This is very possibly the most entertaining thing I've seen in ages: John Hodgman at the Radio & TV Correspondents' Dinner, talking about the Jock vs. Nerd culture wars, and grilling the president on his nerdly knowledge.
But, man, even I knew the Conan question, and my information on that subject, like almost all my comic book knowledge, comes entirely from osmosis. Clearly, however, it's been far too long since I last read Dune.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Days
Happy Father's Day, and Happy Solstice!
Dad, if you're reading this, I will call you later.
Dad, if you're reading this, I will call you later.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
As Further Proof That I'm Still Alive, Have Some Random Links.
Science and Entertainment Exchange: A new program that aims to provide people in the entertainment industry with easy access to real scientists willing to help them get their science right. I think this is quite possibly the best idea ever.
Star Size Comparison: Nifty video showing the size of various bodies in the universe. I now have the Animaniacs singing in my head: "It's a great big universe, and we're all really puny. We're just tiny little specks, about the size of Mickey Rooney..."
30 Awesomely Bad Unicorn Tattoos: A Gallery: "Awesomely bad" is an understatement. Warning: NSFW.
Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party: Gorgeous time lapse video of the Texas sky.
Bad Transcript: Star Trek (2009): Amusing parody of the new Star Trek movie. Warning: full of spoilers!
Broken Picture Telephone: Online words-and-pictures version of the old party game Telephone. Fun to play, even if you can't draw, and the results are often hysterically funny. Browsing through the game archives is a great way to waste a lot of time.
Star Size Comparison: Nifty video showing the size of various bodies in the universe. I now have the Animaniacs singing in my head: "It's a great big universe, and we're all really puny. We're just tiny little specks, about the size of Mickey Rooney..."
30 Awesomely Bad Unicorn Tattoos: A Gallery: "Awesomely bad" is an understatement. Warning: NSFW.
Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party: Gorgeous time lapse video of the Texas sky.
Bad Transcript: Star Trek (2009): Amusing parody of the new Star Trek movie. Warning: full of spoilers!
Broken Picture Telephone: Online words-and-pictures version of the old party game Telephone. Fun to play, even if you can't draw, and the results are often hysterically funny. Browsing through the game archives is a great way to waste a lot of time.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Yes, It's Just A Thrill A Minute With Me.
Every time I go a week or so without updating this thing, somebody -- usually my sister -- checks in to make sure I'm not dead. Which is really rather reassuring, when I stop to think about it.
Anyway, no, I am not dead. I've just been very, very boring of late and haven't had much of anything to say. Well, I can tell you about my ever-so-exciting day, I guess. I blew off work and drove up to Albuquerque to run some errands, which involved doing the following deeply stimulating things:
1. Got the oil changed on my car (which was disturbingly overdue), and also the transmission fluid (which it was just about time for). By the way, does anybody know whether when the guys at Jiffy Lube tell you to come back in a couple of days so they can check your fluid levels, they're actually serious about that? Because I'm not making another 2-hour round trip just so they can shove a dipstick somewhere.
2. Ate lunch at Fuddrucker's, where I discovered that it is, indeed, possible to make a greasy buffalo burger.
3. Went shopping for bras. If it weren't for the fact that it happens much less often, this would provide serious competition for menstruation in the Worst Thing About Being a Female contest. Every time I do it, it makes me start thinking wistfully about breast reduction surgery, and I'm so much of a wuss about people doing medical things to my body that I still haven't worked up the guts to get my wisdom teeth out, despite repeated admonishments from my dentist. Sigh. It's expensive, too. I spent $200 on freaking bras! And half of them were on sale! Well, hopefully I shouldn't need to do it again for a few years.
4. Got ambushed by a guy who wanted to show me the OMG AMAZING! product he was selling. Which turned out to be a nail buffer. Which he insisted on demonstrating. I let him, because it was weirdly amusing, and because he looked so doggone bored, but I did keep telling him I wasn't going to buy the thing. I don't think he actually believed me until I started walking away, though. Anyway, as a result of this, the middle finger on my left hand now has a nail of freakishly unnatural smoothness and shininess. I can't stop touching it, and have occasionally been amusing myself by positioning it so as to reflect light. (Yes, I am easily amused. I've also never had a manicure in my life.)
5. Went to Barnes & Noble and bought the one book my self-imposed monthly quota system would still allow me to buy. I'm actually kind of impressed that I was able to limit myself. And I didn't buy the Star Trek DVD game that kept trying to convince me it was something I might actually want to play, either. See, sometimes I am capable of self-discipline!
6. Sat in the Barnes & Noble coffee shop for a while, sipping an iced cappuccino and reading, while I recovered from the stressily stressful stress of shopping and, y'know, being around other human beings. I wish I were more than half joking about that; I sometimes worry a little that I'm in danger of coming down with some weird phobia. Sometimes just having someone else in the same supermarket aisle with me makes me feel kind of ill-tempered and itchy. Then again, maybe it's just a fact of life that people are annoying.
7. Got lost in a construction detour, missed a poorly marked highway entrance, ended up on a road leading toward the middle of nowhere, turned around, found another highway entrance, got on the highway going the wrong way, turned around, and got caught in the construction again. All of which proves -- or, rather, reconfirms -- three facts: 1) I couldn't navigate my way out of a paper bag if you put a big arrow on each surface pointing towards the opening and handed me a GPS. 2) I have the memory of a goldfish, because if I hadn't somehow completely forgotten that I'd encountered construction around Gibson on the way in, I would have just taken I-40 like a normal person, instead of cruising the surface streets. And 3) there are perfectly legitimate reasons why I hate driving in the city, even when the city is Albuquerque, a place I am familiar with and which is not exactly known for its teeming traffic.
So, yup, that was my exciting day. What's really sad is that actually is a pretty active and event-filled day by my current standards. One of these days I should listen to Mr. Shatner and get a life.
On top of everything, of course, I now have much less money than when I left this morning. But at least the car seems happier, and I have somewhere to put my boobs. (What? Don't look at me that way! It's true!)
Anyway, no, I am not dead. I've just been very, very boring of late and haven't had much of anything to say. Well, I can tell you about my ever-so-exciting day, I guess. I blew off work and drove up to Albuquerque to run some errands, which involved doing the following deeply stimulating things:
1. Got the oil changed on my car (which was disturbingly overdue), and also the transmission fluid (which it was just about time for). By the way, does anybody know whether when the guys at Jiffy Lube tell you to come back in a couple of days so they can check your fluid levels, they're actually serious about that? Because I'm not making another 2-hour round trip just so they can shove a dipstick somewhere.
2. Ate lunch at Fuddrucker's, where I discovered that it is, indeed, possible to make a greasy buffalo burger.
3. Went shopping for bras. If it weren't for the fact that it happens much less often, this would provide serious competition for menstruation in the Worst Thing About Being a Female contest. Every time I do it, it makes me start thinking wistfully about breast reduction surgery, and I'm so much of a wuss about people doing medical things to my body that I still haven't worked up the guts to get my wisdom teeth out, despite repeated admonishments from my dentist. Sigh. It's expensive, too. I spent $200 on freaking bras! And half of them were on sale! Well, hopefully I shouldn't need to do it again for a few years.
4. Got ambushed by a guy who wanted to show me the OMG AMAZING! product he was selling. Which turned out to be a nail buffer. Which he insisted on demonstrating. I let him, because it was weirdly amusing, and because he looked so doggone bored, but I did keep telling him I wasn't going to buy the thing. I don't think he actually believed me until I started walking away, though. Anyway, as a result of this, the middle finger on my left hand now has a nail of freakishly unnatural smoothness and shininess. I can't stop touching it, and have occasionally been amusing myself by positioning it so as to reflect light. (Yes, I am easily amused. I've also never had a manicure in my life.)
5. Went to Barnes & Noble and bought the one book my self-imposed monthly quota system would still allow me to buy. I'm actually kind of impressed that I was able to limit myself. And I didn't buy the Star Trek DVD game that kept trying to convince me it was something I might actually want to play, either. See, sometimes I am capable of self-discipline!
6. Sat in the Barnes & Noble coffee shop for a while, sipping an iced cappuccino and reading, while I recovered from the stressily stressful stress of shopping and, y'know, being around other human beings. I wish I were more than half joking about that; I sometimes worry a little that I'm in danger of coming down with some weird phobia. Sometimes just having someone else in the same supermarket aisle with me makes me feel kind of ill-tempered and itchy. Then again, maybe it's just a fact of life that people are annoying.
7. Got lost in a construction detour, missed a poorly marked highway entrance, ended up on a road leading toward the middle of nowhere, turned around, found another highway entrance, got on the highway going the wrong way, turned around, and got caught in the construction again. All of which proves -- or, rather, reconfirms -- three facts: 1) I couldn't navigate my way out of a paper bag if you put a big arrow on each surface pointing towards the opening and handed me a GPS. 2) I have the memory of a goldfish, because if I hadn't somehow completely forgotten that I'd encountered construction around Gibson on the way in, I would have just taken I-40 like a normal person, instead of cruising the surface streets. And 3) there are perfectly legitimate reasons why I hate driving in the city, even when the city is Albuquerque, a place I am familiar with and which is not exactly known for its teeming traffic.
So, yup, that was my exciting day. What's really sad is that actually is a pretty active and event-filled day by my current standards. One of these days I should listen to Mr. Shatner and get a life.
On top of everything, of course, I now have much less money than when I left this morning. But at least the car seems happier, and I have somewhere to put my boobs. (What? Don't look at me that way! It's true!)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
They're Back, Baby!
Futurama is coming back to television with all-new episodes on Comedy Central!
OK, to be honest, I might be a little more excited about this if the last couple of movies had been better, but it's still very, very cool.
OK, to be honest, I might be a little more excited about this if the last couple of movies had been better, but it's still very, very cool.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Are We This Far Into June Already? Well, OK...
Current clothes: White terrycloth bathrobe. I just got out of the shower.
Current mood: Lethargic. I've only been awake for a couple of hours, and I'm still moving sloooowly. I've got to leave for work in another couple of hours, too, and I really don't want to.
Current music: Haven't been listening to much music lately. I've been trying to catch up on various podcasts, without a great deal of success.
Current annoyance: My foot still hurts. Which means I get no exercise.
Current thing: Working night shifts. Lots and lots of night shifts. Tonight's my last one for a while, though. Switching off of them is going to be weird.
Current desktop picture: This gorgeous picture of the shuttle Atlantis.
Current book: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman.
Current song in head: "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M. I woke up with that in my head today, probably because I was having a dream about watching a post-apocalyptic movie. It was some 1960s thing that looked like it was going to be cheesy, but turned out to have some surprisingly sophisticated thematic/symbolic stuff going on. A bit like Planet of the Apes, I suppose. I was mildly disappointed on waking to realize that it didn't actually exist.
Current DVD in player: Disc one of season 6 of Penn & Teller's Bullshit!
Current refreshment: Nothing. I should probably have some food. After I get dressed.
Current worry: I'm trying to decide whether switching off nights by staying up all day or by trying to get to sleep earlier and waking myself up after a few hours is likely to suck less. I suppose I'm mildly concerned about deciding wrongly, but, honestly, it's not like both options aren't about equally sucky.
Current thought: I should have dried off more after my shower and before donning my bathrobe. Certain areas of me are uncomfortably damp.
Current mood: Lethargic. I've only been awake for a couple of hours, and I'm still moving sloooowly. I've got to leave for work in another couple of hours, too, and I really don't want to.
Current music: Haven't been listening to much music lately. I've been trying to catch up on various podcasts, without a great deal of success.
Current annoyance: My foot still hurts. Which means I get no exercise.
Current thing: Working night shifts. Lots and lots of night shifts. Tonight's my last one for a while, though. Switching off of them is going to be weird.
Current desktop picture: This gorgeous picture of the shuttle Atlantis.
Current book: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman.
Current song in head: "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M. I woke up with that in my head today, probably because I was having a dream about watching a post-apocalyptic movie. It was some 1960s thing that looked like it was going to be cheesy, but turned out to have some surprisingly sophisticated thematic/symbolic stuff going on. A bit like Planet of the Apes, I suppose. I was mildly disappointed on waking to realize that it didn't actually exist.
Current DVD in player: Disc one of season 6 of Penn & Teller's Bullshit!
Current refreshment: Nothing. I should probably have some food. After I get dressed.
Current worry: I'm trying to decide whether switching off nights by staying up all day or by trying to get to sleep earlier and waking myself up after a few hours is likely to suck less. I suppose I'm mildly concerned about deciding wrongly, but, honestly, it's not like both options aren't about equally sucky.
Current thought: I should have dried off more after my shower and before donning my bathrobe. Certain areas of me are uncomfortably damp.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Any Political Implications Are Left As An Exercise For The Reader.
I just watched the 2006 movie The Astronaut Farmer on DVD. It's about a guy who never finished astronaut training, thus missing out on his dream of going into space, so he builds his own rocket in his barn. In many respects, it's a reasonably good movie, or at least one with a certain amount of low-key charm. And, man, if they had to pick one ambition that'd be almost guaranteed to resonate with me personally, the desire to get into space is most definitely it.
And yet I have to say, there were a couple of things about it that really rubbed me the wrong way, though I think they're things that are less about this movie in particular and more about movie trends in general. First off, this is one of those classic American celebrations of rugged, can-do individualism. Which I don't actually object to. I happen to think that innovation and individuality are great things, but of course what tends to happen in movies is that if you're celebrating one thing you have to do it by demonizing something else. So here we have NASA and the FAA and various other government agencies acting as the baddies who are actively trying to squelch our poor hero's dreams, apparently because he's attempting to steal their glory or is likely to prove that they're not as necessary as they want people to think. Which strikes me as downright slanderous. The truth is that the private spaceflight industry, while still in its infancy, is growing and thriving, and is in fact getting quite a bit of official encouragement and support. Of course, these aren't guys building rockets in their barns all on their lonesome. These are teams of smart, knowledgeable people working together. Which, y'know, is how we got to the moon in the first place. So, OK, rugged individualism, yay, but let's give a little credit to teamwork, too, huh, because it's achieved some damned impressive things.
The other issue that bugs me is that the theme or moral of this story, as with so very, very many other Hollywood stories, is more or less: "If you believe in your dreams, you can do anything. Never, ever give up, even if people think you're crazy." Which sounds great because, sure, people who don't try don't succeed, and if you want to accomplish great things you have to be willing to take risks and not worry too much about what the neighbors think, and so on. Call me cynical, though, but the extreme version of this that you usually get in these kinds of movies -- and that you certainly get in this one -- strikes me as a really bad message. Because, let's face it, sometimes crazy ideas really are just plain crazy. And more often than not, turning a deaf ear to all attempts to present you with a reality check is a recipe for disaster. I think a much, much better message, and one I'd love to see presented more often, would be "Dream smart." Because dreams are good. But people who dream stupid don't get into outer space. People who dream stupid win Darwin Awards instead.
And yet I have to say, there were a couple of things about it that really rubbed me the wrong way, though I think they're things that are less about this movie in particular and more about movie trends in general. First off, this is one of those classic American celebrations of rugged, can-do individualism. Which I don't actually object to. I happen to think that innovation and individuality are great things, but of course what tends to happen in movies is that if you're celebrating one thing you have to do it by demonizing something else. So here we have NASA and the FAA and various other government agencies acting as the baddies who are actively trying to squelch our poor hero's dreams, apparently because he's attempting to steal their glory or is likely to prove that they're not as necessary as they want people to think. Which strikes me as downright slanderous. The truth is that the private spaceflight industry, while still in its infancy, is growing and thriving, and is in fact getting quite a bit of official encouragement and support. Of course, these aren't guys building rockets in their barns all on their lonesome. These are teams of smart, knowledgeable people working together. Which, y'know, is how we got to the moon in the first place. So, OK, rugged individualism, yay, but let's give a little credit to teamwork, too, huh, because it's achieved some damned impressive things.
The other issue that bugs me is that the theme or moral of this story, as with so very, very many other Hollywood stories, is more or less: "If you believe in your dreams, you can do anything. Never, ever give up, even if people think you're crazy." Which sounds great because, sure, people who don't try don't succeed, and if you want to accomplish great things you have to be willing to take risks and not worry too much about what the neighbors think, and so on. Call me cynical, though, but the extreme version of this that you usually get in these kinds of movies -- and that you certainly get in this one -- strikes me as a really bad message. Because, let's face it, sometimes crazy ideas really are just plain crazy. And more often than not, turning a deaf ear to all attempts to present you with a reality check is a recipe for disaster. I think a much, much better message, and one I'd love to see presented more often, would be "Dream smart." Because dreams are good. But people who dream stupid don't get into outer space. People who dream stupid win Darwin Awards instead.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Cleaning Theme Continued
Those of you who've received e-mail from me recently have probably seen my current .sig quote: "A clean house is a sure sign of a broken computer."
As proof of this, a list of things in my house that are cleaner and/or tidier now than when my internet went down a couple of hours ago:
Kitchen counters
Dishes
Toaster, coffeepot and electric kettle
Bedsheets
Toilet
Underwear drawer
And that's with a long break for lunch. I was hoping to get the floors cleaned, too, but now that I'm connected again, I don't know if it'll happen.
[ETA: The internet was being remarkably boring, so I did get the floors done, after all. Yay, me!]
As proof of this, a list of things in my house that are cleaner and/or tidier now than when my internet went down a couple of hours ago:
Kitchen counters
Dishes
Toaster, coffeepot and electric kettle
Bedsheets
Toilet
Underwear drawer
And that's with a long break for lunch. I was hoping to get the floors cleaned, too, but now that I'm connected again, I don't know if it'll happen.
[ETA: The internet was being remarkably boring, so I did get the floors done, after all. Yay, me!]
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Clean Machine
I have a new washing machine! It's kind of sad how excited I am about this.
I have no idea how old my old one actually was, but I would not be entirely surprised to be informed that it and I shared a birthday.
I have no idea how old my old one actually was, but I would not be entirely surprised to be informed that it and I shared a birthday.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Too Many Books, Too Little Sleep
One of the unforeseen consequences of imposing a strict quota of the number of books I'm allowed to buy in any given month is that I end up ordering a whole bunch of books just after midnight on the first of the month. Possibly this is not entirely healthy behavior.
Speaking of things that are not entirely healthy, I am not pleased with this three-hours-of-sleep thing I've got going on today. I'm telling myself that, despite the fact that I have to work night shift again this weekend, waking up at 8 AM is actually a good thing, because there are several things I need to get done this week that will require being awake during the day. But the thought of doing any of that crap today just makes me feel grumpier. Bah! Need more coffee.
Speaking of things that are not entirely healthy, I am not pleased with this three-hours-of-sleep thing I've got going on today. I'm telling myself that, despite the fact that I have to work night shift again this weekend, waking up at 8 AM is actually a good thing, because there are several things I need to get done this week that will require being awake during the day. But the thought of doing any of that crap today just makes me feel grumpier. Bah! Need more coffee.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
US Who News
For those of you watching Doctor Who in the US, it turns out that BBC America is going to be getting this year's Who specials before that channel that's changing to the silly new name. Looks like they'll be airing the Christmas special on June 27th.
I guess whether that's good news or bad news for US Who viewers depends on what your cable package is like.
I guess whether that's good news or bad news for US Who viewers depends on what your cable package is like.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Fun Things That Come In The Mail
I am pleased to report that this is the most entertaining way of terrorizing your cats ever.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I'm Sure That Was More Than Seven Percent.
Speaking of re-imaginings of classic characters, the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes movie looks kind of entertaining, in a complete "What the hell where they smoking when they made this?!" kind of way:
Yayful Things
I have my glasses back! And they are noticeably gouge-free. Three cheers for warranties!
Also, my original -- well, OK, remastered -- Trek discs came in the mail! You know, one thing that has made me happy about the new movie, whatever mixed feelings I might have towards it, is that it does seem to generating a new enthusiasm for Old School Trek in many people, apparently including me. Given that one of my initial sources of hostility towards the film was the heart-sinking possibility that an entire new generation would, say, hear the name "Leonard McCoy" and immediately think of that Urban guy while the world slowly forgot the existence of the lovely DeForrest Kelley, this is a very gratifying and reassuring thing. (And, no, I didn't deliberately set up that sentence so I could make jokes involving the phrase "the Real McCoy," but you can insert your own here if you wish.)
Also, I do not seem to have come down with Pig Flu, after all. Thank you, immune system!
Also, my original -- well, OK, remastered -- Trek discs came in the mail! You know, one thing that has made me happy about the new movie, whatever mixed feelings I might have towards it, is that it does seem to generating a new enthusiasm for Old School Trek in many people, apparently including me. Given that one of my initial sources of hostility towards the film was the heart-sinking possibility that an entire new generation would, say, hear the name "Leonard McCoy" and immediately think of that Urban guy while the world slowly forgot the existence of the lovely DeForrest Kelley, this is a very gratifying and reassuring thing. (And, no, I didn't deliberately set up that sentence so I could make jokes involving the phrase "the Real McCoy," but you can insert your own here if you wish.)
Also, I do not seem to have come down with Pig Flu, after all. Thank you, immune system!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Oh Noes! Pig Flu!
Um... Why is my throat kind of sore? And why is it not going away even when I drink nice, soothing tea?
Oh, no, body. You do not get to be sick this week. I forbid it.
Oh, no, body. You do not get to be sick this week. I forbid it.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Back From The Final Frontier
OK, I am now back from seeing the Star Trek movie! I present for you my thoughts/analysis/review, which I have rendered pretty much non-spoilery, although I won't blame anyone for skipping it until they've seen the movie, if they don't want to go into it with my thoughts knocking around in their head.
The verdict? Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Which, considering that up until about a week ago my reaction to the whole idea was pretty much "Abomination! Sacrilege! Why must you rape my childhood?!", is actually a pretty darned positive reaction.
Actually, I partly take that back. I did in fact love the movie during pretty much every second when Spock was on the screen. I am kind of flabbergasted by that. Yes, I thought Zachary Quinto was not at all a bad choice for Spock if anybody had to play him, but until today I might very well have said that "Nobody but Leonard Nimoy ever, ever could or should play Spock" was as close to an article of religious faith as I have. And yet, lo and behold, he's the one character I accepted easily as being the character. Period.
Not only was Quinto entirely believable as Spock, with what appeared to be a full understanding of the incredibly subtle nuances of the character, but from the middle distance, he even looked reasonably like a young Leonard Nimoy. It's a pity that illusion was inevitably shattered a bit when he talked, as no matter how fine his acting skills, he simply does not have Nimoy's distinctive voice. But that's not his fault, and the fact that I looked at him and saw Spock anyway is, frankly, nothing short of amazing. It was also, in a way, enlightening. I walked out of the theater awash in the realization that, simply put, Spock is wonderful. Intrinsically wonderful, whoever might be playing him. For this old Trekkie, that sense of re-connection to a character I've loved since childhood was marvelous, and well worth sitting through the movie for, all by itself.
As for the other characters, well... Sorry, but they weren't them. They were trying to be, but whatever transcendent magic Quinto had, he was the only one who did. Then again, Spock, frankly, is the make-or-break character here, and the fact that he worked means that the movie as a whole worked -- or at least, it worked whenever he was on screen. For the rest of the time, though, if I just let myself think of it as a really good, extremely high-budget fan film, I was OK and could mostly short-circuit the voice in my head going, "Dude, that's not Kirk."
Because, really, he wasn't Kirk, and that was pretty much down to the actor. If you'd summarized for me everything Kirk says and does in the movie, I probably would be nodding my head and saying, "Yeah, that sounds pretty much like him." But while the cockiness is there, Chris Pine just doesn't have Shatner's cheesy charisma, and the result is a character who's less appealing than he really ought to be. Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy worked a bit better for me. We really only got to see a couple of aspects of McCoy's personality in the movie, but they were entertainingly done, and even if I couldn't look at Urban and effortlessly see Leonard McCoy, I could certainly see someone doing and saying the things that McCoy would say and do in something very close to the way he would say and do them.
Most of the other characters I don't have much to say about, mainly because they didn't have loads of characterization on the original series, or in the movie, or both. Chekov, for example, is pretty easy. "Excitable young guy with a silly accent" is pretty close to the extent of his characterization, and since Anton Yelchin had the silly accent nailed -- to the extent that I could almost mistake him for a young Walter Koenig if I close my eyes -- he pretty much works. I had more of a problem with Uhura. Again, the character was badly under-served in the original series, so I understand that there's not a whole lot there to work with, but, well, Uhura always had a certain... I'm not even sure how to describe it. A certain graceful, self-possessed quality. But my general sense of her character is the movie is closer to "spunky" than "self-possessed," and for much of the movie it was hard to see any of the Uhura I knew in her, xenolinguistics skill aside.
As for the plot... Well, I did find some of the action sequences a little tedious, the storyline was a bit silly and contrived, perhaps, and the science was terrible. But really, I can't say that any of that isn't Star Trek. A bit less easy to shrug off, perhaps, is the slightly annoyed sense that I was watching a bunch of kids playing at being starship officers with insufficient adult supervision, but it bothered me much less than I would have expected. Seriously. Much less. I've thought the whole "Starfleet Academy" prequel idea was painfully, vomit-inducingly bad since the first time it was ever proposed, umpteen years ago. So the simple fact that I was feeling neither pain nor nausea is, in fact, pretty incredible.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the gazillion lovely little continuity touches, which were fun without being unnecessarily obtrusive. Unfortunately, such careful attention to continuity just made their one big continuity lapse all the more annoying. Actually, there are several things that initially look like continuity errors in this, but they pretty much all shake themselves out as the story unfolds... leaving just one thing to bug the nitpicky crap out of me. Sigh. (People who've seen the movie and have a good knowledge of Original Trek, you may feel free to try to guess what it is.)
I also wish that they'd paid as much attention to making the other non-human character in Star Trek -- the Enterprise herself -- look and feel familiar as they did the characters with speaking lines. The exteriors were lovely, but the interiors? Look, I really wouldn't expect them to entirely re-create the 1960's aesthetic, because that would be... bizarre. But the bridge of the Enterprise should at least look and feel a little like the bridge of the Enterprise, in more than just the placement of the chairs.
But, anyway, again, I didn't hate it. It's not the Trekpocalypse. I can't really accuse it of raping my childhood. It was... a pretty good fan film, into which, astonishingly, a real-feeling Spock happened to wander. Hey, I'll take it!
Actually, I'm thinking I may very well want to see it again, just so I can give myself a chance to experience it on its own merits, instead of obsessively analyzing and drawing comparisons, as I was inevitably doing this time.
By the way, I'll be happy to discuss the movie at even greater length in the comments, and to hear what the rest of you think, but I ask that people please use spoiler warnings on anything that gets more spoilery than this review.
The verdict? Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Which, considering that up until about a week ago my reaction to the whole idea was pretty much "Abomination! Sacrilege! Why must you rape my childhood?!", is actually a pretty darned positive reaction.
Actually, I partly take that back. I did in fact love the movie during pretty much every second when Spock was on the screen. I am kind of flabbergasted by that. Yes, I thought Zachary Quinto was not at all a bad choice for Spock if anybody had to play him, but until today I might very well have said that "Nobody but Leonard Nimoy ever, ever could or should play Spock" was as close to an article of religious faith as I have. And yet, lo and behold, he's the one character I accepted easily as being the character. Period.
Not only was Quinto entirely believable as Spock, with what appeared to be a full understanding of the incredibly subtle nuances of the character, but from the middle distance, he even looked reasonably like a young Leonard Nimoy. It's a pity that illusion was inevitably shattered a bit when he talked, as no matter how fine his acting skills, he simply does not have Nimoy's distinctive voice. But that's not his fault, and the fact that I looked at him and saw Spock anyway is, frankly, nothing short of amazing. It was also, in a way, enlightening. I walked out of the theater awash in the realization that, simply put, Spock is wonderful. Intrinsically wonderful, whoever might be playing him. For this old Trekkie, that sense of re-connection to a character I've loved since childhood was marvelous, and well worth sitting through the movie for, all by itself.
As for the other characters, well... Sorry, but they weren't them. They were trying to be, but whatever transcendent magic Quinto had, he was the only one who did. Then again, Spock, frankly, is the make-or-break character here, and the fact that he worked means that the movie as a whole worked -- or at least, it worked whenever he was on screen. For the rest of the time, though, if I just let myself think of it as a really good, extremely high-budget fan film, I was OK and could mostly short-circuit the voice in my head going, "Dude, that's not Kirk."
Because, really, he wasn't Kirk, and that was pretty much down to the actor. If you'd summarized for me everything Kirk says and does in the movie, I probably would be nodding my head and saying, "Yeah, that sounds pretty much like him." But while the cockiness is there, Chris Pine just doesn't have Shatner's cheesy charisma, and the result is a character who's less appealing than he really ought to be. Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy worked a bit better for me. We really only got to see a couple of aspects of McCoy's personality in the movie, but they were entertainingly done, and even if I couldn't look at Urban and effortlessly see Leonard McCoy, I could certainly see someone doing and saying the things that McCoy would say and do in something very close to the way he would say and do them.
Most of the other characters I don't have much to say about, mainly because they didn't have loads of characterization on the original series, or in the movie, or both. Chekov, for example, is pretty easy. "Excitable young guy with a silly accent" is pretty close to the extent of his characterization, and since Anton Yelchin had the silly accent nailed -- to the extent that I could almost mistake him for a young Walter Koenig if I close my eyes -- he pretty much works. I had more of a problem with Uhura. Again, the character was badly under-served in the original series, so I understand that there's not a whole lot there to work with, but, well, Uhura always had a certain... I'm not even sure how to describe it. A certain graceful, self-possessed quality. But my general sense of her character is the movie is closer to "spunky" than "self-possessed," and for much of the movie it was hard to see any of the Uhura I knew in her, xenolinguistics skill aside.
As for the plot... Well, I did find some of the action sequences a little tedious, the storyline was a bit silly and contrived, perhaps, and the science was terrible. But really, I can't say that any of that isn't Star Trek. A bit less easy to shrug off, perhaps, is the slightly annoyed sense that I was watching a bunch of kids playing at being starship officers with insufficient adult supervision, but it bothered me much less than I would have expected. Seriously. Much less. I've thought the whole "Starfleet Academy" prequel idea was painfully, vomit-inducingly bad since the first time it was ever proposed, umpteen years ago. So the simple fact that I was feeling neither pain nor nausea is, in fact, pretty incredible.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the gazillion lovely little continuity touches, which were fun without being unnecessarily obtrusive. Unfortunately, such careful attention to continuity just made their one big continuity lapse all the more annoying. Actually, there are several things that initially look like continuity errors in this, but they pretty much all shake themselves out as the story unfolds... leaving just one thing to bug the nitpicky crap out of me. Sigh. (People who've seen the movie and have a good knowledge of Original Trek, you may feel free to try to guess what it is.)
I also wish that they'd paid as much attention to making the other non-human character in Star Trek -- the Enterprise herself -- look and feel familiar as they did the characters with speaking lines. The exteriors were lovely, but the interiors? Look, I really wouldn't expect them to entirely re-create the 1960's aesthetic, because that would be... bizarre. But the bridge of the Enterprise should at least look and feel a little like the bridge of the Enterprise, in more than just the placement of the chairs.
But, anyway, again, I didn't hate it. It's not the Trekpocalypse. I can't really accuse it of raping my childhood. It was... a pretty good fan film, into which, astonishingly, a real-feeling Spock happened to wander. Hey, I'll take it!
Actually, I'm thinking I may very well want to see it again, just so I can give myself a chance to experience it on its own merits, instead of obsessively analyzing and drawing comparisons, as I was inevitably doing this time.
By the way, I'll be happy to discuss the movie at even greater length in the comments, and to hear what the rest of you think, but I ask that people please use spoiler warnings on anything that gets more spoilery than this review.
Star Trekkin' Across The Universe (Or At Least Up I-25)
All right. I've done the grocery shopping and the laundry and all the other crap I really needed to do today. (Well, OK, maybe not the vacuuming, but that can wait.) In about half an hour or so, I'm gonna go see this new Star Trek thing, doggone it, if only so it will be possible for me to participate in the internet again.
That means you've all got until I get home tonight to place your bets on what my reaction will be. Will I return shouting "Abomination!" or "Frell me, THAT WAS COOL!"? Anything is possible! Stay tuned!
That means you've all got until I get home tonight to place your bets on what my reaction will be. Will I return shouting "Abomination!" or "Frell me, THAT WAS COOL!"? Anything is possible! Stay tuned!
Big Batch O' Random Links
We Didn't Start The Flamewar: This pretty much sums up the entire internet, right here. (Warning: NSFW.)
The Biology of B-Movies: Just how plausible are all those shrinking men and giant bugs? (Yeah, I think you can probably guess the answer to that one.)
Study: Why Cute Overload is Critical to Your Work: I am thoroughly convinced, and will now make a point of stopping whatever productive activities I may be engaged in to look at cute animals several times a day. For the good of my work.
Why Space Repairs Aren't Easy: Astronaut John Grunsfeld (mentioned in this article) has some ties with NRAO, and a few years back he came and gave us a talk about repairing the Hubble telescope, which was very cool indeed. The main thing I remember about it is thinking that I cannot possibly imagine having that job. It once took me the better part of an hour to change a car battery, never mind servicing a delicate, multi-million-dollar scientific instrument. In microgravity. While wearing giant space gloves.
Ten Things You Don't Know About Hubble: Speaking of Hubble, here's the latest in the Bad Astronomer's "Ten Things You Don't Know" series.
Open-mindedness: Interesting video exploring what it actually means to be "open-minded," and why it doesn't involve accepting every ghost story you come across at face value.
The Internet as Imagined in 1969: I'm not sure which tickles me more about this video. The truly impressive way they managed to get the broad details right, or the chuckle-inducing ways in which the hardware and the social aspects are just plain wrong.
Pregnancy Myths BUSTED!: Mythbuster Kari Byron, currently expecting a baby geeklet, punctures a few myths about pregnancy. Pretty much a fluff piece, but some of her comments are great. She really does have an entirely unique set of pregnancy-related concerns.
40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes: Well, I feel inspired! Though I'm not exactly sure to what.
International Space Station comes Together: And just to end on another space link, here's a cool flash animation showing the progress of the ISS's construction.
The Biology of B-Movies: Just how plausible are all those shrinking men and giant bugs? (Yeah, I think you can probably guess the answer to that one.)
Study: Why Cute Overload is Critical to Your Work: I am thoroughly convinced, and will now make a point of stopping whatever productive activities I may be engaged in to look at cute animals several times a day. For the good of my work.
Why Space Repairs Aren't Easy: Astronaut John Grunsfeld (mentioned in this article) has some ties with NRAO, and a few years back he came and gave us a talk about repairing the Hubble telescope, which was very cool indeed. The main thing I remember about it is thinking that I cannot possibly imagine having that job. It once took me the better part of an hour to change a car battery, never mind servicing a delicate, multi-million-dollar scientific instrument. In microgravity. While wearing giant space gloves.
Ten Things You Don't Know About Hubble: Speaking of Hubble, here's the latest in the Bad Astronomer's "Ten Things You Don't Know" series.
Open-mindedness: Interesting video exploring what it actually means to be "open-minded," and why it doesn't involve accepting every ghost story you come across at face value.
The Internet as Imagined in 1969: I'm not sure which tickles me more about this video. The truly impressive way they managed to get the broad details right, or the chuckle-inducing ways in which the hardware and the social aspects are just plain wrong.
Pregnancy Myths BUSTED!: Mythbuster Kari Byron, currently expecting a baby geeklet, punctures a few myths about pregnancy. Pretty much a fluff piece, but some of her comments are great. She really does have an entirely unique set of pregnancy-related concerns.
40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes: Well, I feel inspired! Though I'm not exactly sure to what.
International Space Station comes Together: And just to end on another space link, here's a cool flash animation showing the progress of the ISS's construction.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I Lost Lost.
Dear TiVo:
Is there a reason you only saw fit to record two minutes of the Lost season finale? Was it due to some sort of magnetic anomaly? Or is it because you hate me?
Contemplating feeding you to the smoke monster,
Me
[ETA: I have managed to see it now. And, lo, it was awesome.]
Is there a reason you only saw fit to record two minutes of the Lost season finale? Was it due to some sort of magnetic anomaly? Or is it because you hate me?
Contemplating feeding you to the smoke monster,
Me
[ETA: I have managed to see it now. And, lo, it was awesome.]
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Upside, Downside
Bad: I went to bed about 2 AM yesterday after getting off work at midnight... and was woken up by the mailman ringing my door at 8:30. Sigh. Why does the world conspire to keep me from getting a decent eight hours of sleep? On the upside, he was bringing me a box full of books and some more Pretender DVDs, and if you have to get woken up an hour or two too early, at least that's a nice thing to be awakened by.
Good: Turns out the warranty on my eyeglasses covers my giant lens scratch even though it's purely due to my own clumsiness. They're going to replace the lens, and it'll cost me zip. Considering that I was afraid I might have to buy another pair of $400+ glasses, or at least pay a good percentage of that for repair, this is excellent news. On the downside, it's going to take a week or so, during which I have to go back to wearing my old pair. The prescription's barely changed at all, so that's mostly OK, but I find any change in eyewear at least mildly disorienting.
Good: Turns out the warranty on my eyeglasses covers my giant lens scratch even though it's purely due to my own clumsiness. They're going to replace the lens, and it'll cost me zip. Considering that I was afraid I might have to buy another pair of $400+ glasses, or at least pay a good percentage of that for repair, this is excellent news. On the downside, it's going to take a week or so, during which I have to go back to wearing my old pair. The prescription's barely changed at all, so that's mostly OK, but I find any change in eyewear at least mildly disorienting.
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