5 ; : : oT em A PT A cinematic and important... miniseries? Round two brought to you by Spielberg and friends. By Cody Klyne m the celebrity team that brought you the six-time Emmy award winning Band of Brothers back in 2001 comes a new entry in the explosively-popular Second World War genre from Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks, The Pacific. Being both visually cinematic and historically important, this ten- part epic focuses on a handful of United States marines who caught up in the heat of the action in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. Airing Sunday nights on HBO, this series promises to deliver much of the same heart-pounding suspense that made its critically acclaimed predecessor an engrossing, must- watch affair. | Generally speaking, the now nine-year-old Band of Brothers marked an important moment in recent television. That said, it now warrants comment due to the similarities in style and tone that it bares to The Pacific. The ample use of tension, the lingering and often worrying silence, and the panoramic shots make for beautiful and memorable scenes. On top of that, the narrative character’s driven approach is quick to sink its claws in and develop a sense of attachment in viewers with the on screen heroes as they endure hell on earth. The freshness of series—as well as my childish excitement—limits what I can say regarding the story. So, speaking specifically from the cinematic and artistic level, it’s important to note that the geographic placement of the action takes the visual side of things in a different direction that is immediate and distinct. Centred on the events that followed Pearl Harbour, and thereby focused on America’s retaliatory operations against Japan, scenes are The Pacific artfully constructed while remaining intensely realistic. Re-utilizing the same sharp, high contrast technique that gave Band of Brothers its distinguished style— popping colours and muted tans— The Pacific contains beach landings, dense jungle, and endless watery expanse that call for lush greens, and deep blues. Comparatively speaking, islands like Guadalcanal call for an expectantly more saturated pallet then the earthier European backdrop viewers were treated to last time. For some, I know that I’m walking on eggshells here even having written about The Pacific at so early in its television career. That aside, I’m willing to bet with mild trepidation that fans of Band ._ of Brothers who miss Winters and the rest of Easy Company will find solace, as well as something to admire, in this new batch of freedom fighters. Sunday nights. HBO. Your couch is the place to be. Keeping a straight face with Norm MacDonald By Alan Piffer, Nexus (Camosun College) VICTORIA (CUP)— Besides his late- night talk show appearances, people will no doubt recognize funnyman Norm MacDonald from his Saturday Night Live gig in the 90s. Or, if they’re really into MacDonald’s style of comedy, they’ ll remember the short-lived Norm Show, or even the cult classic film Dirty Work, with Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange. Dirty Work was a classic SNL star vehicle with an advantage over similar flicks due to surprisingly edgy director Bob Saget (best known for his wholesome dad role in Full House). The movie’s comedic chemistry was pure gold, as fans of the Quebec-born MacDonald constantly remind him. “A lot of people come up after [stand-up shows] with DVDs of it, so I have noticed that it’s become more popular than it was,” says MacDonald. “There was talk about a Dirty Work 2, actually. I had an idea about them going back in time, and then Saget had an idea about getting Artie a new heart. Saget’s was probably a funnier idea.” Speaking of Saget, MacDonald had a notable appearance on Comedy Central’s Roast of Bob Saget; if people found MacDonald’s routine unfunny, it was surely because of how purposefully unfunny it was. MacDonald says that being unfunny is harder than it looks. “It is a little bit tricky because your natural instincts tell you to either break up, or to cut it off when it goes on and on,” he explains. “But I had to fight against that tendency, because I didn’t want to really break character on it.” For MacDonald, keeping a straight face pays off in other ways, like in his many celebrity poker matches. “It’s good to play poker when you’re a celebrity—if you’re any good at poker— because they just naturally think you’re an idiot because you’re a celebrity, which is usually the case,” says MacDonald. “So if you’re in any way smarter than a celebrity, you’ll do alright.” MacDonald also gets a fair amount of voiceover work. Something that stands out is his unforgettable portrayal of Death in an early Family Guy episode. While the role was taken over by comedian Adam Carolla, MacDonald still gets a lot of fan excitement over it. “Tt’s funny, because I only did it once and, just constantly, people come up to me about that one little thing,” says MacDonald. “I just went in for Seth [MacFarlane] and read it into a mic in his office and that was it. I do cartoons and voiceovers just so ~ my kid has some idea of what I do in life—until he grows up and realizes I do the exact opposite.” One thing MacDonald is known for is his outrageous remarks, including a 2006 bit on The Daily Show about crocodiles, reflecting upon the then-recently deceased “Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin. “I remember that, because afterwards, everyone was shocked and everything,” says MacDonald. “I had no idea that the Crocodile Hunter was a beloved character or anything like that. I thought people just sort of made fun of that guy.” Despite his perennially relaxed demeanour, MacDonald says his act does depend on his level of personal comfort. “With Jon Stewart or Conan, because they’re my friends I’m much more reckless in my comedy with them than I would be with David Letterman, or somebody that I’m a little afraid of,” says MacDonald. “I sort of forget that I’m on TV and I just talk to them like I would off the air with them, you know?” So when MacDonald stops in Canada for his stand-up comedy tour, what will he talk about? “T’ll probably talk a lot about the Olympics because it was just such a big thing for me,” he says. “I ended up watching the [men’s gold medal] hockey game in a big room in Chicago, and it was all American fans except for me. It was knee-buckling at the end of the third period, and it made it sweeter in overtime. “I went fuckin’ crazy. But people were a little upset with me. And then in my head, I was like, ‘Oh, this would be cool to get in a fight. Like, get all drunk and get into a fight for Canada; that’d be fun.”