Greetings,
It's been two weeks since the final episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Now there was no episode on last week and there will be no episode on tonight. So, I'm starting to think they were serious about this show going off the air. Well, so be it. I should have known. Two things proved that this show is over. One: they had a montage in that final episode. Two: I made my top ten episode list. Teardrops are falling.
This was difficult. This show was and is amazing, and we had so many great adventures with Detectives Bobby Goren and Alex Eames and all the other people. It was so hard to only pick ten, so maybe I'll do an honorable mention list someday. Until then, here are the winners.
#10. "The Faithful"(Season 1) - Here is where we first see the depths of Goren's theatricality when it comes to the interrogation room. He is the only person I think we would let get away with having that much fun with a schizophrenic, homeless guy. I'm not saying it's right; I'm just saying it's entertaining. And the donuts!? Talk about a nice blast from the past for D'Onofrio. What do you mean what do I mean? Go watch Full Metal Jacket!
#9. "Eosphoros"(Season 4) - No, I never tried to find out what that title means, but I'm sure it's relevant. For real, though, I did actually do a little research. Turns out that in Greek mythology, Eosphorus (spelled differently, but I think it's the same) is the Morning Star, which is what we also call Lucifer. Yes, there might just be a religious angle to this one. Anyway, this is a "ripped from the headlines" episode about a famous, old lady atheist who gets kidnapped and murdered. As someone who does believe in God, I venture to think she may have changed her mind about Him after the fact. Oh, and also, Frank Whaley was pretty enjoyable in this as one of the guest stars.
#8. "Untethered"(Season 7) - Over the years, many people believed that Goren should have been put away in some kind of facility for those who aren't exactly right in the mind. Because of...reasons. Well, this time, he put himself there. His intentions were noble, though, as he was trying to help out his nephew. Too bad it just made the people he worked for think he actually was crazy. Yep, it took them about SEVEN YEARS to figure out that he was maybe a little out of the ordinary. Don't know if I want those people in charge of the police department. In my opinion, as someone who also likes to think outside the box, strange, eccentric, even crazy is always better than dumb.
#7. "Rispetto"(Season 10) - This episode was alright, but the fact that it was the first one with Goren and Eames after over a year without them, I had to mention it. And Jay Mohr did a great job playing Charlie Sheen. No, wait! I mean, he did a great job playing a drug addict celebrity who goes insane...who is totally not Charlie Sheen...at all. Okay, my lawyer says I've done enough. Still... P.S. No one makes a prank phone call like Goren.
#6. "Anti-Thesis" (Season 2) - How could I not include the episode that introduced us to Goren's greatest nemesis, Nicole Wallace. She is played by the wonderful Olivia D'Abo, who acts this part brilliantly and will do so again in many subsequent episodes. She just knows how to get to Goren like no one else and it is so entertaining to watch. And, in regards to this episode, shout out to another guest actor here, Daniel London. He's not terribly well-known, but I always enjoy his work. Especially here.
#5. "In the Wee Small Hours"(Season 5) - This is one of only a few two part episodes in the series, maybe the only one, so they had to use both the teams of Goren and Eames as well as Logan and Barek from the "other" Criminal Intent. If you're a fan, you know what I mean. All of them together made it exceptionally good, and we were reminded of what a mama's boy Goren is. Not that there's anything wrong with a single man at that age being one. Seriously, though, he's just very, very protective of her, as any good son should be. Besides all that, this episode also feature a cameo by someone from my number one episode. Stay tuned.
#4. "The Unblinking Eye"(Season 4)/"Self-Made"(Season 7) - I had to make it a tie on this one, mainly because the reason they are so good is due to an actor who is in both of them. They feature a guy named Pablo Schreiber (yes, Liev Schreiber's little bro!) who played two totally different characters. But he did both of them so well that he practically stole the show, or should I say shows. Plus, I think he was the only person ever to guest star who is taller than Vincent D'Onofrio! I know it's not much, but congratulations to him. Oh, and there's also apparently an off-screen voice cameo by Matt Damon. No lie. The first episode is about actors; the second episode is about writers. So, if I had to pick which one is better than the other, I'd go with number two, because I'm a writer and narcissist. So, there you go. But it's still a tie.
#3. "Frame"(Season 7) - Where do I begin with this episode? I suppose with a major spoiler warning. We start with Goren's brother dying, then we finally become rid of his ultimate nemesis, the aforementioned Nicole Wallace, or as I call her MoriAdler. What? People compare Goren to Sherlock Holmes all the time, and Nicole Wallace is clearly a combo of Moriarty and Irene Adler. Hence, the nickname. And then, we have Tony award winner John Glover, playing what seems to be a polar opposite of the Smallville character for which he has become best known. It seems that clothes really do make the man. And of course, we get a little crazy from Goren. Need I say more.
#2. "End Game"(Season 6) - While investigating a murderer of the past, Goren manages to dig up a few disturbing secrets from his own past. We have here the beautiful Rita Moreno returning for her final performance as Goren's mother, and Roy Scheider as the jailed serial killer. And, no, he was not imprisoned for killing a lot of sharks. That's right. Jaws humor for one and all. Can it get any better than this? Well, I guess so. This is only number two.
#1. "Sound Bodies"(Season 3) - I won't go into huge detail here, but this episode is the best because of one fine young actor who I'm sure not enough people know about, and one scene that will go down in Law and Order history. The actor is named Billy Lush who I have seen in several different roles, including my number five pick on this list, but this is his best moment. Long story short, and not to give anything away about the plot, he has to make a little trip to the interrogation room. A lot of people do; it doesn't mean they're guilty of anything. While he's there, as usual, Goren starts pushing buttons. Most people would back down from him at this point, and I thought this kid was going to do it. But he did not. He did not, big time. What he did was slap Goren right across the face! He slapped Vincent D'Onofrio! And he lived to tell about it. Not many people can say that. And not many people will ever forget Goren's response to that infamous slap. His response, you may ask? One word: "Ouch!" Genius!!
So there it is. It's all over. I'm sad, but thanks to reruns and DVD, this wonderful show will last forever. I certainly will miss all the great actors and the characters that they brought to life, especially my beloved Bobby Goren, who, I am convinced, is my soulmate in some parallel universe. Anyway, I just hope that now Vincent D'Onofrio will have time to make some more great movies for us all to enjoy. And if he gets bored with that and wants to return to TV, there's always SVU.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
For Jeff
Greetings,
So it seems that tomorrow is Memorial Day. Ironically, today is a day when I always remember a particular person. Sadly, I am reminded of him because of his death. That person is Jeff Buckley.
Unfortunately, I don't think many people know who he is. Certainly, not enough. He has been heard of in passing, I'm sure, and I know a lot of people who claim that they are fans because they have his cover of "Hallelujah" on their ipod. I, however, was so entranced by him that I learned as much as I could. Now I could sit here and list a bunch of facts about him, but that is not what he was about.
Jeff Buckley was all about a feeling. The feeling you get from his music, his words, his voice could overwhelm any person with a soul that appreciates art. He had such a story, such a life, and all of it could be known in one note from his mouth. I've heard him speak with that voice as well as sing, and it always sounded so soft and gentle, which was always the kind of man he appeared to be as well. It was as though he wanted to save that voice for each song. He didn't want to let us down. And he never did.
As inspiring as his life was, his death was just as tragic. I remember it well. And somehow drowning in the Mississippi River almost seems drenched in some mythological cliche of the rock legend that he has become. A source of another writer's inspiration becoming his funeral bed is almost too much to handle. But isn't the death of someone like this always that way? I know I still cry when I think about him dying. Thankfully, he was so full of life when he was still living it and sharing it that thoughts of his death manage to be held at bay when I listen to him sing.
I could go on for so long about him, but all anyone needs to know about him they can find in his music. So if you haven't yet, find it, listen to it, REALLY listen to it, then all will be clear. And you can all mourn along with me. It's a good thing, though, that, in this case, along with the mourning comes quite a bit of joy.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So it seems that tomorrow is Memorial Day. Ironically, today is a day when I always remember a particular person. Sadly, I am reminded of him because of his death. That person is Jeff Buckley.
Unfortunately, I don't think many people know who he is. Certainly, not enough. He has been heard of in passing, I'm sure, and I know a lot of people who claim that they are fans because they have his cover of "Hallelujah" on their ipod. I, however, was so entranced by him that I learned as much as I could. Now I could sit here and list a bunch of facts about him, but that is not what he was about.
Jeff Buckley was all about a feeling. The feeling you get from his music, his words, his voice could overwhelm any person with a soul that appreciates art. He had such a story, such a life, and all of it could be known in one note from his mouth. I've heard him speak with that voice as well as sing, and it always sounded so soft and gentle, which was always the kind of man he appeared to be as well. It was as though he wanted to save that voice for each song. He didn't want to let us down. And he never did.
As inspiring as his life was, his death was just as tragic. I remember it well. And somehow drowning in the Mississippi River almost seems drenched in some mythological cliche of the rock legend that he has become. A source of another writer's inspiration becoming his funeral bed is almost too much to handle. But isn't the death of someone like this always that way? I know I still cry when I think about him dying. Thankfully, he was so full of life when he was still living it and sharing it that thoughts of his death manage to be held at bay when I listen to him sing.
I could go on for so long about him, but all anyone needs to know about him they can find in his music. So if you haven't yet, find it, listen to it, REALLY listen to it, then all will be clear. And you can all mourn along with me. It's a good thing, though, that, in this case, along with the mourning comes quite a bit of joy.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, May 16, 2011
Top Ten Smallville Episodes
Greetings,
So the weekend is over, and I have spent the last couple of days recovering from what happened on Friday night. It was a very bittersweet event, also known as the last episode of Smallville. I was not disappointed, mostly, because one of the great loves of my life, Lex Luthor, returned after a three year absence. But I thought it was a good ending, bringing together everything, and moving us on into the future that we knew we would get to from our past Superman experiences. A very good episode, getting honorable mention, though not exactly making my personal top ten. Those ones, which were difficult to choose, I will share right now.
#10. "Red" (Season 2) - When it comes to this show, I have obviously always been more of a Lex girl than a Clark girl. See, Clark is a good guy, which sometimes can translate into boring. Sorry. So there are moments of watching the show when we are at the Kent farm, where I yawn and think "Can we please go back to the Luthor mansion where something interesting might be happening?" In this episode, however, we are introduced to red Kryptonite, which doesn't hurt Clark or take his powers, but simply takes a way his inhibitions. In other words, it turns him into an awesomely awesome bad boy. So, after this episode, instead of requesting a change of scene venue, I could just ask for some red Kryptonite to spice things up.
#9. "Rosetta" (Season 2) - When most of us think of Superman and his legacy, our minds immediately go to Christopher Reeve. So I had to have this episode on my list. Here, Mr. Reeve is introduced as Dr. Virgil Swann, a scientist who somehow knows more about Clark's origins than anyone. The two meet and the doctor tells Clark many of the things he always wanted to know about himself, including, I think, his real name. Even though Christopher Reeve died a few years later after one more appearance, this character plays a huge part in years that followed. So it was an excellent introduction. And if you get the DVD, give this one a whirl with the commentary going. Oh, my poor, sweet Kristin Kreuk. Those boys barely let you get a word in! But we still love you.
#8. "Labyrinth" (Season 6) - I usually hate when shows steal ideas from other shows, which is what kind of happened here. Still, it's so good, it must be counted. Clark is locked in a mental institution having everyone tell him he is not a hero, but crazy. (Hello! Buffy, season six, "Normal Again". I guess James Marsters wasn't the only thing Smallville snatched up.) Anyway, he escapes, only to find the world outside is way lopsided. His mother is married to Lionel Luthor, Lana is living at the farm and in love with Clark, and, the best part, Lex pulls a Lt. Dan being in a wheel chair with no legs and blaming Clark for it! Only Chloe believes Clark's "delusions", but everyone says she's nuts, too. Another good thing here is that we meet the Martian Manhunter for the first time, and he is a big help in setting everything straight again.
#7. "Pilot" (Season 1) - I had to mention this one. It was an amazing opening to such a great show. The effects and the story were both extremely well done, not to mention the actors. And, of course, we have the iconic meeting of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, which leads them to being best friends, then best enemies with best frenemies in between. Such good frenemies, in fact, that I'm surprised Gossip Girl wasn't a spin off of this show.
#6. "Absolute Justice" (Season 9) - I can't believe I have an episode that doesn't include Lex, but it was so good, I had to do it, for a lot of reasons, but mainly one - Hawkman! But I'm getting ahead of myself. This is actually something of a two part episode, which is why I think it's the only one that has a two word title. Anyway, we get to meet some new superheroes, Hawkman, as I mentioned, (played by the amazing Michael Shanks) Stargirl, Dr. Fate, and a little villain called Icicle (this one led to the problem of bad jokes like, "I'm gonna turn that icicle into slush". No, thank you.) But it was very interesting as we learned of the Justice Society, which is like the Justice League but not quite, in a silent montage as we go through their home/headquarters. As a writer, I really love this episode, because the story is absolutely brilliant.
#5. "Arctic" (Season 7) - This is actually considered somewhat of a final episode for me, because it is the last one featuring Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor. It culminates with a standoff between Lex and Clark in the Fortress of Solitude of all places. Lex now knows everything about Clark and accuses him of not being a good friend because he didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth. In fact, he thinks Clark is a danger to the whole world and believes that he can save everyone by destroying his one time best friend and, in a way, brother. It gives us a good taste of what would become of them in the future.
#4. "Truth" (Season 3) - I like episodes where someone other than the MAIN main characters gets center stage. In this case, it's Chloe, one of Clark's best friends who wants to be more. After a trip to a Luthor Corp facility, she is infected with something green(I wonder), and when she asks people questions, they are forced to tell her the truth, a dream come true for a reporter. She exposes a teacher's criminal past, the fact that Lex wants his father to love him, and that Lionel Luthor killed his parents. She thinks these things are good info, but it leads to trouble. Trouble out of which, ultimately, Clark has to get her. Of course.
#3. "Spirit" (Season 4) - End of high school means graduation and, of course, prom, which brings in girls obsessed with being prom queen. This is no different in Smallville. We have a girl who really, REALLY wants to be queen, but she dies. This doesn't change things, because her spirit still wants that crown. She hops from body to body with that goal in mind. She even possesses Martha Kent, which gives us one of the funniest scenes in the shows history.
#2. "Transference" (Season 4) - Again, I hate thievery (Buffy, season 4, "Who Are You?"). However, this one was done so well, it had to be included. Lionel Luthor is in jail, and, with the help of some magical device, he wants to switch bodies with Lex, his own son, who put him there. Through a series of missteps, it is Clark who does the switch. Now what happens is what one would expect. Lionel discovers and enjoys all of Clark's powers, and Clark finds out some devastating info about Lionel. I must say, though, what makes this episode so great are the performances of Tom Welling and John Glover. Both of them absolutely nailed each other's mannerisms and speech. They were both phenomenal. Pay special attention to a scene between Martha and who she thinks is Clark, remembering that Lionel has always had a thing for her. A little creepy, but also hilarious.
#1. "Shattered" (Season 3) - There are many movies that make me not trust/hate the Oscars. This, my favorite episode, is one that makes me not trust/hate the Emmys. It has the most amazing performance by Michael Rosenbaum, and considering what a great actor he is, that is saying a lot. In a perfect world, he would have seven Emmys for each of his years on Smallville, but there you go. Here, Lex Luthor begins to behave in a way that makes many people question his sanity. Ultimately, after witnessing Clark using his powers and trying to convince people of what he saw, his father has him committed. The final scenes are breathtaking and, yes, Emmy worthy, for both Rosenbaum and John Glover. But I guess the best they will get is a top spot on my list. I hope they appreciate it.
And so, after ten years, this show has come to an end. It was interesting and entertaining and, despite what people may say about "shows like this", it showcased some of the finest actors and writers to ever be involved in television. Let's all pray for a spin off. I'm hoping for a little Superman/Batman something in our future. Fingers and capes crossed.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So the weekend is over, and I have spent the last couple of days recovering from what happened on Friday night. It was a very bittersweet event, also known as the last episode of Smallville. I was not disappointed, mostly, because one of the great loves of my life, Lex Luthor, returned after a three year absence. But I thought it was a good ending, bringing together everything, and moving us on into the future that we knew we would get to from our past Superman experiences. A very good episode, getting honorable mention, though not exactly making my personal top ten. Those ones, which were difficult to choose, I will share right now.
#10. "Red" (Season 2) - When it comes to this show, I have obviously always been more of a Lex girl than a Clark girl. See, Clark is a good guy, which sometimes can translate into boring. Sorry. So there are moments of watching the show when we are at the Kent farm, where I yawn and think "Can we please go back to the Luthor mansion where something interesting might be happening?" In this episode, however, we are introduced to red Kryptonite, which doesn't hurt Clark or take his powers, but simply takes a way his inhibitions. In other words, it turns him into an awesomely awesome bad boy. So, after this episode, instead of requesting a change of scene venue, I could just ask for some red Kryptonite to spice things up.
#9. "Rosetta" (Season 2) - When most of us think of Superman and his legacy, our minds immediately go to Christopher Reeve. So I had to have this episode on my list. Here, Mr. Reeve is introduced as Dr. Virgil Swann, a scientist who somehow knows more about Clark's origins than anyone. The two meet and the doctor tells Clark many of the things he always wanted to know about himself, including, I think, his real name. Even though Christopher Reeve died a few years later after one more appearance, this character plays a huge part in years that followed. So it was an excellent introduction. And if you get the DVD, give this one a whirl with the commentary going. Oh, my poor, sweet Kristin Kreuk. Those boys barely let you get a word in! But we still love you.
#8. "Labyrinth" (Season 6) - I usually hate when shows steal ideas from other shows, which is what kind of happened here. Still, it's so good, it must be counted. Clark is locked in a mental institution having everyone tell him he is not a hero, but crazy. (Hello! Buffy, season six, "Normal Again". I guess James Marsters wasn't the only thing Smallville snatched up.) Anyway, he escapes, only to find the world outside is way lopsided. His mother is married to Lionel Luthor, Lana is living at the farm and in love with Clark, and, the best part, Lex pulls a Lt. Dan being in a wheel chair with no legs and blaming Clark for it! Only Chloe believes Clark's "delusions", but everyone says she's nuts, too. Another good thing here is that we meet the Martian Manhunter for the first time, and he is a big help in setting everything straight again.
#7. "Pilot" (Season 1) - I had to mention this one. It was an amazing opening to such a great show. The effects and the story were both extremely well done, not to mention the actors. And, of course, we have the iconic meeting of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, which leads them to being best friends, then best enemies with best frenemies in between. Such good frenemies, in fact, that I'm surprised Gossip Girl wasn't a spin off of this show.
#6. "Absolute Justice" (Season 9) - I can't believe I have an episode that doesn't include Lex, but it was so good, I had to do it, for a lot of reasons, but mainly one - Hawkman! But I'm getting ahead of myself. This is actually something of a two part episode, which is why I think it's the only one that has a two word title. Anyway, we get to meet some new superheroes, Hawkman, as I mentioned, (played by the amazing Michael Shanks) Stargirl, Dr. Fate, and a little villain called Icicle (this one led to the problem of bad jokes like, "I'm gonna turn that icicle into slush". No, thank you.) But it was very interesting as we learned of the Justice Society, which is like the Justice League but not quite, in a silent montage as we go through their home/headquarters. As a writer, I really love this episode, because the story is absolutely brilliant.
#5. "Arctic" (Season 7) - This is actually considered somewhat of a final episode for me, because it is the last one featuring Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor. It culminates with a standoff between Lex and Clark in the Fortress of Solitude of all places. Lex now knows everything about Clark and accuses him of not being a good friend because he didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth. In fact, he thinks Clark is a danger to the whole world and believes that he can save everyone by destroying his one time best friend and, in a way, brother. It gives us a good taste of what would become of them in the future.
#4. "Truth" (Season 3) - I like episodes where someone other than the MAIN main characters gets center stage. In this case, it's Chloe, one of Clark's best friends who wants to be more. After a trip to a Luthor Corp facility, she is infected with something green(I wonder), and when she asks people questions, they are forced to tell her the truth, a dream come true for a reporter. She exposes a teacher's criminal past, the fact that Lex wants his father to love him, and that Lionel Luthor killed his parents. She thinks these things are good info, but it leads to trouble. Trouble out of which, ultimately, Clark has to get her. Of course.
#3. "Spirit" (Season 4) - End of high school means graduation and, of course, prom, which brings in girls obsessed with being prom queen. This is no different in Smallville. We have a girl who really, REALLY wants to be queen, but she dies. This doesn't change things, because her spirit still wants that crown. She hops from body to body with that goal in mind. She even possesses Martha Kent, which gives us one of the funniest scenes in the shows history.
#2. "Transference" (Season 4) - Again, I hate thievery (Buffy, season 4, "Who Are You?"). However, this one was done so well, it had to be included. Lionel Luthor is in jail, and, with the help of some magical device, he wants to switch bodies with Lex, his own son, who put him there. Through a series of missteps, it is Clark who does the switch. Now what happens is what one would expect. Lionel discovers and enjoys all of Clark's powers, and Clark finds out some devastating info about Lionel. I must say, though, what makes this episode so great are the performances of Tom Welling and John Glover. Both of them absolutely nailed each other's mannerisms and speech. They were both phenomenal. Pay special attention to a scene between Martha and who she thinks is Clark, remembering that Lionel has always had a thing for her. A little creepy, but also hilarious.
#1. "Shattered" (Season 3) - There are many movies that make me not trust/hate the Oscars. This, my favorite episode, is one that makes me not trust/hate the Emmys. It has the most amazing performance by Michael Rosenbaum, and considering what a great actor he is, that is saying a lot. In a perfect world, he would have seven Emmys for each of his years on Smallville, but there you go. Here, Lex Luthor begins to behave in a way that makes many people question his sanity. Ultimately, after witnessing Clark using his powers and trying to convince people of what he saw, his father has him committed. The final scenes are breathtaking and, yes, Emmy worthy, for both Rosenbaum and John Glover. But I guess the best they will get is a top spot on my list. I hope they appreciate it.
And so, after ten years, this show has come to an end. It was interesting and entertaining and, despite what people may say about "shows like this", it showcased some of the finest actors and writers to ever be involved in television. Let's all pray for a spin off. I'm hoping for a little Superman/Batman something in our future. Fingers and capes crossed.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Ten Commandments - Movie Review
Greetings,
So, last night, I was delighted when I turned on the TV and saw that my favorite movie was going to air. That movie would be The Ten Commandments. Despite the fact that I think anyone who hasn't seen this movie is very, very sad, I will happily share my review with those who have not seen it and those who have. Well, in this case, it's not just a review. I will be discussing this whole thing in great detail. Therefore, as you can tell by the title of this post, it is a review, but also a retrospective.
This movie was made in 1956, and it's nearly four hours long. I know those two facts are enough to turn a lot of people off, especially the youngsters, but, doubt me not, you will be entertained by what I consider the greatest film of all time. I may only feel that way because it was the only night of the year I was allowed to stay up passed my bedtime when I was a kid. But I bet the awesome special effects have something to do with it, too. Now I have a lot of story to take you through. I just have to do it, because it really is so rich, I want to share as much as I can. So bear with me. And, possibly, enjoy!
We are taken on the journey of Moses, from birth to near death, which is probably why it takes so long. We see his mother set him on the Nile River to spare him from Pharaoh's edict to kill all the male children, See, he's scared, rightfully so, that one of them will deliver the Israelite slaves to freedom. And since good help is hard to find, this is his extremely humane idea to take care of this problem. Humane, and a bit misogynistic, if you ask me. Hello! Just the boys? A girl could have gotten them out of there, too. In theory, anyway. I'm not trying to be sacrilegious. Ironically, Moses is saved by the Pharaoh's daughter, a princess. If she was only a self-proclaimed princess, this is how I imagine Angelina's adoptions always go. Anyway, he is raised as a prince of Egypt, and he grows up to be Charlton Heston. Now the new Pharaoh, the one who didn't try to kill him, actually is leaning towards having Moses be the successor to the throne. And this is instead of his own son, Ramses, played by Yul Brynner, who is actually one of the only people who looks like he could possibly come from Egypt. A little. While the two guys fight for the throne, they are also fighting for the love of Nefretiri, the future queen, whether she likes it or not. I guess she's like a package deal with the throne. She's like the fries that come with a combo meal. And that just feels not so great to me. But when she's as gorgeous as Anne Baxter, any guy will throw down for that. Of course, in the case of Ramses, I'm not sure that love has much to do with his wanting her. How sad.
We also meet a lot of amazing characters, some actual, historical people, some . . . I don't really know. We have Joshua, of course, played by John Derek, quite possibly one of the best looking men to ever exist. Side note: I can't tell you the levels of wrongness I feel kind of crushing on a Bible character. So wrong! He's got a lady named Lilia, again another gorgeous actress. This time it's Debra Paget. Love her, by the way. Now Joshua and Lilia are two of the "good guys" in this film, so we need some contrast. The bad dudes are Vincent Price as Baka, and Edward G. Robinson as Dathan, a total traitor to his own people. If there's one thing that this movie does well, it is the villains. And may I add that every one of the men here has a thing for Miss Debra Paget character, and who can blame them? Although, what this poor woman is put through in this story just breaks my heart, and it makes me constantly hope that she gets a happy ending.
So, thanks to some big mouth servant, who Nefretiri takes out, as in kills, Moses finds out that he's actually a Hebrew and his family are slaves. No surprise, he is a bit shocked. He decides to go out and work with them, so he can experience what his life would have been like. During this time, we get one of the best scenes in the film. It has to do with this old man dying, regretting that his one prayer was never answered. But, as you'll see, it turns out that his prayer was, in fact, answered.
Another thing that happens in this part is that Moses ends up killing Vincent Price as a little side activity and also to save the life of Joshua. All of this gets back to the Pharaoh, including the fact that Moses is apparently this deliverer that everyone feared or hoped was coming. This is something that everyone believes except Moses himself. It all makes Pharaoh a little upset. He honestly seems to feel as though he is loosing a son. So what does he do? He kicks Moses out and erases his name from everything, even the pyramids, I think, which I bet is hard to do. And they send him to the desert. A little harsh. I mean, it wasn't his fault he was born. But isn't that just how some people are.
After some very severe and painful wandering through that desert, Moses runs into some Beduins, where he meets his future wife, Sephora, again, gorgeous. And it's Yvonne DeCarlo, a.k.a Mrs. Munster. Of course, after being accepted in by the father, Jethro, Moses gets his pick of the man's six other daughters, but he loves Sephora and intends to marry her. This leads to some of the most beautiful dialogue in the film. Including my favorite movie quote of all time - "Love is not an art to us. It's life to us." Absolutely perfect.
Now, after several years go by, this is when Moses heads up to Mount Sinai, which they're really not supposed to do because God lives there. Yeah, I know. It's where we get the whole burning bush thing, where God tells Moses that he has to go and free the slaves, and Moses is like, "Excuse me?" He really does not want to go, but when God tells you to do something, you did it. So, after he comes down from the mountain, with gray hair now, which freaks out the wife a bit, he grabs his brother Aaron and off they go.
In Egypt, they find that Ramses is now Pharaoh, married to Nefretiri and father to a little boy. Duh! What was Moses expecting? And here's what happens for a while, by way of some paraphrasing.
Moses - " Let my people go!"
Pharaoh - "No!"
Moses - "Here's a plague"
Pharaoh - "Okay, you can go"
Moses - "There goes the plague"
Pharaoh - "Never mind"
Moses - "Here we go again"
How accurate. Anyway, after the worst plague, the firstborn dying one, Pharaoh actually lets them go for real. But he says it really mean, like he's mad at Moses. He even throws something. Whatever! Look, Ramses, I get that your son died, which I wouldn't wish on anyone, but you could have said leave and meant it after the frogs. You brought this on yourself. In fact, Moses even said that Ramses would be the one to speak the last plague. And he did.
So all the slaves leave, and there are a lot of them. That must have taken a lot of organization. I mean, the hugeness of this scene is overwhelming. Not to mention, this is where we get the moment that always makes me cry a little. Let's just say, we see what seems to be the beautiful end of a long life and the beginning of a new one. Again, perfection.
Anyway, as they head off joyfully into their trip, there's trouble back at the palace. Ramses is all mad and his wife, who is mad at Moses for not hooking up with her, basically insults his manhood enough to convince him to go after Moses and the Israelites, and kill Moses. He's like "Alright" and goes.
Now comes the best part. The former slaves get to the Red Sea, and it's a big sea. Everyone's thinking 'What are we gonna do?'. And Moses just flat out starts yelling, reminding them that they have seen the power of God work to save them time and time again, and they have no reason to have fear. So, therefore . . . "Behold His mighty hand!" Up goes the water, nice dry land for everyone to walk on. Let's get a move on. But about halfway through, something changes. Something that really must have tested their faith. After being held back by a pillar of fire, the pharaoh and his army start charging. They chase after the Israelites, who had a head start. So much of a head start that, once God's people were all safe on land, the walls of water came tumbling down. It's like foreshadowing for that whole Jericho thing with Joshua. Anyway, Ramses loses his whole army and returns to his wife where he utters even more great words when asked about Moses. What does he say? "His God is God". Yeah, no kidding.
But we're not done yet. Calm down, though, we're almost there. Here's where everyone gets annoying. So Moses goes up the mountain to get the titular Ten Commandments for everyone. Apparently, he stays up there for too long, because all the people decide to build a golden calf to worship, instead of God. Yeah, the people who God just saved, multiple times, decide He's taking too long. It's crazy. But we didn't get the fruits of the spirit, one of them being long suffering, until the New Testament. Anyway, we've got Dathan egging them on, and how he bamboozled his way into leaving Egypt with everyone else, I'll never know. We've got Aaron, brother of Moses, building the dang idol, because everyone pushes him to do it. Hello! Weak under peer pressure much! They even try to sacrifice Lilia! What? Always the pretty girls. So then, good timing, here comes Moses with the Ten Commandments, including the one about no graven images. What a coincidence! He's a little mad, so he throws the stone tablets down at the idol, and then, fire galore. It's awesome to behold. This should teach everyone two things: obey God and be patient.
The film ends with a few of the characters way older after all the desert wandering, deciding what to put in the Ark of the Covenant. Then Moses walks off into the sunset or whatever, and the credits roll. And so ends the best movie ever.
I know I said a lot about this film, which is why I decided to call it a retrospective as well, but watch it anyway. It is so worth it. It's beautiful and lyrical and Biblical, when they manage to be accurate. It is everything that a masterpiece of cinema should be. So I say, thank you, Mr. DeMille. You, sir, are a legend.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So, last night, I was delighted when I turned on the TV and saw that my favorite movie was going to air. That movie would be The Ten Commandments. Despite the fact that I think anyone who hasn't seen this movie is very, very sad, I will happily share my review with those who have not seen it and those who have. Well, in this case, it's not just a review. I will be discussing this whole thing in great detail. Therefore, as you can tell by the title of this post, it is a review, but also a retrospective.
This movie was made in 1956, and it's nearly four hours long. I know those two facts are enough to turn a lot of people off, especially the youngsters, but, doubt me not, you will be entertained by what I consider the greatest film of all time. I may only feel that way because it was the only night of the year I was allowed to stay up passed my bedtime when I was a kid. But I bet the awesome special effects have something to do with it, too. Now I have a lot of story to take you through. I just have to do it, because it really is so rich, I want to share as much as I can. So bear with me. And, possibly, enjoy!
We are taken on the journey of Moses, from birth to near death, which is probably why it takes so long. We see his mother set him on the Nile River to spare him from Pharaoh's edict to kill all the male children, See, he's scared, rightfully so, that one of them will deliver the Israelite slaves to freedom. And since good help is hard to find, this is his extremely humane idea to take care of this problem. Humane, and a bit misogynistic, if you ask me. Hello! Just the boys? A girl could have gotten them out of there, too. In theory, anyway. I'm not trying to be sacrilegious. Ironically, Moses is saved by the Pharaoh's daughter, a princess. If she was only a self-proclaimed princess, this is how I imagine Angelina's adoptions always go. Anyway, he is raised as a prince of Egypt, and he grows up to be Charlton Heston. Now the new Pharaoh, the one who didn't try to kill him, actually is leaning towards having Moses be the successor to the throne. And this is instead of his own son, Ramses, played by Yul Brynner, who is actually one of the only people who looks like he could possibly come from Egypt. A little. While the two guys fight for the throne, they are also fighting for the love of Nefretiri, the future queen, whether she likes it or not. I guess she's like a package deal with the throne. She's like the fries that come with a combo meal. And that just feels not so great to me. But when she's as gorgeous as Anne Baxter, any guy will throw down for that. Of course, in the case of Ramses, I'm not sure that love has much to do with his wanting her. How sad.
We also meet a lot of amazing characters, some actual, historical people, some . . . I don't really know. We have Joshua, of course, played by John Derek, quite possibly one of the best looking men to ever exist. Side note: I can't tell you the levels of wrongness I feel kind of crushing on a Bible character. So wrong! He's got a lady named Lilia, again another gorgeous actress. This time it's Debra Paget. Love her, by the way. Now Joshua and Lilia are two of the "good guys" in this film, so we need some contrast. The bad dudes are Vincent Price as Baka, and Edward G. Robinson as Dathan, a total traitor to his own people. If there's one thing that this movie does well, it is the villains. And may I add that every one of the men here has a thing for Miss Debra Paget character, and who can blame them? Although, what this poor woman is put through in this story just breaks my heart, and it makes me constantly hope that she gets a happy ending.
So, thanks to some big mouth servant, who Nefretiri takes out, as in kills, Moses finds out that he's actually a Hebrew and his family are slaves. No surprise, he is a bit shocked. He decides to go out and work with them, so he can experience what his life would have been like. During this time, we get one of the best scenes in the film. It has to do with this old man dying, regretting that his one prayer was never answered. But, as you'll see, it turns out that his prayer was, in fact, answered.
Another thing that happens in this part is that Moses ends up killing Vincent Price as a little side activity and also to save the life of Joshua. All of this gets back to the Pharaoh, including the fact that Moses is apparently this deliverer that everyone feared or hoped was coming. This is something that everyone believes except Moses himself. It all makes Pharaoh a little upset. He honestly seems to feel as though he is loosing a son. So what does he do? He kicks Moses out and erases his name from everything, even the pyramids, I think, which I bet is hard to do. And they send him to the desert. A little harsh. I mean, it wasn't his fault he was born. But isn't that just how some people are.
After some very severe and painful wandering through that desert, Moses runs into some Beduins, where he meets his future wife, Sephora, again, gorgeous. And it's Yvonne DeCarlo, a.k.a Mrs. Munster. Of course, after being accepted in by the father, Jethro, Moses gets his pick of the man's six other daughters, but he loves Sephora and intends to marry her. This leads to some of the most beautiful dialogue in the film. Including my favorite movie quote of all time - "Love is not an art to us. It's life to us." Absolutely perfect.
Now, after several years go by, this is when Moses heads up to Mount Sinai, which they're really not supposed to do because God lives there. Yeah, I know. It's where we get the whole burning bush thing, where God tells Moses that he has to go and free the slaves, and Moses is like, "Excuse me?" He really does not want to go, but when God tells you to do something, you did it. So, after he comes down from the mountain, with gray hair now, which freaks out the wife a bit, he grabs his brother Aaron and off they go.
In Egypt, they find that Ramses is now Pharaoh, married to Nefretiri and father to a little boy. Duh! What was Moses expecting? And here's what happens for a while, by way of some paraphrasing.
Moses - " Let my people go!"
Pharaoh - "No!"
Moses - "Here's a plague"
Pharaoh - "Okay, you can go"
Moses - "There goes the plague"
Pharaoh - "Never mind"
Moses - "Here we go again"
How accurate. Anyway, after the worst plague, the firstborn dying one, Pharaoh actually lets them go for real. But he says it really mean, like he's mad at Moses. He even throws something. Whatever! Look, Ramses, I get that your son died, which I wouldn't wish on anyone, but you could have said leave and meant it after the frogs. You brought this on yourself. In fact, Moses even said that Ramses would be the one to speak the last plague. And he did.
So all the slaves leave, and there are a lot of them. That must have taken a lot of organization. I mean, the hugeness of this scene is overwhelming. Not to mention, this is where we get the moment that always makes me cry a little. Let's just say, we see what seems to be the beautiful end of a long life and the beginning of a new one. Again, perfection.
Anyway, as they head off joyfully into their trip, there's trouble back at the palace. Ramses is all mad and his wife, who is mad at Moses for not hooking up with her, basically insults his manhood enough to convince him to go after Moses and the Israelites, and kill Moses. He's like "Alright" and goes.
Now comes the best part. The former slaves get to the Red Sea, and it's a big sea. Everyone's thinking 'What are we gonna do?'. And Moses just flat out starts yelling, reminding them that they have seen the power of God work to save them time and time again, and they have no reason to have fear. So, therefore . . . "Behold His mighty hand!" Up goes the water, nice dry land for everyone to walk on. Let's get a move on. But about halfway through, something changes. Something that really must have tested their faith. After being held back by a pillar of fire, the pharaoh and his army start charging. They chase after the Israelites, who had a head start. So much of a head start that, once God's people were all safe on land, the walls of water came tumbling down. It's like foreshadowing for that whole Jericho thing with Joshua. Anyway, Ramses loses his whole army and returns to his wife where he utters even more great words when asked about Moses. What does he say? "His God is God". Yeah, no kidding.
But we're not done yet. Calm down, though, we're almost there. Here's where everyone gets annoying. So Moses goes up the mountain to get the titular Ten Commandments for everyone. Apparently, he stays up there for too long, because all the people decide to build a golden calf to worship, instead of God. Yeah, the people who God just saved, multiple times, decide He's taking too long. It's crazy. But we didn't get the fruits of the spirit, one of them being long suffering, until the New Testament. Anyway, we've got Dathan egging them on, and how he bamboozled his way into leaving Egypt with everyone else, I'll never know. We've got Aaron, brother of Moses, building the dang idol, because everyone pushes him to do it. Hello! Weak under peer pressure much! They even try to sacrifice Lilia! What? Always the pretty girls. So then, good timing, here comes Moses with the Ten Commandments, including the one about no graven images. What a coincidence! He's a little mad, so he throws the stone tablets down at the idol, and then, fire galore. It's awesome to behold. This should teach everyone two things: obey God and be patient.
The film ends with a few of the characters way older after all the desert wandering, deciding what to put in the Ark of the Covenant. Then Moses walks off into the sunset or whatever, and the credits roll. And so ends the best movie ever.
I know I said a lot about this film, which is why I decided to call it a retrospective as well, but watch it anyway. It is so worth it. It's beautiful and lyrical and Biblical, when they manage to be accurate. It is everything that a masterpiece of cinema should be. So I say, thank you, Mr. DeMille. You, sir, are a legend.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, April 15, 2011
Stranger Than Fiction - Movie Review
Greetings,
I love movies about writers. Call me a narcissist if you must. I just love watching stories about the process of the work, even though I am well acquainted with it. But, of course, everyone's process is different. Although, I do often wonder what hopes and fears we all share. Turns out, we may share a few bizarre ones. And this is why I wanted to talk about Stranger Than Fiction.
This film is about a man named Harold Crick, an IRS agent who loves numbers. In other words, the most boring man you will ever meet. He is played by Will Ferrell and while this role can be called comedic, it goes much deeper than slapstick. Anyway, one day, as he brushes his teeth, counting as he goes, Harold begins to hear a voice in his head describing his every move. It seems he has kind of life narrator.
Naturally, he's a little curious about what's going on, but when this voice eventually says that he is going to die, he becomes desperate for an answer to what's going on. So he enlists the help of Professor Jules Hilbert, played by Dustin Hoffman, who doesn't seem that freaked out at all. Although, with the eccentricity of his character, it's not surprising. In fact, he almost acts as those this is a normal and usual occurrence. It always made me wonder if, in his experience, maybe it was.
We soon find out that the voice in his head is that of a real author named Karen Eiffel, Emma Thompson's character, who is writing, or rather trying to write a novel with Harold Crick as the main character. Her dilemma? She doesn't know how to kill him, because, in her books, someone always dies. She does not enlist the help of Penny, played by Queen Latifah, but, instead, has this woman forced upon her by the publisher who has a deadline to be met, to assist her in finishing the novel.
In the meantime, Harold is sent to audit a very hippie-like bakery owner, Anna Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhall). She obviously wants to make his life miserable and nearly succeeds, until they begin to see things in each other that they never thought they would find. I'm not sure how I feel about this character, but I see what they were going for, making her such a contrast to Harold. Some of it works for me.
Throughout the film, we follow these two parallel stories, wondering if they're even in the same world. And as time goes on, you can find yourself rooting for both Harold and Karen to succeed at what they are after, though it seems impossible for both of them to win. Still, there's something about this movie that almost asks you to believe in some kind of miracle.
I can't really say anymore without ruining the story, but this is one of those movies that can be difficult to describe and really needs to be seen. It is a great movie though, especially if you enjoy actors stepping out of their typical comfort zone of roles. You'll also love it if you love movies about writers, which, as I mentioned, I do.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I love movies about writers. Call me a narcissist if you must. I just love watching stories about the process of the work, even though I am well acquainted with it. But, of course, everyone's process is different. Although, I do often wonder what hopes and fears we all share. Turns out, we may share a few bizarre ones. And this is why I wanted to talk about Stranger Than Fiction.
This film is about a man named Harold Crick, an IRS agent who loves numbers. In other words, the most boring man you will ever meet. He is played by Will Ferrell and while this role can be called comedic, it goes much deeper than slapstick. Anyway, one day, as he brushes his teeth, counting as he goes, Harold begins to hear a voice in his head describing his every move. It seems he has kind of life narrator.
Naturally, he's a little curious about what's going on, but when this voice eventually says that he is going to die, he becomes desperate for an answer to what's going on. So he enlists the help of Professor Jules Hilbert, played by Dustin Hoffman, who doesn't seem that freaked out at all. Although, with the eccentricity of his character, it's not surprising. In fact, he almost acts as those this is a normal and usual occurrence. It always made me wonder if, in his experience, maybe it was.
We soon find out that the voice in his head is that of a real author named Karen Eiffel, Emma Thompson's character, who is writing, or rather trying to write a novel with Harold Crick as the main character. Her dilemma? She doesn't know how to kill him, because, in her books, someone always dies. She does not enlist the help of Penny, played by Queen Latifah, but, instead, has this woman forced upon her by the publisher who has a deadline to be met, to assist her in finishing the novel.
In the meantime, Harold is sent to audit a very hippie-like bakery owner, Anna Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhall). She obviously wants to make his life miserable and nearly succeeds, until they begin to see things in each other that they never thought they would find. I'm not sure how I feel about this character, but I see what they were going for, making her such a contrast to Harold. Some of it works for me.
Throughout the film, we follow these two parallel stories, wondering if they're even in the same world. And as time goes on, you can find yourself rooting for both Harold and Karen to succeed at what they are after, though it seems impossible for both of them to win. Still, there's something about this movie that almost asks you to believe in some kind of miracle.
I can't really say anymore without ruining the story, but this is one of those movies that can be difficult to describe and really needs to be seen. It is a great movie though, especially if you enjoy actors stepping out of their typical comfort zone of roles. You'll also love it if you love movies about writers, which, as I mentioned, I do.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
For Maurice
Greetings,
I wanted my first blog of the year to be about something special and important. Few things are more special and important than paying tribute to someone whom I have greatly admired and whom I miss dearly. That person would be Maurice Gibb and today is the day he passed away, eight years ago.
Most people know Maurice Gibb as one third of the Bee Gees, and I'm sure he was always very proud to be that. But, sadly, I think he was the one that people knew the least about, especially if they weren't followers the way I had always been. While it seems that throughout the career of the Bee Gees, it was Barry and Robin who were the focal points, Maurice's contributions were undeniable and incomparable.
I hate to use the word "genius" on anyone after I've seen what can happen to the recipients, but if I was going to call one of them a genius, it would be him. Though his steps up to the mic as a soloist were few and far between, Maurice's musical abilities, vocally and instrumentally, were amazing. I wish more people gave him the credit he deserved,
On a more personal note, I think he was, to put it simply, a great guy. Of course, he had some issues and problems in his life, as we all do, but as far as I can see everyone who knew him, loved him. He had a beautiful wife and wonderful kids who grew up to be extremely talented as well, carrying on his passions for life and music. And, no doubt, he is greatly missed by his brothers, who will continue on while missing a part of themselves.
I am always saddened by the fact that I never got to meet him and thank him for being such an inspiration to me. As a writer and as a person. Maurice Gibb and his family taught me that, if you are meant to do something, never give up on it, no matter what. And, though it is difficult at times, I never have. I never will.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I wanted my first blog of the year to be about something special and important. Few things are more special and important than paying tribute to someone whom I have greatly admired and whom I miss dearly. That person would be Maurice Gibb and today is the day he passed away, eight years ago.
Most people know Maurice Gibb as one third of the Bee Gees, and I'm sure he was always very proud to be that. But, sadly, I think he was the one that people knew the least about, especially if they weren't followers the way I had always been. While it seems that throughout the career of the Bee Gees, it was Barry and Robin who were the focal points, Maurice's contributions were undeniable and incomparable.
I hate to use the word "genius" on anyone after I've seen what can happen to the recipients, but if I was going to call one of them a genius, it would be him. Though his steps up to the mic as a soloist were few and far between, Maurice's musical abilities, vocally and instrumentally, were amazing. I wish more people gave him the credit he deserved,
On a more personal note, I think he was, to put it simply, a great guy. Of course, he had some issues and problems in his life, as we all do, but as far as I can see everyone who knew him, loved him. He had a beautiful wife and wonderful kids who grew up to be extremely talented as well, carrying on his passions for life and music. And, no doubt, he is greatly missed by his brothers, who will continue on while missing a part of themselves.
I am always saddened by the fact that I never got to meet him and thank him for being such an inspiration to me. As a writer and as a person. Maurice Gibb and his family taught me that, if you are meant to do something, never give up on it, no matter what. And, though it is difficult at times, I never have. I never will.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, December 31, 2010
Top Ten Law and Order Episodes
Greetings,
If you've come for a Top Ten Law and Order episode list, good for you. However, I've made some changes. I originally made this list at the end of 2010, right when the show ended and before I got my massive complete series DVD collection. So, in lieu of a Top Ten, I've done a Top One Hundred. Yes, you can do that with a show that lasted twenty years. If you have read THIS list before, first, thank you for returning, and second, I've made changes to my Top Ten episodes. That can happen when, the first time, you're throwing a list together quickly, trying to narrow it down to only and still also being slightly distraught over the cancellation. However, those episodes did still make the Top One Hundred. So, thanks again, for visiting, and now go ahead and search for more Law and Order goodness.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
If you've come for a Top Ten Law and Order episode list, good for you. However, I've made some changes. I originally made this list at the end of 2010, right when the show ended and before I got my massive complete series DVD collection. So, in lieu of a Top Ten, I've done a Top One Hundred. Yes, you can do that with a show that lasted twenty years. If you have read THIS list before, first, thank you for returning, and second, I've made changes to my Top Ten episodes. That can happen when, the first time, you're throwing a list together quickly, trying to narrow it down to only and still also being slightly distraught over the cancellation. However, those episodes did still make the Top One Hundred. So, thanks again, for visiting, and now go ahead and search for more Law and Order goodness.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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