Drunk Capt. Kirk?

Howdy. Hope things are going well for you as I'm sending along another blog of intense observations while hacking into culture references.

I see that William Shatner was upset about not being in the latest Star Trek movie that came out in 2009. The one with the revamped crew and younger actors. It's a pretty good movie from producer J.J. Abrams. Too bad about the lousy science in it. I hope they will correct themselves on the science for the next film.

But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I'm talking about how upset Shatner was in not being in the film. He said: “I could have been in it too!”

That's the thing.

Number one, it would have been far too complicated to have two people coming out of the prime universe (our own) into the story. The original Spock played by Leonard Nimoy was already in it. We don't need someone else from the original crew.

Number two, Shatner looks like a damn drunk.

Have you seen him recently? The poor fellow doesn't look very good for his age. He looks like a bloated whale. I keep asking myself this question: Do we really need a drunk Kirk? Do we need Captain “Jack Daniels” to be running around with a puffy red nose in a new Star Trek movie? No.

The idea of Capt. Kirk in his prime years was that he was a man who was fit and in good shape. He was all about action and staying in reasonable condition. Can you imagine Capt. Kirk letting himself go and then looking like a stuffed donut? He does now. Check him out in the show “Boston Legal” to see that I'm not lying to you.

It's probably why the new Star Trek crew didn't want Shatner to be involved with the show and shooed him away as quietly as possible. Kirk in his older years looked like he drank fifty years straight.

It's entirely different with Leonard Nimoy in his older days. He looks thin and frail... that's true. But he's in good shape. The character of Spock gives the idea that he grows more “monkish” looking as he gets older. He looks more weary-bound, yet his features offer a vast intelligence. He looks like a man who has been dieting in the same manner of monks: eating next to nothing. Nimoy looked every bit the part of Spock in the newest Star Trek film that came out more than a year ago.

The audiences can believe that it's Spock in his older years. He looks like he's retired well into his elderly period... thin, frail, yet looking like a priest with robes. He resembles a spiritual leader in the midst of war. But there’s an absolute dignity about him.

Nimoy is more suited to replaying the part of Spock rather than Shatner in the Kirk role.

You can see this again in the Fringe series with Nimoy playing the role of William Bell—as a scientist. And Nimoy does resemble a scientist in many ways with is frail and thin frame. He looks overworked. And yet he is still able to hold credibility in his physical appearance. I think it's safe to say that Nimoy stayed well away from booze and sweets in his older age.

Even in the Star Trek: Next Generation episodes where Nimoy redid the role of Spock once more. Tall, slender, he remains a man who is constantly changing and growing into a more settled being of spiritual means. He looked like someone who was going through a rigorous lifestyle of seeking that inner knowledge like so many spiritual people do.

It's too bad that Shatner did go down the path of drinking. But it's so obvious. Perhaps the death of his former wife may have triggered the drinking. It's a possibility.

There was no doubt that Shatner in his fifties was still fueled with a youthfulness. He looked to be in top form during the early Star Trek films such as Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. There's a bit where Kirk was fighting the Klingon commander while the Genesis planet was breaking up. There's a sudden move as Kirk made a somersault and landed back on his feet. That wasn't a stunt man. That was Shatner doing all his own stunts there.

But now he wouldn't be able to do any of that anymore.

I believe that the original Star Trek ended peacefully with the dignity of the older Spock... and remained in our memories as Nimoy was, in every way, the spirit of Star Trek. And to the very end, he made the series proud with his charismatic presence.

Defining Science

Having a cold isn’t any fun. It started just before Christmas and went away for a while. Then it returned with a vengeance a couple of weeks ago for a rebound. But I was able to take certain pills to help get rid of the nagging cough. I hate colds. They are a misery.

During that time I couldn’t do much when the cold reached its height for me. So I checked out a copy of the Fring series from the Oshkosh Pubic Library. It wasn’t a bad idea.

I’ve never seen the show before. A few people, more of the scientific variety, urged me to see the show for its great use of science. I didn’t bother for a while. But seeing I had a lot of time on my hands during the weekend, I managed to sweep through nearly the entire first season.

I liked the series. I’ll tell you why.

There have been plenty of shows that always misrepresent the use of science. Often the message is “science is bad.” They would tell us that science shouldn’t be trusted. That isn’t the case here.

In fact, science more often than not resolves the situation. Yes, there is some bad science in the Fringe series which gives us a foul reflection of progress. The idea that science is not humane. But yet there is a professor named Walter Bishop who is like the Doctor Who of the Fringe series. He is able to solve many of the problems from the comfort of his own laboratory.

The first season also revolves around another story of a different scientist named William Bell played with diligent care by Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame. Throughout the first part of the series, we are told that he is a butcher of science… and he is evil personified. But it turns out that he is a pretty decent scientist as well.

There are plenty of gray areas in the series and a very interesting story arc which tells about an oncoming war from a parallel universe about to invade our worldly domain. Walter Bishop gives an interesting explanation as to why other universes could exist.

I can see why people interested in science would like this show.

It’s a smart series.

Many of the scientific explanations given throughout the series is reasonable and plausible. In fact, the science can become a possibility. The notions of cloning isn’t far from our world now as it is becoming a more common practice. But the Fringe series really does rely on the interior logic of science for the series. Many times it makes proper sense. They have been thinking everything through.

The series has a great ensemble cast. It’s not a big cast. There are three major characters including Anna Torv who plays the FBI agent Dunham slipping into the strange world of Fringe science and becomes a leader of a group of a misfit department investigating supernatural crimes. The father and son of the Bishop family is played by John Noble and Joshua Jackson. They’re very good in it and gives the series a presence needed.

There are several other minor characters such as Lance Reddick who plays the very serious minded Phillip Broyles—a Homeland Security agent who oversees the Fringe Division. The always lovely Jasika Nicole plays Astrid Farnsworth who assists Olivia and Walter in their cases. One can’t forget Blair Brown as Nina Sharp who runs the Massive Dynamic which is a leading company in science development. Even all the minor characters give some very excellent story background for the series itself.

Much of the first and second seasons deal with the idea of the parallel universes and comes back to the partnership of Bell and Bishop who set everything in motion.

There are minor flaws in the series that should not be bothered with. I’m a little annoyed at the often “cue cards” that would tell you the location of the city such as “Boston, Massachusetts” or “Harvard University” which is often placed into the scene in big, bold letters. I can gather from seeing the surroundings or listening to the dialogue where they are. I don’t need the cues to tell me what the setting is.

Again, it’s a minor gaffe.

I found the first season to be very fresh and bold in its massive undertaking in the storyline. There are several Star Trek and X-Files references in which the series takes its influences from.

The first season is a great storyline which leads right up to the first meeting of Nimoy’s character. However, the second season seems to be lagging just a tad except whenever Nimoy appears to give it an added boost to the stories. It might be possible that the season is losing steam right now. I think it works better in shorter seasons rather than stretching it out to the current 24 episodes as in the second season.

But we’ll see.

I haven’t seen the entire second season in its entirety yet. But I’m confident that the stories will pick up again with a more dramatic tension. I hope so. The stories are usually very interesting and they do have a great cast to work with. There are still so much needed to be learned about the Bishops, Boyles and Dunham herself. Each and every one of them has a story to tell.

The third season is being currently aired right now. But it’s probably better to start the show from the very beginning. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know what is going on. There are a lot of complexities in the series and dropping into the middle of it wouldn’t be advised.

I’m not a big fan of J.J. Abrams’s works who helped create this series. But this one is worthy of television viewing.

Science first here. Guns rarely used.

Using the mind to resolve a problem. It's easily the best thing to do in a civilized world.

Training Dragons is Easy

It took me long enough to get around to the movie. But I managed to finally get a peek at the “How to Train Your Dragon” movie which came out last year. Yes, it's taken me this long.

Thanks to low prices of the Famiy Video store and a little bit of patience, I was able to rent it out this week. It was good enough that I watched it twice. I did return the movie. No late fee.

I don't apologize for taking this long to see the film. I wanted to see the movie when it hit the theaters. But no go. I was going to see it when it was running in the second hand theater in the Appleton area. Didn't get out there.

In a way, I wished I've seen it sooner.

It's a very good film with a strange moral premise to it. What's the moral? It comes in two parts. Number one, it shows that there is no reason to hurt or wound anyone or anything. Number two, there should be trust between two beings from different cultures.

In this case, it's a Viking boy and a dragon.

The story is told through the point of view of a Viking boy named Hiccup. Yep, that's his name. His voice, his demure, everything reminds me of a Woody Allen character. He's a nervous wreck. He's a weakling. He looks like a geek.

But he is funny. And very smart. Which helps him to weave around between bad situation. He would either run or hide. Very much in Allen's old style of mayhem.

For some reason, the Viking kids including the Hiccup and Astrid characters would talk in a modern lingo while the rest of them speak in the old Viking styled accent. It's very odd.

But it is an odd movie. With a good heart.

Much of it is centered around the blossoming friendship between the dragon and Hiccup. It's a strange universe to be living in because all the dragons and Vikings do is fight each other to the death. And there's very little other ambition. The dragons would raid the Viking villages. And the Vikings would fend them off for another score of battle.

But the lesson of the story is how Hiccup approaches his situation by using his intellect. This film is another example of using intelligence to solve a situation. Hiccup devises a way to create a friendship by giving it raw fish. He creates a new “wing” for the dragon so it would be able to fly on its own accord. Hiccup finds a way to fly the dragon by making himself a pilot and an extension of the flying creature. He uses his brains. Not his brawn.

The films are going through a phase right now. It is the day of the geeks. Seriously. Have you noticed that many films of today are subscribing to a geek crowd? There are the many comic book movies based on original material of Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and others independent books like “Sin City” by Frank Miller. These are geeky stuff. But it's wonderful stuff. You would also notice that the latest leading actor of the Doctor Who series—Matt Smith—is a perfect geek himself. Tall, slender and not at all the strong type... he approaches his situation using his intellect. There are many shows and movies that are designed for the geek audience.

Same with “How to Train Your Dragon.” This is a movie about a geek for geeks. And it's a pleasure to see a film that delivers the universal message: brains over brawn. Anytime. Hiccup is a character that doesn't fit into the old styled macho character such as the Conan the Barbarian or Rambo types. Instead, he reminded me more of Woody Allen in the old days.

The film itself is a nice balance of comedy and drama. We get to see the growing romance between Hiccup and Astrid which is always very innocent. The voices by the actors themselves are usually comedians. But they work very well with the material. Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson has a fairly large part in here as the old mentor of Hiccup which gives him a chance to stretch his comedic skills that he loves so much.

Interestingly enough, one would find that David Tennant has a smallish part in the film itself. (Tennant has previously played Doctor Who). He was the narrator for a smaller feature made for the film itself. I'm wondering since Ferguson is such a huge Doctor Who fan that he might have somehow got Tennant on board the project. Not to mention they are both Scottish.

Is it a good enough movie to take the kids to see? Definitely. There aren't any real violence in the film and there are a few sad moments in the film. But it is intended for the general audiences. The story gives a very good lesson in non-violence which sets it apart from other films. You wouldn't have to worry about any swearing or cursing.

For myself, I've enjoyed the film for its moral code. And there could be no argument against using non-violence in today's world that has become so obsessed with guns. It really gives a wider view that using non-violence is a preferred thing. Children would do well to learn using their smarts when it comes to figuring out something. Not bashing or smashing about. Just good old fashioned and reliable intellect.

Doctor Who on Craig Ferguson's show

There have been some sightings of a Dalek in L.A. in November.

So was the Doctor seen by many.

How could I have missed all of this when nearly a month has passed? It goes to show that you can miss a lot when you don’t even have cable TV.

I know, I know, the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson isn’t a science fiction show. It has nothing to do with space operas or monsters in metal casings. But Ferguson is an admitted Doctor Who geek... making his confessions on national TV as being a kid growing up with the British Icon.

Well, Ferguson is Scottish so it would make sense that he knows everything about the Doctor Who series. In fact, he is the Doctor’s biggest fan after all the time and effort he invested getting Matt Smith on board. The leading Who actor is filming in the United States… Utah to be more specific. It’s a nice place with the sprawling, jagged rocks stretching like a parched landscape. Smith himself is getting a little piece of Americana during his stay here.

He’s been invited to be a guest on Ferguson’s show on Nov. 16.

I missed the show entirely. Probably a lot of other people did too.

Most people in the United States wouldn’t even know who Smith is. They wouldn’t even know what Doctor Who is. But there is a definite audience for the series here in the States.

It's not hard to see that Ferguson is the biggest fan because he created, wrote and sang a huge production number of the Doctor Who theme song at the very beginning of his episode.

Writing the entire song displays his incredible knowledge of the long British institution that began in 1963 and reached huge popular peaks during the Tom Baker period. Now the series is going through another golden age with Matt Smith behind the time traveling myth.

But there are some great lines in the song. One of my favorite bits is the fact that he wrote the line that it takes “intellect over brute force” to solve the problems. This is brilliant. It's the very gist of Doctor Who. That’s what I’ve been saying to people all the time… the Doctor prefers to use non-violence without resorting to guns.

Ferguson understands Doctor Who completely and uses comedy to deliver his message. It was a line that was repeated two more times to show how important it was to use one’s smarts against violence.

I like Craig Ferguson before. But I like him even more now. He’s awesome.

He plays up the production number with a dance troupe and plenty of interesting sight gags including the steely frame of the Dalek sitting in the background. It seemed ready to blast anyone who might digress from the song.

The entire introduction was filmed and ready to be broadcast. But it was one of the network folks who came to Ferguson just minutes before the broadcast to let him know that his beginning portion could not be used due to copyright issues.

Copyrights.

It’s too bad.

But thankfully we have youtube to see it. You can check out the “lost footage” of the Ferguson song and skit on Doctor Who if you type in “Craig Ferguson cold open.” Standing for cold opening that was unused for television. We are still able to view this amazing bit of comedy. And a brilliant homage to the old Doctor Who science fiction show that’s changed its style through the years.

There’s a nice reference to “geek” and “nerds.” And geeks are now the new audience for the twenty-first century. Comic book movies abound is just proof enough that such things have a huge viewership. Ferguson explains the Doctor Who series well within the three minutes of the song. It was reported that Ferguson was upset when the cold opening couldn’t be aired.

The rest of the late, Late Show was aired however. And the United States was treated to seeing what an interesting actor Smith is.

Matt Smith was equally as good in the show. They gave him a pretty good segment and he also even appeared in the cold opening that was not used. But every ounce of his enthusiasm for the Doctor WHo role is right there. You can see he still enjoys the part. He likes the creativity of the role and the challenges one makes through the time traveling series.

It’s nice to see the banter between Smith and Ferguson as if they are old friends. But it is also how they talk about the Doctor Who series like it’s an everyday thing while some people in the audience are mystified by it. But it is a cultural icon in United Kingdom. The comradeship felt between the actor and talk show host can be felt by the viewers. Doctor Who becomes part of their everyday conversation.

I also liked how they spoke of “old” Doctor Who which many people such as myself-who grew up with the show when it was shown on PBS from the early eighties-can understand. Their comments flood my thoughts with the old days and it’s great to see how other people apart from myself are able to reminiscence on it. Smith enjoys acting for the American episodes that will be slated for the early part of the series this year.

If you watch very closely to the trailer for the upcoming series, you can see the Doctor in the American setting getting his cowboy hat shot off after he said, “I like suspenders. Suspenders are cool.” It seems to be a running gag with the character River Song shooting off his hat now and then. She shot off his fez last season. But the eleventh Doctor is determined to wear a hat yet.

So who’s next on the Late, Late show?

It’s unfortunate that not another person was able to come aboard from the Doctor Who crew such as Karen Gillan or writer Stephen Moffat. But it would be a treat to see them in an American talk show like this. It makes a great opportunity while viewing the TV to bring Doctor Who right to your very living room.

Craig Ferguson is definitely a sap for Doctor Who. So am I. And there are a lot of other people who appreciates the show. It’ll be always a welcome surprise for Ferguson to bring on new guests. Who will it be next time? Who knows?