This week’s case is about a guy, who we will call “The chameleon.” The chameleon, because he mimics whomever he thinks has the strongest/most authoritative personality in the room. The team needs to keep his blood heated in a hot tub so it does not solidify, causing him to have this crazy skin texture/look like the Senator who dissolves into water in X-Men. The amazing plot device of the Chameleon helps give deep insight into each of the remaining characters. So, what does it say about the characters?

Peace Corps guy – Brennan (Andy Comeau) realizes that he is really bored at Princeton Plainsboro – and he longs for the overseas altruism he preformed in the Peace Corps. He immediately tells House he wants to resign but House refuses.

The bitch – Amber (Anne Dudek) has the chameleon tell her that she always feels she has to be right all the time because she thinks no one likes her. This sobering prospect silences her for the first time in the series.

Meanwhile the plastic surgeon – Taub (Peter Jacobson) has some guy talk with the chameleon who tries to convince Taub that Amber is hot. Taub protests that she is too much of a bitch – but the chameleon argues that command can be sexy. Taub finally realizes the chameleon is mimicking Taub! And Taub is married!

Kumar – Kutner (Kal Penn) is giving the chameleon a bath and talking about his treatment when the chameleon starts talking about taking risks, being a daredevil, loving pain. And Kutner tries to say he is not into that stuff, but does not protest that hard.

The Mormon – Cole (Edi Gathegi) is spared the deep inquisition while he is out trying to steal the chameleon’s car with Thirteen. But Thirteen returns and House insists she go in because he wants to know what the chameleon will say about her. In House’s eagerness to find out Thirteen’s path he goes into the room with her and the chameleon borrows House’s personality. After House leaves the chameleon senses that Thirteen is scared.

But you’re more interested in what the chameleon said about House. Apparently House wants on Thirteen – so do I, big deal. More importantly, what does this do to the chemistry between Thirteen and House? Does it give Thirteen the power over House?

As usual the whole show leaves you wondering who will get voted off and Kal Pen and Anne Dudek are fighting like cats and dogs. To add fuel to the fire Chase has the whole clinic betting on who will be next to go.

More substantively Foreman is back and House is pissed as hell at Cuddy and Cuddy refuses to back down. All the team does is complain that there is one less spot for them to fill. Meanwhile Foreman struggles with whether he truly wants to be back at Princeton Plainsboro. They seem to be setting the course for the acceptance of NONE of the new cast members who seem to be killing time until the old team comes back.

Could “Avatar” Win Best Picture?

By Brett Hogan

 

Last week, the trailer for James Cameron’s sci-fi experiment “Avatar” debuted. While initially unimpressed with the teaser, I began to wonder: Could this film win best picture? 

 

Buzz has been generating for this movie for years. Years. The technology to make this movie didn’t exist when Cameron conceived it, so he invented it. When is the last time you heard of a director spearheading the invention of anything? The casting started in 2005. Most movies these days, even epics, are done in half that time. I could go on. 

 

The most important thing to take away from all of this is that people are saying this will be the future of movies. Now, I don’t agree with the idea that CGI will become more prevalent than it already is. But I do believe that this will set the bar miles higher for sci-fi. I mean, that is what Titanic did. And that won some awards if memory serves.

 

I’ll bet you’re asking yourself, how can you even suggest that a film like this will win Best Picture when the initial trailer was nothing better than visual stimulation? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, the Academy has expanded Best Picture to ten films. This doesn’t guarantee anything other than improved chances for most films on the cusp.

 

Second, after last year’s Oscars debacle, which saw the best film of the year, “The Dark Knight,” not only get shafted in awards but nominations as well, the Academy is pulling out all the stops to appease those with the loudest voices in the film industry, the fanboys. Now, the Academy probably didn’t lose anything because of that other than some viewers of the award show. Perhaps if people are again outraged with the winners or nominees, the heads of the Academy would lose their jobs. So this is all about the Academy protecting itself, which is not so outrageous.  

 

 

Third, there is an economic motive here. I’ve heard this film will cost $190 million, not counting the R&D costs associated with Cameron’s inventions or the cost of getting 3-D cameras into every theater in the country. The Academy will do everything in its power to get people into the seats and make this the next “Titanic” or “The Dark Knight.” But the Academy doesn’t have much power, besides nominating and awarding, so they will slap the “Nominated for Best Picture” moniker onto every commercial and print ad to get the people who didn’t believe the critics to relent and see this movie.

 

Of course, all of this is pure conjecture, and no revolutionary film (Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, etc.) has ever won the Best Picture category because it changed the game. Except maybe Titanic. But still, could this movie actually win? My answer is no but a nomination is certain and who knows what could happen from there. We’ll know more come February 2010.