Originally published Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 5:31 AM
Critics Picks: 'Monarch,' 'Somebody That I Used to Know' parodies, 'Injustice'
Three things Seattle Times writers love this week: the Seattle arts journal "Monarch," the viral parodies of "Somebody That I Used to Know" (especially the "Star Wars" one) and the British psychological thriller "Injustice" on DVD.
Arts journal
'Monarch'
Have you seen the second number of Seattle's newest arts journal, "Monarch"? It's a handsome little thing, with some striking ink-on-paper work by Robert Hardgrave; a fine essay titled "The Reductive Impulse" by Jim Demetre; two crisp, quizzical couplet series from poet John Wesley Horton; and a lovely dream-journal meditation by Shawn Wong. Jake Uitti is managing editor of this labor of love featuring Seattle writers and artists. The print edition is pricey — $10 — but fair, considering the care. You can visit the content online at www.themonarchreview.org. Do.
Paul de Barros,
Seattle Times arts writer
Video parodies
'Somebody That I Used to Know'
This unbelievably catchy song performed by Gotye and Kimbra has a cute, if bland, video — a video that has spawned a litter of much livelier parodies. There's one by Key of Awesome, which shows all the group members playing one guitar simultaneously, plus a Vancouver Canucks parody, a Minecraft parody, a dogs-and-cats parody. The best one, hands down, is the gone-viral "Star Wars" parody, complete with a George Lucas character, in which the vocalist laments Lucas' notorious changes to the Blu-ray edition. "What happened to the 'Star Wars' I used to know?" he sings. This version sticks in your head, too.
Melissa Davis,
Weekend Plus editor
DVDs
'Injustice'
Thinking-woman's hunk James Purefoy ("Rome") plays a British barrister so concerned with justice, he metes it out himself on occasion in this absorbingly twisty psychological thriller. Created by Anthony Horowitz ("Foyle's War"), the miniseries co-stars an affecting Nathaniel Parker ("Inspector Lynley") as an old-school chum facing a murder rap.
Misha Berson,
Seattle Times arts writer











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