The Office final episodes

THE OFFICE (the last three episodes of) Season 9
I stopped watching THE OFFICE a few seasons back, when the Jim and Pam story went from cute to nauseating, but decided to view the once-great series’ final episodes. I wish I hadn’t. This painfully tired, unforgivably unfunny treacle makes the most saccharine Disney tale look like an Albee play.

Hair Shirt

HAIR SHIRT by Patrick McEown (Self Made Hero)
There’s not much ecstasy, but lotsa agony in this tale of a sensitive young artist’s burgeoning powder keg relationship with an old childhood crush. McEown deftly plumbs the complexity and pitfalls of desire, insecurity, and trauma, his evocative art (simultaneously cartoony and naturalistic) greatly enhanced by Liz Artinian’s gorgeous coloring.

Hannibal

HANNIBAL (NBC)
Disappointed FOLLOWING watchers should check out this whip-smart, stylish and truly terrifying reinterpretation of Thomas Harris’ iconic cat and mouse game. Mads Mikkelsen’ creepy erudition amazingly manages to avoid comparisons with Anthony Hopkins’ Lecter, while Hugh Dancy’s preternaturally empathic Will Graham is more complex than any film version. Mesmerizing.

Iron Man 3

IRON MAN 3
Aside from the risible cliché of the precocious kid sidekick and too many empty armors, Shane Black’s post-AVENGERS adventure is suitably entertaining and refreshingly surprising (altho’ one bait-and-switch will infuriate intractable fanboys). Primary credit, of course, goes to Downey, who continues to inhabit Tony Stark with unmatchable wit and verve.

Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth

GENIUS, ILLUSTRATED: THE LIFE AND ART OF ALEX TOTH by Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell (IDW)
IDW’s extensive Toth trilogy continues with this examination of the artist’s work and life from the 1960s thru his death in 2006. The comics, illustration and design on display are breathtaking, while tales of many aborted and unrealized projects are heartbreaking reminders of what we both lost and never had.

The Nerdist

THE NERDIST
What I like about Chris Hardwick’s pop culture gabfest is that he doesn’t play to the masses. There’s a pleasant awkwardness with big stars, and even when the comedy bits miss, the whole affair has a delightfully DIY esthetic that makes you feel like anyone could just walk on set.

Louis C.K.: Oh My God

LOUIS C.K.: OH MY GOD
Look, I like Louis. I do. But his shtick is getting a little tired and predictable. “Stupid Americans take amazing thing for granted. I’m fat and middle aged. My kids suck but I love them. Close with controversial supposition.” Louie’s capable of genius, but this special is not it.

The Boy Who Loved Batman

THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN by Michael Uslan (Chronicle Books)
Longtime Batman film producer Uslan’s autobiography is heavy on childhood reminisces and light on moviemaking anecdotes (Uslan avoids even naming Joel Schumacher or his Bat-travesties, let alone dishing dirt), suggesting that a good Hollywood memoir cannot be written by an active player… or a nice guy? A friendly, missed opportunity.

The Grey

THE GREY
Yeah, yeah, life is hard and then you die, sometimes horribly and alone. But can we just talk about how Liam Neeson really needs a hand stand-in for any close-ups of his stubby sausage paws? One has to wonder about whether certain Hollywood legends refer to length or girth…

The Muppets

THE MUPPETS
Jason Segel’s ode to Jim Henson’s creations certainly has its heart in the right place: It’s positively brimming with fuzzy sincerity and palpable affection. If only it were funnier and less crass. Further evidence that some pieces of pop culture are best left fallow in the absence of their creator.

Battle for Brooklyn

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN
8 years in the making, this excellent documentary details the political and financial manipulations the people behind Brooklyn’s Barclays Center used to force a vibrant neighborhood to fall prey to a capitalistic bastardization of eminent domain. Also indicting lazy media, it’s maddening and inspiring at the same time.

Final Destination 5

FINAL DESTINATION 5
When a fistful of dull movie archetypes survives a freak bridge collapse, a cheated Death sets off a chain of Rube Goldberg deathtraps! How will the Tom Cruisey dude die? What about not-Megan Fox? And most of all, when will this exhausted franchise suffer its own wacky, long-overdue demise?

Steve Martin: The Television Stuff

STEVE MARTIN: THE TELEVISION STUFF
While much of Martin’s ironic showbiz-parodying stand-up hasn’t aged well, most of the skits in this collection of vintage TV material are as smart and hilarious as ever. Sadly, some of the content (mostly musical) has been edited out, and a disc of “bonus” materials feels slight.

Melancholia

MELANCHOLIA
Lars Von Triers’ languid rumination on depression starts off promising (with a beautiful world-ending cataclysm), but ultimately feels like a self-serving attempt to recast a debilitating disease as a source of strength. A completely unrelatable setting and mostly wispy characterizations ultimately left me cold… which may have been the point.

New Girl, Season 2

NEW GIRL Season 2
Man, did this thing tank hard and fast! Granted, it was always mannered and sugary, but NEW GIRL has become an unfunny parody of itself, an agonizing patchwork of unrelenting mugging, cutesy-quirky non-sequiturs and big-eyed touchy-feely moments, overplayed by actors who all need to calm the fuck down.

Dave Stevens: Covers & Stories

DAVE STEVENS: COVERS & STORIES (IDW)
The late, great creator of the Rocketeer was best known for his Bettie-Page-inspired cheesecake, and with good reason: he was a Frazetta-level master. This beautiful collection (all shot from the original art) highlights pin-ups, covers, sketches, and too-infrequent storytelling from a career that was heartbreakingly truncated by leukemia.

The Following

THE FOLLOWING
I want to love this Kevin Bacon cult-killer show, and it does have its moments, but every episode leaves me wishing the same thing: That it was smarter. Populated with clichéd villains and dumbed-down literary allusions (I like Poe, but c’mon), the whole shebang just reeks of network TV compromise.

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God

MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
Alex Gibney’s heartbreaking and stunningly gorgeous documentary starts with the sexual abuse of over 200 students at a Milwaukee Catholic school for the deaf, and ends in the dirty hands of (ex-)Pope Benedict and his Vatican cronies. A must-see for everyone, particularly Catholics who defend / ignore the church’s ongoing malfeasance.

Jim Gaffigan, Mr. Universe

Jim Gaffigan, MR. UNIVERSE (Comedy Central Records)
Despite what Jim Gaffigan’s high-pitched, confused inner commentator thinks, the meat of his fast-food engorged body of work is one of the best in the business. In addition to his usual salient critiques of American health and eating habits, Gaffigan’s cynical take on Disney is worth the list price alone.

Paul Williams: Still Alive

PAUL WILLIAMS: STILL ALIVE
An intimate look at the singer / songwriter / actor who was a ubiquitous fixture on 1970s TV, until substance abuse (blatantly obvious in many onscreen appearances) sidelined his career. Acolyte director Stephen Kessler becomes part of the documentary as Williams softens to the process, enhancing the film’s considerable charm.

Battleship

BATTLESHIP
Much as I loathe entertainment awards, there should be a special Oscar® for every actor (and singer and model) who managed to muddle through this ludicrous, forced piece of product with a straight face (did Liam Neeson lose a bet?). Ohhh, they really shoulda’ sunk this hysterically bad Battleship.

Secret Country, From the Barroom to the Bedroom

Secret Country, FROM THE BARROOM TO THE BEDROOM (Killing Horse)
Losing key founding members usually sounds a death-knell for bands, but Kearny NJ’s honky-tonk hot dogs have managed a masterfully sucessful reinvention, adding some classic rock riffs, more guitar, and (most affectingly) co-lead vocals from the amazing Katelynn Siegle, a voice that would make Patsy proud.

God and Science: Return of the Ti-Girls

GOD AND SCIENCE: RETURN OF THE TI-GIRLS by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
Geekier fans of LOVE & ROCKETS can revel in Xaime’s full-on foray into superhero comics, albeit with his own inimitable twist. Mixing retro adventure comics tropes with an examination of wish-fulfillment, aging, grief and (of course) female empowerment, this invigorating collection is a worthy addition to a legendary oeuvre.

Elementary

ELEMENTARY
Purists and fans of BBC’s SHERLOCK may scoff, but CBS’ contemporary Sherlock Holmes reinterpretation is wickedly entertaining, thanks primarily to its casting: Jonny Lee Miller is damaged and charming as the brilliant “deductionist,” with complementary foils Lucy Liu (Watson) and Aidan Quinn (NYPD Captain Gregson) alternating aggravation, admiration and fondness.

Paul F. Tompkins, Laboring Under Delusions

Paul F. Tompkins, LABORING UNDER DELUSIONS: LIVE IN BROOKLYN (aspecialthing records)
Inside flimsy, smudgy packaging (Boo!) lie tales of toiling in numerous jobs, from selling hats to stealing videotapes to acting for Paul Thomas Anderson. Tompkins is comedy’s reigning poet, his brilliant usage of vocabulary delivered with impeccable timing. Even his “Riff Suites” are better than most comedians’ written material.