Star Trek III - The Search for Spock

Enjoyable follow-on to Wrath of Khan. A pleasant ride, if not as good as the previous movie. Despite a realtively large budget, the film comes off as a well-done TV episode. Good to see that Sulu gets a few good lines, and Uhura has more face time than usual.  Rating ***

Bobby Fischer Against The world (2011)

Superficial HBO documentary about the life of Bobby Fischer. I suppose if you know nothing about Fischer this might be interesting. I found it rather dull. 93 minutes long, and I should saved time and read his wikipedia article. Its nice to see photos of Bobby, and hear little snippets from people who knew him, but so what?

The documentary refrains from judging Fischer's actions or going into the merits of his decsions.  For example was the US Government justified in chargng him with a crime for playing chess  in 1994 Yugoslavia or pressuring the Japanese Government to jail him in 2004? Nor does it delve into Fischer's complicated attitude toward Religion, or Jews or his love life.  After 1980, he's just written off as "Wacky" - y'know like all them nerdy chess players.  

Nor does address why Fischer was a Chess Genius. Its as if you did a Tiger Woods documentary and never talked about Golf. 

Rating **

Game Change (2012)

Plot: HBO Docudrama about Sarah Palin and the 2008 McCain POTUS campaign - based on the book of the same name.
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris

Well done political hit piece on Sarah Palin released by HBO on the eve of the 2012 Presidental Primaries. Well acted and cast, the movie purports to be an accurate representation but of course isn't. Absurdly, Steve Schmidt, a medicore, selfish, political consultant (with dubious ethics) is made the hero of the story, and we see it all through his eyes.

Like any skilled piece of propaganda, the movie doesn't really lie, it simply leaves a lot of the truth out, and presents only one side. All the interactions between Palin and Schmidt on based on Schmidt's self-serving story of what happened. Played by Woody Harrelson, Schmidt is always the smartest man in the room, and also the most concerned about ethics and the country. If Palin does anything good, its because Schmidt had coached and told her what to do. If Palin does anything bad, its because she's failed to listen to Schmidt, or gives into her natural inclination to be lazy and dumb. For example:

• Palin gives a good convention speech. But that's only because Schmidt tells Palin what to say and how to say it.
• Palin holds her own in a TV debate with Biden. Why? Because Schmidt has Palin memorizes 40 minutes of Schmidt talking points so she can hide how dumb she is
• When Couric makes Palin look bad in a long interview, that's not because ABC edited the interview to make her look bad, or asked endless "Gotcha questions", no its because Palin refused to properly prepare as Schmidt demanded.

The hero worship of Schmidt reaches its highpoint at the end. Palin wishes to give a concession speech, but Schmidt will have none of it. He literally pulls the plug on her camera, and thunders that "He will not have the historic election of an African American sullied by self-serving speech by a VP candidate"

All the hero worship is required because Schmidt is the primary source for these Palin bashing scenes. He must be presented to the audience as the "Good Guy" so we will side with him over Palin. However this isn't really the whole truth.  Examples:

• Schmidt is shown at the very start as "saving" McCain's campaign after giving him sage advice on the "Surge". The movie presents the idea that McCain and Schmidt are very close and he's the man in charge. In fact, McCain and Schmidt barely knew each other, and Schmidt while running the campaign on a day to day basis, he was still working under Rick Davis. Further, McCain was constanly recieving advice from both John Weaver and his speech writer Mark Salter.
• Schmidt's attitude toward Palin is arrogant and patronizing. And Palin's refusal to take his direction is shown as petualant and childish. Left unmentioned is that Palin had been a popular state Governor for over 20 months. Why should Palin have been so respectful to an obscure Political consultant?
• Palin, correctly, didn't want to go on SNL.  However, Schmidt convinced her that she could gain votes by being a "Good Sport". 
• Palin had wanted to start out by doing the Limbaugh show, Sean Hannity, and conservative talk radio. Schmidt however demanded she start out by doing hostile interviews with liberal network anchors. 
• Also left unshown is Palin's incredible popularity with Republican voters and her massive, successful, campaign rallies and ability to raise money. None of these are shown.

Also note that while Schmidt is shown as super-ethical, in reality both he and Nicole Wallace were leaking anti-Palin information to the press. And according to others, Schmidt more or less gave up 10 days before the election, and spent most of his time at home or enjoying himself. This, along with divulging campaign secretes caused McCain to freeze him out. The two men only spoke twice in the 9 years from 2009 to 2018. Schmidt has now admitted he lied about McCain's affair with a lobbyist and didn't even vote for McCain!

DS9 Far Beyond the Stars - Sisko Dialogue

 Sisko/Benny Dialogue in the "Incredible tales Magazine" office (before the breakdown):

• -Who's winning?
• -... the matches? I gave them to you.
• The latest Galaxy
• I'll think of something.
• I suppose I'm sleeping late that day, too.
• What about James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Zora Neal Hurston, Langston Hughes? Ever heard of Native Son?
• Wishing never changed a damn thing.
• I'll try to remember that
• I did. Surprised?
• Why not?
• What's wrong with that?
• Easy.
• But I want people to read it now.
• But that's not what I wrote.
• What about my story?
• Lately, I've been asking myself the same question.
• What's that?
• I think it's better than chalk on the sidewalk...
• I'm okay.
• A novel -- congratulations! Robots? 
• He can't do that!
• And what's that supposed to mean?
• You still haven't said what he didn't like. The artwork? The layout? Exactly what "high standards" is he talking about?It's about my story, isn't it? That's what this is all about. He didn't want to publish my story -- and we all know why. Because my hero is a colored man.
• That doesn't make it right and you know it.
• You're firing me?

Sikso/Benny Dialogue With the Police (Two Scenes)

• That's my drawing.
• I work here.
• In there.
• It's a drawing of a space station. See -- it's not worth anything, except to me.
• What happened?
• (re: Jimmy) I know him -
• Is that why you shot him? For breaking into a car?
• A crowbar?Is it here?

DS9 -Far Beyond the Stars - Racism

 After rewatching Far Beyond the Stars  I wanted to document all the racist actions/words:

Act I and  Act II

• Benny is told not to show up for the Magazine photo shoot.  Pabst doesn't want the readers to know Benny is black because  People aren't going to spend money on Negro Writers.
• Benny is called "Boy" by a policeman, and hassled about where he works and how he could afford a nice suit.

Act III

• Baseball star Willie Hawkins says White people don't want him living next to them, they can barely stand him on the ballfield.
• Willie says Whites don't admire him, just think he's  a colored boy who can hit a baseball.
• Darlene is surprised Benny wrote such a good story
• Pabst says a Negro space captain in unbelievable and the audience won't accept it. He won't print the story. If benny wants the story published the Captain must be White.
• Jimmy says Whites would only let Black people in space to shine their shoes.  As far as Whites are concerned black people will always be N-worders. 

Act IV

• Pabst agrees to print the story, but only if its presented as  a dream by a Negro boy.
• The two detectives shoot Jimmy dead for breaking into a car. 
• When Sisko tries to view the body the police shove him away, when Benny lunges at them, they hit Benny with a sap and  "beat the hell out of him" despite please of "You're killing him".

Act V

• Pabst tells Benny that the Publisher has pulped the Monthy Magazine with his story. When Benny asks if it was due to his story,  Pabst refuses to deny it.
• Pabst tells Benny, he's fired.  Publisher directive. When Benny gets agitated,  Pabst says he'll call the police if he doesn't stop shouting. They haul away Benny to the Mental hospital.

DS9 - Far Beyond the Stars - Acting

Odo/Douglas Pabst - Puts in the best acting job of the DS9 cast - and has more screentime then anyone except Sisko. Rene Auberjonois uses his normal voice and does an excellent job as the put upon Editor of "Incredible tales Magazine". Whether its delivering the bad news, being the boss, or bickering with Herb over dougnuts, Rene is always likable, intelligent, and grounded in reality. Grade A

Herb/Quark - Its great to see Armin Shimerman without the makeup. Like Auberjoniois he's completely believable in his role.  Here he's the obnoxious. left-wing Herb. Its a wonder that no one has beaten him to a pulp. Grade A-

Gul Dukat/Policeman - Meanacing and forceful Marc Alaimo shines in the brief 5 minutes he's on screen. He's almost unrecongizable without the Cardassian makeup. Grade A-

Weyoun/Policeman - Jeffrey Combs takes a different approach from Alaimo, and makes his policeman a little more sterotypical, with a hint of parody. Grade B+

Worf/WIllie Hawkins - Michael Dorn is bland and boring in a role that gives him almost nothing to do. Dorn fills up the time by smiling and talking about his Baseball exploits and how much White fans resent him. He's definitely much better as Worf. Like Auberjonois he uses his real voice. Grade C-

Jake/Jimmy - Sporting an odd look and pencil mustache, Cirroc Lofton simply doesn't have the acting skills to improve on a cliche: a bitter street hustler with a grudge against white people. Bascially its OK actor + mediocre dialogue =  mediocre result. Grade C-

Kassidy Yates/Cassidy - Penny Johnson delivers a great performance as Benny Russell's girlfriend. She's much better here than on DS9 pretending to be Starship Freighter captain. Maybe the role was closer to reality and easier for her to play. Grade B+

Bashir/Julius - As the quasi-sophisticated English husband of Kay, Alexander Siddig isn't asked to do much more than throw out a few witty remarks and look good holding a cigarette, but what little he does, he does well. Grade C+

Kira/Kay - Playing a 1950s version of Kira isn't much of a stretch for Nana Visitor. Kay has a different dress and hairdo, but she's still a strong, intelligent, and forceful woman. She's married to Bashir, and is the most sympathetic toward Benny. Grade B-

Martok/Roy - Unrecognizable without his Klingon makeup, J.G. Hertzler gives a satisfactory, if brief performance as Incredible Tales Magazine's bluff, cigar-chomping Art Director. He makes the fifth white male characters who smokes. The only two who don't - are Herb and Douglas. None of the women or the black characters do. Grade C+

O'Brien/Albert - Colm Meaney  is one of the best DS9 actors, but he really fails in this one. Partly,  its having to play an  introverted, slow talking, writer.  But Meany overdoes it, and completely fails with a bogus 'murican accent.  He also deepens his voice and exaggerates the pauses in the script for  no good reason. The closest thing to friend Benny has in the office.   Grade D+

Sisko/Benny Russell - And now we get the most important actor in the espisode, Avery Brooks. As usual, he's a tough man to evaluate since he's such a mixture of good and bad. We can start with the Bad.  Brooks' "Breakdown" at the end is the worst piece of overacting, I've seen on Star Trek - and that includes all the Bill Shatner Ham.  Brooks hyperventilates, huffs and puffs,  whispers, yells, and goes up and down an octave before crying and collapsing. 

But then this ties in to his problematic acting throughout the series.  Charismatic, full of "Command Presence", and with a distinctive pleasant voice, Brooks is excellent when he's barking out orders, getting angry, or just engaging in normal conversation. But when he's called on the express any deep emotion - (other than straightforward anger or joy) , or engage in any subtlety or nuance he fails completely.  In this episode he tries to portray  a milder, more intellectual character - but he goes to the extreme and makes him wooden and too quiet.  In a way, he reminds me of Kirk Douglas, able to play a few notes within a certain range with talent, but completely failing outside it.   Grade C-

Joe Sisko/Preacher -  Played by an excellent actor, Brock Peters, he's given an impossible task with some incredibly stilted dialogue (cf: I have a dinner date with my Grandson) as Sisko's father, and some absurd rants as "The Preacher".  I give the Peters a B Grade for his acting, but both characters are so terribly written,  the overall grade is lowered.  Grade C

Dax/Darlene - Terry Farrell gives a fine comic performance as the gum-chewing, bubble-headed secretary. Too bad she didn't get more lines.  Grade B-