![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatDifficult, long, and tedious work week requiring a touch more patience than I wished to give it - not helped by the cold snap. Although my knees did appreciate it, since I need to ice them anyhow. Nor helped by issues with subways earlier in the week, resulting in more walking and more steps.
But it's Friday, finally! Thank god. And I've got a three day weekend - since we get Martin Luther King Day off - most people do in NYC.
I can sleep in. Rest my knee. And get some chores done. Also maybe a few watercolors.
Been entertaining myself with Buffy podcasts - which require little to no attention, and I find entertaining. Did learn a few things? Via a Q&A, Charisma inadvertently admitted to being several hours late to her audition for Cordelia, she also frequently unprepared and late to set. She didn't watch either series (although that's actually typical and a lot of folks struggle to watch themselves, it's not clear as to why she didn't though). I'm beginning to see why she was fired in S4 of Angel (actually they were supposed to do it in S3, but Whedon didn't like how Greenwalt wrote her out). Question is would they have done it anyhow? I think so. It's certainly foreshadowed in various episodes from S1 - S3. And it goes with both the genre and the trope. Cordelia was doomed the moment Angel developed feelings for her and fell in love with her. I honestly think Cordy would have been killed off either way.
Marsters once again, coyly teases at a possible appearance on the Buffy Reboot - this time on Charisma's podcast (which of course is picked up by everyone in the media who gives a damn). (Marsters got roped into being on Charisma's podcast after informing her that he'd let Juliet Landau interview him for five hours for hers, although unlike Landau, Charisma locked 90% of the interview for firm members/subscribers of her podcast on patreon only. Charisma's podcast is $7 a month.) But if you listen to everything he states - it's clear he's not been asked to do it yet. There's definitely interest, but they aren't there yet. They have to introduce the new characters first, have an adventure, etc - before bringing back the original cast in cameos - even Gellar is just on for a recurring basis (kind of similar to Joyce and Giles in the original series). I wouldn't put it past them to bring him back for maybe a short two minute scene or two in about two or three episodes, then again for another scene or two, and slowly build up to more scenes, depending? Like in the background, mentioned off hand, etc.
The Reboot/Continuation - has only filmed a pilot so far. Another odd bit - that hasn't been reported, and I'm not sure what to make of? Joss Whedon's page on IMBD has him credited as a writer for the pilot of the new series, which he's allegedly not involved in at all? Maybe it's a mistake? If so, IMBD has become highly unreliable, which is most likely true.
It's really hard to know what is true and what isn't in this day and age. Information Age, my foot - more like Mis-Information Age.
***
Finally finished re-watching Hells Bells - I've mixed feelings about this episode. It's alas a Xander episode - which well pretty much tells you everything right there. That said - it's a mixed bag? When the story is focusing on the Scooby Gange or main leads, it's actually pretty good? But when it shifts to the twenty or so never-seen, rarely seen, and never to be seen again - ancillary characters - it loses focus. S6 and S7 suffer from one too many crowd scenes. Crowd scenes are really hard to pull off well - particularly on low budget quickly edited, written, filmed, television series. And they are painful for actors to shoot - basically 20 hour days, sitting around waiting for your close up or bit of dialogue, and you have to stay in character, makeup, costume the whole time. I felt sorry for the actors playing the demons.
The episode doesn't quite work? Why is Anya inviting all the demons she's ever known to her mortal wedding? It would make sense if she was interacting with them all along? But they haven't appeared to interact at all until the wedding? Also, isn't she NOT on speaking terms with her former boss, D'Hoffryn, and the Vengeance demons?
And, making the demons a disadvantaged minority - isn't really working either, particularly in a series in which everyone is white (And I do mean everyone, with the possible exception of the people under the demon makeup)?
Too many group scenes. Too many family members. It's cluttered.
They have to do about four different things in this episode? And they manage to accomplish all four items fairly well:
* Show that Buffy and Spike have feelings for each other, it actually reminds me of Buffy dating and making Angel jealous.
* Show that Willow and Tara have feelings for each other - and Tara still wants to be with Willow. They are slowly moving these two back together again.
* Breakup Anya and Xander
* Have D'Hoffryn offer to turn Anya back into a vengeance demon (basically flip Anya back to Vengeance Demon)
And they do explore Xander's nightmares, while referencing Anya's vengeance demon days - and the repercussions of that - Anya has not been redeemed. She didn't choose not to be a demon or to leave that life, and is still holding onto the trappings of it. She loves Xander, but she doesn't really appear to care about anyone else. Inside - she's still a vengeance demon, who still chooses vengeance, and misses the power.
But mostly this is all about Xander's Restless Dream at the end of S4 - or his fear of what lies at the top of his parents basement. We get inklings of his traumatic family life throughout the series. In S3 - he's lying outside at Christmas in a sleeping bag to avoid his family. And in the Restless Dream - it's clearly his father he fears - who hovers drunkenly at the top of the stairs. But mainly Xander fears turning into his father.
Becoming the drunk domestically abusive man - who beats up his mother verbally and physically, and it may explain why Xander is only attracted to women who are verbally and physically stronger than he is. Which is shown not so much by the fake glimpses into the future - but by Xander's father screaming at his father, brow-beating her, and looming over her. The reason Xander doesn't marry Anya isn't what he sees in the future - it's seeing his father browbeat his mother at his own wedding. In his father and mother, Xander sees a reflection of himself and Anya, who to be fair, are always sniping and arguing with each other. Halfrek picks up on it in another episode and comments on it. And it's the reason Xander summoned the singing demon in OMWF and their song is mainly bickering. It's all they do for most of the season - bicker. They've been bickering roughly since Bargaining. It's kind of a satirical take on romantic banter? Showing how it doesn't really work well in reality? And how Xander is verbally abusive to the women he dates, although he selects women who for the most part can give it back to him in spades.
If you know anything at all about the actor who portrayed Xander and what happened to him? This episode is painful to watch in places, albeit realistic. I didn't know anything at all when I originally saw it. Now, however, I know a lot. Kind of hard not to? It's been broadcast across the internet. It's common knowledge, now, that the actor playing Xander is an alcoholic and an addict, and for about three-four years, his wife and twin brother were doing a good job of covering for him and keeping it in check. It started getting out of control after S4, which is why we don't see as much of Xander in the later seasons. You can see it - the actor's gained weight, and is rather jowly. He's no longer in the great shape he was in - when he started. But he's a good actor - with very little - he manages to get across how Xander is feeling and make the character vulnerable. It's hard not to feel for Xander in Hells Bells, and to root for him to disregard the fake flashes from the future that the demon posing as an older Xander Harris, plagues him with to get vengeance on Anya.
The episode in some respects is really good - because it does get across Xander's fears - in particular about what he could become. His worst nightmare is becoming his father. And the dialogue is memorable in places.
Willow's line : Anyone else waiting for it to go poof? Maybe we can just cover it with flowers? (Which I'd forgotten was from this episode). Or Buffy's line: They were supposed to be my light at the end of this seemingl endless tunnel, but it turns out they were just a passing train.
I realized today why I find this show so comforting and feel the need to write about it. It's central theme is "don't give up, life is painful and hard, but don't give up, the people you meet throughout it - make it worth it". I think that's why I love the later seasons - I find them oddly to be the most relatable.
**
PT went okay. He said that it's the muscles around the knee that are sore and hurting, because they are weak or strained, so to ice them and do the exercises.
**
I'm not enjoying the Angelica Huston Memoir as much as the others, partly because...I don't much like Angelica Huston? She's kind of narcissistic? And into name dropping? But not really saying anything remotely interesting? A lot about the celebrity high life, very shallow, and very superficial. While the Paul Newman memoir made me want to check out all his films again, and kind of fall for Paul Newman, the Huston memoir is having the opposite effect in regards to Huston.
Almost done though - so will keep trudging along. She's still with Jack Nicholson, and I've made it to the filming of Prizzi's Honor - which the producer John Forman grabbed solely to get her to do a film with her father and Nicholson, so her career could be jump started. She also mentions Penny Marshall and Carrie Fisher being best friends and going to their lavish parties, and befriending the talent agent Sue Menges (the real life version of the character in the Talented Mrs. Maizel), but Sue refusing to represent her.
Angelica Huston probably wouldn't have made it at all as an actress if it weren't for her father, John Huston, who was basically the Stephen Spielberg of his day. I remember studying Huston's films in school. She drove Lee Grant nuts attempting to direct her in a film. Finally Carol Kane convinced her to take a few lessons or get coaching.
But it's Friday, finally! Thank god. And I've got a three day weekend - since we get Martin Luther King Day off - most people do in NYC.
I can sleep in. Rest my knee. And get some chores done. Also maybe a few watercolors.
Been entertaining myself with Buffy podcasts - which require little to no attention, and I find entertaining. Did learn a few things? Via a Q&A, Charisma inadvertently admitted to being several hours late to her audition for Cordelia, she also frequently unprepared and late to set. She didn't watch either series (although that's actually typical and a lot of folks struggle to watch themselves, it's not clear as to why she didn't though). I'm beginning to see why she was fired in S4 of Angel (actually they were supposed to do it in S3, but Whedon didn't like how Greenwalt wrote her out). Question is would they have done it anyhow? I think so. It's certainly foreshadowed in various episodes from S1 - S3. And it goes with both the genre and the trope. Cordelia was doomed the moment Angel developed feelings for her and fell in love with her. I honestly think Cordy would have been killed off either way.
Marsters once again, coyly teases at a possible appearance on the Buffy Reboot - this time on Charisma's podcast (which of course is picked up by everyone in the media who gives a damn). (Marsters got roped into being on Charisma's podcast after informing her that he'd let Juliet Landau interview him for five hours for hers, although unlike Landau, Charisma locked 90% of the interview for firm members/subscribers of her podcast on patreon only. Charisma's podcast is $7 a month.) But if you listen to everything he states - it's clear he's not been asked to do it yet. There's definitely interest, but they aren't there yet. They have to introduce the new characters first, have an adventure, etc - before bringing back the original cast in cameos - even Gellar is just on for a recurring basis (kind of similar to Joyce and Giles in the original series). I wouldn't put it past them to bring him back for maybe a short two minute scene or two in about two or three episodes, then again for another scene or two, and slowly build up to more scenes, depending? Like in the background, mentioned off hand, etc.
The Reboot/Continuation - has only filmed a pilot so far. Another odd bit - that hasn't been reported, and I'm not sure what to make of? Joss Whedon's page on IMBD has him credited as a writer for the pilot of the new series, which he's allegedly not involved in at all? Maybe it's a mistake? If so, IMBD has become highly unreliable, which is most likely true.
It's really hard to know what is true and what isn't in this day and age. Information Age, my foot - more like Mis-Information Age.
***
Finally finished re-watching Hells Bells - I've mixed feelings about this episode. It's alas a Xander episode - which well pretty much tells you everything right there. That said - it's a mixed bag? When the story is focusing on the Scooby Gange or main leads, it's actually pretty good? But when it shifts to the twenty or so never-seen, rarely seen, and never to be seen again - ancillary characters - it loses focus. S6 and S7 suffer from one too many crowd scenes. Crowd scenes are really hard to pull off well - particularly on low budget quickly edited, written, filmed, television series. And they are painful for actors to shoot - basically 20 hour days, sitting around waiting for your close up or bit of dialogue, and you have to stay in character, makeup, costume the whole time. I felt sorry for the actors playing the demons.
The episode doesn't quite work? Why is Anya inviting all the demons she's ever known to her mortal wedding? It would make sense if she was interacting with them all along? But they haven't appeared to interact at all until the wedding? Also, isn't she NOT on speaking terms with her former boss, D'Hoffryn, and the Vengeance demons?
And, making the demons a disadvantaged minority - isn't really working either, particularly in a series in which everyone is white (And I do mean everyone, with the possible exception of the people under the demon makeup)?
Too many group scenes. Too many family members. It's cluttered.
They have to do about four different things in this episode? And they manage to accomplish all four items fairly well:
* Show that Buffy and Spike have feelings for each other, it actually reminds me of Buffy dating and making Angel jealous.
* Show that Willow and Tara have feelings for each other - and Tara still wants to be with Willow. They are slowly moving these two back together again.
* Breakup Anya and Xander
* Have D'Hoffryn offer to turn Anya back into a vengeance demon (basically flip Anya back to Vengeance Demon)
And they do explore Xander's nightmares, while referencing Anya's vengeance demon days - and the repercussions of that - Anya has not been redeemed. She didn't choose not to be a demon or to leave that life, and is still holding onto the trappings of it. She loves Xander, but she doesn't really appear to care about anyone else. Inside - she's still a vengeance demon, who still chooses vengeance, and misses the power.
But mostly this is all about Xander's Restless Dream at the end of S4 - or his fear of what lies at the top of his parents basement. We get inklings of his traumatic family life throughout the series. In S3 - he's lying outside at Christmas in a sleeping bag to avoid his family. And in the Restless Dream - it's clearly his father he fears - who hovers drunkenly at the top of the stairs. But mainly Xander fears turning into his father.
Becoming the drunk domestically abusive man - who beats up his mother verbally and physically, and it may explain why Xander is only attracted to women who are verbally and physically stronger than he is. Which is shown not so much by the fake glimpses into the future - but by Xander's father screaming at his father, brow-beating her, and looming over her. The reason Xander doesn't marry Anya isn't what he sees in the future - it's seeing his father browbeat his mother at his own wedding. In his father and mother, Xander sees a reflection of himself and Anya, who to be fair, are always sniping and arguing with each other. Halfrek picks up on it in another episode and comments on it. And it's the reason Xander summoned the singing demon in OMWF and their song is mainly bickering. It's all they do for most of the season - bicker. They've been bickering roughly since Bargaining. It's kind of a satirical take on romantic banter? Showing how it doesn't really work well in reality? And how Xander is verbally abusive to the women he dates, although he selects women who for the most part can give it back to him in spades.
If you know anything at all about the actor who portrayed Xander and what happened to him? This episode is painful to watch in places, albeit realistic. I didn't know anything at all when I originally saw it. Now, however, I know a lot. Kind of hard not to? It's been broadcast across the internet. It's common knowledge, now, that the actor playing Xander is an alcoholic and an addict, and for about three-four years, his wife and twin brother were doing a good job of covering for him and keeping it in check. It started getting out of control after S4, which is why we don't see as much of Xander in the later seasons. You can see it - the actor's gained weight, and is rather jowly. He's no longer in the great shape he was in - when he started. But he's a good actor - with very little - he manages to get across how Xander is feeling and make the character vulnerable. It's hard not to feel for Xander in Hells Bells, and to root for him to disregard the fake flashes from the future that the demon posing as an older Xander Harris, plagues him with to get vengeance on Anya.
The episode in some respects is really good - because it does get across Xander's fears - in particular about what he could become. His worst nightmare is becoming his father. And the dialogue is memorable in places.
Willow's line : Anyone else waiting for it to go poof? Maybe we can just cover it with flowers? (Which I'd forgotten was from this episode). Or Buffy's line: They were supposed to be my light at the end of this seemingl endless tunnel, but it turns out they were just a passing train.
I realized today why I find this show so comforting and feel the need to write about it. It's central theme is "don't give up, life is painful and hard, but don't give up, the people you meet throughout it - make it worth it". I think that's why I love the later seasons - I find them oddly to be the most relatable.
**
PT went okay. He said that it's the muscles around the knee that are sore and hurting, because they are weak or strained, so to ice them and do the exercises.
**
I'm not enjoying the Angelica Huston Memoir as much as the others, partly because...I don't much like Angelica Huston? She's kind of narcissistic? And into name dropping? But not really saying anything remotely interesting? A lot about the celebrity high life, very shallow, and very superficial. While the Paul Newman memoir made me want to check out all his films again, and kind of fall for Paul Newman, the Huston memoir is having the opposite effect in regards to Huston.
Almost done though - so will keep trudging along. She's still with Jack Nicholson, and I've made it to the filming of Prizzi's Honor - which the producer John Forman grabbed solely to get her to do a film with her father and Nicholson, so her career could be jump started. She also mentions Penny Marshall and Carrie Fisher being best friends and going to their lavish parties, and befriending the talent agent Sue Menges (the real life version of the character in the Talented Mrs. Maizel), but Sue refusing to represent her.
Angelica Huston probably wouldn't have made it at all as an actress if it weren't for her father, John Huston, who was basically the Stephen Spielberg of his day. I remember studying Huston's films in school. She drove Lee Grant nuts attempting to direct her in a film. Finally Carol Kane convinced her to take a few lessons or get coaching.