8 Days
Only 8 Days until the Doctor Who Christmas Special “Voyage of the Damned” airs in the UK.
Hmm, wonder how a bloke in the US will be able to see it on Christmas day?
😉
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Only 8 Days until the Doctor Who Christmas Special “Voyage of the Damned” airs in the UK.
Hmm, wonder how a bloke in the US will be able to see it on Christmas day?
😉
Powered by ScribeFire.
J and I watched Orlando this past weekend – I had seen it years ago and she had never seen it and lately we’ve been on a bit of a Tilda Swinton kick. There was one moment, when Orlando is standing in front of the gates to a huge mansion and the rain starts pouring down when all of a sudden, I realized that the sound of the rain was all wrong, being too echo-y, like the sound of rain in a small alley or far more closed in space that had sound reflective walls.
Maybe it’s because my last show took place in a submerged ship and I got do know the “echo chamber” effect and settings in Adobe Audition pretty well, but the wrongness of the rain really struck me.
And speaking of Tilda Swinton – wouldn’t she make an awesome Doctor Who when we finally go with a female? Oh come on, you know we will eventually, despite the cognitive dissonance that will cause for the boy fans of the series. My votes are for either Tilda Swinton or Miranda Richardson.
Technorati Tags: tilda swinton, sound design, orlando, doctor who, miranda richardson
Who should watch: fans of Stephen Moffat’s work (Coupling, Doctor Who), those interested in watching some damn fine acting, and those with an interest in science fiction of the corporate conspiracy ilk.
What to expect: Six episodes of breathtaking acting on the part of James Nesbitt as he plays the duel characters of Jekyll & Hyde, a slightly silly plot that feels very X-files in it’s suggestion of a vast, corporate conspiracy, some questionable sexual politics that blur the whole sex/violence line in stereotypical ways, and some very strong writing (“I love children. Bite-sized people snacks” — Ok, so maybe that’s not the best evidence of Moffat’s abilities.)
Some thoughts: British TV is so much more a writer’s medium than television here. While certain American tv writers leave a strong impression of themselves on their series, Britain has given us Dennis Potter, Stephen Moffat, & Russell T. Davies. Watching Moffat’s work in Coupling, Doctor Who and, now, Jekyll, reveals themes and textures that resonate in all of them, despite the radically different stories that Moffat is telling. Ideas of parenthood, the anxiety of responsibility, and the strength, in the end, of love are repeatedly examined, dissected, and put together in new and sometimes startling ways.
He’s also damn funny.
Ultimately, however, the reason to watch this series is for James Nesbitt’s extraordinary performance. Hands down, his Hyde is one of the best psychopaths on screen.
Who should watch: Anyone nostalgic for the 70s, fans of action/cop shows, fans of John Simm’s performance as The Master in Doctor Who, and those who like shows that tread that “is this real or is this real” line. Oh, and fans of really creepy little girls emerging from a tv set to terrify the hero. And the three people who enjoy existential mysteries wrapped up in cop show clothes.
What to expect: Series one (8 episodes) is the stronger of the two, and showcases DCI Sam Tyler’s reality predicament as he wakes up in the 70s after being hit by a car. Playing on the differences between the technology, forensics, politics, and social attitudes of then versus now, the show paints the 70s as an alien, violent, sexist, and racist world where drinking and smoking are as ubiquitous as police corruption. But, how know, in a good way. The mysterious visions that Tyler experiences are connected to personal tragedy and the first series ends with a paradox that would make even Doctor Who fan’s down a bottle of Advil–possibly with a pint of lager.
The second series is a bit weaker, possibility because some of the jokes become somewhat stale and there is an inconsistency to the character growth of some of the characters. Personally, I also find the ending to be sophomoric. No spoiler’s here, so I won’t tell why exactly, but I think the series, for all it’s overt condemnation of the violent, torture-tactics of the cops, and of the sexist and racist viewpoints espoused by a number of the characters, actually ends on a reactionary note, forgiving people for their sins because, come on, they don’t really know any better and besides they’re the good guys fighting the tough fight.
Some thoughts: I watched the series primarily because I was so taken with John Simm’s performance in the final three episodes of this year’s Doctor Who series–why did they have to go and kill him dead in such a way as to actively preclude Simm reprising the role? He was so freakin’ good in that role, bringing an undercurrent of violence, madness and and overt humor to a role that has, in the past, been primarily one-note. Simm doesn’t disappoint and he plays DCI Tyler with a winning mix of earnestness, detached amusement, anger, fear, desperation and strength. In addition, Philip Glenister as Gene Hunt, Tyler’s boss and mentor in the ways of 70s police tactics (basically, beat people up until someone confesses), is a joy to watch, filling the screen with a bluster and hard-as-tacks swagger that is both off-putting and seductive. Unfortunately, much of the character development in the series happens within an episode and is then forgotten in the next. There is no real arc to follow for any of the characters, rather a series of loops that, while fun, don’t give the series the depth that could have been achieved.
But it is a fun show (at least until the end of the second series) and worth checking out, even if it occasionally goes for the easy solutions to an interesting set of writing and character problems.
Currently listening: Hold Me Now from the album “80’s British Gold (Disc 2)” by The Thompson Twins
Technorati Tags: life on mars, jekyll, stephen moffat, bbc, tv, tv reviews
Last night before going to see The Secret Life of Eskimos (which wasn’t half-bad as a theatrical production, but the script left a little, well actually quite a lot to be desired), I stopped by an actual, physical music store and bought those old, archaic things called “cds.” I refrained from buying vinyl. This time at least.
“North Star Deserter (Dig)” (Vic Chesnutt)
This is a dark, brooding album that alternates between gentle music and some nicely loud dissonance. I have heard of Chesnutt before, but haven’t listened to much of his work. I am certainly going to look into exploring his music further. I actually want to write more about this album, but having only listened to it a couple of times, I am far from ready to say anything intelligent on this densely written, beautifully crafted set of songs.
Recorded live in the studio, no overdubs or multi-tracks, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to own this cd. A lovely duet with Bette Midler, the epic gangster/film noir song “Potter’s Field,” and the tongue-in-cheek wordplay that somehow deftly mixes with melancholy on the album’s title track, are all high points of an incredible journey through the lives of people with no luck, no prospects and and no futures. Set against orchestral maneuvers that somehow mesh perfectly with Waits’ seedy bar style of presentation, and replete with the word play that only Waits can imagine, this is one of his more inaccessible, but consistently rich and rewarding albums.
Finally, a novelty(ish) cd:
“Dr. Who: Music From the Tenth Planet” (Ochre)
This cd is the soundtrack to the final William Hartnell Doctor Who story (and the first appearance of the Cybermen), and is short, clocking in at only 20 minutes. But the music is surprisingly listenable. There are some of those old episodes where the music is harsh, metallic, more sound effect that score. And while this isn’t going to be something I listen to on a regular basis, it’s a fun collectors item to have. (Picked it up for $8 and it’s being sold, used, on Amazon for $18.)
Technorati Tags: cds, doctor who, music, william hartnell, tom waits, vic chesnutt
I feel very uncomfortable in crowds, particularly political crowds. Somewhere in the back of my brain a warning starts flashing, something to do with sameness, mob mentality, the overwhelming loss of individuality. Heck, I don’t even like seeing Rocky Horror Picture Show live because having a group of people all performing the same actions, saying the same lines, dressed in varying shades of the same outfits would freak me out a bit.
Recently, after watching “Human Nature” and “Family of Blood” in the new series of Doctor Who, J asked if I was the Doctor or John Smith. I don’t know how to answer that question, but I keep feeling like I have been trying hard to be John Smith for most of my life, despite this niggling idea in the back of my brain that I am somehow cut out for some more, something out of the ordinary. But then again, don’t we all share that feeling, don’t we all, unless we’ve given up completely, think that we are special, unique, rock stars in our own right if only the world paid proper attention?
People I would like to be, simply because they embody so much of what I respect and/or what excites me intellectually and artistically:
Ok, so that list is both shorter than I thought and also completely tied in with issues of artistic abilities as well as physical attributes – I mean, lets be honest, if you are going to want to be someone else, the odds are that you will pick someone that you think is an attractive human being in addition to any other qualities they might have. Both of them have physical traits that I wish I possessed–David Bowie’s angularity and lean-ness and Wayne Coyne’s hair and style–but more importantly, I would like to be them because of their creative power, a power that is both deep but also wide ranging, each of them being able to work in a variety of mediums, and work them all equally well. Also, both men exhibit a centered strength that I am deeply impressed with as well as a sense of continued experimentation and a “just-do-it” attitude that I find both admirable and daunting.
The greatest limitations we encounter are generally the ones we impose upon ourselves. (I am talking metaphysically here, and want to acknowledge the real violence and control that social institutions can impose upon peoples minds and bodies.) Pathways carved into neurons, habits of mind and body, the inner voices that say “don’t” or “you can’t.” We carve out a way of living so young, so very young, and then are caught within the forms we have carved. Occasionally wondering what it would be like to walk another path, see another view.
There is no try, there is only do. Or something like that.
MoveOn sent me an email yesterday, perhaps you received it as well, regarding a political rally sponsored by the ACLU and others:
On June 26, 2007, join us in Washington, D.C. as we call on Congress to restore habeas corpus, fix the Military Commissions Act, and restore our constitutional rights. Rally with us outside the Capitol, then help deliver our urgent message in person to your Members of Congress. This is your chance to make your voice heard!
I am considering taking the day off and going. This is the schedule (my bus would leave at 5 am from Brooklyn):
7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Executive Branch Demonstration for those already in DC (exact location tbd) 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Lobby Training (close to Upper Senate Park) NOTE: Lobbying will be done in groups. All attendees are encouraged to participate! 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. RALLY at Upper Senate Park. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Storm the Hill: Lobby Meetings with Senators and Representatives 6:00 p.m. Buses depart Union station for cities around the nation.
This is normally something of which I would be intellectually in favor of, something that I would never think of going to because I don’t like political rallies and that’s just not who I am. Scratched out patterns on a piece of balsa wood, channels of though, habits of mind. We may think we want something different, something new, but then, when faced with a different view, we get vertigo and a touch of fear. So I stay between, sheltered by the limen, a step inside a step outside. Nothing on the line either way. Comfortable and safe, yet all the while knowing that I am cheating myself, that the liminal, while an excellent place to spend time as a writer and creator as it affords me the ability to look in multiple directions as well as letting me be both a little of and a little apart in order to better understand and represent the world through my music or my writing, is not the only space I can or should inhabit.
So, the question is, am I going to Washington DC next Tuesday?
Technorati Tags: aclu, habeus corpus, rally, flaming lips, david bowie, doctor who, self-knowledge
I’ve been watching the first season of Dead Like Me over the past 4-5 days and am really digging the writing and the performances. It reminds me a bit of Buffy, not because of the young woman as protagonist trying to work through life while being supernatural, but because the show creates a world for itself that is not ours, not quite, but near enough in all the important bits that when you watch it, you find yourself written into the dialogue, into the actions and the tears and the laughter, seeing yourself reflected in a gesture, a glance. While I may be stating the obvious, whether the show is Twin Peaks, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, or Doctor Who, the trick isn’t that they create fantastic worlds, but that our own world is fantastic, if only we stop and recognize it as such.
Dude, the new Macbook Pros are out and LtL is a happy camper. After switching over this past fall with a 17″ iMac, I have decided to sell that, my Thinkpad R31, the attempted reconstruction of the Thinkpad 560x as well as a few pints of blood plasma and just a fourteenth of my soul and get me a nice, new, shiny laptop. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy my iMac, but have grown tired of stwiching platforms when I go back and forth between the desktop for my main work and my Thinkpad for mobility. Also, my impetus to have a desktop stemmed a lot from the amount of academic writing that I was doing while a Ph.D. student, writing that I tended to do best at home surrounding by my books and journals that served as sources. Now that I’m doing less of the academic writing–although I am still doing some–I find that having the mobility is important. Plus, I want to start developing some Podcasts with a few people and want to have a portable recording studio. My Thinkpad can handle some of that, but is slow and I’m getting more and more used to working with programs that are specific to the Mac. MacMall offers a $150 rebate from the Apple price, so I’ll probably order from them, although I may stop in at the Apple store tomorrow and just see if I can wrangle some sort of deal. Regardless, I should get it by the start of next week. Sweet! Reading Proust’s Swann’s Way, I keep thinking that he was writing a hypertext novel, only he was bound within a form of linear narrative so that the hypertext doesn’t occur by drilling down or by actual links, but through the sentences themselves. Once you sort of let go and let each clause and sub-clause and sub-sub-clause work as links instead of straightforward narrative, the reading process goes much easier, you can sort of drift along, realizing that it’s ok if you’ve lost the link you started from because eventually all the links will rejoin sometime down the page–or, more likely, several pages later.
I’m thinking of finding a theme for Wednesdays that has something to do with Odin/Wotan/Woden. Not sure what aspect of his myth that I’ll focus on, but perhaps each Wednesday I’ll find something to connect his exploits or attributes with either my life or the world around me.
Check this stuff out (and if you want to buy if from Amazon, it would be fabulous if you link through my site!):
Technorati Tags: buffy, computers, dead like me, fantasy, iMac, mac, media, proust, science fiction, science fiction, tv, twin peaks
I’m going to try a new structure to the ol’ liminal blog and will be making entries Monday – Friday, with each day given to a different topic. Monday’s will be all about Music. Sometimes I’ll post new compositions, sometimes I may review what I’m currently listening to, and sometimes I may rant, foaming at the mouth, about the RIAA.
Today I have a new composition for you. This is a Garageband project, the working title is “Techno Owl” and I put it together yesterday after watching the latest Doctor Who. The track is mostly loops from Garageband itself, but the piano melodies were composed and played by me. I would love to get feedback!
I’m not sure what Tuesdays are going to be, but I am leaning toward “Topical Tuesdays” in the whole alliteration spirit of things.
Technorati Tags: garageband, home recording, iMac, music
I recently saw a blog post about making sure that the first thing you do in the morning is produce rather than consume. Now, my typical morning starts with me reaching for my phone and checking mail, or my rss feeds, or Facebook or Twitter . . . or, actually, all of those before even getting out of bed. **Last year I’d gotten into the habit of stretching and exercise first thing in the morning, but then lost the habit when I broke my ankle and never got it back. Yesterday, I switched things up a bit by making tea and sitting down to write my Kiva Han farewell before starting on anything else. Putting off the consumption of information felt quite good and making something, even if only a blog entry, definitely gave the morning a sense of accomplishment that reading email doesn’t offer. Today, because I’m waiting for and worried about an email to do with PodCastle, I did check my email very first thing, but then managed to put the phone down and start composing this entry.
It’s not a lot, this entry. It’s not like I’m getting up and writing a novel (not yet) every morning. But making sure that I get up and produce something, some set of words and thoughts in the morning can only be a good thing. I don’t know that I’ll always write something for the blog. Maybe I’ll get back to working on the half dozen or so stories that I have in various states of un-finish. Or maybe, I’ll work on a paragraph or two of a paper or write an abstract. Or finally get around to working on an essay for DoctorHer. Maybe I’ll take a picture and do some editing and post it. The trick isn’t to necessarily be writing creatively, although if I can get back into that habit, I’d like to. Rather, the trick is to simply make something that wasn’t there before and to step back from the constant craving to know what’s on the other side of the screen.
Small steps, but forward steps.
So, no, this isn’t another in a series of Ltl’s mental and emotional inventories. This is just a quick update that I fractured my distal fibula when I tripped and fell as I stepped off a curb and into a slight pothole. I spend the next three days hoping I’d just twisted it and it would get better, but the nature of the pain the the swelling finally brought me to see a doctor on yesterday. A quick x-ray and it was off to the Orthopedics department to be seen and fitted with a boot that I need to wear for the next 3 weeks (fortunately I can take it off to sleep and shower).
This has diverted much of my attention away from the first week of school, as well as being frustrating because I’d lost 5 lbs from the last time I was at the doctor’s and now I’m worried about gaining it all back since I’ll be doing considerably less exercise. But it could be much worse and I’ll just need to be more careful with my diet (which I should probably do anyway – not that I eat poorly, I just have problems with portion control).
So, that’s an update on the physical. Here, you want to see some pics? Click through. I’m not a big fan of pictures of feet so I’m not going to put them up on the main page. Continue reading “Broken – But in a Different Way” →
Amazing video images of the Moon in HD:
via Open Culture
I wish they would have Bill Nighy play The Doctor.
via Brainpickings
“In a monster mask you can play guitar . . .”
Love the Pomplamoose