Drawing a Blank

I was going to rant about people with expensive cameras who don't know how to use them, but couldn't get it the way I liked it. It was also hard to avoid becoming the pot to their kettle in some places. Maybe another time.

Hot Docs is in town here, and I'm having a hard time getting excited. There doesn't seem to be a Dear Zachary or Look! Up in the Sky! this year that's grabbing me. Still, there's a couple I'll see tonight, and maybe something else will tickle my fancy. I suppose I could seek out something political or economic in nature, but I somehow feel I'd just get angry at the screen.

The one about the meth addict who raises tigers looks cool.

Space (the Candian SyFy, without the budget) is running all 10 Star Trek movies leading up to the premiere of the new reboot. You know what? I forgot how much I liked the old cast. Sure, The Motion Picture is overdone and completely misses the point and heart of the series, but Wrath of Khan and Search For Spock make up for it in spades. Spock's death is still one of the most poignant moments in Sci Fi, if not movies. Possibly Shatner's finest moment too.

I didn't like The Voyage Home the first couple times I saw it, but this time around, I finally appreciate it. It's the first time the cast got a chance to have fun in the movies, and there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments in it. Sure, the save the whales message is about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the eye, but if you can overlook that, it's a solid film.

The Final Frontier (V) - well... it still sucks. Some of the jokes work, but some fall with a terrible thud. The "deep" moments are just corny. The message moments are heavy-handed. Shatner's acting is terrible. But I realized one saving grace this time through - the relationship between Spock, McCoy, and Kirk isn't just explored, it's the main theme, and it's actually done pretty well. If it wasn't for Shatner's overacting (and overdirection, and overwriting), they might have been able to pull it off.

I'll likely miss The Undiscovered Country (or catch the midnight repeat), but I recall it being decent. I mean, Captain Sulu, you can't go wrong with that. That, and the fact they acknowledge their age is a big plus for it. Oh, and Kurtwood Smith as the President of the Federation.

As for the Next Gen movies? They generally blew. First Contact is awesome, Generations is confusing and a rehash of themes from the original crew movies, Insurrection just blows, and Nemesis is such a big letdown from what it could have been.

But regardless, they've succeeded where countless trailers, posters, and ads have failed - I'm genuinely excited for the new movie next week.

Oh, did I fail to mention I like Star Trek? Fuck you.

Hmmm, it seems that even when I've got nothing to write, I can fill a page.

Congrats to Joanne and Buddy! Bloggers - building bridges between nations.