19 July 1998: Thirdspace

Sunday, 19 July 1998:

Thirdspace

I forgot to mention yesterday that in my perambulations downtown I also picked up a whole bunch more incense. I seem to be swinging back from the scented candle direction towards incense. (I am moderately sensitive to smoke in the air, so I tend to go light on the incense, though I like it. Yet another good reason for me not to smoke!)

After attending a WisCon meeting today, I went out to see Hitchcock's Vertigo in the theatre. Supposedly this film was around #60 on the recently-released American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American movies. Well, it had some good points about it, but I wouldn't say it's a great film. In fact, it's a rather twisted film in the way it handles its main characters and their relationship. (Particular James Stewart's line about Judy dying her hair; "It can't matter to you." Yikes!)

I would imagine it was a bit scandalous when it was released in 1958.

The first half of the film was more interesting and satisfying, as Stewart follows Kim Novak - the wife of an old friend - around and determines that she seems to think she's the reincarnation of an ancestor who killed herself a century earlier. This was an interesting suspense drama (with an entertaining script, too), but everything changes in the second half, which explores Stewart's mindset and his relationship with Novak. This was the twisted part, and I found it not as interesting as the first half.

Kim Novak was, uh, "interesting", though!

Later in the afternoon I finished up my APAzine and photocopied it. The heat was a little on the brutal side - thanks to the humidity - but was not too awful. Should be an interesting bike ride into work tomorrow. The news said that it's apparently well over 100 down in Texas (and may well remain that way until September). Wow! Melody (another journaller I read) should be glad she doesn't live down there right now.

Tonight I watched Babylon 5: Thirdspace, the second TNT B5 movie. It is very, very good. At Worldcon last year, Joe Straczynski described it as his "homage to H. P. Lovecraft" and related writers, and I can see that. It's an effective suspense piece - probably the best B5 has yet done - although it falls short of outright horror. Christopher Franke turned in a much livelier and effective music score than he usually does for the series, and the special effects were neat.

It was also nice to see Claudia Christian as Ivanova again, and I can more fully appreciate the loss the series had when she left the show. It was also nice to see Zack Allen given more to do for a change, and to peer a little more into the minds and backgrounds of the Vorlons (one of the series' great disappointments, overall).

Overall, I'd say this is probably the best episode of B5 since the third season.

So, I guess it's been a pretty full day. Too bad it's back to work tomorrow!

Michael Rawdon (Contact)