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Stargate Universe: Gauntlet (2011)
Poetic
Okay, I'm going to just write this one from my heart, rather than spending much time thinking about what I want to say. (Note: okay, so I did a little editing- what can I say? :)
SGU started very slowly, but *really* got better as time went by. I hung with it because the premise was so good (even though it was a bit of a retread of "Lost in Space," although infinitely farther away). And when the show started to pay dividends, it paid them very well.
This was arguably the most "pure" science fiction format of all the SG series, and it came to be, to my extreme surprise, arguably the best. I really came to care about these characters over the short course of the series, which is something I never would have believed in the beginning.
As for this final episode - it was indeed very moving, indeed, poignant. I realized how much I will miss these characters. I hate, in a sense, to see the show end on a sort of cliffhanger, but they probably didn't have the chance to write a true series finale.
But clearly it was intended to be a season finale (at least), and in that respect, it works beautifully. Still, it did raise a question for me (and here is the spoiler): does Eli even *try* to fix the remaining stasis pod? Or does he just figure he has no chance to get it ready in time, and so he essentially commits suicide by simply passing the time, enjoying the beauty of FTL travel in his final days and moments? I don't know. But I do know that that final scene - where Eli stares, smiles and watches in awe and wonder as Destiny flies faster than light through space and the stars - was just poetry. As soon as I first saw it, it became one of my all-time favorite scenes, ever.
It was great to watch these people come together over time, from Rush telling Young that their friction "ends now," to seeing Young & Ming Na start getting along as well, as so on - until they really did become a family, culminating with the superb dinner scene in this episode, with Young toasting them all. Just. Great. Stuff.
But it was that last scene that will stick with me. Truly beautiful, and deeply moving. The music by series composer Joel Goldsmith played a key role in making it work so well, and be so emotional. The music (mainly piano)is a great work- moving, beautiful, poetic; and it leaves no doubt Goldsmith belongs in the first rank of composers (note: you can find it on You Tube under "Stargate Universe soundtrack- Gautlet (ending music)").
Watching Destiny slowly shut down, while Eli stands alone, with the smile and wonder on his face- knowing he got to say what he wanted to say to his mother, and hearing her tell him that, despite being gone, things have actually turned out great for him, because of where he's been and what he's see... wonderful.
That beautiful FTL blue effect never looked better than it did in that final scene. And even if we (very sadly) never see an SGU wrap-up, they did end on a poetic, moving, final note.
Farewell, my friends.
The Time Tunnel: Rendezvous with Yesterday (1966)
Outstanding hour of TV; could have been a movie
The first thing that struck me when re-watching this was the great production values. This was a very, very high quality show. They *really* spent the money on this, and you can tell. The special effects in the opening minutes are *very* impressive, as the Senator tours the facility.
And I'll note in passing I've never forgotten the Senator's car's "entrance" from the desert into Project Tic-Toc base (I saw the show when it premiered in 1966). Once you see it, you'll know what I mean.
Of course, production values don't mean much if the story & acting don't work, but in this case they do. The story is very plausible (given its sci-fi background), and the acting is good. Nice to see Gary Merrill and Michael Rennnie here, along with the regular cast members.
***OKAY,HERE'S THE SPOILER ALERT: So you know the story involves the travelers arriving on the Titanic. Some have argued that the should not have tried to change history by saving the ship. But in fact, our heroes *do* change history. The Captain tells them that if not had been for their arrival, he would not have ordered the lifeboats made ready, and thus no one would have survived. But he says that he believes in God, and considers their appearance a miracle of sorts, and as a result, at least there will be 750 survivors from the tragedy.
By the way, back to production values: not only is the TT facility well-done, but so are the sets for the Titanic. They look quite similar to those for Cameron's 1997 epic film (though clearly not as expensive, of course), and that tells you how good they are (although a few sets are rather obviously sets, but then, this is a TV production).
Overall, very good.
The Comancheros (1961)
Great entertainment
Probably a classic example of why so many John Wayne films have endured for so long. This isn't anything "great," but it's great fun to watch.
Lee Marvin is very memorable in his short appearance, and Nehemiah Persoff (The Bad Guy)would have made a great James Bond villain. He seems almost born for that role. Ina Balin is quite convincing as the cold, almost emotionless (and later in the film, we learned she was raised to be essentially emotionless).
Really, one of The Duke's (many) enjoyable pictures. Clearly, he knew how to pick scripts that audiences would like. And they still do. This one is 50 years and, like many of Wayne's movies,still regularly seen on TV.
Fort Apache (1948)
One of Ford's best
Many others have explained the excellence of the story, so I'll look at some other aspects of this outstanding movie.
If you know the slightest thing about film history, all you have to do is see the wide shots in this movie- the sweeping vistas- and you can guess John Ford directed this film, which he did. So many of the scenes are so striking, you can only wonder how beautiful this movie would have been had it been shot in color.
You can also tell Ford directed the film just by some of the shots of the faces of people at key points. Ford was a master of capturing memorable faces in superbly framed shots.
The great cast includes not only John Wayne and Henry Fonda, but also Pedroa Armendariz, who was unforgettable in "From Russia with Love," plus Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, John Agar, and, yes, a grown-up Shirley Temple (!). And watching Ford and Wayne square off makes the film worth seeing by itself.
Not to be missed.
Red River (1948)
"I'm gonna kill you, Matt"
You know the basic story from reading the plot summary. The question, of course, is what's going to happen at the end. The film skillfully builds toward its (truly) tension-filled climax. You can see various possibilities for the ending, and the script takes you one way, then another before you finally reach the real ending.
And you aren't likely to forget the finish (although it does make perfect sense).
The film has a great way of moving from scene to scene, using a written journal- shown on screen- to cover the passage of time and set up key plot points.
One other note: you're likely to look at several scenes and think about how stunning they would have looked in color (though I wouldn't advocate "colorizing" the movie).
Really a great Western, and one of John Wayne's best performances.
The Gunfighter (1950)
Genuinely suspenseful
A famous gunfighter arrives in a small town, on the run from three brothers. He killed their younger brother in the previous town, and now he only has a few hours before they arrive.
We learn what he wants there, and eventually why he wants it. That leads to key questions- will he get what he wants? And what will happen to him? Will he get out of town before the brothers get there? Will he, in essence, survive the film? That question, among others, keeps you guessing.
Really a good film. Another teaming of Gregory Peck and Millard Mitchell, who worked together in Twelve O'Clock high a year earlier.
The Twilight Zone: One More Pallbearer (1962)
Absolutely worth seeing
I didn't even know this episode existed until today (July 23, 2010) when it re-aired on the SciFi (sorry, SyFy) channel. I caught it in a restaurant & didn't hear all the dialogue, and missed the opening scene, so I didn't realize that setup for the "guests" was a fake.
Nonetheless, I join others in saying this is (apparently) a rarely-seen episode of TZ that deserves more recognition. The double twist ending is an extremely nice piece of writing (worthy of Serling), and in a sense it only strengthens the message about which values are important, in that the man who offered a wrong message is found to be unstable himself.
It took me a few minutes to figure out that the lead was played by Joseph Wiseman (he has more hair here than in the movie for which he's famous - Dr. No- which incidentally came out the same year). I thought he did an excellent job. As I watched his "breakdown" scene at the end, I thought "That must have been tough to play, basically by yourself in front of a camera." But that's what acting is all about, I guess.
Anyway, overall, if you haven't seen it, and you like Serling, catch it when it comes around again.
The Practice: Life Sentence (2000)
Heart-wrenching
Marlee Matlin thoroughly deserved her Emmy nomination for her performance as the mother a 7-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by her soccer coach. Matlin's character, Sally Berg, is put on trial for murder after she shoots the soccer coach - an act which is caught on a live TV news broadcast.
Matlin's anguished breakdown when she takes the stand is truly painful to watch. Doubtless that scene earned her the Emmy nod.
This episode also resolves the long-running feud between Bobby and Lindsay over their wedding ... with a most unusual, but fitting, solution.
The Practice: Hide and Seek (1997)
Great moments in a worthwhile episode
Some excellent moments make this a worthwhile episode of The Practice.
The character of Raymond Oz is clearly a predecessor of Denny Crane (William Shatner), also created by David E. Kelley toward the end of this series. (Crane, of course, was a star of the followup show, Boston Legal). Like Crane, Oz is a legendary lawyer with a huge ego, has problems with his memory, and certainly plays the media. James Whitmore turns in a strong performance with some great scenes. Bonnie Bartlett as his wife is solid as always.
Steve Harris (Eugene) also has a shocking moment early in the episode - shocking even by DEK standards. His reaction to a client's revelation is stunning. Almost makes the episode just by itself.
And one quiet moment toward the end is very nice as well, when Valerie Perrine makes a Jimmy a little offer - a kind gesture - he obviously can't refuse.
Another episode showing why this show was so superior to so many others.
Bonanza: Blessed Are They (1962)
One of the best hours of TV I have ever seen
I caught this today on TV Land (possibly the same day as the first reviewer), & it was quite a gripping episode. When the story brought up the twins, I wondered if they were heading toward a certain Biblical story, which they did. But there's a real surprise waiting for you even after the apparent end of the story, so stay tuned all the way to the end.
This episode relies heavily on Biblical references at key points - including the preaching of the Sermon on the Mount, which provides the basis for both the title, and setting up Ben Cartwright's resolution to the custody battle between the feuding families.
This is the type of show that was seen 40 to 45 years ago, but rarely is any more. And TV is poorer for it.