Phil

[Phil]

As a further precaution, I have deleted Dave.

[Phil]

>some sort of special Barrie Fan Girl Sedative.

For the man with no morals.

[Phil]

!!

[Phil]

But ripping up the box is half the fun!

[Phil]

Penny: can I borrow it?

[Phil]

I don’t know what your tastes are, as far as film is concerned, Ben, but if you find yourself enjoying the works of Wes Anderson, or films like I Heart Huckabees and Little Miss Sunshine, then Juno will probably appeal to you as well.

If, less likely, you’re more excited about big explosions and aliens exploding and naked ladies also exploding, you’re in for some disappointment.

I personally liked Juno a lot. I kept expecting it to veer into cliche, but it did an excellent job at carving out its own territory instead.

[Phil]

You know, I thought the same thing for a long time, and I even did my part to perpetuate that falsehood. There’s something about the stilted dialogue (and oddness of the coupling AT ALL) that almost screams false composition.

And yet the special really DID happen. The fact that it occurred so soon prior to Crosby’s death (a matter of a week or so, I believe) probably helps to keep the misunderstanding alive. And, in fact, the radio single was released several years after he died, which probably confused even more people into thinking it was just Bowie dubbing a few lines over Bing’s rendition of Little Drummer Boy.

In reality though it’s just one of those too-weird-to-believe moments that comes along every so often. And as such it should be treasured and ridiculed until the end of time.

[Phil]

Yep. I’e actually got a request that I’ll probably publish next. (I say “probably” because I’ve already got a backlog of entries just waiting to be published. It’s a slight cheat that should help me stay regular.)

Of course, it’d have to be a song I could potentially have access to.

[Phil]

Can G+T please put that on a t-shirt?

[Phil]

Also: why does this topic rate a “read more” link on the main page, and the other forum threads don’t?

[Phil]

Well, as I say above, she HAS been toned down, but the question is whether it was a conscious decision or whether it grew out of the scripts and situations. I don’t think the episodes of series two called for her to be quite as reactionary as she had been in series one, which could have allowed her to settle into the character in a different sense than she had been. That doesn’t NECESSARILY mean it was a deliberate choice though…

This kind of thing fascinates me. There’s nothing more intriguing to me than character-development, especially when there’s more than one force at work. (In novels, for example, you have only one force: the author. On screen you always have at least two: the writer and the actor. Even if the writer and actor is the same person each avenue of development is separate–just because a writer could imagine something doesn’t mean he’ll be able to act it out exactly as intended, and certainly the process of acting it can reveal things to him that his own writing did not. Very interesting subject.)

[Phil]

I was supposed to go but we ended up seeing Juno instead. I’m wary of saying it was a good decision because that implies that Sweeney Todd would have been a bad one, but Juno was a pretty great film, I have to admit.

[Phil]

The shouting in series one worked so well because those were situations that CALLED for shouting: the first-day abuse, the fire/stress test, etc. The shouting was structurally appropriate.

I don’t know if Jen was actively toned down for series two…she may well have been, I won’t pretend to understand what goes through somebody else’s mind when they write something. But it seemed that the situations would have called for something a little less explosive as a response. I’m pretty sure the change was just natural, owing to the content of the stories.

Well, whatever. They’re both excellent…series two I’d say is slightly stronger because it contains my two favorite episodes, but they’re both just about equally great.

[Phil]

Excellent review, by the way. I was really curious about this. If it didn’t seem now like it’s never going to happen, I’d do the same for the stateside debut of the show. I’m most qualified because I speak American.

[Phil]

Didn’t I just send you a message on Facebook asking you to do something like this? Was this an insane coincidence, or do you have the speedy-review capabilities of a superhuman?

[Phil]

I like his little beard.

[Phil]

And, honestly, who cares if the fan club folds? If that’s really the state they’re in. If we’re getting more and better and more-regular content from G+T (to name just one, albeit enormous, source), AND we’re getting it for free, so what?

The weight of Dwarf fandom has been redistributed…that’s all. Let the fan club fail. Big deal.

I know, I know, somebody’s going to reply telling me how great DJ is. And…maybe it is. I don’t know…it’s never been possible for me to attend. But DJ is on haitus anyway and there’s no guarantee it’ll be back in 09. It’d be nice to think so…but no guarantee.

Euthanize the thing. G+T does just fine. Maybe you guys can even publish a reader-submitted article from time to time.

Oh…wait. You DO that already. To hell with the fan club.

[Phil]

>Boo Hoo, Ian is annoyed.

Which shows just how much attention he’s paying to feedback from people OTHER than Ian.

[Phil]

Well?! Was it Cecil B DeMille?!

[Phil]

I’m starting another comment because I think this should stand out.

PAUL GANNON AND THE REST OF THE FAN CLUB TEAM PAY ATTENTION HERE PLEASE.

I am who you are building this website for. Got that? Me. Because I am a fan of Red Dwarf–a huge fan–and I’ve never been a member of the fanclub. Why? Who knows. I’ve never chose to be, that’s all.

I’m exactly the person you need to win over. I have enthusiasm for the series and disposable income. I am precisely the type of person who should stumble across your website and, for one reason or another, decide to write you a check. You need to impress me. Not the people who are already members, not the people you meet at DJ who know you personally and are allowing shoddy design to slide. That does you no good. You need to bring in fresh and enthusiastic people if you want their money and if you want them to contribute to your magazine. I’m a prolific writer; have I mentioned that? When I’m inspired, I write explorative essays about television programs and films. Your site inspires me to do nothing other than hit “back” on my browser.

It’s not because the site is shit…it’s because the site is pointless and mediocre. That does not inspire me. That does not make me want to join. That does not even make me want to give it a second thought. You’ve failed, at that point. When somebody comes to you with a pre-installed desire to join up and you make them lose faith in your product, that is a failure on your part, and not theirs.

Am I wrong to judge the quality of the fanclub based on the quality of the site? Well, maybe, but you can’t exactly fault me for it. Would you eat at a restaurant that had cockroaches climbing up the walls and dogs shitting in the entry way, even if you could be absolutely assured that the food-prep and dining areas were the cleanest in town? Of course not. Would you have confidence in dealing with an attorney who shows up to trials in his underpants? No. You wouldn’t.

Appearance may well signify nothing about internal quality, but it sure does a hell of a job turning people away.

[Phil]

>I haven?t been on the website as I trust from the posts about it that it is quite bad.

To be honest, the level of complaining here had me assuming it was far worse than it actually was. It’s more passive in its horribleness than active…but horrible it most definitely is. It’s the kind of site that, with good content and the correction of some truly embarrassing mistakes (Ian’s mention of the “click here for more information” debacle…and, for god’s sake, spell your fucking copyright notice correctly), would be passable.

I’m by no means coming to the site’s defense. It’s a pile of ass crap. But I was certainly expecting something quite a ways worse.

[Phil]

Tanya wants to fuck your dad.

[Phil]

I watched that and now I’m covered in malignant tumors.

[Phil]

Ohh, okay. They were both present in the Adult Swim airing. (Though for the first time I realized that both children have their underpants around their ankles during the sexbox scene, and I kind of wondered how FOX let them get away with that in the first place.)

I’d have assumed Brian’s “Can I buy pot from you?” would have been cut, if they were worried about keeping it xmas-safe. But who knows what these people are thinking when they cut a show up.

[Phil]

Are you referring to the xmas eve broadcast on Adult Swim, Arlene? I watched that episode that night…what was cut? I’m not familiar enough with Family Guy to catch that stuff on my own…

Though I do remember one episode aired on FOX in which Meg gave her age as 16 (or something), and soon afterward Brian propositions her for sex. When it re-aired she was dubbed to give her age as 18…presumably so the sexual reference wouldn’t be as offensive. (The fact that she’d be having sex with a dog apparently wasn’t an issue.)

[Phil]

Ooh, how’s the calendar?

[Phil]

Yeah, it’s a fucking killer movie. It’s funny how it’s got this reputation of being some sappy, too-sweet slice of holiday bullshit…and then you watch it and it’s about 2 hours of severe depression followed by a few minutes of redemption. Definitely one of the most thematically mis-remembered films.

And yes, Stewart is incredible.

[Phil]

>Seabiscuit certainly does it, and wasn?t the first either.

I kind of figured it wouldn’t have been the first, but I find it surprising that I’d never seen it before. It sounds like a great idea…I wonder why more films don’t do it. I presume it requires a separate video track?

[Phil]

>The commentaries are great and yes they pause the movie.

Is this the first commentary to do so? It’s such an interesting idea, but not something I’ve encountered before.

>Did I not say the same in another post?

I have trouble keeping my eyes off your fabulous bod. Actually, if you did mention this already, I apologize. I was just reading a few reviews of the DVD and even though practically all of them mention an inevitable double-dip, nobody seems that turned off by it.

Personally I’m not going to chalk it up to greed on the part of Groening and his cronies. It’s just as likely that a great DVD set is also in the works right now, which wouldn’t have been ready for the holidays, and so Fox had them rush out a slimmer version to cash in on xmas.

Sigh. We’ll see…

[Phil]

Did I not mention this before? I know I meant to! They’ve been using that slogan for years over here.

[Phil]

>Hands up anyone who?s considering buying this? Don?t. Because, trust me, it would be the biggest smeg up you?ve ever made.

That’s some serious venom, there…made doubly shocking by the fact that the reviewer doesn’t actually seem to dislike the show as a whole. I’d have thought negativity that thick belonged only to the totally ignorant…

[Phil]

Awesome, Ben, thanks. I have nothing against Burton but to be honest I’d probably have given this a miss. Although, if people are calling this his best since Ed Wood, I’m suddenly much more interested.

[Phil]

I went on somewhat of a blind date with a girl while I was in college. I say somewhat because I’d met her, but only in passing, and sat in the same room as her and such…but we’d never actually spoken.

Anyway, a friend of mine also happened to know her, and somehow convinced me to take her out one night. He said she loved literature, and jazz, and British comedy…so, naturally, I figured there’d be some common ground…enough, at least, to justify the date.

While we were out I asked her what British comedies she enjoyed. She said that Last of the Summer Wine was her all-time favorite show.

I never called her again.

[Phil]

Actually, yeah, Ed Wood had slipped my mind. That was ace. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t seen it for years, but I do remember enjoying it quite a lot.

Of course, the very fact that it slipped my mind entirely sort of justifies me being “hard-pressed” to name it. Heh heh…

But yeah, the rest of his stuff…too long a reach, not tight enough a grasp. He’s clearly an artist, but I don’t think he lets his stuff simmer long enough that he realizes what he’s even trying to say.

[Phil]

A-and one for the commentary/deleted scenes nerds:

“Make that bitch your bitch, you bastard!”

[Phil]

I’m with Ben on this one. I’d never call Burton’s talent into question, but I’d be hard-pressed to name even one of his films that isn’t over-rated.

You watch them and you realize he’s a man in full command of his medium…but I also can’t shake the feeling that he still doesn’t know what to do with it.

[Phil]

Sometimes I’ll desire a drink if I’m planning to write something that I feel is going to be particularly emotional. Alcohol sort of lowers your resistance to emotional responses, and I find–or seem to find, I should say–that a good strong drink or two allows me to tap into the mood of the piece I’m working a little more easily.

Also, if I intend to watch a sad movie just for the sake of wallowing in it. This time of year tends to find me watching It’s a Wonderful Life on television with a few beers.

[Phil]

While I agree that there’s an unfair stigma attached to having a drink on your own, it’s almost rendered irrelevant by the fact that, by its own nature, nobody will even know you’ve done it.

[Phil]

Never get drunk alone. Always get drunk with Phil. And never ask questions about where his hands are going. Just enjoy the ride.

[Phil]

So that’d be Matt and who else then?

[Phil]

Good job, Ben. That second review isn’t so bad if you ask me…it’s clear enough the point he is trying to make and it’s not outrageously off the mark. But jeez oh man that first review is a pile of ass.

[Phil]

You’re all that and more to me, thomasaevans.

[Phil]

>and Rimmer admiring politician like Kennedy

Do you think it’s that much of a stretch that Rimmer would admire Kennedy? I personally don’t. Especially since the Dwarfers exist so far ahead of our own time-line that the only things he’s likely to even know about the man are superficial: he was young, good looking, well respected, powerful and extremely popular with women.

Had he known Kennedy in real life (or even lived at the same time as Kennedy) he probably would have been very jealous…but for Rimmer, Kennedy is a historical figure only, and I don’t think it’s at all unlikely that he would have admired everything the man had.

Of course, you may be approaching this from a different direction, and taking into account something I’m not.

[Phil]

John Donne will no(s)t(ril) be happy!

[Phil]

You entered
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Please try the related content suggestions or a search below.

[Phil]

Dave wins.

[Phil]

You guys are mean. Tonguetied’s the only one who truly understood me.

[Phil]

Ooh, thomasaevans has an avatar now. And he’s a babe!

Mee-yow.

G+T is slowly, but surely, turning into a male-modeling agency.

[Phil]

Oh, penny.

Oh.

Ohhhh penny…

[Phil]

>but double-dip reviews are interesting in that they have to serve a secondary purpose; informing buyers of the previous release whether it?s worth double-dipping or, alternatively, informing new buyers which of the two they should go for.

This is actually a very good point, since Amazon is oddly lacking a lot of the time in reporting special features in an easy-to-compare listing. I imagine that will change with time, but if you ask me it should have changed already. Enough people buy DVDs for special features that it’s not out of line to expect them to be itemized.

I usually end up googling for an hour or two trying to read various reviews and see if I can get some idea of whether or not an upgrade is worth while. For amazon to provide a simple list would save the potential buyer a lot of time and would also–what do you know!–have them consulting the very page that will allow them to buy it with a single click.

[Author]

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