Doyce Testerman

Philip B. Gaines announces the completion of an independent multimedia commentary project, “Firefly: A Special Feature“, a DVD based on the FOX television series created by Joss Whedon. A free examination copy of the project is available for those willing to provide feedback about this media experiment. “Firefly: A Special Feature” is a 3.5 hour multi-module review of Whedon’s innovative space western series. The interactive review features a variety of interpretive and analytical components–all intended to further discussion of this seriously underappreciated show. The bottom line of the project is dialogue, not promotion. If you have seen “Firefly” before and found it intriguing–or even if you haven’t–this project will make you think, argue, and perhaps even learn a bit.

So I figured I’d weigh in on The Matrix.
Not Revolutions, or even Reloaded… just the Matrix. The whole experience.
The whole experience. That means all three movies, plus the significant bits of the Animatrix collection (and there are several) — that’s really the way I think I need to see the story, because taken in it’s individual parts, there are lots of not-strong elements — mostly because it’s not three stories, it’s one big story.
I imagine that if I’d read The Two Towers first back in junior high, I’d have thought it was a confusing mess of plot.
I think if I’d read The Return of the King first I would have thought it was obviously messianic and inconclusive and sentimental.
Hmm. Draw a parallel between the the three parts of the Matrix and the three parts of the Lord of the Rings, then a parallel between the ‘filler’ tossed in for the real fans in the Animatrix and/or the Silmarillion. Acknowledge that LotR is very probably a better story (but with weaker female characters), and you’ll get to where I am on this whole thing.
Was the ending not much of an ending? Sure. It’s meant to be a beginning, and beginnings generally suck as endings. That’s —
It wasn’t an ending. True. I agree. It was a coda.

Continue reading “Coda (random non-spoiler thoughts on the Matrix)”

Courtney Crumrin & the Night Things
Sidekicks
Q&C.
Update: Oni has first issues of a lot of it’s comics available as free downloads from their site. Kick ass.

Watched Matrix: Re: RE: today with Justin, who missed it in the theatres due to…

Justin: I’m sure I was probably grounded.

The details are hazy. Anyway, the sound editing is better on the DVD than during the actual theatre showing. Still…
Still, I’d rather…
You know, I sorta want Smith to win. Or at least survive.

In watching the Two Towers again, I’ve come to the conclusion that Arwen didn’t figure into the books for a reason.
First movie, where it’s just her face glommed over another character’s (Glorfindel’s) lines, then it didn’t matter — it worked, because it was just a different name on a pre-existing role.
Two Towers, her stuff is completely fabricated by lesser writers; irrelevant parts that make me sleepy whenever they come on — even the very first time I saw the flick, and even moreso now. Thankfully, DVD’s have scene skip.

I was telling a few folks about a quietly enjoyable show on ABC called Karen Sisco that’s really taking me back to a certain kind of story — crime novels, the sort that became common TV and movie fodder back in the sixties. I’m really enjoying what they’re doing with the show — a lot of classic ‘crime show’ faces, some good new faces, and the kind of dialogue that just feels right for a show like this; dry and deep and with a real belief in people who are working on their second chances.
Well, all that makes sense, since it’s based on a book by Elmore Leonard.
Yeah, the guy that wrote The Big Bounce, Mr. Majestyk, Fifty-Two Pick-Up, Get Shorty, Rum Punch, and Out of Sight (which the show’s based on).

Get Shorty was the first film [based of a book of mine] that “got it.” It demonstrated that you could deliver “funny” lines […] without reaction, without the character knowing he or she was being funny.

Yeah. That’s sort of what’s going on with the show. Good stuff. Stars the calmly luscious Carla Gugino, with a great supporting cast including the classic Robert Forster, Bill Duke, Peter Horton, and Jake Busey(!).
Anyway, if you’re in the market for the incredibly un-hip idea of watching a show from one of the networks, this one is my recommendation. Comes on right after Angel.

What I did today:

• Football game: Justin’s team won the league. Division finals are next week.
• 3.5 at the gym, mixed.
• School of Rock with Justin while Jackie was planning a trip to Paris with some friends from work.
  • Jack Black is tons of fun, and the band member kids were tremendously talented. We both enjoyed it a lot.
• Kill Bill, vol. 1 with Jackie.
  • Take every samurai film ever made, every high-pressure blood-spray anime, most of the ’60’s movies involving a gun and a soundtrack with trumpets in it.
  • Compress the whole thing under high pressure in Taratino’s head for eight years.
  • Kill Bill is what then comes out of his body when you cut him — a spray of viscera and brillance that hits you in the face like a fire hose. It’s not even a story — it’s a vector through which Tarantino can just be Tarantino. Mind-blowing.
• Got home and read Randy’s shorter summation: “Excellent. Not for kids.”

So this was the thing I was hoping for:

But the meeting ran long…

Continue reading “Well, Hell”