... in which Carter attempts to uncover the identity of “Captain Eureka,” the town’s new superhero.
Eureka: Phased and Confused
... in which Carter attempts to uncover the identity of “Captain Eureka,” the town’s new superhero.
Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space
After six years of monochrome adventuring through time and space ‘Spearhead from Space’ saw Doctor Who undergo a complete transformation.
Twin Peaks: Traces to Nowhere
“Who has the other half of this heart?”
The focus of this episode is, quite reasonably, the people closest to Laura. James Hurley, Bobby and Mike, Donna, even Josie: these are the most logical people for Cooper to be interested in, as the average teenager is likely closest to the people in her peer group. They’re also the people most likely for us to be interested in, as armchair detectives—which is why this episode reveals more to us about these kiddos than even Cooper discovers.
Eureka: Show Me the Mummy!
... in which an ancient mummy queen and the scientists studying her go missing, as Allison struggles on her first day back at work.
True Blood: She's Not There
Eric: "Who would you rather trust? A vampire or a politician?"
Everything felt different. Maybe because everyone had different hair.
The Killing: Orpheus Descending
Look on the season finale of The Killing, ye Mighty, and despair!
Twin Peaks: Pilot
“Mr. Cooper, you didn’t know Laura Palmer.”
Twin Peaks is both cultish enough and popular enough that there’s a thrill every time one fan meets another—and those thrills aren’t too far between. When it premiered in early 1990, people went wild. Remember when we were all so excited about Lost? Move those conversations to the water coolers instead of the internet, add some hairspray, and that’s about it.
Interview with the Vampire
[This review includes spoilers.]
Lestat: "God kills indiscriminately. And so shall we."
I was a huge fan of Anne Rice's vampire books back in the day, and when this movie was released, I expected the worst. I was wrong. Interview is an excellent adaptation of Anne Rice's novel. Everything I loved in the book is also in the movie.
A vampire with a soul
Louis (Brad Pitt) is a young widower who longs for death. I've always loved the early scene when he actually opens his shirt to his attacker; it's a perfect character moment. Louis cannot accept what he becomes, and is eternally tormented by his own nature... although it's interesting that he is outright suicidal as a human, but not as a vampire, when all he would have to do to end it all is walk outside during daylight. Louis wants vampire life to be elevated, intellectual. He doesn't want to be a killer or a monster. He wants to find meaning in love, and he cannot love Lestat.
This is Brad Pitt's movie. Louis in the books is a tortured soul who is so physically and emotionally beautiful that everyone wants him. Brad Pitt manages to do this in every frame of this movie. In my opinion, he nailed it.
A vampire with an attitude
Lestat is my favorite vampire in literature. In this movie, he appears to love what he is; he even literally dances with death. And yet, he says more than once that he was turned against his will, implying that it is something he never would have chosen. We also get hints throughout that Louis's story is slanted. It's tantalizing.
Tom Cruise is never my first choice for any role, especially that of a character I love as much as I love Lestat. But he did acquit himself well. (Except for his appalling French pronunciation. Seriously, Tom. Mon dew? Chewrie?) I've always assumed that Tom Cruise was cast as Lestat because of the sequels we didn't get. Interview is about Louis, but Lestat is the main character of the following few books.
(And that was a smart choice by Rice, by the way. There is so much more to Lestat than what Louis sees; it's just too bad that we never got to see it on the screen. The Queen of the Damned sequel didn't star Cruise, and didn't do the books justice.)
Why is Lestat so obsessed with Louis? Clearly, even a vampire so in tune with his predatory nature needs love and companionship. Rice's vampires are androgynous, seductive, romantically possessive even though they don't have sex. The eroticism is centered around drinking blood. All they care about is blood, and each other.
A vampire who will never grow up
Lestat creates Claudia to save his "marriage" to Louis, just like a troubled couple having a baby for the wrong reasons. Louis and Claudia are almost like Lestat's abused wife and battered child. Claudia becomes a parody of her human self, victimizing humans by acting like a lost, helpless child; she and Lestat kill together, again as a parody of a real family, like a father taking his son out hunting in the woods.
Kirsten Dunst, only eleven years old at the time, did exceptional work as Claudia, who was only five in the book. It's doubtful that any actress young enough to pass for five could pull off a character as complicated and adult as Claudia. It was smart of Neil Jordan to make Claudia a little older in order to cast the perfect actress.
Interview was Anne Rice's first book, and arguably her best. Interestingly, and tragically, it was written after the death of her five year old daughter from leukemia. When this correlation was pointed out to her, Rice was reportedly surprised, and said it wasn't intentional.
A vampire movie with depth
The story and the characters are special, but that's not all. Neil Jordan created such a beautiful movie. The actors, the dialogue, the plantation, Paris, the costumes and make-up -- it's just stunning. And the symbolism is marvelous. The flight into the air as Louis ascends into godhood. The dead crawfish on the floor. The sex-as-death scene with the two prostitutes and the coffin. Claudia's dolls. Louis' obsession with sunrise.
I always liked the first part of the movie more than the second. I'm all about the twisted family life. The European adventure and the Theatre des Vampires always loses me a bit. I tend to skip ahead emotionally to Louis' rampage in the crypt, which is also beautifully filmed. It is Louis facing the loss of Claudia head-on, and finally accepting himself as the vampire he is.
Bits and pieces:
-- The best lines from the book were also in the movie. Not a surprise, since Anne Rice also wrote the screenplay.
-- When someone becomes an Anne Rice vamp, they immediately become gorgeous. Like the super immortal hair styling for Claudia. Only better, because it lasts forever.
-- Lestat can read minds, but Louis cannot. The gift varies.
-- Lestat's irritation with Louis's despair becomes quite funny. ("Still whining, Louis!")
-- River Phoenix was originally cast as the interviewer. After his untimely death at the age of 23, Christian Slater took over the part.
-- There's only one thing about this movie that I don't like, and that's Antonio Banderas' immense head of black hair. What were they thinking? Armand in the movie is also nothing like Armand in the books. I like Antonio Banderas, but this was disappointing.
Quotes:
Lestat: "Evildoers are easier. And they taste better." This is interesting. Because aren't criminals who are always aware of evil intentions harder to kill? Why would they be easier? This is a major clue that Lestat isn't as evil as Louis sees him.
Lestat: "They all go to heaven."
Louis: "All but us."
Lestat: "Claudia! What have we told you?"
Claudia: (chastened) "Never in the house."
Louis: "Vampires pretending to be human pretending to be vampires."
Claudia: "How avant-garde."
There are several television series about vampires that I love, but Interview is the only vampire movie I've seen numerous times. Four out of four rats and poodles,
Billie
(This is one of Billie's Favorite Movies.)
Eureka: Best in Faux
... in which Carter investigates exploding robotic dogs and an earthquake that only he felt.
Doctor Who: The War Games
Epic in both length and content ‘The War Games’ is, in this humble fan’s opinion, the best Patrick Troughton story that still exists in its entirety. Bringing to an end one era of the show while neatly setting the stage for the next, this would be the final story in black and white, the last story of the 1960s and the final regular appearance of Second Doctor and his ever faithful companions, Jamie and Zoe.
Yes, It's Vampire Month
Welcome to our second annual Vampire Month!
This July, we'll be observing Vampire Month with reviews of the fourth season of True Blood premiering tomorrow, and my review of my favorite vampire movie, which will be posted this weekend. (Aren't you curious?) Since we won't be doing retro reviews of two other vampire shows like we did last summer, we've come up with several vampire-related polls (below). What's the greatest human/vampire romance? Which vampire has the weirdest eyebrows? Inquiring minds want to know!
Note -- you'll need to click VOTE for each individual poll. We're not big with the technology here. And if we didn't list your answer, feel free to post write-in answers in the comments.
POLLS ARE NOW CLOSED! Here are the poll questions with their responses, plus some snide comments in italics by me.
Do you prefer...
59% Vampires,
26% Witches,
13% Zombies,
32% Aliens, or
25% Intelligent cybernetic organisms bent on world domination?
[Since this is the site that Buffy built and the title of this post is "Yes, It's Vampire Month", I'm not surprised that vampires swept this category. We sort of had it wired.]
Sexiest vamp, or, The vamp you'd most like to bite you:
4% Angel (Buffyverse)
11% Darla (Buffyverse)
2% Drusilla (Buffyverse)
31% Spike (Buffyverse)
0% Mitchell (Being Human)
0% Aidan (Being Human - the other one)
2% Mick St. John (Moonlight)
0% Josef Kostan (Moonlight)
1% Bill Compton (True Blood)
21% Eric Northman (True Blood)
8% Jessica Hamby (True Blood)
1% Pam de Beaufort (True Blood)
13% Damon Salvatore (Vampire Diaries)
1% Stefan Salvatore (Vampire Diaries)
2% Caroline Forbes (Vampire Diaries)
2% None of the above
1% You missed mine (post a comment!)
[Nice spread on this one, although note the concentration of votes on the vampire "bad boys". Even Caroline did better than Stefan Salvatore. Spike won! Of course Spike won.]
Greatest human/vampire romance:
2% Bella/Edward
3% Beth/Mick
27% Buffy/Angel
45% Buffy/Spike
7% Cordelia/Angel (come on, we dare you to click this one)
5% Hoyt/Jessica
0% Sookie/Bill
7% Sookie/Eric
3% Blade and that woman whose name you'd already forgotten by the end of the first movie
1% You missed mine (post a comment)
[And Buffy/Spike sweeps the category!]
Which vampire has the weirdest eyebrows?
41% Edward Cullen
14% Damon Salvatore
7% Bill Compton
12% Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi in Dracula, 1931)
25% Count Chocula from boxes of Dimitri's favorite cereal
2% You missed mine (post a comment)
[I am totally not surprised that Edward Cullen took this one to the bank. Robert Pattinson's eyebrows really are something special.]
What character do you think would benefit the most from becoming a vampire? (inspired by Caroline on Vampire Diaries)
6% Erica Evans (V)
7% Olivia Dunham (Fringe)
31% Rachel Berry (Glee)
11% Rhys Williams (Torchwood)
20% Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones)
1% You missed mine (post a comment)
23% I am completely befuddled by this poll question
[I loved this question. And that Rachel Berry won.]
What's your favorite currently running vampire show?
12% Being Human (BBC)
1% Being Human (the other one)
50% True Blood
31% Vampire Diaries
1% You missed mine (post a comment)
6% I hate vampire shows
[True Blood did have an unfair advantage, since it's running right now.]
What's your favorite vampire show of all time?
25% Angel
0% Being Human (BBC)
1% Being Human (the other one)
69% Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2% Forever Knight
3% Moonlight
9% True Blood
1% Vampire Diaries
2% You missed mine (post a comment)
1% I hate vampire shows
[This doesn't surprise me. As much as I love Being Human, True Blood and Vampire Diaries, Buffy is still my favorite show. I'm pleased that Angel did so well, too.]
Happy Vampire Month! Bite me!
Eureka: What About Bob?
... in which Carter is tasked with finding a researcher who’s gone missing after 11 years living in Global’s top secret underground biosphere.
Haven: Harmony
“The patients have taken over the asylum.”
This week’s brand of crazy (pun intended) was a little more interesting than last week, although just as out there. I’m beginning to realize that I like my supernatural stuff on the traditional side. I think the over-the-top weirdness of some recent shows has left me a bit overdone. However, this week’s mini mystery was fun and I’m getting hooked by the larger story. I’m also starting to really like the characters, which is always a good sign.
This week the patients at Haven’s psychiatric facility, “the Freddy” have an unusual reaction to what we first believe is a drug spill. They get better. Unfortunately, the previously “sane” doctor becomes violent and compulsive, a comment, which I appreciate, on how we are all very close to “crazy.”
The patients that are chosen for this story are a bit odd, if stereotypical. The focus is on Lily, a talented composer before she was submerged in cold water for more than 8 minutes because of a car accident (cars in the water are a theme for this show). Now Lily is compulsive and sometimes violent. The other two patients in focus are severe catatonics, Mr. Sperry and William. The patients are interesting because true catatonics are rare: to have two in this particular little hospital is, well, weird (I know I use this word too much, but it is so appropriate). It is also rare for psychiatric patients to be violent, especially as violent as Lily. I’m not sure if the choice of mental health issues was purposeful or just lazy.
What isn’t unusual is for psychiatrists to develop mental health issues themselves, but this is Haven so it isn’t just the psychiatrist, but lots of other people--including everyone in a bar that Lily happens to go to while she is coming out of one of her sane periods. I enjoyed this bit of the episode. The patrons of the bar shoving cars and ripping off doors, a woman throwing darts at a man who doesn't seem perturbed to be a dart board (would we all be violent if we suddenly developed mental health issues?)--but my favourite thing is that Audrey walks in and out of the bar, as do others, and totally ignores the man full of darts. Just another day in Haven. My other favourite bit in this section of the episode is that we get to see the dark side of Nathan as he burns his arm with a lighter and lunges after Duke, who is charged with babysitting him until the “crazy” wears off. Duke gives us a clue that a darker side of Nathan might have already been evident when he says “Does she (Audrey) know you’re not a real boy? I mean, does she know about the things you’ve done?”
Eventually we find out that the source of these happenings is Lily’s husband, Ray, whose “trouble” seems to be the music he makes and the effect it has on people. When he plays an instrument people who have mental health issues get better and “sane” people lose their minds. So he can save his Lily, but at the cost of damaging others. The solution is for Ray, Lily, and some other patients (William and Mr. Sperry) to go off on a boat where they are away from other people. Again, I may be a person who likes the science in science fiction but I would like some explanation for why this works. The weekly “troubles” don’t seem to have much depth to them and they mostly become vehicles for the larger story arc and getting to know the characters. I feel a bit cheated by this as each “trouble” could be better expressed and given more depth.
I am enjoying the larger story arc and the characters. We are getting a better idea of the troubles, how they play themselves out, and what havoc they can create. We are also learning about Haven and the capacity of the townsfolk to tolerate weirdness. Audrey fits right in. She actually enjoys the mystery of the town. Her relationship with Nathan is deepening as a partner, and now they have a third Muskateer in Duke, who is just as interested in finding out what is going on. This week we also got a name for the woman who might be Audrey’s mom - Lucy. Mr. Sperry used to sell her flowers.
Bits and Pieces
Crazy Nathan is much hotter than sane Nathan - just saying. Duke walking around with his shirt off doesn’t hurt the show either (of course this is just my perspective). Only Haven would have two bars called the Rust Bucket and the Shiny Scupper, oh and a psychiatric hospital called “the Freddy”. And this week we had another man with a New England accent. They seem to just throw them in randomly.
Quotes
Nathan: “Nice work on the cat lady call this morning.”
Audrey: “Who knew I had such talent with drunken women in housecoats.”
Nathan: “I think they laughed their fourth grade asses off.”
Nathan: “We can’t shoot the doctor?”
Audrey: “No.”
Nathan: “And we can’t go in that room, so why are we sneaking up on him?”
Audrey: “Because Haven doesn’t have a SWAT team. It has a dispatch lady that calls you 'hun' so we’re following FBI protocol.”
Duke to “Crazy” Nathan: “You may want to consider switching to decaf.”
Nathan: “Maybe you’ll fix me some day.”
Audrey: “I don’t think so, nobody can fix you.”
I am particularly enjoying the fact that Audrey is not interested in being a romantic partner for either Nathan or Duke. She is totally straightforward and her own woman. Shirts off and vulnerability don’t seem to have much effect on her.
Game of Thrones: Reviewer Melee
In the week between “Baelor” and "Fire and Blood" I found myself checking the blog more than usual. I kept returning to the quotes at the top of the “Baelor” review, the way I might return to a lovely image or poem. Those paired snippets of conversations are stark, simple, and completely in character for the speakers. But what I loved most was that they disagreed.
I don’t mind a good “idea” novel every now and again (Vonnegut, Robertson Davies, House of Leaves), but I prefer a great story with interesting characters, strong writing, and that ineffable something that keeps me up at night, turning pages. (Robertson Davies does not keep me up at night.) George R.R. Martin’s series keeps me reading, so many of the more philosophical questions it raises—about power, the meaning of life, the impossibility of honor, the structure of a society in the early days of capitalism—take a backseat to my affection for Tyrion, the Hound, Ned Stark, and Arya.
But reviewing the series has brought some of those big-picture ideas to the fore (mostly because an entire review of “How awesome is Tyrion, right?” would be dull for you and for me). And the more I examine the questions that Game of Thrones raises, the more I am impressed that it refuses to answer them simply.
After all, questions about life, death, power, honor, and so forth don’t have answers—any universal answer to those questions turns into a platitude or bromide. Game of Thrones raises questions, and lets each character work out a series of answers depending on their circumstances. That makes the TV show just as fascinating as the novels, which change perspective with each chapter. That the show is adapted from a series of novels also means that there is less impulse to create a false sense of closure. Like life, these stories continue, meander, take sudden detours, and sometimes have sudden endings. That’s beautiful.
In the spirit of contradictions, different opinions, and raised questions, a few of the Doux Reviews writers have contributed their takes on the series. Let the melee begin!
Ben
First let me say I am a big fan of fantasy literature and movies, but I haven't read Martin's novels. Although he did once stop me at a convention and ask me to lead him back to whatever party I had just come from. Now the fact that I had no shirt on and was wearing a top hat covered in plastic fruit may have had something to do with it, but I think he simply sensed I was a kindred spirit. But I digress.
All that (probably too much) said, I found Game of Thrones a bit tenuous to get into. The thing is with fantasy is that it is wholly made up, with no connection to the real world or even a pretense of it. This is good and this is bad. It's easier to accept in a novel because you can draw it so richly. It's harder on screen where you have to rely on folks just getting it. The season suffered from the lack of either a real narrative through-line or protagonist (if you are beheaded in episode 9 you were never really the protagonist). The last episode had it emerge that the Daenerys story was, perhaps, the true lead narrative here: the return of the dragons, if you will. The rest of the season was really just getting all the chess pieces on the board. It is all very interesting but awfully wasteful of episodes and interesting characters. Let's take Syrio, for example, great character and fun scenes but then discarded. I know this may follow the book, but slavish interpretation of the material is no virtue, and the character could just as easily be rotting in a dungeon somewhere to return in season 3. It's hard to care much about characters who come and go with such alarming frequency and it also loses its impact narratively. Again it works in a book, where a minor character can still get 30 pages of appearances but less so on television. Did I still tune in and watch the show as each episode was broadcast? Absolutely, but am I concerned I will drift away from the show over time? Absolutely.
Finally just let me say, Martin still owes me a hat.
Harry
I knew this story had me completely in its grip when I was listening to the audiobook to drift off to sleep with and sat up in bed shouting “No he f***ing didn’t!” at 2am. No prizes for guessing what part I was listening to. I love fantasy with grit, and despite the white walkers and dragons, the story feels very realistic; medieval power struggles which you win, or you die. Game of Thrones has been pretty faithful to its source material, so coupled with some perfect casting (I’m looking at you Peter Dinklage) it’s quite hard not to fall in love with this show.
My main disappointment this season has been things left out of the book, and it’s pretty obvious that all the decisions were made with either running time or budget constraints in mind. It’s difficult to make a TV series with so many detailed characters; things like dream sequences, flashbacks, direwolves and Dothraki hordes get whittled down or cut to compensate for the sprawling cast. I am hugely looking forward Season Two, I just can’t fathom how they’re going to pack that huge book into a measly ten episodes!
Mark of House Greig
These are the words of Mark of the House Greig, first of his name (I think, genealogy isn't one of my strong suits). ‘Twas the casting that first me to this series drew, and that is what I have come here to praise.
I first heard about George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series when Sean 'tis but a scratch' Bean was cast as Eddard Stark. Then I read about Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Aidan Gillen and Jason Momoa joining the cast as well. Next thing you know the first book is sitting on my shelf, gathering dust, just waiting to be read. Eventually I got off my backside, read it, loved it, bought the rest and then had to endure the agonising wait for future books just like everybody else.
What I love most about Martin's books is the characters and I am so happy to see them all brought to life so well. Even the ones I despise. There just isn't a single miscast role. So what if Dinklage can't pull of an English accent, there still isn't anyone who could play Tyrion any better. While it was the likes of Bean, Dinklage, Heady, Gillen and Momoa that first got me interested, it's the younger actors that have impressed me the most. Still hard to believe that for Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, John Bradley and Kit Harington this was only their very first TV work.
Of course, being British it’s a thrill just seeing the likes of Julian Glover, James Cosmo, Donald Sumpter, Peter Vaughan, Iain Glen, Clive Mantle and Charles Dance pop up throughout the season in major and minor roles. If the series does manage to cover all seven books I can imagine every living British actor will eventually have a role in it at some point. In which case I demand that Keith Allen be cast as Balon Greyjoy. Come on, you all know it makes perfect sense.
And then there's Jerome Flynn, going a long way to redeeming himself for his musical career by stealing every scene he's in as Bronn. That may be Game of Thrones' greatest achievement of all, actually making me love a Jerome Flynn performance.
Jess
As several failed attempts to succinctly express my thoughts on the first season of Game of Thrones have now taught me, I could easily go on at length about how much I enjoyed the series and how thrilled I am that it actually lived up to my very high expectations. But to spare you the effusive gushing, I’m going to give brevity another go and limit myself to my three main thoughts on Season 1. Once more unto the breach!
Casting. Obviously, the showrunners had strong source material, but I think one of the greatest factors in the show’s success has been its uniformly excellent casting. So many of the actors cast have perfectly inhabited characters I already loved or loathed, bringing them to life in delightful fashion. Some of them have even caused me to develop attachments to characters I previously didn’t have much investment in. I have to give special kudos to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime, Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont, and Richard Madden as Robb Stark in this category. Jaime was a character I actively disliked in the first book, but NCW brings such charm, shading, and depth to him in the show, that I find myself looking forward to every appearance, even though he’s often playing the roguish villain. Similarly, Iain Glen and Richard Madden have brought a certain charisma, gravitas, and humanity to Jorah and Robb, making them pop for me in a way they never did on the page. Well done, gentlemen.
I’m now eagerly anticipating Season 2, not just because I want to see George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings rendered on screen, but because I want to see Kit Harington’s Jon, Emilia Clarke’s Dany, Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion, and especially Maisie Williams’ Arya experience the next step on their epic journey. I want to see more of NCW’s Jaime, Glen’s Jorah, and Madden’s Robb. I want to see Michelle Fairley’s Catelyn struggling to balance her need to save her children with her need for revenge. I want to see Conleth Hill and Aiden Gillen dance another pas de duex as Varys and Littlefinger. I want to see John Bradley’s Samwell bringing some light and heart to the darkness beyond the Wall. I want to see Jerome Flynn’s no-nonsense mercenary, Bronn, mixing it up in King’s Landing. I even want to see Jack Gleeson being perfectly awful as King Joffrey. And I can’t wait to see who they cast for several key roles next season! (Any chance we could get Ian McShane as Stannis? Too old?)
Length. The first season was just too short. It covered the main beats of the plot arc well, and added in some very nice new material to flesh out characters and relationships not seen via the point-of-view-character structure used for the books. Unfortunately, these additions came at the expense of depth for several important characters. I understand that it’s hard to translate the intimate understanding of characters you get from reading their thoughts, feelings, and memories on the page, but I feel like we barely scratched the surface with some of the characters we come to know so well in the books. Particularly Bran. If memory serves, Bran seemed like such an important and central character on the page, even though he wasn’t caught up in much of the action. In the television series, however, Bran became little more than the catalyst for the story. (Did we even learn his direwolf’s name?) When I’d discuss the show with my husband, I’d often forget that Bran was a character at all. I know that Bran’s dreams and interior monologues were probably particularly tricky to effectively convey on screen, but at this point he seems like a plot device, not a character, and that’s a huge disappointment for me.
Backstory. I’ve also got some concerns about the way the history of Robert’s Rebellion is being doled out. Namely, I’m concerned that a lot of important information readers learned about that history in the first book has gotten lost in shuffle or been entirely absent in the series --- specifically, some backstory that hints at a possibly significant connection between two otherwise unconnected characters. Unfortunately, since many of these hints were gleaned from Ned’s thoughts and fevered dreams in the books, I’m left wondering how or if the information will be introduced later. Hopefully, there’s some kind of a plan to bring it up down the line, because I’ll be extremely disappointed if GRRM told the producers it’s alright to drop these tidbits because they are insignificant. (Of course, that’s more an issue with the overall story, and not necessarily the show.) In general, I think the history and the role of characters we know in that history is important context for what’s happening now, and I hope we get a better sense of that past next season. (Unless it means more “sexposition.” I could certainly do with far less of that. You’ve got some seriously gifted actors, Benioff and Weiss. Please, give them a chance to deliver exposition without all the distracting working girls in the background.)
OK. Clearly, brevity’s not my thing. But Game of Thrones definitely is. I can’t wait for Spring 2012!
And now, gentle readers, it’s your turn. What did you think about Game of Thrones?
Eureka: Bad to the Drone
... in which the latest Department of Defense liaison, a “corporate killer,” arrives to conduct a performance review of Global, just as an artificially intelligent military attack drone goes rogue.
Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death
The Patrick Troughton years were the beginning of the monster boom on Doctor Who. The historical episodes, a regular fixture of the previous era, had been phase out and replaced by numerous ‘base under siege’ stories as the Doctor frequently battled Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti, Macra, Quarks, Krotons, Cybermen again and the Ice Warriors.
Falling Skies: Pilot
"Retreat, regroup, return... revenge."
Falling Skies is about a world where insect-like aliens have invaded. They've taken out most of the population, the military and the infrastructure, and they're occupying cities. The tattered remnants of the human race (can I get the word "rag-tag" in there, too?) are in pretty much a permanent state of retreat and scrounge as they try their best to survive, as well as organize a resistance against a too-powerful unknown enemy.
Outcasts: Premiere
"What's the weather like on Carpathia?"
Outcasts is a new sci-fi series airing on BBC America. I saw the premiere last night. And mostly, I was confused. I felt like I didn't quite "get it". I kept feeling like there was a pilot that aired earlier that I missed. (I checked. There wasn't.)
Game of Thrones: Fire and Blood
“When dead men, and worse, come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?”
Westeros—like our modern shared culture, regardless of country—has pushed magic to the margins. The Westerosi gods are as silent as ours, and the magical or miraculous has been moved to Beyond the Wall, to the distant eastern kingdom of Asshai, and to the memories of desiccated women like Old Nan. Dragons have died out. No one believes in the zombies Beyond the Wall. For all its faux-medieval trappings, Westeros has a thoroughly modern lack of wonder, awe, and faith in the inexplicable. It’s a fantasy with very few fantastic elements.
Doctor Who: The Krotons
Robert Holmes isn’t just my favourite Doctor Who writer, he is without a shadow of a doubt the finest writer this show has ever had (past, present or future) and I will gladly fight anyone, to the death, who says differently.
Wait, what was that? Russell T. Davies? Right, you, outside now!
Eureka: A Night at Global Dynamics
... in which Stark, Carter, and Taggart brave a biological threat and the GD defense protocols to save Allison and Kevin.
Eureka: All That Glitters
... in which ordinary metal begins turning into gold, just as a familiar face returns.
The Killing: Beau Soleil
My friends, last week The Killing had never risen higher. And now it has fallen so much further.
The Princess Bride
[This review includes spoilers.]
Grandson: "Has it got any sports in it?"
Grandfather: "Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."
The Princess Bride is often described as a fractured fairy tale, but I don't think that's accurate because it's so much more. In his original book, William Goldman took the standard elements of a fairy tale and twisted them off center into something exceptionally funny, while still retaining all of the elements that made it an enjoyable fairy tale. And then Rob Reiner took Goldman's story and translated it into a movie that was just as good and did the same thing, which is a remarkable achievement. The Princess Bride is a satire, a tale of true love, a touching story of bloody vengeance, and it's hilarious. It's unique, and defies categorization.
It's difficult to launch directly into a fantasy world, so Goldman cleverly encapsulated the fairy tale into a story that a grandfather (Peter Falk) is reading to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). I've always loved the skillful way it goes back and forth ("Is this a kissing book?" "She does not get eaten by the eels at this time"). Because the grandfather clearly loves the story he's telling, and at the end, his grandson does, too, it bridges the generational gap between them. Lovely.
But it's the fairy tale that's important, and I love every minute of it. I want Buttercup and Westley to live happily ever after. I want Inigo to avenge his father and find peace at last. And there are so many scenes that are absolute gems. The duel at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity is probably my favorite because of the way the Man in Black and Inigo bond as they're trying to kill each other. The duel of wits with the iocane powder is priceless. I love the shrieking eels. I love the R.O.U.S.'s in the fire swamp. Inigo's duel with the six-fingered man is just wonderful, a perfect emotional climax to the movie.
The performances are also gems. Westley (Cary Elwes) is gorgeous, dashing, and ridiculous. Buttercup (Robin Wright) is earnestly beautiful and beautifully earnest, the perfect straight woman. Inigo's story is the most compelling, and Mandy Patinkin brings perfect comic timing as well as pathos to the role. It's not easy to pull off a line like "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" not just once, but many times, and to give it so much impact each and every time.
I can't say enough good things about Wallace Shawn as Vizzini; practically every line he says in this movie is terribly funny. Andre the Giant imparts such sweetness to the role of Fezzik, while still being physically imposing. Honorable mention to Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. And Peter Cook as the minister, who made one small scene unforgettable; I start laughing even before he opens his mouth. "Mawwidge. Mawwidge is what bwings us togedder today."
The sight gags are special, too. The climb up the Cliffs of Insanity. Vizzini laughing maniacally before keeling over. Inigo leaning against the tree. Practically every scene with Westley after they give him the pill. The men standing guard in front of the gate makes me laugh every time I see it. But my favorite has always been this one:
"We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby?"
If I have any complaint at all, it's that while Andre the Giant is well cast, Fezzik's lines are sometimes difficult to understand. The scene with the holocaust cloak in particular is almost incomprehensible without subtitles. Okay, I've always hated Inigo's hair, too. Small things, though. And I can't imagine The Princess Bride without them.
I still laugh out loud every time I watch this movie, even while I know the lines so well that I repeat them with the actors. It's that good. William Goldman is probably best known for writing one of the great movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I love that movie. But I love The Princess Bride more.
Quotes:
I wanted to put half of the movie in the quotes section, but I restrained myself and just listed my absolute favorites. So if I missed a line or two that you love, feel free to add it to the comments.
Westley: "This is true love. Do you think this happens every day?"
Vizzini: "And you! Friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed, in Greenland?"
Inigo: "Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?"
Fezzik: "If there are, we'll all be dead."
Vizzini: "No more rhymes now, I mean it."
Fezzik: "Anybody want a peanut?"
I love the way Inigo indulges Fezzik in his rhyming. It's so sweet.
Inigo: "You are sure nobody's follow us?"
Vizzini: "As I told you, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable ... Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"
Inigo: "No reason. It's only I just happened to look behind us and something is there."
Vizzini: "What? Probably some local fisherman, out for a pleasure cruise, at night... in eel-infested waters..."
Vizzini: "He didn't fall? Inconceivable!"
Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
The most quotable line in the movie. I use it a lot.
Fezzik: "You be careful. People in masks cannot be trusted."
Inigo: "I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?"
Man in Black: "Do you always begin conversations this way?"
Fezzik: "Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid, or something like that?"
Man in Black: "Oh no, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future."
Man in Black: "I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But for now, rest well and dream of large women."
Vizzini: "You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is 'never get involved in a land war in Asia', but only slightly less well-known is this: 'Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line'!"
Buttercup: "You mock my pain."
Man in Black: "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."
Westley: (looking around the Fire Swamp) "It's not that bad. (Buttercup looks at him) Well, I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely."
Humperdinck: "Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work. But I've got my country's five hundredth anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped."
Inigo: "Offer me money."
Rugen: "Yes!"
Inigo: "Power, too. Promise me that."
Rugen: "All that I have and more. Please!"
Inigo: "Offer me anything I ask for."
Rugen: "Anything you want... "
Inigo: "I want my father back, you son of a bitch!"
I'm not much for hobbits or Harry Potter, so this is my favorite fantasy movie. I love every scene and every line. Am I being too effusive? Inconceivable!
Four out of four white horses,
Billie
(This is one of Billie's Favorite Movies).
Doctor Who: The Invasion
Playing out like the world’s longest and cheapest Bond movie, ‘The Invasion’ is probably the most iconic and well-loved Cybermen story. As far as I’m concerned it’s unquestionably their finest hour, made all the better by the fact the cybernetic dullards from Mondas are hardly in it.
Star Trek: Return to Tomorrow
Thalassa: "'Beloved.' What will that word mean to a machine?"
Sargon: "Our thoughts will intertwine."
Another outing with God-Like Aliens. Even so, I'm fond of this one.
Eureka: Maneater
... in which the town’s public works system goes on the fritz as Carter suddenly becomes an irresistible chick magnet.
Doctor Who: The Mind Robber
“Well, we’re nowhere. It’s as simple as that.”When I first saw ‘The Mind Robber’ at the wee age of very small I thought it was absolutely brilliant. An atmospheric and fantastical tale filled with some unforgettable imagery. But I eventually grew up and with age comes cynicism. Now I can’t help seeing ‘The Mind Robber’ for what it really is; a load of old surrealist nonsense that could’ve only ever been produced in the 1960s.
Game of Thrones: Baelor
Tyrion: “If I die, weep for me.”
Shae: “You will be dead. How will you know?”
Tyrion: “I’ll know.”
Robb: “I sent 2000 men to their graves to day.”
Theon: “Bards will sing songs of their sacrifice.”
Robb: “Aye, but the dead won’t hear them.”
Haven: Butterfly
"Every town’s got a few skeletons in the closet. Well this is a big freakin’ closet."
The second episode of Haven was not as interesting as the first. It seemed to act mostly as a vehicle to provide us with information about the larger story.
The butterfly story was somewhat entertaining, especially the symbolism of the one butterfly with the huge iron ball. All I could think of was the “butterfly effect": that the flap of one butterfly wing can start a chain of reactions that ends with a hurricane. I found it particularly interesting to watch the reaction of the townspeople as a huge metal ball rolled down their main street. It says a lot that they weren’t particularly surprised by it. The butterflies and the metal ball were the product of a young boy's (Bobby’s) dreams. After the traumatic death of his family in a car accident, whenever he sleeps his dreams become reality. This is a bit tricky when he is dreaming about crushing people between cars or electrocuting them in school hallways during the school science fair. I didn’t find this particular mystery very engaging or believable. I was particularly annoyed by the resolution which had Audrey and Nathan interacting with Bobby in his dream. However, it did introduce Bobby’s foster grandfather, the Reverend Driscoll, a mostly ex-alcoholic who is going to be an ongoing piece of the Haven puzzle. Stephen King does have a soft spot for crazy, somewhat evil preachers.
The bigger mystery is moving along.
Audrey is staying in town to find out about the woman in the picture, who she believes is her mother. The chief has offered her a job and help in solving her mystery if she will stay. We found out that “the troubles” have happened before around the time of the murder of the Colorado Kid in 1983. Only certain people have the troubles and they manifest in different ways. Often people don’t know they have a special power/gift/problem. Eleanor didn’t know she could control the weather, Bobby suspects his dreams but doesn’t really understand what is happening, and Nathan only found out he got his (not being able to feel anything) when he was seriously injured in a toboggan accident as a child. Of course, the Reverend sees those with the troubles as the product of the devil--but how could that be when it would put some of our good guys on the wrong side? Something big is up in Haven. It is manifesting itself through the troubles and is linked in some way to the woman in the picture.
Bits and Pieces
Of course a sea town will have a bar called the Rust Bucket. And why wouldn’t a huge metal ball roll into it?
Haven has a moose farm as a tourist attraction. Down east where the show is filmed tourists do like to see the moose but locals see them mostly as a driving hazard.
Nathan used to be a bit of a ladies man - a nerdy ladies man. He asked the Reverend’s daughter to the prom without her father’s permission. When the Reverend found out and forbid her to go, Nathan took her to see a meteor shower instead.
Quotes
Audrey: "That’s it, that all I get, the folksy, local cop brush-off?"
Chief: "I was shooting for civil."
Audrey: "I’m just looking for a little quid, pro quo."
Chief: "Oh, that sounds illicit."
Audrey: "I was shooting for civil."
Audrey: "You don’t mind do you, that I invited myself along?"
Nathan: "It’s a huge metal ball. Who can resist that?"
Audrey: "Exactly."
Nathan: "Meteor showers are better naked."
Audrey: (To the butterfly on her hotel bedspread) "Polyester is so beneath you."
Nathan: "The troubles are back, and I’m afraid they won’t go away this time."
Eureka: God is in the Details
... in which the town begins experiencing events that could be interpreted as biblical signs of the apocalypse.
Aliens
[This review contains spoilers.]
Ripley: "Did IQs drop sharply while I was away?"
Aliens is a perfect sequel, if there is such a thing. It's bigger, glossier, a bit longer, and it did an exceptional job building on the original story.
There are a number of parallels to the original. The story begins with Ripley waking up, and ends with the survivors going into cold sleep. The characters are again only known by their last names; even Newt has a very non-little-girl nickname. There's a huge explosion at the end, but the alien still manages to make it aboard the "lifeboat" to wreak more havoc. There's an android on board who ends up in pieces. Best of all, like Ridley Scott did in the original, James Cameron spends an entire hour setting up the story, and successfully pays it all off during the rest of the movie.
There are a number of differences, of course. Instead of "truckers", we have a crew of badass marines. There are many aliens instead of just one. The cast is twice as big and the stakes are higher, too, since there were sixty-some families on the "shake-and-bake" colony.
But we still have Ripley, and she is several levels of awesome. This is the movie where Sigourney Weaver proved to the world that a woman could be an action hero. She is terrific in scene after scene, from her tirade in the conference room at the beginning, to the pulse-pounding Ripley-in-the-loader versus the alien queen battle at the end. I've always loved the way she took over and drove the tank to the rescue, and the sequence where she loaded up with many, many, many weapons in the lift on her way into the queen's lair to rescue Newt. Sigourney Weaver was nominated for best actress for this movie, and she absolutely deserved it.
I also loved Michael Biehn as Hicks. He and Ripley are on the same wavelength throughout the movie. I particularly enjoyed the "nuke the planet" exchange, and the one where he showed her how to use that massive assault rifle. Ripley and Hicks were made for each other. I really wanted Ripley, Hicks and Newt to end up together as a family, maybe with Bishop as the weird uncle who sleeps on the couch. Maybe in Alien fanfic. Is there Alien fanfic?
Paul Reiser gives a wonderfully slimy performance as the Company rep. Very smart, casting a comedian, since this is a character that we expect to be evil, but the fact that it's Reiser makes us think we might be wrong. Bill Paxton is wonderfully annoying as the cowardly Hudson, and I loved that he went out in a blaze of glory. Newt is likable and has courage; she's not a cutesy kid at all, and Carrie Henn certainly had a greater acting range than Jonesy the cat. And I always liked that Bishop turned out to be the opposite of Ash, since we expect him to be just as bad. Especially since he was played by the master of evil, Lance Henriksen.
My favorite supporting actor in this one, though, is Jenette Goldstein, who is a standout as Vasquez. Hard to remember so long ago, but when this movie came out, women didn't serve in combat. Vasquez made a very strong impression on me. And I loved that Gorman redeemed himself by going back for Vasquez. Their final scene in the air duct always gets to me.
Unlike most of my favorite movies, I saw Aliens in the theater. It was an unforgettable movie experience, literally edge of your seat. I remember actually feeling mildly nauseous. (That's when you know they got you -- when your audience wants to throw up.) Aliens doesn't hold up quite as well as Alien does, in my opinion, but it's still an outstanding movie. I always watch them together. Like I said, pretty much the perfect sequel.
Bits and pieces of androids:
-- The action takes place 57 years after the original. The planet got a name, or more accurately, a designation: LV426.
-- Alien and Aliens always makes me think of two of my other favorite movies, Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It's not surprising, since the two franchises share James Cameron and some of his favorite actors: Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein and Bill Paxton.
-- Bishop explains that Ash was a Hyperdyne Systems 120-A2 model, and a bit twitchy. (You'd call what Ash did in the original movie "twitchy"? :) And that the more recently manufactured androids are subject to Asimov's rules. Hyperdyne always makes me think of Cyberdyne.
-- There are several shots of Ripley's feet and she's wearing Reeboks. Really fun product placement that didn't detract from the story at all. I usually hate product placement.
-- James Horner's music is memorable, and effectively heightens the tension. Like it needed more heightening.
-- Dan says that Alien is a cold movie, and Aliens is a hot one. I thought that was an interesting observation.
-- While looking up quotes, I discovered that James Remar (Dexter's father) was originally cast to play Dwayne Hicks, and was later replaced by Michael Biehn. I hadn't known that. I can't imagine this movie without Michael Biehn. I absolutely loved him in the first Terminator movie.
-- As with Alien, there is an extended version. I prefer the theatrical release. But the extended version gives more weight to Ripley's need to save Newt; Ripley had a daughter.
-- For me, the story ends with this movie. I'm not fond of the other sequels. One of our writers has offered to review them, though, and if he does, I'll very much look forward to reading them.
Quotes:
Gorman: "Look, we can't have any firing in there. I want you to collect magazines from everybody."
Hudson: "Is he fucking crazy?"
Frost: "What do you expect us to use, man? Harsh language?"
Ripley: "I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
Burke: "Hold on a second. This installation has a substantial dollar value attached to it."
Ripley: "They can *bill* me."
Ripley: "Look. No bad dreams there."
Newt: "Ripley, she doesn't have bad dreams because she's just a piece of plastic."
Definitely Carrie Henn's best line. And she delivered it beautifully.
Newt: "My mommy always said there were no monsters, no real ones. But there are."
Ripley: "Yes, there are, aren't there?"
Newt: "Why do they tell little kids that?"
Ripley: "Most of the time it's true."
Ripley: "You know, Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage."
Ripley: "Get away from her, you bitch!"
I remember the audience cheering that one.
A worthy sequel to an excellent movie. Four out of four M41A pulse rifles, ten millimeter with over-and-under thirty millimeter pump action grenade launchers,
Billie
(This is one of Billie's Favorite Movies).
The Killing: Missing
Are you kidding me? We're three episode from the finale, with so many questions left unanswered, and Veena Sud decides that now is a good time to suddenly drop everything so we can follow Linden and Holder around as they go chasing after her missing son? Huh, good call, Veena, because I honestly thought this was the best episode of The Killing to date. Even if it did feel somewhat misplaced.
Game of Thrones: The Pointy End
“Not today.”
It’s tempting to say that the Stark children are the true heroes of Game of Thrones. Arya, Jon, and Robb are powerful beyond their years, and it’s hard not to root for the three kiddos who exemplify the best of their father’s sense of justice and their mother’s strength. However, it’s not that the Stark children are the heroes. It’s that the children are forced to become adults far, far sooner than is appropriate even in this faux-medieval world.
Doctor Who: The Dominators
One of the great tragedies of Doctor Who is the loss of so many episodes from the show’s monochrome days. This was all due to the BBC’s insane junking policy during the 1970s. The cheap gits wouldn’t fork out for new tapes so they just recorded over all the old ones in the archive.
Alien
[This review includes spoilers.]
"A perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility."
Alien is a terrifying work of art. There's something real and visceral about it. It scares you where you live.
In most horror movies, the monster is never as scary as the build-up. In Alien, it's scarier. It's wet, slimy and organic, and it invades their lives while they're at the dinner table. It evokes fears of diseases that cannot be contained, of biting and snapping insects and crustaceans, and the most primal fear of sharp teeth dripping with saliva. The facehugger gets you with the fear of smothering and choking. There's also the lovely super-acid, as well as getting trapped in an enclosed place with a monster.
Alien has often been described as "truckers in space". The Nostromo is cold, hard, shabby and realistic; the matter-of-factness of a bunch of grunts in a transport arguing about bonuses helps make the fantastic real. There isn't a lot of exposition. We don't know who these people are, where they came from, how they ended up in these jobs. We don't even know their first names. (Even the cat is referred to by a last name.) But the seven actors are so good that each of them is memorable.
It's easy to identify with Ripley early on when she tries and fails to enforce quarantine; we all know she's right. She is so calm and professional through most of the movie that when she finally loses it, it counts. It's easy to root for her; she's tough and smart and refuses to give up. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley has become a female science fiction icon, although much like Sarah Connor (another icon), Ripley doesn't really come into her own until the second movie.
After Ripley, Dallas (Tom Skerritt) is probably the most sympathetic character. We never do find out how he died. (Except in the extended version of the movie.) Yaphet Kotto and Harry Dean Stanton are great as the resentful engineering staff. John Hurt's part as the curious Kane is smallest, but he's certainly memorable. Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is the only one of the seven who shows panic and fear early on, but she does it beautifully without going over the top or becoming unsympathetic.
Ian Holm is the standout, though. Throughout most of the movie, Ash feels human but just... slightly... off. When we discover his true nature and he goes on the offense, he is absolutely frightening. Trying to kill Ripley with a rolled up magazine down her throat is particularly shuddery, as is his final speech in that disembodied head. Note how Ash, who is nearly as terrifying as the alien, is also gruesomely organic, with artificial slime and guts. And milky blood. Love the milky blood.
So much care and talent went into the making of this movie. The sequences on the planet with the wind, the mist, and the organic lines of the enormous alien ship seem like a fantastic nightmare come to life. Every space scene is beautifully composed. For that matter, every scene in the movie is beautifully composed. The famous chestburster sequence may be the most shocking movie scene ever filmed; I can still remember how shocked I was the first time I saw it. Veronica Cartwright's reaction was genuine, too. Most of the actors weren't clued in about exactly what was coming the first time so that Ridley Scott could record their actual reactions. (What a prick.)
Although the effects hold up for a movie over thirty years old, the computer sequences don't. "Mother" should probably have been more like HAL in 2001, although the lack of a human-like voice and the cold, disembodied fatalism of her messages work with the plot. Especially since "Mother" was the only representative of the Company (other than Ash), an organization that had no problem sacrificing the lives of the Nostromo's crew for an alien that could be used as a weapon.
Some have complained that it was unrealistic for Ripley to go back for the cat. I'm a cat person. I'd do it. I've also heard complaints about Ripley taking off her clothes in the last few minutes. I understand why it's referred to as unnecessary cheesecake, and maybe it is. But I think her near nudity was intended to make her appear even more vulnerable in that final cat and mouse sequence with the alien. Which was also very well done -- her careful movements as she slides into the suit, her ragged breathing, the halting way she quietly sings, "You Are My Lucky Star." I always thought that was an acknowledgement that the alien was so powerful that only luck will help Ripley prevail.
Alien runs just under two hours. The entire first hour is set-up, and every moment of that set-up is paid off in the second hour. When things start going nuts, we know the characters, we know the situation, and we know that they're completely screwed. I've seen this movie five or six times (it's not a movie you watch over and over for pleasure) and I still feel dread; the scares are so well set up that they still make me jump, even though I know they're coming.
Bits and pieces:
-- Alien had a killer ad campaign: "In space, no one can hear you scream." I saw a bumper sticker parody of it once: "In space, your cat can't hear the can opener."
-- The alien ship and the alien itself were based on the disturbing art work of H.R. Giger. His contribution to this movie was huge. And I hope he got some serious therapy.
-- The movie begins when the crew of seven wake up, and ends with Ripley and Jones going to sleep. Like I said, a waking nightmare.
-- John Hurt's first line is, "I feel dead." :)
-- It might not mean anything, but I always register the fact that all the white males die first. The last survivors are Parker, Lambert and Ripley. And the cat.
-- We didn't see the cat when the crew woke up at the start of the movie. Was Jonesy running around while they were sleeping? If so, what did he eat? Jones the cat also managed to evade every member of the crew except Ripley. Smart cat; he refused to go with anyone but the star of the sequel.
-- There are several shots of empty helmets just sitting on panels and counters. Eerie. And a top candidate for Most Obvious Symbolism.
-- There's an extended version of the movie, and the additional footage was interesting. But in my opinion, the theatrical version is better.
Alien is a brilliant, memorable movie. It's the perfect mix of science fiction and horror. Four out of four empty helmets,
Billie
(This is one of Billie's Favorite Movies).
Newsflash: Doctor Who Renewed For a Seventh Season
It's official! According to BBC Exec, Sam Hodges "Doctor Who is returning. Fourteen new episodes have been commissioned with Matt Smith as The Doctor".The news was confirmed minutes later by Lord Moff himself, who tweeted "14 eps and Matt definitely. I've got a plan and I'm not telling you what it is. Now hush or River shoots you with her Spoiler Gun."
No news yet on Karen Gillan or Arthur Darvill. But another full season of Matt Smith is great news indeed. Hurrah for bow ties!
Twitter links here and here.
Eureka: Sight Unseen
... in which chemicals begin mysteriously disappearing from the pharmacy, the dry cleaner, and the Global Dynamics collection of moon rocks.
Doctor Who: A Good Man Goes To War (1)
River: “This is the day he finds out who I am.” Tonight's episode was a mid-season finale, which is something of a first for us here in the UK. Our seasons are seldom long enough to cut in two. As such, despite answering some of our questions, it left most of the main plot threads hanging. We now know who River Song is. But the central mystery remains tantalisingly incoherent. Emotionally, tonight's episode had some effective set pieces. But I'm going to start off with what I didn't like. There weren't many things, so bear with me.
Die Hard
[This review includes spoilers.]
Ellis: "What does he think he's doing?"
Holly: "His job."
Often imitated but never duplicated, Die Hard was so skillfully written, acted and shot that it raised the bar for the action thriller. There isn't a wasted or boring scene in the entire movie. And it could have been so forgettable.
I've always liked Bruce Willis. He's a decent actor with a lot of charm and a "real guy" feel to him that works especially well for this movie. Willis was able to make tough, superhuman John McClane appear vulnerable, and that's the key to his character. That, and his bare feet. (What a terrific writing choice that was.) It's never the highly publicized image of him jumping off the roof tied to a fire hose that I remember; it's him dragging himself across the floor of the bathroom with blood literally pouring out of his bare feet. When McClane is totally exhausted, limping and covered with blood, you sort of want to hug him. After wiping him off, that is.
The supporting cast is just excellent. Alan Rickman is a joy as Hans Gruber, the big bad; you can't help sort of liking the guy. Bonnie Bedelia does well as McClane's quest object, his estranged wife Holly. Other standouts are Reginald Veljohnson as Al Powell the cop, William Atherton as a totally despicable reporter, and Paul Gleason as Deputy Police Chief Robinson, who made nearly everything he said really, really funny. I also liked the nasty FBI guys Johnson and Johnson, no relation. And the tall, blond German thugs added just the right touch of Nazi.
Al Powell in particular has the most important supporting role, because he is McClane's sounding board. McClane is completely alone and on the ragged edge throughout the entire movie, but he is able to express what he's thinking and feeling in scene after scene by talking on the walkie with Al. What makes this plot device even more effective is that we're always aware that the bad guys are listening, too, and learning about McClane just as we are. Again, excellent writing.
There are so many great little touches that enhance the movie, too: the opening jet lag conversation about making fists with your toes that beautifully sets up McClane taking off his shoes; the often parodied sequence as he's crawling through the ductwork; glancing at a worker's nude calendar girl as he hurries past, not once, but twice; the sequence with the jagged conference room table. I especially like the bit of silliness with the thug stealing the candy bars before the big shoot-out.
Die Hard manages to work as a Christmas movie, too. John and Holly are estranged, but the crisis at Nakatomi brings them back together at Christmas as they learn to accept each other's choices in life. The classy party with Ode to Joy. The Santa hat on the dead terrorist. "Let It Snow" playing as tons of paper flutter to the ground. Holiday strapping tape holding the gun to John's back.
And hey, McClane's wife is named Holly. Coincidence? I think not.
Bits and pieces:
-- The Nakatomi building was "played by" Fox Plaza, which had just been built, and the real address is what is given in the movie: 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Century City. It's not far from where I live.
-- The constant references to John Wayne, Rambo, and so on were an acknowledgement that John McClane was a new type of action movie hero.
-- The sleeveless white undershirt (I hate the term 'wife-beater') that McClane wore really worked for the character, too. It got bloodier and dirtier as the movie progressed and ended up wrapped around McClane's foot. And it showed the huge, real-life scar Bruce Willis has on his shoulder, adding another touch of vulnerability to the character.
-- Argyle the clueless limo driver was a bit much. But I liked that he got to be a hero, too. And the limo was used well as both an opener and a closer.
-- Of course, they had to do sequels, and they're good action movies. But I'm not a fan of the sequels. They never quite replicated the magic of the original.
Quotes:
Hans: (reading what McClane wrote on the dead man's shirt) "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho."
Woman: "Attention, whoever you are. This channel is reserved for emergency calls only."
McClane: "No fucking shit, lady! Do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza?"
McClane: (crawling through an air vent) "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."
Hans: "You know my name, but who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne? Rambo? Marshal Dillon?"
McClane: "Was always kinda partial to Roy Rogers, actually. I really like those sequined shirts."
Hans: "Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy?"
McClane: "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker."
Robinson: "Jesus Christ, Powell, he could be a fucking bartender for all we know."
(I'm sure this was deliberate, since Bruce Willis was a bartender before he hit big as an actor.)
McClane: "Is the building on fire?"
Al: "No, but it's gonna need a paint job and a shitload of screen doors."
Al: "You still with us?"
McClane: "Yeah. But all things being equal, I'd rather be in Philadelphia."
McClane: "I promise I will never even *think* about going up in a tall building again."
Robinson: (after the helicopter goes down) "We're gonna need some more FBI guys, I guess."
Action movies aren't my genre, but I love Die Hard. It's the best at what it is. And it deserves four out of four Odes to Joy,
Billie
(This is one of Billie's favorite movies.)
The Killing: I'll Let You Know When I Get There
I don't know why so many fictional detectives even bother doing any sort of detecting. 90% of the time it's happenstance, rather than investigation, that ultimately solves the case. Why bother going through all the hassle of pursuing leads and interviewing suspects when all you have to do is go for a nice morning jog.
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