What's John watching?

Battlestar Galactica - Season 1: Episode 3: Bastille Day: First, let me say that this was much better than Water. I can see I'll be watching this show for a while, just to see where it goes.

My favourite scene, by far, was the conversation between the doctor and Commander Adama. Well, and Number Six too, of course. :-) Her shouting, the way her spaghetti strap fell and stayed down, the good doctor's little squeal, the broken glass, Adama pouring the rest of his water back into the thermos: it all made for a very tense, real scene.

My least favourite scene, again, by far, was the standoff between Captain Apollo and Tom Zarek (Richard Hatch). While the storming of the Astral Queen was efficient - unlike many depictions of marines; man, don't I hate the incompetent marine theme - the devices that kept Zarek alive (namely, Apollo's head and then shove) were too coincidental; they took me right out of the moment. Zarek should've been shot dead. Apollo and all the hostages would've quickly followed, no doubt, but the writers wrote themselves into a corner on that one; I'm just callin' it like I see it.

And while we're on the subject of the writers, what's with the title of the episode? Bastille Day, from what I've read, had more to do with politics than the release of prisoners; there were few prisoners in the Bastille on July 14, 1789, and those who were there were probably criminals only in the sense that they'd offended some king or queen.

So let's switch to this episode: the men (and women?) on the Astral Queen committed crimes; they broke the law. And yet, it's the law that's held up as the winner at the end of the episode. No, to compare the two events seems silly to me. It's like the writers said, "Hey, we have a prison, prisoners, a revolution, a power-to-the-people message; it's perfect!" :-/ ¶ 7:34:00 p.m. (0) comments

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: There's something fragile about a ship at sea, far from home. I don't know if it can be done poorly on film. That is to say, I don't know if that wouldn't come across in any film that truly depicted people against the elements. The only example I can think of is White Squall, which did it fantastically. Master and Commander was just as brilliant.

Note: spoilers follow...

I heard it described as a long pause between two battles, and, on some level, that's true. But once you look beyond the superficial, the movie told one of many tales in the lives of the crew of the HMS Surprise and the man who led them - Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) - one which happened to begin with a defeat and end with a victory.

I found it to be genuine for a number of reasons, but chiefly for the performances - all of them - and the dialogue behind them. No scenes exemplified this better than those in the officers' mess, with the freely flowing drink and rousing a cappella verse.

Did you notice how they waited 'til the very end to show the French? Interesting device: showing the view from their ship without ever showing the men themselves. It gave weight to the phantom ship theme, now that I think about it. Hey, I'll admit it: some of those stories had me creeped out. ¶ 8:21:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Tick (2001): Couples: Fiery Blaze (Ron Perlman): Ya gotta come back to the fiery station. :-) ¶ 8:59:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Tick (2001): The Funeral: Some more great lines:

• The Tick: He once fought a man made entirely of black holes. Heavy.


• Batmanuel (Nestor Carbonell): Hey, don't take it out on the Tick. He didn't hop into bed with a national treasure and kill him with his pink secrets.

¶ 7:40:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Tick (2001): Pilot: Holy cow! I can't believe Patrick Warburton can deliver those lines with a straight face; it's hilarious. Don't have a snappy Soviet comeback for that one, do ya? :-D And I love how his antennae augment his expression. Why was this show canceled? ¶ 7:24:00 p.m. (0) comments

Elektra (2005): I'm going to do this one a little differently: pros, cons and comments. I suppose the next step is stars, but we'll hold off on them for a bit yet.

Pros

The big pro goes to casting Terence Stamp as Stick; if only they'd given him a bigger part to play. I loved The Limey. Another big plus goes to Tattoo's (Chris Ackerman) concept: I don't know whether he appeared in the Elektra comic books, but, either way, the realization of his character on film was beautiful, thrilling and creepy.

Abby's (Kirsten Prout) Indonesian warrior beads were also pretty cool. Is there such a weapon? My quick search didn't turn up much. Finally, Elektra (Jennifer Garner) was a strong female lead: they didn't go for the sex appeal or gotta-get-me-a-man angles, and should be applauded for it.

Cons

The dialogue was terrible; some of the worst I've heard in a long time, in fact. And the story, it was held together by wisps: you got the feeling, especially in the excellent opening (oh, another pro), that there was a strong backdrop for the story, but it just didn't translate. Let me say that the epic nature of the story didn't translate. You knew you were watching an epic when you sat down to any one of Peter Jackson's treatments of Tolkien's story, for example; not so here (and I use the comparison to illustrate epic only).

While I'm on the subject of translating to the screen, the faster-than-human fights didn't either. I think this was the biggest disappointment for me. I thought that, if nothing else, the display of martial arts would be worth the price of admission; not so. The best I saw was when Abby tried to catch Elektra off guard, and that was very brief. (And, if we're talking about the whole experience, the Ong-Bak trailer blew Elektra (2005) away in the martial arts department; can't wait to watch that one!)

Finally, while the Kirigi-turned-demon (Will Yun Lee) moment was cool the first time around (as a trick of a child's mind), it got old fast; how many times did they use it? Five? Six? *sigh*

Comments

Elektra commented on the sai as an offensive weapon, made for killing, but a quick scan of the Wikipedia entry confirms my suspicions:

[The sai can] be used effectively against a long sword by trapping the sword's blade between the sai's blade and the tsuba [unsharpened projections attached to the handle] and breaking it with a twist of the hand.

I remember that from Raphael, of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, believe it or not. :-)

O.K., further reading suggests that maybe the Wikipedia entry needs to be fleshed out. From another source:

Many believe the prongs were used to catch and trap a strike from a weapon, such as sword or a bo. Once the prongs complete the trap, the defender may use the sai to twist the attacker's weapon from his grasp or even break the weapon. However, the range and momentum generated by a longer weapon, such as the bo, would make this a risky defense. Although this type of defense may be effective against a short weapon, such as a knife[, the prongs] are used to protect the hand from injury.

Setting that issue aside, this quote is in stark contrast to Elektra's:

Even though the sai are sometimes called short swords, they were not used as a sword would be used. Sai were primarily a defensive weapon...

As a final comment, Natassia Malthe was billed as Typhoid. She was Typhoid Mary, right? ¶ 10:54:00 p.m. (1) comments

King Arthur (2004): The attention to history was clear from the moment the film opened. I don't pretend to know any of it, but David Franzoni, the screenwriter, said he based Arthur (Clive Owen) on Lucius Artorius Castus in the roundtable discussion on the DVD. Certainly, the language, the costumes and the performances blended for a very believable experience.

For example, Hugh Dancy (who played Galahad) learned, not only how to ride a horse at great speeds, but also how to fire arrows while doing so. That's an incredible feat, as Antoine Fuqua, the director, pointed out in the roundtable discussion.

I really don't know what else to say about the picture, though; it has me at a loss for words. I mean, it was refreshing to see Merlin (Stephen Dillane) as a slightly-crazed wild man - I'm as tired of the pointed hats as any fantasy fan - but that's pretty much the extent of my comments on him. I also enjoyed Arthur's attempt to follow Pelagius' example, despite knowing nothing of the monk prior to watching the movie.

I guess, all in all, the movie's left me feeling a bit melancholy. Fighting and dying, so many, and for what? The Britons? That's all well and good when you have a leader like Arthur to honour your sacrifice each and every time you come together at the Round Table, but that's rare, frankly, and noble causes tend to suffer in the light of scrutiny. ¶ 5:39:00 p.m. (0) comments

Battlestar Galactica - Season 1: Episode 2: Water: Well, so far the series is getting poor reviews among my friends. I'm still willing to give it a chance, though. Admittedly, much of this episode was substandard, but it had its moments: my favourite part was the conversation between Commander William Adama and President Laura Roslin about the riots, and why the military and police should be separate.

The characters aren't compelling at this point; I think that's my biggest problem. Unlike the last episode, I felt like they were dawdling this time, especially around Boomer. While I loved the opening, with the water dripping, her scenes were annoying by the end of the episode. I just don't find her believable. Or maybe it's just this "enemy among us" thread that I find tired. Oh well, we'll see. ¶ 1:55:00 a.m. (0) comments

Disney's Fillmore! Next Stop, Armageddon: Cool show. I loved the suave Cornelius Fillmore: his whole hand-as-a-phone gesture to Ingrid Third was the best! So subtle. :-)

You'd think the hackneyed detective theme wouldn't hold water, but, I don't know, having seventh graders on safety patrol deliver the lines really worked. Well, for one show anyway. I loved how their version of being busted back to beat duty was convention duty. ¶ 10:42:00 p.m. (0) comments

Oprah: Nate Berkus: The Tsunami Disaster: Nate said it wasn't just the sights: it was the sound and the smell. I can't imagine either. I couldn't imagine the sights before I saw them (on a television).

I had an experience where I wondered, for a few terrifying moments, whether I would drown in white water. The powerlessness of it was more than I ever would've believed. It's because of that experience that I think I understand maybe a fraction of the smallest part of Nate's experience in the water. Without that, it's just words. You nod your head and think you understand the horror, but when you're in the water, you assume you have some control. Maybe not complete control, but some. To have that taken away from you - even for just a few seconds, in my case - is something I never want to experience again. To experience it for hours? I can't imagine. Truly, I cannot. And, then, add to that, the horror of losing the love of my life... The strength of the human spirit is... surprising. ¶ 8:15:00 p.m. (0) comments

Battlestar Galactica - Season 1: Episode 1: 33: Wow! Gone are the days of a dozen one-hour stories comprising a season. And good riddance, I say. The benefits of being able to watch the episodes in any order, with little background, don't outweigh the superficial stain that results. I'm more involved in this story line than I ever was in, say, the first season of Enterprise, which seemed to be going for the biggest Star Trek story arc yet (back when I was trying to get into it).

Boy, they captured utter exhaustion well. I'm even enjoying Gaius' slow disconnect with reality. And that whole exchange with the Olympic Carrier? Oh, wicked! It's little details like light reflecting off Carrier's hull when the exchange deteriorated to Morse code that really make a show for me. I'll be tuning in every week, that's for sure. ¶ 7:36:00 p.m. (0) comments

In Good Company (2004): Surprising. If I had to sum up this movie in a word, I'd choose 'surprising.' There were three, maybe four, moments when I expected the movie to go for the cliché, but it never did; not once. Heck, by the time the last one rolled around, I would've been fine with it; the movie'd been so good up 'til that point, I could forgive the cliché ending. But it didn't take it.

If you gave me a second word I could add to the first, I'd choose 'real.' I think all of that stuff happens to real people every day. I know some of it does, 'cause it's happened to me; and the rest? Well, I could so see that happening. If I was trying to get my daughter to return my phone calls for months, felt like I was losing touch with her, only to see her being affectionate with my boss, whom I've been confiding to the whole time, I'd probably squeeze the package of Epsom salts I happened to be holding to near bursting too.

And, of course, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: truth, reality, they don't make a movie. A story needs conflict. And it surprised me, how compelling this movie made corporate takeovers and children moving out. My wife found it a little slow, but for me, I bought into it, I cared about what happened to the characters, and so the time just flew.

Dennis Quaid was great. I didn't realize he had that in him. I mean, I liked The Rookie (2002), but I didn't think he was anything special in it. This was different. The director, Paul Weitz, is clearly a fan of very close shots, and Quaid's emotional performance stood up to that scrutiny. Everyone's did. It was really something.

You just pick the right one to be in the foxhole with, and you keep your dick in your pants.
--Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid)

Weitz also has the writing credits on this one, and I have to say, what I've learned about life and marriage so far? I agree; that captures it. Wisdom: it ain't always pretty.

[Edit: Forgot to mention the soundtrack: excellent, and thoughtful. In trying to find some good information on it - the official site says soundtrack information is coming soon - I found this Movie Vault review.

Despite its positive tone, I have to disagree with it on two points: 1) I would never have referred to the soundtrack as repetitive; every track seemed to be well thought out; and, 2) where were the clichés? The overprotective father? If you mean cliché as commonplace, you may have a point; if you mean cliché as hackneyed or trite, then I strongly disagree. Capturing something that is common, that we can all relate to, isn't a bad thing. Portraying something as we've come to expect, despite its having no relation to the way it really happens? Yes, that's a cop out that many comedies and dramas suffer from these days.] ¶ 1:47:00 a.m. (0) comments

Star Trek: Voyager - Dark Frontier, Part II: Well, those who know me know I'm no fan of Voyager; The Next Generation: absolutely, and the first few seasons of Deep Space Nine. But by the time Voyager came on the scene, I was getting a bit tired of the Star Trek theme, and, I'll admit, more than a bit critical of the whole enterprise (no pun intended). Enter Emanations, the worst episode I've ever seen, regardless of the series (and, yes, I know I'm putting some really cheesy TNG episodes ahead of it when I say that), and so ends my regular dose of Star Trek.

However, that was ten years ago - would you believe I typed five first? Where's the time going? - and in the meantime more than a few Star Trek fans whose opinions I respect have tried to convince me that the series did turn around. Specifically, one of my friends convinced me to take a second look at Babylon 5 after that horrendous pilot, and I've been enjoying the DVDs ever since. When he tells me that there were some good Voyager episodes, I'm inclined to listen.

So, that brings me to this morning, when I turn on Space and find the second part of Dark Frontier starting. I figured, what the heck, I've got some time; let's see how this goes. And, I have to say, it was pretty good. I'm shocked to learn that the Borg Queen (Susanna Thompson) wasn't the same actress who played the queen in First Contact (that was Alice Krige). The resemblance (in full makeup, granted) is striking.

I liked the snapshots of Seven of Nine's childhood. I don't know, it could've been cheesy, but it struck the right note for me. Oh, and I also liked the tail end of the rescue; specifically, the boarding. Janeway and Tuvok's solution to the force field problem, followed by her quick dismissal of the failed bio-dampener was very professional. It really kept me in the moment.

So, like all things, I guess, my dislike of Voyager is fading with time. ¶ 2:28:00 p.m. (0) comments

Battlestar Galactica (2003): Just watched the 180-minute movie that kicks off the new series. This was the Canadian premiere, I believe. My brother-in-law said that the original airing in the U.S. last year (well, year before last now, I guess) was 240 minutes. Can anyone confirm that? I believe it, considering how rushed a lot of this felt. [Edit: (smacks forehead) commercials! Clearly I don't watch many movies on TV. Say eight minutes on every half hour, multiply it out, and, yup, it would take close to four hours to show all 180 minutes of the movie, matching the IMDB entry. So no wonder it felt so rushed, showing a three-hour movie with lots of commercials in three hours.]

Overall, I was impressed: the battles were visually stunning and well choreographed, the cast and dialogue weren't too annoying, and lots of innocent people died. I actually believed that they were in the middle of a war. One question I have re the battles: sounds and explosions in space are generally-accepted fallacies for entertainment's sake, but contrails? In space? It looked cool, no question, but it kicked me out of the moment every time as I pondered its plausibility. I suppose they could be composed of frozen propulsion residue. Maybe. Comments?

I loved the drums during the opening and closing. Excellent choice for the score.

If you're wondering why I haven't talked about the 1978 movie, or any of the other Galactica offerings, it's because this was my first exposure to the story. To the Battlestar Galactica fans out there, feel free to comment on how this one stacks up. ¶ 11:18:00 p.m. (0) comments

From Darkness: Very impressive, both in content and presentation. The water animation throughout was excellent, especially as the short opened. And what beautiful music. I'll have to check out the other Cartoon Saloon shorts. ¶ 11:17:00 a.m. (0) comments

Heavens Blood: Well, it could've done without the cheesy opening, but overall I liked it; especially how Rae captured loss. I suspect Maynard James Keenan would like it too; all those eyes. :-) ¶ 9:22:00 a.m. (0) comments

Closer (2004): A real, neat package, with The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice as bookends. It floors me that Mike Nichols is not only still making movies in his seventies, he's making freakin' amazing ones; this is the same guy who directed The Graduate back in 1967, just about a decade before I was born.

The time just flew during this one. The dialogue was riveting, absolutely riveting. (Patrick Marber deserves a nod for that, having adapted his play for the screen.) And, come to think of it, the silence was too: the close-ups, the looks left hanging, all created so much delicious tension. Nichols is master.

But repartee will only get you so far, and what took me beyond in Closer were the genuine relationships. Of course, I can only speak on the male portrayals with authority, but my wife expressed a similar sentiment (to my surprise, I must admit). Yes, ladies, men really are that obsessed with the sex. (Feel free to comment if I'm wrong, guys.)

Speaking of sex, this movie was much sexier than most movies, especially those with the token simulated sex scene. Does anybody get off on that crap? I mean, yes, I like pointless nudity as much as the next guy, but this was a welcome break to reality. ¶ 1:23:00 a.m. (0) comments