E.R. Torre's Blog, page 125

A quick recommendation…

Are you watching this show?

Have to say, when I first heard about the show (I never bought the comic books it is based -loosely, I understand- on) I wasn’t all that interested.

Over time I caught an episode here and there of the first season and soon enough, I was hooked.

For a show that deals with the devil quitting his job of running hell and walking the earth (quite literally), and then goes into the all too-cliched direction of his becoming an odd-ball partner with a police officer and solving crimes (essentially a supernatural version of Castle!), Lucifer winds up nonetheless being an absolute hoot.

The show benefits from the fact that despite the potentially “heavy” and “horror” possibilities, it zigs when it could have zagged and has an incredible sense of humor about itself.  The stars of the show, pretty much all of them, shine and come together as quite the ensemble.

When the second season began this past Monday, I told my wife she needed to see it.  She figured a show about Satan on Earth had to be some kind of grim horror show but I told her she’d be surprised.

She was.  Pleasantly so.

If you’re looking for something worth killing time on, you’d do far worse than check out Lucifer.

Whoa…

So this happened…

I found out about this upcoming (its not out yet) product at the below article, written by Andrew Liszewski for Gizmodo:

SanDisk Just Revealed a Monstrous 1 TB SD Memory Card

Just incredible.

Pretty soon our entire life can be stored away on a tiny chip.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) a (mildly) belated review

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know my feels regarding Star Wars (the 1977 film) and the phenomena that is Star Wars and its many iterations (you can read some of my thoughts here and here).

In short: I was 11 years old when the original Star Wars was released, I went to the theaters eager to see it and within the first few days (if not week) of its release, was surrounded by an army of fellow very young boys and girls who yelped and screamed and clapped and loved every second of the film…

…yet the movie left me curiously unmoved.

Understand, I didn’t hate what I saw, I just couldn’t get into it.  At all.

So unmoved was I that I didn’t see Empire Strikes Back when it was originally released and didn’t catch it until it aired on TV a few years later (I thought it, like Star Wars, was “ok”).  I did catch Return of the Jedi when it was originally released and had a more positive reaction, most likely due to the cycle race through the forest, which I thought was exciting as hell.

I caught the “prequel” films after they reached home video and, like most, didn’t think all that much about them.  Some great effects but a muddled (and, in my opinion, unnecessary) story told over too many films.

As should be obvious, I don’t go out of my way looking for Star Wars material but, being a fan of sci-fi in general, knew I’d one day see Star Wars: The Force Awakens (it was originally touted as Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens but slimmed down and, to save on typing, I’ll refer to it as SWTFA from now on) and that day came yesterday.

Reviewing the film, at this point, feels almost pointless.  Everyone (but me until yesterday) has seen the film by now and have opinions about it.  The movie is generally well-regarded, though there are those who question certain aspects of it, which I’ll get into below.

In brief, the movie was for me an enjoyable enough romp with charismatic actors in the lead and a story which…well…wasn’t all that good.

The movie features a story that is consciously “inspired” by the original Star Wars and, to many, this is the movie’s primary problem.  I can’t disagree.  While the original Star Wars was indeed a pastiche of other movies, SWTFA was obviously an echo of that original film featuring both old and new castmembers.

Of the new characters presented, I was very impressed with as Rey, the sorta-kinda Luke Skywalker-esq character whose background is hinted at but ultimately never fully revealed, though it is implied she has a familiar lineage which may go back to Luke Skywalker himself.

The movie’s first half hour or so was, to my mind, the best part of the film.  We’re introduced to all the main new characters (including as Finn, a Stormtrooper deserter, as the Darth Vader-esq Kylo Ren, and as the hotshot rebel pilot Poe Dameron).

When Rey and Finn get together and are forced to run away from the New Order (the name of the remnants of the Empire), it was a genuine thrill, even to this non-Star Wars fan, to see on what they made it out of the planet.

Unfortunately, their escape, the high point of the film IMHO, was followed by a wave of coincidences/family relations that stretch the story to its breaking point.

Immediately after Rey and Finn’s escape, Han Solo ( returning to the famous role and not looking all that bad, though his story arc proved disappointing in the end) shows up like really quickly.  His too-quick appearance suggests a universe that is very small indeed.

Later we find Kylo Ren, the movie’s main villain/Darth Vader surrogate, is Han Solo/Princess Leia’s son.  Rey, it is strongly hinted later on, may be part of the Skywalker bloodline which makes her coincidental ties into the story hard to swallow.

I grant you some of these same coincidences worked their way into the original Star Wars films, but bear in mind many of those coincidences came after the fact (I strongly suspect Darth Vader was considered Luke’s father only when Empire Strikes Back was made and, based on the original cut of Star Wars, Luke clearly had the hots for Leia and the brother/sister relationship was also a later movie add-on).

Anyway, getting back to SWTFA, tying the various characters together is -stop me if you heard this before- a droid with important information (a map, as it turns out) hidden within it.

Oh, and there’s another “death star” out there, this one bigger than the one in Star Wars and Return of the Jedi and our heroes have to take it out.

Yeah, not the most original of story-lines.

While the original Star Wars is considered by many a “classic” (though it remains perhaps the only high profile film out there we cannot legally see the original theatrical cut of), I suspect SWTFA will never quite reach that lofty level.

At best, the film is a pleasant diversion that works as long as you don’t take too critical an eye on its all-too familiar (and at times preposterous, given the coincidences) story.  The characters, old and new, are likeable and director  does a good job emulating George Lucas’ style even as returning screenwriter  et al decided to simply cut and paste story ideas.

In the end, I recommend the film, most especially to those who, unlike me, really really love Star Wars.  To the rest, your enjoyment will depend on how bothered you are by the story presented.

One last point: How in the world could they spend big bucks on making this film and bringing back the original cast yet couldn’t figure out a way to have at least one scene where Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia were in the same frame?!

Incredible wasted opportunity.

Corrosive Knights, a 9/16/2016 update

As of yesterday I read through the material I felt needed to be reviewed in my latest Corrosive Knights book, which will be #6 in the series (still keepin’ the title a secret)…

As I mentioned in my last update, I felt roughly 1/2 of the book was ready to go but needed to focus on the other 1/2 and this is what, as of yesterday, I did.  What excites me is the fact that apart from maybe 4-5 chapters which I will go over again, I feel much of this half of the novel, after I finish the latest revision, will also be good to go.

So the process moves along and we get nearer and nearer to me being satisfied with the entirety of the work.

For those counting, I consider myself doing draft #11a.  I designate is “a” because I’m not doing the full novel.  I’ll type up my revisions in the next few days, print out the sections I feel still need another look, and its off to draft #11b!

David Bowie: The Leon Suites

I’ve made my love of the late David Bowie’s music known for just about as long as I’ve been posting here.

For those who share this awe for his music, I recently stumbled onto a couple of websites that are incredibly fascinating.

The first, presented at DavidBowieworld.nl, offers an intriguing look at The Leon Suites, a project David Bowie and Brian Eno worked on in 1994 and presented to the record companies only to get it rejected.  The material they made was re-worked into what I consider the absolute best of David Bowie’s late career releases, 1. Outside.

Read for yourself:

David Bowie 1994 The Leon Suites (1. Outside Outtakes)

Before passing away earlier this year, the three Leon Suites were released to the internet (Toy, another aborted album, was released a few years back as well).  It is thought that Mr. Bowie himself decided to release this material as there was little likelihood (and probably not a lot of money to be made) on doing an “official” release.

It’s intriguing stuff and I haven’t listened to it all as of yet but there are parts that are very recognizable that made it to the 1. Outside album.  So, if you like David Bowie as much as I do and also feel 1. Outside is a classic, you may be intrigued by this…

Honest trailers…

The folks at Screen Junkies have just released an “honest trailer” for Captain America: Civil War and it goes like this…

What’s most humorous (or perhaps sad) is the realization I’ve had for a while now: Both Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War share a rather …curious… similarity in general plot.

I can’t say when exactly I noted there appeared to be similarities, though I suspect it happened in/around the time the first trailers for both films were released and it became clear each movie used the idea of massive super-hero influenced damage to hang their plot on (in BvS, Bruce Wayne witnessing the carnage of Metropolis from the end of the Man of Steel film pushes him over the edge in wanting to eliminate Superman, whom he feels is a danger to humanity.  In Civil War -which I still haven’t seen but should be getting to it very soon- it appears a similar carnage event causes Captain America and Iron Man to go after each other).

Curiously, I didn’t consider the other similarities.  That Captain America and Superman were essential the “All American” heroes and Batman/Iron Man were both playboy billionaires with plenty of toys at their disposal.  That each film introduced a number of characters for future works.  And, according to the Honest Trailer, both also featured the deaths of the Batman/Iron Man character’s parents as a sub-theme.

Weird how all those similarities found their way into each film.

Regardless and as I stated before, I’ll be getting to Civil War very soon (just picked it up yesterday) and will offer my take on it, for whatever its worth.

Fascinating…

At least to me!

World’s oldest snowshoe found on glacier in Dolomites

The article, written by Nick Squires and found on The Telegraph, is self-explanatory.  I don’t want to steal too much of the article’s thunder (you should read it!) but I will give away a few details:

The show is thought to be 5800 years old, meaning it was used in and around 3800-3700 B.C.

What is really fascinating is that it was found close to where the famous “Oetzi” body was found.  This is the mummified hunter discovered 25 years ago..

Though its tempting to think the snowshoes might have belonged to Oetzi, this is very likely not the case as he died in the snow perhaps five hundred years after the snowshoe was made.

Still, it indicates there were people in and around the area during that time and, “thanks” to Global Warming, other artifacts long buried in the glaciers might surface.

Fascinating, fascinating stuff.

Now that’s entertainment…

You just have to see this…

Last night’s Rams vs. 49ers snoozefest was interrupted by some random dude running onto the field and making a fool of himself (as they are wont to do) but what makes this so hilarious is Kevin Harlan’s play by play of the event.  The High definition version can be seen here:

Kevin Harlan’s Play-By-Play Radio Call of the MNF Idiot on the Field is an All-Timer

Because ESPN and most networks “look away” whenever something like this happens, the High Definition version of this mostly features views of the coaches and not the event itself.  Luckily, in this age of cell phone cameras people filmed the event and some very industrious people put the radio announcement and their filming -and some stills- together.  It may not look or sound quite as good as what you’ve got above, but its hilarious nonetheless…

The end of the summer…

…the start of Football season.

I’ve always viewed the two as part and parcel of the changing of the seasons, particularly since where I live we don’t have any noticeable fall.

Thursday the 2016 Football season officially started with the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos and…it wasn’t pretty.

Mainly this was due to the fact that it appeared the Denver Bronco defense went well above and beyond in their attempts to take Carolina quarterback Cam Newton out of the game by targeting his head.  The refs, in this case, seemed to see nothing strange going on and didn’t make any calls for what appeared to most people’s eyes to be particularly egregious head hunting tactics.

Afterwards, when of course there was an uproar over this, the NFL and NFLPA announced they would investigate concussion protocol compliance for Cam Newton.

I’ve stated this before and I’ll state it again: I like watching football.  It is an exciting sport and when you see really talented players playing (I wish I could say that about my home team!) you’re in for some genuine excitement.

However, with each passing year and with more and more evidence available, it is clear Football is a sport which damages not only a player physically but also mentally.  Which makes what happened in the opening game of the season all that much more egregious.

As popular as Football is in the United States, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day the various reports on concussions and physical injuries turn people off the sport and it loses its incredible appeal.

Then again, it is certainly possible new technologies allow for better protection of players.

Perhaps then, and only then, the unease I feel at seeing some of the more savage blows will fade away.

Star Trek at 50

I’ve written before about the very first film I ever saw and realized was telling a story, Duel, waaaay back when it probably originally aired (or very shortly thereafter) in 1971.

It still amazes me that it would be a Steven Spielberg film (his first huge success, too) that ushered in my understanding and love of movies.  (In those pre-internet days, it wouldn’t be until maybe 10 years later, in the early 1980’s, when I got a chance to see the film again and was stunned to realize Duel was directed by Mr. Spielberg!).

But what got me into science fiction, and perhaps into television in general, was the original Star Trek series.  Like with Duel, I distinctly remember the first Star Trek episode I saw.  Turned out, it was the first one originally aired, as well, though when I first saw it the show was already at least 2-3 years post-cancellation…

While I’m certain anyone who sees the episode today will probably not find it all that scary, for me back then -and I couldn’t have been much more than 6 years old when I first saw it- it scared the hell out of me.

There was something so creepy about the alien killer and the way it left its victims that, to this day, still strikes a nerve.

Over the years, I managed to catch all the episodes of the original series.  While I still like The Man Trap, my favorite episode of the original 3 year run is this one…

It had it all: Suspense, terror, a formidable (and seemingly indestructible) villain, and what was the episodes coup de grace: the badly damaged starship U.S.S. Constellation.

Why was the ship so important?

Because it was essentially a “sister” ship to the Enterprise and by showing it mauled and clearly at the losing end of a fierce fight, viewers instantly knew the danger the Enterprise faced was a damned serious one.

That alone. however, didn’t make the episode such a standout.  The fact is the director and the screenplay by , along with the usual great acting from the cast and crew, make this episode my favorite.

Interestingly, actor , who played the Constellation’s Captain Decker, stated he didn’t enjoy working on the episode because at the time the relationship between William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy was tense which meant the entire set was tense and, further, he also felt the script was silly.

I’m always fascinated with behind the scene stories like these.  What to the viewer may be an impeccably delivered entertainment may be something very different to those who actually participated in it and it would seem this may have been the case, at least in Mr. Windom’s eyes, as the episode was being made.

Regardless, I love The Doomsday Machine and, in honor of Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary, offer a few more of my all time favorite original Star Trek episodes.  I’ll try to stick to ones that aren’t super-well known to everyone, though I did just that with the first one listed (oh well).

If you’ve never seen the series, you can do no wrong with the two mentioned above and the 4 (5 if you count the two-parter) mentioned below:

City on the Edge of Forever

This episode was written by noted sci-fi author Harlan Ellison but changes were made which left him bitter about the final product.  If you’re interested in reading the original script, it is available for purchase…

Having read it and as an author myself, I’m in the rather uncomfortable position of saying…the TV episode was better.  Some of Mr. Ellison’s complaints regarding the changes made are logical (he was bitterly unhappy with the idea of Dr. McCoy “accidentally” injecting himself) but the scripted work, while certainly carrying everything that made the episode itself memorable, also went on some other tangents (there was drug dealing in the Enterprise!) which I didn’t care for.

See the episode and read the script and decide for yourself!

A Piece of the Action

What I liked so much about Star Trek is that from episode to episode you weren’t sure what you were going to get.  While The Doomsday Machine and City on the Edge of Forever were suspenseful dramas, the show would feature a good sampling of outright comedic episodes.  Many consider The Trouble With Tribbles the best of these comedic episodes (and its a damn good one, too), but I really enjoyed, indeed may well have laughed even more, at A Piece of the Action.  This episode featured Kirk and company beaming down to a planet whose population has for reasons unknown (its part of the episode’s mystery) adopted a 1930’s era “gangster” look and tommyguns and gangland murders are the norm.

You wouldn’t think such a setting would be good for comedy but the creators of this episode turn the potentially fearsome setting into one of great hilarity as Kirk and his boys try to adapt to the gangland setting.  Very amusing stuff.

The Menagerie Part 1 & 2

The only two part episode of the original Star Trek series was, in actuality, an extremely clever re-use of The Cage, the original Star Trek pilot which featured a completely different Enterprise cast…with the exception of Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock.  While The Cage is an interesting episode on its own, its use in The Menagerie, IMHO, takes that “ok” first stab at Star Trek and creates something far more engaging and clever…and does this without bringing back actor Jeffrey Hunter to the original Captain Pike role (the “injured” Captain Pike is played by another actor).  Great, great re-use of material!

Spectre of the Gun

As good as the original Star Trek series was, after two seasons and low ratings, the show was cancelled.  A letter writing campaign, however, proved strong enough to revive the show at the last minute for a third season.  Unfortunately, that final season was weak compared to the first two.  This was likely due to budget cuts and staff changes and there are few -perhaps none- who would argue Star Trek’s swan song season had even a fraction of the creativity of the first two.

Having said that, I always liked season 3’s Spectre of the Gun, if only for the wild set up and bizarre (and sinister!) re-creation of the famous Gunfight At The O.K. Corral.  In this case, the crew of the Enterprise are forced by an alien entity to re-live that gunfight but their role is that of the doomed Clantons, who will lose that famous gunfight.

As I said, I liked the very 1960’s borderline psychedelic/minimalistic settings.  While they most likely could have used a more traditional “western” setting (I’m sure Hollywood had plenty of those back then) they instead had the crew walk through an oddly lit minimalistic set to convey the sense they were in a western yet also trapped within a strange dream/nightmare.  Kudos also to those who played Wyatt Earp and the rest of the “law”.  They were uniformly sinister in their approach which aided in conveying a sense of doom to the participants.

So there you have it.

There’s plenty more good stuff out there, should you wish to look.  Either way, the original Star Trek series had a tremendous impact on me.  If you’ve never given it a try, do so.  You might be surprised.