A couple of semi-reviews
Nov. 19th, 2009 02:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zouzounakiOkay, so there was new Doctor Who and... whoa. That was pretty intense. Beautifully so. By far the best of the specials (though I did love Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina), though admittedly not without faults of its own.
First off, the good!
-David's Tennant's performance. Brilliant. He's infused the Tenth Doctor with so much life, so much joie de vivre, it makes perfect sense that not only would that impending regeneration be a rather terrifying prospect to him, but that in some way, it always had to be a long and hard fall, sort of as in 'pride cometh before...' I found David to be particularly sedate in this story, and for the better because the Timelord Victorious kind of creeps up on you. He's not all boggle eyes, bearing teeth and mania; no, it builds with the music and the looks of at first confusion and wariness, and ultimately horror and defeat, on the other characters' faces.
The Timelord Victorious itself being a queasy, uneasy mix of Chris Eccleston's softly spoken and melancholic line, "I win," and, "Everybody lives!" was extremely effective and chilling because it kind of comes at you in stages. I can't even recall when my brain first started telling me that something wasn't right; it was more like a creeping feeling until, suddenly, you're looking at him and it's just registering, "This guy's nuts!"
-The sets were gorgeous, very NASA, very realistic. And a bit creepily on the sterile side; think Alien as opposed to "The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit"'s Aliens decor. Visually, it was just a feast, with f/x very nearly good enough for a feature film. The direction was equally as sharp and also cinema quality, in my opinion.
-The Flood was creepy as hell, and I love that you never really find out what they are (though there's a very nice call back to the Ice Warriors) or even really what they want; their evil plan is never revealed, they're just left to be terrifying, and that they are.
-Y hello thar, surprise!Logan's father from X-Men Origins: Wolverine/Miranda Otto's husband! Damn, I knew you weren't going to survive the second I found you attractive. Sighs.
If I start off with the good, than inevitably there will the the bad:
-Oh, solution, how you let me down. Instead of following the Harntell-era assertion that history kind of always rights itself when it needs to be done a certain way, RTD has always chosen Genesis of the Daleks as his model for questions of the time continuum. And while that story is beautifully well written and Tom Baker can almost convince me, by being Tom Baker, that the Doctor really believes what he's saying and that he is just incapable of committing an act of genocide (bless you, classic Doctor!), the same issues addressed by a production team who is pandering to a popular audience and is, let's face it, just in general less intelligent when it comes to the science in science fiction (to put it lightly) it just makes me grip my head and groan.
Adelaide's death is required by time in any way, shape or form. What? Why is it as inspiring to her granddaughter that Grandma somehow came home from the mars base she was supposed to be running and has lately blown up, and blows her own brains out in the living room? If anything, that'd be off putting! Don't want to end up like Grandma, do we? How do they even explain that they're down on earth without being accused of sabotaging the base or at least charged with desertion of a post or something?! Seriously, I have some massive problems with her solution "fixing" the time line. And I was amazed the entire time that no one brought up the fact that he could save people and then make sure they didn't go back to their ordinary lives so everybody thought they were dead; that death was required, no matter what form it came in, is a weird and just plain amateurish idea. Some of it felt like it was a fanfic written by someone who didn't completely understand or mull over all the possible ramifications. Or just didn't care.
Which can sadly sum up a lot of the "ideas" in New Who. I love it lots, folks, but it just always feels like a huge misstep when they attempt something like this. Don't get me wrong, the show was solid and some of it was rather brilliant; definitely above average. But the end made me tut and shake my head. Let's say it's either a solid 7/10 or rather flighty 8/10.
I've also gotten me sweaty little mitts on the newly released Boosh tour DVD, Future Sailors. I admit I watched it with some trepidation because the reviews (of the show itself) have been almost overwhelmingly negative. Then again, most of the reviewers added that they disliked season three as well and that the boys are getting "too far from the zoo," both of which I disagree with.
The first thing one notices is a format change: gone is the introduction-and-epic adventure story format; the first half is spent exclusively giving each popular character about ten minutes each to do a skit. There is minimal interaction between them and therein lies a problem: left on their own, the skits become somewhat tedious and one note. the funniest by far is Naboo and Bollo, already two, who are then joined by Vince and Howard; the four of them on stage together instantly creates a synergy the others don't have. I don't know if it was just the night they recorded or what, but Rich Fulcher seems off. A Bob Fossil school for dancing? What could go wrong?! The idea itself makes me laugh. But then the skit seems to go on for twenty minutes with nothing much happening and Rich's usual energy subdued.
Reviewers have made a fuss out of Noel's routine of getting stuck in the chair while playing Tony, to which I say: You stupid wankers, it's a show! Of course stuff is scripted! What, do you think they just go out there every night and wing it?! Morons. It makes me wonder if they really think all their "flubs" and "ad libs" in the other show were real, because it was pretty obvious they'd been rehearsed there, too. And it's actually the funniest thing that happens in the first act, so I'm not complaining. Bollo's late entrance also amuses. But, again, Rich Fulcher just falls flat trying to channel Andy Kaufman.
The first act ends on an upbeat note as Noel gets into character as The Hitcher. Audience interaction ("Eels!" one fan shouts out, and Noel responds, "My sentiments exactly, love!" And of course there's the guy who tells him to fuck off: "Imagine how weak the show would be if I fuck off. Imagine how much more enjoyable it would be if you did.") and a rousing rendition of "Eels" with the live Boosh Band (love seeing Julian play on stage!) left me with the warm and fuzzies.
The second act is, in my opinion, by far the better of the two, focusing on one story, that of Howard's environmentally-conscious post-apocalyptic play, and Vince's struggle to get his own ideas in. My sister commented on it, and it's strangely true, that even if he's not being particularly funny, Julian never quite falls on his arse like Noel and Rich do, so while some of the stuff at the beginning of the second act isn't laugh out loud funny, he still has the power to leave a huge smile on my face.
And then there is Sunflash and Booblay. Something in me has to wonder if a lot of the fan complaints about the live show stem from the fact that they didn't use old tried-and-true material like they did on their last tour; they introduce new characters and new situations. Which also means they're not always going to be hilarious because they haven't really been perfected the way the material they've been doing since the 90s has.
Sunflash and Booblay, though not time tested, are absolute side-stitches. Seriously, I'm now completely in love and will be personally very disappointed if they don't play a huge part in the upcoming Boosh movie! Noel seems particularly inspired (much more so than with other fan favorites like Montgomery Flange, who I find to be a bit unbearable, but then again, The Chokes might just be the only not funny episode of Boosh ever).
I do have a serious complaint about the way it was filmed, like a freaking rock concert instead of a comedy stage show. Oftentimes, there's a big reveal with a costume or make-up or whatever and the camera will never settle on it satisfactorily once. It's frustrating. At one point, during "I Did A Shit" I think it is, Dave breakdances and Noel's jumping over his feet as he spins; the camera captures about three seconds of this toward the end. There's also the definite feeling that they're editing together the "good bits" (watch for telltale signs in close ups, like people or things missing from the background that had been there in the previous wider shots) and that rather spoils the feeling of watching it as their live show. Which makes puppies cry and Ghani sad because she lives in the States and will never get to see them live. *pouts*
Anyhoo, while not a complete knock out of the park, I don't see why all the hatin' either. It's new (to me) Boosh material while I'm waiting for their next project (probably the movie). There are cringingly unfunny bits, and some parts that made me feel as if I were going to wee my pants. Who can ask for more than that? If this is their downslide... meh, not so bad!
ETA: I had never heard of the Honey Monster until watching the Mighty Boosh Future Sailors Tour, so I Googled it. Holy crap! How come we don't have a pornographically named pseudo-Muppet mascot; we get stuck with Dig'em (on the Honey Smacks box, the American equivalent of Britain's Sugar Puffs), the jive-talkin' frog. But I still didn't get it: why the Honey Monster hatin'? And then I found this advert of the Honey Monster crimping. Ahahaha! I guess the boys didn't think imitation was the sincerest form of flattery after all!
Peace, Ghani
First off, the good!
-David's Tennant's performance. Brilliant. He's infused the Tenth Doctor with so much life, so much joie de vivre, it makes perfect sense that not only would that impending regeneration be a rather terrifying prospect to him, but that in some way, it always had to be a long and hard fall, sort of as in 'pride cometh before...' I found David to be particularly sedate in this story, and for the better because the Timelord Victorious kind of creeps up on you. He's not all boggle eyes, bearing teeth and mania; no, it builds with the music and the looks of at first confusion and wariness, and ultimately horror and defeat, on the other characters' faces.
The Timelord Victorious itself being a queasy, uneasy mix of Chris Eccleston's softly spoken and melancholic line, "I win," and, "Everybody lives!" was extremely effective and chilling because it kind of comes at you in stages. I can't even recall when my brain first started telling me that something wasn't right; it was more like a creeping feeling until, suddenly, you're looking at him and it's just registering, "This guy's nuts!"
-The sets were gorgeous, very NASA, very realistic. And a bit creepily on the sterile side; think Alien as opposed to "The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit"'s Aliens decor. Visually, it was just a feast, with f/x very nearly good enough for a feature film. The direction was equally as sharp and also cinema quality, in my opinion.
-The Flood was creepy as hell, and I love that you never really find out what they are (though there's a very nice call back to the Ice Warriors) or even really what they want; their evil plan is never revealed, they're just left to be terrifying, and that they are.
-Y hello thar, surprise!Logan's father from X-Men Origins: Wolverine/Miranda Otto's husband! Damn, I knew you weren't going to survive the second I found you attractive. Sighs.
If I start off with the good, than inevitably there will the the bad:
-Oh, solution, how you let me down. Instead of following the Harntell-era assertion that history kind of always rights itself when it needs to be done a certain way, RTD has always chosen Genesis of the Daleks as his model for questions of the time continuum. And while that story is beautifully well written and Tom Baker can almost convince me, by being Tom Baker, that the Doctor really believes what he's saying and that he is just incapable of committing an act of genocide (bless you, classic Doctor!), the same issues addressed by a production team who is pandering to a popular audience and is, let's face it, just in general less intelligent when it comes to the science in science fiction (to put it lightly) it just makes me grip my head and groan.
Adelaide's death is required by time in any way, shape or form. What? Why is it as inspiring to her granddaughter that Grandma somehow came home from the mars base she was supposed to be running and has lately blown up, and blows her own brains out in the living room? If anything, that'd be off putting! Don't want to end up like Grandma, do we? How do they even explain that they're down on earth without being accused of sabotaging the base or at least charged with desertion of a post or something?! Seriously, I have some massive problems with her solution "fixing" the time line. And I was amazed the entire time that no one brought up the fact that he could save people and then make sure they didn't go back to their ordinary lives so everybody thought they were dead; that death was required, no matter what form it came in, is a weird and just plain amateurish idea. Some of it felt like it was a fanfic written by someone who didn't completely understand or mull over all the possible ramifications. Or just didn't care.
Which can sadly sum up a lot of the "ideas" in New Who. I love it lots, folks, but it just always feels like a huge misstep when they attempt something like this. Don't get me wrong, the show was solid and some of it was rather brilliant; definitely above average. But the end made me tut and shake my head. Let's say it's either a solid 7/10 or rather flighty 8/10.
I've also gotten me sweaty little mitts on the newly released Boosh tour DVD, Future Sailors. I admit I watched it with some trepidation because the reviews (of the show itself) have been almost overwhelmingly negative. Then again, most of the reviewers added that they disliked season three as well and that the boys are getting "too far from the zoo," both of which I disagree with.
The first thing one notices is a format change: gone is the introduction-and-epic adventure story format; the first half is spent exclusively giving each popular character about ten minutes each to do a skit. There is minimal interaction between them and therein lies a problem: left on their own, the skits become somewhat tedious and one note. the funniest by far is Naboo and Bollo, already two, who are then joined by Vince and Howard; the four of them on stage together instantly creates a synergy the others don't have. I don't know if it was just the night they recorded or what, but Rich Fulcher seems off. A Bob Fossil school for dancing? What could go wrong?! The idea itself makes me laugh. But then the skit seems to go on for twenty minutes with nothing much happening and Rich's usual energy subdued.
Reviewers have made a fuss out of Noel's routine of getting stuck in the chair while playing Tony, to which I say: You stupid wankers, it's a show! Of course stuff is scripted! What, do you think they just go out there every night and wing it?! Morons. It makes me wonder if they really think all their "flubs" and "ad libs" in the other show were real, because it was pretty obvious they'd been rehearsed there, too. And it's actually the funniest thing that happens in the first act, so I'm not complaining. Bollo's late entrance also amuses. But, again, Rich Fulcher just falls flat trying to channel Andy Kaufman.
The first act ends on an upbeat note as Noel gets into character as The Hitcher. Audience interaction ("Eels!" one fan shouts out, and Noel responds, "My sentiments exactly, love!" And of course there's the guy who tells him to fuck off: "Imagine how weak the show would be if I fuck off. Imagine how much more enjoyable it would be if you did.") and a rousing rendition of "Eels" with the live Boosh Band (love seeing Julian play on stage!) left me with the warm and fuzzies.
The second act is, in my opinion, by far the better of the two, focusing on one story, that of Howard's environmentally-conscious post-apocalyptic play, and Vince's struggle to get his own ideas in. My sister commented on it, and it's strangely true, that even if he's not being particularly funny, Julian never quite falls on his arse like Noel and Rich do, so while some of the stuff at the beginning of the second act isn't laugh out loud funny, he still has the power to leave a huge smile on my face.
And then there is Sunflash and Booblay. Something in me has to wonder if a lot of the fan complaints about the live show stem from the fact that they didn't use old tried-and-true material like they did on their last tour; they introduce new characters and new situations. Which also means they're not always going to be hilarious because they haven't really been perfected the way the material they've been doing since the 90s has.
Sunflash and Booblay, though not time tested, are absolute side-stitches. Seriously, I'm now completely in love and will be personally very disappointed if they don't play a huge part in the upcoming Boosh movie! Noel seems particularly inspired (much more so than with other fan favorites like Montgomery Flange, who I find to be a bit unbearable, but then again, The Chokes might just be the only not funny episode of Boosh ever).
I do have a serious complaint about the way it was filmed, like a freaking rock concert instead of a comedy stage show. Oftentimes, there's a big reveal with a costume or make-up or whatever and the camera will never settle on it satisfactorily once. It's frustrating. At one point, during "I Did A Shit" I think it is, Dave breakdances and Noel's jumping over his feet as he spins; the camera captures about three seconds of this toward the end. There's also the definite feeling that they're editing together the "good bits" (watch for telltale signs in close ups, like people or things missing from the background that had been there in the previous wider shots) and that rather spoils the feeling of watching it as their live show. Which makes puppies cry and Ghani sad because she lives in the States and will never get to see them live. *pouts*
Anyhoo, while not a complete knock out of the park, I don't see why all the hatin' either. It's new (to me) Boosh material while I'm waiting for their next project (probably the movie). There are cringingly unfunny bits, and some parts that made me feel as if I were going to wee my pants. Who can ask for more than that? If this is their downslide... meh, not so bad!
ETA: I had never heard of the Honey Monster until watching the Mighty Boosh Future Sailors Tour, so I Googled it. Holy crap! How come we don't have a pornographically named pseudo-Muppet mascot; we get stuck with Dig'em (on the Honey Smacks box, the American equivalent of Britain's Sugar Puffs), the jive-talkin' frog. But I still didn't get it: why the Honey Monster hatin'? And then I found this advert of the Honey Monster crimping. Ahahaha! I guess the boys didn't think imitation was the sincerest form of flattery after all!
Peace, Ghani
