'TBH Politoons'
Baron Dave Romm
Three Science Fiction Movies
By Baron Dave Romm
I'm going to try to avoid major spoilers, but frankly the plot is secondary in all three films so a minor spoiler or two might drop in. If you don't want to know anything, skip the review.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is the best of the prequels, but that's not saying much. George Lucas is going to make a billion dollars or so on marketing, but is that a good reason to see the movie? I'm discovering a phenomena that shouldn't have been quite so surprising: People who haven't seen Episode II and wondering if it's worth seeing III. I don't blame them at all for skipping II -- I was one of the harshest critics -- but it's still surprising that science fiction fans haven't shared the experience at some point. It was like discovering that there were people who haven't read The Lord of the Rings. Ah well, life's short, and that's why there are film critics.
Fewer people have seen the ancillary material. I've ignored most of it, but some are good and some are useful to understand the galaxy far far away. Set in-between II and III, Star Wars: Clone Wars is a series of animated shorts seen on Cartoon Network and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls). The DVD of the first 20 (about three minutes each) was released in January. You don't really need to see these to understand III: The crawl at the beginning of the movie covers the plot. Mostly, you get to see Jedi kick ass. Kinda fun, really, and you get to see individual fighting styles. Many of the Jedi in III have no speaking parts but have larger roles in the animated series.
All of which leads up to the movie that leads up to the original Star Wars trilogy. For me, it was a big disappointment... and I had very low expectations. The acting is horrible (with a few exceptions), the dialog unforgivably bad, the special effects are surprisingly sloppy in too many places and the main thing you know will happen -- Anakin becoming Darth Vader -- is handed very poorly. The first trilogy works on a mythic, Joseph Campbell, level. The second trilogy doesn't even work as movies.
The basic force that drives the plot is never explained. We don't find out much about the Sith except that they're not Jedi. We get hints of Palpatine's background and motivation, but only hints. Everyone's motivation is just assumed by what side they're on I wonder why they build anything. In any battle, the appearance of a Jedi or a Sith almost immediately decides the outcome. The only real battles are between Jedi and Sith. Everything else is mere destruction.
In II, we got hints as to how Anakin would be turned. What happens in III doesn't follow, and his soulless verbal exchanges just don't reach the visceral level one needs for a complete life change. It doesn't help that Hayden Christianson can't act.
Revenge of the Sith gets better in the last third. Lucas is a film buff, and little hints of all sorts of movies brighten the day. It's clear Lucas has seen The Lord of the Rings movies. There's a bit of The Matrix, even a quick mention by Obi Wan in the beginning to his fellow fighter "Oddball" reminded me of Kelly's Heroes. The film is dark, especially near the end. The climactic fights are directed well. In the last five minutes Lucas realizes he is making a prequel and has to clean things up. Frankly, I could have lived without any of that -- we already know.
On the Shockwave Radio Theater scale of 9 to 23, I give the two-punctuation marked Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith about an 18. That's rounded up at least two for the last part, and I may round it down again if I use my feelings and the Force guides me so. If you're a fan and have faithfully followed the series from the beginning, you will need to see this one just to get some sort of closure. If you haven't seen any of the other Star Wars Movies, for heaven's sake go and see IV, V and VI and ignore the prequels.
I find, after several weeks mulling it over, that I don't have a lot to say about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie. It's my least favorite version except maybe the Infocom game. All of the versions are different and mutually exclusive and all have something to recommend them. My favorite is still the original 1978 BBC radio play with the 1981 tv series and divers books coming shortly after. Still, if you're unfamiliar with any of the other versions, you might as well see the movie. That's not to say there aren't fun things that zip by. Signs on the Vogon ship are in Pitman Shorthand. According to a friend who knows such things, the signs include "Fire Exit Escape Map" (over a hopelessly complex map that says "You are here") and "Are you depressed? Try Destruction Therapy."
On the Shockwave Radio Theater scale of 9 to 23, I give tHHGttG about a 14. I'd strongly recommend waiting for the DVD which is sure to have a staggering amount of fun extras (he says, crossing his fingers).
I'm a major fan of Federico Fellini, but I don't fall all over 8 1/2 as do some. I think it's a good movie, but misses being a great film... I thought so when I first saw it in college and still think so after seeing the DVD, but it keeps getting better the more I run it through my mind.
Famously, Fellini went into production without knowing what he was making. Therefore, he made a movie about making a movie... specifically, he made a movie about making 8 1/2. It's a truly wonderful voyage of self-loathing and self-discovery by the Fellini-surrogate Marcello Mastroianni in the role of director Guido Anselmi. Guido is making a science fiction film and this huge spaceship is one of the few aspects of the movie-within-a-movie that is visible. Most of the film works on several levels simultaneously, with scenes that include Fellini's wife, Anselmi's wife and actors playing the role of the wife in the film Anselmi is making who spout lines Anselmi's wife said last night. Got it?
Now, I'm going to talk about the ending of a film made in 1963, so it's technically a spoiler, but...
Here is my interpretation of 8 1/2: It's all about coming down to earth. Much of 8 1/2 has people going up and coming down. Not always by choice. In the opening dream sequence, Anselmi is caught in a traffic jam. He leaves his car and floats above the cars to the ocean, carefree. He is pulled down to earth by the producer and the star's agent. He resists, but eventually comes down and wakes up. In another phantasmagoric scene, Anselmi is surrounded by all the women he has ever known. The older women object to exile "upstairs" just because they've turned 30. All the women start complaining and a riot ensues. When they're all downstairs and Anselmi has capitulated, the women switch emotions and vow to take care of him.
In the middle of 8 1/2, we finally get to see the spaceship that will be the centerpiece of the movie that Anselmi/Fellini is spending money on but has no idea how to complete. He takes cast, crew and visitors up and up and up thescaffolding surrounding the spaceship. At the end, in another surrealistic scene, everyone we've seen in the movie, including Anselmi's dead parents, dances around the set. In the final climactic moment, a child in white (Anselmi/Fellini as a child) opens a curtain and everyone comes down to earth from the spaceship. Even the ones who were on the ground moments ago.
In his introduction to 8 1/2 on the DVD, Terry Gilliam says that 8 1/2 may not be his favorite Fellini, but it's the one that influenced him the most as an artist and the one with the most bits that stick with him. 8 1/2 has the director flying high but ultimately being pulled back to earth by production details, memories of his past and his ultimate failure as a creative soul. As noted in the commentary track, Fellini finished his film while Anselmi didn't.
Even though he didn't have an idea what the movie was about or where it was going, Fellini tapped into his artistic emotions and the film turned out wonderfully. Within him, the Force was strong. He knew the answer but was searching for the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything. Fellini explores the edges of artistic and personal success and failure using the fantastic and the sftnal. Perhaps this shouldn't be your introduction to Fellini, but it should be high in the queue. I've now seen this movie twice (three times counting the commentary track) and it gets better the more I think about it. On the Shockwave Radio Theater scale of 9 to 23, I give 8 1/2 about a 20. In a good mood, closer to a 21.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia with a radio show, a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E , and you can hear the last two Shockwave broadcasts in Real Audio (scroll down to Shockwave). Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
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Drug Companies "R" Them
Brand New -- This Summer's 10 Hottest Books! (See Below)
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
TIM GOLDEN: In U.S. Report, Brutal Details of 2 Afghan Inmates' Deaths (NY Times)
Even as the young Afghan man was dying before them, his American jailers continued to torment him.
Helen Thomas: Who's To Blame For Anger At U.S.? (thebostonchannel.com)
It was a act of desperation when the White House tried to blame Newsweek magazine for America's low esteem around the world, particularly in the Middle Eas.
DINITIA SMITH: A Critic Takes On the Logic of Female Orgasm (NY Times)
The female orgasm, she said, "is for fun."
Watch Out for the Power of Portion Size (msnbc.msn.com)
How much we're served strongly influences how much we eat
Sexploration
I Drew This: Cartoons
Candorville: Cartoons
Mike Luckovich: Cartoons
Purple Gene Reviews
Ellen On 'Leno'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and a bit cooler.
Reclusive Author Appears
Harper Lee
Harper Lee, who has been dodging publicity for decades since she published her only book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," made a rare step into the limelight to be honored by the Los Angeles Public Library.
Lee, 79, stopped giving interviews a few years after she won the Pulitzer Prize for her 1960 coming-of-age book exploring racial prejudice in the South. She has turned down most request for appearances.
But she couldn't refuse an invitation from Veronique Peck, the widow of actor Gregory Peck, who won an Oscar for his starring role as lawyer Atticus Finch in the 1962 film version of the book and became a lifelong friend with Lee.
"Mockingbird" co-star Brock Peters, who played the black man falsely accused of rape in the film, presented the award to Lee.
After Veronique Peck whispered in her ear, Lee gave her only remarks of the evening: "I'll say it again. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart."
Harper Lee
Vienna
Life Ball
Revelers in leather, lace and bodypaint strutted down a red carpet and into Vienna's Gothic-style city hall for the city's Life Ball, a charity gala headlined by Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Heidi Klum and Donatella Versace.
Versace entered Saturday's campy costume party differently than most of the guests - driving down the red carpet in a Mini decorated in her company's trademark gold leaf design.
The gala is known for the extravagant costumes worn by the thousands of guests, who came in Carmen Miranda headdresses, Las Vegas showgirl feathers - and often little else. The celebrities and organizers hope to draw attention to combatting AIDS.
Life Ball
Signs Off From L.A. Radio Show
Steve Harvey
Comedian Steve Harvey has signed off for the final time after five years hosting a morning radio show that delivered one-liners, political commentary and hip-hop.
"The Steve Harvey Morning Show" on KKBT-FM featured a mix of Harvey's advocacy for the city's black community, ruminations on everyday life and interviews with local and national political figures. The show, which also aired in Dallas, ended Friday.
KKBT general manager Sue Freund said Harvey wanted to spend more time with his family and take a break, but was discussing possible future projects with the station's parent company, Washington, D.C.-based Radio One Inc.
Steve Harvey
Receives Honorary Degree
Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones is finally getting the college degree that was delayed by a 50-plus-year career on Broadway, in movies and portraying the rock 'n' roll mom to television's Partridge Family.
Jones, 71, received an honorary degree at Washington & Jefferson College's graduation ceremony Saturday.
Jones was raised in Smithton, about 25 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. After graduating from high school, Jones planned to study veterinary medicine - after she returned from a summer trip to New York City. But Jones tried out for the chorus of "South Pacific" and Rogers and Hammerstein cast her in the Broadway production.
Shirley Jones
Lists 100 Greatest Films
Time Magazine
A list of the greatest films of all time without "North by Northwest?" No "Annie Hall," "Bicycle Thief" or "Apocalypse Now"? Take a deep breath and relax. This is supposed to be fun.
The movie critics for Time magazine, Richard Schickel and Richard Corliss, have compiled an unranked list of the 100 greatest films. Included are traditionally acclaimed flicks like "Lawrence of Arabia," "Casablanca" and "Citizen Kane," as well as more atypical choices like "Finding Nemo," "Star Wars" and the 2002 Brazilian gang story, "City of God."
The most popular director turned out to be Martin Scorsese, who has three films on the list. Scorsese's frequent actor of choice, Robert De Niro, leads actors with five.
List of 100 Greatest Films
Time Magazine
Joins Winemaking Venture
Vince Neil
Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is getting into a new kind of spirit - he's joined a winemaking venture called Vince Vineyards.
Neil plans to start with 500 cases of 2003 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and 250 cases of 2003 Sonoma Chardonnay.
The heavy metal singer will have little to do with the actual winemaking - Harry Parducci at Adler Fels Winery in Santa Rosa will produce the wine. It will initially be sold for about $20 a bottle in Las Vegas, where Neil lives, as well as Los Angeles, Nashville and New York.
Vince Neil
Rebuilt Arts Academy Inaugurated
Berlin
Germany's prestigious Academy of Arts was reopened Saturday at its pre-World War II site next to Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
The modern glass-fronted building stands where the academy had its home from 1907 to 1937, when it was evicted by Adolf Hitler's architect, Albert Speer. The original building suffered heavy wartime damage, and the Cold War saw the academy itself split in two.
Founded in 1696, the academy currently has 370 members, among them German Nobel literature laureate Guenter Grass and Spanish writer Jorge Semprun. It also includes architects such as Daniel Libeskind, the designer of Berlin's Jewish Museum, and Lord Norman Foster of Britain, who revamped the capital's Reichstag parliament building.
Berlin
The Palimpsest & The Particle Accelerator
Archimedes
A particle accelerator is being used to reveal the long-lost writings of the Greek mathematician Archimedes, work hidden for centuries after a Christian monk wrote over it in the Middle Ages.
Highly focused X-rays produced at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center were used last week to begin deciphering the parts of the 174-page text that have not yet been revealed. The X-rays cause iron in the hidden ink to glow.
Scholars believe the treatise was copied by a scribe in the 10th century from Archimedes' original Greek scrolls, written in the third century B.C.
It was erased about 200 years later by a monk who reused the parchment for a prayer book, creating a twice-used parchment book known as a "palimpsest." In the 12th century, parchment - scraped and dried animal skins - was rare and costly, and Archimedes' works were in less demand.
The palimpsest was bought at auction for $2 million in 1998 by an anonymous private collector who loaned it to the Baltimore museum and funded studies to reveal the text. About 80 percent of the text has been uncovered so far.
Archimedes
Archimedes Palimpsest project
