...fly over me, evil angel...

Sounds to be a pretty exciting episode. Can't...

2012-02-28T09:40:19.757-05:00

Sounds to be a pretty exciting episode.

Can't wait till May :)

Sounds to be a pretty exciting episode.. Can't...

2012-02-28T09:39:16.035-05:00

Sounds to be a pretty exciting episode.. Can't wait till May :)

I feel this is the only PSA we should ever put up,...

2012-01-30T10:19:55.122-05:00

I feel this is the only PSA we should ever put up, and it should be plastered EVERYWHERE.

I agree with all the thoughts.

2012-01-02T10:10:48.500-05:00

I agree with all the thoughts.

As my students would say, "word." :) Def...

2011-08-26T11:09:02.328-04:00

As my students would say, "word." :) Definitely needed this today.

So much love for this post. <3

2011-08-23T15:17:57.457-04:00

So much love for this post. <3

I grew up watching classic Dr Who, so I think a lo...

2011-08-10T19:02:30.389-04:00

I grew up watching classic Dr Who, so I think a lot of my reads of episodes are different from people who didn't. The old show (and of course, I mean the Tom Baker years) was always a bunch of non-connected episodes. Sometimes it was monster of the week, sometime it was the Daleks or whatever, but that made it interesting. I think that as the new incarnations have gone on, they tend to rely a bit too much on the whole overarching season-long theme. It's good to see single episodes like this one. It wasn't perfect by any means, but a good change of pace.

Now I'm starving and sulking because I couldn&...

2011-08-09T12:43:08.476-04:00

Now I'm starving and sulking because I couldn't plant anything this year ;-(

I am behind on King books. The last one I read wa...

2011-08-01T19:04:49.362-04:00

I am behind on King books. The last one I read was Duma Key. It sounds like these stories aren't as scary as some of the earlier ones, makes me wonder if he's grown softer, but still want to check this out at some point.

Ok, I completely missed the Firefly connection! T...

2011-07-27T14:58:54.566-04:00

Ok, I completely missed the Firefly connection! That's all I can say right now....

I agree with you on so many points! Runaway Bride ...

2011-07-20T09:46:50.588-04:00

I agree with you on so many points! Runaway Bride is an awesome Christmas special as well, and this one was almost as great. I also fully agree that the Doctor gets away with a LOT more things now, and I don't think it stops with just this special. This was a fun read and made me want to go back and watch the special again.

@Arbogast: Perhaps someone was thinking of the &qu...

2011-05-09T18:09:18.944-04:00

@Arbogast: Perhaps someone was thinking of the "all policemen are your friend" idea?

Ben Peterson has a really interesting relationship...

2011-05-09T16:35:13.538-04:00

Ben Peterson has a really interesting relationship to the children in the film. He finds the little girl, he's the one she runs to when she smells formic acid, and he's the guy who helps the kids in the storm drain at the end, at the cost of his own life. A very interesting character who thwarts expectations in a way that never pulls focus but just enhances the narrative.

@Arbogast: The earlier post was in draft form alre...

2011-05-09T14:50:19.431-04:00

@Arbogast: The earlier post was in draft form already: I just made it prettier and tossed it up. :) I only really wrote the bit about ...Madness this morning.

I first watched Them! when I had access to a really great college library film collection in 1999 or so and I really wasn't thrilled; can't remember why. I was completely amazed when I stumbled across it on Netflix insty last summer, put it on expecting to hate it all over again -- and was totally riveted by it.

And I absolutely agree about Whitmore keeping himself on the radar, so to speak. He's a great listener, too -- very active, always physically attentive to what's going on. He's invested in what's going on without, like, turning cartwheels to make the point that he's tuned in.

Rewatching the movie now over lunch, post-blogging, I wish I had remembered that he was the one to pick up the little girl after her shrieking incident with the formic acid. All the others in the scene are excited, discussing what just happened and what that means -- and he's the one to take direct action on what's happening right now in front of them. Interesting.

Thanks for stopping by!

You wrote all that today?! Color me impressed! I l...

2011-05-09T14:19:53.579-04:00

You wrote all that today?! Color me impressed! I love Ben and I think Whitmore's work is really great in Them!. While it's true that Ben is usually shunted to the back of the frame, watch the way that Whitmore pulls focus from the actors in the foreground by doing something in the background - picking up a piece of paper, scratching himself - it's always some little bit of business to keep himself vital in the scene. That performance has just quadrupled its value to me over the past 20 years.

@Anna: Eh. They're not wildly interesting as a...

2011-03-01T14:52:58.089-05:00

@Anna: Eh. They're not wildly interesting as a couple. Although...I'm sure some author out there has put way more time and effort into this thing than anyone reasonably should and has made it absolutely fascinating.

Personally, I think KMart is underused. If there's a 5th movie, I want more her!

oh, yes. Alice and Claire all the way. I keep mean...

2011-03-01T08:50:40.349-05:00

oh, yes. Alice and Claire all the way. I keep meaning to go find the slash ...

@Barbara: Hey there! Yes, I am feeling better now,...

2011-02-22T19:28:32.190-05:00

@Barbara: Hey there! Yes, I am feeling better now, thanks, but this cold is just a hanger-on. One of those that doesn't know when it's time to go.

I have actually never tried Marmite; from everything I hear, my life is probably much better that way. But Ajahn Amaro has some great stories about breakfast table debacles with his sister over the Marmite and--bananas maybe? It's been a long time since I've listened to that talk!

Five minutes a day is definitely enough; my goal for the next month is 10 a day. Don't know why, really -- maybe because it's a nice round number? Hope it goes well for you!

Hope you're feeling better. I don't know w...

2011-02-21T02:19:20.208-05:00

Hope you're feeling better. I don't know why I don't schedule meditation into my daily routine more often. As you say, I know I feel better when I do it, so what's the problem? I am going to follow your example and MAKE time this week, even if it's only for five minutes a day. (But please don't mention Marmite - hate the stuff, although I love Monty Python) :O) Have a great week.

@Barbara, speaking as a fellow Christopher Ecclest...

2011-02-05T21:57:02.152-05:00

@Barbara, speaking as a fellow Christopher Eccleston fan I actually feel like Matt Smith has taken the sort of Doctor that Eccleston embodied and ... it would be wrong to say "ramped it up" since I think 9 did a brilliant job of carrying joy and rage with equal intensity through every scene. But 11 seems raw-er than 10. 10 wore his heart on his sleeve - and when he couldn't he covered for himself like Peter Whimsey ("I would marry you for the pleasure of hearing you talk piffle") covers his shell shock. Eleven channels it into rage.

Great video. I really liked Christopher E as the D...

2011-02-05T02:59:58.690-05:00

Great video. I really liked Christopher E as the Doctor, and then was even more impressed with David Tennant (he's much taller than you think btw, he walked past us outside the theatre in Stratford upon Avon - I know, name-dropping!). I do think Steven Moffat has taken the show in the wrong direction now... Matt Smith is a wonderful actor, but they've lost the emotional depth that RTD injected into it, SM did say it had always been more of a fairy tale than science fiction and I just think that's wrong - especially for adults. Here in the UK I certainly don't sense the same 'buzz' about the current series here that there was with the previous ones.

@Barbara: Thanks!

2011-02-04T13:45:21.029-05:00

@Barbara: Thanks!

The 'Out of Africa' score is the one I alw...

2011-02-01T02:13:11.095-05:00

The 'Out of Africa' score is the one I always think of as my favourite Barry music, it sends shivers down my spine. Strangely, I didn't like the film that much, thought RR totally miscast, and it all seemed very, well, soul-less. But the music and photography, oh my. I love 'The Lion in Winter', great film, great score. Such a great post as a tribute to JB.

@Elleoneiram Anna here (the feminist librarian). ...

2011-01-25T15:56:27.069-05:00

@Elleoneiram

Anna here (the feminist librarian). I'm really surprised she's American -- the drawl sounds so forced! The sort of flat American accent quality I associate with non-Americans trying to sound "American."

Also, I think I need to own a pair of pantalons. Especially in torqouise!

Glad to know we're amusing someone other than ourselves :) ... looking forward to episode four!

@Elle: Sorry; your comments didn't show up imm...

2011-01-25T15:49:37.490-05:00

@Elle: Sorry; your comments didn't show up immediately because, when I first started this blogging thing, I was getting so much spam I have all comments sent to me to moderate! It saves a lot of deleting time at the other end.

I think we just noticed the accent this Sunday because the mother was talking again; she didn't seem to have a lot to say in the second episode!

I'm not sure what I think about the Thomas/O'Brien team. They do seem believable as bullies who just want to make other people miserable because it makes them feel better in some fracked-up way. I think I, at least, just wish there was a little more fleshing-out going on with that? Like, was Thomas bullied by the butler when he first joined? Was there another footman who was cruel to him? Did O'Brien have another mistress who was awful to her? I want some backstory, darn it!

Glad you're enjoying what we do! I hope the next thing up on Masterpiece is something we can keep this up with; it's a blast to do.