Buys
Spring Splurge DVD buys: So this week, I got Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles, the original True Grit, Repo Men, a big box of Classic Sci-Fi TV (with stuff like Flash Gordon, Captain Fantom and Johnny Jupiter), which I plan to use as inspiration for my upcoming Slipstream role-playing campaign, and the two most awaited 3rd Doctor stories, Terror of the Autons and Planet of the Spiders. Ooh, and the latest issue of Enlightenment came in the mail, with a tribute to Nicholas Courtney. The fanzine asks if I want to renew my subscription, to which I can only say YES!
"Accomplishments"
DVD: Eureka had to split-release its third season because, well, its second half was broadcast so late, it could be considered Season 4. So 3.0 includes those first 8 episodes, which at least follow a single arc to term, that of the "Fixer" coming in to make Global profitable, while also having an agenda of her own. After the darker storyline of the second season, we're back into goofier territory, with robot dogs and such, though there are some rather heavy dramatic beats too. An altogether pleasant experience, as usual. New characters like the Fixer, Jack's sister Lexi and Martha the drone are fun additions as well. As for the extras, 6 commentaries are supplied over the first 5 episodes, and while writer-producers can of course deliver the goods, I miss Colin Ferguson on these. His candor and insights about all sides of the production were a high point of the Season 1 extras. There are deleted scenes for each of the episode, as usual of high quality. And finally, there's a 20-minute in-depth feature about Bear McCreary's music for the series (twin to a similar feature he did for Battlestar).
Eureka Season 3.5 also has its own little arc, something about a mysterious signal from space and tonally continues what it set up in the previous DVD collection. Though not aired as part of Season 3 exactly, it's still part of it. Again, likeable new characters are introduced, others are given send-offs. The show's cast is evolving, though (and this is perhaps because 3.5 is part of Eureka's longest season yet) the stories are now starting to be more overtly formulaic and even repetitive. There are entirely too many episodes that put one character or another in sickbay for an extended stay, for example. Still, the show continues to charm with its comedy and heart, and manages a touching season finale. This time, we get 10 episodes, 6 of which have a commentary. There are good deleted scenes as usual, however they are badly encoded into the DVD - each episode's lot includes scenes from the NEXT ep. Annoying, so keep them for the very end. The one other extra is a good enough 15-minute, S3-specific featurette about Eureka's special effects.
The Lady Hermit is not a brand of cheap booze, it's this week's Kung Fu Fridays selection! It's a Shaw Bros. from 1971, and a good one, starring Cheng Pei-pei as the eponymous heroine who is sought by the criminal overlord she used to work for. The film looks better than many, with most scenes taking place in exterior locations - the cinematography is beautiful - and there's a sweet love triangle that includes the Hermit's long-suffering flame and her new student. Though often lyrical, there are some surprising moments of gory violence, so squeamish viewers beware. I was intrigued by Funimation's releases of Shaw Bros. films. They had nice mod packaging but no extras, and I've been burned before by unrestored or badly selected Kung Fu films. This was the tester, to see if Funimation was a label I could trust as I do Dragon Dynasty (who have the high end) and Tokyo Shock (lesser classics, but well restored and fun). Lady Hermit was better than most of the latter's releases and a proper thematic follow-up to Cheng Pei-Pei's classic Come Drink with Me. I'll be purchasing from them again.
Audios: Return of the Krotons by Nicholas Briggs is a one-hour bonus disc for subscribers, released with The Raincloud Man and also featuring the 6th Doctor and Charley team-up. It's the first stumble for the pairing. Oh, the actors are fine, but the story, perhaps by virtue of not being a regular - and thus necessary - release (at least, until later), doesn't advance their story very much. The Krotons take entirely too long to make their return, and only then does the audio pick up steam. Once the action properly starts, there's actually some fun to be had, though that may depend on what you think of monsters' household item weaknesses. Since it's a common Doctor Who trope, I'm not really bothered. Still, this is far from required listening, and I found the front end really dull.
Hyperion to a Satyr posts this week:
II.ii. The Players - Olivier '48
Spring Splurge DVD buys: So this week, I got Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles, the original True Grit, Repo Men, a big box of Classic Sci-Fi TV (with stuff like Flash Gordon, Captain Fantom and Johnny Jupiter), which I plan to use as inspiration for my upcoming Slipstream role-playing campaign, and the two most awaited 3rd Doctor stories, Terror of the Autons and Planet of the Spiders. Ooh, and the latest issue of Enlightenment came in the mail, with a tribute to Nicholas Courtney. The fanzine asks if I want to renew my subscription, to which I can only say YES!
"Accomplishments"
DVD: Eureka had to split-release its third season because, well, its second half was broadcast so late, it could be considered Season 4. So 3.0 includes those first 8 episodes, which at least follow a single arc to term, that of the "Fixer" coming in to make Global profitable, while also having an agenda of her own. After the darker storyline of the second season, we're back into goofier territory, with robot dogs and such, though there are some rather heavy dramatic beats too. An altogether pleasant experience, as usual. New characters like the Fixer, Jack's sister Lexi and Martha the drone are fun additions as well. As for the extras, 6 commentaries are supplied over the first 5 episodes, and while writer-producers can of course deliver the goods, I miss Colin Ferguson on these. His candor and insights about all sides of the production were a high point of the Season 1 extras. There are deleted scenes for each of the episode, as usual of high quality. And finally, there's a 20-minute in-depth feature about Bear McCreary's music for the series (twin to a similar feature he did for Battlestar).
Eureka Season 3.5 also has its own little arc, something about a mysterious signal from space and tonally continues what it set up in the previous DVD collection. Though not aired as part of Season 3 exactly, it's still part of it. Again, likeable new characters are introduced, others are given send-offs. The show's cast is evolving, though (and this is perhaps because 3.5 is part of Eureka's longest season yet) the stories are now starting to be more overtly formulaic and even repetitive. There are entirely too many episodes that put one character or another in sickbay for an extended stay, for example. Still, the show continues to charm with its comedy and heart, and manages a touching season finale. This time, we get 10 episodes, 6 of which have a commentary. There are good deleted scenes as usual, however they are badly encoded into the DVD - each episode's lot includes scenes from the NEXT ep. Annoying, so keep them for the very end. The one other extra is a good enough 15-minute, S3-specific featurette about Eureka's special effects.
The Lady Hermit is not a brand of cheap booze, it's this week's Kung Fu Fridays selection! It's a Shaw Bros. from 1971, and a good one, starring Cheng Pei-pei as the eponymous heroine who is sought by the criminal overlord she used to work for. The film looks better than many, with most scenes taking place in exterior locations - the cinematography is beautiful - and there's a sweet love triangle that includes the Hermit's long-suffering flame and her new student. Though often lyrical, there are some surprising moments of gory violence, so squeamish viewers beware. I was intrigued by Funimation's releases of Shaw Bros. films. They had nice mod packaging but no extras, and I've been burned before by unrestored or badly selected Kung Fu films. This was the tester, to see if Funimation was a label I could trust as I do Dragon Dynasty (who have the high end) and Tokyo Shock (lesser classics, but well restored and fun). Lady Hermit was better than most of the latter's releases and a proper thematic follow-up to Cheng Pei-Pei's classic Come Drink with Me. I'll be purchasing from them again.
Audios: Return of the Krotons by Nicholas Briggs is a one-hour bonus disc for subscribers, released with The Raincloud Man and also featuring the 6th Doctor and Charley team-up. It's the first stumble for the pairing. Oh, the actors are fine, but the story, perhaps by virtue of not being a regular - and thus necessary - release (at least, until later), doesn't advance their story very much. The Krotons take entirely too long to make their return, and only then does the audio pick up steam. Once the action properly starts, there's actually some fun to be had, though that may depend on what you think of monsters' household item weaknesses. Since it's a common Doctor Who trope, I'm not really bothered. Still, this is far from required listening, and I found the front end really dull.Hyperion to a Satyr posts this week:
II.ii. The Players - Olivier '48
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