June 29, 2005
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WEDNESDAY MOVIEDeadwood
I would have reviewed Batman Begins, which was the Father’s Day family outing, and really quite good as comicbook hero movies go, but I discovered something much yummier in the TV series Deadwood, supplied to my door by Netflix. In Batman Begins, you want to use Photoshop to lighten up the action at least part of the darn time. Gotham City by flashlight. In Deadwood, there are dark scenes too, and plenty of mud and dreck. But it’s a whole different crime location. Something about it glows. It’s real history and for some fascinating trivia about the characters, click here. It’s the Sopranos meets the Old West. (And both are HBO products – a channel I don’t get). The central characters are a saloon owner, the penultimate villain, who does not have Saving Grace One, played by Ian McShane (a veteran British actor) and a former marshall looking to set up a hardware store, played by Timothy Olyphant, a relative unknown who has been in films less than 10 years. In the first few DVD’s of the series, another main character is Wild Bill Hickok, played by David Carradine. (So glad the fabulous Carradine brothers are enjoying so much success lately.) In 1876, Deadwood, South Dakota was without law, and in the days post the Custer massacre filled with prospectors hoping to strike it rich mining gold. In fact, it became the scene of the largest gold strike in United States history. Hickok and his buddy, Calamity Jane were in the vicinity because Hickok had been a
scout for Custer. As we know, both are buried there side by side, and therein lies some of the tale. The photography is topnotch, the acting the pure quill, and there’s never a dull moment. Be prepared for some Serious Swearing and mayhem, plenty of humor, and just plain smart writing (kind of sounds like the Sopranos formula, doesn’t it?). There are so many off the wall characters you almost wouldn’t be surprised to see Batman pay a visit. Disc 3 is on its way to my house and I can’t wait.
Deep Thought: “If you ever discover that what you’re seeing is a play within a play, just slow down, take a deep breath, and hold on for the ride of your life.”
Today I am grateful for: The word plethora
Guess the Movie: “Somestimes what seems like surrender isn’t surrender at all. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it, whatever the pain, because the pain of not being true to it is far, far greater.” Answer: The Horse Whisperer, 1998.
Iraq: A Bloody Mess
by Patrick Cockburn
A year ago the supposed handover of power by the US occupation authority to an Iraqi interim government led by Iyad Allawi was billed as a turning point in the violent history of post-Saddam Iraq.
It has turned out to be no such thing. Most of Iraq is today a bloody no-man’s land beset by ruthless insurgents, savage bandit gangs, trigger-happy US patrols and marauding government forces. (Rest of article here.)
Comments (11)
I saw a couple of episodes – I liked it.
The quote I just remember is a Robert Redford movie, but I don’t remember which one it is. :/
They just finished season 2 on HBO and I watched every minute of it!
. Ian McShane is amazing. Just incredible. I got to see him on Bill Maher’s show (also HBO) and it was so odd seeing him out of character. I also really like Bullock’s character. I’m glad to see that you have discovered it! I hope they come out with season 2 on DVD soon… then maybe you’ll buy HBO so you can see season 3 (and all the other great stuff HBO offers). I’m very spoiled as I don’t pay for my HBO (an oversight by the cable company), but now that I have it, I wouldn’t go without.
TV worth watching: Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart (M,T,W,Th: 11PM Comedy Central)
HBO – original series, Bill Maher, movies. Sunday nights is usually the place to be.
I’m not really sure what else is out there. I like CSI, but not in a “reserve time to watch it” sort of way. If it’s on, cool. If not, oh well.
Any suggestions?
We don’t have HBO either, but our library has the dvds of a lot of shows. I want to rent ‘Deadwood’ as yours is not the only positive review I have seen. Hope you are having a great summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m always a year behind on HBO series, though I’m not sure why. So I guess Deadwood is in my future…
I LOVE this show. Jane is my favorite character. It’s the most innovative series I’ve ever seen on t.v. A definite must-see.
Have heard good reviews of this show. Need to see it, not only for the history, and the ‘glow’ (I know what you mean), but for getting a gander at those those good-looking guys! Woohoo!
Thank you Lionne, for your comment. Sadly, we never know what the ending might bring, and life can be so fragile sometimes.
Dear Lionne,
I watched a couple of episodes but didn’t really like it, and I’m a fan of westerns. (Just watched the complete “Heaven’s Gate” from the 80s the other day recorded from the Tivo and it was magnificent, but got a real bad rap when it was made.) I’m pretty peeved at HBO (the ONLY pay station I get from DirecTV) because they cancelled my favorite series, Carnivale. I’ve never watched the Sopranos. Perhaps I’ll get those from Netflix for one of my “series” junkets. I’m watching the old ‘DeGrassi Junior High” series right now. I can wait till Batman comes out on DVD.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
Perfect timing! Watched the first two episodes just tonight courtesty of Blockbuster Online. Did they really say F*** so much back then? I love Calamity Jane… Interesting the word: Plethora… I just used that today too. “a plethora of sins” was the phrase I used. Have a good night and tomorrow too.
I live just about within spittin’ distance of Deadwood, SD. They still keep it a pretty wild and roudy place. It’s a gambling town, but with a very Old West flavor. Wild Bill still walks the streets (well, in the form of a local ‘character’), and we have lots of events there, shootin’ contests, rodeos, concerts…
Me, I still consider the Black Hills sacred land, and part of a treaty signed by the US & Sioux people in 1878, giving them it as part of their reservation “as long as the winds blow and the waters flow.” Apparently that didn’t include the gold… The Sioux never accepted payment for the Hills (where Deadwood lies), and the money remains untouched in a bank in their name.
History is still alive out here in the ol’ West. Though I haven’t heard the F-word ’round here much lately.
I’ve never seen Deadwood. I’ve been through that kind of country though. My husband is from Sasaskatchewan so when we travel from Ohio to SK and back, we go through North Dakota. It’s probably lots flatter that SD though.
Lots of open air and space. Very gorgeous! I’ll have to pick up the DVD of the series at the video store and give it a look. I’ve seen them in the video store here.
Thank you for your posts on my xanga. The horses are precious friends to me for sure. I take that back, they’re more than friends. At this point they are family. They’ve been home for a week now and quite settled in.
I caught War of the Worlds last evening. There is so much to talk about in that movie. I love picking out the parables and lessons in movies. That one had my mouth hanging open most of the time!
Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
~ Tami
Oops, my hubby is going to never let me live it down that I misspelled Saskatchewan. That’s what I get for posting so soon after waking up from a nap!!