Archive for January, 2007
Saturday, January 20th, 2007
Anne (Joss Whedon)
There are two entirely different storylines in this and it didn’t really work to have them interspersed with each other. I like the gloominess of the Anne story but I also think how much you enjoy this episode depends on much you care about Lily and I cared a lot. Julia Lee gave a lovely, sad, sweet performance. The Scoobies coping back home is no match for Anne’s story and the Xander/Cordelia subplot just tees me off. Cordelia is so looking forward to seeing Xander, but their awkward reunion makes me cross because it makes no sense; they were happy at the end of last season and it feels contrived and not particularly interesting. Her feelings for him are just being set up for a fall and it seems that happiness just isn’t on the Joss agenda for any couple. It is unpleasant that Xander when he’s peeved can consider the notion that Cordelia is only fit for “bait”. A dream gives me the first of many unwelcome Bangel moments of season three and, with a couple of notable exceptions, Buffy’s dreams are usually cack.There is an hilarious moment in the blood bank when someone says “ow” off screen and Buffy looks discomforted. Finally, I love the super fight sequence with the huge set, the hunga munga and Lily discovering her courage.
“That’s right, Big Boy. Come and get it.”
“I’ve always been amazed with how Buffy fought, but in a way, I feel like we took her punning for granted.”
“Lily’s from a song. Rickie picked it. I’m always changing anyway. Chanterelle was part of my exotic phase.” “It’s nice. It’s a mushroom.” “It is? That’s really embarrassing.” “Um, well, it’s an exotic mushroom, if that’s any comfort.” “Well, before that, I was following this loser preacher and calling myself Sister Sunshine.” “What do they call you at home?” (with her lack of reply, I say, poor Lily)
“This is not a good place for a kid to be. You get old fast here.” (Ken gives the game away)
“Joyce, you mustn’t blame yourself for her leaving.” “I don’t. I blame you. You’ve been this huge influence on her, guiding her. You had this whole relationship with her behind my back. I feel like you’ve taken her away from me.” “I didn’t make Buffy who she is.” “And who exactly is she?” (Joyce isn’t exactly as livid as I’d like but at least there is this little conversation for her to make a point)
“This’ll probably go faster if we split up.” “Can I come with you?” “Okay, where did I lose you on the whole splitting up thing?” (poor Lily)
“Hey, Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?” “Gandhi?” “Well, you know, if he was really pissed off.”
“Can I be “Anne”’?” (if it gives you strength)
Posted in Buffy Season 3, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Television | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 16th, 2007
Becoming I and II (Joss Whedon)
I am just about to commit sacrilege but the first twenty minutes of this two parter are boring. I admit this is the third viewing but unlike many BtVS episodes third time was one time too many. Kendra’s reappearance perked me up but I am surprised in a show that challenges in so many ways that it is a shame that Buffy was allowed to make fun of how she talked. At least, Buffy didn’t go Kevin Kline on us and make fun of Tara’s stutter (they left that to Faith).
Why wasn’t Oz told about Willow’s spell the first time? Why did anyone think that Willow “may be the best person to do this”? Surely, a real witch like Amy should have been drafted in. I’m not complaining that Willow was a witch and a powerful one at that but I feel there should have been more of a build up (and I Only Have Eyes For You wasn’t enough, imo) before this revealing of Willow’s talent and putting her at risk. As Giles says: “channelling such potent magicks through yourself, it could open a door that you may not be able to close”.
Usually Andy leaves the snorting over fashion faux pas to me but even he was prompted to remark how Willow’ purple outfit had the effect of making her skin look purple too.
Willow: her resolve face is quite pathetic really but the moment when the magic takes hold of her is one of the iconic images from BtVS. It must be deliberately ironic that she is felled by a stack of library books.
Xander: he is rapidly becoming my least favourite regular by a long way (not that when I think of it he could be anything but my least favourite). However, I am inclined to agree with him that Angelus needs to be eliminated, he is a killer, and no matter if his soul is restored it can be removed from him and it will all begin again. (Obviously, I’m a liberal and didn’t really write that.) Moving on to the controversial moment when he doesn’t tell Buffy that Willow is going to try the spell again: I think he is right not to tell her because it might have lead to hesitation at a crucial time but what he was not right to do was to get Willow involved.
Spike: it’s good to see him on his feet again. I’m no shipper but I do prefer Spike and Buffy together rather that Angel and Buffy. However, I do object to how much she hits him. 
The unnecessary thumping starts in this episode and their sado-masochistic relationship hardly ever lets up. Another iconic moment occurs when he shrugs when he thinks Angel is going to kill Buffy (actually, this makes no sense because if Buffy dies then Angel’s plan comes to fruition and no more “Happy Meals with legs”). The scenes with Joyce are classic: “You hit me with an axe one time, remember? “Get the hell away from my daughter”” and the uncomfortable silence in the living room.
Joyce: her reaction is understandable and she doesn’t really mean it when she tells Buffy never to return. Joyce has a bigger claim to feeling betrayed than any other character. Every single person that she knows who knows Buffy has lied to her persistently. Now she knows why Mr Giles has been so attentive to her daughter and she has a right to be livid.
Kendra: I liked Kendra a lot. Bianca Lawson drew the short straw regarding accents but she was charming in her brief appearances and gave us the delight of “Mr Pointy”. Her death is a shocker but I do feel that Dru takes her too easily.
Cordelia: not much to note except she has the best line: “Why don’t you just wait here to find out if it worked, see if he phones you?”
Giles: the use of Jenny Calendar (and a welcome reappearance by Robia LaMorte) to get information from him was horrible using his grief as a weapon and his brutal torture is cleverly implied.
Buffy: Angelus is right: Buffy falls for it every single time and more people die. I’m not surprised she was so depressed by season 6. 
In the end, Buffy does find the strength to kill Angel and what makes Whedon a brave and adventurous writer is this comes after his soul is restored making “close your eyes” an even more powerful moment. The best moment in the show is when SMG shows her class in the scene when Angelus is taunting her (“No weapons. No friends. No hope. Take all that away and what’s left?) and she opens her eyes to say “Me.”
“Don’t touch me! You have fish hands!”
“These public displays of affection are not acceptable in my school. This isn’t an orgy, people. It’s a classroom.” “Yeah! Where they teach lunch.” “Just give me a reason to kick you out, Summers. Just give me a reason.” “How about because you’re a tiny, impotent Nazi with a bug up his butt the size of an emu?”
“I don’t know. What happened to Angel wasn’t his fault.” “Yeah, but what happened to Ms. Calendar is. You can paint this any way you want. But the way I see it is that you wanna forget all about Ms. Calendar’s murder so you can get your boyfriend back.”
“This means I can’t help you study for tomorrow’s final.” “Ah, I’ll wing it. Of course, if we go to Hell by then, I won’t have to take them. Or maybe I’ll be taking them forever.”
“I wanna torture you. I used to love it, and it’s been a long time. I mean, the last time I tortured somebody, they didn’t even have chainsaws.”
“What are you, just some immortal demon sent down to even the score between good and evil?” “Wow. Good guess.”
“Willow. Uh, she told me to tell you…” “Tell me what?” “Kick his ass.”
“You’re not real.” “Sure, I’m real.” “It’s a trick. They get inside my head, make me see things I want.” “Then why would they make you see me?” “You’re right. Let’s go.”
Posted in Buffy Season 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Television | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, January 16th, 2007
Go Fish (David Fury and Elin Hampton)
This is the episode that surely everybody refers to as the one with Xander in Speedos. I’m not entirely sure why this episode inspires such ire. It isn’t as lame as I Robot You Jane, Bad Eggs or Some Assembly Required and it is less unpleasant than Killed By Death. I wonder how many people are turned off by the ill conceived introduction of the element of rape. Buffy’s joke about doing it with the entire swim team is well-delivered but just elicits an eww from me. Rape isn’t funny and has no place in a monster of the week episode.
However, there are the delights such as the girls’ reaction to Xander in Speedos (“Shh! I’m undercover” “Not under much”) and his embarrassment (though it isn’t entirely plausible that many would be embarrassed with a body like that – Xander in season six might be). And the scene when Cordy thinks Xander has lost his skin is when I first realised just how much she cared for him (much more than him for her): “and we can still date. Or, or not. I mean…I understand if you wanna see other fish. I’ll do everything I can to make your quality of life better. Whether that means little bath toys or whatever.”
TV is weird – the notion of people losing their skins and having skin lying around in all its gory glory is apparently okay but two women kissing isn’t.
“Xander, I know you take pride in being the voice of the common wuss, but the truth is, certain people are entitled to special privileges. They’re called winners. That’s the way the world works.” “And what about that nutty all men are created equal thing?” “Propaganda spouted out by the ugly and less deserving.” “I think that was Lincoln.” “Disgusting mole and stupid hat.” “Actually, it was Jefferson.” “Kept slaves. Remember?” (well, Cordy has that argument won)
“This doesn’t make any sense.” “Yeah. The skin’s the best part.” “Any demons with high cholesterol?” pause “You’re gonna think about that later, mister, and you’re gonna laugh.” (this is a wonderful joke made even better by Buffy telling us it’s a wonderful joke – apparently these jokes are called “buy backs“)
“I’ll crack him like an egg.”
“I wouldn’t break out the tartar sauce just yet.” “I think we’d better find the rest of the swim team and lock them up before they get in touch with their inner halibut.”
What an ending.
Posted in Buffy Season 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Television | No Comments »
Monday, January 15th, 2007
I Only Have Eyes For You (Marti Noxon)
I seem to be a minority regarding this episode because I don’t like it much. I do get the themes about blaming yourself and forgiveness but I’m not clear what the arm in the locker, the snakes in the canteen (except a foreshadowing relating to the mayor) or the various happenings during the spell have to do with the re-enactments of the doomed relationship between Henry and Natty Gann.
In a DVD extra, Joss Whedon says that David Boreanaz’s performance in the scene between Buffy and Angel when they are possessed made him realise that DB could carry a series of his own. I do like SMG’s work but her performance in this scene wouldn’t have suggested to me that she could carry a series.
Giles’ delusion is hard to watch and the moment when he accepts the truth (“Jenny could never be this mean”) is moving. It’s also a shame to introduce Ms Calendar’s potentially useful rose quartz and have the idea go nowhere and, grr argh, to the computer stuff.
“People can be coerced, Summers. I’m no stranger to conspiracy. I saw JFK. I’m a truth seeker. I’ve got a missing gun and two confused kids on my hands. Pieces of the puzzle. And I’m gonna look at all the pieces carefully and rationally, and I’m gonna keep looking until I know exactly how this is all your fault.”
“You should never be cowed by authority. Except, of course, in this instance, when I am clearly right and you are clearly wrong.”
Yay, Spike is on his feet
Posted in Buffy Season 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Television | No Comments »
Sunday, January 14th, 2007
Jo (
Runaways) Chen’s version of Willow for Buffy season 8 in comic book form
Posted in Buffy Season 8, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Comics, Images | No Comments »
Sunday, January 14th, 2007
Killed by Death (Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali)
A monster of the week episode with a decidedly unpleasant child killer who uses stalks that come of its eyes to murder – I see one of Cordelia’s eews and raise it to a yuck.
The little girl who played child Buffy was impeccably cast, I don’t know what SMG looked like when she was young but she could have looked like Mimi Paley (Samantha Mulder!).
The exchange when Giles and the others pretend that Buffy is just delusional while Joyce is there made me realise just how much Joyce is being deceived. This is reinforced when later she says “Oo, looks like I interrupted a secret meeting”. She has the right to feel very angry and betrayed when she learns the truth.
Misc funnies:
- Cordelia’s suggestion about Buffy getting “that thing” on her face done is very funny – surely she’s not talking about Buffy’s nose?
- Giles asks Buffy if the drawing is her own work.
- “Oh, yeah, I’m good at medical stuff since Xander and I used to play doctor all the time.” “No, she’s being literal. She used to have all these medical volumes, uh, and diagnosed me with stuff. I didn’t have the heart to tell her she was playing it wrong.” “Wrong? Why? How did you play doctor?”
- “I’m on sentry duty. Angel won’t show till sundown if at all, but maybe I’ll get lucky with this death guy.” “He’s invisible.” “Yeah, but if I see a floating pipe and a smoking jacket, he’s dropped.”
- “Wait, what does this one do?” “It asks endless questions of those with whom it’s supposed to be working so that nothing is getting done.” “Boy, there’s a demon for everything.”
- “Are you, are you still there?” “Hanging on every eww.”
Posted in Buffy Season 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Television | No Comments »
Saturday, January 13th, 2007
Originally uploaded by grange85.
I think last night (well, the night before and she did), Kristin Hersh broke a guitar string while entertaining the heck out of me. I wonder how she doesn’t break a vocal cord. Her voice is a plaintive sad thing one second and a rasping hair-raiser the next. She was on awesome form, Your Ghost made me cry, and the McCarricks were the icing on the cake because the Strings EP is just wonderful.
Many years ago, I stood at the ts in Virgin on the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road and fingered Hunkpapa and dared myself to buy it because I had heard Dizzy on the radio: I didn’t and I feel quite bad about that. And how I would have impressed Andy if I had had.
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Saturday, January 13th, 2007
I want to reach back into the past and tell Billy Wilder that he mustn’t make that mistake; that wig mistake which comes this close to spoiling Double Indemnity.
To think she could look like this:
Posted in Films | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007
“Once upon a time women were empowered to vote, empowered to enter the workplace, empowered to stand up to oppression. Now pole dancing is empowering.” Mind Your Language
“The gents, meanwhile, are more willing to accommodate each other’s ambitions, or at least to swallow their pride.” Girls just want to have a massive spat
I just put together a picture to illustrate my third item but I don’t think I want that sort of thing on my blog so you’ll just have to see the images of Huntress from Idealized women, fine, but whose ideal?. What Ami misses is how much the second Huntress’s belly button resembles a vulva.
Posted in Comics, Female thinking, Music, Other people's written work | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007
I have always enjoyed reading the work of Doris Lessing though I do know I haven’t read nearly enough by her. The Children of Violence series notably Martha Quest, A Proper Marriage and A Ripple from The Storm impressed me immensely when I was younger and I did enjoy The Good Terrorist though I fear a lot of the references were beyond me. I remember back in college watching a South Bank Show (tx’d 17/04/1988) featuring her and she talked about how people worry about approaching disaster and menace as if it was just around the corner and she simply pointed out that “we are living in catastrophe”. As we settle into the twentieth first century this is being more apparent as things set in motion decades ago are now really getting weird: bumblebees in January anyone?
Anyway, Doris, has a MySpace account which seems very strange. This is what she has to say on her main site: “I am so happy to be communicating with people on this newest of new wavelengths which to some older people must seem like a kind of magic.”: which is probably true.
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Page 48 on 
Georgia, USA on 