- Published on
In a surprising move, Paramount and CBS All Access dropped the "First Look" Trailer onto the web today for their upcoming web-streaming property Star Trek: Discovery, and I'm posting the YouTube.com linkage below. For those interested, check it out. (I'll refrain from making any comments at this time as I'm still doing some research on streaming issues.)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
What an incredibly little anecdote! Isn't it incredible how those within the entertainment industry will occasionally use the influences of cinema history in order to honor those who've come before? While I'm no huge supporter of Hollywood "values," I do appreciate when those in-the-biz recognize those who came before. It's totally classy.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
- Published on
For some reason, writers of Science Fiction have always felt it appropriate to align themselves with certain causes.
So far as this reviewer is concerned, this storytelling framework (in SciFi) really began with Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek: the late 1960’s program practically perfected the formula of disguising elements of that era’s culture into some relatively benign story construct which could be ridiculed, satirized, or picked apart by a meaningful story. (I know some would argue that The Twilight Zone perhaps is owed greater credit, but Zone’s stories often relied more on ‘the twist ending’ to make its point whereas Trek really took on the issue “by the horns” and rode it to the big finish.) Categorically, I state that there’s nothing wrong with spinning yarns more didactic than others; I just wish writers would address these controversial subjects fairly and within the greater context of history than they typically do.
This past week’s Doctor Who titled “Oxygen” took the occasion to harp not so much on commerce as one might initially deduce; instead, the villain is eventually revealed as the all-too-predictable “corporate greed” that gets commonly mislabeled as capitalism to be the guilty culprit, but never trust a screenwriter to get it perfect of his own accord. (I don’t. Never have. Probably never will.)
So far as this reviewer is concerned, this storytelling framework (in SciFi) really began with Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek: the late 1960’s program practically perfected the formula of disguising elements of that era’s culture into some relatively benign story construct which could be ridiculed, satirized, or picked apart by a meaningful story. (I know some would argue that The Twilight Zone perhaps is owed greater credit, but Zone’s stories often relied more on ‘the twist ending’ to make its point whereas Trek really took on the issue “by the horns” and rode it to the big finish.) Categorically, I state that there’s nothing wrong with spinning yarns more didactic than others; I just wish writers would address these controversial subjects fairly and within the greater context of history than they typically do.
This past week’s Doctor Who titled “Oxygen” took the occasion to harp not so much on commerce as one might initially deduce; instead, the villain is eventually revealed as the all-too-predictable “corporate greed” that gets commonly mislabeled as capitalism to be the guilty culprit, but never trust a screenwriter to get it perfect of his own accord. (I don’t. Never have. Probably never will.)
In response to a distress call, the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole (finally some screen time!) materialize on a distant space station named Chasm Forge only to find the space mining facility inhabited by the mechanically-zombified crew. Before they can hightail it off to another destination, the trio find themselves trapped beyond reach of the TARDIS with these walking dead closing in from all directions. Once they join forces with what remains of the unaffected crewmembers, our heroes must race against time (and commerce) to find a solution that proves to an A.I. menace that human beings aren’t necessarily expendable when measured against profit and loss.
Now let me say this right up front: I thought “Oxygen” was both brilliant constructed and executed. Don’t get me wrong: I disagreed with so very much of the political and ideological aspects of Jamie Mathieson’s script, but I do try to separate “message” from “narrative” for the purposes of reviewing the merits of any tale. Visually, Chasm Forge’s claustrophobia gives this hour the dark, unrelenting punch it needed to make much of the untenable believable, and the show’s three leads turn in effective, convincing performances of a trio-in-crisis doing what must be done against the odds. (Sure, I wish it could be said about the assorted guest players, too, but none of them were really given anything of substance other than some well-delivered quips.)
Now let me say this right up front: I thought “Oxygen” was both brilliant constructed and executed. Don’t get me wrong: I disagreed with so very much of the political and ideological aspects of Jamie Mathieson’s script, but I do try to separate “message” from “narrative” for the purposes of reviewing the merits of any tale. Visually, Chasm Forge’s claustrophobia gives this hour the dark, unrelenting punch it needed to make much of the untenable believable, and the show’s three leads turn in effective, convincing performances of a trio-in-crisis doing what must be done against the odds. (Sure, I wish it could be said about the assorted guest players, too, but none of them were really given anything of substance other than some well-delivered quips.)
“Oxygen” opens, in fact, with a nod toward the afore-mentioned Star Trek: while delivering a lecture to his university students, the Doctor says “Space, the final frontier.” For those unaware, those are the exact words spoken by Captain James T. Kirk in Trek’s opening credits, and I suspect Mathieson and director Charlie Palmer hoped Who’s audience would be in on the gig. (I’m certain no one missed it.) But then the Doctor segues into a discussion of how space is so decidedly dangerous to mere mortal, a sentiment that has always made me believe personally that mankind will never successfully explore much of it: our feeble bodies aren’t designed to L-A-S-T anywhere but here on Earth. As it turns out, this soliloquy is all set-up for what’s going to follow, and the audience soon learns that it’s the business of outer space that’s the real culprit.
Sadly, that’s a kinda/sorta predictable turn for an otherwise stellar hour. Far too many movies and TV shows have already scored marks by attacking/satirizing/maligning capitalism, so much so that this episode’s central idea – crewmembers are “charged” for oxygen, hence the title – has probably been the punch line of far too many jokes worth mentioning. But where there’s an axe to grind there’s probably not a screenwriter too far behind, and “Oxygen” ends up a little short of breath in that regard.
Still, Mathieson doesn’t disappoint as a late-breaking development – one that’s not fully revealed until the tale’s closing moments – that spells certain doom for the Doctor: he hasn’t escaped his tour of the final frontier without injury, and I would imagine this is just one of the first dominoes to fall on the path to regeneration.
Sadly, that’s a kinda/sorta predictable turn for an otherwise stellar hour. Far too many movies and TV shows have already scored marks by attacking/satirizing/maligning capitalism, so much so that this episode’s central idea – crewmembers are “charged” for oxygen, hence the title – has probably been the punch line of far too many jokes worth mentioning. But where there’s an axe to grind there’s probably not a screenwriter too far behind, and “Oxygen” ends up a little short of breath in that regard.
Still, Mathieson doesn’t disappoint as a late-breaking development – one that’s not fully revealed until the tale’s closing moments – that spells certain doom for the Doctor: he hasn’t escaped his tour of the final frontier without injury, and I would imagine this is just one of the first dominoes to fall on the path to regeneration.
Lingering Quibbles:
I understand perfectly well that Doctor Who is the product of an entertainment company housed deep within a socialist enclave, but the constant swipes at capitalism in “Oxygen” left a bad taste in my mouth. I “get” that – as socialists – not everyone agrees with the benefits of capitalism, but essentially making the most successful course of commerce in the history of mankind into the enemy works perfectly fine as a set-up: no need to keep beating your drum, BBC writers. We get it. You don’t like it. Well, it doesn’t much care for you, either.
I understand perfectly well that Doctor Who is the product of an entertainment company housed deep within a socialist enclave, but the constant swipes at capitalism in “Oxygen” left a bad taste in my mouth. I “get” that – as socialists – not everyone agrees with the benefits of capitalism, but essentially making the most successful course of commerce in the history of mankind into the enemy works perfectly fine as a set-up: no need to keep beating your drum, BBC writers. We get it. You don’t like it. Well, it doesn’t much care for you, either.
- Published on
When you think about it, there's far more that we don't know about that intrepid smuggler from a land far, far away ... and maybe knowing that he's from a band of "space gypsies" isn't such a bad thing. Kinda/sorta sounds like JarJar to me, though, and not in a good way.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
- Published on
Well! What a difference a day makes in the world of TV renewals and cancellations!
I kid you not: I had begun an article about why I thought NBC's Timeless was cut from the network's 2017-2018 season when -- lo and behold -- the suits decided to bring it back, albeit as a summer series (which basically means "shortened"). The reason for their sudden change of heart? Deadline is reporting than a full frontal assault waged by the fans prompted the executives to give the show a bit of a welcome reprieve, and I guess that means we're not watching in a vacuum!
Succinctly, I think it's grand that NBC reversed course with the show, but I'll be the first to point out that Timeless isn't flawless. I won't get into specifics other than to say it took a small handful of episodes to really come into its own, and -- even then -- some of the writing stayed a bit too "kid friendly" for my tastes. However, here's hoping the folks behind-the-scenes can keep the crew moving forward when they return to the small screen sometime in 2018.
Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to the fans: job well done! The number of great shows gone too soon grows with each passing television season, but when we can convince studios and networks that there's still hope it certainly is one reason to celebrate. Bravo!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
I kid you not: I had begun an article about why I thought NBC's Timeless was cut from the network's 2017-2018 season when -- lo and behold -- the suits decided to bring it back, albeit as a summer series (which basically means "shortened"). The reason for their sudden change of heart? Deadline is reporting than a full frontal assault waged by the fans prompted the executives to give the show a bit of a welcome reprieve, and I guess that means we're not watching in a vacuum!
Succinctly, I think it's grand that NBC reversed course with the show, but I'll be the first to point out that Timeless isn't flawless. I won't get into specifics other than to say it took a small handful of episodes to really come into its own, and -- even then -- some of the writing stayed a bit too "kid friendly" for my tastes. However, here's hoping the folks behind-the-scenes can keep the crew moving forward when they return to the small screen sometime in 2018.
Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to the fans: job well done! The number of great shows gone too soon grows with each passing television season, but when we can convince studios and networks that there's still hope it certainly is one reason to celebrate. Bravo!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
When Sir Ridley Scott announced that he was (finally) hard at work on a sequel to the original Blade Runner (1982), I honestly wasn't all that interested. This isn't to say that I wouldn't welcome a return to the dark, gritty world he created in that feature: it's just a reaction to the fact that I thought -- as a viewer -- he had asked all questions he wanted and answered them in the Harrison Ford vehicle. What else was there to say about "eternal life" and artificial intelligence?
In any event, the trailer for Blade Runner 2049 (2017) dropped onto the web last week, and I even waited until this morning to view it as I didn't want to rush things. As expected, it certainly looks stylish, and the snippets of dialogue do portend more soliloquies about who we are and what we know of ourselves. I'm not sure all that's needed: after all, why follow up on a revered classic so many years later unless we have something fresh to say about existence?
Still -- as I've always cautioned -- never invest too much in a trailer. Typically, they're cut and fashioned by the advertising people so as to capture our collective interest, and often times the completed product looks and sounds a bit different from what they finished. Whatever the case, I'll post the coming attraction below and encourage each and every one of you to check it out.
In any event, the trailer for Blade Runner 2049 (2017) dropped onto the web last week, and I even waited until this morning to view it as I didn't want to rush things. As expected, it certainly looks stylish, and the snippets of dialogue do portend more soliloquies about who we are and what we know of ourselves. I'm not sure all that's needed: after all, why follow up on a revered classic so many years later unless we have something fresh to say about existence?
Still -- as I've always cautioned -- never invest too much in a trailer. Typically, they're cut and fashioned by the advertising people so as to capture our collective interest, and often times the completed product looks and sounds a bit different from what they finished. Whatever the case, I'll post the coming attraction below and encourage each and every one of you to check it out.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
What an amazing predicament to be in!
So you have this little film called Star Wars, and you're sure it's going to tank and tank badly. You have so little faith in it that you're willing to basically write the picture off in order to spare yourself some losses. Then -- against all of your perceived odds -- the feature gets released and goes on to become one of the most revered Science Fiction and Fantasy films of all time!
I always keep this story in mind when I'm told I shouldn't shoot for the stars, and I think each and every one of us should as well. Don't let one single solitary voice ever tell you that you can't achieve greatness because -- so far as reality is concerned -- that's only the opinion of one single solitary voice. And those have been proven wrong too many times to count.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
So you have this little film called Star Wars, and you're sure it's going to tank and tank badly. You have so little faith in it that you're willing to basically write the picture off in order to spare yourself some losses. Then -- against all of your perceived odds -- the feature gets released and goes on to become one of the most revered Science Fiction and Fantasy films of all time!
I always keep this story in mind when I'm told I shouldn't shoot for the stars, and I think each and every one of us should as well. Don't let one single solitary voice ever tell you that you can't achieve greatness because -- so far as reality is concerned -- that's only the opinion of one single solitary voice. And those have been proven wrong too many times to count.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
- Published on
Having watched more than a fair share of Japanese films featuring samurais, it's very clear how George Lucas kinda/sorta shamelessly lifted "inspirations" from those stories, taking only the very best of what they had to offer and form-fitting it into his growing space saga. In fact, I'd heartily recommend Star Wars fans to check out a handful of the Zatoichi flicks alone, and you'll see what I mean precisely.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
- Published on
A few years back, I can remember participating in an online debate about Dystopian Science Fiction films, and I had made the point that the original Star Wars was really much more Dystopian than some of the other choices precisely because of the reason George Lucas insisted on having his cinematic universe looking "lived in." Granted, the Prequel Trilogy doesn't even hint at the same visual appeal, but that's because its morals and themes were hung on different more political leanings. In any event, that's why the original film retains such charm for me today.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
- Published on
Oh, what would've come of one of the most recognizable starships in all of Science Fiction history? The neat thing about trivia is that we learn how happy little events make up so much of our every day lives; and I, for one, am glad this one worked out the way it did on the silver screen.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!