to Aidan and Josh, the boys vow to help her find her door to the afterlife. 

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The three battle all manner of the supernatural including a thriving underground vampiric empire - all while trying to make rent by the end of the month. That is what I loved most about the show: it made excellent use of the opportunity to make a bit of fun of itself. The heavier drama of the show would escalate and suddenly the garbage disposal would break. Josh, Aiden and Sally are dealing with real world problems of being single adults in their 20s, all while they have vampires and werewolves knocking on their front door.

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I also must say that I like the type of conflict that "Being Human" uses in its plot. I'm certainly not one for the vampire love triangles that are popular right now, but I do love watching monsters deal with the inner struggle of being, well, monsters. Josh and Aiden are constantly having to come to terms with what they are and how that defines the way they interact with their world. It sets up for some really thought-provoking scenes. Plus, the show really had a way of drawing me into the story; I always wanted to jump right into the next episode.

"Being Human" is especially popular among the cult TV crowd and it's worth noting that the show's own Sam Witwer will be making an appearance at Planet Comicon in Kansas City this March 13, 14 and 15. Rating: 3/5 pints of Ben & Jerry's.

Suddenly I feel like doing paper-mache... (Frank - 2014 - R)

"Frank" starts by following Jon (Domhnall Gleeson - "About Time"), a wannabe musician and avid Twitter user, around the city streets as he tries to write a song. Unsuccessful, he eventually stumbles upon the SORONPRFBS, a band whose keyboardist happens to be trying to drown himself in a public display. In need of an emergency keyboardist, Don invites Jon to play at their evening show.

Jon finds himself immersed in a hot mess of sound as the band warms up, but is especially mesmerized when he sees Frank (Michael Fassbender - "X-Men: Days of Future Past"). Frank, the lead vocalist of SORONPRFBS, wears a permanent oversized paper-mache head. When the band decides they want Jon to replace their old keyboardist, they invite him to Ireland for the recording of their album.

Image credit: www.indiewire.com

Jon soon finds himself caught up in all of the creative freedom and realizes that the band could be a real hit among the indie crowd. He begins posting recorded videos of the album's progress on YouTube, which quickly grab the attention of some indie music diehards. Jon is fascinated with Frank and his natural ability to create a song about nearly anything - even a snag on a sofa - and gets wrapped up in knowing he can ride on the tails of this band's success. Based on the clips Jon posted online, SORONPRFBS gets invited to play at South by Southwest in Texas.

Frank's insecurities and nervousness get the better of him at SxSW and the band falls into turmoil. When the band members inevitably decide to ditch the gig, Frank has a total breakdown and runs away. Jon starts to feel guilty for setting himself up as the band's manager and leaves to search for Frank. Jon finally finds him in his hometown of Bluff City, Kansas, and reunites him with the band.

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The movie was (very) loosely based on the fictional character, Frank Sidebottom, portrayed by real-life comedian/musician Charles Sievey, who passed away in 2010. As Frank, Sievey was known for wearing that large paper-mache head, and the movie itself takes Sievey's character inspiration, turning Frank into a more serious story exploring a darker side of the indie scene.

Video credit: JoBlo Movie Trailers, YouTube

Normally, I love a good off-beat independent film...but "Frank" fell a little flat. All of the elements were there - fantastic acting (especially from Fassbender), the weird-as-hell music (all played live as the scene was shot, by the way), even some genuinely witty humor. I just thought the film lacked a certain sparkle that I expected from all the hype. I watched and waited for that nugget of specialness, but it never arrived.

That being said, I wouldn't call "Frank" a let down. It told the story it wanted to tell and it catered to a more specific audience. So while "Frank" sadly didn't become an instant personal favorite as I hoped it would, I still know of a few friends that I would recommend it to for its very particular elements of awesome. Rating: 2.5/5 pints of Ben & Jerry's.