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Friday, May 20, 2005

Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Mood: Dark, Evil, Brooding & Pumped.
Track Injection: Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith <--- Click to listen (Realplayer)





and then there was one.


It's a long journey from 1977 to today but tomorrow, at long last, we see the origin of Darth Vader and the rise of the Empire.


This is the one that we that grew up with the original trilogy are waiting for, the darker, more malevolent (older audience targeted - Ed) Star Wars.


Will it be any good, by oldschooler classic Star Wars standards?


That we won't know for ourselves until tomorrow, but there are promising signs.


Director Kevin Smith used profanity to describe it, but in a positive manner ("F'ing Awesome" -Ed) Spielberg purportedly wept like a baby, and the mainstream media apparently were none too happy they couldn't tear into Ep3 with as much vitriol as they have become accustomed of late.


For my part, none of that means anything, it's peripheral, but having just heard the Ep3 soundtrack I can say that I am amazed at the orchestral and compositional quality of John Williams Star Wars scoring.


Williams is at the Top of his game, with a Star Wars score with such epic Wagnerian emotional throttle and resonance that it runs the risk of being dismissed for being "too" good.


(read: "this is outstanding, therefore as we can't take Williams seriously as a `classical composer' we'll ignore it" - Ed)


Not that I can speak for all classical music critics, but, in my oberservation, compose for opera and theatre entertainment, and you're heralded as a talent and genius compose for movie entertainment, and you're reviewed as a second class citizen.


We've heard a few of these Star Wars refrains before, but this is no medley.


we haven't heard Star Wars like this, since Empire, with new Operatic segments that ebb and flow and take the listener on a new impacting richly textured dense and often darkly fulfilling emotional journey.


So this at least, bodes well, stars may be aligning on this final entree as in my view: John Williams Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith is an epic sweeping majestic powerful score.


Williams caps his good-by-any-standards Star Wars classic composing career off with a score that is, in my opinion, no hyperbole intended, deserving of an Oscar.


But will the movie live up to its score?


The odds are not terribly good, we shall see soon enough.


You can hear the Star Wars Episode 3 Score to judge it for yourself here.


on The Ministry's Virtual iPod: http://www.geocities.com/michael_xavier_maelstrom/tagradio.html


Looking forward to seeing it tomorrow, provided of course, we manage to get in.


[Pathud]


michael maelstrom

Star Trek - The End (?)

Mood: Bleah.
Track Injection: Miles Davis - "So What" <--- Click to Listen (Realplayer)





T.A.G in on a -- Set Phasers on Berman and Braga -- Tangent.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


(that'd be the phaser setting above "stun" - Ed)


Holy Saurian Sledgehammer Sub-text, could B&B be any more obvious.


^Raise-Eyebrow.


or am I the only one that felt that Berman & Braga seemed to have spent the last few episodes of Enterprise both zinging fans (changing the ENT theme for 1 episode then back again -Ed) while simultaneously attempting to remind people (particularly Paramount people - Ed) that they know (knew - Ed) how to make Star Trek?


(ie. turning ENT finale into reminder of TNG glory days -Ed)


It seems to me B&B used ST:ENT to deliver one big bloody Raspberry.


It would also appear T'Pol was correct, when she was quoted as stating the last episode of Enterprise was "appalling" though IIRC at the time of the interview she would not qualify what she meant.


Now we know.


It's certainly appalling, if you believe ST:ENT ought stand on its own.


That said, it behooves me to mention that I am _not_ one of those who would be found dissing Enterprise (the series), I rather enjoyed the series.


Conversely, I _am_ one of those that would be found dissing the Trek-destructive arrogance the latterday 2 headed hydra: Berman & Braga displayed.


A distinction that, sadly, hardcore Trekkies und Trekkers either didn't see or were not willing to make.


Not even for the sake of our beloved Star Trek's survival.


As I have said before, in my observation, the real insurmountable problem with Enterprise was that the animosity wasn't about Enterprise, so much as it was that problems were exacerbated by a widespread venomous loathing for B&B amonst hardcore Trekkies.


Paramount apparently never got that or if they did, the close-knit (or close nit-wit - Ed) corporate culture didn't allow them to see their way to doing the only thing that would have satiated TREK fans, which was: to axe B&B, in a big bold way.


In effect, TBTB tried everything but what the fans asked for, and in so doing, they failed to return the show to the fans.


As I see it, the Trekkies had come to loggerheads with the B&B (a pair of out-of control freaks -Ed) the same pair who somehow unfathomably not only refused to listen to the fans input and advice ("please change the theme song to a STAR TREK theme song", "pay more attention to continuity!" -- Trekkies) but who chose instead to antagonize the fanbase ("I like the theme song, so no, tough luck", "I never cared for continuity, I never saw the original series" -- B&B)


Imo, it is that animosity between B&B and the Fanbase, that in my observation, more than any other single contributing factor, has led directly to where we are today.


and so Star Trek is gone.


*sniff*


from television.


*sniff*


for now.


*sniff*


For this one, the ENT finale served up a double phaser-rifle-butt to the solar-plexus. Not only am I losing first run Star Trek from my life (isn't that supposed to be an oxymoron? - Ed) but while that's happening, we are hit again with a painful reminder of ST:TNG, presented in ST: Enterprise, no less, as if we'd never left The Next Generation's NCC-1701D.


It is said (no it isn't, you're making it up - Ed) (ok, it is said by me, happy Ed?)(marginally. I'm watching you - Ed)


It is said that each TREK fan's Katra lives upon that Trek series that their inner ID most associates with.


That even though we may well enjoy a given TREK series more than another from a critical or otherwise perspective, yet nevertheless our Katra is inextricably drawn back to its home base, to inhabit and rest in that Trek place it feels most comfortable.


I love TOS most.


I miss DS9 beyond all sense of propriety (as Space: The Imagination Station no longer carries DS9 episodes, so withdrawal symptoms are high)


but in retrospect and introspect, my Katra and ID perennially inhabit the decks of the U.S.S Enterprise NCC-1701D.


Ergo, to see her again, and to have to say goodbye, both to ENT and to TNG (again) all in one sitting. That was painful, and quite possibly cruel.


because what hope is there for a revival of TNG? and if none, then why put us through it?


Anyway, in my view this final episode was largely an abomination, a major character is killed pointlessly and needlessly, there are no character interplay resolutions (Trip & T'Pol's relationship actually moves oxymoronically forwards then _backwards_), no Enterprise story-arc resolutions (facing off against Shran's smalltime-crook enemies, is hardly a fitting end for the Flagship of the fleet) and worst of all, no resonating ENTERPRISE-centric mission wrappings. We don't even get to 'ear the speech Archer dressed up for.


Mostly, we (and by we, he means I - Ed) am left with a sense of loss, yet it's as much over TNG as it is over ENT., which is quite a feat of incredible idiocy given that TNG hasn't been on the air for 10 years.


und one has to wonder about the compus mentus of putting ENT up to direct comparison with TNG <-- a series with blockbuster critical accolades und ratings, not only by Trek standards, but by _any_ television standards. (You can hear the foreheads slapping in unison somewhere - Ed) Imo, a complete bollocksing up of what *ought* have been a far more resolute or at least resonant _ENTERPRISE_ episode.


The best bit, arguably the only good bit, of this final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, was clearly the closing scene: all 3 Enterprise displayed, all 3 Captains voicing the famous Trek soliloquy.


"These are the Voyages.."


That, if little else in this episode, was an epic and quintessential Trek moment.


Leaving Enterprise to conclude in a manner (somewhat fittingly -Ed) not unlike the majority of its run, with competent moments and even shining moments of Trek brilliance overshadowed by lackluster effort and complaints.


and so we say Goodbye to Enterprise and to first run Star Trek on television.


Only one thing left to say, Resurrect and Prosper _soon_ Star Trek.


Your job is not yet done.


We still have some learnin to do.


As a species.


Imo.


---


Post Script: Suggs for a new Star Trek series!


1. Move if off UPN and onto NBC or back to 1st run syndication, so that, 'ere's a novel idea, the public may see it.


2. Sh!tcan Berman & Braga, bring in


A. Nicholas Meyer and Leonard Nimoy


or


B. Harve Bennett and Eugene Roddenberry


..to helm new series.


3. Hire SF writers to pen New Trek episodes _and_ story-arcs.


And That's My View.


michaelmaelstrom



------ The Avante Guardian's Revolver - StrangeFaves on Rotation:
www.geocities.com/michael_xavier_maelstrom/tagradio.html
Michael Xavier Maelstrom, The Avante Guardian, TAG
M o n t r e a l, Q u e b e c, C a n a d a, E a r t h, S o m e t i m e s.