So, I'm looking for a few things. A few things that, apparently, I can't purchase/rent through my usual channels. There's a reason for my quest - and it involves both this blog's primary subject and what will be, I think, one feature of my post-Lost site. I need your help. Can any of you suggest a means to procure the following:
1) Fantasy Island, the reboot/remake starring Malcolm McDowell.
2) The Lost Islands - apparently an Australian television series from the 1970s.
3) The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfieffer - a short-lived American sitcom about Abraham Lincoln's black valet.
Anyone know where I might be able to get my hands on these? Shoot me an email and let me know.
With thanks,
M.
Showing posts with label Lost Detox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lost Detox. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 16
Sunday, March 7
Lost: The Detox (Week 4)
Each weekend I'm briefly covering some of the non-Lost related media I consume. Eventually, this feature will evolve into a separate site, which I hope you'll consider bookmarking. This week - the good, the bad and the ugly.
1) Fringe - I've begun watching JJ Abrams' latest television program on the recomendation of a friend, and while it's not nearly the show that Lost is, much of what I love about Lost is present here: the continually-unfurling "mythology," the sense of unfocused, all-inclusive dread, the makeshift family created by the show's main characters. Nothing creeps me out like "body horror," a specific subset of horror devoted to the ways in which our bodies can betray us. Take that, add a healthy dollop of X-Files-esque governmental and corporate paranoia, and you've got the basic world of the show. I'm 2/3's of the way through season 1 on DVD and I'm convinced its the optimal way to absorb it. While the basic procedural aspect of the show is somewhat repetitive (something awful happens to someone in the pre-credits sequence, usually killing a number of bystanders in the process, the Fringe team is brought in, they solve the case, some hints about The Pattern are revealed), that repetition isn't as annoying when you're able to pass straight through a subpar episode to a fantastic one. John Noble's performance as a troubled, formerly-incarcerated genius is reason enough to recommend the show. I never thought I'd see the day where Pacey from Dawson's Creek would act (and act well) in a show I enjoyed, but that day has arrived.
2) Mister B. Gone - I used to be quite a Clive Barker fan. At one point I even had the priviledge of meeting the man, and found him as kind and as welcoming as his early novels are cold and frightening. But Barker hasn't written a novel worth reading in some time, and while I still hold out hope for his legendarily-delayed Scarlet Gospels, Mister B. Gone further suggests that Barker's best days are long behind him. I didn't bother finishing this book, which is rare.
3) Another friend recommended ABC's remake of "V," so I gave the show two episodes worth of time to interest me. Not only did it fail in this simple task, it pulled off the difficult feat of making me feel hate for it. This is a perfect example of how to fuck up a story. First, assume your entire audience is filled with gibbering Gibbons without higher brain functions. Then hit that audience over the head repeatedly with your plot, as if bludgeoning them for having the gall to want to be treated as humans, not Gibbons. Then add a zesty mix of hammy overacting, awful effects, and a haircut that makes the stunning Morena Baccarin look like a ten year old boy with a rare bone disease. I loathed "V," and have subsequently exorcised it's malevolent spectre from my Tivo utilizing a bottle of holy water, a copy of the King James Bible, and a hammer. I cast thee out, "V." Ne'er darken my doorstep again.
1) Fringe - I've begun watching JJ Abrams' latest television program on the recomendation of a friend, and while it's not nearly the show that Lost is, much of what I love about Lost is present here: the continually-unfurling "mythology," the sense of unfocused, all-inclusive dread, the makeshift family created by the show's main characters. Nothing creeps me out like "body horror," a specific subset of horror devoted to the ways in which our bodies can betray us. Take that, add a healthy dollop of X-Files-esque governmental and corporate paranoia, and you've got the basic world of the show. I'm 2/3's of the way through season 1 on DVD and I'm convinced its the optimal way to absorb it. While the basic procedural aspect of the show is somewhat repetitive (something awful happens to someone in the pre-credits sequence, usually killing a number of bystanders in the process, the Fringe team is brought in, they solve the case, some hints about The Pattern are revealed), that repetition isn't as annoying when you're able to pass straight through a subpar episode to a fantastic one. John Noble's performance as a troubled, formerly-incarcerated genius is reason enough to recommend the show. I never thought I'd see the day where Pacey from Dawson's Creek would act (and act well) in a show I enjoyed, but that day has arrived.
2) Mister B. Gone - I used to be quite a Clive Barker fan. At one point I even had the priviledge of meeting the man, and found him as kind and as welcoming as his early novels are cold and frightening. But Barker hasn't written a novel worth reading in some time, and while I still hold out hope for his legendarily-delayed Scarlet Gospels, Mister B. Gone further suggests that Barker's best days are long behind him. I didn't bother finishing this book, which is rare.
3) Another friend recommended ABC's remake of "V," so I gave the show two episodes worth of time to interest me. Not only did it fail in this simple task, it pulled off the difficult feat of making me feel hate for it. This is a perfect example of how to fuck up a story. First, assume your entire audience is filled with gibbering Gibbons without higher brain functions. Then hit that audience over the head repeatedly with your plot, as if bludgeoning them for having the gall to want to be treated as humans, not Gibbons. Then add a zesty mix of hammy overacting, awful effects, and a haircut that makes the stunning Morena Baccarin look like a ten year old boy with a rare bone disease. I loathed "V," and have subsequently exorcised it's malevolent spectre from my Tivo utilizing a bottle of holy water, a copy of the King James Bible, and a hammer. I cast thee out, "V." Ne'er darken my doorstep again.
Sunday, February 28
Lost: The Detox (week 3)
Believe it or not, I actually manage to devote headspace to things OTHER than Lost on a weekly basis. Each weekend, join me for "Lost: The Detox," where I'll talk about some of the other media I've enjoyed or been annoyed by. This week: My first mixed review.
Joe Hill's "Horns" - a brief review.
Joe Hill is a gifted writer. Capable of deftly etching interesting characters, constructing a compelling plot, and turning a nicely evocative phrase, Hill is an exciting talent in the world of fiction. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started his new novel, "Horns," but I quickly fell into the mystery of Ignatius Perrish and the devilish horns that appear on his forehead, seemingly conjured in the middle of the night.
Halfway through this ambitious book, however, the initial thrill of Hill's plotting and prose gave way to something approaching disappointment. The deeper I got, the more the world of Horns seemed to shrink. From a truly intriguing premise, something relatively pedestrian emerged.
None of which is to say that Hill's written a bad novel. It's simply a novel that doesn't know what it wants to be. Hill succeeds in preparing you for a gourmet meal, but ulimately fumbles in the final presentation.
It seems to me that a novel which attempts in part to explore the nature of evil, the role of satan in the world, and the hidden (awful) depths of the human heart ought to feel a lot less safe than Horns ultimately does. The book opens with the idea that it's main character has done something 'terrible' he can't remember, and that this terrible "something" led to his horns. But that something, when finally revealed, isn't much of a something after all. And that same sensation of things being less interesting, less complex, and ultimately too unexplained permeates enough of the novel that i don't think I'd recommend it.
While I appreciated Hill's characterizations overall, the friendship between Perrish and Lee never reads as believable, and ultimately, some of Hill's larger concepts (I'm looking at you, 'Treehouse of the mind') feel like the sort of hyper-important-yet-unsatisfactorily explained deux ex machina devices that Hill's father, Stephen King, so often falls prey to.
The novel that Horns ends up being fairly comparable to, in a number or ways, is "Lisey's Story," by King. There's the same sort of admirably and movingly rendered portrait of loss, the same intriguing but totally unexplained sense of magic (re "Lisey's Story": What the heck was up with the brother who sort of maybe turns into a werewolf or demon or maybe doesn't, but is all feral and touches himself and they keep him in the basement or something - which you don't typically do unless the kid is actually a monster but King never tells us which is sort of cool but also ultimately kind of frustrating and ends up making things feel incomplete and not purposefully vague and which is maybe what both writers were attempting with this stuff, but it doesn't really satisfy), and the same sense that in the end, things turned out smaller and less interesting than they'd seemed when the book was opened.
Kind of like this review, really.
Joe Hill's "Horns" - a brief review.
Joe Hill is a gifted writer. Capable of deftly etching interesting characters, constructing a compelling plot, and turning a nicely evocative phrase, Hill is an exciting talent in the world of fiction. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started his new novel, "Horns," but I quickly fell into the mystery of Ignatius Perrish and the devilish horns that appear on his forehead, seemingly conjured in the middle of the night.
Halfway through this ambitious book, however, the initial thrill of Hill's plotting and prose gave way to something approaching disappointment. The deeper I got, the more the world of Horns seemed to shrink. From a truly intriguing premise, something relatively pedestrian emerged.
None of which is to say that Hill's written a bad novel. It's simply a novel that doesn't know what it wants to be. Hill succeeds in preparing you for a gourmet meal, but ulimately fumbles in the final presentation.
It seems to me that a novel which attempts in part to explore the nature of evil, the role of satan in the world, and the hidden (awful) depths of the human heart ought to feel a lot less safe than Horns ultimately does. The book opens with the idea that it's main character has done something 'terrible' he can't remember, and that this terrible "something" led to his horns. But that something, when finally revealed, isn't much of a something after all. And that same sensation of things being less interesting, less complex, and ultimately too unexplained permeates enough of the novel that i don't think I'd recommend it.
While I appreciated Hill's characterizations overall, the friendship between Perrish and Lee never reads as believable, and ultimately, some of Hill's larger concepts (I'm looking at you, 'Treehouse of the mind') feel like the sort of hyper-important-yet-unsatisfactorily explained deux ex machina devices that Hill's father, Stephen King, so often falls prey to.
The novel that Horns ends up being fairly comparable to, in a number or ways, is "Lisey's Story," by King. There's the same sort of admirably and movingly rendered portrait of loss, the same intriguing but totally unexplained sense of magic (re "Lisey's Story": What the heck was up with the brother who sort of maybe turns into a werewolf or demon or maybe doesn't, but is all feral and touches himself and they keep him in the basement or something - which you don't typically do unless the kid is actually a monster but King never tells us which is sort of cool but also ultimately kind of frustrating and ends up making things feel incomplete and not purposefully vague and which is maybe what both writers were attempting with this stuff, but it doesn't really satisfy), and the same sense that in the end, things turned out smaller and less interesting than they'd seemed when the book was opened.
Kind of like this review, really.
Saturday, February 20
Lost: The Detox (Week 2)
Believe it or not, I actually manage to watch/read/think about things other than Lost each week. Each weekend I'll be posting a listing of non-Lost media that tickles me and/or ticks me off. Nothing but good vibrations this week:
1. The Venture Brothers - Fans of Lost's knottily plotted narrative and the comedy stylings of folks like Mike Judge (Office Space, King of the Hill) and/or Ben Edlund (The Tick, Firefly, Angel) should give The Venture Brothers a shot. What begins as a goofy, potty-mouthed parody of shows like Johnny Quest quickly evolves into an intimate epic about the death of our jet-age dreams and the complexity of family. But hilarious. The show isn't for everyone - especially those people who don't enjoy a good off-color joke - but I'd recommend it to anyone with an off-beat sense of humor and an appreciation for intelligent storytelling.
2. Fela - My wife and I had the opportunity to catch the show 'Fela' on Broadway recently, and we were both blown away. Fela is the (basic) story of musician Fela Kuti, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist, told through dramatization and through Fela's songs, none of which I was familar with before the performance. If you're in NYC and you've got the opportunity to attend 'Fela,' I'd advise you to see it. Antibalas, the Afrobeat orchestra who've worked with TV On The Radio and DJ Logic, serves as the production's house band, and they set the place on fire.
3. Locke & Key - Ever read a comic book? Even if you haven't, as a fan of Lost you should consider picking up Locke & Key, published by IDW. L&K is written by Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, and his writing contains the same gift for creating characters that his father possesses. Hill is very much his own man, however, and L&K is a terrific showcase for his authorial voice. Why will Lost fans want to read this title? Besides the emphasis on character, the book is also a compellingly-plotted mystery about the Locke family's ancestral home, Keyhouse, the special doors and keys that lay within it, a potentially world-changing/ending secret hidden deep in the caves that lie beneath the house, and a generational struggle between the forces of light and dark that's told largely through hints, allusions, and suggestion. Highly recommended.
4. The Conference of the Birds - Ever read an epic poem revolving around the Sufi belief system? Me too! The Conference of the Birds is an allegorical fable about the source of, and the primacy of, divinity. It's written entirely in short, clever rhyme, and it's got a twist ending worthy of Lost. It's also arguably relevant to Lost's larger themes, though that's solely my opinion. If you're looking to do a little mind-expansion with your pre-sleep reading, give The Conference of the Birds a try. At the least, you'll enjoy the richness of the language. I'll be talking more about this poem in the next Back To The Island column.
Enjoy the weekend!
1. The Venture Brothers - Fans of Lost's knottily plotted narrative and the comedy stylings of folks like Mike Judge (Office Space, King of the Hill) and/or Ben Edlund (The Tick, Firefly, Angel) should give The Venture Brothers a shot. What begins as a goofy, potty-mouthed parody of shows like Johnny Quest quickly evolves into an intimate epic about the death of our jet-age dreams and the complexity of family. But hilarious. The show isn't for everyone - especially those people who don't enjoy a good off-color joke - but I'd recommend it to anyone with an off-beat sense of humor and an appreciation for intelligent storytelling.
2. Fela - My wife and I had the opportunity to catch the show 'Fela' on Broadway recently, and we were both blown away. Fela is the (basic) story of musician Fela Kuti, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist, told through dramatization and through Fela's songs, none of which I was familar with before the performance. If you're in NYC and you've got the opportunity to attend 'Fela,' I'd advise you to see it. Antibalas, the Afrobeat orchestra who've worked with TV On The Radio and DJ Logic, serves as the production's house band, and they set the place on fire.
3. Locke & Key - Ever read a comic book? Even if you haven't, as a fan of Lost you should consider picking up Locke & Key, published by IDW. L&K is written by Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, and his writing contains the same gift for creating characters that his father possesses. Hill is very much his own man, however, and L&K is a terrific showcase for his authorial voice. Why will Lost fans want to read this title? Besides the emphasis on character, the book is also a compellingly-plotted mystery about the Locke family's ancestral home, Keyhouse, the special doors and keys that lay within it, a potentially world-changing/ending secret hidden deep in the caves that lie beneath the house, and a generational struggle between the forces of light and dark that's told largely through hints, allusions, and suggestion. Highly recommended.
4. The Conference of the Birds - Ever read an epic poem revolving around the Sufi belief system? Me too! The Conference of the Birds is an allegorical fable about the source of, and the primacy of, divinity. It's written entirely in short, clever rhyme, and it's got a twist ending worthy of Lost. It's also arguably relevant to Lost's larger themes, though that's solely my opinion. If you're looking to do a little mind-expansion with your pre-sleep reading, give The Conference of the Birds a try. At the least, you'll enjoy the richness of the language. I'll be talking more about this poem in the next Back To The Island column.
Enjoy the weekend!
Saturday, February 13
Lost: The Detox
Hola, all.
Believe it or not, I actually manage to watch/think about a few things other than Lost each week. Each weekend, I'll be posting briefly about/commenting on non-Lost related media that I'm currently digging/trying out/mad at. It's my hope that you'll feel motivated to share your own finds, favorites and follies. If you're here strictly for your Lost fix, skip right over these. You'll barely notice them.
This week:
1. The Lost Room - Every once in a (great, great) while, the SciFi channel produces something worth watching. The Lost Room is one of those miraculously not-terrible productions. In fact, it's kind of great. Originally meant to serve as the opening 'chapters' in a planned, ongoing show, The Lost Room ended up as a three-part miniseries. It's self-contained, and basically stands on it's own as-is, but the untapped potential of the world this show created will make you wish that someone had had more faith in The Lost Room's prospects.
There's real intelligence to the writing and world-creation, and like Lost, the show's creators were clearly trying to communicate some pretty heady ideas within the context of their kooky genre story. There's a good chance that I'll be rewatching The Lost Room once Season 6 of Lost comes to a close. If I do, I think I'll invite those of you who are interested to rewatch it along with me. It's that good.
2. Supernatural - I've been enjoying Eric Kripke's blue collar monster soap opera since it began, and while I wouldn't label it great television I would call it pulpy, very entertaining tv. If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman (from whom the show cribs liberally this season), Clive Barker, Buffy or Angel, then chances are you're already watching this show. But on the off-chance that you aren't, allow me to play Captain Obvious and recommend it. While I've been sorta underwhelmed by this season so far, the past two installments have been excellent.
3. Whip It - My wife rented Drew Barrymore's directorial debut this week, and I was genuinely surprised to find myself enjoying it. It's good to see Daniel Stern working. Whip It is the opposite of 'consequential,' but Whip It's mixture of grrl power, indy shoe-gazing, and genuine warmth made for a nicely sweet experience - one that I'd favorably compare to Adventureland. Between this film and the entirely-underrated 'Roll Bounce,' competitive rollerskating has now produced two surprisingly-watchable films. Color me bewildered, but pleased.
4. The Brothers Bloom: original motion picture soundtrack - I like to listen to music whileI write, and this week's selections included Nathan Johnson's ridiculously good score for this film. I'm not a big film score buff, but this album stands on it's own.
Enjoy the weekend!
Believe it or not, I actually manage to watch/think about a few things other than Lost each week. Each weekend, I'll be posting briefly about/commenting on non-Lost related media that I'm currently digging/trying out/mad at. It's my hope that you'll feel motivated to share your own finds, favorites and follies. If you're here strictly for your Lost fix, skip right over these. You'll barely notice them.
This week:
1. The Lost Room - Every once in a (great, great) while, the SciFi channel produces something worth watching. The Lost Room is one of those miraculously not-terrible productions. In fact, it's kind of great. Originally meant to serve as the opening 'chapters' in a planned, ongoing show, The Lost Room ended up as a three-part miniseries. It's self-contained, and basically stands on it's own as-is, but the untapped potential of the world this show created will make you wish that someone had had more faith in The Lost Room's prospects.
There's real intelligence to the writing and world-creation, and like Lost, the show's creators were clearly trying to communicate some pretty heady ideas within the context of their kooky genre story. There's a good chance that I'll be rewatching The Lost Room once Season 6 of Lost comes to a close. If I do, I think I'll invite those of you who are interested to rewatch it along with me. It's that good.
2. Supernatural - I've been enjoying Eric Kripke's blue collar monster soap opera since it began, and while I wouldn't label it great television I would call it pulpy, very entertaining tv. If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman (from whom the show cribs liberally this season), Clive Barker, Buffy or Angel, then chances are you're already watching this show. But on the off-chance that you aren't, allow me to play Captain Obvious and recommend it. While I've been sorta underwhelmed by this season so far, the past two installments have been excellent.
3. Whip It - My wife rented Drew Barrymore's directorial debut this week, and I was genuinely surprised to find myself enjoying it. It's good to see Daniel Stern working. Whip It is the opposite of 'consequential,' but Whip It's mixture of grrl power, indy shoe-gazing, and genuine warmth made for a nicely sweet experience - one that I'd favorably compare to Adventureland. Between this film and the entirely-underrated 'Roll Bounce,' competitive rollerskating has now produced two surprisingly-watchable films. Color me bewildered, but pleased.
4. The Brothers Bloom: original motion picture soundtrack - I like to listen to music whileI write, and this week's selections included Nathan Johnson's ridiculously good score for this film. I'm not a big film score buff, but this album stands on it's own.
Enjoy the weekend!
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