Monthly Archives: June 2007

Jun142007

So Far, So Good…

For anyone who cares, my dog Shadow had his first chemotherapy treatment this afternoon. According to my folks, he was a bit lethargic for a few hours afterwards, but otherwise has shown no sign of side effects from the drug. He’s eaten normally and drunk lots of water and became quite active towards evening, just the way he always does on a hot day.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that his treatment consists of two separate drugs, and the one he received today was the milder of the two. He’ll get the industrial-strength version on Saturday, so this weekend might be another story when it comes to side effects. But for now at least, my parents and I are all feeling much more optimistic about this process…

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Jun142007

TV Title Sequences I Like: Magnum, PI

I mentioned Magnum, PI in the the previous entry and, as best I can recall, it aired on the same night as Simon & Simon (I think it was Thursday, Magnum first, then S&S… and yes, it frightens me that I remember that!), so why don’t we have a look at the opening for Tom Selleck’s best-known work?

I don’t know about you, but that got my heart pounding. I think this opening, along with the one from Miami Vice, are probably the best title sequences of the ’80s, brilliant pairings of exciting, memorable music with the perfect visuals.
Oddly, though, this was not Magnum‘s original opening. For roughly half of the first season, the show had completely different theme music, and a somewhat different montage of visuals beneath it. Have a look:

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Jun142007

TV Title Sequences I Like: Simon & Simon

As I’m sure you can imagine with the news about my dog and all, I’ve been in kind of a funk the last few days. And where do I turn when I’m feeling down? Where else but to that wondrous opiate of the modern masses, television! Or, as Homer Simpson once called it, “Teacher, mother, secret lover.” So, in that spirit, let’s take a look at yet another TV title sequence that I’ve always thought was tres cool, or at the very least, entertaining:

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Jun132007

What We Do for Our Pets

The Shadow contemplates a dark and uncertain future.

We’ve had a lot of dogs around the Bennion Compound over the years. At one point during my childhood, there was a pack of five roaming our back yard. They’ve been German shepherds mostly, or German-shepherd mixes, as well as a couple of random mutts. All of them have possessed unique personalities, and my parents and I have loved them all while they were here and mourned them all when they died.

But none of them have generated the strong sense of attachment we collectively feel for the dog you see in that photo above. That’s Shadow, the current canine member of the Bennion clan. He’s a full-breed border collie, a breed that is reputed to be only slightly removed from wolves, genetically speaking, and among the very smartest of all dogs.

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Jun112007

Ha-Ha

Any further comment would be redundant…

Ha-Ha!

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Jun112007

More Wars

Oh, and if you can stand one more item on the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, I liked Javier’s remarks:

at this point “star wars” is a living thing – a highly complex and still-developing universe that goes well beyond a series of films. it’s also the guiding light for a great number of media professionals of my generation: while studying at usc film school, george lucas’s alma mater, i used to say that there were two kinds of film school students in my age category, those who freely admitted that they were there because of george lucas’s example, and damned liars.
…
if you’re like me, and your feelings about uncle george are deeply mixed because of the quality of the prequels, or because of how many damned times you have had to buy the movies in multiple formats, or because of lucasfilm’s extremely poor management of the original movies in their original forms, or the excessive merchandising, or because the “dark nest” trilogy of post NJO novels was kinda weak, or what have you…
…well, get over it and raise a glass [of] corellian noale – wherever you are.
some of the prequel trilogy haters have been heard to say “george lucas raped my childhood” but, i’ll tell you what, george lucas gave me my childhood. my life changed the day i saw “star wars” and for that – for the moment when i saw what was possible on the screen and said “i want to do that” – i can only be eternally grateful.
happy star wars day!

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Jun112007

Justice Stumbles, But Recovers

Hey, kids, hope you haven’t missed me too badly during my brief absence from the blogosphere. I’ve just returned from three days of visiting friends in Sin City. Report to follow, but in the meantime, I offer this visual commentary on the news I missed while I was driving across the Jundland Wastes, er, Nevada:

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Jun072007

Quote of the Day

From Lileks‘ only somewhat-snarky tribute to the recently passed 30th anniversary:

We grew up on “Star Wars.” We could outgrow it if we wanted to. But what’s the fun in that?

My sentiments exactly, James…

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Jun072007

Henry Sr. Not Coming Back

Well, rats: Connery won’t be reprising his role as Indy’s dad in Indiana Jones IV after all. Sir Sean issued the disappointing news in a classy statement, at least:

“I get asked the question so often, I thought it best to make an announcement. I thought long and hard about it and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jones film. I love working with Steven and George, and it goes without saying that it is an honor to have Harrison as my son. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun. I, do however, have one bit of advice for Junior: Demand that the critters be digital, the cliffs be low, and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at all times in case you need to escape from the stunt coordinator! This is a remarkable cast, and I can only say, ‘Break a leg, everyone.’ I’ll see you on May 22, 2008, at the theater!”

I’m not troubled by the idea of Henry not appearing in this new Indy movie — his character arc was pretty thoroughly finished by the end of Last Crusade — but it now looks definite that the bleeding-from-the-eyes-awful League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is going to be the final title on Connery’s filmography, and that, my friends, is an unbelievable tragedy.
The article I linked above also mentions that Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, and John Hurt are in the movie — this is seconded on the official Lucasfilm Indy site here — and that rumors that Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, or both might be on board for a cameo remain unconfirmed one way or the other. (Personally, I’m rooting for at least a glimpse of Allen’s Marion, the most logical “Indy girl” for our hero to have had a son with… assuming that Shia LaBouef is actually playing Henry Jones III, that is.)

In other Indy IV news, I’ve heard that John Rhys-Davies, a.k.a. Indy’s favorite Egyptian digger and loyal sidekick Sallah, won’t be coming back either, but depending on what Indy IV is actually about, his character might not fit into this particular story or setting, so I’m okay with his absence…

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Jun062007

Beware of Pterodactyls

Two of my favorite stories in my younger days were Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ At the Earth’s Core. (Notice I said stories, because, as it happened, I first knew these tales through their movie incarnations, and only came to the original novels later on, with a detour through the Classic Comics versions in between.) Both works stem from the premise that our planet is hollow, or at least contains vast subterranean open spaces, and that there is life, usually some weird mishmash of prehistoric beasts and highly advanced civilizations, in this interior realm.
It’s actually a pretty common idea within a certain subset of fantasy-adventure pulp fiction. But just recently I’ve learned that there are apparently people out there who think it’s more than just a good idea for a story. Some people really think the Hollow Earth theory is possible… and one guy aims to prove it:

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