Culture Catch-up: The loop is here and we're bringing you in
TV. Dysfunctional families, affairs, crazy children—nope, it's not Desperate Housewives. It's Weeds, a new series debuting on Showtime (August 7, 11 p.m. EDT, although its usual slot will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 p.m. EDT). Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) stars as a widow who keeps up appearances by selling pot to her friends and neighbors. But delving into crime can be tough while raising two boys. Although the premise may sound slightly far-fetched, it doesn't get bogged down in the sudsy ups and downs of Wisteria Lane, so it can tackle suburbia in a much more realistic way. Although some moments are still absurd: Would a woman (in this case the manipulative Celia, played by Elizabeth Perkins) invite the young female tennis pro from the country club who's sleeping with her husband to talk about it over cocktails? Celia is also the kind of mother who calls her chubby daughter Isabelly. How sweet.
Books. He could play a mean "Star-Spangled Banner," but Jimi wanted out of the U.S. Army, so he played gay, according to Room Full of Mirrors: a Biography of Jimi Hendrix ($25). Author Charles Cross found out that after Hendrix enlisted to get out of jail time for riding in stolen cars, he told the base psychiatrist he had sexual fantasies about his bunkmates. So he was free to start touring with that guitar of his. Bret Easton Ellis digs up some dirt about himself, mostly untrue, in Lunar Park ($25). In his newest novel, the author of American Psycho is the protagonist, who finds himself the target of a copycat killer.
Movies. It's best not to take things too fast in the summer heat, so thankfully director Jim Jarmusch brought out Broken Flowers, which moves at the speed of molasses. Comedian-cum-lovable character actor Bill Murray stars as a Don Juan type who gets an unsigned letter informing him that he has a 19-year-old son. And thus, he awkwardly visits his old flames to find out more. It starts upbeat with Laura (Sharon Stone) and then takes a serious dive for the depressing. For a pick-me-up—and really short shorts—take in The Dukes of Hazzard, which features the long-awaited onscreen debut of Jessica Simpson. Even a fried summer brain can handle this plot: The southern clan has to save the farm! A much more difficult task faced the rangers charged with rescuing American POWs from a Japanese camp in the Philippines in World War II, and their true success story unfolds in The Great Raid. Stars Benjamin Bratt and James Franco play the raid organizers, and they might have been good soldiers in real life, too, according to military movie adviser Dale Dye. He talked to us about training the actors for battle.
DVDs. For more-insensitive parents, pick up the French flick Look at Me ($30). A plump girl with operatic aspirations fights everyone for the attention of her self-centered author father. The music is gorgeous, the familial relationships are a disaster, and the script is very funny. Fred Astaire's daughter must have had a better bond with dad—she provides a commentary on The Astaire and Rogers Collection: Volume One ($60). The set lets viewers mentally dance the night away with five of the duo's films, including Top Hat and Swing Time.
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