Lost: Season 6
Monday, February 22, 2010

I have a love and hate relationship with this show.

I often dislike its convoluted scripts, and the way it bounces back and forth through time, and doesn't say so. It takes a while to figure out what is going on. The writers force you to study the show, and pay attention to follow its hard-to-follow (or non-existent) plot lines.

From what I've read, a lot of people monitor Lost hard enough to get what's going on. I enjoy their theories. One day I will patiently go back and watch it back to back, and see if it's more coherent that way. I watch a lot of shows. Watching back to back reveals a lot more than piecemeal episodes and tons of disruptive commercials.

Perhaps that is the essential appeal of Lost: you have to pay attention.

I started watching Season 6: The Substitute first. This episode was about John Locke, one of my favorite characters, although second to Sawyer. I thought this was a flash back, and not until I went back and watched the first episode did I realize it was about a different time-line. Watching it, you can tell they sorta-experienced the Island Lost Life, but also went on to live as they did. The Island Lost Life is from where they get that deja vu feeling.

Oh, I know about deja vu. I am not one who remembers faces, but when I visit certain places overseas, I feel like I've lived there before.

The series introduces a new character named, Dogan, played by Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada. May I say how cute he is? I cannot believe the guy is 50. He doesn't look a day over thirty-something. Hmm.


I'd jump (lick) the guy. Seriously.

I hope the show wraps up the multiple convoluted and confusing plots, but if there's a movie in the future, I doubt they will. I only hope they give the show a better ending than what happened with X-Files.

Labels: Dogen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lost

posted by GoldenAh
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The Forgotten and Flash Forward
Saturday, October 10, 2009


I almost want to take a bet on which show, The Forgotten and Flash Forward, is going to last, but I have a suspicion that the one executive produced by J. Bruckheimer will.

It doesn't mean that Flash Forward will be canceled, I just suspect that The Forgotten wont have trouble being renewed.

Why? It is Without a Trace or Cold Case with a faint touch of CSI wrapped up in a (ex)cop-seeks-redemption show. I watch all of the CSIs, as well as millions of other people, and the formula obviously works.

Without a Trace lasted 7 seasons, and Cold Case is still on. No offense intended, but Kathryn Morris has got to be the whitest creature in the media today. Is that make-up? I like the show, but I've gotten creeped out looking at her. I don't watch it anymore. Not that I can, I don't have live TV, and unless I want to access it via illegal methods, I can't see it online. No loss to me.

Flash Forward's cast is Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Courtney Vance and Gabrielle Union. There are a few other familiar faces, but this show has an enormous ensemble. Gabrielle Union plays the fiancee of John Cho.

Finally! Producers of TV shows are starting to hookup black women with men of other races. Nice touch! I'm long ways tired of the single, lonely, sexless, humorless, Mammy-for-everybody black female characters on some shows. I'm glad those actresses are working, but there are black women who really do like men, and want a character who looks and acts normal.

I feel that a program like this shouldn't be a regular series striving to last half a decade or more, but should give itself a specific end date. There are so many programs that should have done this: Heroes and Lost, for example. I fear this show will run out of steam, or become too convoluted, before it ends.

Yet, isn't that the case with too many shows?

The Forgotten is already my favorite program. The deceased is given a voice. The purpose of The Forgotten Network is to find the identity of a John / Jane Doe, give the person back to their family (to let all rest in peace), and possibly solve a murder. It gives me goose bumps.

It stars a familiar face, Christian Slater (who just had another show canceled) as Alex Donovan, plus a few faces I'm not familiar with. I like Rochelle Aytes (as Grace Russell). Her character worked with Donovan on the Chicago Police Department.

Donovan's back story: His child was kidnapped. He suffered a nervous breakdown, left the force, and joined The Forgotten Network.

Ever since the fascination with serial killers have gripped our modern media industrial complex, nearly every police drama has been about the murderer. S/He is the star. S/He is the focus of our very warped interest. It is nice to see it turn back to looking at the victim, and how that person's death affected everyone around them.

It's not all about pain, it's about resolution too. I love the way each person is treated with dignity, respect, and allowed to narrate their story. Although, I'm sure there will be episodes about horrible people who were killed.

I like this show, it's one of the few that show a real respect for life. Yeah, I'm reaching in my analysis, but the death as art and entertainment gets numbing after a while. It's good that there's a show that says, this person on the table had a life too, and is not just a piece of entertaining meat to make fun of.

Nice touch ABC, please keep both shows on the air.

Labels: Christian Slater, Cold Case, Flash Forward, Heroes, Joseph Fiennes, Kathryn Morris, Lost, Rochelle Aytes, The Forgotten

posted by GoldenAh
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District 9
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

District 9 is the first major film effort of director Neill Blomkamp backed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings maestro). Shot documentary style, it is funny, gory (I likes!), and action packed. Not a dull moment.

I enjoyed this movie, but it was a guilty sort of pleasure. It has one too many offensive, down right nasty, depictions of black people to ignore. At the same time, I thought the story about how cruel human beings are couldn't be denied.

Per usual, I saw it, because I needed to get out of the house. I remembered the fascinating premiere when I was watching another movie. I was thinking then: a major sci-fi film set in South Africa, alrighty-now!

This was easily one of the best sci-fi films of the year. However, it must come second to Star Trek, because the racism fail was too glaring. I mean, you know it was bad when people clapped at the death of a black character, and remained silent at the death of a white who was equally a bad character.

Without giving away too much of this film: an Office-type, South African bureaucrat, self-important, bigoted moron, named Wikus Van De Merwe (convincingly and superbly played by Sharlto Copley) makes a big mistake during his job to evict aliens from the shanty town they were living in.

The aliens (derisively called "Prawns") have a ginourmous space ship, which stalled over Johannesburg 28 years ago. MNU, which serves as the architype of the typical, evil, greedy, amoral, psychopathic organization or corporation, is in charge of the aliens.

At first, these beings were welcomed, but over time are treated worse than the blacks (of South Africa) used to be. Take your pick of oppressed minorities segregated from the mainstream of society, shunted to a reservation, a concentration camp, experimented on, abused and maligned, and you get the gist of what's going on.

People have questions as to why the aliens couldn't easily get out of their predicament. I look at it this way: when a plane crashes, could anyone - even if everyone survives - realistically rebuild the plane? I've been to the Air and Space Musuem, it is not that easily. Hasn't anyone watched Lost, and realized that?

Next, the alien leaders of the ship was gone. I could point to many parallels as to what humans are like when the top 10%-20% do not guide their populace in the right direction. Let's not kid ourselves, it's the top of the bell curve that runs the human race.

Our man, Wikus, is not a hero. He never becomes a hero. At least, in my eyes. He acts bravely when it would help his cause. This to me, made the film extremely honest about the motivations of persons like himself. He may be the average guy: never going to stick out his neck, until it's his neck that's on the block.

This film didn't depress me, but I thought about how clear eyed it was about how we would treat visitors from outer space if they needed us. The history of how humans have treated each other makes me feel that the aliens should have, or must keep on going on, and forget about us. The word humane and humanity is really a joke.

I look forward to the sequel.

Labels: Airplaces, bell curve, District 9, humans, Lost, Neill Blomkamp, race, racism, Sharlto Copley, Spaceships, species, specism, Star Trek

posted by GoldenAh
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Star Trek: What If?
Saturday, May 23, 2009


Star Trek was an excellent movie. Saw it three times. Might see it a fourth time. Will definitely buy the DVD when it comes out.

I've been reading some of the commentary and fan fiction regarding this reboot of Star Trek.

I'm amused by the request for more women in the lead. Oh, but which type of women?

Oh, I see. Uhura wasn't enough for these folks. Was it because she wasn't a woman of the right hue?

I see through these people who are pretending to be nick picky with the movie. The film was re-introducing us to the same characters from the original television program, which was seven people at its core.

Oh, but room must be made for more women characters. If Uhura was a white chick with blond hair, like on every other bloody damn movie and television show, there wouldn't be that kind of whining demand coming down the pike.

These folks ain't nothing, but a bunch of greedy, narcissistic, and selfish wenches.

I've decided to outline my own version of this new Star Trek if it was written by, and for, the few people who appreciate and love Battlestar Galactica. That show's two hour pilot and first season was marvelous, then over the following years the quality, intelligence, and coherence rapidly goes down hill. Sorta like how Heroes, and Lost, suffered the same fate.

The following is a sarcastic fan fiction summary of what would have made those "oh, but more (white) women, please" whiners happy. Regardless of Star Trek canon, we must satisfy the demands for (white) women being stars of this story.

In case you haven't noticed, white women, especially anorexic blonds, are a necessary evil in every entertainment program today. Even though their last minute additions, or central characters, have no additional net positive effect on ratings.

Oh well, somebody's gotta promote that white supremacy.

You must be familiar with the recent movie Star Trek, and tv show BSG, to get some of my points.

1. When Nero encounters the USS Kelvin, Captain Robau is a woman. She would be brown-haired and white, not a very handsome and gorgeous Eastern brown-skinned actor.
   
2. If she was an alien like those in Star Trek: TNG, then she would be a (white) actress with a heavy ridged forehead and some tattoos.
   
3. Nero, the Romulan, doesn't kill her, he keeps her hostage. I'll state why later.
4. George Kirk doesn't get the glory in this re-write by those who require more (white) women characters. Nope. He's not even first officer. His pregnant wife, Winona, is. However, she makes George take her place on the suicide mission. This is to ensure that she receives all of the accolades for saving those 800 people, not George.
   
5. James Kirk is a woman in this reboot. He's been renamed Jaime, but still keeps Tiberius (as a middle name) to help keep it real. He, I mean she, would look the same, be much thinner, have a five o'clock shadow, square jaw, and be as obnoxious and promiscuous - which is a very important characteristic for a (white) woman leading character - as the original Kirk.
   
6. Yet, in this case, Jaime would be considered "hot", "kick-ass", a "blond beauty" for her masculine, aggressive, and manly ways. Jaime would have breasts (maybe). We'd know Jaime is a woman, because the crew would periodically refer to this character as "she." Oh, and by the way, everyone wants to do her, because Jaime has blue eyes and blond hair. That's always, always, always the case, and don't you fer-git-it! Why, even Uhura came onto her at that bar in Iowa!
7. Spock never re-assigns Uhura to the USS Enterprise. She would never be seen again since she'd disappear with the rest of the fleet that left before the Enterprise. He has no reaction to news of her death, thus making those greedy, narcissistic, and selfish wenches happy.
   
8. Instead, Gaila, the "green" chick, would be on the Enterprise. Ergo, she'd be the second hottest (white) woman on the ship after Jaime.
9. Tyler Perry makes his cameo dressed as Madea. This is the preferable way for a black woman to appear in the media, with a 6'4" black male ridiculously "acting" as one.
   
10. Sulu and Chekhov would be an openly gay couple, or Chekhov would be another (white) woman. Take your pick.
    
11. Spock obviously has the hots for Jaime, because they argue throughout the whole movie.
12. Nero still vaporizes Vulcan, but it is Spock's father, Sarek, who dies. His mother, Amanda, lives. Although he loses a planet of his people, he's not as upset as he is in the reboot movie version. Spock's mother is alive, therefore keeping another important (white) woman in the story.
13. Pike stays a man. Gotta have at least one dick in the lead. Unfortunately, he's held, Federation Security information is extracted, and he is promptly, grotesquely, and rather violently dispatched.
    
14. Spock and Jaime fight. Unsurprisely, the big bitch fights the Vulcan to a draw. It's possible, right? Haven't we seen enough BullShitGalore, and other entertainment, to know a female can beat a male even if he's a super-strong alien?
    
15. Nothing much changes in these scenes: Prime Spock meets Jaime Kirk. He says, "We were more than friends," and brain dumps their entire special, special history into Jaime's big ol' empty head, not just the time travel, black hole stuff. This also makes the mentally challenged shippers of Kirk/Spock very happy.
    
16. Entering the final stretch: Jaime Kirk and Spock are getting set to leave and save everyone. Yet, not before Jaime looks at Spock and says, "I know how you really feel about me." Cause everybody wants Jaime: Ms Blond Blue Eyed Super-thin Mannish Five-O'clock Shadow Square Jaw Hyper-Aggressive Can-Keep-Up-With-The-Boys Woman. She's just soooooooooooooo hot, and sexy.
    
17. Quickly, Spock and Jaime exchange open mouth slobbering wet drooly kisses, panting, groping, exchanging much spit, before they are transported to the Romulan ship.
    
18. They find out Pike is dead, and scrape up the pieces to bring back the body.
    
19. As an added bonus they find Captain Robau, who's pregnant with her umpteenth child.
    
20. Why is she pregnant? Following commonly ridiculous, absolutely stupid, and retarded sci-fi tropes, the Romulans decide they want / need / desire / lust / crave Earth (white) women to re-start their race. Although, in this case, it is not necessary, Romulus still exists. However, even though they may view humans as inferior, just one look at a (white) woman turns their pointy-eared heads. Remember, Romulans are the extremely passionate Vulcan-types.
    
21. The Enterprise beams all those half-Romulan/half-Human chil'ren on board. A hysterical Captain Robau, with her many chil'ren - some of who are adults and staffed the Romulan ship, watches as her man Nero gets sucked into a black hole, and blown to hell.
    
22. Quietly, she vows revenge on Jaime Kirk, providing the flimsy pretext for a sequel.
    
23. The film bombs at the theaters, but the die-hards tell themselves that no one appreciates quality (ha!) sci-fi movies.
    

See, how easy and predictable that was?

That's why most of these "put more (white) women" in the story demands are lame. It would just be the same stupid stuff polluting most multi-character stories.

Frankly, if they add another woman, make her Asian, I'd like to see how those wenches behave then.

Labels: Battlestar Galactica, Enterprise, Heroes, James T. Kirk, Lost, Spock, Star Trek, Uhura

posted by GoldenAh
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"Lost" is Lost - Year 3
Saturday, May 19, 2007

I love serial television programs. They remind me of the days, when I was a child, networks presented 15 hours+ miniseries. One could watch a program with a beginning and a definite end.

Today, it's "What do you get for watching a program for three years?" A whole-lotta-nothin' and a whole-lotta-questions.

Aside from saying that Lost is an ABC television program about plane crash "survivors" on an island in the pacific, there's not much more to add. From this show's inception the writers - appear to me - pull all and any sundry plots out of the whazoo.

My issue with the series are as follows:

• The plane broke in 2. Year one was about the front, which was excellent! and dramatic!
• Year two dealt with the back section, and the elimination of each "survivor" one by one right into Year three.

Say what? Yeah, we see people take up a year of story time, and they add absolutely, positively no value to the overall plot (I use the word plot, because I can't think of what else to call it).

Try doing that mess in a creative writing class.

I've only got one question, since this is near the end of year three. If John's father (Sawyer #1) says that everyone was found dead: What happened to Michael and Walt?

I think I could forgive the writers if when they present the big "what the fook is that?" they answer it in the following year.

Now that's not too much to ask, is it?

Labels: ABC, Lost, miniseries, television

posted by GoldenAh
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