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| by Cochaman Peef with additional writing by Bridget Petrella | ||
| Showtime's ‘Californication’— Duchovny's Ultimate Role. | ||
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The DVD images are good,
but perhaps a tad bit unremarkable, though the egregious compression
artifacts I experienced on digital cable are thankfully gone. The 5.1
Dolby Digital soundtrack must be selected on the menu to avoid a default
stereo track. Despite being dialogue-driven, the show boasts an
impressive soundtrack that makes full use of the sound stage. Though not
something I’d normally comment on, the menus cleverly crafted and even
feature a well-deserved nod to Duchovny’s most famous role… as well as
the aforementioned presentation of the show’s most iconic nude scene—
the one that featured in every trailer Showtime aired. Of course WE ALL KNOW— The
X-Files, in which Duchovny played enigmatic FBI agent Fox Mulder
opposite Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully, catapulted him into the
ultimate pop culture icon status. The show ran for nine seasons from
1993 to 2002 (although his involvement was reduced in the final two) and
created a perpetual worldwide television phenomenon. "Come on, we were
better than the Beatles! They went from 1962 to 1970— eight years. They
couldn't even make it to a ninth year, like us. There was a lot of
intense interest in The X-Files and that was a time before everyone was
famous. But we must have been the least successful FBI team in history,
because we never caught anyone." Duchovny also spoke of his recent sex
addiction rumors in passing. "You have no idea how good it feels to be
so popular," he recalls, "I lost my virginity at 14, and I've loved
women ever since. The way a woman smells— it's the ultimate aphrodisiac.
Either these meetings will help me.. to deal with my addiction, or I'll
meet lots of women. Either way I can't lose!" |
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Despite a number of short-term
unwarranted arrests for a virtual plethora of misdemeanors,
which, for some odd reason, remain "classified", Cochaman Peef
has continued to let his beloved hemp play a substantial role in
his ever-waning life. Whether he’s smoking from a hand-blown
glass pipe while studying Eastern religion and Woody Harrelson
philosophy, or just smoking Jamaican sticks and watching Kung-Fu
with David Carradine on DVD [he claims to know Carradine
personally, a fact we've yet to convincingly dispute]. |
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Network
executives are partial to "clever wordplay" in their series' titles—
we've rolled our eyes at the likes of Tru Calling, Miss Match, and Bosom
Buddies for years. But let's just get this out of the way: The
"fornication" in Californication is not some Showtime superstar's bon
mot. This show is 12 pounds of sex in a ten-pound bag. There is more
female frontal nudity than you could shake a stick at, if you'll excuse
my unintentional double entendre— and a few shots of David Duchovny's
bare rump too. The "Cali-" part is less important, serving only as a
backdrop and explanation for the prevalence of obvious boob jobs— boob
jobs you'll see every seven or eight minutes. Don't assume the abundance
of breasts is masking a sub par show. The nudity is contextual and,
while lingering, shot in such a straightforward way that you might
believe it's there for artistic reasons and not to boost the ratings. It
surely won't hurt the ratings, but the quality of the writing and
performances are suitably strong that Californication won't need the
help. Duchovny makes the role his own from the first scene and his wry
asides provoke as many laughs as the increasingly perverse circumstances
in which he finds himself. The hypnotically alluring Natascha McElhone
plays the long-suffering mother of his child, Karen, and is a perfect
straight man for the acerbic Hank. She gives as good as she gets and his
ill-considered attempts to win her endear him to the audience almost as
much as his relationship with his daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin).
Amongst
an excellent ensemble, Martin is the casting coup— a
14-year-old who can truly hold her own against the former star of The
X-Files is one thing, but one who can do it all with as much style and
sophistication as this one is truly nothing short of miraculous. To say
that much of Madeline Zima, the femme fatale whose naked form delivers a
knock-out punch every time you choose an option on the menu, would be to
rob the viewer of the joy of discovery. Suffice to say that Zima has
come along way from her juvenile turn on The Nanny and could very well
serve as a retroactive inspiration for the Police’s 1983 single “Wrapped
Around Your Finger.” The always enjoyable Evan Handler rounds out the
cast as Hank’s long-suffering agent Charlie Runkle, who has his own
dramas when he tries to liven up his sex life with wife Marcy (Pamela
Adlon). Nothing is sacred on this series and Californication is not a
show for the easily offended. Paired with the pot-dealing suburban
antics of Weeds in its initial airings, the series garnered favorable
reactions from the audience and critics. With the second season in
production, Showtime issued the first on DVD with the option of viewing
season two episodes of Dexter and The Tudors via streaming Ebridge
Technology. The only other supplement is a commentary with Kapinos,
Duchovny, and director Stephen Hopkins on the pilot episode.
As
for the multitude of gritty story layers— Hank Moody is vindicating
Karen's betrayal with every married woman in California and barely
managing to keep naked ladies out of his daddy time. His daughter is
developing a discomfiting frankness about her father's rampant sex life—
and a more discomfiting attitude about her own. It seems that Hank's
exploits threaten his daughter's development and the ability to write
his hotly anticipated second novel. He makes a plea to Karen to dump her
boring fiancé and put their family back together, but one grievously bad
decision in the bedroom may destroy his chance with Karen permanently.
There's always something a little unpleasant when writers write about
writers. Californication is no exception— you can sense the preening and
the wish-fulfillment in Hank's opportunities and his admirers. But the
character is so smug, yet funny enough to be likeable, it works to the
show's advantage. "Hank doesn't really say no to anything," says
Duchovny. "It's not like he's driven to pick up every girl and do every
joint. He's lost something. So he is fine sitting there, but if you give
him booze or coke or a woman, he will just take it." But he confesses
that The X-Files almost put him off ever doing another TV show. The
long, stressful days on set, exhausting schedule and intense media
spotlight meant he's turned down every TV role that came his way since
2002, when the show ended. It was only Californication's 12-episode,
three-month schedule that made him think again. And despite the show's
controversial nature, it sounds as if he made a smart decision, as it's
just received the green light for a second series.
David
Duchovny was born and raised in the cultural Mecca of New York City.
He graduated from Princeton University and was pursuing a PhD at Yale
when he suddenly caught the whole acting bug. Subsequently, David
Duchovny emerged to eventually become one of the most highly acclaimed
actors in the industry. For Showtime's latest hit original series
CALIFORNICATION, he won the Golden Globe® Award in January 2008 for Best
Actor in a Comedy Series. From 1993 to 2002, Duchovny starred in Fox
Television's monster hit The X-Files, which earned him a Golden Globe®
Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, and two Emmy® nominations for
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. He was also nominated for an Emmy®
for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his highly acclaimed
appearances on Life with Bonnie and The Larry Sanders Show.
Additionally, he has been nominated for a total of three Golden Globe®
Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series, five Screen Actors Guild Awards
for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and a TV
Critic's Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. UB
Showtime
Home Entertainment
Television Shows
http://www.sho.com/site/californication/home.do