When not on a late shift I always wake early, and so I watch DVD boxed sets. (It’s either that or lie wide awake waiting for the alarm). Today whilst ironing my work shirts I finished watching “Space: Above and Beyond” – it’s “Top Gun in Outer Space”, but was watchable. A shame it only ran for one season: I liked it, and it was far better than that drivel “Caprica” which is being touted on Sky at the moment.
Talking of which, is it just me, or is there something seedy about the cover for the “Caprica” DVD which has recently been released, featuring a nudey girl?
And then, having checked two different weather forecasts, for the first time this year I pegged the washing out on the line. And as I drove to work, the radio predicted showers. Oh how I laughed.
I then remembered something I hadn’t done from the weekend. During our cycle ride on Saturday, “Daddies Little Angel TM ” had staked out a chap doing his gardening, and eventually got a photo of his bum. I put it up on Facebook as I said I would – only two days late.
Yesterday I mentioned about washing a coat that somehow got smothered in fish poo. I think I got away with the fishy element, but the thing is (apparently) noticeably creased from a vigorous spin drying. I’ve ironed the thing – let’s hope that’s done the trick.
And in closing, does anyone fancy a trip to the Tropical Wings Zoo in
Im in!
ReplyDeletefrom The Guardian;
ReplyDeleteHas Caprica Lived Up to It's Promise?
Caprica , the retro-styled prequel from the Battlestar Galactica producers, last night reached its mid-season finale. So, now that the show has had an opportunity to bed down a little, it's time to ask the difficult questions: is Caprica living up to expectations? Has it delivered everything that was expected? Have BSG fans been pleasantly surprised?
Full TV guide
While Caprica, like BSG, now has established a large and deep narrative, last night's a cliffhanger episode arguably lacked the punch of BSG's finest mid-season finales. That said, the show still appears to have enough momentum and unanswered questions to fuel a full season.
Caprica has wisely, I think, managed to keep the BSG homages and portents to a minimum so far, focusing instead on building a layered universe with a smart retro-future aesthetic that meshes BSG storytelling and Mad Men style, with the CGI small-scale and non-intrusive. Viewers have to admire the care taken in the world-building, such as the intricate slang and rituals created for the "foreign" Tauron characters. It is familiar yet other-worldly.
There have been plenty of present-day analogies and weighty themes thrown into the mix. Already we've seen sexual politics, moral grey areas, and techno-espionage aplenty, but the depiction of Caprican society has been particularly on the nose. Theoretically it's got it all, embracing the unlimited potential of technology, but something is rotting inside. It's spinning out of control: a world where some would rather flee into virtual reality or join terrorist cults than participate in meaningless conspicuous consumption.
Eric Stoltz as Daniel Graystone has emerged as the real gem in the cast. BSG's producers clearly like conflicted scientists (see also Gaius Baltar), and Stoltz excels at playing a complex genius driven by such grief and hubris that he creates the downfall of his entire race. We saw one particularly gripping character moment in episode eight, when Daniel tried to provoke his daughter into betraying her presence in the U-87 by playing on her childhood fears of fire.
Flaws? Well some BSG fans probably aren't going to be able to make the conversion from space battles to soap opera. The story is slow moving and there are now almost too many arcs and themes cluttering up the field – with some, like the Sister Clarice storyline, failing to hold my attention at least. The show feels stronger when focusing just on the Graystones, or when Daniel and Joseph are head to head.
First takes on the show were promising – Caprica drew praise from the Guardian, the Onion AV Club and the Chicago Tribune after its initial episode. Others feel it hasn't lived up to its promise. So where do you stand? While Caprica's ratings haven't been great, they do seem to be ticking upwards of late. At the halfway mark, what do you think?
Dates??
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you do decide to come up to see the furry pigs - it's about 20 mins from my house! While you're here, I could always introduce you to some friendly landlords, but then again that's probably not your thing...
ReplyDelete