Friday, August 01, 2008
Jericho Final Season
One of my adages is that my liking a TV Series is the kiss of death. So it was with this series. Combining Sci Fi with family drama, combat, survivalism, and community conflict; though it enjoyed a faithful following this series fell victim to the ratings game. Whatever the free-enterprise economy may think there is still a place for public television which has stable funding and the ablility to progamme quality shows for a limited audience. When the axe came the producers of this show had little time to convincingly give this show a wrap and unfortunately it shows. Those who liked it were left wishing for more.
Eureka is what in the trade is described as high concept. It takes the stereotype of the absent-minded, eccentric professor to a whole new level and inhabits an entire town with geniuses. The show revolves around Jack Carter the sheriff played by Colin Ferguson whose task it is to keep the place safe for creative genius. To enjoy this series you must like science fiction, cutting edge science fiction at that and be willing to suspend disbelief. Carter lives in a house in a bunker that responds interactively to his every wish, even if Sarah has a “mind” of her own.
One episode in particular has stood out in my mind as one that demands comment. It rifts on the cryogenics movement; bringing a scientist so suspended back to life after half a century. What happens to a man who is revived to a world that has changed so radically since his departure? How can he adjust to the history he has not experienced and to the concept that he is younger at this point than his own grandson? Having seen what happened in a parallel scientific movement we call cloning to Dolly the Sheep what happens next is not that far-fetched. Once revived Pierre Fargo soon starts catching up on the aging process he missed while in stasis and rapidly reaches a geriatric state. Both processes acknowledge the discovery that although Dolly was a newborn and Pierre had been in stasis half a century, their genetic makeup was still in an advanced state of deterioration. To date science has not discovered a way to overcome our cell’s built in auto-destruct mechanism that limits how many times they are able to replicate successfully. What happens philosophically and ethically to society in a world where people live forever is grist for another discussion. The implicatons for deep space human transport if the concepts brought forward were true is yet another topic.
If you like well-written Sci-Fi this show’s for you.
One episode in particular has stood out in my mind as one that demands comment. It rifts on the cryogenics movement; bringing a scientist so suspended back to life after half a century. What happens to a man who is revived to a world that has changed so radically since his departure? How can he adjust to the history he has not experienced and to the concept that he is younger at this point than his own grandson? Having seen what happened in a parallel scientific movement we call cloning to Dolly the Sheep what happens next is not that far-fetched. Once revived Pierre Fargo soon starts catching up on the aging process he missed while in stasis and rapidly reaches a geriatric state. Both processes acknowledge the discovery that although Dolly was a newborn and Pierre had been in stasis half a century, their genetic makeup was still in an advanced state of deterioration. To date science has not discovered a way to overcome our cell’s built in auto-destruct mechanism that limits how many times they are able to replicate successfully. What happens philosophically and ethically to society in a world where people live forever is grist for another discussion. The implicatons for deep space human transport if the concepts brought forward were true is yet another topic.
If you like well-written Sci-Fi this show’s for you.
My Own Private Idaho
This is a movie I’ve always liked and I’ve watched my VHS copy of it repeatedly. It is therefore with some embarrassment that I must admit that it was not until I read a series on Movie Adaptations of William Shakespeare on Rotton Tomatoes that I realized the connection. It was this discovery that led me to get it out and watch it once again. Let it be said that watching Keanu Reeves woodenly declaim his lines is not one of the atttactions of this piece. It is River Pheonix who owns the movie and his narcoleptic scenes eerily foreshadow his eventual death by drug overdose just two years later.
River Jude Bottom was the oldest son of what could best be described as flower children. Itinerant farm workers, cult members, who exploited their children to make ends meet they are no one’s idea of ideal parents. Who names there children: Rain, Summer, Liberty, Trust? With this kind of family background River Phoenix hit Hollywood at the age of 12 with his impoverished parents encouragement. Small wonder that without anything to keep him grounded the “scene” got the better of him. I cannot watch his movies without a sense of sadness at the body of great works that is lost to us due to his untimely death.
A gay themed movie with an openly gay director about street people who sell themselves to make a living this is not a movie that will appeal to the squeamish. Shot in Portland Oregon with cameos by many locals some of the actors stayed in the director’s own home. This is a buddy, road trip movie which never seems to decide what it wants to do. The plot is as confused as the characters who play in it and there are some priceless characters. In particular is the ancient den mother of the flophouse they so often frequent. Like most road movies this piece is about the journey, getting there is not the point. However confused it leaves me this is still a journey I seem to enjoy.
River Jude Bottom was the oldest son of what could best be described as flower children. Itinerant farm workers, cult members, who exploited their children to make ends meet they are no one’s idea of ideal parents. Who names there children: Rain, Summer, Liberty, Trust? With this kind of family background River Phoenix hit Hollywood at the age of 12 with his impoverished parents encouragement. Small wonder that without anything to keep him grounded the “scene” got the better of him. I cannot watch his movies without a sense of sadness at the body of great works that is lost to us due to his untimely death.
A gay themed movie with an openly gay director about street people who sell themselves to make a living this is not a movie that will appeal to the squeamish. Shot in Portland Oregon with cameos by many locals some of the actors stayed in the director’s own home. This is a buddy, road trip movie which never seems to decide what it wants to do. The plot is as confused as the characters who play in it and there are some priceless characters. In particular is the ancient den mother of the flophouse they so often frequent. Like most road movies this piece is about the journey, getting there is not the point. However confused it leaves me this is still a journey I seem to enjoy.
