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Reviews
Stargate Universe (2009)
YATTS (yet another trek to the stars)
Anyone else find it ironic that this series ended up being a trek to the stars?
Endless traipsing through dim, clanking corridors by smarty-pants 20-somethings in low dudgeon.
Low-wattage lives examined in forensic detail.
Gazentyzillions of light-years from earth, yet the same old crap: boy meets girl leaves boy, sprinkled with tears and legato music most uninspired.
Science fiction has no inherent boundaries, yet Stargate Universe left unexplored all but the soapiest parts of the universe.
SU was store-bought Stargate as punched up by Bulwer-Lytton.
Wagon Train (1957)
Chris, better ask an Indian for the way to Californee.
Loved the show, but one thing about it always bothered me. The opening credits show a traveling wagon train with Mt. Whitney behind them. This means that they were traveling east, from the southern Sierra Nevada. Wagon trains never traveled in that area, and if they were traveling east, well, they needed a new wagon master because they were lost. Not to mention the time of year, with snow choking the passes. The following is repeated text, to satisfy IMDb's ridiculous minimum word count. Loved the show, but one thing about it always bothered me. The opening credits show a traveling wagon train with Mt. Whitney behind them. This means that they were traveling east, from the southern Sierra Nevada. Wagon trains never traveled in that area, and if they were traveling east, well, they needed a new wagon master because they were lost. Not to mention the time of year, with snow choking the passes.
Perry Mason: The Case of the Final Fade-Out (1966)
Lt. Tragg, you are still missed, lo these 50+ years
A well-done series ending. The ensemble of Perry plus four was magic. All legal dramas since have been pale derivatives. But I have few quibbles about the final show:
* The actual crew appeared on screen, deservedly, but their dialog seemed a bit too amateurish.
* Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) should have been mentioned somewhere, for old time's sake. He was my favorite actor in the series, and his wry wit was sorely missed after his death.
* Fred Steiner finally appeared in the credits as the composer of the Perry Mason theme, which is entitled Park Avenue Beat. (Incidentally, live performances of the full piece are on YouTube.)
Sea Hunt (1958)
Beautiful music and a pet peeve
Sea Hunt theme was written by David Rose (of The Stripper fame). Some of the incidental music is quite beautiful and deserves to be collected and released. One thing that has always troubled is that, when Mike describes strong currents tossing him around and he twists his body as if in a strong current, his bubbles rise straight up and the sea floor plants gently sway. Seems like it could have been a little more realistic. Mike had a great body on the show, making his appearance on Seinfeld decades later all the sadder. One last thing: I liked the way Mike treated everyone with respect and did not look down upon them. I can hardly imagine that happening on modern TV shows.
Picnic (1955)
Absolutely masterful storytelling
Absolutely masterful storytelling. Four story lines united by two beautiful melodies, which themselves are united. Four romance-related stories are intertwined: deepening love between Bill & Kim; painfully destroyed crush of teenager Strasberg; lost love of mother; lost romance of Roz Russel. All roles masterfully acted, with the exception of Bill's stiff dancing. That being said, there, on screen, are your mother and father, and all their ancestors, and all your descendants. That's what life is about — simply that. By the way, this scene is definitive proof that free will does not exist. Bill didn't have a chance. Guys take note: When women say they want more romance in their lives, this is what they mean. It's worth a shot.
Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
Beneath Teeth?
Folks, eat your heart out. I know Rand Hogen, who plays Teeth. His death-scream still resonates throughout Hollywood — and Bollywood, for that matter — as the model scream for all on-screen dust-biting. As for Rand himself, I know that from his incomparable acting you'd expect him to be a glitzy, world-traveling, supercilious snob, but he's actually quite a nice guy. (Thought the same can't be said about his brother, Rory, who, while no actor himself, fancies himself God's gift to the unevolved.) The rumor through the grapevine is that two rainmaking produces in Hollywood are bruiting about a project called Surf Nazis Are Fixin' to Die II, but it hasn't got enough funding yet. It seems to be a prequel filmed in the South on the Gulf of Mexico. I think they need to raise about $200. I sure hope that Rand gets the opportunity to reprise his role as Teeth, though by now he'll probably go by the sobriquet Dentures, which more befits a superannuated man. An Oscar awaits him, no doubt. Or at least a Reynaldo.
Shane (1953)
Shane and the American Male
If a culture makes a people, Shane made the people--at least the men--of my generation. The Shane - High Noon - Man Who Shot Liberty Valance theme still resonates in our minds: Do what's right, despite the opposition, despite the lack of support from others. BTW, it's too bad the kid, Brandon De Wilde, was killed in a traffic accident at age 30 in 1972. He still lives on, though. Victor Young's music is first rate. If a culture makes a people, Shane made the people--at least the men--of my generation. The Shane - High Noon - Man Who Shot Liberty Valance theme still resonates in our minds: Do what's right, despite the opposition, despite the lack of support from others. BTW, it's too bad the kid, Brandon De Wilde, was killed in a traffic accident at age 30 in 1972. He still lives on, though. Victor Young's music is first rate.