TV REVIEW: Medium: "Allison Wonderland"

Last night's episode of Medium, written by Bernadette McNamara and directed by Ronald L. Schwary, was a welcome improvement over the last segment, and as a result an enjoyable hour. Of course, I was still reeling from the conclusion of 24 on Fox, which was highly disturbing and saw the release of nerve gas in CTU and the death of a beloved character. But eventually I got over it, my heart rate settled, and I focused on the show before me. Probably took me a good fifteen minutes...

"Allison Wonderland" is an interesting installment of this Patricia Arquette series on NBC, one involving a delusional mathematician who is killed when tossed off the roof of a hotel in Los Angeles. Well - of course - everybody's favorite psychic, Allison DuBois is on the case, but as is typical for Medium, the show comes at this murder mystery totally sideways; from an unexpected angle. To wit, the mathematician is a bit of crackpot, on meds for paranoia, and he envisions himself as a man of movie-star looks. Hence, in her psychic phantasms, Allison envisions the man as he sees himself: as David Carradine. Yep, David Carradine is the guest star in "Allison Wonderland." That alone elevates this installment above the norm.

Cracking this mystery involves learning more about Carradine's work on a "pass code" device and his belief that he is defending the nation from terrorists by cracking a difficult algorithm. Turns out, that's not quite the case. Instead, he's a patsy for a thief who knows just how to manipulate his madness.

Meanwhile, on the home front, little Bridget is obsessed with a book series about a character named Danielle, who "stars" in three books. She wants more Danielle adventures, but the author died a year ago and there are no more books to enjoy. Strangely, Danielle begins typing away on Daddy's computer, writing a totally new Danielle adventure, replete with grown-up vocabulary (like the word 'wan.') So, is she receiving communications from the dead writer, or just experiencing the spark of creativity? That's the conflict for Joe this week...

My big thought about this week's episode is that Medium - when you take out all the psychic bells and whistles - is really a program about a very simple, relatable idea. To wit, it's a show about concerned parents accepting the fact that their child isn't perfect; that he or she may have some heritage (some genetic baggage...) that troubles them. In real life, this "baggage" might be a a physical handicap, even a precocious intelligence, but Medium uses the rubric of psychic powers to discuss this side of family life. I think that's incredibly cool, because the best genre TV programming is always that show which is artistically constructed; that features an overarching metaphor that is applied and grants it a deeper meaning.

For Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it was the adolescence + high school = horror & monsters equation. For The X-Files, it was that notion of seeing the world through the competing lenses of skepticism and belief. On Millennium, the symbol of the yellow house as sanctuary - then paradise lost - informed many episodes. So it's terrific that Medium is also attempting to work on this higher level too. Because it isn't easy by any means. The trick in navigating this path is that the show in question must create two tracks. First, it must also be what it appears to be about (a psychic woman and her job as a detective) and at the same time it can be interpreted in more general, didactic terms (a show about family). From what I've seen, Medium really succeeds at this balancing act.

CATNAP #34: Irresistible...

For some inexplicable reason, our family room is abut ten degrees cooler than every other room in our home. We rebuilt the room last May and insulated it and everything. Still, it doesn't matter what the temperature is outside - hot or cold - the family room is always chilly. Recently, we brought down a sleeping bag for one sofa to help keep us warm while we screen movies, and the sleeping bas has proven positively irresistible to the cats. Now they jockey for position to see who can sleep on it; sometimes they even sleep together on it (though I wasn't quick enough to snap a picture of Lily on it beside Ezri...). In fact, at night we have to fold it up so the kitties will come to bed. Top picture: Lila. Bottom photo: Ezri.

Link of the Week: Captphil Online

It's still being constructed (as I write...) but I wanted to feature a shout-out this week to a new site that I've already been enjoying: Captphil Online.

This site is administered by one of my good friends and colleagues in the genre community. I first met "Captain Phil" about seven years ago - hard to believe - at the Space:1999 Breakaway Convention in Los Angeles on September 13, 1999. He's a good friend and he's helped me out on career-y things more times than I can count. He's been a steadfast supporter to Kathryn and me, an idea-man and - most importantly - he's an all-around good guy (and he has a lovely wife and a very sweet family).

Anyway, Captain Phil is a regular genre conventioneer, and is devoting his site to preserving that experience for future generations. Here's his mission statement:

"On this site I will document my 25 years of attending Science Fiction conventions with the goal of making some of the recordings I have of those events available to those interested in researching Science Fiction and to keep the names of those authors, artists and fans I've met alive for the next generation of fans and pros. I'll be commenting on the conventions I currently attend and what I think about those events, from the organization to the topics discussed. All of this and more will be on The Classic Adventures section of this site. Enjoy!"

What will you find on the site? Well, he's already got a page devoted to host Howard Margolin's legendary institution , Destinies: the Voice of Science Fiction. This is great, because the site has archived several episodes of the classy genre radio-talk show for your perusal, including the December 23, 2005 annual Christmas special, the January 6th "Film Review Team" special selecting the five best genre films of last year, and much more.

On his "Classic Adventures" page, you'll find a chronicle of Captain Phil's convention sojourns over the years (and he's a well-traveled fellow.):

"From here I'll be linking photos from the conventions I've attended and linking to my MP3/Podcast reviews of those events. I'll even try to do a couple of interviews with some of the guests. Also look for some audio content of these conventions, either panel discussions or speeches. These are presented for Science Fiction Historians, enthusiasts and the curious..."

So check out Captphil Online if you're into this stuff (as I am...) it's a site still developing, but there's already a tremendous range of material to choose from.

March Muir Column up at Far Sector

My March '06 column is "live" over at the new issue of Far Sector and it's a review of the PG-13 horror movie from 2005 that filmed at my alma mater, the University of Richmond. That movie is Cry_Wolf, and here's a clip from Cry_Wolf and Let Slip the Dogs of War:

We all end up with the horror movies we deserve, to misquote somebody famous. Although rarely a fan of PG-13 horror films, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of a 2005 effort I just screened last night on DVD. It’s called Cry_Wolf and it was directed by newcomer Jeff Wadlow.

In a glitzy, streamlined fashion, this unassuming teen horror flick accurately reflects the state of our country right now. It taps into the prevailing Zeitgeist, and how this production reflects some of our current national crises makes for an interesting, if not overly deep, contribution to the genre.

To read more about my surprising conclusion that I actually liked this modern product of corporate, soulless Hollywood horror, go here.

March McFarland Film/TV Releases

What's new at McFarland this month? The North Carolina publisher boasts another roster of interesting film and television book releases worthy of your attention. Here's the slate:

Stop-Motion Filming and Performance-
By Tom Brierton

Stop-motion animation has long been perceived as a technical practice rather than a creative, demanding art. Though stop-motion requires considerable technical knowledge, it also involves aesthetics and artistry that go beyond the technician’s realm. Just as important as puppet mechanics are lighting, filters, lenses, camera angle and placement, and dramatic pose and movement.This manual is a complete guide to the aesthetics of stop-motion animation. Information is organized in an intuitive, easy-to-use structure, following the order an animator uses in setting up and then executing a scene. The first half concentrates on the aesthetics of lighting and cameras, a primary concern in any shot, with details of camera placement, various lenses and myriad lighting techniques. The second half deals with the process of performance art, an oft-overlooked aspect of stop-motion animation. Included is a commentary on body language, facial expression, gesture, movement and emotion—key concepts that are exemplified through the acting process. The work also offers an introduction to narrative form and a glossary of related terms.

Psycho Thrillers-

By William Indick

Mind control, madness and altered states of reality can make for exciting nights at the movies—which explains the enduring popularity of a film genre that might be called the psycho thriller. Psychiatry and film came of age simultaneously, and characters such as the evil psychiatrist and the pathological killer were often developed in direct reference to the psychological themes that inspired them. For example, the penchants of Hitchcock’s famously creepy Norman Bates represented real psychological disorders, and his actions were explained through psychoanalysis. The psycho thriller presents a world where psychology represents a dimension of supernatural and metaphysical wonders.The introduction analyzes what makes a psycho thriller, and subsequent chapters are devoted to each of the archetypal psycho thriller characters (the mad scientist, the psycho killer, the individual with psychic powers, and the psychiatrist) and themes (mind control, dreams, memory, and existential issues). The concluding chapter lists the top twenty psycho thrillers. Stills from classic films in the genre illustrate the text, which also includes filmography, bibliography, and index.

Following The Fugitive-

By Bill Deane

The Fugitive made its debut on ABC on September 17, 1963. Over the next four seasons, the show enjoyed enormous commercial and critical success. Millions of fans followed the heroic exploits of Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) as he eluded police lieutenant Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) and doggedly pursued the killer of his wife, the notorious one-armed man. The show has experienced recent renewed interest since the 1993 movie of the same name became such a box-office smash and video favorite. The coverage is episode-by-episode, giving title, cast lists, director, writer, original airdate, and a comprehensive plot synopsis.

Golden Horrors-

By Bryan Senn

From the grindhouse oddities to major studio releases, this work details 46 horror films released during the genre’s golden era. Each entry includes cast and credits, a plot synopsis, in-depth critical analysis, contemporary reviews, time of release, brief biographies of the principal cast and crew, and a production history. Apart from the 46 main entries, 71 additional “borderline horrors” are examined and critiqued in an appendix.

Muir in The Philadelphia Inquirer!

Hey folks, I was interviewed in an article about the new Battlestar Galactica by journalist David Hiltbrand last week. The piece ran in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday (March 2, 2006), and it concerns the on-going divisions between old school BSG'ers and the new show.

Here's a clip from "A Whole New Dimension for Battlestar Galactica," Mr. Hiltbrand's article:

"They pull a lot from contemporary politics," agrees John Kenneth Muir, author of An Analytical Guide to Television's Battlestar Galactica. "It's ripped from the headlines. There was an Abu Ghraib torture episode. It's pretty clear these are post-9/11 Americans in space."

The show's unconventional strategy seems to be paying off. As it approaches the final episode of its second season on March 10, BSG is averaging 2.3 million viewers a week. "It's our highest-rated original series ever," says Dave Howe, executive vice president of Sci Fi. "It's also our youngest skewing series, and it's unbelievably successful internationally as well."

It's no surprise that some of the people who enjoyed the original series find the wholesale changes irksome. "It's like they're trying to poke us in the eye with every episode," says Muir, who numbers himself among the "crusty old fans." "The original show was very family-based. There were jokes about it being Bonanza in Space. It was like Lassie or Little House [on the Prairie]. It was about how families take care of each other in times of crisis."

While the characters in the '70s show were cut from a heroic mold, the new crew has issues. "What I've heard fans of the original say is that there's nobody to really like," Muir says. "People who were formerly honorable have been saddled with these soap-opera syndromes, like drinking or rage."

SATURDAY MORNING CULT TV BLOGGING: Land of the Lost: "The Sleestak God"

In our second installment of the 1974-1976 Sid and Marty Krofft live-action Saturday morning TV series, Land of the Lost, the stranded Marshall family is introduced - a bit unwillingly - to the other race of "people" inhabiting this unusual pocket universe: the fearsome Sleestak.

"The Sleestak God" opens with Holly and Will being tasked by their Dad, Rick Marshall, to get a refill from the nearby watering hole. The watering jug we saw last week ("Cha-Ka") has miraculously reproduced, and now the Marshalls have two of them. Anyway, Will and Holly head off across a bridge over a chasm (and Cha-Ka follows them...) as they find an amazing forgotten city carved into the side of an imposing mountain. Our first view of the city and the ancient temple dominating it is a nice, long, revealing pan left across the grounds (and it's actually a highly-detailed miniature). Before long, however, Holly and Will get chased by the guardian of the campus, an allosaurus they name "Big Alice."

On one wall near the city is scrawled in chalk the warning: BEWARE OF SLEESTAK. Since the message is written in English, this is our first inkling that other humans have before been trapped in the Land of the Lost.

When Will and Holly are captured by the hissing, reptilian Sleestak (who also adorn cross-bows as side-arms), Cha-Ka brings Rick Marshall to the temple. But will they arrive in time to save the kids from from being a sacrifice to the hungry, bellowing (and unseen...) Sleestak God that inhabits a misty pit?

Anyway, that's the plot of this second episode, written by David Gerrold and directed by Dennis Steinmetz. Since this is only the second episode of the series, it's clear that many of the concepts and people on the show are still being developed, and other than the dinosaurs, the Sleestaks may be the most important component. We don't know it yet, but they have a fascinating history (and future?) My only problem in this installment is that the Sleestak are supposed to be cave dwellers who can't stand light (and can be fought with the only weapon the Marshals have: fire!). However, three Sleestak attack Will and Holly outside the city in broad daylight, which seems odd and inconsistent.

This week also provides the first glimpse of another Land of the Lost native, the Triceratops named Spike. And we get more of Cha-Ka's language. "Osu" is the Paku word for water.

On the Gilligan's Island list of devices and instruments made by the Marshalls to make their stay in the Land of the Lost more "civilized," we see in "The Sleestak God" that Marshall has fashioned a basket out of twigs, and that Holly has built a broom out of straw (so she can do housework in the cave!) Finally, each of the Marshalls is now also wearing a small square mirror around their necks (where did they get these?) They can communicate using the mirrors - across vast distances - in Morse Cod, as Will and Rick do in this episode. Convenient that they should all know Morse Code, though, isn't it?

As for the geography of the Land of the Lost, this is the first episode in which viewers see the ravine separating High Bluff (and Grumpy's territory) from the Sleestak City (and Big Alice's territory).

Next week, we meet another (more friendly) denizen of The Land of the Lost in "Dopey."

RETRO TOY FLASHBACK #32: Buttons!

Over the years, political buttons have proven to be very valuable collectibles. Own a Bush/Quayle '92 button? Or how about a Gore/Leiberman 2000? Yet - perhaps not surprisingly - there's also such a thing as science fiction film and tv buttons.

I think the first collectible I ever actually purchased with my own money (meaning my allowance...) may very well have been a button from Star Wars. This was back in 1977, and my favorite character was Chewbacca. Because he was kind of like a monster, I guess, and I was a King Kong fan. I was in the second grade when I bought my prized Chewbacca button at Englishtown Flea Market. After I bought it, you couldn't get me to take it off.

Over the years, I collected more, including ones from ALF, Space: 1999 and the like. When I was in high school, my sister bought me a personal favorite: a "Spock for President" button, which I guess is sort of the equivalent of a political button, right? I mean, imagine how much better our country would be if Mr. Spock really were President. If the decisions he made for our well-being were based on principles like logic, peace, infinite diversity in infinite combinations and the like. Not only that, he plays a mean game of three dimensional chess.

Anyway, "buttons" are the toy of the week. Anyone out there collect 'em? I'm guessing they're probably not as popular as other sci-fi collectibles because buttons are cheap, easy to create, and probably not even "official." Still, they're fun.

And I do own a political button, by the way. It isn't pictured here. But it reads "Jane Wyman was right..." Hopefully, someone out there understands what that snarky remark means.

COLLECTIBLE OF THE WEEK: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, a Media-Tie In

Today, movie and TV tie-in books are gorgeous and slick. Better yet, they're written by a stable of outstanding authors who really understand (and admire...) the material they're adapting; like Peter David, Keith R.A. De Candido, Greg Cox, or Lee Goldberg.

When you read one of their tie-ins you get the feeling you're in the hands of not merely of a fine storyteller, but one who thoroughly understands the details of the genre, and the particularly universe where they're dabbling.

Today, for the "collectible of the week," I'm looking back at what might be termed the pre-history of these media tie-ins, in particular, a book I've owned since I was a little kid. It's the "authorized edition" of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea by Raymond F. Jones. Whitman Publishing Company (in Racine, Wisconsin) published this hardcover tie-in to the Irwin Allen series back in 1965...over forty years ago.

The book is 212 pages (of fairly large type), divided into eleven chapters with titles like "Doom Beneath the Sea," "The Magnetic Field" and "Farewell to Minos." Also - as a real plus - the book is peppered by a series of illustrations from Leon Jason Studios. These pictures are basic, and yet I find them rather lovely.

I always had a fascination with submarines when I was young. One of my favorite movies was the Walt Disney adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring James Mason, and I also owned a toy GI Joe submarine (replete with giant squid!) that could go diving deep below the surface of the backyard swimming pool. So Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was a natural for me. I always enjoyed the adventures of the Seaview and dreamed of piloting the Flying Submarine myself. When I was young, I didn't detect that the series became campy as it went along. To me, it was just a grand adventure.

This sturdy, solid book has remained with me through adolescence and now adulthood, its pages increasingly yellowed and parched; it's spine still strong, if tattered in a few spots. And you know something? The writing isn't half bad, either. Here's an excerpt:

"THE SEA mothered the giant gray submarine. With easy strength it lifted the vessel on long, rolling waves, then plunged it beneath the surface, only to raise it once more and bathe it in whitecaps and spray.

Captain Lee Crane stood at the huge, square observation ports in the bow of the Seaview and watched the breaking waves expectantly. At each plunge the water surged over the ports and drowned the world outside. Then, as the ship lifted, the water drained in shining cascades and sunlight poured in."

Well, I must have read this particular adventure of the Seaview a dozen times, and dreamed of wild adventures beneath the waves, manning the torpedoes or standing at the giant windows of the observation bay. So I just wanted to share my memories of this book today.

I have no doubt that - in some fashion - reading novelizations and tie-ins (like the James Blish Star Trek books...) - only stoked my enthusiasm for TV, film, and I feel good knowing that fine authors are performing the same duty for the next generation...

Sci-Fi Wisdom of the Week: Wes Craven's New Nightmare

"The more she read, the more she realized that what she had in her hands was nothing more or less than her life itself; that everything she had experienced and thought was bound within those pages. There was no movie. There was only...her life."

-Heather Langenkamp (as herself) discovers the truth in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994).

MUIR BOOK WEDNESDAY #11: A History and Critical Analysis of Blake's 7, the 1978-1981 British Television Space Adventure

How's that for a wordy title?

A History and Critical Analysis of Blake's 7 was my fifth book, penned ages ago, in the very distant-seeming days of 1998. It was published by McFarland and Company Inc., Publishers in 1999. Now, in 2006, this effort is being re-published in softcover with brand new cover art.

Since my Blake book is "timely" again (and part of my 2006 release stable, alongside Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair [Applause Books] and Behind the Screen: This is Spinal Tap [Emmis Books]), I figured it was time to spotlight it in this bi-weekly feature devoted to my ham-handed attempts to promote my own work. Message: buy my books. Please.

Anyway, Blake's 7 is a great, memorable science fiction TV program from Great Britain, and too few genre fans in America have seen it. The series is not even currently released on DVD here in the States, and that's a big time bummer. But many folks who have seen the show have termed the series "The Anti-Star Trek" because it features many commonalities with Gene Roddenberry's space opera, but then turns those commonalities on their head. For instance, there's a matter transporter in Blake's 7, but it's not like Star Trek's. And here, the Federation is a totalitarian, evil Empire, not a force for good.

Here's what some of the critics said about my Blake's 7 book back when it was released:

"...the daddy of all references sources about the show and its following...a useful guide...Muir delivers the substance."-ZEALOT.COM

"Mr. Muir's book, like the distant universe it describes, glows brightly."-R.J FYNE, KEAN UNIVERSITY, FILM AND HISTORY

"Muir is good at catching details...[Muir's] tying together of themes and threads within the series is a great strength of the book." - Ann Basart, HERMIT.ORG: Deeply Silly Space Series or Heroic Poem?


And this material is from my introduction:

The most memorable science fiction programs in television history have been those which deliberately modify classic stories or myths and reiterate them in new and exciting contexts, frequently the outer space arena.

The long-honored genre standard-bearer, Star Trek (1966-1969) is an extension of American pioneer and imperialist ideals and was even referred to by its creator, Gene Roddenberry, as "Wagon Train to the Stars." Irwin Allen's Lost in Space (1965-68) is a futuristic re-telling of The Swiss Family Robinson with a family - again the Robinsons - marooned on a far-off planet rather than an isolated island. Even the much-maligned Glen Larson saga, Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) is a quasi Biblical epic in its vision of the human race's cosmic exodus and passage through a red space field, a galactic equivalent of the Red Sea.

Similarly, Terry Nation's unique British entry in the science fiction television sweepstakes, Blake's 7 (1978-81) is a futuristic accumulation and translation of classical literary, film and television traditions. It is part Robin Hood with its band of futuristic outlaws facing the overwhelming power of an evil Galactic Empire, and part The Seven Samurai (1954) or The Magnificent Seven (1960) in its thematic disposition to dramatize heroes defending the innocent from conquering forces both alien and human. Unlike Robin Hood, however, Blake's 7's television avengers are noticeably not merry men.

On the contrary, the heroes of Blake's 7 are depicted in this four-year, 52-episode BBC series as a desperate, fatalistic and determinedly pragmatic band. Although Blake is a man of honor, his mind starts to break down after the death of a follower ("Pressure Point") and his continued failure to defeat the mighty Terran Federation. Blake's right hand man, Avon, is even less traditional. Equipped with a razor-sharp intellect and an instinct for self-preservation, Avon chooses to accompany Blake on his cosmic quest only because it suits his purposes.

In the words of creator Nation, his television series is not about outer space or alien civilizations at all. Instead, it concerns "The little guy against City Hall." The heroes, including a loyal "everyman," a beautiful smuggler and a common thief, are thus defined in totally realistic and believable, non-superhuman terms.

When one considers that so many popular science fiction shows, from classic Star Trek to Babylon 5 (1993-98) are endorsements of overreaching futuristic military forces proffering "peace," whether it be Starfleet in Trek, the Earth Alliance in Babylon 5, the Directorate in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981) or even the United Earth Oceans of SeaQuest DSV (1993-96), this anti-establishment thematic strand marks Blake's 7 as a unique addition the genre's video pantheon.

It is a relief to report that Blake's 7 protagonists do not hold military rank, wear neatly ironed uniforms or work together in a tightly structured hierarchy for the "enrichment" of mankind. They are not pioneers or diplomats, but rather very human outlaws fighting a vicious battle against injustice. Fortunately, Blake's 7 is a provocative drama worthy of scrutiny for reasons beyond its rejection of the traditional genre tropes.

Unlike its British contemporaries in the 1970s, namely Space:1999 (1975-1977), Star Maidens (1976) and Doctor Who (1963-89), each episode in this Terry Nation series does not comprise a single adventure. Instead, each story builds on previous ones and plays as a chapter in a magnum opus: a video novel about the liberation of an oppressed galaxy. In the nineties, in the heyday of Babylon 5, Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) and other shows featuring so-called "story arcs," this innovation is often underestimated or unreported. Yet Blake's 7 developed the "arc" concept in science fiction television a dozen years before the above-listed series were aired or conceived.

Blake's 7 is also a less frivolous series than many genre dramas in vogue today. As if manipulated by a diabolical puppet master, the series is savage in its treatment of beloved characters and icons. Main characters, including Blake himself, disappear or are killed...Simply put, Blake's 7 takes no prisoners. Fortunately, its Machiavellian nature perfectly fits the tenor of the "resistance" premise, and the totalitarian Federation often wins the day.

Also lending the series a unique, gritty feel is the fact that Blake's 7 was lensed by the penny-pinching BBC on an exceedingly low budget. The sets are bare, even minimalist, and the futuristic hardware and instrumentation look like cast-off remnants of a fallen technological race.

By necessity, the series was often shot in nuclear power plants and dusty quarries (lovingly called "chalk pits" by film crews), so the planets visited by Blake's team are either oppressively sterile, industrial, or barren and dying. The unexpected but welcome result of these cheap production expedients is that Blake's 7 visually dramatizes an Empire of collapsing infrastructures and bureaucracy. The pieced-together sets are a perfect metaphor for a rotting Federation unable to sustain itself, rapidly squandering resources. The Soviet Union (circa 1985) in space is not a bad metaphor for the Blake's 7 future.

...Though its visual effects are frequently underwhelming, Blake's 7 remains - more than two decades after its debut - a go-for-the-throat genre effort with fine acting, superlative writing, and a message of hope and freedom worthy of retrospect in the new millennium...

So check out my book on B7 if you can swing it. You can order the book at McFarland, here.