TV and other things..
Apr. 8th, 2007 03:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatMy book queue is filling up. Still working my way through S.M. Stirling's "Dies The Fire" which is fantasy survival tale - about what would people do if technology and guns stopped working and they were suddenly thrown back to the stone age? All the emphasis is on what people would do, nothing on the why or how it all stopped. Could be mystical. Could be Alien Space Bats. Nobody knows. Definitely not a book for science fiction geeks. But fantasy fans might like it. I'm struggling with parts of it, the writing is so-so, and it's very *macho* in places.
Others on tap: White Knight by Jim Butcher, a finished Thriller MS by a friend of mine that I need to read and report back on (she's going to read my book when I finish it...which I will eventually, hopefully within the next three weeks. But we shall see. Meant to work on it this weekend, but been distracted.), Labrynth by Kate Mosse, Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kurshner, and The Last Hot Spot by John M. Ford.
Watched The Riches and Dexter today via the DVR. Dexter is definitely going to continue getting taped. They are replaying the first season on Showtime right now, prior to The Tudors. If the rest of the series is anything like the first episode, it will be interesting. Well-written, well-acted, and different than anything I've seen.
For anyone who is new to Dexter - its basically about a serial killer who gets off on killing serial killers like himself. His foster father, a cop, figured out way back when that Dexter was damaged and craved killing things. So, he decided to channel this craving for good - teach Dexter how to cover his tracks and only kill someone after he had substantial proof that the person was in fact a serial killer and the cops wouldn't get him. Or something to that effect. The guy who plays him - formerly of Six Feet Under - is alarmingly good in the role - sexy, charming, interesting, and creepy all at the same time. You sort of root for him. Julie Benz who plays his girlfriend, Rita, is equally good and very different from the character she played on Angel. If you've got Showtime and haven't checked it out? It's definitely worth a look. Best thing I've seen on tv in a while. Provides a whole new twist on what has now become a somewhat tired format - the police procedural.
The Riches? I'm enjoying it. But it's not stellar. The performances are good, writing okay. Find it interesting and am curious about the characters, I do, to a degree care what happens to them, so will, for now, continue with it.
Lost -![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
frenchani did a good review of this week's episode, go read her.
Even picked up on some things that I think I missed or don't remember that clearly from a prior episode. I enjoy Lost but am not in love with it - if that makes sense.
I actually enjoyed this episode more than I expected, since it was Kate centric. Have decided I don't mind Kate that much. Juliet, on the other hand, gets on my nerves but I think she's supposed to. Jack? I wish they'd kill, but know there's no way on earth that will happen, Sayhid, Desmond, Locke, and Jin will all bite the dust before Jack does. Why? Because the network and writers like him. Also Abrahms has a habit of killing off people I sort of like and keeping characters I'd like to see disappear, hence the reason I gave up Alias in S4. They got rid of Will and kept Vauhn damn-it.
Anywho... Kate made Juliet more likable. And vice versa. I also really liked the parallel storyline of Kate/Cassidy - sort of like seeing a double Thelma and Louise. Cassidy being Sawyer's ex - who had Sawyer's child - the one Sawyer gives his percentage of the fortune he finds in prison to way back in the prison episode. I don't remember how he conned Cassidy though, that episode I either missed or just plain don't remember or it was referred to in the prison episode and I didn't catch it. I don't closely watch this series. So we've got Juliet/Jack/Kate and in the flashback Kate/Sawyer/Cassidy...yet not quite. I prefer Kate with Sawyer - they seem to get each other. Jack? I think he and Juliet deserve each other and I haven't quite forgiven Lock - we had the chance of getting rid of both of them in one fell swoop. Note to characters - keep Lock away from explosive devices, he likes to blow stuff up.
Juliet is a whiner. And blames the wrong people for things. Honey, I hate to break it to you but it is your fault you are on the island. It was Lock's fault the submarine blew up. And you are partially to blame for Kate coming back to attempt to rescue Jack. Kate was not at fault for any of this. She had no way of knowing Lock would blow up a submarine - a)she didn't know there was one, b)she didn't know Lock wanted to stay on the island and was insane. c) She didn't know Ben only had one submarine to send people home in. There was no way in hell she could have predicted any of that. What she did know - was that you and your buddies were torturing Jack. He was unlikely to be safe in your company. And he had saved hers and Sawyer's life by making a deal with you, but she did not know what type of deal. If you didn't want her to come back - you should have found a way to make it clear to Kate that you weren't a sadistic bitch who would torture Jack for your own pleasure. Plus, you used Kate and Jack's feelings for each other against them - you had to know that she'd try to rescue him. How dumb are you? Sigh. That whole bit just annoyed me. Then Kate apologizes to Jack about screwing up his ability to go home? How in the heck does he know that sub would have taken him home? He has whose word on this? Plus, again, it was Lock who did it. Lock who was planning on going to hunt The Others regardless of whether Kate came. I mean, Lock said he wasn't there for Jack. He wasn't. Jack is also a whiner and a little stupid.
Outside of that bit? I enjoyed the episode.
And am really looking forward to this week's episode with Sayhid. Sayhid is fast becoming my favorite character.
Sayhid sees Juliet - to Jack: Whoa. She's not coming with us.
Jack: Yes she is.
Sayhid: Why?
Jack: Because they left her behind.
Sayhid rolls his eyes.
LOL!
Friday Night Lights...this is one of those shows that really doesn't require any comments or analysis. It's more or less a study of life in a small town devoted to high school football. The ups and downs of the characters lives. Somewhat soapy in places, but no more or less so than Greys Anatomy. Definitely more realistic than Grey's, but not as much fun. It's well written, well filmed, well acted, and beautifully rendered. I watch it and am comforted by it. But I don't love it, possibly because I don't identify with any of the characters. I just like and appreciate it a great deal.
Others on tap: White Knight by Jim Butcher, a finished Thriller MS by a friend of mine that I need to read and report back on (she's going to read my book when I finish it...which I will eventually, hopefully within the next three weeks. But we shall see. Meant to work on it this weekend, but been distracted.), Labrynth by Kate Mosse, Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kurshner, and The Last Hot Spot by John M. Ford.
Watched The Riches and Dexter today via the DVR. Dexter is definitely going to continue getting taped. They are replaying the first season on Showtime right now, prior to The Tudors. If the rest of the series is anything like the first episode, it will be interesting. Well-written, well-acted, and different than anything I've seen.
For anyone who is new to Dexter - its basically about a serial killer who gets off on killing serial killers like himself. His foster father, a cop, figured out way back when that Dexter was damaged and craved killing things. So, he decided to channel this craving for good - teach Dexter how to cover his tracks and only kill someone after he had substantial proof that the person was in fact a serial killer and the cops wouldn't get him. Or something to that effect. The guy who plays him - formerly of Six Feet Under - is alarmingly good in the role - sexy, charming, interesting, and creepy all at the same time. You sort of root for him. Julie Benz who plays his girlfriend, Rita, is equally good and very different from the character she played on Angel. If you've got Showtime and haven't checked it out? It's definitely worth a look. Best thing I've seen on tv in a while. Provides a whole new twist on what has now become a somewhat tired format - the police procedural.
The Riches? I'm enjoying it. But it's not stellar. The performances are good, writing okay. Find it interesting and am curious about the characters, I do, to a degree care what happens to them, so will, for now, continue with it.
Lost -
frenchani did a good review of this week's episode, go read her.Even picked up on some things that I think I missed or don't remember that clearly from a prior episode. I enjoy Lost but am not in love with it - if that makes sense.
I actually enjoyed this episode more than I expected, since it was Kate centric. Have decided I don't mind Kate that much. Juliet, on the other hand, gets on my nerves but I think she's supposed to. Jack? I wish they'd kill, but know there's no way on earth that will happen, Sayhid, Desmond, Locke, and Jin will all bite the dust before Jack does. Why? Because the network and writers like him. Also Abrahms has a habit of killing off people I sort of like and keeping characters I'd like to see disappear, hence the reason I gave up Alias in S4. They got rid of Will and kept Vauhn damn-it.
Anywho... Kate made Juliet more likable. And vice versa. I also really liked the parallel storyline of Kate/Cassidy - sort of like seeing a double Thelma and Louise. Cassidy being Sawyer's ex - who had Sawyer's child - the one Sawyer gives his percentage of the fortune he finds in prison to way back in the prison episode. I don't remember how he conned Cassidy though, that episode I either missed or just plain don't remember or it was referred to in the prison episode and I didn't catch it. I don't closely watch this series. So we've got Juliet/Jack/Kate and in the flashback Kate/Sawyer/Cassidy...yet not quite. I prefer Kate with Sawyer - they seem to get each other. Jack? I think he and Juliet deserve each other and I haven't quite forgiven Lock - we had the chance of getting rid of both of them in one fell swoop. Note to characters - keep Lock away from explosive devices, he likes to blow stuff up.
Juliet is a whiner. And blames the wrong people for things. Honey, I hate to break it to you but it is your fault you are on the island. It was Lock's fault the submarine blew up. And you are partially to blame for Kate coming back to attempt to rescue Jack. Kate was not at fault for any of this. She had no way of knowing Lock would blow up a submarine - a)she didn't know there was one, b)she didn't know Lock wanted to stay on the island and was insane. c) She didn't know Ben only had one submarine to send people home in. There was no way in hell she could have predicted any of that. What she did know - was that you and your buddies were torturing Jack. He was unlikely to be safe in your company. And he had saved hers and Sawyer's life by making a deal with you, but she did not know what type of deal. If you didn't want her to come back - you should have found a way to make it clear to Kate that you weren't a sadistic bitch who would torture Jack for your own pleasure. Plus, you used Kate and Jack's feelings for each other against them - you had to know that she'd try to rescue him. How dumb are you? Sigh. That whole bit just annoyed me. Then Kate apologizes to Jack about screwing up his ability to go home? How in the heck does he know that sub would have taken him home? He has whose word on this? Plus, again, it was Lock who did it. Lock who was planning on going to hunt The Others regardless of whether Kate came. I mean, Lock said he wasn't there for Jack. He wasn't. Jack is also a whiner and a little stupid.
Outside of that bit? I enjoyed the episode.
And am really looking forward to this week's episode with Sayhid. Sayhid is fast becoming my favorite character.
Sayhid sees Juliet - to Jack: Whoa. She's not coming with us.
Jack: Yes she is.
Sayhid: Why?
Jack: Because they left her behind.
Sayhid rolls his eyes.
LOL!
Friday Night Lights...this is one of those shows that really doesn't require any comments or analysis. It's more or less a study of life in a small town devoted to high school football. The ups and downs of the characters lives. Somewhat soapy in places, but no more or less so than Greys Anatomy. Definitely more realistic than Grey's, but not as much fun. It's well written, well filmed, well acted, and beautifully rendered. I watch it and am comforted by it. But I don't love it, possibly because I don't identify with any of the characters. I just like and appreciate it a great deal.
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no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:49 am (UTC)I am loving Butcher's White Knight
he talks here about a variety of subjects:
http://www.whedonopolis.com/audio/jimbutcher4607.mp3
his best quote is: "I don't have a muse, I have a mortgage"
Then I'll be reason Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys
then Flirting with Pride & Prejudice which is a bunch of short stories (fan fiction? I hope they are better than that) based on Jane Austen, one of them is by Jane Espenson which is why I bought it.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 12:45 pm (UTC)Some award-winning fanfic based on characters/novels in the public domain include:
The Wide Sargasso Sea - features Rochester's insane wife and their love story
March - features Mr. March of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and his story.
Ahab's Wife - based on an unseen character in Moby Dick
Real-person fanfic:
Marilyn by Joyce Carol Oats...
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 02:16 pm (UTC)I guess I hope that these stories I haven't read yet are of that higher caliber, because I have read mostly really badly written fanfic online. In fact I ended up giving up reading any of the online fanfic because:
1. obvious/predictable plot lines
2. people satisfying personal fantasy through a Mary Sue
3. incredibly long aimless WIP which never get finished, but at some point the author thinks they deserve donations...(along with their irritable demands for comments)
Maybe I was at the wrong sites, but I never read anything I enjoyed in the Buffy fandom, and I'm totally uninterested in Harry Potter fanfic, however I'll admit that really early on there were a few Firefly fanfic I enjoyed but it seemed to have become duller and more predictable when the movie came out (maybe that was just my perception? Or there was so much bad I couldn't find the good?). Anyway I don't mean to be snobby, I'm sure there must be good writers out there doing it, I just gave up trying to find them.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:20 pm (UTC)Fanfic is much the same way. There are some early works by Wisteria and Herself that I adored entitled: "Whatever She Deserves", "Loving Kindness" and one by Wisteria about a roadtrip. Beautifully written, good use of description and excellent use of language. I'm over-sensitive to certain things others aren't. For example: Whedon's writing bugs me at times, because he does not distinguish between characters and his dialogue sounds the same at times (ie everyone sounds like Xander), yet other's not so much.
What I've learned is what one person thinks is excellent, the best work ever, another may hate to pieces and oddly both are right. It's just a matter of taste and what you want. I hate cozy mysteries - find them duller than dirt, but other people adore them as an example. Give me a good noire any day. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 07:36 pm (UTC)not right at the moment because I just finished 'White Night' (which I loved) and I'm inspired to run through all of the Dresden novels for a quick read through....
no subject
Date: 2007-04-11 04:30 pm (UTC)All depends on what you like in fanfic. ;-)
Those two are a little less schmoopy and erotic than the others. In both the writers seem to be more interested in how the two characters handled the aftermath of the events in Seeing Red. As a result, the description is better and both writers are a bit more cognizant of such things as grammar and word usage. Nor are they fans of LKH, so aren't copying her style.
There's another one...but can't remember the author or the name of it.
Was never completed...sort of re-imagined S6 except with Warren figuring out how to reprogram Spike's chip and Willow giving Spike a soul. The writer ended it just as Willow gave Spike the soul then stopped. Was quite dark.