Custom Cuts

Over at Word Around the Net, Christopher Taylor has an interesting post up about the movie, Blade Runner. The main point of the post is that - in this case, at least - the original, studio cut of the film is better than the Director's Cut that was issued on DVD a few years later. All of which brings up the question of who really does know best when it comes to an artistic creation.

The theatrical release of the film included a voice-over by Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, the titular character assigned to terminate the replicants who have broken the law by coming to earth. The voice-over was designed to add more of a film-noir aspect to the movie and also help explain some of the narrative that might otherwise be confusing. The director, Ridley Scott, objected to the studio version and released his Director's Cut on DVD. The original did well at the box office and is considered a classic of the genre. The DVD has sold well, although my understanding is that a "definitive" version of the film won't be released until later this year.

So, which one is the better film?

Chris Taylor feels the studio release is better and, after watching the Director's Cut the other night, I would agree with him. But does that make us right? I mean, what is the criteria for judging? Is it strictly popularity? The truth is, neither version of the film is one of my favorites, but if I had to pick one, I'd pick the theatrical version as the one I liked better. The movie has a lot of things going for it: Interesting characters, good casting, excellent cinematography and groundbreaking special effects, and a story that makes you think.

However, it is remorselessly downbeat in its attitude, with a very bleak outlook on humanity and the future. The saving grace of the theatrical version - and the point of the studio interference, I think - is that it leaves you with the hope that Deckard and Rachael may somehow surmount their grim future or at least live their few remaining years with some measure of happiness. The ending of the Director's Cut reminds me of Alien 3, which, while also a well-made, well-told, visually arresting film, leaves you with an ending that makes you wonder why in the hell you ever invested any time or emotion in the characters to begin with.

But that's just me. So does that make my reaction to the director's version the right one? If 60% of the people who watch it agree with me, does that mean the director was clueless about his own film? I would argue that the point of any artistic work is to be read, seen, etc. but is it necessarily to be liked? Ridley Scott might very well respond to my reaction to his version and say "Well, guess what? That's the film I wanted to make and if you don't like it, tough rocks".

Of course, in Hollywood the name of the game is money and any film that doesn't make any (or enough) is, by definition, a failure. From that standpoint, the studio changes make sense because it led to a more successful release. But how would you feel if you wrote a story or made a film that became wildly popular only after someone else got hold of it and made changes to it that you didn't agree with?

Would you still feel like it was your story? And how much would that matter?

Yankee Doodle

A few years ago, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy tried to have Lake Champlain designated a "Great Lake". Now, no one actually believed - even in Vermont - that Lake Champlain qualifies for that status - I mean, look at a map, for crying out loud - but that wasn't the point. No, the reason was simple: money. Senator Leahy was trying to grab some of the funds the Feds dish out each year for the care and maintenance of the lakes, something which Lake Champlain needed then and still needs. Senator Leahy's attempt to have our lake designated "Great" failed and, as I like to point out to visitors to Vermont, what we have here is a "pretty good" lake.

Now, some might call the Senator's efforts noble, some might call them misguided but what no one can argue with is that he told a lie, or what the good Irish stock from which Leahy comes would call a "makeeup". Like the myth of the Lake Champlain Monster - called "Champ", naturally - Leahy tried to stretch the truth a bit to get what he wanted for his home state. And since stretching the truth and members of congress are not mutually exclusive terms, there no reason for any of us to be surprised or shocked by this.

So why bring it up? Glad you asked.

This past Sunday, Senator Leahy had the following exchange with host Tim Russert on "Meet the Press":

SEN. LEAHY: ...what I don’t want is this open-ended idea that they had at the White House, until the press found out about it, which would allow, for example, if they didn’t like some comment that you made on NBC, they could then go without any warrant, wiretap your phone, check out your bank account, surveil you. Well, we don’t want that in America.

MR. RUSSERT: Even if I had no contact with someone overseas?

SEN. LEAHY: Even if you had no contact with someone overseas under the broad way that they were talking about...I don’t want us to ever go back to the situation that we had 30 years ago when we put into place this FISA court, as you called it, where they were wiretapping somebody who disagreed with the government on the Vietnam war. In this case, somebody disagrees with the administration on the Iraq war, under their broad views, you could just go in and wiretap them. This, this is America. This is not a, this is not a dictatorship.

So Senator Leahy is concerned about domestic wiretapping and the stifling of political dissent. Fair enough. However, here is the Vice-President describing the program he's talking about:

"This notion [is] peddled out there by some that this is, quote, 'domestic surveillance' or 'domestic spying.' No, it's not. It is the interception of communications, one end of which is outside the United States, and one end of which, either outside the U.S. or inside, we have reason to believe is al-Qaeda-connected. Those are two pretty clear requirements, both of which need to be met."

Now, as James Taranto of Best of the Web points out, based on the above statement by the VP, Leahy's statement about the administration's intent with this program is either a "shocking revelation or a scurrilous charge" and the Senator should either back it up or stop making it up.

But then, maybe Senator Leahy still believes he's got a Great Lake to support.

Waiting

Okay, so a year ago today I posted this. A week from now the 5th movie will open and 8 days after that, the final book will appear. And I guess I'm reminded of the question posted last year:

Then what?

The series will be done (if Rowling sticks to her word). All the secrets will be revealed, we'll know who lives and who doesn't, and the story of the "boy who lived" will come full circle. For many of us, it will be Christmas in July. But no matter how good the final book is, there's going to be a letdown.

There are many wonderful "firsts" in life: your first kiss, your first time riding a bike, driving a car, etc. All of us can look back over our life and remember our "firsts", some of them good and some not-so-good, but all of them memorable and all of them unique. There is only one first time to do anything and while it may seem strange to put reading a book in the category, I think it fits.

I remember vividly being introduced to "The Lord of the Rings", for example, and my first Stephen King book (The Shining). I can remember my first introduction to so many wonderful writers: John D. Macdonald, James Ellroy, Richard Matheson, Elmore Leonard, Neal Stephenson, William Goldman, and on and on. There is nothing like the experience of having an author wrap you in his or her world for the first time, taking you by the hand and leading you into a land of love or terror or excitement - or maybe all of them at once - and all the time gently whispering in your ear "It's okay. I've got you. Don't worry. Just keep going." Like your father running alongside as you pedal furiously on your Schwinn and then, suddenly, he's not there and you're on your own, flying down the sidewalk, the threshold crossed, and now the new world is yours to make of what you will.

For the past couple of months, I've been re-reading all the Harry Potter books, in anticipation of the last. I've taken my time, lingering over certain passages, racing through others, and I'm now about a third of the way through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. My goal is to finish it the day before the final book is released.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the moments leading up to the final book. Much of the joy of a thing is the anticipation of it; the waiting and wanting, the little tingle that runs through your skin when you think about it. For now, I will read all the stories and gossip and rumors that surround the book - that's all part of the fun. Once out, I will do my best to tune out all of the spoilers and reviews and savor the experience, linger over it, stretch it out for as long as I can.

After all, the first time only happens once.

Will Work for Space Travel

Okay, so I'm thinking of taking a vacation and I'm just a little short of funds. Of course, it's not just any vacation:

You don't have to pack your bags quite yet, but passenger travel to the Moon is on the flight manifest of a space tourist company.

The price per seat will slap your wallet or purse for a swift $100 million - but you'll have to get in line as the first voyage is already booked.

Space Adventures, headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, is in negotiations with the customers who will fly the first private expedition to circumnavigate the Moon.

So, if you have some spare change, could you help a fella out? (h/t Instapundit)

Hot Stuff

For those of you not in New England, the weather here the last couple of days has been awful. Highs in the mid 90's, lows not cracking 70 and me with no AC. Consequently, my addle pated brain hasn't felt much like blogging. Regular posts will resume when the cool air starts to flow again.

Or if someone wanted to come to Vermont and be my personal fanner (fanny? no, that doesn't sound right), that would be okay, too.

On the plus side, the fireflies are starting to arrive and that's always a sure sign of summer. When we moved east in the early 90's to upstate New York, I used to have a nightly ritual where I'd carry my daughter outside so she could say good night to them. Since coming to Vermont, there seems to have been a blight of sorts, as they haven't been very plentiful.

The last couple of years, however, they seem to be making a comeback, which is nice. There is something very cool about watching them sidle past your window, their little cabooses twinkling in the darkness.

...and the Short of It

Now here's something I can look forward to:

The Long...

Would you guys make up your minds?

Solar scientists predict that, by 2020, the sun will be starting into its weakest Schwabe solar cycle of the past two centuries, likely leading to unusually cool conditions on Earth. Beginning to plan for adaptation to such a cool period, one which may continue well beyond one 11-year cycle, as did the Little Ice Age, should be a priority for governments. It is global cooling, not warming, that is the major climate threat to the world...

Good Writing

Scott Adams tells us how to write better:

Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.

Father's Day

"Like a night of sex can haunt you forever."

Searching for Otisburg

Lex Luthor: Costa Del Lex. Luthorville. Marina del Lex. Otisburg... Otisburg?

Otis: Miss Tessmacher, she's got her own place.

Lex Luthor: Otisburg?

Otis: It's a little bitty place.

Lex Luthor: [Angrily] Otisburg?

Otis: Okay, I'll just wipe it off, that's all. Just a little town. [Erases Otisburg]

Map courtesy of Stoat Weasel. (h/t Word Around the Net)

True Confession

I watched Xanadu last night for the first time in years, and it was as bad as I remembered it. If there's ever a blueprint needed for all that was bad about the 80's, this movie is it.

And yet...I liked it.

The music - some of it, anyway - still holds up. Olivia Newton John remains the definition of White-Bread-Sexiness. The musical interlude in the middle of the film combining 40's swing with 80's synth holds up very well (and any movie with "Fee" Waybill in it deserves some cred).

And, finally, there's Gene Kelly. Yes, he's old and yes, you're wondering why in the world he'd agree to do this film (which was his last), but it doesn't matter. He's Gene Kelly and even in this POS, he's still got it.

All of which reminds me that there are a number of good/bad movies from the era that will probably be the subject of a future post. In the meantime, tell me if you have any movies that - as bad as they are - you can't help but watch them.

My Life As a Movie

This sounded like fun, so here goes: (h/t Asymmetrical Information)

Here’s how it works:
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every question, type the song that’s playing
5. new question– press the next button
6. don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

Results:

Opening Credits

Lay Your Love On Me - Abba

Waking Up

Full Moon - Elvira

First Day at School

Bossa Baroque – Dave Grusin

Falling in Love

Cousin Dupree – Steely Dan

Breaking Up

Your Bright Baby Blues – Jackson Browne

Prom

True Companion – Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons

Life's Okay

Winter Wonderland – Dean Martin

Mental Breakdown

Home – Sheryl Crow

Driving

The Beginning – Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Soundtrack)

Flashback

Bluestreak – Tom Scott and the LA Express

Getting back together

Ring Out Solstice Bells – Jethro Tull

Wedding

Hello Beastie – POTC Dead Man’s Chest (Soundtrack)

Birth of a child

Corey’s Coming – Harry Chapin

Final Battle

Shape of my Heart - Sting

Death Scene

Doctor Finklestein/In the Forest – Nightmare Before Christmas (Soundtrack)

Funeral Song

You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch – How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Soundtrack)

End Credits

Christmas All Over Again – Home Alone 2 (Soundtrack)

Some of these made me laugh out loud - notably the Marriage and Funeral Song - and some are weirdly appropriate. I could have gamed the results a bit by excluding my soundtracks and jazz cds, plus I've got close to 40 years of music still in album form and I'm still in the process of making them digital (for example, I have only 2 Beatles CDs, but I have every one of their albums on vinyl). So, once I get my music collection complete - or as complete as I can make it - my results my differ quite a bit

Still, this was a fun experiment and one you might want to try yourself.

"Preserving a Teahouse Takes Infinite Patience"

Just in case you were wondering why I don't post every day. (h/t Best of the Web)

Greetings From the "Switzerland of North America"

My brother wonders if he'll need a passport to visit me:

At Riverwalk Records, the all-vinyl music store just down the street from the state Capitol, the black “US Out of Vt.!” T-shirts are among the hottest sellers. But to some people in Vermont, the idea is bigger than a $20 novelty. They want Vermont to secede from the United States – peacefully, of course.

Disillusioned by what they call an empire about to fall, a small cadre of writers and academics hopes to put the question before citizens in March. Eventually, they want to persuade state lawmakers to declare independence, returning Vermont to the status it held from 1777 to 1791.

*Sigh*

I know, I know. There aren't any more kooks in Vermont than there are anywhere else - they just stand out more. Still, it's just sad, you know? We live in the greatest country in the world, with more freedom and opportunity to live our lives the way we want than any other place you could think of, and these yo-yo's make it seem as though we're living in the last days of Caligula's Rome. Oh, wait. Wasn't that the 90's?

Personally, I loved this bit:

Thomas Naylor, 70, a retired Duke University economics professor and author, wrote the manifesto and founded a secession group called Second Vermont Republic.

His 112-page manifesto contains little explanation of how Vermont would make do without federal aid for security, education and social programs. Some in the movement foresee a Vermont with its own currency and passports, for example, and some form of representative government formed once the secession has taken place.

Yeah, and our currency would look like this:

"We're All Phone Ladies in the End"

Once again, Lileks nails it.

As I look back over my life, I've never had a job with any kind of security. Oh, I thought I had, a couple of times. I never thought I'd be unceremoneously dumped when I managed a small furniture store in SoCal for ten years, but I was. I never heard the dot-com bubble pop when I was in the computer biz in the mid-nineties. And I never felt the hot breath of the Federated Grim Reaper on my neck in my last gig at Filacy's.

But as it turned out, I was a phone lady in each case.

I think maybe it's time to talk about what I've been up to for the last several months.

For Pic Lovers

Some interesting thumbs over at Goodshit.

Show Biz Kids

Via the New York Times, we learn that Internet Porn isn't paying like it used to:

The online availability of free or low-cost photos and videos has begun to take a fierce toll on sales of X-rated DVDs. Inexpensive digital technology has paved the way for aspiring amateur pornographers, who are flooding the market, while everyone in the industry is giving away more material to lure paying customers.

And unlike consumers looking for music and other media, viewers of pornography do not seem to mind giving up brand-name producers and performers for anonymous ones, or a well-lighted movie set for a ratty couch at an amateur videographer’s house.

Amateurs flooding the market, eh? Hmmm. And then we came across this:

When it comes to penises, length matters more to men than to women, according to a new study that reviews more than 60 years of research and debunks numerous sex myths.

About 90 percent of women actually prefer a wide penis to a long one, according to two studies included in the review. Eighty-five percent of women reported being satisfied with their partner’s penis size, compared to only 55 percent for men.

Okay, so here's my proposal: Would a vidcam showing a decidedly amateurish 53 year-old male with a fat penis attract many viewers? All you men in the audience, put your hands down.

Didn't think so.

When is a Consensus Not a Consensus?

When it doesn't exist: (h/t Instapundit)

Only an insignificant fraction of scientists deny the global warming crisis. The time for debate is over. The science is settled."

So said Al Gore ... in 1992. Amazingly, he made his claims despite much evidence of their falsity. A Gallup poll at the time reported that 53% of scientists actively involved in global climate research did not believe global warming had occurred; 30% weren't sure; and only 17% believed global warming had begun. Even a Greenpeace poll showed 47% of climatologists didn't think a runaway greenhouse effect was imminent; only 36% thought it possible and a mere 13% thought it probable.

Today, Al Gore is making the same claims of a scientific consensus, as do the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and hundreds of government agencies and environmental groups around the world. But the claims of a scientific consensus remain unsubstantiated. They have only become louder and more frequent.

Read the whole thing.

Slang of Ages

Oh. My. God. Words fail me. (h/t Tim Blair - and how cool is it that I, a Vermont resident, hear about this for the first time from an Australian blogger?)

Spring in Vermont