Category Archives: Entertainment

Star Wars Recycled

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Warning: plot spoilers ahead…

No doubt about it. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a worthy successor to the Star Wars legacy. It’s action-packed, including a spectacular pair of light saber duels at the end. It’s also populated with a pleasing combination of intriguing new characters and welcome old friends.

If only the story wasn’t so weak (and we can’t blame Lucas this time). Actually, in isolation from the other Star Wars movies, the story is often compelling. Even with the other films as context, it managed to sustain my interest throughout. Things could be worse.

The problem is that I kept getting irritated with how much of the plot was a copycat retread of the prior films, especially Episode IV. While I understand fans’ desire to maintain the “look and feel” of the original movies (and you can count me in this group), there’s a difference between inspiration and imitation. Star Wars Episode VII crossed that line.

Consider the following:

• Episode VII concerns a small band of good guys (the Rebellion) battling an evil force (the First Order). As the film opens, the First Order appears to be in control of the galaxy.

Episode IV opened almost the same way, except it was the Empire instead of the First Order. The poor Rebellion seems clueless about how to take over and run a galaxy. It’s only 30 years after they destroyed the Empire, and they are already back on the defensive.

• Episode VII opens with a cute droid (BB-8) being given a secret document to be delivered to allies elsewhere.

Episode IV opens the same way —with R2D2 the recipient.

• Episode VII opens with a young adult (Rey), who lives on a desert planet, acquiring the droid and committing to help the droid complete its mission.

Episode IV opens the same way — except Luke is the youngster on the desert planet.

• Episode VII features a major villain (Kylo Ren) who dresses in an all black outfit and wears a hard-shell hooded mask.

I needn’t remind you that, in Episode IV, this precisely describes Darth Vader. I suppose the filmmakers would argue that this is deliberate, that Ren is attempting to emulate Vader (Ren does not actually require the mask to survive). But it’s still another copycat plot point.

• In Episode VII, Ren has a master who is even more powerful and evil (Supreme Leader Snoke).

In Episodes V and VI, the same relationship exists between Vader and the Emperor.

• Episode VII’s “bar” scene imitates Episode IV’s cantina scene, right down to similar looking aliens in the band.

• One of Episode VII’s biggest reveals is that Ren is actually Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia. He was training to be a Jedi, but was turned to the dark side.

This is a twisted echo of a similar generational reveal: Luke is Vader’s son. Vader was also a Jedi who was turned to the dark side.

• In Episode VII, Rey starts out largely naive as what’s going on in the galaxy — but eventually becomes a key player as she becomes aware that she possesses the power of the Force.

If this sounds similar to what happens to Luke in Episode IV, that’s because it is exactly the same.

• Episode VII concludes with a light saber duel between the two main protagonists (Rey and Ren). It ends with Ren surviving to fight another day.

Episode V ends with a similar fight between Vader and Luke, with Vader surviving to fight another day.

• There is a hint that there is a relationship between Ren and Rey, as yet to be revealed. Perhaps they are cousins (with Rey being Luke’s daughter) — echoing, with a twist, the relationship between Luke and Leia.

• Finally (although I am sure I have overlooked other similarities), Episode VII features a “death star” — and the only way to destroy it is via a well-placed shot by a fighter ship.

This is the identical scenario at the end of both Episodes IV and VI (and even Episode I to a some extent). I mean, come on! Isn’t there some other dramatic device the screenwriters could imagine besides a death star? Apparently not. I can only hope that this is the last death star we will have to endure.

The Force Awakens won’t win any awards for originality. Indeed, it too often seems as if there is only one Star Wars plot — and it keeps getting recycled. But it is a well-executed recycling. And I will be back in two years, eagerly awaiting to see what happens with the return of Luke Skywalker. With some luck, what happens won’t be a repeat of what has already happened in earlier Star Wars movies.

My day as an extra in the Steve Jobs movie

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Back last March, I had the opportunity to attend the event where Steve Jobs announced the iMac to the world. What a fantastic day!

OK. I’ve created a bit of a reality distortion field here. What really happened is that I was an extra in the new Steve Jobs movie, starring Michael Fassbender as Jobs and with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin.

As you probably know by now, the movie focuses on three key media events: the announcements of the original Mac, the NeXT computer and the iMac. The recreations of all the events were done in venues around the San Francisco Bay area, although not necessarily where the events originally took place.

For the final event (the introduction of the iMac in 1998), the filming took place on March 29 at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. The Hall holds several thousand people and the filmmakers wanted it completely full. This was, by far, the largest of the three media event settings. They put out a call for volunteers to be extras. I probably would never have known about this if it wasn’t for someone I follow on Twitter posting a link to the signup webpage. Given that I live only a short BART ride away from the Hall, it seemed too good to pass up. I signed up.

A few days later, I received an email confirming that I had been selected. I suspect that almost everyone who applied was accepted, given the large number of extras they needed. Regardless, I was in!

On the day of the filming, I arrived about 30 minutes prior to the time stated in the invitation. To my dismay, there was already a line stretching more than six (6) blocks, waiting to enter the Hall. And more kept coming. In fact, because parking near the Hall is so limited, the studio had set up shuttle buses from a distant parking lot. Around a dozen full size buses unloaded while I was waiting.

By this time, I was thinking that, in an attempt to be certain of filling the Hall, the filmmakers had oversold the acceptances — meaning that some of us would be sent home without ever getting inside. I was wrong. Everyone got in.

Waiting in line

Eventually, the line began to move. By the time I got to the front of the line, it was well over an hour from when I first arrived. I signed the required release forms and was ushered into the Hall. It was still only about half full. Over the next hour, the Hall eventually reached capacity.

Inside Davies Hall

A small group of “professional” extras were seated in the first few rows on the left. As it turned out, this was where Jeff Daniels (as John Sculley) would later be filmed. The rest of the Hall was filled with volunteers such as myself.

Where possible, the filmmakers tried to recreate the “look and feel” of the original event, including having replicas (originals?) of  banners hanging from the ceiling out in the hallway. Quite impressive.

In the hallway

Once we were all seated, various sound and lighting checks were conducted. Eventually, Danny Boyle and his assistant director came out and introduced themselves. They gave us details about what would be filmed and what we were expected to do. Essentially, there would be various audience scenes showing us anticipating Steve Jobs’ entrance on to the stage (including one sequence where we were to stamp our feet to make noise) and cheering him when he was finally introduced.

Initially, we rehearsed with a stand-in for Michael Fassbender. Interestingly, the stand-in looked much more like Steve Jobs than Fassbender does. A few people near me mistakenly initially assumed that he was Fassbender.

Eventually, Fassbender came out and we began filming for real. The main scene was where an announcer said something like: “Ladies and gentlemen….Steve Jobs.” At this point, Fassbender strides on to the stage and we all stand up and cheer wildly. The flashing of   camera lightbulbs was simulated by a variety of strobe lights situated around the hall, triggered to go off at just the right moment. It was quite effective. When the cheering died down, I believe Fassbender said “Thank you.” That was it. The director yelled “Cut”…end of scene.

I assume, in the final film, it’s fade out to credits after this scene. In any case, when it was all over, Boyle informed us that this was the final day of filming. After this, it was “a wrap.”

There was no CGI involved. What you see in the film really are thousands of people standing up and cheering.

A few other related scenes were filmed that day. There was the Jeff Daniels scene. Another one took place backstage (I couldn’t see what was going on from where my seat was located, but I heard it involved Steve’s daughter Lisa). Yet another one was the arrival of Steve Wozniak (played by Seth Rogen). As luck would have it, this took place just a few rows from my seat. If it turns out that I am actually detectable on screen in the final cut of the movie, it will most likely be at this point.

There was a lot of waiting in between filming of each scene. At these points, you could out to the hallway and get snacks.

Filming a scene outside

Finally, we were shuttled outside of the building in order to film a crowd shot. After that, we went back inside the Hall, where they raffled off a few prizes and provided us with a box lunch. By this time, it was around 6:00, a little late for lunch. But heck, it was free. It had been about eight hours since my arrival.

And that was it. The big day was over.

I haven’t seen the movie yet. But it appears that the Davies audience scene is a significant one. Glimpses of it are in every trailer. I haven’t tried freeze-framing to see if I can spot myself. I’m guessing no, but I’ll wait until after I see the movie to confirm.

Or maybe I’ll never bother to check. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter to me whether I am on camera or not. I had a great time that day. I couldn’t be at the original iMac event. This was definitely the the next best thing. A day to remember. Both in 1998 and in 2015.

 

The ups (and occasional downs) of Apple’s new products

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Here are my brief reactions to the new products that Apple announced at its media event yesterday:

• Watch

So now you can get a gold Apple Watch for the same price as a Sport model. Actually, it is a Sport model. Apple now offers two new gold finishes for its aluminum Watch. You have to wonder if these colors were held back from last spring’s initial release so as not to give any competition to the actual gold models. Perhaps due to poorer than expected sales, Apple no longer cares about potential competition. In any case, yesterday’s event made no mention of the uber-expensive models.

• iPad

The 12.9” iPad Pro is quite attractive overall — especially so for people seeking Apple’s answer to the laptop/tablet Microsoft Surface. If I was in the market for such a device, I’d get one. [By the way, I predicted an iPad Pro back in January 2014 — and was quite close to what Apple released yesterday.]

The new connector technology used by the Keyboard seemed very cool. I look forward to see what third parties will do with it. I don’t see using the Pencil (I remain with Steve Jobs here), but I can imagine it being useful in specific applications.

On the downside, I’m bummed that the iPad Pro doesn’t include the 3D Touch feature announced for the new iPhones. It seems like a glaring omission…to have Apple’s most expensive iOS device lacking a key feature available in its smallest one.

A larger problem for Apple is (other than a minor update to the iPad mini — which Apple should have released last year), there were no other new iPads. Most especially, there was no iPad Air 3. This means that, unless you want an iPad Pro, there is almost no incentive for current iPad owners to upgrade to a new model. As such, I expect iPad sales for the coming holiday season to continue its decline. I don’t see the iPad Pro generating enough sales to reverse the trend.

• iPhone

With 3D Touch and an improved camera that includes Live Photos and 4K video, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus offer new features that are significant enough to motivate a substantial number of current users to upgrade. I expect the new iPhones to continue to gain market share and solidify Apple’s lead. Well done.

• TV

For me, the new Apple TV was the most “drool-worthy” of all the products announced yesterday. The new remote with a touch surface and Siri support can potentially change how we interact with television. As someone with the beginnings of hearing loss, I was especially blown away by the “What did he say?” feature, which rewinds 15 seconds and plays it back with captions.

For a long time, I have been advocating for the Apple TV to include its own App Store and provide better support for games. The new Apple TV delivers in both these categories. Yes!

Still, I do have a couple of concerns. No 4K support? This was a surprise, especially since the new iPhones can produce 4K video. And I didn’t see any option to play ripped DVDs, as you can do via the Computers icon in the current Apple TV. In fact, I didn’t see a Computers icon at all. Maybe it’s there and just not mentioned. We’ll see.

According to one article I read, analysts were overall left “underwhelmed” with the new Apple TV. They wanted to see the promised subscription service (and perhaps even original content). I too want a subscription service (especially if it means I can dump Comcast). But I have patience. I assume it will arrive in due course next year. I’d also like some sort of iCloud-based DVR, but I doubt I will see that. In the meantime, the new Apple TV is already a fantastic upgrade. I want one yesterday.

• Mac

One last thing. There was no mention of the Mac at the media event yesterday. Not even the impending release of OS X El Capitan (due September 30). Perhaps there will be some new Mac announcements in the weeks ahead, without a corresponding media event (because the iPad Pro was revealed yesterday, I no longer expect a separate event in October). Otherwise, we’ll have to wait till 2016 for new Macs.

TV today: Too much of a good thing

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Yesterday, I was shocked to learn of the apparent admission of guilt by Robert Durst. The admission was startling news all by itself. What was even more incredible was the source of the news: not a newspaper’s or government’s investigation, but a six-part documentary on HBO, titled The Jinx.

Unfortunately for me, I had not been watching this show — despite having seen excellent early reviews. As a result, I didn’t get to experience the “gut-wrenching” surprise in the finale of what the New York Times described as “appointment television.”

Truth be told, I watch a good deal of television, including shows on HBO. I am always on the lookout for new shows worth watching. So why did I decide to skip over The Jinx?

There’s no mystery here. The answer is that, with all the shows I am currently watching, my viewing tank is constantly on the verge of spilling over. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve had to put new additions on hold. I have a list of shows waiting to replace ones as they conclude their run or that I have otherwise decided to abandon. To override the list, and simply add another show to my routine, requires that I consider if I can (or should) be squeezing out yet more time for television each week. The answer is usually: No. Such was the case with The Jinx.

Here’s how bad (or good?) it is right now:

I’m in the middle of relishing the showdown between Raylon Givens and Boyd Crowder in the final season of Justified. Having recently managed to work my way through all the episodes of Breaking Bad, I am now following Better Call Saul (which, by the way, had a truly standout episode last week, with its back story on Mike Ehrmantraut). I’m also mini-binging on the latest season of House of Cards (I’m half-way through the season, which has so far been the weakest of the three). I’ve watched the first two episodes of The Honourable Woman (it looks promising and I expect to get back to more episodes soon). I’m beginning the second season of Broadchurch, with two episodes currently logged on my DVR. And, I am a bit embarrassed to admit, I am still sticking with The Blacklist, despite its increasingly absurd and nonsensical plots.

My annual foray to Downton Abbey ended a few weeks ago. I watch Abbey, together with Madame Secretary and Grey’s Anatomy, primarily because my wife likes these shows and it gives us some things to watch together (except for Broadchurch, she doesn’t watch any of the shows listed in the previous paragraph). That’s not to say her favorites are a sacrifice for me. They are respectable entertainment and I enjoy them. In the same way, my wife and I are wading our way through The Good Wife. We started with Season 1 a few months ago and are now almost done with Season 3. Definitely fun.

Waiting in the wings are five more series I’ve watched in previous seasons: Mad Men, Orphan Black, Orange is the New Black, True Detective and Sherlock. I eagerly anticipate their returns. Next fall, there will be the resumption of the rejuvenated Homeland.

What about that waiting list I mentioned?

Sitting at the top are Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead and The Americans. I hope to find room for at least one of these series sometime this summer. Meanwhile, my wife is toying with adding one of Shonda Rhimes other two shows: Scandal or (more likely) How to Get Away With Murder. The Affair won the Golden Globe for best Dramatic TV Series and Fargo won for Best Miniseries; I’d like to find time to check both of them out. Lower down but still on the list are numerous other shows that have piqued my interest, most notably The Fall and The Following.

And I promise to someday start watching The Wire, which many of my friends claim is the best series ever on television.

There are also the very occasional one-and-done specials or mini-series, such as Olive Kitteridge, that I have made time to watch. At least these do not require the ongoing commitment of a regular series — which can mean watching as many as 23 episodes a year for six seasons or more.

If only that was the end. It’s not. Those sadistic television programmers keep adding new shows to vie for my attention. Recently spotted on my new show radar is Empire, the first break-out hit of 2015 — reviving a sagging lineup on Fox. Also lighting up with potential are American Crime and Bloodline.

Some shows do occasionally finish up, making room for ones on the waiting list. Last year it was True Blood and The Newsroom. This year it’s Justified and Mad Men.

This is not a complete list of every series I’ve recently watched or hope to watch. But it’s getting close.

With the exception of The Jinx (a documentary mini-series), all of these shows are scripted dramas. These are clearly the meat and potatoes of my television watching. I’ve pretty much given up on comedies — although I have sporadically watched old episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Sports Night. I also have some interest in Modern Family, Silicon Valley and Shameless.

Surely, there’s a lot of garbage still on television (just check out almost any reality show as proof). But the best that television has to offer these days is absolutely the best that television has ever offered. We are truly in a golden age of quality programming. Plus, with on-demand options for almost every show now on the air — and venues such as Netflix and iTunes for catching up with shows no longer running — there’s never been a better environment for watching television.

And there-in lies the rub. I mentioned more than 30 dramatic series in this column. Granted, they aren’t all airing new episodes right now. Still, keeping up with all of them sometimes feels more like a job (albeit an enjoyable one) than a leisure activity. That’s the “paradox of choice” with television these days. It’s so good, with so many great series, that no one (certainly not me) has the time to savor everything worthwhile that’s out there.

And, returning to the top of this column, that’s the long answer for why I didn’t, to my regret, watch The Jinx. Of course, although I now know the surprise ending, I can still view the show via HBO Go. Which I intend to do.

One more thing…if you have a recommendation for some great show for me to watch, one not included here, please don’t tell me. Thanks, but I already have too much of a good thing.