Reviews (5)

DEFINITELY ONE OF THE GREATS
Others have said a lot about this classic...I want to point out the almost film noir mood of much of the serial, and a nicely ironic ending. There was considerable thought put into this serial. The only puzzling factor in it is the reference in the first chapter to the Copperhead's prior existence as an alter ego of the hero's father, but apparantly the character was not used in any other serial to the best of my knowledge.

The Best of the Best
For Anyone looking for the Saturday Afternoon serial at it's Finest, Here it is. The Best Serial( I'll also allow The Adventures of Captain Marvel) by the only studio that really knew how to make them (Republic).Featuring the Best Stunts from the best stuntmen in the business, "Dr Satan" moves at a relentless pace for 15 thrilling chapters. Eduardo Cianelli( the memorable Thuggee priest in "Gunga Din") is the coolest villain in film history before Dr. Hannibal Lecter (same alma mater?). The Copperhead has to be the most practical hero in the business (No matter what he's wearing, all he has to do is put on the mask and tah dah). And it features the Debut of the Republic Robot!! What more do ya want??!! Side Note- I first saw this serial on "Saturday Night at the Movies" hosted by Elwy Yost, whose son Graham wrote a little number called "Speed"...the central plot device of which is very similar to something that happens in the first chapter of "Dr Satan"...Coincidence? I think not...

Super serial
Legend has it that this was going to be the first Superman serial, but negotiations between Republic and DC broke down (Columbia would later do two Superman serials, with cartoon flying sequences). So the villain, clever enough to checkmate even the Man of Steel, was elevated to title status and a hero of the Masked Marvel mode replaced him. The result is still fine, with heroine Ella Neal retaining the "Lois" name and secondary heroine Dorothy Hebert showing riding and stunting expertise that makes you wish you saw more of her. After seeing Republic's outstanding Captain Marvel serial, though, one wonders what Superman would be like with the studios special effects experts.

Classic Cliffhanger!
This wonderfully produced, unusually well-acted (for a serial) benefits by the bravura performance of legendary bad boy Eduardo Cianelli. His voice alone in this one chills the soul, his dark eyes are filled with evil. He's suave, dapper, and completely beleivable as that 'Mysterious Doctor Satan.' Equally as good, though, is now forgotten B-actor Robert Wilcox. He was once married, believe it or not, to tragic saturated alcoholic/actress Diana Barrymore. But since he was also reputed to be an alcoholic, this probably contributed to his fast demise. But in this serial, he's wonderful. Wilcox possessed a haunting, deep voice. Doll-faced Ella Neal is also a perfect 40s heroine. She's so pretty, slender and surreal that she's perfect as the heroine. The robot isn't all that sinister but the William Witney-John English direction keeps this masterpice racing along with a terific score by (I may be wrong) Cy Feur. This great matinee entertainment deserves to be on the shelf of any nostalgia buff and ardent fan of Republic Serials!

Very good serial--among Republic's best
Republic made the best serials particularly from 1939 to 1943 (their goden age) and this serial is one of their best. A bravura performance from Eduardo Cianelli, breakneck action, a rousing music score and top direction from William Witney and John English make this a winner all the way. It's too bad another superb serial from the same year--Drums of Fu Manchu--is not available on commercial video. Rated solely against other serials I give it 4 stars. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nominated for the prestigious Hugo Award and voted the best Star Trek ever by readers of TV Guide, "The Visitor" transcends the limitations of series canon and exists in a continuum of its own making. There is something indefinable, something both solid and intangible about the love that exists between a parent and a child. If strong enough, it probably could forge a connection through time and space--and beyond life itself. This episode feels very real.

The plot is deceptively simple: a young writer appears on Jake Sisko's doorstep in the middle of a very dark and rainy night. She wants to hear his story; and Jake is an old man. He needs to tell it. Distinguished kudos all around for great writing and great acting. Tony Todd is superb as the adult Jake Sisko. Not only does the man age from twentysomething to 80, he also nails Cirroc Lofton's mannerisms and body language. Lofton's expressive performance as the young Jake is a standout as well. Avery Brooks is a profoundly gentle Sisko here--a father who obviously loves his son. And Rachel Robinson is absolutely luminescent as Melanie, the young writer. (She's also Andrew "Garak" Robinson's daughter.) Kudos to the design team for using color and lighting to express Jake's mounting depression. Honorable mention to Aron Eisenberg as Captain Nog. Watch for the "future" uniforms that seem to come from TNG's "All Good Things." "The Visitor" is an amazing episode and it belongs in every Trek fan's collection. --Kayla Rigney ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Probably THE BEST episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine
If I could, I would rate this episode as 6 stars out of 5, because it's so good.
The episode "The Visitor" deals with the relationship between Jake Sisko and his father, Captain Benjamin Sisko. What happens is Jake, who is an old man who's about 80, tells the story of his father's death to a young, aspiring, and attractive woman named Melanie (played by Andrew J. "Garak" Robinson's lovely daughter Rachel). In the end, when the musical suite plays, we see Ben Sisko, sitting in front of his elderly, napping son, who shows him a draft of a book he dedicated "To my father, whose coming home", which he won't be able to publish, but he reveals to his father what he realized, and why he has taken the path he has. If you're interested, and haven't seen this episode, I won't ruin it for you. But if you either have it, or have seen it, you understand why I would rate this a 6 out of 5.

Perhaps the finest hour of 'Trek' ever.
This episode from the early fourth season was the most moving and heart-rending episode perhaps ever done for any Star Trek series. Outstanding performances all around by Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton and Tony Todd as the elder Jake Sisko. There are very few trek episodes I will buy for posterity through the years but this will be one of them, when they finally release it on video.

The best of Trek
Often, episodes that earn the "best of" title are those that take that which is unique to the science fiction universe to the limits. Witness TNG's "The Best of Both Worlds," which is often labelled the best of that series and shows the desperate battle against an implacable enemy. For "The Visitor," however, the science fiction elements are mere window dressing for an examination of human relations. They allow the plot to progress, but except for the specifics of the technology, we're not seeing anything that couldn't happen in this day and age with the most minor of changes.

This is why the episode resonates so strongly with the viewers, who see not the crash and burn of a starship, but of a human life. Everything is immediate and nearly any viewer will be able to find an emotional connection to the events onscreen. It showcases the best father/son relationship I've ever seen on a TV show, and that showcase makes for the best episode of any Trek series.

Best Star Trek episode ever!
This episode clearly marked DS9 as the best,if not equel to TNG by conveying emotions between characters instead of much appreciated action. Never has an episode of Star Trek dealt so realisticly with its characters that it excels as one of the series finest moments. From the stormy beginning to the emotional finale this is Star Trek acting and directing at its best. If you dont like DS9, then this probably wont change your mind about the show due to its character driven plot but for any DS9 fan this is an episode not to miss.

A Standout Episode for a Remarkable Series
"The Visitor", from DS9's fourth season, remains a fan and critical favorite. Like the best of Trek, this particular installment is more dependent on character development than special effects or other technical wizardry.

The acting by all is first-rate. Tony Todd (of "Candyman" fame and an earlier role as Worf's brother) turns in a fine performance as the elder Jake Sisko, enduring a lifelong quest to rescue his father from subspace limbo. Cast member Cirroc Lofton gets one of his few chances to shine as the young Jake. Guest star Rachel Robinson is quite good as a young woman that visits Jake in the winter of his years. Last but not least, star Avery Brooks brings his usual dynamic strength to the role of Benjamin Sisko as he pops in and out at stages of his son's life.

The respective scenes featuring exchanges between Brooks, Todd, and Lofton are endearing and memorable.

Besides being well written and acted, the episode features one of the best scores of any Trek show. It is no wonder that composer Dennis McCarthy's music is featured on a "Best of Trek" compilation album. The music is a combination of subtlety, poetry, and foreboding as it represents the strong bond between father and son.

"The Visitor" is an example of true quality television and deserves a place in the TV Hall of Fame. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Someone know...
i would like to know where i can buy the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2:The Young Lords only in DVD ?

....but in PAL versione for Europe,

i think that is the best science fiction tv for me...

One of the best in the series
This is easily one of the best episodes of the series. Starbuck and Boomer are ambushed while on patrol and Starbuck is forced to make a crash landing on a planet occupied by the Cylons. It turns out that a human family still lives there and is fighting a guerilla war against the Cyclons. He aids them in achieving a victory, but that is not the high point of the story.

What has always fascinated me about this episode is the interaction between the human traitor Baltar and the two Cylon leaders, Lucifer and Spectre. The Cylons in this episode are portrayed as possessing traits clearly unbecoming machines. Spectre, the Cylon commander on the planet, submits false progress reports and Lucifer, the second-in-command to Baltar, is clearly jealous of that supposed success. One thing that the series lacked was a sense of the development of the Cylon characters, so that we can learn more about their origins and society. This episode at least begins that process. There is also enough shoot-em-up action to satisfy those with an interest in that direction.

I still enjoy this episode, having watched it many times. For years, it was the only one that I owned.

fairly good
This isn't one of the few classics of BG episodes, but if they never got any worse than this, I'm sure the series would have survived. The interaction between Baltar and the head cylon -- I forget his name right now -- were funny and the story, though nothing fantastic, was entertaining enough. A good grade B episode.

This One's Pretty Good!
More than any other, this is the "family episode" of Battlestar Galactica. So many children on screen at one time can be grating, and the plot is fairly cliche, yet there are many enjoyable parts.

Seeing the legion of Cylon Centurions inside the medieval castle is fascinating. Spectre is a very good, conniving villain, and Lucifer's reactions to his blatant lies to Baltar are hilarious. This kind of story runs the risk of being a little too "cute", but it is very enjoyable for any classic sci-fi fan. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

cross at the traffic lights
This TVM directed by Larry Elikann isn't as exploitative as the title suggests. Based on the presumably true life story of Beverley Slater, it has a teleplay by Audrey Davis Lenin based on the book by Slater and Frances Spatz Leighton. Slater played by Lindsay Wagner here suffers brain damage with "permanent personality change" after being in a car accident, with Wagner's change being presented by a butch haircut and colorful wardrobe. The resulting amnesia effectively wipes the 15 year history of her marriage to Armand Assante and their 2 children. The treatment includes some positive aspects to the change by mentioning faults of Wagner's past life, and also Assante's resentment of Wagner's loss of memory as his problem. It's actually an interesting study of what it takes to prolong a long term relationship, to keep the other partner interested and not take them for granted. Lenin can be fogiven for the occasional cliche like "They marched into hell and back", there is a Hallmark touch when Wagner has to choose between two gorgeous men who both want her, though her being able to drive comes across as odd when otherwise she needs process cards to complete tasks. Elikann uses a beautiful music score by Laurence Rosenthal to add poetry, psychological depth and emotion to proceedings, as well as a clip from William Wellman's 1937 A Star is Born. In spite of his standard pigeon-macho acting, Assante is a model of patience and consideration, his yelling contextualised,and plenty of his beef on display. The scene where he strips for Wagner has a camp quality as we wait for her approval. Occasionally we are aware of how Wagner is lit - it seems she has a Dietrich key-light - but Elikann doesn't ask too much of her. Although she doesn't have the skill to flood her role with feeling or technique, her likeability helps her play someone in a reflective state. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Patriotic Movie about Football and War
THE IRON MAJOR is a film about the life of Frank Cavanaugh from his days as a football player at Dartmouth through his triumphant career as coach at Boston College and Fordham. In between he coaches at Cincinnati and Holy Cross and also tries his hand as a lawyer.

When World War I breaks out Cavanugh enlists in the army and is wounded leading an artillery battalion in France. By surviving his wounds he earns the nickname of the "Iron Major." His career at Boston College and Fordham follows World War I and lasts until he gradually loses both his sight and his health.

THE IRON MAJOR is above all a patriotic movie about football and war made at the height of World War II. Pat O'Brien plays Cavanaugh and Ruth Warrick has the role of his sturdy wife who is also the mother of their nine children. The supporting cast includes Robert Ryan and Leon Ames.

Ray Enright directed NAUGHTY BUT NICE and RETURN OF THE BAD MEN in addition to THE IRON MAJOR and several other films. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Eastwood tries to sing country
In the early 1980's, Clint Eastwood tried a number of different characters. He had his ups and downs, and HONKEYTONK MAN is definately a down. Based on a novel, the movie takes place in the 1930's with Eastwood playing Red Stoval, an aging country singer trying to make it in the bars. He sest out on a trip to Memphis, hoping to make it big. His real-life son Kyle plays his nephew, who tags along to keep him out of trouble.

I give him credit for trying, but Eastwood CANNOT sing. He actually did a better job trying in PAINT YOUR WAGON then here. The movie is rather slow, with the occasional sleazy comment or action to hold your interest, which doesn't last long. One funny moment is when Red tells off a cop who is frisking him. Another is when he holds up a friend with a shotgun, (yes, he does carry a gun in this one briefly). By far the funniest part is where he takes his nephew to a brothel to help him lose his virginity! Still, the movie is depressing with Red suffering from TB throughout the whole film, and to see him waste away while singing doesn't make things any better. The cars are also not in date with the film. Wanting to be somebody is a good motive for still going on with the show, but he takes it too far, and any Eastwood fan would be rattled by the ending. HONKEYTONK MAN was a commercial disappointment, and I would sadly rank it as one of Eastwood's worst films.

Watchable, but horrid
Let me say straight off the bat that this is an enjoyable film in many ways. It moves along without ever boring, despite not having much in the way of dramatic highs and lows. The acting feels pretty natural for the most part, but not really believable for the place and time in which the movie takes place.

But there is a lot to complain about. First of all, Eastwood cannot sing at all. It's pretty embarrassing, and I'm a little astonished that he didn't have someone do this for him. It's not just because his voice is timid to the point of being characterless, or without any sort of natural projection or decent intonation. There are plenty of "way off" country singers I love and admire. It's more that his voice has no country in it at all - it's almost a more tepid and unaccented sub-sub-James Taylor sort of voice. Downright bewildering, especially when this film is meant to take place in the 30's, when country music was in its infancy and fairly crude sounding, recorded or live.

I notice one other reviewer mentions a cameo from Bob Wills, who entered into a coma a decade before the movie was made, and died eight years prior to the film. That's a hell of a cameo! Even if this "thirties" movie was meant to represent 1939, Wills still would have only been in his early 30s - which makes odd the fact that he's played as if he's at least in his 60s here, and performing a song that wasn't recorded until two decades later. (Kudos, on the other hand, for having an actor who actually worked with Wills play the part.) Ditto the clothing styles (a woman who performs on the Grand Ole Opry wears an outfit that wouldn't have been worn until roughly five decades later, performing a song that sounds like early 80s Barbara Mandrell - nothing even remotely within two generations of the period in which this movie takes place.) One could say it's this failure to get even the most basic period details correct that prevented this movie from having very much success. It's a largely comical adventure a la "O Brother, Where Are Thou", which plays around with a lot of cultural mythology - but "O Brother" could play even faster and looser with credible plot development largely because they captured the details of the time period so wonderfully well. Bear in mind that even the term "honky tonk" was not widespread until the 40s, and hardly used at all to describe a genre of music until the early 50s. That makes the title of this film and its general basis pretty suspect. It's ironic that the success of "O Brother" was largely in their use of "real" traditional music sounding like what it did at the time, not some weakened Nashville pap. Another point is that in the mid-30s the Grand Ole Opry wasn't anything like what it became in the 40s and 50s - Chicago actually would have been a better destination, as the WLS Barn Dance was really roaring then.

There's also the names - there was a Herman Arnspiger who played with Bob Wills and was by any account I've read, a pretty swell guy. Here he is a friend of Bob Wills, but a total lying scumbag robber thief trying to pimp an underaged girl. "Stovall", the name of Eastwood's character, was also the name of a guy who was one of country's great songwriters. (His name was Vern, not Red though). And the TB thing is kind of a conflation of the death of Jimmie Rodgers (or Woody Guthrie's cousin Jack, for that matter) - coughing between takes in his final recording session. I know people who assume this was based on a true story, and that's a shame, as some of the true stories of these country guys are far more compelling than this tale was.

I'm a young person whose musical interests extend largely to reggae / punk / 60s soul, so it's not like I'm an oldtimer complaining about how it really was. I sure wasn't there then. My point is more that when a novice classic country fan such as myself can see the gigantic flaws in research, there's a big problem.

My final word is that this is a fair way to spend a couple of hours, but probably a poor choice of things to spend your money on. Buy "O Brother" or Robert Altman's "Nashville" instead if you want something similar.

The Eastwood Team
I enjoyed the film very much over all.The acting was well done,which showed the skill of the Director in bring out the talent of each individual actor. I am not sure if the singing and guitar playing of Mr Eastwood was actually done by him or a professional country Western musician. I do think Marty Robbins contributed a great deal to the ending and perhaps it was in some part his sing and playing that inhanced Mr Eastwood in his part

I did wish that more scenes could have involved the radio stations of that error but that was not any detraction from the picture.

I am sure it is difficult for a parent to capture the attention of a son or daughter in a work setting for long periods of time. The very fact of how this film turned out is of special significance to the sucess of the relationship between father and son. Well done gentlemen!

Critics seldom know what people really enjoy
This wouldn't be the first time, I thoroughly enjoyed a movie that critics labeled as too-something-or-other. This is a great movie and apart from the usual Eastwood fare except for the 'gut-and-grit' exhibited by the lead character, Red Stovall, to accomplish his dream despite tuberculosis. As for down-grading Eastwood's singing ability, there are a number of country greats who lack melodic tone and volume but make up for it with style. (Truly unfortunate that critics can do the same!)

Buy and enjoy this movie; you won't be sorry.

Eastwood Sings Country.
Eastwood play uncle Red, a drifter trying to get to the Grand Ole Opry. Along for the ride is Eastwoods son Klye. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The videos are not what they seem
Remember those homemade tapes you had of the series when it aired originally? Unless your cable went on the fritz or you forgot to hit the record button after the commercial break, the copies were good enough to satisfy your cravings for cherry pie, a cup of joe and the whole wacky Twin Peaks gang. Hopefully you never lost them but if you did...Hurray! Because someone found your copies and dubbed them and over dubbed them and packaged them into this really poor quality set from some company called "Worldvision" A company who likes to re-sell garbage from your curb back to you. If you're desperate like me, don't have a DVD player, and are wary of e-bay, this unfortunately is your only alternative.

Warning - Garbage Alert - Peakers Beware
Geez, $$$ for 5 episodes sounds like a bargain huh? Don't fall for it. I love Twin Peaks, but I was shocked to see how [bad] the quality is. I was dumb enough to buy the entire series in this 6 hour format, so it took a little while before I got to watch enough to see how horrible the quality is. I am surprised to see that they are still selling this. I am hopeful that the series will be available on DVD in the future and if it is I hope they do a decent job of digital remastering.

THE FASCINATING WORLD OF DAVID LYNCH....
THE SERIES LOSES A LITTLE BIT AS IT TRIES TO FIND A NEW DIRECTION POST-LAURA PALMER. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF GREAT MOMENTS AND DAVID DUCHOVNY (EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT AN X-FILES FAN) STEALS PRETTY MUCH EVERY SCENE HE IS IN. ALSO, THE SERIES TAKES ON AN INTERESTING QUALITY RIGHT ABOUT HERE -- MORE HUMOR AND LIGHT-HEARTED MOMENTS. BUT I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT THE FLIRTATION WITH SPACEMEN. COMMENTS WELCOME AT nick82e@hotmail.com

More owls
Ep. 15-19 are as good as it gets - just like the episodes befour and after.

Buy this item, and enter the universe of David Lynch.

Welcome to Twin Peaks - welcome to the 90's! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"M*A*S*H" works in more heavy material with the comedy
With Season 3 "M*A*S*H" settled in for the long haul. Producers Gene Reynold and Larry Gelbart had gathered anecdotes and firsthand observations at the 43rd Army Surgical Hospital in Korea (the 8055 was no longer mobile) which were worked into various episodes. As Gelbart later explained, it was difficult to come back from doing all those interviews and hear what things were really like during the Korean War and still be funny. Fortunately, the show was still high in the ratings (finishing 5th for the 1974-75 season) and could now mix heavy material in with the comedy, as can be seen from the first eight episodes:

(49) "The General Flipped at Dawn" (Writer: Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum; Aired: September 10, 1974) has a new spit-and-polish general (Harry Morgan) showing up and deciding that moving the 4077th right onto the battlefield would be a good thing. Grade B: On the one hand the idea of a general being this nuts is unrealistic, but the general is played by Harry Morgan who, ironically, would be back one year later as Sherman Potter.

(50) "Rainbow Bridge" (Writers: Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks; Aired: September 17, 1974) has Trapper (Wayne Rogers) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda) giving up a furlough to go after a group of wounded soldiers in enemy territory. Grade B-: Clearly inspired by the interviews conducted in Korea, but a bit much of a transition after the season premier episode. Singer Loudon Wainwright III, who would offer some musical accompaniment from time to time during the third season, makes his first appearance.

(51) "Officer of the Day" (Writer: Laurence Marks; Aired: September 24, 1974) has Henry on R&R in Seoul and Hawkeye forced to act as O.D. If that was not enough trouble, Colonel Flagg (Edward Winter) is back at the 4077th wanting to execute a wounded North Korean prisoner as a spy. Grade B+: One of the first times that Hawkeye has to act like a real soldier.

(52) "Iron Guts Kelly" (Writers: Larry Gelbart & Sid Dorman; Aired: October 1, 1974) has the famous genral (James Gregory) dying in the bed of Hot Lips (Margaret Swit). However, that is not heroic enough of a death for the general's aide (Keene Curtis). Grade A-: "M*A*S*H" was becoming more realistic and more of a dramedy than a situation comedy, but black comedy was also one of their strengths as this episode proves.

(53) "O.R." (Writers: Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks; Aired: October 8, 1974) is set entirely in the operating room and is played without a laugh track. The casualties never stop coming and even Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus) has to help. Grade A+: The stark realism of "M*A*S*H" was never more evident than on this stellar episode.

(54) "Springtime" (Writers: Linda Bloodworth & Mary Kay Place; Aired: October 15, 1974) has both Radar (Gary Burghoff) and Klinger (Jamie Farr) falling in love. Meanwhile, a grateful G.I. (Alex Karras) looks out for Hawkeye. Grade C+: Standard military sitcom episode, suffers from following "O.R."

(55) "Checkup" (Writer: Laurence Marks; Aired: October 22, 1974) finds Trapper suffering from a ulcer which turns out to be his ticket home. This requires a big party to say goodbye during which Hot Lips confesses a few things to Trapper. Grade B: Worth it for the look on Margaret's face when she realizes Trapper will be staying.

(56) "Life With Father" (Writers: Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell; Aired: October 29, 1974) has Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) officiating at an infant's circumcision while Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) is convinced his wife is having an affair back home with a doctor who drives a Jaguar. Grade C+: Nice to see Henry get a case of the doubts, but an average episode redeemd by the camp's priest getting something better to do than administer last rites.

This first videotape offers up two classic episodes, which is pretty good. Unfortunately, some of the other episodes are pretty average and keep Volume 1 of Season 3 from earning 5 stars. Historically these episodes set up Season 4 when Harry Morgan would join the cast and Wayne Rogers would leave, both of which remind us that the best of "M*A*S*H" is yet to come. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Who Needs LSD?
This Busby Berkeley movie -- along with "Footlight Parade" and a couple others -- should be controlled by the FDA. Jack Webb could have made a great "Dragnet" episode decrying the menace of this ULTRA-PSYCHEDELIC entertainment upon the minds of youth -- and he'd be right. Like a black-and-white "Yellow Submarine," this ostensible song-and-dance movie packs a potent lysergic punch. DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS HIGHLY INVENTIVE MUSICAL.

GOOD VINTAGE FUN
A millionaire with fanatically religious beliefs tries to stop the opening of a Broadway show. By far, the most memorable item in DAMES is the song and routine, I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. One of the best songs ever written for a film, it's sung by Dick Powell and beautifully staged by Busby Berkeley. The finale of the film is another all-girl array for the title song. Here is a fascinating rhythmic formation. A hundred girls in white blouses and black tights configurate, fragmenting here and there into abstract designs. Berkeley moves above for his celebrated overhead shot and the effect becomes a startlingly kaleidoscopic cacophony of geometric and floral mosaics. In the last of the grand budget-breaking spectacles before the "Production Code" came into being, distinguished Busby Berkeley took his imagination to the limit: watch for the dancing clothes on the ironing board and a giant puzzle pieces attached to dancing girls which form the face of Ruby Keeler.

Outstanding dance musical from Busky Berkeley.
This is probably one of the best movies ever made. Ignore the silly plot regarding the reformation of morals. Focus on the beautiful dance routines and graphics. Producer Berkeley is a master. I highly recommend his other movies as well. Once you've absorbed "Dames," start working your way through the Golddiggers series. If you like musicals, you won't be disappointed. END ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A beautiful woman starts killing off Kirk's landing party
"That Which Survives" finds the Enterprise checking out the surface of an unknown planet when a beautiful woman (Meriwether) shows up and kills one of the crew. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is thrown 990 light-years away from the planet. After the woman, Losira, comes back and kills another of the crew and then returns announcing she has "come for" Sulu, Kirk figures out she is "programmed" just to kill one particular person at a time. Kirk and the others discover an underground entrance and find another one of those pesky computers protecting the dead planet by creating deadly Losiras to take care of the unwanted visitors. Of course, if this computer is powerful enough to send the Enterprise across the galaxy I think it might come up with a better defense mechanism than a person specific assassin. But then if these computers did not have some sort of Achilles heel the Enterprise would be commanded by the second in command on the night shift in Engineering. Despite the nice title, "That Which Survives" is an average Trek episode at best.

Not as bad as Spock's Brain, but.....
As already noted, this one is a forgettable Trek, to be sure. But somehow, Trek, even when it is bad, is still pretty good.

Outside of a few good moments, such as Sulu firing his phaser at Losira's feet (pretty good explosion FX), and the nifty way the holograms disappear, this one blows pretty badly. Still, it's better than the latest reality drama, or any episode of "Lost in Space."

Watch this one instead of the next "WWF Smackdown" -and save your brain.

The collapse begins abruptly with (IMO) the worst episode
Only the Sulu fan club (he features prominently here) could disagree that the best thing about this episode is Lee Merriweather-and she plays an automaton! A lot of the old tricks are here, like Kirk outsmarting a computer (come to think of it, even the computer console looks familiar!).
Basically, this should have been a half-hour show (actually it shouldn't even have been a show). Senseless dialogue is contrived, both on the planet and on the Enterprise, just to pass the time until the next commercial. Hard to find a worse episode, in my opinion.
Tidbit: For the remainder of the show, the final credits would
feature the 2nd season theme music. While this is a very minor detail in itself, it seems symbolic of other changes. The episodes become more formulaic as the parties concerned begin to see the writing on the wall for the show. The absence of new music, as budgets draw tight, also contributes an increasingly stale and defeatist feel to the late episodes.

Neglected
As all fans know, this is a third/last season episode. Trrue Trekkies have little good to say about this episode and I agree it is far from perfect but it has some of the nicest visual effects of the series.

The acting is Monday-morning-terrible and the whole production is uneven but this is far from the worst episode. There is an effort and an interesting story, though it seems crammed in a 45 minute network show.

This story might have been better utilized and expanded in a feature film but who will ever know.

For Trek fans only. It deserves a second viewing.

Beauty survives?
In this, the 69th episode of classic Trek, Kirk and crew are exploring ruins found on a class-M planet that seems to have developed a livable climate in only a few thousand years.

The Enterprise landing party is attacked by Losira, a woman who kills a crewman with just a touch of her hand. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is thrown almost a thousand light years away by the planet's hidden defense system.

More landing party members are attacked by Losira, until it is discovered that she can only attack the party member that she calls by name. The remaining party then keep her from attacking the named crewmember. Meanwhile, Scotty repairs some sabotage to the engines that Losira had accomplished before throwing the Enterprise out of orbit, and then hurries back to Losira's world.

Kirk discovers a hidden room with a highly advanced computer, and the defense mechanism there creates three Losiras - which keep them from protecting each other as they had previously. The cavalry, in the form of Spock and a landing party, arrive just in time to deactivate the computer.

The previously taped message reveals that the planet had been artificially enhanced by colonists, who were affected by a disease that killed them all off. The disease then followed the colonists back to their homeworld, supposedly wiping out the entire civilization. Nothing but the computer program, which defends the planet from anyone who is not of Losira's race, remains. The colonist's relief ship never arrived.

Kirk says beauty survives, because the computer continues to project an image of Losira even after delivering the message about the colonist's destruction.

My score - 5 out of a possible 10. ... Read more

Reviews (64)

The Innocents
That Atom Egoyan is one of the very best directors making movies today is beyond reproach. If he had only made the elegant and stunning "The Sweet Hereafter" his place among the pantheon of directors would be assured. So what happened with "Ararat?"
In a nutshell, "Ararat" is too complicated; filled with too many sub-plots and extraneous material not central to the plot. It's as if Agoyan, in his need to set the record straight about the Armenian Genocide says too much. The problem with all of this is that it takes away from the dramatic core of the movie: "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."
The Armenian Genocide by the Turks at the beginning of the 20th. Century is innately rife with sorrow, pathos and human despair but Atom Egoyan would have better served his people and his subject had he made a simple, straightforward dramatic film based on Clarence Ussher's Diaries, an American doctor and an eye-witness.
Several story elements do work, though: the story of Arshile Gorky and his mother become a touchstone for the entire film: it's emotional center. Also, Raffi's (David Alpay) plot line with the customs official (Christopher Plummer) though realistically implausible is nonetheless dramatically true. Some of the performances are also first rate: David Alpay, Christopher Plummer and Charles Aznavour as the director of the film-within-a-film.
As in most of Egoyan's films, events and how they are recalled and thereby inevitably interpreted by a group of people is at the core of "Ararat.": Recollection as a way of eventually getting at the truth of a thing.
For the most part, "Ararat" is well thought out and humane and it definitely brings to the forefront a piece of history many of us know nothing about. But ultimately "Ararat" does not carry it's grim burden well: telling the horrific story of the decimation of a people; a story too long hidden away in the history books (if there at all) of these heroic Armenians many of whom survive today and remain irrevocably scarred by it.

Remarkable and Multi-dimensional
This film is a work on many levels dealing with various social and political issues. The movie within a movie concept is successfully executed by Egoyan. There are also numerous talented actors in this film such as the main character David Alpay and even popular singer Charles Aznavour.

It seems as though some reviewers who gave this movie a negative review have not actually seen the movie. These are individuals who attempt to sabotage works dealing with the Armenian Genocide. However, a few Turkish scholars have risked their lives and accepted the Genocide and believe it is the first step to accept their history and actions of their ancestors. Also, contrary to what one reviewer wrote, this movie is based on a HISTORICAL ACCOUNT by the American physician Dr. Clarence Ussher who set up a hospital in Van and witnessed the horrors of Genocide.

The bottom line is this movie is very thought provoking as the New York Times reviewer wrote. This is one of those movies where you will find yourself trying to answer questions long after you've seen the film. Thus, one viewing will not suffice.

art or artifice?
Armenian-Canadian and Egyptian-born film director Atom Egoyan's film Ararat on "the Armenian genocide", while intricately constructed in his usual style, is a disservice to the ideals of progressive constructionism and historically faithful fiction. In this context it is important to consider how the Armenian propaganda machine and extremist groups regularly abuse Armenian art in order to reach their political aims. These fringe elements of the Armenian diaspora (especially in North America) over the 20th century have built the expat Armenian identity squarely on anti-Turkish feelings and this movie works to buttress that aim. The director's life and growing up in Canada as a teenage immigrant also impacts the movie in predictable ways, and is worth commenting on. Egoyan is essentially an identity-convert. He refused his Armenian identity as a teenager and made efforts to be a 'normal' Canadian. He did not speak Armenian. However in college, radical Armenian nationalists helped him rebuild his national identity on powerful anti-Turkish sentiments. Now they could bond around a common enemy. He was Armenian because he was anti-Turkish and vica versa. The nationalist trend in his character became even more significant when he married a beautiful but fanatic Lebanese Armenian, Arsinée Khanjian, who is cast as Ani in the movie. There's nary a single member of the cast who isn't caught up in the politics and this shows.

The 'genocide legacy' in particular has played a crucial role in Egoyan's self-identification like many Armenians in the diaspora, descendants of rural folk forced out of their ancestral lands as refugees by events beyond their control or comprehension. Though almost none of these millions of North American descendants of displaced Armenians had ever been to Turkey (or Armenia for that matter, though this would have been more difficult under the Soviets), many of them continued to believe and financially support the notion that the Turks had attempted to obliterate their race. Mind you these very same Turks and Armenians are descendants of Ottomans, a very genetically diverse and inclusive group (not to be dismissed by glib theories of rape and pillage - cf. Semino et al. Science vol. 290 10 Nov 2000, for an analysis of European Y chromosomes and human migration) who despite early military successes were unarguably one of the most tolerant conquerors in recorded history. It is deeply ironic that these people would nevertheless sabotage their own community after hundreds of years of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and collaboration in art, philosophy, literature, and trade. Most of the fruits of this cultural collaboration is unfortunately unavailable on the web or outside the realm of academia, but not music- see "Istanbul 1925" (a compilation CD by Traditional Crossroads available through Amazon) for a delightful historical example, coincidentally reproduced from the original recordings in the US by Armenian-Americans.

In essence Egoyan has exaggerated the past in order to legitimize his identity, in the cultural obsession which is the primary trait of "modern" Armenian art.

Egoyan bases his script on the (1917) book by Clarence Ussher, who worked as an American missionary in the eastern Ottoman Empire during WWI. However, the script deviates considerably from Ussher's accounts, beyond the boundaries of artistic expression especially for such a politically charged historical subject. Egoyan chooses to focus in his film-within-a-film on the Armenian revolt in the Ottoman city of Van in 1915. However the script conveniently neglects the fact that the actual revolt ended with the victory of Armenians, when the Ottoman governor of Van was forced to flee and was replaced by an Armenian at the conclusion of a bloody joint attack by the Russian army, which occupied the city joined by local Armenian bandits and militia. This Armenian-Russian joint attack resulted in the death of more than 20,000 Van residents, none of whom were armed combatants. Of course these historical 'macro' facts also covered in Ussher's book did not fit well into the victim's psychology which pervades the movie.

Ararat, though I hate to say it, is a typical Armenian propaganda film (see also Midnight Express) and will damage the ongoing attempts for Armenian-Turkish dialogue for the benefit of humanity, ie. for the people who actually have to live in these countries and not kick back on their leather couch in a US/Canadian suburb and pop in a DVD for entertainment/shock value, or for self-serving members of the diaspora hungry for victim psychology consumables. As other unbiased movie critics will attest, Ararat is one of Egoyan's worst films in terms of art value. A good product requires effort, subtlety and meticulousness. Extreme prejudice, ideological perniciousness and cartoonish depictions of good and evil do not improve the artistic quality of a film. That's not to claim Egoyan made this movie out of sheer hatred. The point is that he is compelled to become the voice of the proselytisers and as such does not really attempt with his art to reach into the nature of societal and emotional tensions that underlie cultural obsessions. As he states in interviews he refuses to discuss 'the genocide issue'. When you reject dialogue or debate on an issue you can't claim to make a critical film on the subject. It's likely that extremist Armenian elements within the diaspora acting through his wife and friends (not to mention Bob Lantos) have put enormous pressure on Egoyan to make a film like Ararat. This pressure has been building from decades of frustration with other prominent Armenian diaspora filmmakers (see Mamoulian, Kazan or Verneuil). Several years before this film Egoyan had even mentioned in an interview that he was not a historical filmmaker and that he would not be making a film on the events of 1915.

It's clear that he eventually succumbed to the pressure. Still, external forces aside it does not justify this intentionally obscure and convoluted effort because as an intellectual and high profile Armenian-_Canadian_ artist, more so an Officer of the Order of Canada, he has a responsibility to probe the underlying elements with integrity and create a conduit to bring together Armenians and Turks through visual art in reconciliation and self-awareness. To build such an outlet would after all be in the spirit of the Canadian national character.

Deep, captivating, emotional!
Very few movies leave a deep impact lately, as this one did. Not only because of my armenian background, but the composition and the human interaction. I had to watch it twice to make sure I did not miss anything and still did not catch all the nuances untill I listened to the commentary. I'm swept away! Recommended it to all my friends and family and will share it at work with my non-armenian friends!
Atom, thank you!

The Complete Picture..
I liked this movie because unlike most movies about massacre and persecution in the Old World, this movie follows up on the persecuted peoples, in this case the Armenians, as they find the life in their new country-of-refusge, Canada. As is the case with real, live human beings, escaping persecution to safety and "freedom" is not enough to address the complexity of the human soul. All of the Armenian-Canadians portrayed in the film live in a New World context and suffer from New World problems along with the alienations and isolations of New World lives. As in all Egoyan movies, most of the film protagonists in this exsemble work do not exist merely as didactic sterotypes. They breath, their relationship to their heritage is compromised in the personal life, they suffer. They suffer in a way which is special to the New World, Canada and The United States alike.

Instead of bringing us a dry, linear account, the story of the Armenian massacre in Eastern Turkey is told indirectly, through the filming of a film about it. In many instances the viewer is confused, not certain if it actually is a flashback to the actual past or merely the scenes of the massacre being filmed for the film. Does it matter? What is the relationship between the actual events and the events portrayed in the film? One keeps wondering about that.

Like all Egoyan films, the production is professional and smooth. The themes of his earlier movies about emotional disconnection and the use of video and vice to overcome that disconnection appear here as well. That is perhaps what makes this movie special: In exploring his own Armenian heritage, he never drops the ball of his old themese and concerns. He never forgets or ignores thay they are all in Canada now and that the fact that the Armenians were persecuted in the Old World, does not solve their problems of existentiality and their own estrangement in a New World Society.

Egoyan offers us a new model for the making of films about cataclyismic, life ruining problems. I wish that movies of this type could have been made about the Jewish Holocaust and the Palestinian Refugee Problem. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's been years since Blake Edwards made a funny film, and this 1981 effort may have been one of his last consistent laugh producers. Richard Mulligan plays a Hollywood producer who realizes that his career may be over when the public sees his latest film: a big-budget musical that lands on test audiences with a thud. In a moment of madness, he hits upon the idea of reediting it to include soft-porn reshoots--including a shot of his movie-star wife (Julie Andrews), who has a squeaky clean public image, baring her breasts (which the squeaky clean Andrews actually does). Scathing in its satire of Hollywood numbskullery, the film features terrific performances by Mulligan, Robert Preston, and William Holden (in his last film). --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Classic acting, classic directing
When I was younger, the appeal of SOB was seeing Mary Poppins bare her chest. Well, it's still great.
But when I got older, and really watched this film again, it was the incredible timing and acting chops of the entire cast that blew me away. The skewering of the Hollywood system this movie delivers is first-rate. It's fascinating seeing a film so greatly crucify the underside of Hollywood, when these days its so common knowledge the incorporation and bureacracy the film industry is. We have the internet and a million entertainment magazines now, its common knowledge how cut-throat it is. But in 1981 things were different and when SOB came out, it disappeared quickly it seems. It was probably too "inside" for general audiences to appreciate. Plus I'm sure the forces that be made sure to not trumpet a film which made fun of the people who brought it to screen.

If you appreciated the 'adult' humor of Blake Edwards other films such as '10', and 'Skin Deep', you must see 'SOB.' You have veteran actors tackling matters and situations that really apply to being an adult in the adult world. Mid-life crisis', integrity over indecency, getting older, standing up for principles as society seems to worsen around you...these themes run rampant in Edward's films. Its as though Edwards was the last 'Rat Pack''-ideaology director making movies about loveable drunks and womanizers who's hearts were in the right place, though we watch them comically learn life's lessons through trial and error choices. Good people dealing with the anxiety of getting older and realizing truths about themselves and the world, good and bad. But Edward's always presented it with a 'Boy's Club' mentality that, at least for me, made one hope to have such colorful characters as friends as I matured and got older.

To any prospective watcher of the film reading these reviews, I'd suggest one thing per your first viewing. Pay attention to the repoire between Felix (the suicidal director) and his cohorts Erving (the doctor), Cully (director friend), and Ben (Felix's wife/Julie Andrew's publicist). These guys are pros and the timing of the scenes they share is stellar , old-school, drinking pal ensemble acting. Especially as they 1-by-1 come by the beachhouse to see Felix and fall into their routine of spending time together (drinking and one-liners). These characters were partying Hollywood-style in the 50s and 60s and are now alumni of that classic generation, elders in the world of late 70s early 80s starlets and studios. They've seen it all and nothing shocks them. And boy do they still keep up.

Just lots of little moments, subtle nuances of comraderie that make this film a gem.

I've spent the last few years anxiously awaiting SOB on DVD, searching and contacting studios,websites, anyone who may have known something but to no avail. Suddenly one day it was just another title on a DVD site's "Upcoming Releases." I was ecstatic. I hope it looks and sounds as good as I imagine.

Wish Edward's would have done a commentary track for this, like supposedly he's done for 'Skin Deep'. Then again, maybe since most of the male leads of the film are deceased, it may have been tough for him to watch and reminisce.

Have you come to see her bare herself?
Well, Julie Andrews DOES bare herself in this movie--which is why some may first want to see it--but this film by her real life husband Blake Edwards (who also brought us The Pink Panther) does have some other very good qualities. The trouble is that the film-and the DVD itself--also have some potentially bad points.

On the bright side, we are treated to excellent performances by some very talented people including Julie Andrews, Richard Mulligan, William Holden, Loretta Swit, Larry Hagman--and more! These actors really worked! The story is comparatively simple: in Hollywood, director Felix Farmer makes a terrific flop of a movie and despite his many previous successes in true Hollywood style the studio, his wife (Julie Andrews) and everyone else are abandoning him. Yes, as another reviewer points out, some people in Hollywood try to shield them from reporters and publicity backlash--but they really don't succeed. Felix tries four times to kill himself until he realizes if they re-shoot the film as some type of pornography flick it will make millions and be the biggest money making film of all time. Everyone is afraid at first of taking the gamble; but they see Felix's idea may just well be right and then they all jump on the bandwagon in a brazen and crude greedy rush. When the film makes it even Felix thinks gleefully of the money it will make as he dies a premature death! The film therefore really lashes out at Hollywood greed and backstabbing. A good reminder to us all of how NOT to behave in life! The characters rush around so deeply concerned about money and JUST money that the film illustrates very sharply how shallow, greedy and cruel Hollywood "people" can be.

Then there are the potentially bad points. I say they are potentially bad because not everyone will think they are bad! The film does go downhill a bit because of Edwards' heavy reliance on slapstick to make the film funny. There are, as another reviewer points out, very few exciting extras on this DVD. I agree that it would have been great to have Julie Andrews discussing the scene where she bares her chest as well as her thoughts about the movie in general. An interview with Blake Edwards himself would also have been a really interesting extra.

All in all, this is a movie noteworthy for its attack on Hollywood politics, greed, corruption, game playing manipulation and shallowness. The actors worked their tushies off, too! I was impressed with their fine effort. The humor is fairly good, about a B+ in quality--although if you like slapstick (which is perfectly fine, of course!) then the humor grade goes higher. Nevertheless, the sound quality could definitely be better and there are few extras, however, so I give this DVD four stars.

Almost saved by Julie Andrews's secret talents
And I don't mean her bared chest. S. O. B. was Blake Edwards's attempt to get his own back after the failure of his film DALING LILI over a decade previously: in this film, a director (Richard Mulligan) has a complete nervous breakdown after his film starrign his famously wholesome movie star wife (Julie Andrews) fails at the box office: he tries to recoup his losses by reshooting the film as a softporn fantasia with his wife baring her breasts.

This film was considered wildly funny satire at the time of its release but has aged less well than you might expect. The Lew Wasserman-style Hollywood Edwards mocks was already on its way out when this movie was made in 1981: it reflects the Hollywood of the 1970s much more than the blockbuster-driven Hollywood that was already taking its place. Most of the actors (particularly Robert Preston, Robert Vaughan, and Loretta Swit as a shrieking harpy of a gossip columnist) seem to be having the time of their lives. Julie Andrews isn't very good in her scene throwing an Oscar at Mulligan, and she may wear the most hideous clothes ever in this film, but she redeems not only her performance but almost the entire movie when Preston has to make her high to ensure she can do her breatbearing scene: she's really, really funny whooping it up.

Smutty soft porn
I know that Julie Andrews was trying to make a statement as to how versatile she is and after Victor Victoria she showed the world how versatile she was, but did she have to make this film in between?
This showed a side to her that people who liked her didn't know about, the "i'm going to be modern and trendy and stay the box office draw, even if i have to bare my breast," attitude. She sings brilliantly in it but her acting is over the top, especially in the confrontation with Felix, when a bloke who's in bed is sick through a whole in the roof on Felixs head. The whole film is boring and over the top sexiness and Richard Mulligan, good actor that he is, does go over the top and starts acting like Jim Carrey on happy tablets.
Generally, i'd say rent it or see it on T.V and if you are a Julie Andrews fan then buy it but other that don't bother.

Viking Funerals and Hollywood
Blake Edwards's filmography is quite impressive. This is the man who brought us the Pink Panther films, The Great Race, Victor/Victoria, and 10. Edwards was the king of the 1970s, creating films that blended adult themes with memorably comedic moments. The filmmaker carried this approach into the early 1980s with S.O.B., a black comedy about the backbiting, cynical world that is Hollywood. This 1981 film fields some heavy hitters in its cast: William Holden, Richard Mulligan, Robert Vaughn, Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, Larry Hagman, Loretta Swit, Robert Webber, Stuart Margolin, Shelley Winters, and Robert Loggia all play parts, both big and small, in this movie. Look for a young Rosanna Arquette as one of the hitchhikers Culley (William Holden) picks up on the highway.

S.O.B. is a movie within a movie. Felix Farmer, played with brilliant alacrity by the late Richard Mulligan, never lost money on a picture until "Nightwind" came out starring his wife Sally Miles (Julie Andrews). Now Felix is on the outs with his studio head David Blackman (Robert Vaughn), his wife is divorcing him, and he just tried to kill himself. Since this is Hollywood, a whole host of publicists, agents, and advisors try to shield Felix and Sally from the critical backlash. As Felix stumbles around his beach house in a dazed stupor, his friends Tim Culley, Dr. Irving Finegarten (Robert Preston), and publicist Ben Coogan (Robert Webber) all arrive on the scene to lend a hand. Nothing seems to bring Felix out of his funk until he arrives at the realization that the only way to save his career is to reshoot his stinker by having wife Sally, who is a G-rated film queen, bare her all. When it looks like Felix might be on to something, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to make a buck or take some credit for the success.

I had hopes that this film was as funny as it was when I first saw it in the mid 1980s. It isn't, but there are still some great performances along the way. Mulligan is electricity as Farmer, adding even more gusto to his character here then he did as Bert Campbell in "Soap." Holden always does a good job as the weary soul that must witness the slow decay of those around him. Preston is great too as Finegarten, whipping out one-liners with great aplomb. The problem I had with the film is that it is almost too sad to watch it. Here are all these great actors giving one last gasp before passing into the great beyond. S.O.B. was Holden's last film, made before he hit his head and bled to death during a drunken binge. Preston died a few years later from lung cancer, and Mulligan died in 2000 from colon cancer. It is difficult, nay impossible, to forget this as you watch the film. The habits of the characters do not make it easier, either. Holden actually plays a drunk in the film, so knowing that he was one in real life makes it a tad painful to see it here played for laughs.

Another problem more noticeable with repeated viewings years later is the schizophrenia of the film. Edwards starts out with a bang, introducing the characters and establishing their quirky traits. After Felix buys the rights to "Nightwind," however, the movie morphs into a farce with slapstick elements. The latter half of the film still delivers laughs (Felix's last words concern bringing in another ten million at the box office, hardly what a normal person would think during their last seconds of life), but it doesn't mesh as well with the scathing first half. Add to this a mediocre DVD transfer, with some haziness and sunburns on people who shouldn't have them, and this adds up to a good, not great, film.

I would have liked to see more extras on this film. While Holden, Preston, and Mulligan are dead and therefore unavailable for comment, Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards are still alive and could have contributed many insights on a commentary track. Hearing Andrews discuss her topless scene would have been worth the price of the movie in and of itself. As it stands, there is a filmography of Blake Edwards plus the trailer for the film and that is about it in the way of treats. Taken as a whole, S.O.B. falls strictly into the "rent, not buy" category. ... Read more

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Exploring the Gamma Quadrant, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) encounters a planet where none had existed moments before. That planet, Meridian, shifts between dimensions, appearing in our time and space for short spells every 60 years. Upon investigating, Dax falls in love with one of Meridian's inhabitants, Deral (Brett Cullen), setting up a big problem as the clock ticks down to another, imminent dimensional shift. Basically a star-crossed romance from the get-go, "Meridian" doesn't have a lot of mystery to it. But it does have the considerable charm of Terry Farrell, whose Jadzia was always a woman for all seasons onDS9: gorgeous, funny, tough, lusty, a tomboy, a lover, a surrogate sister. Not surprisingly, this character-driven story, with a higher quotient of emotion than usual, was directed by Jonathan Frakes, Riker on The Next Generation and heir to directorial duties on Star Trek feature films. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Getting soapy in space again
Episode title: Meridian

Teleplay by: Mark Gehred O'Connell

Story by: Hilary Bader & Evan Carlos Somers

Directed by: Jonathan Frakes

"Meridian" is one of those low-budget-romantic-TV-movie-turned-into-star-trek kind of episodes. We have a plot about a planet that shifts between dimencions, being 60 years at a time in a foreign dimencion and a couple of days in our own.

The crew of the Defiant just happen to stumble upon it just as it makes it's once-in-sixty-years shift to our universe, and Jazia Dax just happens to fall suddenly in lovewith one of the natives.

We also get a sub plot concerning a rich businesmann visiting DS9 and ending up lusting after Major Kira and ordering a sex programme from Quark featuring our good Major.

Even Jonathan Frakes's competent directing or Terry Farrel's talented performance can't do much for this episode, wich is all about a weak plot combined with old fascioned storytelling.

Yes, a bad episode as DS9 rips off "Brigadoon"
Yes, it is hard not to think of "Brigadoon" when the Defiant discovers the planet Meridian, which phases into the "real" universe every couple of decades. Only during this period of time, which gets shorter each time, can the inhabitants of Meridian age and reproduce. Sisko and crew try to help the planet stabilize and eventually they figure out something that just might possibly work. However, matters are further complicated when Jadziah Dax falls in love with Deral, one of the Meridians, and decides she will stay with him when the planet phases again.

Actually, if this DS9 episode had been a musical that might have been an improvement. Just think of Deral, Sisko and O'Brien dancing around and singing something along the lines of "Go Home with Jadziah Dax." The Dominion is supposed to coming pouring through the wormhole at any moment and Dax is going to leave her friends to die because of a relationship she has established with some new guy in a few days. Can you imagine Curzon doing this? "Meridian" makes "Brigadoon" look like a documentary. This is one of those rare DS9 episodes where the sub-plot, involving a guy named Tiron who gets shot down by Kira and gets Quark to put together a holo-program involving the Major, is more interesting and earns the episode a third star. Oh, well. They cannot all be good, you have to expect bad episodes every once in a while.

BRIGADOON! In space! Just throw 'em in the brig!
Horrible, horrible, and horrible. A cheap rip-off of an arguably bad musical, the cast stretches absolutely no acting muscles in the dull tale of a mythical planet that appears every X-many years for absolutely no reason. The romantic subplot is EXTREMELY difficult to accept, especially given that it surrounds the station's science officer! Avoid at all costs.

Now that was just terrible!
This episode was a complete flounder. The plot was horrid as was the writing. The dialog made me sick, litarally. This was by far the worst Dax episode. (Except for Rejoined, maybe) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terry Farwell- takes us on a tour of deep space nine
I thought this was very good, they showed the model of Deep Space Nine. They explained a little about how they did the sound effects, for instance, how they put in the laser beam effect after they fire a phaser. It was very interesting how they explained how they made Odo's shapeshifting scene's look real. and each of the actors explained a little about their parts, but I was surprised that avery brooks did not make an appearance on this video. Terry did a very good job on this tour. ... Read more

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Original airdate: 5-10-93. Stardate: 46849.3. A first-season highlight,"Progress" combines an amusing subplot involving Nog (Aron Eisenberg) and JakeSisko (Cirroc Lofton) with a moving dilemma faced by Kira (Nana Visitor) on thenearly evacuated Bajoran moon Jeraddo. It is there that Kira encounters Mullibok(Brian Keith), an elderly farmer who refuses to leave. Kira's efforts topersuade the old man lead to a painful examination of their shared heritage andviolent history against the Cardassians. This interplay (blessed by the fineperformances of Visitor and TV veteran Keith, in one of his best roles of hislater years) lends the episode an emotional urgency that intensifies Kira'stension between her turbulent past and present obligations to Federation dutyand Bajor's future. While Jake and Nog pursue amateur profiteering that turns surprisingly in their favor, "Progress" combines humor with the kind of ethicaland emotional crises that allowed DS9 to maximize its first-season potential. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
Throughout PROGRESS, I was convinced that the episode was going to cheat on me, and take the easy way out of the problem. When it confounded my expectations, I was surprised and extremely pleased. I hate it when drama dupes the audience by setting up difficult stakes and then ignoring them, so I was very happy to not only see that avoided here, but that the episode itself was quite thoughtful.

Three farmers stand in the way of progress. Bajor is planning to harvest the molten energy in the core of one of its moons, but to do that all the inhabitants of that moon must relocate. Three simple farmers refuse to leave. The cast includes a man who escaped the earlier Cardassian occupation through sheer strength and determination, and two others who were tortured to the point of losing their power of speech (which, of course, meant that the show producers didn't have write lines for them, or pay them for speaking roles).

The story is rather familiar, as, in fact, are the farmers. It's thanks to a solid performance from Brian Keith as Mullibok, the crusty and cranky old Bajoran, that the story successful so well. The episode rests on his refusal to leave his home, and the actor and the writing are extremely effective at conveying his point of view. He's an extremely sympathetic character despite his overblown and arrogant personality. The episode sinks or swims depending on how likeable the audience finds the farmers, and it is definitely a success on that point.

What I really liked about this one was the fact that there is no real room for a satisfactorily happy ending, and that the episode refuses to take the easy way out. There's a silly subplot revolving around Jake and Nog trading useless items for more useless items in a vain attempt to eventually get their hands on some gold-pressed latinum. It's a nice counterpoint to the seriousness of the rest of the story and the overall episode is quite good and very satisfying.

Our first exposure to the softer side of Major Kira
The Bajoran government and the Federation make plans to provide energy for the planet by tapping the core of one of Bajor's moons. However, there is a stubborn old coot named Mollibok who refused to leave the home he made forty years ago when escaping from the Cardassian occupation. Of course, Major Kira is sent to get Mollibok to change his mind. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog have acquired 5,000 packages of Cardassian yamok sauce from Quark and are trading their way up to a really big deal. "Progress" is another first-season DS9 episode where the emphasis is on fleshing out the characters. We get to see the softer side of Kira, who does not explode every time Mollibok provokes her and even tells a story about a gnarly tree, and the friendship between Jake and Nog is explored as the boys seek to turn a profit. This is a slightly above-average DS9 episode mainly because the ending of the Kira/Mollibok conflict does not offer one of those happy endings where everybody listens to the voice of reason. Just another example of how the needs of the many outweights the needs of the one in the Star Trek universe.

Character arc at it's best!
This episode focuses mainly on Kira. Our favorite strong willed Major must confront her own demons when faced with a simple, yet complex mission. Is the majority vote always the best case? A crusty, yet charming Bajoran farmer provokes these issues and more in this episode. One of my "early" DS9 favorites. ... Read more