Began the morning with more Betty Boop. She's wondering "Is My Palm Read?" when she goes to her dog boyfriend Bimbo's tent. He predicts that she'll be stranded on a desert island and rescued by none other than him. Betty doesn't mind the trick...until a group of ghosts from his "vision" appear and chase them. She's "Betty In Blunderland" when she dreams herself into an Alice In Wonderland puzzle. It's all music and dancing, until the Jabberwocky appears and takes her away. "Wiffle Piffle: The Hot Air Salesman" is almost as annoying as the Gadget fellow on Danger Mouse, and not nearly as useful. He tries selling Betty a vacuum cleaner, but all it does is destroy the furniture.
Did some writing for a while. When the Imperial Gang arrives, they discover that the residents of the Cottages By the Sea are more ready for their invasion than they thought. Vader tries to break down the door of the first house he sees, but first Ezra won't let him in, claiming he's not supposed to talk to strangers, then Sabine spray paints him. Kanan tells him not to curse around his kids, and Ezra shuts the back window on his fingers.
The rest of the gang's not doing much better. One was attacked by the lobster who got away after the Rogues' party a few weeks before. Three more were caught in a net. Chirrut and Baze from Rogue One, who own a Chinese restaurant here, actually invite them in to test their newest creation...a very spicy Szechuan sauce.
Broke around 1 for lunch and to get ready for work. Did a few more Betty Boop and Popeye shorts. "Judge for a Day" may be my favorite public domain Betty short. Legal stenographer Betty is fed up with people who read over her shoulder, let their second-hand smoke choke her, and splash mud all over her. She imagines what she'd do if she could pass sentence on all these rude pests. (Having dealt with many of these pests myself, I can certainly relate to her sentiments!) Betty insists that Pudgy go out and socialize in "Making Friends," but she didn't expect him to bring half the wild animals in the woods home to play.
Popeye and his friends go on a bigger adventure in "Popeye Meets Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," the second of three 20-minute Popeye "featurettes." Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Wimpy are in North Africa, going after Ali Baba (Bluto) and his famous thieves for the Coast Guard. They crash-land in the desert and get lost, finally ending up in the very town Ali Baba is about to raid. After he takes off with Olive, Wimpy, and half the town's valuables, Popeye follows the thieves to their cave hideout to rescue them.
It was sunny, hot, and humid when I headed out for work. This time, the weather wasn't the problem. I wasn't even half-way to work when the chain came off my bike. I had no time to call for a ride or go back to fix it. I half-ran, half-walked fast and just made it in on time at the last second.
After all that, work was steady, fairly busy for a Thursday, actually, probably thanks to this being the beginning of the month. Though I briefly gathered baskets and trash and did a small cart of returns, I was mainly outside, rounding up carts. It was supposed to have rained around four. Though dark clouds did amass on the horizon, the rains never came. It was still just cloudy, windy, and cooler when I headed home.
I had just rounded onto Kendall when I encountered a father and his three children, a baby in a stroller, and two older kids on scooters. The father kindly offered to fix my chain for me. It held up well enough for me to get home.
When I finally got in, I changed, then rested and read over some fairy tale books. Made scrambled eggs with vegetables for dinner while watching Star Trek: Generations. The Star Trek: The Next Generations cast is introduced in the seventh film in the series (and the last I'll be doing). The now-retired Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) is overseeing the maiden voyage of the new Enterprise when they receive a distress call from two ships caught in a band of energy. Though they are able to rescue some of the crew, Kirk is presumed dead after saving most of the Enterprise. Skip ahead over 70 years, and we're now on the Enterprise-D with Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew. Data, an android (Brent Spiner) and Georgi, the ship's engineer, discover an unusual metal in the observatory of a ship that belongs to Soran (Malcom McDowell), a scientist they rescued. But Soran has more nefarious plans for the ship than previously believed, involving an exploding star, the band of energy called "The Nexus," and a lot of time traveling.
Maybe it's because I never got into Next Generation, but I was totally at sea here (pardon the pun, given the sequence with the Enterprise as a sailing ship). There was way too much story, too much science talk I didn't understand a word of, and just too much going on. The much-vaunted meeting between Enterprise captains lasted 20 minutes and mostly featured Kirk going at Soran. I had more fun with a subplot that involved Data learning about emotions than any of Soran's convoluted plot.
One thing that did improve between movies - the special effects. The computer effects used for the Nexus are especially well-done, as are some of the practical effects with the ship battles.
If you're a fan of Next Generation, you may get far more out of this than I did. Don't come within a hundred miles of here unless you've seen that show and possibly Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock.
(Incidentally, Undiscovered Country is now my favorite of the Star Trek films by a wide county mile. Wrath of Khan is the only one that comes close, though Search for Spock and Voyage Home are unique changes of pace. This series is still too science-oriented to be a favorite of mine, but I think I can appreciate it a little bit more now that I've seen all of the original films.)
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Showing posts with label Star Trek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Trek. Show all posts
Thursday, August 03, 2017
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Showers, Showers Everywhere
Began a soggy, humid morning with my second day of early work this week. It was showering lightly when I rode there, so lightly I was barely damp. This state of affairs continued throughout the day, which could be one of the big reasons we weren't that busy. Traffic spiked a little around 11, then promptly quieted down again. I only had to do carts once, right when I got in. Otherwise, I gathered baskets, did two carts loaded with returns, and bagged.
The shower had picked up by the time I headed home. I arrived at home a bit more wet than I was earlier. Livened up the gloomy day with lunch and another episode of Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter gets to show off her excellent real-life singing voice in "Amazon Hot Wax" from the third season. Diana is undercover cutting an album at a small-time recording studio in LA. An extortionist wants money from the studio's owner, or she'll destroy the final album of a star who recently passed away. While Wonder Woman stops him from paying them off, a goofy KISS-like hard rock band puts two and two together and figures out that the "dead" star may not be as gone as everyone believes.
While the showers did slow somewhat, they never stopped all together. I opted to ignore them and get my laundry done anyway. I'm glad I did. It was dead when I arrived and was never busy. I think I saw maybe one or two other people the entire hour I was there. Good thing, because I had a really big load this week, including towels. I half-listened to talk shows and soap operas and worked on story notes.
After I got home and put everything away, I worked on writing for a few hours. Henry and Leia join Jyn and Cassian, Wedge and Luke, and Ahsoka and a Naboo officer in a romantic waltz. Their night of romance comes to a screeching halt when they catch sight of Boba Fettson skulking around, working security for Vader. He recognizes them and has every intention of telling Vader they've arrived. Henry tries to stop him, but Fettson belts him on the chin and takes off. The lovers don't have time to follow him before a courier announces that Palpatine's coronation has begun.
Ran two summer-themed episodes of Sailor Moon from the fourth season while eating chicken poached in a sauce made from white wine and home made vegetable broth, a green salad, and pasta for dinner. "Shining Summer Days: Ami Under the Sea-Breeze" has the Guardians hanging out at their local beach. Usagi's little brother Shingo has a huge crush on Ami and follows her around for a lot of the day. Tiger's Eye is also after Ami, trying to get her dreams. When he makes the mistake of picking on Shingo, Ami and the Guardians spring into action, making him wonder if he has anyone in his life who cares for him the way the girls and Shingo care for each other.
It's festival time in Tokyo! Usagi and Chibi-Usa aren't the only one enjoying the games, food, and fireworks. The Princess of Amethyst flees her royal duties to have a little fun with the tourists in "Juban Holiday: The Carefree Princess," a riff on Roman Holiday. Usagi and Chibi-Usa fear she may be in danger of becoming the Dead Moon Circus' next target and follow her, while Mamoru and the cats try to get her to return to her hotel and her people.
Hit the shower, then ended the night with Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country. The Klingon Empire is in turmoil after one of their moons and a primary source of energy explodes. Seeking aid, the Klingons finally attempt to make peace with the Federation. Kirk (William Shatner) is not overly happy with being assigned to rendezvous with the ambassador, especially after a Klingon killed his son the year before. They do manage to have dinner with them, but it's tense at best. The peace talks look like they may be off all together after the ambassador is assassinated by two men who resemble Kirk and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley). The two are arrested after a tense trial and sentenced to a snow-bound mining colony. While they await their friends, Kirk's best friend Spock (Leonard Nimoy), his protege Valeris (Kim Cattrall), and Captain Sulu of the Excelsior try to figure out who really wants the wars to continue.
This is one of three Star Trek movies my parents taped off cable in the late 80's and early 90's, and I do have some fond memories of it. Inspired by the real-life end of the Cold War, the story is darker and far more interesting than chasing whales or chasing God. There are some goofy parts when Kirk and Dr. McCoy are trying to escape the mining colony, but they're better-incorporated into the script and aren't as obvious. Nice cast, too, including David Bowie's wife Iman as a shape-shifting alien on the mining colony and Christopher Plummer as Chang, the villainous Klingon.
Once again, the big complaints are some special effects that are only slightly advanced beyond the last movie. The lower budget on this does show at times, especially any point they use early CGI. The Klingon blood flinging around looks more like jam than blood.
Probably the best of the original Star Trek movies with Wrath of Khan, this is a welcome return to form after the ridiculous Final Frontier...but do see at least Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock before you come here.
The shower had picked up by the time I headed home. I arrived at home a bit more wet than I was earlier. Livened up the gloomy day with lunch and another episode of Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter gets to show off her excellent real-life singing voice in "Amazon Hot Wax" from the third season. Diana is undercover cutting an album at a small-time recording studio in LA. An extortionist wants money from the studio's owner, or she'll destroy the final album of a star who recently passed away. While Wonder Woman stops him from paying them off, a goofy KISS-like hard rock band puts two and two together and figures out that the "dead" star may not be as gone as everyone believes.
While the showers did slow somewhat, they never stopped all together. I opted to ignore them and get my laundry done anyway. I'm glad I did. It was dead when I arrived and was never busy. I think I saw maybe one or two other people the entire hour I was there. Good thing, because I had a really big load this week, including towels. I half-listened to talk shows and soap operas and worked on story notes.
After I got home and put everything away, I worked on writing for a few hours. Henry and Leia join Jyn and Cassian, Wedge and Luke, and Ahsoka and a Naboo officer in a romantic waltz. Their night of romance comes to a screeching halt when they catch sight of Boba Fettson skulking around, working security for Vader. He recognizes them and has every intention of telling Vader they've arrived. Henry tries to stop him, but Fettson belts him on the chin and takes off. The lovers don't have time to follow him before a courier announces that Palpatine's coronation has begun.
Ran two summer-themed episodes of Sailor Moon from the fourth season while eating chicken poached in a sauce made from white wine and home made vegetable broth, a green salad, and pasta for dinner. "Shining Summer Days: Ami Under the Sea-Breeze" has the Guardians hanging out at their local beach. Usagi's little brother Shingo has a huge crush on Ami and follows her around for a lot of the day. Tiger's Eye is also after Ami, trying to get her dreams. When he makes the mistake of picking on Shingo, Ami and the Guardians spring into action, making him wonder if he has anyone in his life who cares for him the way the girls and Shingo care for each other.
It's festival time in Tokyo! Usagi and Chibi-Usa aren't the only one enjoying the games, food, and fireworks. The Princess of Amethyst flees her royal duties to have a little fun with the tourists in "Juban Holiday: The Carefree Princess," a riff on Roman Holiday. Usagi and Chibi-Usa fear she may be in danger of becoming the Dead Moon Circus' next target and follow her, while Mamoru and the cats try to get her to return to her hotel and her people.
Hit the shower, then ended the night with Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country. The Klingon Empire is in turmoil after one of their moons and a primary source of energy explodes. Seeking aid, the Klingons finally attempt to make peace with the Federation. Kirk (William Shatner) is not overly happy with being assigned to rendezvous with the ambassador, especially after a Klingon killed his son the year before. They do manage to have dinner with them, but it's tense at best. The peace talks look like they may be off all together after the ambassador is assassinated by two men who resemble Kirk and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley). The two are arrested after a tense trial and sentenced to a snow-bound mining colony. While they await their friends, Kirk's best friend Spock (Leonard Nimoy), his protege Valeris (Kim Cattrall), and Captain Sulu of the Excelsior try to figure out who really wants the wars to continue.
This is one of three Star Trek movies my parents taped off cable in the late 80's and early 90's, and I do have some fond memories of it. Inspired by the real-life end of the Cold War, the story is darker and far more interesting than chasing whales or chasing God. There are some goofy parts when Kirk and Dr. McCoy are trying to escape the mining colony, but they're better-incorporated into the script and aren't as obvious. Nice cast, too, including David Bowie's wife Iman as a shape-shifting alien on the mining colony and Christopher Plummer as Chang, the villainous Klingon.
Once again, the big complaints are some special effects that are only slightly advanced beyond the last movie. The lower budget on this does show at times, especially any point they use early CGI. The Klingon blood flinging around looks more like jam than blood.
Probably the best of the original Star Trek movies with Wrath of Khan, this is a welcome return to form after the ridiculous Final Frontier...but do see at least Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock before you come here.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Final Weirdness
Began another sunny, breezy morning with more Peanuts. You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown has Chuck and Marcie entered in the decathlon at their town's all-school track meet. Their biggest competitors are Freddy from Fremont and the Masked Marvel (aka Snoopy). While Freddy and Snoopy brag, boast, and insult one another, Marcie and Chuck show nothing but good sportsmanship. It comes down to the final race, the marathon. Chuck's hoping he can win the day, if he can stay on the track.
Hit the laundromat as soon as I finished breakfast. I didn't have a huge load, but I wanted to get it done before the heat becomes unbearable over the weekend. I timed it right. There was only one other person when I arrived around 10:30. By the time it started getting busier, my load was done. (I even saw one of my co-workers.)
Put everything away when I got home, then had a fast lunch while listening to one of my K-Tel 70's records, Starflight. Wrote at the computer for a couple of hours after that. After Luke uses the Force to free the Ewoks, they all flee via mine train (in a sequence inspired by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). Henry, Luke, Rusty, and Charles out-ride Hux and arrive at the entrance, only to find Hux and his men have beaten them there.
It's The White Swan to the rescue as Leia and the Ewoks whom they befriended bombard the Coruscant soldiers with rocks and spears. They're overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and Hux once again finds himself humiliated. Charles wants to tear him limb from limb. Henry gets a better idea when he realizes that Cedric and Hux share a similar build...
Broke at quarter after 2 to start getting ready for work. Ran an episode of The Backyardigans as I did the dishes, packed lunch and my cell phone, and changed into my uniform. Pablo wants to "Catch that Butterfly" in a third season episode done to comic opera. Stagecoach drivers Uniqua and Tyrone are happy to oblige...until his chase destroys their vehicle and leaves them going down river rapids and up a steep, crumbling cliff.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - mostly dead as a doornail. It did pick up enough by 5 that I spent a bit more time outside. Not entirely a good thing. It also got much hotter by 3, into the upper 80's, though it remained windy and relatively dry. I also did the outside trash and a couple of returns. Thankfully, by the time the one girl they had helping me went home sick (again, for the second time in a little over a week), we were only a half-hour from the night bagger's arrival.
Hit the shower when I got home, then cranked up the air conditioning and went online. Ran Star Trek V: The Final Frontier as I chatted with Lauren. And you thought the whole thing with the whales was strange? Get a load of this story. Most of the crew of the Enterprise is on shore leave when they get a distress call from a planet where three ambassadors for peace are being held hostage. It turns out that Spock's half-brother Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill) simply wanted to steal a ship to take him to the mythical planet of Sha Ka Ree, where he hopes to find God. Captain Kirk (William Shatner, who also directed) thinks he's nuts, and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is of a similar opinion. Most of the crew ends up under his thrall when he uses his mental powers to make them adore him. Even when they find what Sybok's been looking for, it's nothing like they expect. Meanwhile, a bored Klingon captain pursues them throughout the galaxy, simply for something to do.
Shatner not only directed, but came up with the story idea for this, and...yeah, it's a mess. I can see why this is considered to be by far the worst of the original Star Trek films of the 80's and 90's. The plot starts with one idea, then for some reason, drops it before it's gotten close to the midway point. Just rescuing hostages from a devastated planet would have probably been enough. The crew being so easily brainwashed (especially after they worked together beautifully in the last film) didn't sit well with me, either. The special effects, from the Enterprise to the "God," look cheap and dreadful.
There are a few good things to be found, starting with Jerry Goldsmith's stirring score. Some of the actors give it their all (even when the script isn't wonderful), including Lucknbill and DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy. And once again, they do get some (minor) props for trying something different.
I've read online that even some huge Star Trek fans skip this one and go straight to The Undiscovered Country. Unless you're seriously crazy about the franchise or the cast, you may want to do likewise.
Hit the laundromat as soon as I finished breakfast. I didn't have a huge load, but I wanted to get it done before the heat becomes unbearable over the weekend. I timed it right. There was only one other person when I arrived around 10:30. By the time it started getting busier, my load was done. (I even saw one of my co-workers.)
Put everything away when I got home, then had a fast lunch while listening to one of my K-Tel 70's records, Starflight. Wrote at the computer for a couple of hours after that. After Luke uses the Force to free the Ewoks, they all flee via mine train (in a sequence inspired by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). Henry, Luke, Rusty, and Charles out-ride Hux and arrive at the entrance, only to find Hux and his men have beaten them there.
It's The White Swan to the rescue as Leia and the Ewoks whom they befriended bombard the Coruscant soldiers with rocks and spears. They're overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and Hux once again finds himself humiliated. Charles wants to tear him limb from limb. Henry gets a better idea when he realizes that Cedric and Hux share a similar build...
Broke at quarter after 2 to start getting ready for work. Ran an episode of The Backyardigans as I did the dishes, packed lunch and my cell phone, and changed into my uniform. Pablo wants to "Catch that Butterfly" in a third season episode done to comic opera. Stagecoach drivers Uniqua and Tyrone are happy to oblige...until his chase destroys their vehicle and leaves them going down river rapids and up a steep, crumbling cliff.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - mostly dead as a doornail. It did pick up enough by 5 that I spent a bit more time outside. Not entirely a good thing. It also got much hotter by 3, into the upper 80's, though it remained windy and relatively dry. I also did the outside trash and a couple of returns. Thankfully, by the time the one girl they had helping me went home sick (again, for the second time in a little over a week), we were only a half-hour from the night bagger's arrival.
Hit the shower when I got home, then cranked up the air conditioning and went online. Ran Star Trek V: The Final Frontier as I chatted with Lauren. And you thought the whole thing with the whales was strange? Get a load of this story. Most of the crew of the Enterprise is on shore leave when they get a distress call from a planet where three ambassadors for peace are being held hostage. It turns out that Spock's half-brother Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill) simply wanted to steal a ship to take him to the mythical planet of Sha Ka Ree, where he hopes to find God. Captain Kirk (William Shatner, who also directed) thinks he's nuts, and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is of a similar opinion. Most of the crew ends up under his thrall when he uses his mental powers to make them adore him. Even when they find what Sybok's been looking for, it's nothing like they expect. Meanwhile, a bored Klingon captain pursues them throughout the galaxy, simply for something to do.
Shatner not only directed, but came up with the story idea for this, and...yeah, it's a mess. I can see why this is considered to be by far the worst of the original Star Trek films of the 80's and 90's. The plot starts with one idea, then for some reason, drops it before it's gotten close to the midway point. Just rescuing hostages from a devastated planet would have probably been enough. The crew being so easily brainwashed (especially after they worked together beautifully in the last film) didn't sit well with me, either. The special effects, from the Enterprise to the "God," look cheap and dreadful.
There are a few good things to be found, starting with Jerry Goldsmith's stirring score. Some of the actors give it their all (even when the script isn't wonderful), including Lucknbill and DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy. And once again, they do get some (minor) props for trying something different.
I've read online that even some huge Star Trek fans skip this one and go straight to The Undiscovered Country. Unless you're seriously crazy about the franchise or the cast, you may want to do likewise.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Galactic Sea Quest
Began a hazy morning with breakfast and summer-themed, black and white Silly Symphony shorts. "Summer" and "Night" are basic "animals dance and sing in time to music," in this case, frogs, bugs, and other summer creatures and nocturnal animals. "Frolicking Fish," "The Spider and the Fly," and the final black-and-white Silly Symphony "Bugs In Love" have small creatures rescuing a pair of lovers from a larger intruder - the spider in "Spider and the Fly," a crow in "Bugs In Love," an octopus in "Frolicking Fish."
Hit the laundromat after breakfast to get that done. I didn't have a big load; figured I might as well get it out of the way. I picked the right time. It was just me and the talk show on NBC when I arrived at quarter of 10. By the time Rachel Ray was explaining how to make the meal of the day and it was getting busier, my clothes were in the drier. I worked on story ideas and half-listened to Rachel.
Put everything away when I got home, then worked on my story. Henry's back on his feet and ready to join Leia, Charles, and the servants for the next mission. Mon Mothma explains that the Rebels and the League of the Crimson Hawk are now working together. Wedge and the Rogues and Langdon and his men will take down the Death Star from the air, after Henry, Leia, and the others pose as a rich couple and their entourage to get aboard the ship and shut down its defenses. But first, they have to find out where Vader's getting his supply of khyber crystals and shut that down, too...
Made turkey burgers and a green salad for lunch around 1:30. Watched an episode of Wonder Woman while I ate. "The Bermuda Triangle Crisis" from the early second season has the US claiming they want to make a nuclear testing ground on a certain island that's awfully close to Diana's homeland. While Diana decides what to make of her mother's words, she and Steve go into the heart of the Bermuda Triangle to figure out why planes are vanishing...and discover a master villain who intends to take over the world.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday, this time without the crazy storm shortly before break. It remained hazy, hot, and humid all afternoon. I rounded up carts for a half-hour when I came in and an hour before I left, but there really wasn't that much to do. Gathered trash and baskets inside and did a short test on the store's harassment policies. We were on-and-off steady afternoon, with many people likely either hitting the Shore after their kids got out of school or avoiding the heat.
Ran Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as I soon as I voyaged home myself. After being court-martialed for stealing a ship and disobeying orders in the last movie, the former crew of the Starship Enterprise, including the reborn Spock (Leonard Nimoy), discover that the only creatures that can communicate with a probe that's wrecking havoc on Earth are humpback whales. The creatures are extinct in the 23rd century...which is why Admiral James Kirk (William Shatner) takes his crew back in time to 1986 San Francisco to find examples of the species while they were still alive. While Spock and Kirk convince a marine biologist (Catherine Hicks) that they're from outer space and they need whales, the rest of the crew tries to find a nuclear reactor to power their ship and build a space for the enormous aquatic mammals.
This is one of three Star Trek movies my family taped off cable in the 80's and early 90's. (Final Frontier and Undiscovered Country were the others.) As a kid, I considered it to be too weird for words, especially compared to the grander Star Wars saga, and thought it pushed its "save the whales" message a little too hard. Nowadays, I see this as a breath of fresh air, and possibly one of the most unique science fiction films on celluloid. This is more of an action-comedy than a typical Star Trek entry, and it's actually rather charming, especially the crew's attempts to "blend in" in the already strange 1980's.
Not for hard-core action junkies or those who prefer their sci-fi dark and heavy, but if you ever wanted to see how the Star Trek characters would interact with the "normal" world, or just wanted to try the lighter side of Trekkie-dom, this is better than you might think from the plot description. (However, I do recommend seeing Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock first to get a better understanding of the characters and situations.)
Hit the laundromat after breakfast to get that done. I didn't have a big load; figured I might as well get it out of the way. I picked the right time. It was just me and the talk show on NBC when I arrived at quarter of 10. By the time Rachel Ray was explaining how to make the meal of the day and it was getting busier, my clothes were in the drier. I worked on story ideas and half-listened to Rachel.
Put everything away when I got home, then worked on my story. Henry's back on his feet and ready to join Leia, Charles, and the servants for the next mission. Mon Mothma explains that the Rebels and the League of the Crimson Hawk are now working together. Wedge and the Rogues and Langdon and his men will take down the Death Star from the air, after Henry, Leia, and the others pose as a rich couple and their entourage to get aboard the ship and shut down its defenses. But first, they have to find out where Vader's getting his supply of khyber crystals and shut that down, too...
Made turkey burgers and a green salad for lunch around 1:30. Watched an episode of Wonder Woman while I ate. "The Bermuda Triangle Crisis" from the early second season has the US claiming they want to make a nuclear testing ground on a certain island that's awfully close to Diana's homeland. While Diana decides what to make of her mother's words, she and Steve go into the heart of the Bermuda Triangle to figure out why planes are vanishing...and discover a master villain who intends to take over the world.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday, this time without the crazy storm shortly before break. It remained hazy, hot, and humid all afternoon. I rounded up carts for a half-hour when I came in and an hour before I left, but there really wasn't that much to do. Gathered trash and baskets inside and did a short test on the store's harassment policies. We were on-and-off steady afternoon, with many people likely either hitting the Shore after their kids got out of school or avoiding the heat.
Ran Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as I soon as I voyaged home myself. After being court-martialed for stealing a ship and disobeying orders in the last movie, the former crew of the Starship Enterprise, including the reborn Spock (Leonard Nimoy), discover that the only creatures that can communicate with a probe that's wrecking havoc on Earth are humpback whales. The creatures are extinct in the 23rd century...which is why Admiral James Kirk (William Shatner) takes his crew back in time to 1986 San Francisco to find examples of the species while they were still alive. While Spock and Kirk convince a marine biologist (Catherine Hicks) that they're from outer space and they need whales, the rest of the crew tries to find a nuclear reactor to power their ship and build a space for the enormous aquatic mammals.
This is one of three Star Trek movies my family taped off cable in the 80's and early 90's. (Final Frontier and Undiscovered Country were the others.) As a kid, I considered it to be too weird for words, especially compared to the grander Star Wars saga, and thought it pushed its "save the whales" message a little too hard. Nowadays, I see this as a breath of fresh air, and possibly one of the most unique science fiction films on celluloid. This is more of an action-comedy than a typical Star Trek entry, and it's actually rather charming, especially the crew's attempts to "blend in" in the already strange 1980's.
Not for hard-core action junkies or those who prefer their sci-fi dark and heavy, but if you ever wanted to see how the Star Trek characters would interact with the "normal" world, or just wanted to try the lighter side of Trekkie-dom, this is better than you might think from the plot description. (However, I do recommend seeing Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock first to get a better understanding of the characters and situations.)
Thursday, June 15, 2017
The Last Stand of the Enterprise
Began the day at work. I started and ended my shift outside, doing carts and rounding up baskets and outside trash. The trouble was when I tried to do the returns. I had been working on them for all of 20 minutes when I was called to the front of the store. The head manager angrily told me that I should have been organizing the carts his way and that I was doing too much standing in the aisles. Ironically, when he did hand me a cart he'd organized himself, only two items actually went where he said they did.
(I'm not the only one who has had problems with that head manager. He's been rude and nasty to just about everyone, customers and employees alike. The bakery manager and the floral department manager both complained about him being rude and demanding to them during break.)
I couldn't get out of there fast enough. It was too nice of a day to spend inside anyway. Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. Although there'd been clouds briefly in the morning, by 1 PM, it was all sunshine and a wonderfully cool wind. It was only busy down around Wal Mart, where it looked like they were doing some kind of repairs. Otherwise, I had no problems getting home.
I was surprised Charlie wasn't around when I got in. I never saw him today. The roof is covered, but still has exposed ceiling beams, and there's exposed siding outside, too. At the very least, I was able to have a simple, quiet lunch while watching Looney Tunes. I meant to do "Old Glory" yesterday for Flag Day, but never got to it, thanks to the repairs. Porky Pig is learning about the American Flag. He wonders what's so important about it. Uncle Sam appears to give him a history lesson in just how hard Americans fought to gain and keep what that flag represents.
Headed out around quarter of 3 to get the laundry done. I've had enough of rushing around on Friday. Had a huge load to do, too, including sheets. I picked the right time. The laundromat was totally empty when I arrived. I only saw one other person the whole time. I was able to get my things done with no problems. Worked on story notes while half-listening to General Hospital.
When I got home, I put everything away, then did some writing. Cedric is worried. Luke, Henry, and Charles are being held in the hold on Jenkins' lavish luxury steam yacht. He still has Leia chained up by his side. Rusty tells him not to worry. Luke has a plan...and they have help. Other members of the group are there, including Jyn and Ahsoka acting as dancers and Kanan and Ezra showing off their mind-reading act. But the main event has yet to appear...
Since Charlie never showed up today, I was able to make a decent dinner of Fish Scampi and a green salad with home-made red wine honey dressing. Watched Star Trek III: The Search For Spock while I ate. Things are not going well for the crew of the Starship Enterprise on their return to the Federation. Not only has Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) lost his best friend, but his beloved Enterprise has been put out commission by a newer, larger model. And then they discover that Spock put his soul into the brain of Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelley) before he died. They ignore orders to not return to Genosis when Kirk's son David (Merrick Buttrick) and fellow officer Saavick (Robin Curtis) reveal that they've found Spock, reborn as a child. The crew of the stolen Enterprise have to race against both a dying planet and a group of Klingons, lead by Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), who are also after the planet.
This was...not bad, actually. Better than I thought it would be. I especially loved how they managed to steal the Enterprise under the nose of the obnoxious commander of the fancier ship, and how Kirk sacrificed the thing he loved most to save the best friend he ever had. Christopher Lloyd was good as one of the nastier villains the crew had encountered.
There were some problems, starting with a far lower budget than The Wrath of Khan. Anything filmed "outdoors" looked ridiculously stagy and set-bound. Frankly, the story was just flat-out weird, one of the most ridiculous methods of bringing a beloved character back from the dead I've ever seen. And half the cast barely registered, including Kirk's just-discovered son and Lieutenant Uhura and Sulu.
Probably not the best of the Star Trek films, but also far the from the worst. Fans of the films or the original series may enjoy it, but it is necessary to catch Wrath of Khan to understand almost anything that goes on here.
(I'm not the only one who has had problems with that head manager. He's been rude and nasty to just about everyone, customers and employees alike. The bakery manager and the floral department manager both complained about him being rude and demanding to them during break.)
I couldn't get out of there fast enough. It was too nice of a day to spend inside anyway. Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. Although there'd been clouds briefly in the morning, by 1 PM, it was all sunshine and a wonderfully cool wind. It was only busy down around Wal Mart, where it looked like they were doing some kind of repairs. Otherwise, I had no problems getting home.
I was surprised Charlie wasn't around when I got in. I never saw him today. The roof is covered, but still has exposed ceiling beams, and there's exposed siding outside, too. At the very least, I was able to have a simple, quiet lunch while watching Looney Tunes. I meant to do "Old Glory" yesterday for Flag Day, but never got to it, thanks to the repairs. Porky Pig is learning about the American Flag. He wonders what's so important about it. Uncle Sam appears to give him a history lesson in just how hard Americans fought to gain and keep what that flag represents.
Headed out around quarter of 3 to get the laundry done. I've had enough of rushing around on Friday. Had a huge load to do, too, including sheets. I picked the right time. The laundromat was totally empty when I arrived. I only saw one other person the whole time. I was able to get my things done with no problems. Worked on story notes while half-listening to General Hospital.
When I got home, I put everything away, then did some writing. Cedric is worried. Luke, Henry, and Charles are being held in the hold on Jenkins' lavish luxury steam yacht. He still has Leia chained up by his side. Rusty tells him not to worry. Luke has a plan...and they have help. Other members of the group are there, including Jyn and Ahsoka acting as dancers and Kanan and Ezra showing off their mind-reading act. But the main event has yet to appear...
Since Charlie never showed up today, I was able to make a decent dinner of Fish Scampi and a green salad with home-made red wine honey dressing. Watched Star Trek III: The Search For Spock while I ate. Things are not going well for the crew of the Starship Enterprise on their return to the Federation. Not only has Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) lost his best friend, but his beloved Enterprise has been put out commission by a newer, larger model. And then they discover that Spock put his soul into the brain of Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelley) before he died. They ignore orders to not return to Genosis when Kirk's son David (Merrick Buttrick) and fellow officer Saavick (Robin Curtis) reveal that they've found Spock, reborn as a child. The crew of the stolen Enterprise have to race against both a dying planet and a group of Klingons, lead by Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), who are also after the planet.
This was...not bad, actually. Better than I thought it would be. I especially loved how they managed to steal the Enterprise under the nose of the obnoxious commander of the fancier ship, and how Kirk sacrificed the thing he loved most to save the best friend he ever had. Christopher Lloyd was good as one of the nastier villains the crew had encountered.
There were some problems, starting with a far lower budget than The Wrath of Khan. Anything filmed "outdoors" looked ridiculously stagy and set-bound. Frankly, the story was just flat-out weird, one of the most ridiculous methods of bringing a beloved character back from the dead I've ever seen. And half the cast barely registered, including Kirk's just-discovered son and Lieutenant Uhura and Sulu.
Probably not the best of the Star Trek films, but also far the from the worst. Fans of the films or the original series may enjoy it, but it is necessary to catch Wrath of Khan to understand almost anything that goes on here.
Monday, May 01, 2017
"To Boldly Go Where No Sailor Guardians Have Gone Before..."
Thankfully, I worked later in the morning today and didn't have to rush out of bed first thing. When I did get out, I had breakfast, then made Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins for lunch for work this week. Ran Sailor Moon episodes from season 3 (Sailor Moon S) while I ate and worked. A kind old Frenchman who is friends with Mamoru invites him and the girls to his home for a lavish party. Usagi gets nervous about speaking French and drinks a little too much wine. While the girls deal with her hangover, Haruka and Micheru worry that their gallant host may be the Heart Snatchers' next target.
Minako is upset that the Heart Snatchers haven't tried taking her pure heart crystal yet. She does everything she can to prove that she's as pure as anyone else...inadvertently leading to all of the Guardians revealing their identities to each other and their current adversary, shrill scientist Eudial.
A two-part story brings it all to a head. Eudial lures Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune to a secluded church, claiming she knows where the pure heart crystals are. The duo are promptly ambushed when they arrive. The Guardians are hot on their heels, hoping to avert the possibility of losing their friends...and of the objects their pure hearts reveal falling into the wrong hands.
No problems getting to work this time! We had long lines when I got in, probably due to the beginning of the month. I ended up in a register for the better part of the morning. It started to slow down even before my break around 1. Spent the rest of my shift bagging and gathering baskets. At least it went fast. By the time I finished at 3, we were fairly quiet.
The sun had been in and out of the clouds all day, and it was definitely warmer. I figured I was safe to take the long way home down Nicholson Road. It was just as quiet down there as it had been at work. Barely any traffic. Everyone must have still been at work. Even the turns by Wal Mart weren't bad.
As soon as I got in and changed, I took the rent next-door. I then finished out Sailor Moon, then went on the laptop to do some writing. Leia rushes back into the alley, hoping to find the two men. The Crimson Hawk finally appears over her head on a fire escape, then gallantly swings down on a clothesline. She warns him about Hux and Vader's plans for the Royal Regatta. He's not afraid. He's bested Vader before and will do it again.
The two have just kissed when Hux's voice is heard at the other end of the alley. The Crimson Hawk has vanished before the red-haired senator arrives. He and the Golden Eagle watch as Hux leads Leia away. The Golden Eagle is worried about the Regatta, but his friend's mind is more on the lovely Duchess Organa.
Broke around quarter of 7 for dinner. Had leftover shrimp and sauteed spinach and mushrooms while doing a final Sailor Moon episode. Mimtete makes her debut as the girls and Chibi-Usa hit the park to watch one of their favorite movie stars make a western. Mimtete is determined to steal the spotlight...but the real focus is on Usa's strange, shy new friend Hotaru, who has some very unusual powers.
Ran Star Trek: The Motion Picture while I ate and worked. The Enterprise is once again boldly going where no sci-fi geek has gone before. This time, they're checking out a strange robotic entity called V'ger, which seems to be destroying everything in its path...and Earth may be next. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) has just taken command of the Enterprise again, but it's been rebuilt from top to bottom. The man in charge while it was being rebuilt (Stephan Collins) is along as well. Things get really hairy when the robot herself comes aboard, and people start to get vaporized...
Ok, this was...weird. And a little boring. Even with director Robert Wise having re-cut the film a while back, a lot of it is still the cast sitting and staring at pretty colors. It feels claustrophobic, too, especially compared to the grittier world of Star Wars, more like a sci-fi play than a movie.
Two things I did enjoy - those pretty colors are worth staring at. The special effects here are genuinely well-done, especially for the late 70's. (Special effects whiz John Dykstra worked on them - he also did Star Wars.) There's also a gorgeous, majestic score, one of the best by Jerry Goldsmith. (It became so associated with the series, some of its music was used in other Star Trek films, and the main theme would be co-opted by Star Trek: The Next Generation.)
Even in its retool, I can see why critics and Trekkies alike still have problems with this one. I say, skip this and start with Wrath of Khan as a more effective reintroduction to this series unless you're a huge fan of the original show.
(Oh, and by the way, it hasn't rained to date. It's just windy, which is fine by me. Feels great in here now.)
Minako is upset that the Heart Snatchers haven't tried taking her pure heart crystal yet. She does everything she can to prove that she's as pure as anyone else...inadvertently leading to all of the Guardians revealing their identities to each other and their current adversary, shrill scientist Eudial.
A two-part story brings it all to a head. Eudial lures Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune to a secluded church, claiming she knows where the pure heart crystals are. The duo are promptly ambushed when they arrive. The Guardians are hot on their heels, hoping to avert the possibility of losing their friends...and of the objects their pure hearts reveal falling into the wrong hands.
No problems getting to work this time! We had long lines when I got in, probably due to the beginning of the month. I ended up in a register for the better part of the morning. It started to slow down even before my break around 1. Spent the rest of my shift bagging and gathering baskets. At least it went fast. By the time I finished at 3, we were fairly quiet.
The sun had been in and out of the clouds all day, and it was definitely warmer. I figured I was safe to take the long way home down Nicholson Road. It was just as quiet down there as it had been at work. Barely any traffic. Everyone must have still been at work. Even the turns by Wal Mart weren't bad.
As soon as I got in and changed, I took the rent next-door. I then finished out Sailor Moon, then went on the laptop to do some writing. Leia rushes back into the alley, hoping to find the two men. The Crimson Hawk finally appears over her head on a fire escape, then gallantly swings down on a clothesline. She warns him about Hux and Vader's plans for the Royal Regatta. He's not afraid. He's bested Vader before and will do it again.
The two have just kissed when Hux's voice is heard at the other end of the alley. The Crimson Hawk has vanished before the red-haired senator arrives. He and the Golden Eagle watch as Hux leads Leia away. The Golden Eagle is worried about the Regatta, but his friend's mind is more on the lovely Duchess Organa.
Broke around quarter of 7 for dinner. Had leftover shrimp and sauteed spinach and mushrooms while doing a final Sailor Moon episode. Mimtete makes her debut as the girls and Chibi-Usa hit the park to watch one of their favorite movie stars make a western. Mimtete is determined to steal the spotlight...but the real focus is on Usa's strange, shy new friend Hotaru, who has some very unusual powers.
Ran Star Trek: The Motion Picture while I ate and worked. The Enterprise is once again boldly going where no sci-fi geek has gone before. This time, they're checking out a strange robotic entity called V'ger, which seems to be destroying everything in its path...and Earth may be next. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) has just taken command of the Enterprise again, but it's been rebuilt from top to bottom. The man in charge while it was being rebuilt (Stephan Collins) is along as well. Things get really hairy when the robot herself comes aboard, and people start to get vaporized...
Ok, this was...weird. And a little boring. Even with director Robert Wise having re-cut the film a while back, a lot of it is still the cast sitting and staring at pretty colors. It feels claustrophobic, too, especially compared to the grittier world of Star Wars, more like a sci-fi play than a movie.
Two things I did enjoy - those pretty colors are worth staring at. The special effects here are genuinely well-done, especially for the late 70's. (Special effects whiz John Dykstra worked on them - he also did Star Wars.) There's also a gorgeous, majestic score, one of the best by Jerry Goldsmith. (It became so associated with the series, some of its music was used in other Star Trek films, and the main theme would be co-opted by Star Trek: The Next Generation.)
Even in its retool, I can see why critics and Trekkies alike still have problems with this one. I say, skip this and start with Wrath of Khan as a more effective reintroduction to this series unless you're a huge fan of the original show.
(Oh, and by the way, it hasn't rained to date. It's just windy, which is fine by me. Feels great in here now.)
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