What's John watching?

The Conversation: Wow. I hadn't even heard of this one before I saw it on Suprnova and downloaded it. I don't know if I've ever felt so much like I was watching a Kubrick film when I wasn't: the scene where Caul (Gene Hackman) eventually singles out the line, "He'd kill us if he got the chance," was so Kubrick; from the close-ups of the audio equipment and his face, to the score... Oh, it was fantastic!

Boy, that ending was seriously disturbing. It was set up beautifully, though. The dream sequence, where it's like he was looking through a thin sheet, mirrored the shots through the shower curtain. And the shot of the clean toilet bowl filling with blood from the tank after he flushed it... A perfect, agonizing pace. Heck, I'm still not sure what really happened versus what he imagined. Hackman played the tortured soul as well as I've seen it, allowing Coppola to merge the real and nightmare worlds seamlessly. ¶ 7:52:00 p.m. (0) comments

The future of this country! Just like every other Canadian, I would hope. :-) I've picked CBC's Canada Votes coverage of the 38th General Election, and it's actually exciting stuff. If I sound surprised, it's 'cause I am. This lifting of the results blackout gives them lots to talk about (like the brief lead of a Communist Party of Canada candidate in an Ontario riding... I say brief 'cause it's done now, as I type).

I'm also excited because the Green Party took three percent of the vote in Atlantic Canada (up 2.9% from the last federal election)!

Finally, maybe oddly, I'm happy that CBC is flummoxed by the high Liberal numbers. :-) I'm concerned about the power of the media around election time - read media spin - and any evidence of voter power is encouraging. ¶ 9:40:00 p.m. (0) comments

Chicken Run: Oh man! I'm so glad I watched The Great Escape before this one. :-) The tunnel under the furnace - right down to the tapping against the cart wheels - throwing the ball against the wall in solitary, the trapdoor pants, taking so much raw material from the bunks that they collapse... It was fantastic! :-) Throw in a little Indiana Jones in the pie-making machine and you've got a winner! ¶ 12:01:00 a.m. (0) comments

Behind the Planet of the Apes: Boy, I'm glad I waited to finish this one; I can't imagine that I wouldn't have been affected by James Naughton's comment, Yeah, it was basically who's gonna be the bad guy this week? We'd get captured, then we'd escape.

It was cool to see him older, though. :-) He still gets fan mail from around the world! ¶ 2:03:00 a.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 14: Up Above the World So High: Well, that's it then. My boss characterized this series as just ending, with nothing resolved. You know what's funny? I started to get the feeling that nothing would ever be resolved, not in 20 episodes, not in 120 episodes. Talk of getting home, reading that magnetic disk they found - any sort of story arc - all became superficial.

I will say, though, the beautiful, evil Carsia was an interesting character. Her manner was quite infectious. ¶ 1:26:00 a.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 13: The Liberator: What a funny episode! Pete was in fine form; so sarcastic. :-) And, tell the truth, didn't you think of MacGyver when they thought up that charcoal trick?

Definitely one of the better episodes. I wonder why it wasn't aired? ¶ 11:18:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 12: The Cure: Ah, the Miracle Men bandwagon's on the road again: this week, the boys cure malaria. I gotta say, really, I'm just jealous. I'll be damned if I could remember what some tree looked like years after I'd been told about it in some class.

The tension, the yelling, worrying about their lives at risk... Sorry boys, the suspense is done. You've been too close to Urko too often. I no longer believe that you're really in danger. Hindsight's 20/20, but canceling the show makes a lot of sense to me. ¶ 7:24:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 11: The Tyrant: Urko really doesn't want these fugitives dead. At any point on the cart ride to Aboro's, he could've had his men overpower and kill all three of them. What? Pete, under the cart, with a pistol, was stopping them? Any decent military unit could receive silent signals to go behind the cart and shoot the compartment full of lead (and shoot Galen and Alan the moment they protested). This is just getting old.

I'm reading Secrets & Lies right now, so one thing I did find amusing was Aboro's faulty authentication of Zaius' assistant: his name is Octavio? And he is a cripple? Ah, so I was speaking to Octavio. Uh, nope, sorry Aboro, ole buddy. That'd be Galen, the surprisingly unremarkable ape on the run. ¶ 2:08:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 10: The Interrogation: Well, first, what I liked: the conversation on brainwashing in Zaius' office. Urko's earnest attempt to contribute - "Yes, yes, I think I've heard of this. That's when you take the brain out of the skull and wash it with cool water..." - was amusing. I even liked Pete's cheesy flashback.

What I didn't like was Galen and Alan's ability to move about so freely in Central City. It's just ridiculous. Apes shouldn't be waiting to hear what Galen has to say (normally very little as Alan clubs or blinds them from behind); they should be shouting the alarm - having easily recognized him from posters - guards should always be traveling in pairs. It's the apes stronghold, for crying out loud! And Urko's office should have bars on the windows, at the very least! Military documents there for all to peruse! Bah!

Finally, how are the fugitives still so clean! I've mentioned the lack of facial hair, but what about their clothes? Pete's clothes are almost luminescent when he's first interrogated. I have a feeling it's a device for showing his deterioration in this instance; the shirt is a much darker shade of blue near the end of the episode - no doubt from all the water they've thrown on him to make it look like he's sweating - and the direct light is gone. ¶ 11:19:00 a.m. (0) comments

The Terminal (2004): The Spielberg-Hanks duo does it again! Navorski (Tom Hanks) was disarmingly charming and completely fascinating. The blemish that put it below another great piece from the duo, Catch Me If You Can, was Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones). She was forced, erratic, and, let's face it, drowned out by Hanks' performance.

It's funny: this movie follows our recent vacationing. It opened in the customs area of Mirabel airport outside of Montréal, Québec (now closed). We flew out of Mirabel to Mexico last March. Navorski did eventually get to New York. We just got back from an extended weekend in New York.

Aside: We were in Times Square for the New York City stop of the Athens 2004 Torch Relay. We saw Movin' Out at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. We toured the New York Public Library, Humanities and Social Sciences Library (yes, the one in Ghostbusters (1984)). It was an amazing trip in the most potent sense of the word.

So, yes, as I was saying, overall, the movie was fantastic, but there were blemishes. Dixon's (Stanley Tucci) last lines were also... bizarre. If they were supposed to hold some sort of significance, it was lost on me. ¶ 10:41:00 p.m. (0) comments

Bridget Jones's Diary: Haha, great stuff! Bridget (Renée Zellweger) and Mark's (Colin Firth) caustic banter had me in stitches! Mark continued to be a social disaster right up until the end. Certainly a refreshingly normal romantic comedy.

Even the deleted scenes were hilarious. Obviously the book gave them lots of great material. ¶ 6:03:00 p.m. (0) comments

Bird on a Wire (1990): *roll eyes* TBS (with their snazzy new domain name) played this one late last night. I should've just gone to bed. I have three comments:

1. David, David... I know the leads are big stars, but pride, man, pride! You didn't even beat anyone up!


2. I echo my wife's comment of I think that's the first time I've seen a helicopter chasing an airplane.


3. Rick (Mel Gibson), what were you thinking? Picking Marianne (Goldie Hawn) over a vet who can fire a rifle like that (and does so so calmly under fire)? That sort of good-lookin' woman is as rare as a four-leaf clover.
¶ 9:39:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 9: The Horse Race: Holy artificial anarchy, Batman! That was terrible! I'm beginning to see why this show was cancelled. They're making no mention of the disk anymore; it's like this running around and gettin' in adventures will go on until they're shot or die of old age.

Galen should've been arrested for assaulting Urko's man; he put law enforcement in mortal jeopardy, which should be illegal whether committed by man or ape. Personally, if I was that ape, I'd have taken my chances with the scorpion sting. Better that than certain death at Urko's hands for not shooting the human.

Oh, and am I the only one who thought of the pod race on Tatooine? :-) ¶ 7:30:00 p.m. (0) comments

Yesteryear: Live at the Ottawa Little Theatre: This was a pleasant surprise. My wife's friend couldn't make it to the play, so she gave us her tickets. I enjoyed it, for the most part - especially the first "gathering of the boys" to blow off steam and drink whiskey - the atmosphere of the theatre was completely outside our daily lives. Most of the audience was much older, for one thing, but the frequent applause and singing of the national anthem were also uncommon, and thoroughly enjoyable, I might add.

In a funny coincidence, our supper conversation of political platforms continued as the main character decided he wanted to run for city council; discussions of original, inspiring platforms ensued. One comment that struck me came from the main character's fiancé; prior to his decision to enter politics, she remarked that couldn't marry a loafer (he'd come into some money in the story); that a profession is a man's keel.

I used to feel the same way, back when I was in school. Now, some years later, I find my scientist foundation - having graduated with a bachelor of science in computer science - inadequate for sailing life's seas. Oh, it's a help: it frames the world, giving me a healthy skepticism. But the kickers in life are the moral decisions: doing the right thing, living a good life. Now I've also heard that religion is a man's keel (or a similar metaphor), and most of the religions that I've encountered offer plenty of advice for dealing with the kickers; I guess it just clashes with the scientist in me.

We went to Ottawa's main mosque during Doors Open Ottawa, and I was really impressed by my crash course on Islam; I even picked up a free translation of the Qur'an. But very early on, the Qur'an is talking about belief in God, and the consequences for those who do not believe, or only speak of it without holding it in their heart... The language is very forceful, and I found myself disappointed. I don't believe, or, more to the point, I am not certain, so where does that leave me? With a makeshift keel, I guess; it serves its purpose in these calm waters. But those storms of the past? No wonder they threw me for a loop! ¶ 11:29:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 8: The Deception: Well, that was a bit contrived. I was convinced that the Dragoons had been around for a while; that hatred didn't just spring up because of the murder. And yet, as soon as two humans rescue a drowning ape, it's all, "Gosh, guess we were wrong about those humans."

I did like the reading-forbidden-stories aspect though; specifically the story of Esau and Jacob. ¶ 11:11:00 p.m. (0) comments

Big Fish: Oh, wow! A story about a storyteller. Does it get any better? I've been a fan of Burton's work, but this has to be my favourite of his now. I'm not ashamed to say I cried more than once... Well, O.K., maybe I'm a bit embarrassed, which is why I've gotta qualify it: there were no snotty sobs; just dignified tears. :-/ (John decides to quit while he's only slightly behind.)

I enjoyed this so much that that's all I'm going to say. Well, other than, "Holy cow! Matthew McGrory is enormous!" Guinness lists him as 7 feet, 4 inches tall! ¶ 9:51:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Heart of Me: To me, this is a case of failing to add up to the sum of your parts. For example, there's a great nightmare scene where Madeleine (Olivia Williams) is reaching out for Rickie (Paul Bettany), telling him "No!" as he looks after Dinah (Helena Bonham Carter); it's been set up perfectly by an earlier scene, and makes for a very poignant moment, where we know how Madeleine feels. But that sort of follow through was rare. Most of the time I found myself flitting along beside what could've been a very powerful story.

And this, of course, is bad news for the latter half of the movie. (I was going to say 'climax,' but, you know, the movie didn't really have one.) Revelations like Anthony's (Luke Newberry) death have nothing to stand on, leaving Helena's superb reaction drifting... one of the great parts in this disappointing sum. Even worse, without serious investment - do I care about these people? - scenes like the rape descend into melodrama; from that point on, I was just waiting for the credits.

*sigh* So, yes, this could've been a powerful story, but the execution was, in a word, rushed. Oh, and the Blake poem? Broken Love. ¶ 8:34:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 7: The Surgeon: Add blood testing to the astronauts' list of skills. These guys are awesome! I wonder... would that blood transfer work? I could see myself bleeding to death: my blood pressure is such that I don't squeeze anything when I'm giving it; it just shoots out of me. It didn't look like there was anything to regulate the flow (e.g., storing it somewhere before giving it to Alan) from Arna.

Oh well, an entertaining episode nonetheless. It's too bad this is just going to end. I've been warned that the series was canceled with everything still up in the air... ¶ 10:38:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 6: Tomorrow's Tide: Now Alan's a fisherman; do wonders never cease? The shark footage was hilarious. I just want to know why the others weren't going crazy over the blood that should've been spilled when they killed that shark with a knife (never mind when the guards were shooting others).

The supper scenes were funny, though: Ready for din-din? :-) ¶ 3:40:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 5: The Legacy: These guys are unstoppable! Making batteries now? For all my chemistry classes, I doubt I ever could've made a working battery.

And the speed with which they can pull down and build up a huge pile of rocks, cobwebs 'n' all. ;-) That cityscape matte painting wasn't the best background either; I'd be headin' toward it, if I were them. Those buildings looked pristine, glass intact. ¶ 2:26:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 4: The Good Seeds: Yet again, excellent representatives; this time, Alan the farm boy saves the day. Not sure how he made that compass... Guess I should've been a Boy Scout.

Oh, and I didn't know about Abraham Lincoln's nickname, Rail-splitter. This show is educational too! ¶ 12:40:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 3: The Trap: *mutter, mutter* Perfect shaves again... *grumble, mutter* They're talented representatives of our species, Alan and Pete: employing engineering principles, rope tying, and Bay Area knowledge. ¶ 11:15:00 a.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 2: The Gladiators: Well, again, the authority figure (Prefect Barlow in this case, played by John Hoyt) was interesting. It's strange that Roddy is billed first on this show; so far he hasn't done a lot. Although, now that I think about it, Alan and Pete aren't particularly thoughtful characters either... At one point, they were running away from the camera, one blond and one dark-haired... I could've sworn I was watchin' Bo and Luke git outta trouble. :-)

The magnetic disk is an interesting story device; movin' it along. I guess they'll find a computer that can read it at some point, but the question will be, is it too dirty or scratched to be read? ;-) ¶ 9:56:00 p.m. (0) comments

Planet of the Apes (1974) - Episode 1: Escape From Tomorrow: And so the TV series begins... What an opening! I had high hopes for it, with an artistic opening like that! Just the score, and that beautiful conclusion: focus on the raised crossbow, pull back, with the sunset in the background, until three black apes silhouettes on horseback appear, almost perfectly still. They don't make openings like that anymore.

Of course the show couldn't live up to that. It was cheesy, but not so much so that I couldn't enjoy parts of it. Oddly enough, one of the things that annoyed me most was Alan's (Ron Harper) and Pete's (James Naughton) clean-shaven faces. :-) It really bugged me; day after day, how are they shaving so well amongst all these hairy apes!

I did enjoy Counselor Zaius (Booth Colman), though. His character was entertaining - especially early on with Galen (Roddy McDowall) - but also driven; I believed he was capable of murder (or ordering it). ¶ 9:26:00 p.m. (0) comments

Behind the Planet of the Apes: I had to stop watching this one. I didn't realize it covered the TV series as well, and I didn't want to colour my view of it; there was that risk: I see the movies in a completely different light now. For example, I had no idea that they were family movies, rated G! I suppose that's obvious to anyone who read my "bloodless" revolution criticism of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Well John, it was quite bloody, but the studio was only willing to raise the rating to PG. Ah, the almighty dollar!

While I'm on the subject, the steadily decreasing budget of the movies struck me as completely bizarre. No wonder Battle for the Planet of the Apes looked like crap! They only had - What was it? $1.8 million? - to work with. Again, my criticism focused on "the wealth of material." Doesn't do you much good if you don't have a wealth of cash.

Finally, some of the social commentary eluded me. For instance, I'm just reading about the Watts Riot now, so the parallels between it and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes were lost on me. ¶ 9:55:00 p.m. (0) comments