Goodbye Life On Mars 03/24/2009

Sadly, one of the best new shows of this season is being canceled after one season.  WHY?!  When will you ever see another detective show these days without cell phones, the internet or DNA evidence.  I loved this throw back show set in 1973 because of the music and funny costumes.  Just look at Michael Imperioli (he was Spider in Goodfellas, BTW) with that funny ass hair and mustache.  Then you have Harvey Keitel as the hard ass Lt. and sweet Gretchen Mol trying to break the glass ceiling.  The highlight of the show is definitely Jason Omara as Sam Tyler, or he may take on an impromptu name such as Luke Skywalker or Tom Cruise, because these ’73 people have no idea who they are.   (I’m thinking Quentin Tarantino might be a fan of this show.  Don’t you think he would be?)

So they prematurely have to sum up the whole mystery of where Sam Tyler is.  We think he’s in a coma after getting into an accident; it’s the most logical explanation.  But he’s met other people from the future in his 1973 world.  So what exactly is going on?  Will he see is girlfriend played by Lisa Bonet ever again in 2009 or will he get with “No Nuts”, Annie, and stay in 1973?  I’d like for him to stay there with Annie.

If you haven’t seen this show, one of the funniest moments comes from the episode guest starring Whoopi Goldberg.  Some guys are beating up Sam’s friend and he finally says, “Alright stop!….Collaborate and listen, Ice is back with a brand new invention…”  He continues to rap Vanilla Ice’s song and they look at him in awe and think he’s so groovy.  It’s hella funny!  You have to see that episode.

See my thoughts on the Series Finale here.

Battlestar Galactica: Daniel- Starbuck’s Dad?

OK, do not read this if you don’t want to be informed of spoilers.

In the commentary for “Daybreak, Part I”, Ronald D. Moore squashes the theory of the 7th Cylon Daniel, who was killed off by the jealous Cavil, as being Starbuck’s father.  It ain’t true folks, but it would have made so much sense.   So she’s not a half-breed as I thought.  What the frak is Starbuck then?

For my thoughts on Daybreak, Part 1, click here.

For my thoughts on Daybreak, Part 2, click here.

Twilight: Thoughts About the Movie

First of all, I haven’t read the book yet. I am all for books and hate film adaptations because there’s no way to adapt any book in just 2 hours or three…or four.  Even if it’s a miniseries, you just can’t get every word and thought on screen so people should really read the original sources of stories. (Well, the Lonesome Dove miniseries was pretty damn good though.)

So this post is just about my thoughts of the movie without having read the book.  I’ve heard book fans of Twilight were utterly disappointed.  There’s another movie out there that completely ruined a great book, Corelli’s Mandolin.  Ugghh!  They completely changed the ending and the rest of it was so bad.  Even in The Da Vinci Code, the code for the cryptex was not “apple” but “sofia” –  knowledge.  Whatever!!

So back to Twilight the movie, which is basically a teenage love story.  Damn, it made me want to have an Edward Cullen.  For me, the thing about Robert Pattinson, he was cute as Cedric in Harry Potter, and sexy in Twilight, but in real life he looks a  little scary, weird and un-hot.  (And no, I’m not a teeny bopper.)  I guess he’s just appealing as a vampire, but these are no Anne Rice vampires, even though they live a more sophisticated life as “vegetarians”.  They are Meyer vampires- a whole new breed but not for the better.

One gripe about the movie is that there was no plot until half an hour before it ended! OK, Bella’s the new girl in Forks and surprisingly there aren’t any mean girls, except Rosalie but she doesn’t count because she’s really a vamp.  She meets Edward by being his Biology lab partner (which was funny for me because I’ve had a little love story by meeting someone that way) and then they fall in love.  They swing in the trees.  They lie in the meadow.  They play baseball.  Still no plot, not until the evil James vampire wants to hunt her so then the Cullen family has to get her to safety and kill James.  Hello!  Didn’t Laurent tell you not to underestimate the lady vamp, Victoria.  When they finally kill off James, they just say that Victoria ran off.  Laurent specifically told you NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE her!  I thought the Cullens were supposed to be more witty than that.  Then they go to the Prom.  End of movie.  Hmph.

Another gripe is something I don’t really understand about Edward’s love for Bella.  He’s first attracted to her because she smells like the finest fillet mignon on Earth.  She’s is food to him. Is he really attracted to her as a person and love her mind and her spirit?  I just don’t get it.  But I get why she loves him – he’s gorgeous, mature, protective (verging on obsessive?), different and caring.  But Edward restrains himself everyday from sucking out all her tasty blood.  Is that real love for Bella, the person, or is he just hanging around her hoping  for a sip of the finest brew in town?  I don’t get it.

Have you listened to the DVD commentary?  Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart totally make fun of themselves, their acting, their scenes, what they’re doing in scenes and why they are doing what they’re doing in scenes.  Dang.  They seem to be ashamed of doing this movie.  The director, Catherine Hardwicke, is a complete hippie child and acts younger than the kids in the cast.  She actually says “gnarly” too…lol.

Did you know Robert Pattinson composed and performed a couple songs in the movie?  That was actually him playing the piano and he also plays the guitar AND SINGS!  That’s him singing “Never Think” during the dinner scene in Port Angeles and the soulful, bluesy song that comes on during the montage in the ballet studio, “Let Me Sign” is actually him singing!  I was like, ” Who is singing this soulful song?  It seems so out of place in this movie but I like it.”    I love a man who can tickle the ivories and sing so that’s just another reason to love Rob.

So, I am going to read the book and I want to read New Moon before seeing the next movie.  Sometimes though, if I read the book first it makes me so biased about a movie.   It makes me wonder if I would have liked a movie better without having read the book first.  So reading before watching can be a disadvantage sometimes.  But I am a book lover and no movie can ever be better than the story written on a paper.  Well, except in one case.  The Shawshank Redemption was better than Stephen King’s novella, don’t you think?

More Thoughts

• Why the heck was a fan on in the Biology lab room anyway when you know it was cold outside?
• Edward writes with his right hand but also wears his watch on his right wrist.  It’s usually the opposite.
• Bella had footless tights under her prom dress.
• A real biology teacher would have scolded Edward & Bella for dragging around that microscope left and right.  It can get damaged, ya know!
• Why was this movie even called twilight?  What’s the significance of the word twilight?
• Robert Pattinson as himself: 4 out of 10 stars.  Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen: 10 out of 10 stars…well, more like 9 out of 10 because he’s a tad skinny.  (I swear, I’m not a teenager!)

The movie: 3 out of 5 stars

(I’d really give it 2.5 stars, but since Edward is so easy on the eyes, it gets an extra half a star.)

~For my “Twilight: The Book & Movie Comparison” post, click here.

~For my “New Moon: Thoughts About the Book” post, click here.

~For my “Eclipse: Thoughts About the 3rd Twilight Book” post, click here.

~For my “Breaking Dawn: The Final Showdown of Twilight” post, click here.