The Virginian TV series (mega!) review

Aaahh, where to start?  The Virginian is my favorite TV show, even more than Star Trek Next Gen.  And here's why (extra credit if you have the patience to read a rambling review).

Background (semi-important)

A few years back, some of my family members were in a classic/pre-Eastwood Westerns phase.  They loved it, and...I tried.  My attempts were episodes from Bonanza, Gunsmoke (many, many episodes), Zorro's Fighting Legion, The Big Valley (part of an episode), High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, etc.  I never warmed up to John Wayne or his characters, so that was no recommendation to the genre.  While I liked Along Came Jones (a comedy) and Wagon Train, neither of them made me a fan of Westerns per se.*

One day Dad got The Virginian season 3 from the library.  We were still watching Wagon Train, and I wasn't excited about starting a new Western series, at its third season, too.  Ironically, S3 ep. 1 introduces my favorite character - and as we later found out, S1 ep. 1 is one of the worst episodes.  Starting with S3 turned out to be a good move; we have watched other seasons in the following order: 4, 1, 2, 5, 9 (partially watched), 6.  Chronology is not a big deal here, though I would recommend starting with S2.

This is one of the few shows our whole (picky?) family enjoys.  6.5 seasons of 90 min. episodes is probably a record of patience/dedication for us, and the fact we are still looking forward to seasons 7 & 8 (when the library gets them) is kind of amazing.  If that weren't enough - I love classic Westerns now!

Characters

The show should be called "Shiloh Ranch."  Close to the respectable town of Medicine-Bow, Wyoming (late 1800s), Shiloh is one of the biggest, most prosperous cattle ranches in the area.

Lee J. Cobb as Judge Garth (L), James Drury
as The Virginian (R). Photo by NBC TV.

"The Virginian" - who goes by no other name - is the ranch's practical, fair-minded foreman.  He does not actually feature in many of the episodes; in fact, he holds onto his reputation as a mysterious drifter, while putting his whole heart and loyalty into his beloved Shiloh.  As long as he believes in Shiloh, he stays there indefinitely, keeping a good watch over the ranch and the growing town.

Another main character is Trampas.  Trampas is the Virginian's top hand, but his frequent witty humor and good-natured swagger don't always win him the bossman's approval.  He's a skilled and dependable cowhand, suffering only from his doubtful success with the pretty girls in town, and the occasional boredom with his day job at Shiloh. Like the Virginian, he has come to adopt the ranch as his home, and he can never bring himself to leave it for good (at least, not for long).

Doug McClure as Trampas
(photo by NBC)

Throughout the series, the cast changes, while the roles remain basically the same.  The stubborn yet conscientious owner of Shiloh is first Judge Garth, then later Morgan Starr, John Grainger (the best IMO), and Clay Grainger (along with his wife Holly).  Judge Garth has a daughter Betsy, who is naive but well-meaning (and loves horses and new dresses); Lizzy Grainger (S5), John's grandaughter, is very similar.  Lizzy's brother Stacey creates a new role as a sort of gentleman-cowboy and dutiful grandson.  There are MANY other great recurring characters, like cowhands Steve, Belden, and Randy, and Sheriff Abbott.  To name a few.  I think we've come to like all  the characters, for different reasons!

The one I left out is lawman Emmett Ryker (mostly S3-S4); he's my very favorite.  Just throwing it out there...

While we're not always fans of guest characters, The Virginian does feature a lot of actors and actresses from back in the day, many of whom we recognize from other Westerns and classic TV shows.  As a Trekkie, I was excited to see Spock, Kirk, and Bones in some of the episodes, and Han Solo also stars in a season 5 episode.

Story

(photo by NBC)

Shows like Gunsmoke and Wagon Train are pretty easy to summarize.  The Virginian, however, being a show on such a big scale with a good diversity of characters/settings, takes just about every classic Western plot you can imagine (and then some) and makes it an episode.  Outlaws, drifters, range disputes, court cases, chase scenes, moral dilemmas, mistaken identity, romance, humor, tragedy, adventure, etc., this show covers a pretty decent bit of subject matter.  On the downside, that means some episodes only have one or two of the main characters in them.  The plus side is that you can watch all these seasons without finding them utterly predictable (there are some repeated plotlines, but they are extraordinarily few).

Given its age and budget, the sets and filming are quite good.  Both Shiloh and Medicine-Bow feel like familiar places you want to go to.  The costumes are often over-the-top (60s influence), but there are glimmerings of historical accuracy.

Speaking of historical accuracy - like Star Trek, The Virginian tries to promote multiculturalism and racial equality.  Unfortunately (also like Star Trek), it falls into the unintentional and woeful trap of stereotypes (not that the white characters are not also stereotyped, but they are less so).  Some people may also view the Shiloh owners' benevolence as unrealistic - well, if you don't believe charitable "capitalists" exist, this is not the show for you.  ;)  There are many avaricious ranchers portrayed, though, and plenty without principles.

The one season I don't recommend to anyone is season 9.  It is a revamped version called "The Men from Shiloh" and pretty cheesy and dreadful compared to The Virginian.  Seriously, avoid it, avoid it.

Returning to the storyline again: what makes it great are the recurring themes.  Honesty, sense of duty, defending people treated unjustly, loyalty (but not blind loyalty), upholding the law, and avoiding bloodshed as much as possible.  Revenge, a big motif in many Westerns, is not as much of a focus for The Virginian's good guys.  The fragility of a "civilized" West and the importance of peace are two of the driving themes, giving you a sense of closure/resolution in the show as a whole, plus a major reason to like the characters.

Content

This is a pretty squeaky-clean Western, even by classic TV standards.  It has its share of gunfights, fistfights, and farming accidents, but there are many episodes focused simply on the story and characters.  There is no cussing to speak of and there's lots of clean, actually funny humor.  Consistency is one of its strengths; there are fewer dumb/cheesy episodes than you typically see in other series.  It could be argued the Wild West is here portrayed as too clean and gentle.  Don't watch it for historical accuracy, then - watch it for the escapism, the old-fashioned characters, and a welcome relief from the many other more gritty Westerns.

So, basically...

...if you want to like old Westerns, then give The Virginian a try.  It won't make you a John Wayne fan, but it will help you appreciate the classic Western tradition, which is what his roles were about.  You just might love this series, too!

---

* I wrote these mini reviews a while back:

Bonanza - The plots were lukewarm entertaining.  The characters were not very interesting, and according to my family (who are more informed), most of the romantic interests get killed off.

Gunsmoke - I liked Marshal Matt Dillon a lot.  He is definitely a character with a conscience.  But, as the scriptwriters would have it, there is constant carnage in this series.  Practically every episode involves a nasty shootout and lots of dying, and Matt Dillon, despite his reluctance, is generally in the thick of it.  The plots are very predictable and often involve some lunatic coming to Dodge City.  It all gets old and wearisome.  (In fact, the intro to the series shows a cemetery and/or a shootout--an apt summary.)  A real shame, since the main character is likeable.

Wagon Train - This is the best of these three.  The plots and settings are a tad repetitive, but with a visibly small budget, they still made an effort.  There is less gratuitous violence than in Gunsmoke.  The more you watch it, the more you enjoy it.  I think its main fault is an unusual lack of main characters--there are only two, and sometimes just one, with the focus being more on guest characters. 

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Star Trek: Into Darkness movie review

Disclaimer: I missed the ending, due to poor planning . . . however, I know the gist of it and want to write this review with first impressions fairly fresh in my head.

So, initially I had no interest in watching a new casting/scripting of Star Trek, especially with the original characters.  After its release, I heard good things about it and eventually went by my lonesome out of bored curiosity.  (And failed to allow enough time to see the grand ending.)

The script spends so much time reintroducing Spock et al that the plot's details are pretty much cough-and-you-miss-them.  You can bet your bottom dollar that it involves a young Captain Kirk breaking rules to stop John Harrison (spoiler in white:  KHAAAAAN) from terrorizing Earth. This is set before the days of Picard diplomacy, so many chase scenes and action sequences - benefiting from the big screen - take place before the end.  Another spoiler: I missed the Spock vs. Khan duel and left right after Kirk supposedly died and Spock, in one of many emotional moments, epically yelled Khan's name.  That really should have been the ending right there; it was the best part!

As you might guess, I have quibbles about the script.  Too much cussing; it wasn't what is rated "strong," but it really dumbed down the film.  Kirk and Spock act like smart-alecks at the beginning, which discredits them both (yes, Kirk, too).  Thirdly, I can scarcely get past the fact that, though the Enterprise has come a long ways from the original's cardboard-esque sets, the old stereotypical portrayals of characters are still there.  Chekhov's exaggerated Russian accent, check....Kirk's cute-smart-objectified-crush, check.  Kind of shocking.  To a point, I also agree with some of the criticism (spoiler-related) of casting Cumberbatch as Harrison (as much as I am a fan of BC, and as much as he did a truly excellent job).  Overall, I had to try too hard to like the script; the effects and music were more fun.

That said...it fits the recipe for a very good Star Trek film.  Basically, it's comparable to the original films I-III, with enough to make you groan but also, somehow, enough to make it worth a Trekkie's while.  It might be that one scene I loved, plus the awe-inspiring effects, plus the soundtrack, plus the exciting (though dubiously advisable) save-the-world storyline.  The revamped original characters aren't too bad, either; I was impressed by the cast's impersonations of the classic actors everyone knows so well (one original actor has a cameo, too!).  I wouldn't buy it, but I'm looking forward to seeing it on DVD, with the full ending, of course.

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Moby Dick (2011): Call me Bored

I was so keyed up to find out that the library had Moby Dick (2011).  New cinematography, new CGI, new costumes - what could be more amazing, right?  Nobody else in my family was interested, but I popped disc 1 into my laptop and settled down for a good show.

Only to be thoroughly underwhelmed.  I don't know if I even watched half of this miniseries.  It is hard to pinpoint what is so bad about it, but there are three things that stood out to me:

1)  This is a TV production.  The problem is not a low budget and poor design, but, rather, a good budget and excellent design not used to their full potential.  The costumes and sets are nice, but they look like costumes and sets.  Very contrived.

2) The script is pretty lame.  For example: Father Mapple's "Jonah" sermon is shortened (as I would expect in a movie), but it completely fails to mention God giving Jonah a second chance.  Queequeg observes it was too late for Jonah, "eaten" by a fish, to learn his lesson, which Ishmael thinks is funny. This joke falls flat if you know the whole story of Jonah, or, ahem, read the book... 

3) Captain Ahab is everywhere, but he has no stage presence.  Oddly enough, I think he is more like book!Ahab than Gregory Peck's version.  Still, he is less mysterious here than he is in the book.  We get to see him very early on in this show, as opposed to the book/old film where he doesn't show up until later.  Kind of anticlimactic.

Things I liked.  Well, the filmmakers added an interesting aspect to the story: a sort of friendship/camaraderie between Ahab and Ishmael.  Also, I liked Mrs Ahab (played by Gillian Anderson, aka Lady Dedlock in Bleak House); she seemed like a very real character, especially for one mentioned only in passing in the book.  Thirdly, I liked how the people of different ethnicities were portrayed as people, not just "characters."  While the book contains some seemingly racist elements, I think that the international aspect of the Moby-Dick story translates well to this adaptation.  The fact that men from different countries united under Ahab's will and rule is an important, symbolic point. 

Content-wise...  They show Queequeg naked from the back, and they come a little too close to showing him from the front, too.  Just skip the scene where he meets Ishmael. 

I LOVE the book and I have patience to watch long productions, but this one wasn't worth it, and it had nothing to do with length.  Save yourself the disappointment and watch an old classic like the 1956 version, or even The Old Man and the Sea, instead.

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Victorian "usernames"

Have you ever wondered what the Victorians - if having a computer in their possession - would choose for their usernames?  A year or two ago, I read Lewis Carroll's A Tangled Tale, an entertaining set of logic/math puzzles published serially in a magazine.  Readers of the magazine would submit their best answers and guesses to Carroll, who would respond in the answer key.  What struck me was that their pseudonyms (and I post here a selection) sounded remarkably like prototypes for internet forum members.  What do you think - and which are your favorites? 

Alphabetical Phantom
An Ancient Fish
Bog-Oak
Bo-Peep
Bradshaw of the Future
Cheshire Cat
A Christmas Carol
Common Sense
Dinah Mite
Duckwing
Galanthus Nivalis Major
Knot I
Mad Hatter
Money Spinner
A Mother's Son
Mrs. Sairey Gamp
Old Cat
Old King Cole
Rags and Tatters
A Ready Reckoner
The Red Queen
Scrutator
Sea Breeze
Seven Old Men
The Shetland Snark
Spear Maiden
Three-Fifths Asleep
Vis Inertiae
Waiting for the Train
Yahoo
Yak

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Raid on Entebbe (1977) movie review

Entebbe Airport (actual photo, not a film screencap)

Interestingly enough, Raid on Entebbe was filmed and released soon after the real-world event that inspired it: Operation Entebbe.  From Britannica's entry:

Entebbe raid, (July 3–4, 1976), rescue by an Israeli commando squad of 103 hostages from a French jet airliner hijacked en route from Israel to France. After stopping at Athens, the airliner was hijacked on June 27 by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Red Army Faction (a West German radical leftist group) and flown to Entebbe, Ugan., where they were joined by additional accomplices . . . In response, Israel, on July 3, dispatched four Hercules C-130H cargo planes carrying 100–200 soldiers and escorted by Phantom jet fighters.

If I were to describe this film briefly, it would be "historical drama done right."  Between Titanic sentimentalism and Lincoln stoicism, I'll always vote for stoic facts, since it is in subtle scriptwriting that you can really feel history.  This film tends toward the factual approach, though not in an emotionless way.

Raid on Entebbe is generally regarded as historically accurate.  It avoids creating elaborate backstories for the people it depicts, instead focusing on the innocent civilian victims of terrorism and the incredible rescue led by Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron (well portrayed by Charles Bronson).  The script maintains a good balance between action and realistic buildup; the costumes and cinematography tend towards realism as well.  In this way, you are brought straight to the point of these events, and what you see comes across as fairly convincing, without too much Hollywood to distract.

The human side to this quasi-documentary is just enough to make you care, in the way you would sympathize for the real-life victims.  The passengers are ordinary people, people holding onto a quiet courage under the tedium of uncertainty.  Michel Bacos, the French pilot, chooses to stand by them instead of accepting his release. The disappearance of the elderly woman, Dora Bloch, is heartbreaking (as well as factually correct).  You don't have to invent melodrama to film a historical event - as Raid on Entebbe shows, the reasons for caring about these people are all there in the original.

What about the hijackers?  They seem to be fairly portrayed, as far as their actual deeds allow.  Idi Amin, president-dictator of Uganda, is depicted in a few scenes.  (He is worth reading about; this article from the BBC is a good place to start.)

5 out of 5 stars.  Suitable for family/older kids viewing (due to the subject matter, there are scenes of crossfire).

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To Kill a Mockingbird movie review

This summer my sister and I both read To Kill a Mockingbird.  Our favorite genres tend to differ from each other, but this was a book we both enjoyed.  Afterwards, we watched the classic 1962 adaptation, a first for us both.

The story is told from the perspective of Scout Finch and her brother Jem, whose blissful, surreal childhoods are interrupted by a controversial court case.  The accused is Tom Robinson, a black man alleged to have raped a white girl; the lawyer defending Tom is Scout and Jem's father, Atticus.  Atticus's personal convictions about race and justice make the Finches' hometown of Maycomb uncomfortable, setting the family against many of their neighbors.  Those who agree with him wish him well, but are reluctant to speak out.  As the trial approaches, public hostility grows, and Atticus must decide how far he will risk their threats to keep on fighting for Tom's life, and his own unpopular beliefs.

The movie is beautifully filmed and scripted.  It combines the old black-and-white film style with 60s "artsy" cinematography, which I think fits the story's mood well.  Modern color cinematography could be used to excellent effect in a remake - but then, you wouldn't have the original casting.  I really liked Mary Badham as Scout and John Megna as her friend Dill.  Brock Peters' portrayal of Tom Robinson was really moving, and, as others have said, Gregory Peck is Atticus Finch.  One of my favorite actors from old-school Hollywood, Peck is good at playing angelic characters with a certain credibility and humble dignity.  Under the glasses and "everyman" clothes, he looked the part of Atticus, too.

By Dominic Sherony [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This adaptation really tries to stay close to the book.  While the script is accurate enough, it suffers from the two-hour time constraint.  Some of the scenes, such as the classic "mad dog" scene, are too short to convey their complete psychological importance.  Minor scenes like the visit to Calpurnia's church - indeed, most of Calpurnia's scenes - were not included, which is especially unfortunate since she was one of my favorite characters.  The book takes you on a rich reading experience; you really get inside Scout's head, and Maycomb, with all its quirks and gray characters, grows up out of the pages, a complex character in itself.  I think that understanding Maycomb is essential to understanding the story, so it could be argued that a two-hour adaptation falls short from the start. 

Still, To Kill a Mockingbird is a worthy classic film with the book's fundamental storyline and message, so it gets 5 out of 5 stars.  I will definitely rewatch it in the future, and being more distanced from the book will no doubt help me appreciate the film even more.

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Debussy's 151st Birthday - music video

Thanks to my sister for telling me about this Google Doodle!  This is really sweet.  <3  It is still on Google as well (better quality).

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Little snowy owl pillow

A random project indeed, and my first applique!  I will be sewing more appliques, for sure.  More owl pillows? maybe...

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Cooking Crabapple Sauce

Some friends from church had a lot of leftover crabapples from their tree(s) this year, so they offered us a box to take home.  Crabapples smell a-mazing, and as we don't grow them ourselves we were excited to try something new.

The first time I had heard of crabapples was in the Trixie Belden girl detective series, one of my favorites growing up.  Trixie's home was called "Crabapple Farm."  :)  Though crabapples have fallen out of fashion, there are still various recipes floating around on the web, from crabapple vodka to pickled crabapples.  We decided to make apple sauce, basically following this YouTube recipe.  Cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and a pinch of salt.  Vanilla is key! 

The color is a nice rosy red, and the taste is similar (better, maybe) to our transparent apple tree apples.  It would be good over vanilla ice cream, but it's great by itself, too!

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Ruffle scarf - upcycled

Just a quick pic of another "postponed" project.  I bought a gray, knit, floral top at Target some years ago, wore it until it got a hole in the elbow, then saved it cause the fabric was so pretty.  It makes a decent scarf, just a few rectangles pieced together and gathered in two rows.  I'm always surprised that knit tees don't need the edges finished; it's a good thing, too!

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Brown ruffle skirt - Simplicity #2366 review

If you're looking for an elastic/drawstring-waist skirt pattern, you couldn't go wrong with this one.

"Easy" is a bit of an overstatement - I'd give this a low-intermediate difficulty rating.  This is the fourth time I've used this pattern, however, and the results have been satisfactory every time!  The plain skirt (view A/B) is certainly easy, while the ruffle skirt (view C/D) is a good choice if you want a little extra detail.  It's super versatile; I've made it with an elastic waist, used it to make a dress, and simply stuck with the drawstring idea, as pictured here.  Highly recommended. 

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Jane Austen blouse - Simplicity #3750 review

This is an old project I finally got around to finishing.  After watching Emma (2009) and admiring its many lovely Regency costumes, I thought it would be cool to sew this empire-waist tunic top pattern:

 

Overall, I was left uninspired and unimpressed.  Granted, this top looks better worn with a sash, but then you still have a lot of fabric bunched up in the back.  I'm also not a huge fan of how the gathered front is designed; you can get the same look, only more flattering, with their Regency gown pattern (#4055 view B).

What I do like about this pattern is the array of sleeve options.  The one I chose is not very exciting, but there are three additional designs, very handy if you're into mixing & matching patterns.  That's enough reason to keep this one.

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ModCloth-inspired dress

If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have seen this dress before.  I love a lot of ModCloth dresses, but the "Avian Maven" is my current fave.  The patterned sleeves are what pulled me in.  Light colors - let alone prints - are not my first choice for apparel, so putting it on the sleeves looked like a genius idea.

Having more fabric in the box than $$ to spend on a casual dress, it seemed like the obvious thing to do was to try sewing it.  Mom had a piece of bird fabric she let me use.  It was a tad too bright, so I used the reverse side for a more shabby chic look.








 

I happened to have a periwinkle blue skirt partially cut-out already (Simplicity #2366, great pattern).  Combining that with another pattern for the bodice, there was the dress!  I sewed the bodice over spring break (?) and just yesterday added the skirt (yes, I'm one of those procrastinating seamstresses).









The beauty of the Avian Maven design is the relaxed, slightly "homespun" look, easy to replicate at home.  The bodice turned out a little on the large side, but super comfy (and pullover, unlike the Avian, which has a big slit down the back).  The boat neck was an unintended change for the best; it's more flattering on me than scoop neck.

At first I was not too sure about the bell skirt, but in the end, it added a nice feminine accent.

Lately I've become more and more a fan of dresses, at least for spring/summer.  They're so easy, it's a complete outfit in one piece! 

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Alterations: Slacks and new buttons

After admiring many bloggers' successful DIY alterations, I decided to be brave and give it a try.  It was either that, or leave this pair of denim-look slacks in the closet "for when I gain back that weight."  Uh...why wait for that to happen?  o_O

(Before) Mossimo/Target slacks, thrifted and hemmed

Early on I realized I had to do the one thing I most wished to avoid: take in the outer seam.  That meant unstitching some of the facing at the waistband (fortunately, less scary than it looked).

 

I used a makeshift pattern for basting the first seams, from the top to past the pocket.  Then I decided the whole pant leg needed to be taken in.  What followed was a series of baste & error (& error).  

 

(After) They are still more flared/less tapered than they look in this photo.

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out - maybe I wouldn't plan on altering clothes in the future, but it's an option to keep in mind.

Today's other project was simpler.  Mom handed me down some cardigans in several colors.  I LOVE these cardies, except for the default buttons on the blue and black sweaters.  Managed to scrape up 5 matching metal buttons for the blue one:

That's all I did today.  Tomorrow I'd like to work on other sewing projects in progress.  And watch Star Trek Original season 2 (my brother got it from the library!).

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Fotografia

• It has been quite a week for nostalgia.  I'm reading Jules Verne's The Master of the World and enjoying it in spite of its simple plot.  After my Vernian reading phase of five (?) years ago, I moved on to other authors, but this puts me in the mood for classic steampunk again.  


• Talk about nostalgia...school supplies!  This fall - fourth year of college already?!? - there's nothing I actually need.  I would like to try those new "NoteBinders"/refillable notebooks, though, and use up all my extra paper from old notebooks.


• Right now, I'm listening to Yiruma's Best/10th anniversary album.  Just gorgeous.  My favorite track today is "Fotografia."


• Been thinking about the concept of the "capsule" wardrobe.  I absolutely love minimalism, so the idea of having a few go-to pieces/outfits is especially appealing.  The tricky part is planning around Pacific Northwest seasons, which is something like 50% spring/fall, 30% winter, and 20% summer, erring on the side of rain (except this summer, haha).  If I take the capsule wardrobe and redistribute it with that ratio in mind, it should be about right.


• My immediate goal is to really get something artsy done this week.  Sewing and reading, hopefully!


• Which is to say...lately I've been feeling extremely unmotivated.  Not for lack of ideas, but lack of focus.  The older I get, the shorter becomes my attention span, strangely enough.  Anybody else experience this?

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