Sunday, May 28, 2006
Protocols of Zion (2005): So many absolutes; so much hatred. I've commented on how I feel about simple explanations once today; that's enough.
I had read something a few years ago about the employees of an Israeli instant messaging company with an office in the World Trade Center being warned not to go to work on September 11, 2001 - and was immediately skeptical, of course - but I had no idea how pervasive and emphatic this belief in Jewish involvement in the tragedy was.
The director,
Marc Levin, did an admirable job of walking the line on this delicate subject, especially considering how reluctant whole communities of people are to talk about Israel and America. I'm reading
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy right now, and, even at this early stage, it's clear that there's more to the relationship between the two countries than is openly discussed.
Levin, however, doesn't try to cast any particular light on this, or on Israel's relationship with the rest of the Middle East. He simply takes the pulse of a wide range of Americans - pointing out some obvious exaggerations along the way - and should be commended for that achievement.
Some might take exception to that statement, and I guess the personal experiences of Levin and his father could be taken as a "See, we aren't the bad guys" line; but, for me, that's an important point: we need to bring the nature of humanity to this discussion, with all of its competing ambitions and unique motivations. Otherwise, the absurdity of these Zionist conspiracies can't be fully appreciated.
Too Hot Not To Handle: This HBO documentary was a bit sensational, but enjoyable nonetheless. See, even though I didn't agree with all that was presented, or how it was presented, I loved all the recommendations that came out of it: buying locally grown food, building more renewable-resource-based sources of power (e.g., wind, solar), hybrid vehicles, etc. The more people that latch on to those good ideas - for whatever reason - the happier I am. :-)
I guess the biggest problem I had with the show was the leap it made from "greenhouse" gases to global warming, using the ambiguous term 'contributing'. I would've liked them to spend more time explaining this contribution, and the extent of it. After all, these gases probably aren't the only factor contributing to global warming, and if they're in the middle of a pack of, say, five or six factors - I'm pulling these numbers out of my a** to prove a point - then leaving people with the impression that cutting back on the burning of fossil fuels by 80% will solve this problem is being disingenuous: tackling other factors might be more productive, or, and I think this is more likely, acknowledging that at least some of these factors are out of our control, and will obviously dampen any measures we implement.
Anyway, as I said, good recommendations, even if the presentation was dumbed down. I know I have lots more research to do on this subject -
Michael Crichton has done a lot of work on the subject, I understand - and any show that tries to convince me otherwise with its nice, neat package just bugs me.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Sting (1973): No sense bein' a grifter if it's just like bein' a citizen.
So many great quotes in this one. If the story was a little tired - and it wasn't as tired in its day, if at all, I'd wager - the superb cast, dialogue and presentation more than made up for it. Everything, right down to the cut-scenes, score and sets - who had the wonderful idea for a carousel, I wonder - was just perfect. One of those pleasures to watch that's gettin' rarer and rarer, unfortunately.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Doctor Who: The Girl in the Fireplace: This was one of the best Doctor Who episodes I've ever seen; seriously, I'm putting it up there with
Ghost Light on the all-time favourites list. I haven't seen anyone know the Doctor like
Madame de Pompadour did, and yet it worked, incredibly well.
The clockwork horrors were like something out of a nightmare - making their entrance from under the bed so appropriate - and yet they managed to evoke pity at their end; well, in me, anyway: my wife - who, I'm happy to say, is enjoying Doctor Who for the first time in her life - found them utterly terrifying throughout, I suspect. :-)
Tennant was absolutely brilliant again; when
Louis XV was the only person there to greet him on his final trip through the fireplace, you knew how the Doctor felt just by looking at his face. The writer's use of silence in this new series shows a subtlety I'm not used to seeing; it's really a talent showcase all-round now.
And Tennant's range of emotion was positively manic! So appropriate for a being of his age, I feel. Initially, I'd planned to compare the Doctor's roller-coaster of child-like joy to utter, but sadly, expected disappointment with
Eccleston's moment with the tree-woman, Jabe, in
The End of the World. On second thought, however, I think any one of
Colin Baker's excellent performances would hit just as close to the mark. You just don't expect it from the inconspicuously-dressed Tennant. ;-)
Doctor Who: School Reunion: Who
was that man playing Mr. Finch, and did they have him almost unhinge his jaw like that in the audition!
Anthony Head made that episode: he was completely inhuman, and all the more terrifying than the computer-generated beasties for it.
I haven't seen the episodes surrounding Sarah Jane Smith's (
Elisabeth Sladen) parting with the Doctor, but I have seen other abrupt partings that the show never really dealt with to my satisfaction; 'til now, that is. Their reunion was very believable - as was Rose's (
Billie Piper) reaction - especially Sarah Jane's horror at learning that the Doctor'd never mentioned her to Rose.
K9 (voice of
John Leeson) was funny too, although, again, I haven't seen many of the later
Tom Baker era episodes with him; makes me wish all the more that
BBC Kids hadn't skipped over his years in their recent run through most of the Doctor Who episodes; must've been a copyright issue.
Oh, and a final thought on
David Tennant: Not since
Jon Pertwee have I really
felt the Doctor's age - in his world-weary sighs in Pertwee's case, but more in his eyes, and what he doesn't say in Tennant's case; his
I used to have so much mercy
line was just brilliant.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Millions (2004): A good yarn. As a coworker of mine says,
Anything too affirming strikes me as disingenuous
, but, engaging in the - in this case - herculean effort to set that aside, it was a beautiful story: beautiful in its simplicity. The whole thing was told from young Damian's (
Alexander Nathan Etel) perspective, and, with that masterstroke, anyone could get on board the train of imagination.
I also fully support the underlying message of the way money muddles folk. I was just talking with another coworker about that very topic over lunch today: how money, and the trappings it can provide - oh, trappings, good word for it, that - strike me as odd beasts to be consumed with.
Tail feathers for us peacocks
, is the way my coworker put it: an artificial structure, this culture, where one can distinguish oneself as a better mate by playing the game well.
Me, I just keep stepping back and saying, "What, that's it, then?" Maybe I need to watch
... Down the Rabbit Hole again.
Mantracker: Episode 6: What a cool episode! I thought I'd enjoy the show, having caught half an episode there last week, I guess. (
The fifth episode, looking at the show's Web site.) This one, with Vlad and Nate, was much better: the prey had military training, and guts to boot.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World: Funny on many levels, this was good, and, on the face of it, clean. ;-) What I enjoyed most, though, was the fair share that everyone got: the tripe about doin' a great service for your country played well against
Al Jazeera's
That Darn Jew sitcom.
I'll take this sort of commentary on international foreign policy over a
Michael Moore deluge any day; I even preferred it to
Why We Fight, which I rather enjoyed.
Brooks just never takes himself that seriously; something I find refreshing.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Sin City Re-cut: I don't seem to tire of watching this movie, and this neat presentation added a novelty to what I think was my sixth time through: they broke each of the four stories out to be played individually with any deleted scenes. There was probably a total of ten to fifteen minutes of extra material, and the majority of it added to the experience.
For example, I enjoyed the early scene with Marv's (
Mickey Rourke) mom, although, after talking with my friends, it may have worked because his character was firmly established in our minds from previous viewings; it might deal the tough guy image a mortal wound that first time.
That precious extra banter between Klump (
Rick Gomez) and Shlubb (
Nick Offerman) should've been left in, though; no question. I loved those guys - I laugh at their lines every time I watch the movie - so the new stuff was a treat. Some of the Hartigan (
Bruce Willis) stuff introduced repetition, however, so other cuts made sense.
I wonder whether Marv had a name for his gun in the original cut... Anyone remember offhand?
Ultimate Avengers: It's funny: I just finished reading
Giant Man and the Incredible Hulk: Tales To Astonish #69, so Giant Man and Wasp weren't a surprise; otherwise I would've wondered where the heck they came from. There's still superhero lore to be learned, I guess.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Hockey Night in Canada: the San Jose Sharks at the Edmonton Oilers - Game 4: It's nice to see a Canadian team doing well. The Oilers looked very strong, in the third period especially.
That bizarre deflection out to centre was somethin', eh? :-) Their fifth goal was my favourite, though: a beautiful pass by
Smyth (I believe), and
Hemsky put it away.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Hockey Night in Canada: the Ottawa Senators at the Buffalo Sabres - Game 4: Well, the heckling worked (you know who you are, my one fan): I'm back, after a long hiatus.
I guess I missed the Senators' best period, because the second seemed to be more of what we saw yesterday. The teams are well matched, but the Sabres seem to be more consistent; any pressure by the Sens seems to come in fits 'n' spurts. That's their big problem, as I see it. Any Miller-based theories don't hold water,
as I've said elsewhere.
