Discussion:
What Did You Watch? 2017-09-10 (Sunday)
(too old to reply)
Obveeus
2017-09-11 11:56:35 UTC
Permalink
I watched:

TEEN WOLF: We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead. With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back. I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season? Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.

THE ORVILLE: The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification. I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show. Still, I will watch
again. Also, is the back end of the ship supposed to look like the
layers of a toilet seat?

JOE MANDE'S AWARD WINNING COMEDY SPECIAL: A 2017 stand up comedy
special featuring the male secretary from MODERN FAMILY. The guy
covered such topics as pooping his pants, his tiny penis, wanting to be
a cannibal, and repeatedly telling the audience that his humor is too
smart for them. I guess it was too smart for me as well, since I found
almost nothing he had to say to be funny.

IRMA: I watched various Hurricane IRMA coverage across all the TV
channels and every one of those channels had the common theme of
over-hyping the effects of the storm on Florida.

What did you watch?
Ian J. Ball
2017-09-11 13:24:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
TEEN WOLF: We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead. With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still
not the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor
the male character that the show needs to bring back. I'm guessing
that Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season? Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
THE ORVILLE: The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a
sci-fi plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the
stupid resolution which could have easily been much better with only a
tiny modification. I like that there were so many alien creatures on
this ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered
up. On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show. Still, I will watch
again. Also, is the back end of the ship supposed to look like the
layers of a toilet seat?
What did you watch?
I also, watched the above... and not much else...:

Violetta (recorded) - I'm trying to get to episode #1.40 (I think I'm
up about #1.37...) before retiring this one for a while (apparently,
that's how they run telenovelas anyway - if they have an 80-episode
season, they run 40 episodes (presumably with a "cliffhanger finale"),
then take a month off, then come back and air the "back-40" of the
season later...).
Anyway, in this one, Violetta's father finally pulls the plug on the
live-action cartoon financee, but she refuses to accept it or move
out!! Then he tries to make a play for Angie, Violetta's tutor/secret
aunt. Also, the kooky maid of the house hires the Argentinian "Ghost
Busters" (who are con men, 'natch!) and they run into the live-action
cartoon's brother dressed up as the ghost!
The EVOL!!1! blonde busts the boy for wanting her, and not her
sidekick Nati, so unfortunately Nati the sidekick is still the EVOL!!1!
blonde's sidekick (I was hoping this story would finally prompt Nati to
quit!!). The owner of the "restobar" is told by the kooky girl Cami
that the cafe is bankrupt and will need to close. And Angie and
Violetta are both hemming and hawwing about lying to the father.
I do like the subplot with the disturbed dancing teacher visiting
the psychologist, with every session ending with the disturbed teacher
coming up with the *opposite* interpretation of what the psychologist
was saying!

NFL football - None of the games really worked out for me in Week #1,
but I wasn't really paying attention anyway, and am not very engaged
with football these days.... >:\

Zoo (recorded) - "Cradles and Graves" (ep. #3.11). After an asinine
technobabble "McGuffin" that magically cured all the crew of their gun
shot wounds (which just reinforced what a *bad* ending the ending to
the previous episode was....), this episode actually picked up and
wasn't so bad. While the crew is trapped on their plane by the killer
"hybrid spores" and trying to figure a way out of this mess, the rest
throw Jamie in the brig because they all think she's nuts and don't
trust her. Meanwhile, a now-full term Clem is just about to "pop"...
I was sorry to see the character they killed off killed off here.
Meanwhile, they once again produce Hilary Jardine as Tessa.
Just two more episodes of this one to go...

Teen Wolf (MTV) - Covered by Obv. The one virtue of this episode is
that the three remaining principals were front-and-center and were
actually in the episode a lot (esp. Lydia - yum!)...

The Orville (FOX) - I also watched this (time-shifted), and thought it
wasn't bad. They're actually playing this much more "straight" than I
would have expected - it's actually mostly Skiffy, with humor on this
side, rather than the other way 'round like I was expecting. Though I
did LOL when MacFarlane's Capt. Ed Mercer stepped on the gelatinous
crewmember voiced by Norm Macdonald... I was surprised to see Penny
Johnson Jerald (let alone Halston Sage) in the cast of this.

Recorded for later: We're in the back-end of summer doldrums, so just
"The Last Ship".
--
"Three light sabers? Is that overkill? Or just the right amount
of "kill"?" - M-OC, "A Perilous Rescue" (ep. #2.9), LSW:TFA (08-10-2017)
A Friend
2017-09-11 15:23:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
THE ORVILLE: The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification. I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show. Still, I will watch
again. Also, is the back end of the ship supposed to look like the
layers of a toilet seat?
Maybe that was the joke. Me, I thought it looked like someone laughing
out loud.
Connor
2017-09-11 17:59:26 UTC
Permalink
We watched Endeavour.

We missed why Thursday raided Endevour's apartment. Did he know that Endeavour saw Joan and was looking for info on her?
Neill Massello
2017-09-11 19:08:23 UTC
Permalink
Post by Connor
We missed why Thursday raided Endevour's apartment. Did he know that
Endeavour saw Joan and was looking for info on her?
Endeavour's flat was burglarized by persons unknown for reasons unknown,
although it might have been related to the power plant cover-up.
Thursday only saw the photo because some of Endeavour's possessions had
ended up at the police station after they were dusted for fingerprints.
Arthur Lipscomb
2017-09-12 06:15:51 UTC
Permalink
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
What did you watch?
Halt and Catch Fire - "Tonya and Nancy" - Already covered.


Con Man - I binged through the rest of the episodes which aired on SyFy.
It was occasionally funny.


Ray Donovan - "Shabbos Goy" - I didn't give it my full attention.


Demon Seed (TCM) - Julie Christie stars as a woman held hostage by an
advanced computer determined to impregnate her. I remember watching
this every now and then on TV as a kid, but this was the first time I
saw it in its' proper aspect ratio, which was the main reason I sat
through it again.


Insidious: Chapter 3 (Netflix rental) - Prequel to the first two movies
showing how the ghost busting team met while helping to fight off a
demon haunting a teenage girl. It was mostly background noise.


Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (theatrical) - Kirk Tasks Khan in one of
the best Star Trek movies ever. This was my first time seeing it on the
big screen. As great as it is on TV it's even better on the big screen.
And of course Horner's awesome score was almost worth the price of
admission alone. Trek at its' finest! :-)
anim8rfsk
2017-09-12 07:41:09 UTC
Permalink
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
Are any of these people Jill Wagner?
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
I just didn't care, as opposed to STD, which I'm going out of my way not
to see.
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
What did you watch?
Halt and Catch Fire - "Tonya and Nancy" - Already covered.
Con Man - I binged through the rest of the episodes which aired on SyFy.
It was occasionally funny.
Ray Donovan - "Shabbos Goy" - I didn't give it my full attention.
Demon Seed (TCM) - Julie Christie stars as a woman held hostage by an
advanced computer determined to impregnate her. I remember watching
this every now and then on TV as a kid, but this was the first time I
saw it in its' proper aspect ratio, which was the main reason I sat
through it again.
I saw it in the theatre. It's startling how wide screen the image is,
isn't it?
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
Insidious: Chapter 3 (Netflix rental) - Prequel to the first two movies
showing how the ghost busting team met while helping to fight off a
demon haunting a teenage girl. It was mostly background noise.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (theatrical) - Kirk Tasks Khan in one of
the best Star Trek movies ever. This was my first time seeing it on the
big screen. As great as it is on TV it's even better on the big screen.
And of course Horner's awesome score was almost worth the price of
admission alone. Trek at its' finest! :-)
Cool. When first aired theatrically, it didn't carry the II
designation. That was added as they struck new prints during the run.
:)

Did you notice Judson Scott isn't credited at all?
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
A Friend
2017-09-12 11:32:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
Are any of these people Jill Wagner?
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
I just didn't care, as opposed to STD, which I'm going out of my way not
to see.
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
What did you watch?
Halt and Catch Fire - "Tonya and Nancy" - Already covered.
Con Man - I binged through the rest of the episodes which aired on SyFy.
It was occasionally funny.
Ray Donovan - "Shabbos Goy" - I didn't give it my full attention.
Demon Seed (TCM) - Julie Christie stars as a woman held hostage by an
advanced computer determined to impregnate her. I remember watching
this every now and then on TV as a kid, but this was the first time I
saw it in its' proper aspect ratio, which was the main reason I sat
through it again.
I saw it in the theatre. It's startling how wide screen the image is,
isn't it?
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
Insidious: Chapter 3 (Netflix rental) - Prequel to the first two movies
showing how the ghost busting team met while helping to fight off a
demon haunting a teenage girl. It was mostly background noise.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (theatrical) - Kirk Tasks Khan in one of
the best Star Trek movies ever. This was my first time seeing it on the
big screen. As great as it is on TV it's even better on the big screen.
And of course Horner's awesome score was almost worth the price of
admission alone. Trek at its' finest! :-)
Cool. When first aired theatrically, it didn't carry the II
designation. That was added as they struck new prints during the run.
:)
Did you notice Judson Scott isn't credited at all?
Scott is the only Trek actor I've ever heard of who was sued by a group
of fans. He'd been paid in advance to show up at their convention, and
then he didn't bother showing up. I believe they settled. This was
back around '86.
BTR1701
2017-09-12 14:27:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by A Friend
Post by anim8rfsk
Did you notice Judson Scott isn't credited at all?
Scott is the only Trek actor I've ever heard of who was sued by a group
of fans. He'd been paid in advance to show up at their convention, and
then he didn't bother showing up. I believe they settled. This was
back around '86.
Did the fans pay him themselves? If not-- if he was paid by the
convention, like most guests-- I have no idea how the fans would have
had standing to sue him.
A Friend
2017-09-12 15:24:45 UTC
Permalink
Post by BTR1701
Post by A Friend
Post by anim8rfsk
Did you notice Judson Scott isn't credited at all?
Scott is the only Trek actor I've ever heard of who was sued by a group
of fans. He'd been paid in advance to show up at their convention, and
then he didn't bother showing up. I believe they settled. This was
back around '86.
Did the fans pay him themselves? If not-- if he was paid by the
convention, like most guests-- I have no idea how the fans would have
had standing to sue him.
It was a fan-run convention ("group of fans" "their convention"), as
opposed to a convention run by professionals (e.g. Creation
Entertainment). I'd agree that mere attendees wouldn't have had
standing to sue him.
Obveeus
2017-09-12 13:07:47 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
Are any of these people Jill Wagner?
Nope...no cats at all in this episode.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
I just didn't care, as opposed to STD, which I'm going out of my way not
to see.
I expect the first episode of STD to be widely watched when aired on
CBS. After that, I expect the series to be one of the most pirated
series of the year.
anim8rfsk
2017-09-12 14:53:40 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
Are any of these people Jill Wagner?
Nope...no cats at all in this episode.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
I just didn't care, as opposed to STD, which I'm going out of my way not
to see.
I expect the first episode of STD to be widely watched when aired on
CBS. After that, I expect the series to be one of the most pirated
series of the year.
They seem to be going out of their way to make it easy for me to avoid.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Arthur Lipscomb
2017-09-12 17:16:01 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
Are any of these people Jill Wagner?
Nope...no cats at all in this episode.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
I just didn't care, as opposed to STD, which I'm going out of my way not
to see.
I expect the first episode of STD to be widely watched when aired on
CBS.  After that, I expect the series to be one of the most pirated
series of the year.
I was just checking the other night about how to actually get All
Access. It's not available through Comcast nor is it available through
my smart TV. Yeah, if people can't actually watch it without needing a
computer anyway, I suspect some pirating is going to occur.
anim8rfsk
2017-09-12 17:46:58 UTC
Permalink
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
Post by Obveeus
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
TEEN WOLF:  We find out that a whole slew of characters got shot last
week, not just one...but hey, they aren't dead.  With only a few
episodes left the show brings back 4 past male characters, but still not
the two female characters that would be logical to bring back nor the
male character that the show needs to bring back.  I'm guessing that
Scott's former girlfriend, Kira, won't be back since he has a new
girlfriend now and it would be awkward...but still, why bring back the
pair from Europe that were sort of bad guys and who add nothing to the
story except a really dippy feel of a spinoff series that would get
cancelled after one season?  Meanwhile, that teacher sure is
evil...and
the main evil character didn't even appear in this episode.
Are any of these people Jill Wagner?
Nope...no cats at all in this episode.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Arthur Lipscomb
THE ORVILLE:  The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a
sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification.  I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show.  Still, I will watch
again.
I more or less liked it. It wasn't funny but it was still entertaining
enough to watch again.
I just didn't care, as opposed to STD, which I'm going out of my way not
to see.
I expect the first episode of STD to be widely watched when aired on
CBS.  After that, I expect the series to be one of the most pirated
series of the year.
I was just checking the other night about how to actually get All
Access. It's not available through Comcast nor is it available through
my smart TV. Yeah, if people can't actually watch it without needing a
computer anyway, I suspect some pirating is going to occur.
Oh, that's funny. No Accass for you!

I have a friend that signed up for it a year ago when STD was first
supposed to be infecting us. He kept it while waiting so he can watch
NCIS reruns. I haven't the heart to tell him about USA.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
b***@gmail.com
2017-09-12 11:57:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
THE ORVILLE: The pilot episode of this sci-fi sitcom which had a sci-fi
plot every bit as good as a STAR TREK episode right up until the stupid
resolution which could have easily been much better with only a tiny
modification. I like that there were so many alien creatures on this
ship...way better than what every version of STAR TREK has offered up.
On the down side, much of the humor was lame, especially the stuff
surrounding the ex-married aspect of the show. Still, I will watch
again. Also, is the back end of the ship supposed to look like the
layers of a toilet seat?
Great question. Send 'em an email.
Jim G.
2017-09-12 17:07:12 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
What did you watch?
THE ORVILLE / Old Wounds / 1x01

[It's 2417, and the Planetary Union promotes Ed Mercer to Captain of the
exploratory vessel The U.S.S. Orville. Ed's enthusiasm for his new
position is dampened when his ex-wife, Kelly Grayson, is assigned to be
his First Officer. While on their first routine mission, the Orville
crew is ambushed by the Krill, a vicious alien race, who are bent on
stealing a device that can cause time to accelerate.]

"Nobody knows what Arbor Day is."

MacFarlane dialed back the juvenile humor to a near-perfect level and
the show's fondness for vintage Trek was evident throughout. I was
pleasantly surprised and will be back for more.

Grade: B-

THE LAST SHIP / Allegiance / 4x05

[Nathan James is diverted from their mission when they receive a
suspicious distress call from a fishing trawler.]

"Congratulations, Captain. Welcome back."

The Nathan James now has three captains, which is obviously two too
many. I suspect that one of them may soon attempt to get lost in some
wacky weed so that he can visit with his dead family again. Which would
leave two, of which only one is a manly man. Still, I'm sorta partial to
Meylan these days when the writers aren't making him a dick. Which means
that I like him about half the time. Meanwhile, we've lost our special
relationship with the Brits, who have now tasked Fletcher with
liberating the infamous seeds for queen and country even as someone who
watched too much ORPHAN BLACK is willing to use violence to recover
those same seeds.

Grade: B

THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09

[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group’s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make‐or‐break final assault on the Master.]

"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."

Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.

Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
anim8rfsk
2017-09-12 18:24:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group’s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell? Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared. The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?

http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg

http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg

Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.

So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.

Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.

So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?

I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Dimensional Traveler
2017-09-12 19:10:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group’s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell? Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared. The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
That would probably be too much of a strain for him.
--
Inquiring minds want to know while minds with a self-preservation
instinct are running screaming.
anim8rfsk
2017-09-12 19:50:18 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dimensional Traveler
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group’s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell? Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared. The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
That would probably be too much of a strain for him.
I CAN'T STAND THE STRAIN!!!!!!1!!!!1!!
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Jim G.
2017-09-12 21:17:23 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group’s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell?
Well, they got the nuke to where they needed it, but they did it
off-camera for the most part for some reason. Come to think of it, how
*did* they do that, given that the bridges are all out? Am I spacing out
on a scene where they took a boat ride again?
Post by anim8rfsk
Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared.
She was just an example of how big of a weasel *he* is. And his death
was wonderful. Zack deserves something similar, but slower and with more
pain.
Post by anim8rfsk
The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
The Master is a big fan of those HGTV home improvement shows. He just
added an extension.
Post by anim8rfsk
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
This sounds a lot like your "Just shoot him!" advice. Has anyone ever
told you that you have a violent streak? :)
Post by anim8rfsk
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
anim8rfsk
2017-09-12 21:52:35 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell?
Well, they got the nuke to where they needed it, but they did it
off-camera for the most part for some reason. Come to think of it, how
*did* they do that, given that the bridges are all out? Am I spacing out
on a scene where they took a boat ride again?
We saw them clobber a guy near a boat, then we saw them on the island,
all at night. I actually had to go back and check to see that what they
were showing us was the transportation of the bimb.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared.
She was just an example of how big of a weasel *he* is. And his death
was wonderful. Zack deserves something similar, but slower and with more
pain.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
The Master is a big fan of those HGTV home improvement shows. He just
added an extension.
Yeah. With a fake skylight. 'cause, pretty.

As much as I love the Empire State Building, what a remarkably stupid
place for a lair. You'd spend forever trapped in the elevator just
coming and going.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
This sounds a lot like your "Just shoot him!" advice. Has anyone ever
told you that you have a violent streak? :)
Not and lived to talk about it.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Yes. I just love the idea of him with a nuke strapped on.

Here we go. I knew I had a vague memory of this image!

Loading Image...
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Jim G.
2017-09-13 03:16:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the group⤁s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell?
Well, they got the nuke to where they needed it, but they did it
off-camera for the most part for some reason. Come to think of it, how
*did* they do that, given that the bridges are all out? Am I spacing out
on a scene where they took a boat ride again?
We saw them clobber a guy near a boat, then we saw them on the island,
all at night. I actually had to go back and check to see that what they
were showing us was the transportation of the bimb.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared.
She was just an example of how big of a weasel *he* is. And his death
was wonderful. Zack deserves something similar, but slower and with more
pain.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Were you yelling "Just shoot him!" when Eph had his gun to Zack's head.
I was.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
The Master is a big fan of those HGTV home improvement shows. He just
added an extension.
Yeah. With a fake skylight. 'cause, pretty.
As much as I love the Empire State Building, what a remarkably stupid
place for a lair. You'd spend forever trapped in the elevator just
coming and going.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
This sounds a lot like your "Just shoot him!" advice. Has anyone ever
told you that you have a violent streak? :)
Not and lived to talk about it.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Yes. I just love the idea of him with a nuke strapped on.
Here we go. I knew I had a vague memory of this image!
https://dorkforty.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/kirby-thingbomb-1.jpg
He might have a center of gravity issue there...
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
anim8rfsk
2017-09-13 03:22:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the groupâ??s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell?
Well, they got the nuke to where they needed it, but they did it
off-camera for the most part for some reason. Come to think of it, how
*did* they do that, given that the bridges are all out? Am I spacing out
on a scene where they took a boat ride again?
We saw them clobber a guy near a boat, then we saw them on the island,
all at night. I actually had to go back and check to see that what they
were showing us was the transportation of the bimb.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
You could let me pet your dog. Does your dog bite?
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared.
She was just an example of how big of a weasel *he* is. And his death
was wonderful. Zack deserves something similar, but slower and with more
pain.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Were you yelling "Just shoot him!" when Eph had his gun to Zack's head.
I was.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
The Master is a big fan of those HGTV home improvement shows. He just
added an extension.
Yeah. With a fake skylight. 'cause, pretty.
As much as I love the Empire State Building, what a remarkably stupid
place for a lair. You'd spend forever trapped in the elevator just
coming and going.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
This sounds a lot like your "Just shoot him!" advice. Has anyone ever
told you that you have a violent streak? :)
Not and lived to talk about it.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Yes. I just love the idea of him with a nuke strapped on.
Here we go. I knew I had a vague memory of this image!
https://dorkforty.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/kirby-thingbomb-1.jpg
He might have a center of gravity issue there...
Not to mention the lack of any surface that could possibly support him.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
The Horny Goat
2017-09-19 04:04:04 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
You could let me pet your dog. Does your dog bite?
And is it your dog m'sieur??
Jim G.
2017-09-19 19:29:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the groupâ??s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell?
Well, they got the nuke to where they needed it, but they did it
off-camera for the most part for some reason. Come to think of it, how
*did* they do that, given that the bridges are all out? Am I spacing out
on a scene where they took a boat ride again?
We saw them clobber a guy near a boat, then we saw them on the island,
all at night. I actually had to go back and check to see that what they
were showing us was the transportation of the bimb.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
You could let me pet your dog. Does your dog bite?
Of course not. My dog is as gentle as a lamb.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared.
She was just an example of how big of a weasel *he* is. And his death
was wonderful. Zack deserves something similar, but slower and with more
pain.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Were you yelling "Just shoot him!" when Eph had his gun to Zack's head.
I was.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Heh.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
The Master is a big fan of those HGTV home improvement shows. He just
added an extension.
Yeah. With a fake skylight. 'cause, pretty.
As much as I love the Empire State Building, what a remarkably stupid
place for a lair. You'd spend forever trapped in the elevator just
coming and going.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
This sounds a lot like your "Just shoot him!" advice. Has anyone ever
told you that you have a violent streak? :)
Not and lived to talk about it.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Yes. I just love the idea of him with a nuke strapped on.
Here we go. I knew I had a vague memory of this image!
https://dorkforty.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/kirby-thingbomb-1.jpg
He might have a center of gravity issue there...
Not to mention the lack of any surface that could possibly support him.
But other than that, he's good to go!
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
anim8rfsk
2017-09-19 19:48:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
THE STRAIN / The Traitor / 4x09
[An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing our
heroes, threatening the groupâ??s trust. With questionable new intel in
hand, they launch a make-or-break final assault on the Master.]
"Yeah, I know it sounds cold, but at least they're making a positive
contribution."
Zack is deeply offended that his dad has trust issues. I'm telling you,
you set off one little nuke in NYC and suck up to Vampire Hitler for
nine months and you're branded for life. It's just not fair. Desai is no
better than Zack, opting to throw his own wife under the bus in order to
save his own life. But The Master sees through it and Desai won't be
joining us for the series finale next week. He has a headache, you see.
Things end with the nuke all ready to go BOOM! if our heroes can find
The Master. But Quinlan -- still an awesome badass, of course -- is
surrounded by munchers in The Master's otherwise empty nest at the top
of the Empire State Building while the rest of the gang is facing a wave
of munchers of their own just outside. Sadly, Zack is still alive somewhere.
Grade: B- (the minus is for Zack still being alive)
So for their second to last episode before the penultimate finale, they
just ... mark fucking time. What the Hell?
Well, they got the nuke to where they needed it, but they did it
off-camera for the most part for some reason. Come to think of it, how
*did* they do that, given that the bridges are all out? Am I spacing out
on a scene where they took a boat ride again?
We saw them clobber a guy near a boat, then we saw them on the island,
all at night. I actually had to go back and check to see that what they
were showing us was the transportation of the bimb.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
You could let me pet your dog. Does your dog bite?
Of course not. My dog is as gentle as a lamb.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Other than kill Desai,
nothing else here mattered. Mrs. Desai's death meant *so* much to us
because of the way they built up her character so we cared.
She was just an example of how big of a weasel *he* is. And his death
was wonderful. Zack deserves something similar, but slower and with more
pain.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Were you yelling "Just shoot him!" when Eph had his gun to Zack's head.
I was.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Heh.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
The Master
is on the 102nd story of the Empire State building!?!?!? No, no, no,
no, NO he's not. I don't know where the Hell he is, with that big
skylight, but it ain't there. You want to see what the 102nd story
looks like?
http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/empire-state-building
-
zeppelin-dock.jpg
http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KingKong_169Pyxurz
.
jpg
Except now it has an extra 200' of giant transmitter tower on top of
that.
The Master is a big fan of those HGTV home improvement shows. He just
added an extension.
Yeah. With a fake skylight. 'cause, pretty.
As much as I love the Empire State Building, what a remarkably stupid
place for a lair. You'd spend forever trapped in the elevator just
coming and going.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So they're setting the atomic bomb to low yield "just enough to take out
the Empire State Building" and setting it off at ground level. They
need to *vaporize* the Master so they better set it for at least a 1250
foot radius, which they seem to think isn't going to extend north south
east and west as well.
Set-the-goddamn-bomb-to-maximum-and-push-the-goddamn-button.
This sounds a lot like your "Just shoot him!" advice. Has anyone ever
told you that you have a violent streak? :)
Not and lived to talk about it.
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
So the Master *knows* they have an atomic bomb and goes to where he
thinks they have the atomic bomb. personally??!? Um, if you're sitting
on an atomic bomb, and the Master is pounding on the door, why the Hell
wouldn't you PUSH THE GODDAMN BUTTON!?!?!?
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Yes. I just love the idea of him with a nuke strapped on.
Here we go. I knew I had a vague memory of this image!
https://dorkforty.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/kirby-thingbomb-1.jpg
He might have a center of gravity issue there...
Not to mention the lack of any surface that could possibly support him.
But other than that, he's good to go!
"Surface" makes me long for Lake Bell. Now there's a surface that could
possibly support him.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Jim G.
2017-09-19 20:14:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
You could let me pet your dog. Does your dog bite?
Of course not. My dog is as gentle as a lamb.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Were you yelling "Just shoot him!" when Eph had his gun to Zack's head.
I was.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Heh.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
He might have a center of gravity issue there...
Not to mention the lack of any surface that could possibly support him.
But other than that, he's good to go!
"Surface" makes me long for Lake Bell. Now there's a surface that could
possibly support him.
That could lead to some tension.
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
anim8rfsk
2017-09-19 23:44:04 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Ah, thanks. And what do I owe you for the Clouseau impersonation?
You could let me pet your dog. Does your dog bite?
Of course not. My dog is as gentle as a lamb.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
Were you yelling "Just shoot him!" when Eph had his gun to Zack's head.
I was.
Say hello to your mother, kid.
Heh.
Post by anim8rfsk
Post by Jim G.
He might have a center of gravity issue there...
Not to mention the lack of any surface that could possibly support him.
But other than that, he's good to go!
"Surface" makes me long for Lake Bell. Now there's a surface that could
possibly support him.
That could lead to some tension.
And before that, some pretension.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
The Horny Goat
2017-09-19 04:03:16 UTC
Permalink
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
Jim G.
2017-09-19 20:07:30 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
Post by anim8rfsk
I wonder what the thing weighs. It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on with
that approach.
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
--
Jim G. | A fan of good reading, good writing, and fellow bookworms
http://www.goodreads.com/jimgysin/
http://www.librarything.com/home/jimgysin
Obveeus
2017-09-19 20:11:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on with
that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
anim8rfsk
2017-09-19 23:43:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on with
that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
Yes. And glorioski nekkid Dina Meyer.
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Dimensional Traveler
2017-09-20 04:41:10 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on
with that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
The camp gets turned beyond 11 in the sequels.
--
Inquiring minds want to know while minds with a self-preservation
instinct are running screaming.
Obveeus
2017-09-20 12:35:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dimensional Traveler
Post by Obveeus
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on
with that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
The camp gets turned beyond 11 in the sequels.
Yes. Similar to TREMORS, the sequels go way off the rails.
Jim G.
2017-09-20 16:26:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on with
that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
Wouldn't be my first bad decision. Not by a long shot. But I took
another look at the trailer on IMDb and I'm not feeling any motivation
to correct this apparent oversight.
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
anim8rfsk
2017-09-20 19:29:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by Obveeus
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on with
that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
Wouldn't be my first bad decision. Not by a long shot. But I took
another look at the trailer on IMDb and I'm not feeling any motivation
to correct this apparent oversight.
Naked

Wet

Dina

Meyer
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Jim G.
2017-09-20 23:10:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
Post by Obveeus
Post by Jim G.
Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:17:23 -0500, "Jim G."
Post by Jim G.
I wonder what the thing weighs.  It would be cool if Quinlan just
strapped it to his back and went hunting.
If anyone could do it, that cool badass could. And I'd love to see it.
Sounds like you two have been watching too much Starship Troopers
(there's 2 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back - though Denise
Richards in a tight grey uniform is not hard to watch!)
I've managed to avoid ST for my entire life and plan to continue on with
that approach.
Bad move...fun film.
Wouldn't be my first bad decision. Not by a long shot. But I took
another look at the trailer on IMDb and I'm not feeling any motivation
to correct this apparent oversight.
Naked
Wet
Dina
Meyer
That's what the internet is for.
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
Neill Massello
2017-09-12 21:06:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim G.
MacFarlane dialed back the juvenile humor
. . . with the result that there was no humor at all. The Orville is
like one of those weak SNL sketches that goes on way, way too long. The
window washer bit, for example.
Jim G.
2017-09-13 03:15:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by Neill Massello
Post by Jim G.
MacFarlane dialed back the juvenile humor
. . . with the result that there was no humor at all. The Orville is
like one of those weak SNL sketches that goes on way, way too long. The
window washer bit, for example.
Maybe it's just that I've seen 18 hours of new David Lynch in recent
weeks, but that window washer scene didn't seem overlong to me at all.
--
Jim G. | A fan of the good and the bad, but not the mediocre
"I intend to save her beautiful, stubborn ass. And if you keep being
weird about this, I intend to poke you in the lung hole." -- D'avin
Jaqobis, KILLJOYS
Ubiquitous
2017-09-29 03:47:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by Obveeus
What did you watch?
While awaiting Irma's arrival on Sunday, I watched:

TCM UNDERGROUND:
"Belladonna of Sadness". A peasant woman makes a pact with the devil after
she's banished from her village in order to gain magical powers and get
revenge on those who wronged her.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
"From Astroboy to Belladonna" teased the poster for Belladonna of
Sadness, the allegorical and sexually daring animated 1973 feature
from Japanese filmmaker Eiichi Yamamoto and producer Osamu Tezuka.
That is indeed quite a leap. Tezuka was one of Japan's most popular
manga creators when he formed the independent animation studio Mushi
Productions and Yamamoto was one of the maverick artists who joined
the renegade studio. Through Mushi, Tezuka transformed his two most
beloved manga series into the hugely popular animated TV shows
Astroboy and Kimba the White Lion (the first Japanese anime to be
syndicated widely in the U.S.) and Yamamoto was one of Tezuka's most
important collaborators on both the TV shows and on his more
experimental projects.

Inspired by George Dunning's fanciful and surreal Yellow Submarine
(1968), which impressed the filmmaker when it played in Tokyo,
Tezuka and Yamamoto teamed up to make One Thousand and One Nights
(1969), an ambitious animated feature with adult content for mature
audiences, and Cleopatra (1970, renamed Cleopatra: Queen of Sex for
the U.S. release). Belladonna of Sadness was the third and final
film in what has been called their Animerama trilogy. Based on an
episode in the 19th century French novel La Sorcire, a sympathetic
history of witchcraft in the middle ages written by Jules Michelet,
their story dramatized the ordeal of a beautiful young peasant woman
who is raped by the town's feudal Baron, accused of witchcraft, and
finally approached by the Devil himself. As production began,
however, Tezuka left the studio he had created and Yamamoto took
over, effectively producing as well as directing.

Yamamoto brought in Yoshiyuki Fukuda to co-write the script--"It's
porn," he told Fukuda, "but make it a pure love story"--and manga
artist and illustrator Kuni Fukai as the film's art director. Fukai
remembers Yamamoto describing his idea for the production: "It's not
animation, but I want to make something unique with no movement, and
I want you to join." The result is an animated feature with little
traditional animation. The camera tracks over Fukai's elaborate,
abstract paintings like a classic Japanese scroll painting, with
minimal animation of individual figures and brief animated sequences
between the canvases. "Yamamoto had this vision of using white at
the base," recalled Fukai. "When I heard that, I pictured Japanese
painting. I thought of using watercolor to match Yamamoto's vision."

For the music, Yamamoto approached composer Masahiko Sato, a young
musician who studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music and was an
early proponent of the synthesizer in the early 1970s. Sato combines
jazz and rock with classical themes and suggestions of medieval
ballads for a score played on harpsicord, Hammond organ, Rhodes
piano and synthesizer, which was utilized to create the eerie,
multi-layered soundscape of the plague scenes. Sato's wife Chinatsu
Nakayama, a singer and actress who voiced the lead in Cleopatra,
narrates Belladonna and wrote the lyrics to and sings the film's
theme song.

Part subversive folk tale, part rock ballad musical, and part
impressionistic art film, Belladonna of Sadness is at once a
feminist critique of the oppression of women and the poor by the
rich and powerful and an exploration of female sexuality in a
medieval culture where such expression is considered sinful at best
and the work of the devil at worst. The artwork, a mix of sketchy
drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings, is filled with phallic,
fertility, and menstrual imagery, and the mix of abstract and pop
art evokes Peter Max, art nouveau, Guido Crepax, Sesame Street
animations, and psychedelic posters. Belladonna of Sadness has more
in common with the animated science fiction cult film Fantastic
Planet (France, 1973), the early features of American animation
rebel Ralph Bakshi, and the live-action Czech new wave masterpiece
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) than the manga serials and
sexually explicit anime horrors that come to mind in the
intersection of Japanese animation and erotica.

It was well received at the Berlin Film Festival but a financial
failure when it was released in Japan in 1973. Mushi was on the
verge of bankruptcy with the exit of its founder and the film's
distributor confused audiences by opening it in mainstream theaters
with the tagline "From Astroboy to Belladonna," which did not
prepare audiences for the erotic content, the psychedelic imagery,
or the brutality of the story. Eight minutes of the most explicit
imagery was edited out of the negative for a 1979 rerelease in Japan
and those sequences were lost for decades until independent American
film distributor Cinelicious Pics teamed up with SpectreVision to
restore the film from the original 35mm negative in 2015. The
missing footage was restored from a 35mm release print preserved by
the Cinematek film archive in Belgium. Over 40 years after its world
premiere, Belladonna of Sadness received its long-delayed American
debut to largely glowing reviews. Writing for The New York Times,
film critic Glenn Kenny described the film as "undoubtedly a
landmark of animated film, and arguably a masterpiece. But it's a
very disquieting one."

TCM UNDERGROUND:
"Fantastic Planet". A french cartoon about blue giants keeping humans as pets.

René Laloux came relatively late to filmmaking. In fact, though he studied
painting and worked in advertising for a time, his first animation efforts
were part of a project with patients at a psychiatric institution. One of
those short films won an award at an animation festival, where he met Roland
Topor, an author, graphic artist, and political cartoonist who co-founded the
Panic Movement with filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky and Fernando Arrabal.

They hit it off. Topor leaned toward the satirical and the surreal and Laloux
toward the allegorical and the fable-like, but they both embraced political
and social commentary. The cross-pollination of these sensibilities flowered
in two animated short films, Les Temps morts (1964) and Les Escargots (1965),
and they decided to embark on an animated feature.

They chose Oms en serie, a 1957 science fiction novel by Stefan Wul (pen
name of Pierre Pairault) about a race of highly advanced giants called the
Draags that bring humans to their home planet and turn them into pets, as
their source. Topor designed the look of the film and co-wrote the screenplay
with director Laloux. Their film, which had the working title Sur la planète
Ygam (On the Planet Ygam) but became La planète sauvage and was released
under the name Fantastic Planet in the U.S. This was the height of the French
nouvelle vague and new ideas were the currency of the filmmaking culture, but
they faced a more immediate challenge. A serious, adult-minded animated
science fiction feature with fantastical imagery and mature themes was a
difficult enough undertaking but France had no animation industry to support
their project. Laloux looked to Czechoslovakia, with a vibrant animation
industry supported by the government, to realize his ambitious feature and he
secured the respected Jirí Trnka Studio to animate his film.

Fantastic Planet took six years to produce. The production shut down briefly
to secure additional funds and was halted when the Soviets invaded
Czechoslovakia and put all artistic projects under scrutiny to "allegorical
content." Fantastic Planet is nothing if not allegorical--the oppressed Oms
(a pun in French; "oms" is a homonym for "hommes," the French word for men)
live in a world ruled by blue-skinned Draags, an advanced but oppressive race
that treats the diminutive Oms as pets at best and vermin at worst--but
eventually (and amazingly) was allowed to resume, in part because it was a
French production bringing in money from outside the country.

Rather than traditional cel animation, where images are drawn on transparent
celluloid sheets and photographed one after another against a painted
background, the filmmakers turned to stop-motion process with cut-out figures
drawn on paper and manipulated against flat backgrounds, with soft colors on
paper rather than ink and paint on cels, and pen-and-ink cross-hatching to
give the figures a suggestion of depth and contour, like a book illustration
in motion. It gives the film an alien beauty that decades later is still
unique in animated cinema. It's oddly static but the weird, lush landscapes,
pastel color palette, and bizarre imagery create a fantastical world of both
wonder and terror, which Laloux presents from an eerie remove.

As much fantasy as science fiction, this strange, metaphorical portrait
plays out in a world as psychedelic as Yellow Submarine (1968) but far more
predatory. Laloux creates a culture where intellect is disconnected from
morality and sensual decadence rules. And if the mix of "David and Goliath"
and civil rights appears simplistic, it's not a stretch to see the fight
against oppression reflected in the civil rights struggle in America, the
French in Algeria, Apartheid in South Africa, and (when injustice takes a
turn to wholesale annihilation of the "inferior" race) the Holocaust itself.
The theme of resistance and rebellion against an oppressive power surely
inspired the animators in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia, who at one point
were on the verge of rebelling against Laloux and taking charge of the
production themselves.

Fantastic Planet premiered at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, a rare animated
feature invited to the main competition, and it won a special jury prize. It
was a commercial success and an internationally recognized cult movie (Roger
Corman dubbed the film for the American released with young Barry Bostwick in
the voice cast). Laloux opened his own French animation studio, which largely
supported itself making commercials, and he made two additional animated
features--Les maitres du temps / Time Masters (1982) and Gandahar / Light
Years (1988)--but never had another critical or commercial success as great
as Fantastic Planet.

THE LOVE BOAT:
• "The Frugal Pair". A cheap retired couple (who I think got the cruise as a
retirement gift) squabble after the husband discovers they were well-off,
thanks to the wife's investiments.
• "Doc's Dismissal". Doctor Bricker is accused of making advances to the wife
of a jealous man.
• "The Girl Next Door". Another story I do not remember.

THE SHAHS OF SUINSET:
"Hooray for Holy Land!". These assholes vacation in Israel. Naturally, the
impact is lost on them.

THE ORVILLE:
"Old Wounds". After divorcing his wife after catching her cheating with a blue
alien, Ed Mercer is promoted to captain, but his enthusiasm wanes when his
ex-wife is assigned first officer; an alien race ambushes the crew in an
attempt to steal a time-accelerating device. This was OK, but seemed to be
trying too hard to be funny.

What did you watch?
--
Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.
Loading...