Writing and TV

[lynsangelic1]

Tis been a busy week, most of it boring.

 

But on Tuesday/ Wednesday morning I did finish (the first draft which runs at over 2 hours) of my play – Huzzah!  I had the usual loopy, sleep deprived day after in which I loved everything and the world seemed infinitely better.  I’ve sent it out to a few friends for feedback and after that I’ll fix and polish and then will use it to try in vain to convince theatre people that I can write and that they do want to pay me for the privilege. 

 

Also entered a competition with an old play which my old tutor feels I have a good shot at.  I had to fit specific criteria – 3 characters, living urban or rural Scots dialect and under an hour – So I sent in the play I often consider to be the bastard spawn, if I were to look at my various works as children.  I don’t know why I consider it the let down and the bastard spawn because I actually enjoy it when I read it, instead of squirming.  Perhaps I feel that way because it’s fairly crude and the plot isn’t overly taxing (read: simple).  I didn’t do the extreme planning and research I usually do, because it didn’t really call for it.  I wanted to have a go at writing about male friendship because I’m usually quite female-centric ;)

 

We’ll see though.  I have a feeling that this competition might be trying to find a Sunset Song-y type of play, about fucking farms.  Urgh.  I feel like poking my eyes out when I read that genre in Scottish literature.  So perhaps two Edinburgh boys who play computer games, worship football and argue about which Disney film was the last great Disney isn’t what they’re looking for.  There’s more to it than that, but most of the disgusting humour comes out of those two.

 

Here’s a movie which a highly, highly recommend you see: Boy A.  Terrific.  It’s British movie about a youth murderer who gets his life together after release with the help of his social worker.  Moving, horrifying, so, so well written and dare I say beautiful?

 

And here’s some opinions on the start to some TV shows – Heroes, Fringe and House.  I have been watching other stuff – Gossip Girl which I’m fairly happy with (zee014 : I thought of you during this weeks hockey skirt wearing scene – I’m still working on those Lively legs).  And I have seen Grey’s, but not sure I want to comment on it yet.

Heroes

Heroes, Heroes, Heroes.  What shall I do with you?  You’re holding my KBell hostage for another 4 episodes according to her current contract, so I’ll have to persevere.

 

When I first watching it on megavideo -- because the download wasn’t going very fast and I could not wait to see my Kristen (Quite, quite sad, I’m aware) -- I was enjoying it.  In the back of my mind I was aware that some of the lines were slightly hammy and soapy, but I couldn’t care.

 

The only moment I got really excited about was when Sylar had KBell on the floor, ready to kill her.  I was squeaking “NO NO NO!  She’s got four more episodes!”  Thank God nothing happened, or I might have just had to learn how to become a hacker so I could infiltrate the private Heroes production company network and crash every writers computer for such a heinous crime.  They deserve to write every script by hand if they’re gonna be pulling shit, like killing Elle.

But she didn’t die.  Yet.  I’m well aware that such a huge cast means that you can kill of big main/guest stars ala Isaac etc.  I’m keeping my Dummy’s Guide to Hacking on standby.

 

Anyway, so when the episode finally downloaded, that night, I put it on while doing my dusting and cleaning (Yes, I do wear a 40’s style housewife outfit while doing this – I find it gets me into character).  It started to make me laugh, in a bad way, and make me fast forward, also in a bad way.  I fast forwarded so much, all I really watched again was the Sylar/Claire brain scene and Elle’s bits. 

 

Let me break it down.

 

Elle:                Perfection, wouldn’t change a thing.  Except for giving her more screentime – Like 38 minutes more?

 

Claire: Has brought me around.  Used to think she was just an annoying whiney adolescent but has grown on me.  However, the 4 years in the future scene that started the episode was really, really badly written and acted.

 

Sylar: You did used to disgust me – But after the exchange with Claire (“Are you gonna eat it?”  “Eat your brains?  Claire, that’s disgusting.”) I’m liking you.  Was a lot WTF at the Angela Petrelli scene at the end, but that’s really not your fault.

 

Matt Parkman: Just die already, Matt.  Just die.  You annoy me most of all.  Thinking a tortoise was talking to you is just stupid.  I’m glad you’re in Africa, out of the way so you can’t fuck anything up.  I used to like you, mostly because of your hot wife and I liked Grunberg’s character in Alias but you’re just a dick now.  After all the future stuff and then manipulating people in the present while still thinking you’re a good, noble and righteous guy.  Just get the fuck out of here.

 

Peter              Thank God you’ve stopped whining about Catlin.  Thank God.  She was insanely crap.  Although now you’re future!Peter and I don’t like him much… I don’t know.  Bonus is that Weevil from Veronica Mars is now playing present!Peter.

 

Nathan            You were driving me insane with the “I’ve seen God” stuff but now you’re just mentally ill talking to Linderman or being used as a pawn AGAIN and are too stupid to see it.  What a cop out though, I thought you’d died.  And you were actually becoming a good man towards the end of last season.

 

Nikki/Jessica/Tracy  Which one are you?  I suppose we’ll get the whole story soon enough.  I did like KickAss Jessica, got annoyed by Nikki but then softened on her and I’m liking Tracy’s ice cold killa stuff.  We’ll see where it goes.  I will say that the shade of lipstick you’re wearing nowadays is severe.

 

Mohinder       I’m so not surprised that I’m not the only one who thought Mohinder=Bruce Banner.  It was only a matter of time before Mohinder tried to give himself powers.  Throughout his whole injection scene I was chanting “Hulk!  Hulk!  Hulk!”  The skin bit was disgusting.

 

Maya               I cannot express how pointless and infuriating you were last season.  I know your plot went somewhere, was pivotal to Sylar blah blah, but I wanted to scream every time I saw you – and not in a good way.  You weren’t so exasperating in these episodes, but you did just swoon and give into Mohinder over your principals and disagreement with what he did.  Weak, man.  Weak.  Also – Have you not noticed that your brother is dead yet?? I don’t think Sylar’s told you that…

 

Hiro                 You’re an idiot.  Completely.  If your best friend is going to kill you in the future, then you trust him, tell him straight off and don’t push him away.  Because otherwise you are creating the villain in him.  Also – Opening the safe when you were expressly told not to?  IDIOT.  I liked you last season, but you’re gonna have to smarten up or I’ll send you to Africa with Parkman.

 

Claire’s Bio Mum      I hope Claire remembers that last she seen this woman, she was a total dick to her.  Still so much love for Sandra Bennet and her dog.

 

 

Also – Am I missing something or wasn’t Claire supposed to think that Noah was dead??  Because the reunion scene did not seem like that at all.  “I’m glad you’re back”??? What?  Shouldn’t that be “Oh my god, how are you alive? You were shot through the eye!!”

Having said that, I could be wrong as I haven’t watched season 2 in forever.  And when I did watch it last, I was fast forwarding to all the Elle stuff.  Because I’m pathetic.

 

 

House

I do like House, I do.  I like the characters, the stories, the dialogue.  But I find the lack of overall arcs, tiny arcs or even the development of a good romantic arc somewhat wanting.  I like my TV addictive.  Looking back, I think that it was perhaps season 2, with Stacey that was pretty good, as there was something tying the episodes together and something to follow through.  It was complicated enough for a first time viewer to be put off watching it, but something you would like to come back to.

 

So, the first two episodes were no bad.  Liking the focus on Thirteen in the season opener and hope she’ll get a lady, instead of the bi thing just being bandied about for character background.  Both good, solid episodes.  I’m just not particularly over-awed.

 

 

Fringe

After seeing the pilot a couple months ago, I wasn’t sure whether or not I was gonna pursue it.  Being a huge fan of Alias but really not-so-much at all a fan of Lost, it could have gone either way.  However, I was bored and downloaded the second and third episodes to watch.  Both quite forgettable in terms of storyline.  The title of the second episode The Same Old Story was very apt as it was really just AtS’s 2^nd episode Lonely Hearts, mixed with the twelfth episode Expecting and adding creepy X-files type locations to taste.

 

The third episode – The Ghost Network wasn’t bad, although I was fairly dismayed by the similar pattern’s (ha, geddit…? No.  Lame.) of the plot sequence for these two.  In both episodes the situation was created by Walter Bishops research nearly 2 decades ago and they also had to go, cap in hand, to Massive Dynamic to be getting some piece of equipment.  Maybe it was watching one straight after the other (but to be fair, I do that with most shows – Especially on catch up).  It’s already a bit samey.

I may look in on episode four, though I won’t be waiting in earnest for it.  The only reason I do go back is because of Joshua Jackson.  I find him adorable.  I just want to squash his cheeks together and have him talk in sarcastic run-on sentences to me all day.

No, no one else?
 

Comments

[lash-larue.livejournal.com]

Agree on Fringe, not much there.

I find myself a bit tired of House himself, NO hospital would put up with his crap. But I will watch for 13 and Cuddy, and they should get together.

Am currently immersed in Buffy, which I got for my birthday. Never really watched it and am struck by the similarities to the Firefly characters. Am perving on little sister. Guh.

Gonna tackle Heroes next.

L

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

Cuddy. Oh Cuddy. I think the brightest moment of those two episodes was just trying to work out her odd, unsymmetrical but stylish suit, while ogling, eh, admiring her. 13/Cuddy is much, much better than Cameron/Cuddy. Because as pretty as Cameron is, she's a bit bleh.

I'm thrilled you're getting into Buffy. Thrilled. Where you up to? Little sister? As in Dawn??

Heroes is worth is for KBell's fantastic sociopath alone, but you have to get through quite a bit of brilliance and frustration to get to that.

And how have you been?

[lash-larue.livejournal.com]

Some better of late, I'm about a 3rd of the way through season 6. Yes. Dawn.

I am ashamed.

L

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

So you should be!

What about Faith? Or Darla? Or Glory? Or Tara?

[lash-larue.livejournal.com]

Faith is an old perv of mine, just sublime. Not so much Glory, I would like Tara for a best friend, and I don't recall a Darla.

Anya has a hell of a body, Willow is just so cute, Cordelia would be fine if she STFU.
Buffy I go back and forth on, but she is flexible. Rat girl is pretty.

I loved the musical episode, and Tara sounded so good I thought she was dubbed until I watched the special features.

But Dawn is at that magical age where she is just poised on the cusp of womanhood. Emphatically not a child, but not quite an adult, and definitely not for me. A rosebud just beginning to open, and that hair!

L

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

That's when I truly fell in love with Tara - Her voice is incredible. So is Anya's, but in a different way.

Never had a thing for Willow. Never thought of her in that way.

Darla was Angel's sire. She's in season 1 and I never thought much of her then. But she comes back into Angel in flashbacks and she was in the season five episode "Fool For Love" which shows Spike killing the slayers.

I'm the same on Buffy. Seasons 1-3, there's no question, specially season 2. Season 4, I get pissed at her character, like her hair but feel she's awfully thin. Season 5-7 flips episode to episode.

"But Dawn is at that magical age where she is just poised on the cusp of womanhood. Emphatically not a child, but not quite an adult, and definitely not for me. A rosebud just beginning to open, and that hair!"

Jesus! I'll say no more!

So you got an OTP?

[lash-larue.livejournal.com]

No OTP yet, but Faith and the First Slayer seem to have a lot in common...
L

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

Srsly?

There's quite a bit of Faith/Dawn out there that you may enjoy...

[acoustics1220.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Boy A is a 'must see' film. It's a beautiful film and just so sad.

good luck with the play!

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I'm glad someone else has seen it! It was genius and the lead actor was just fantastic. Just checked him on imdb because I knew I'd seen him in other stuff. He was in a British show Sugar Rush, Doctor Who and The Other Boleyn Girl - Also a good film. Natalie Portman kicked dramatic ass in that.

[acoustics1220.livejournal.com]

hmmmm, I don't remember seeing him in The Other Boleyn Girl...dang. But yes, he did superb in that one, it's like - wow. Seriously.

And Natalie Portman is just awesome. I really like her.

[pokecharm.livejournal.com]

yeah, Fringe didn't suck me in either...it was okay, but not great...and yay for getting work done :)

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

A big damn yippee for getting work done :)

[ourclothes.livejournal.com]

Did you watch the recent episode of Heroes?

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

I have now (I bittorent them). On reflection, I'm not sure if I liked this one much either. What I liked about Heroes that while the universe it resides in is fantastical and implausible, the writing and acting of the characters didn't reflect that. They were telling very human stories pushed to realms we can only dream of.

Some stuff in this season thus far have seemed soap-like, hammy and OTT. Angela Petrelli's kind of a caricature of the mysterious "knows more than she's letting on" woman that she was before.

I did like the idea Sylar teaming up with Noah for the lol-factor, although it seemed implausible and silly even for Heroes world. But for Sylar to kill a man there and then come back from it?? I'm really not sure what the Hell's going on.

Parkman remains infinitely annoying. Thank God for no Mohinder in ep 3. Hiro/Ando are just getting worse and worse IMO. But Nikki/Tracy seems intriguing.

What'd you think?