RAHHHHHH!!!!! 300 and how it is full of BLAHHHHHH!!!

I watch a lot of movies, but I am only human. There are only so many films I can watch at any given time. Because of this, some major, popular films pass me by. One of these was Pulp Fiction which I have finally seen (BADASS!!!!). Many of my peers were really shocked when I told them I hadn't seen it. People were surprised when I told them I hadn't seen 300 either. These people that I talked to condemmed Grindhouse and said that 300 was so much cooler. I was promised armored rhinos, boils on evil priests, and slow motion fight scenes. The movie was really hyped for me. Only recently did I actually see 300, and whether it was the amount of hype or because I wasn't in a theater, the movie really failed to leave any sort of impact.

300 is the rare movie that is built from the ground up to be visuallly striking. Another example of this would be Sin City. Because of this, the movie looked very, very good. The film seemed to be designed like a moving Vermeer painting with a strong emphasis on lighting and color. Rather than the lush black and white of Sin City, 300 favors a more bronze sylization. The battlegrounds, deserts, grain fields, and night sky are all extremely beautiful and really bring life to some rather limp scenes where nothing is going on. The problem with all of this visual trickery is that it leaves barely any money for sets. I hate to say this, but I actually watched parts of Meet the Spartans. The sets in that movie seemed to be very small and as the film went along, looked identical from one scene to the next. These small sets are apparent in 300, the main film Meet the Spartans was stealing from. Aside from Sparta, one beach or desert passage looks the same to me and made the film's environments extremely bland. This dampened the glory of the visual effects slightly.

With the exception of a few great lines, and when King Leonides was being snidely humorous, the dialogue in this film was terrible. Everyone was taking everything way to seriously, and the talking sequences got in the way of the action. But I must admit "TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!!" was pretty awesome. I could never take anyone seriously because they talked so ridiculously. This added somewhat to the charm of the movie, but it was not a good kind of charm for a rugged, action movie.

Speaking of action, this was where 300 really shined. If this is any foreshadowing for the Watchmen movie, the action scenes will be superb! Zack Snyder really knows how to stage a believable, stylish battle sequence with a green screen. Everyone of these sequences had an almost ballet quality to them in their smoothness. But even these sequences had problems. Sometimes the film oversimplified a fight, needlessly. For instance, the fight against the armored rhino just consisted of one spear throw. Come on now! I want more from my giant beast battles. The only one of these that was nicely epic was the one with the giant and the ninjas with the cool masks.

All in all, I cannot recommend 300. It is not a bad movie with its cool fight scenes and great visual style, it just lacks in a few key areas like plot, charactization, and a script. I can say that if you buy the DVD, just skip to the good bits.

The Range of Sin: The Wonders and Problems with the Grindhouse

Like some teenagers, I was introduced to the whole Grindhouse scene with the movie Grindhouse. This homage to the original Grindhouse movies of yore made by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez was an absolute blast. I had never heard of movies like this until I saw the trailers for this movie and it just looked like absolute fun.

That seemed to be the main objective of old Grindhouse films. They were cheaply made exploitation flicks that were designed to make money through sex and violence. I saw one of the original Grindhouse movies called The Big Bird Cage. The tagline was - "Women so hot with desire they melt the chains that enslave them!" I can't really remember anything that happenend in this movie. Maybe, I've been spoiled on the recent R rated movies, but none of the Grindhouse thrill ever reached me. I think the movie had something to do with enslaved girls being kept in prison by gay guards and them eventually breaking out. For some reason, this film didn't grab my attention.

Later, I saw Zombie Strippers which actually came out in April of 2008. This film to me was pure genius. It was also an homage to Grindhouse films (with it's interesting title) and featured Jenna Jameson who hasn't been doing that well recently. The main plot of this movie involves a zombie virus that gets out of hand and turns all of the local strippers into zombies (this movie is set six years into the future with Bush still president and underground, llegal strip clubs). I have never been a big fan of strippers, but I've always loved zombies, so I wanted to see a hybrid of the two. All of the zombie bits are interesting, but they are fairly typical (lots of zombies being shot with lots of guns). Even if you have seen it a billion times, a zombie being shot in the head with a shotgun never gets old. The big revelation of the movie is when Jenna Jameson (who is now a zombie with blood all over her) strips while the male crowd goes wild. This is kind of sexy, but becomes really disturbing when she starts to decompose. To give you an idea of the level of creativity that went into this movie, there is a zombie stripper duel where Jenna shoots billard balls at another zombie stripper (one of the billard balls goes through the head of an innocent bystander). This film embraces the pure fun of any previous Grindhouse film. Oh, and a life lesson I learned from this movie is that any stripper that becomes a zombie gets super powers.

Then there is Bad Girls From Mars. This is an example of a badly made and barely-thought-about Grindhouse flick. Its whole purpose was to exhibit female breasts. That was it! There were no zombies, no monsters, no plot, nothing. Just a line of girls showing their assets. It was absolute shlock from beginning to end and made me feel terrible that I had watched such a thing. The purpose of a Grindhouse-esque film is to promote fun, not boredom. And besides being just bad, it was demeaning to everyone involved. This is, without a doubt, the worst film I have ever seen and everyone with a brain should stand clear.

So I guess my point is that in watching any sort of cheap, exploitation flick, you have to be careful. Some films are so bad that they are fun and some are so bad that they are really bad. And of course, if the film is directed by two directors who love the source material, the prepare for one heck of a ride. Planet Terror is one of my favorite movies! Now lets Go, Go not Cry, Cry.

Cool Bald Guys, Jack the Ripper, and Sinister Beaches: Discovering "Dark City" is the Reason I Love Movies

I thought I had seen the greatest science fiction films ever after seeing movies like "Blade Runner" or "The Matrix". Then the randomness of Netflix allowed me to see "Dark City," one of the best films I have seen that has come out during the last 10 years. I first heard of this film when I read a complaint on Entertainment Weekly about it's choices for the best science fiction of the past 20 years. The complainer was mad that EW had left out "Dark City" from the list. I have to agree. This movie is so stylish, so weird, so interesting, so dark that it deserves to be on any Top Sci-Fi list.

Lets start with the story. A man wakes up in a tub with a crushed needle on the floor, a speak of blood on his forehead, amnesia, a dead hooker in his room with a spiral shaped knife wound (a Jack the Ripper reference), a goldfish, a swinging overhead light similiar to the one in the Psycho fruit celler, and a trio of pale, bald goons who chase him with knives. Not a bad start to one's day. The film's strength and weakness is how it makes the viewer confused. At about 25 minutes into the film, blue gunk comes out of these bald mens' head (these men are called the Strangers and there is more than three), entire blocks of this "Dark City" are put to sleep, and the protagonist suddenly has mystic powers. I had to let out my confusion with a loud "What the heck is going on?" This film had dug itself into a hole and I wondered how it was going to dig itself out again. Boy, did it deliver, with a vengence.

Rufus Sewell plays the main character, John Murdoch, and is likeable because he is just as confused as the audience is. I also found him strangely sinister because I didn't know what he was going to do next. Jennifer Connelly plays Murdochs wife, but she is mostly just eye-candy. William Hurt is in the movie as well and is gruff enough to play the no nonsence police detective. The person I found to truly steal the show was Kiefer Sutherland who plays Dr. Daniel P. Schreber, Murdoch's only consistant contact throughout the movie. I love the way he always pauses within his sentences to inhale. For some reason, he reminded me of Yoda with his distinctive vocal style. The film is filled with cool touches that make people who watch too many movies really happy. This film seems to be mostly designed with 40's noir in mind. Whether it's the clothes that people wear, or the streets that they walk on, everything has been well emulated from film history or different film genres.

Oh, and the sinister beaches mentioned in the title of this reflection - the phrase "going to the beach" might sound a little more creepy to you after you watch this movie.

You are probably either agreeing with me, not agreeing with me, scratching your head, or not giving a crud. For those not familiar with the film, I recommend that you watch the new Director's Cut DVD that was just released. If you didn't like the film to begin with, I recommend the new DVD as well. I have not seen the original theatrical release, but I heard that this new cut is supposed to be better than that. Here is a trailer from youtube to wet anyone's appetite.

Who's watching the Watchmen: The Next Evolution of Comic Books

What a cool graphic novel we have here. I mean seriously, it's good, REALLY GOOD! In the words of Neal Patrick Harris, it's Legendary! Now, with this ranting, I realize that everyone knows this. Everyone who has read the Watchmen has agreed that is one of the best graphic novels that they have ever read (including members of my family, though that is a bit misleading because this is technically the only graphic novel anyone in my family has ever read). I also know that this has nothing to do with the Avengers, but I had to get this kind of excitement off my chest.

I read this book because I saw the trailer for the movie and thought it looked trippy and colorful (saw it before The Dark Knight like the entire world). It was a curious trailer, a tantilizing trailer that made me want more. Before seeing this glimpse of the movie, I had settled down to a friendly game of cards and heard that the Watchmen was considered one of the best graphic novels ever written. I didn't really think about it until I saw the trailer and it perked my interest. So I hastily bought the book (which was really hard to find) using money that was going to go towards back-to-school clothes. I guess having no new clothes is the price I will have to pay, but at least I will be able to spread the Watchmen gospel.

In case you are not part of the comic world, Watchmen is written by Alan Moore (who also wrote the fabulous Killing Joke) and is (in my opinion) the first true look into the minds of real world crime fighters and superheros. It was a huge success and some say it is one of the best novels ever written.

As a basic review of the comic book, I thought it was a well written, well drawn, interesting character study of superheros/masked vigilantes (basically it did what it set out to do). Each character has their own back-story and their own problems. Thankfully, all of these back-stories and problems are interesting and carry siginificant weight to the overall themes of the book (like time or smiley faces).

Having so many interesting characters does, however, bring about certain issues. You begin to feel for the characters that you think are cool and loose interest in the main-plotline. For instance, I thought that both Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach were to the coolest people in the book. Being the cynical teenager that I was, I began to not care about the other side-bits (though I loved Nite Owls story, just not as much as the stuff with Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach). This made some aspects of the story tedious for me, but rushing through the random segments in this novel just made me really confused by the end. But if you take the time to read ever nitty-gritty detail, the book's complexity comes together perfectly. You have to start reading it knowing that this not an Archie comic.

That all being said, damn if this book is not one of the more interesting comic book experiences I have had. You get caught up in the world of Watchmen. You envision the book's alternate New York (and it ain't pretty). It's the kind of book that makes you happy that this medium exists. And that Rorschach is a really scary, interesting character who for some reason I immediately liked. That's rather bad considering he is pyschotic, but anyway...

I am totally ready for the movie version. It looks really like it be a really bamf film. If you haven't seen the trailer, I encourage you to check it out on youtube. If all of this stuff is news to you, watch the trailer, look at some photos, and see if you're interested. And if you like what you see, look all over the country for a copy of the book. If you know me, I'll let you borrow mine.

Oh how far we have come, the Maturity and Complexity of "The Dark Knight"

I totally realize that "The Dark Knight" has nothing to do with Avengers. If you could think of two completely opposite subjects to be included in the same blog, the Avengers and Batman might not be the two you think of, but they really have nothing in common. Except, maybe, that I like both of them. After watching this movie, I thought I would blindly follow many other bloggers in reviewing the summer's biggest film. Keep in mind as you read this that I saw "The Dark Knight" during the Thursday midnight showing and on a random Saturday afternoon with my parents.

In preparation for this new Batman instalment, I watched most of the other Batman movies again (with the exception of "Batman and Robin" which I saw a few months ago and didn't want to endure it again and "Batman Begins" because I couldn't find a copy of it). I found the original "Batman" fantastic thanks to Jack Nicholson portraying the Joker so well. "Batman Returns" was decent thanks to the hot Catwoman and Michael Keaton warming up to his role. "Batman Forever" was one of those "so bad its good" types of movies thanks to the awesome/campy performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carry. Enter "Batman Begins," the origin story that was way overdue. Though flawed, it restarted the franchise after the unmentionable travesty that is "Batman and Robin." In "Batman Begins," the camera was too close to the action, the main villain played by Liam Neeson was not very interesting (though the Scarecrow was pretty cool), and it played out like a typical, no-frills origin movie. Having said that, it was a good film with a great sense of respect to the source material and good performances (with the exception of Katie Holmes).

Now I finally get to "The Dark Knight," one of the most hyped movies of my generation. Does it live up to most of the hype? And the crowd yells "YES!" Now, let me point out that it is not the greatest movie ever made, it will not solve all of the world's problems, and it does not summon a happy elf who gives each viewer a pot of gold. It is just a great movie, and one of the best films this year.

As you can tell by my brief analysis of the Batman franchise, I value a Batman movie based on it's villain, not on the Batman. Because of this, I think that "The Dark Knight" is the best film in the series. Heath Ledger is so badass as the Joker, it just makes me tingle inside. He is creepy, funny, unique, and is going to inspire my Halloween costume. Absolute spot-on. I value the Joker as one of the best villains ever, and Heath does him justice. Way to go out with a bang. After watching this movie, you will be licking your lips oddly and laughing with glee (I know I have, maybe I'm just crazy). This guy must be seen to be believed.

I think that "The Dark Knight" comes together very well in the story department. It truly feels like an epic movie not just in its length, but it's complex characters. Unlike most big summer films, the thing that holds this film together is the performances. Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie, and Gary Oldman all contribute something to the story. These performances also complement the script (which is very well written). The audience gets a feel for these characters as the great acting brings them to life. Christopher Nolan learned how to stage action sequences while continuing to apply his great visual sense. The action scenes are kickass too (espcially with the Bat-a-cycle which likes to flip large trucks over). Another plus is that Two-Face looks scary as shit. All in all, its a very well crafted film with a legendary performace by Heath Ledger.

By why does Batman sound like he is possessed! JEEZZ!! For some reason, Bale likes to talk with a really stupid low voice whenever he has the mask on. And compared to the other people in the movie, Gordon's wife can't act at all. Her sobs are grating on the ears. But even with these nagging issues, this is an absolute must-see movie for any Batman, superhero, or summer movie fan. It's also a good film for anyone who enjoys the healing power of laughter. WHY SO SERIOUS! HEE HEE HA HO HA HA HEE HEE HA See I told you the Joker rubbed off on me.

There are Knitting Needles, Old Ladies, and Aunties in "The Girl From Auntie." Welcome to Paradise!

Now I will be the first to admit that certain people scare me. Random strangers offering hugs, the Joker/Evil clowns, zombies, and evil old ladies with knitting needles. Unfortunatly, not all of these kinds of people are in one Avengers episode, but the one that got we scared of evil old ladies was "The Girl From Auntie." This was the first episode that I watched and went "wow." This is the episode that got me hooked onto the Avengers. "This is the most random, weird, and yet strangly interesting show" I thought to myself as it played out. This is the best second episode to watch (or the third) as it doesn't really establish Emma's character (because she is captured). By the way, that's the plot to this episode. Oh and there is an evil old lady who kills people with knitting needles.

There is also a fake Ms. Peel who has blonde hair and reacts like its all in a days work when six dead bodies land in front of her. So there you have it. Steed comes back from holiday early, sees the new Emma, knows something's up, and follows the dead bodies. I swear someone wrote this on the back of a napkin. The main plot, mind you, not the script which features some of the Avengers best moments. For instance: The cab driver who amuses himself with Steed's holiday gear, Steed's own interpretation of himself ("Be there in a couple of giffs. Hoaty Tooee!"), Fffitch (with two small ffs, "My nerve endings are positivly tingling!"), and of course Emma's new bikini (which is not on Google images). Some of the best stuff. This is truly an episode that must be seen to be believed.

This episode suffers from what I will call "looney Avengers." "Epic" and "The Man Eater of Surrey Green" have this problem. It might just be too ridiculous for some people who want all of their Avengers (at least reasonably) serious. But give this one a shot if you saw one other episode and liked it. It's this show and "The House that Jack Built" that started my addiction to the series.

For those who have just switched on to the Avengers, I do not present "Who's Who???"

Sorry rabid fans, I have been away for few days on important business. "Its a matter of life and death Mrs. Peel." "Mrs. Peel, we're needed." "You diabolical mastermind, you." These were some of the phrases that I wish that I uttered during my time of absence.

So "Who's Who???" This is the one episode where John and Emma really kiss. And I mean REALLY KISS! Now this might seem stupid, but believe me it's really rewarding to people who want to see their relationship kicked up a notch. Its also one of the few episodes where Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg take a backseat to the supporting actors. This is because, of course, there minds have been swaped with two criminals. So now (after the swap) the criminals look like Steed and Emma, while Steed and Emma's minds are in the criminal's bodies. I think. It goes something like that. The new Steed and Emma do a great job, some say they do better than Patrick and Diana (in their new roles obviously, not in playing the Avengers). That's the whole episode in a nutshell. Its a very novel show. It is made up of a gimmick that is held well throughout the entire episode. You get to see Steed behave like a bad-guy and you see Emma do the twist. They also shoot a lot of people in cold blood (which I find rather horrible).

Besides the gimmick and the great acting, there is really nothing else to say. Nothing paticularly exciting happens (except a lot of people get shot). When the new Steed and Emma get captured, they just escape right afterward. There is no tension, no drama, no suspense. It's just a cool idea. No more and certainly no less. If you want action or a great plotline, watch another one of my top ten. However if you like wit, sharp writing, and some great acting, you should check it out. But be warned. This episode is only really effective if you know how the real Steed and the real Emma behave.

A Touch of Sex, The risque attitude of "A Touch of Brimstone"

"A Touch of Brimstone" is by far the most sexually explicit Avengers episode. Because of this, it also one of the most popular episodes. This was one of the shows that put the Avengers on the map. If you haven't already seen the photo from "A Touch of Brimstone" at the bottom of my blog, check it out because this photo single-handedly brought the Avengers to America. This photo of Emma Peel is one of the more suggestive outfits that she wears throughout her two seasons. This episode also features some S&M aspects with people being whipped and there is plenty of drinking going on. Basically, this episode lives up to its name in a very PG-13 fashion.
It also helps that this is one of the best episodes in terms of plot, characters, and ideas. The show revolves around devastating practical jokes that are ruining British international relations (exploding cigars used by a Russian peacemaker, rubber scissors to cut the Hall of Friendship tape). This jokes lead to the Hell Fire club run by a man called John Cartney (played by Peter Wyngarde who I last reviewed in "Epic") with his "girl" (Carol Cleveland from Monty Python) and "friend" (Colin Jeavons who plays Lord Darcy). All of John's realtionships with other people are relative. Peter Wyngarde gives another steller performance as Cartney who is just as smarmy as he is eccentric. I personally prefer his multi-personality performace in "Epic," but he does fine here. Of course the main draw for this episode is Steed and Emma (and her outfit). Steed comes off as more of a badass in this episode (cleverly passing the various Hell Fire tasks including drinking from a giant goblet, "To the brim, Willy"), and Emma has more sex appeal as the "Queen of Sins" in the final act of this episode. In my opinion, this episode also has one of the best final fight sequences with Steed showing off his fencing skills.
There aren't nearly enough Steed/Emma moments for my liking though. There is one cute moment where Emma pours Steed's drink on some girl hanging onto Steed, but thats about it. The biggest draw for this episode is the whole Hell Fire club idea, not Steed and Emma's realtionship. This is an unfortuate trade-off, but it is still an excellent episode. Cartney's behavior is also more like a Joker. Maybe he should have been the villian in the Joker episode. Ohh... the possibilities....
If you want erotic with your Avengers or just a damn good time, give this one a shot. It doesn't disappoint and is probably the Avengers episode that most Avengers fans have in their top three. It is that well liked.

"Epic" is EPIC, a film-buff's masterpiece!

"Too Many Christmas Trees" might have been the episode I think is the best, but "Epic" is one I hold closest to my heart. I am a film-buff and I love strange things. Therefore this episode completes me. It is a surreal, funny, and stupid walk through movie land and I liked every minute of it. This is certainly not an episode for everyone. The gaps of logic, overacting by Z. Z. (me), and the ridiculous final act make it hard to love for some people, but easy for people like me.
This is yet another "Emma episode" and plays out like a comedic version of "The House That Jack Built." The plot and the setting are different, however. Emma Peel is in her first snuff film (this might have been the first snuff film idea ever). The episode is set in a crazy movie studio rather than a crazy house. This show also has the pleasure of my personal favorite guest performance by Peter Wyngarde who assumes no less than eleven different personas and acts well in every one of them (except maybe the evil scientist one). My personal favorite is when he plays the gangster (top left) and tosses a coin up in the air similarly to gangster in the movie "Some Like it Hot." I also like how is tired after every performace suggesting how hard it is for any person to put on so many costumes. Wyngarde did a brilliant job in "Touch of Brimstone" and did an excellent job here.
Its the little touches that make this episode work. From Emma being part of a Z. Z. Von Schnerk logo (RARRR!) to Z. Z. Von Schnerk's random antics (Animal Vitality!) to Steed getting over the electrical fence (prop staircases), the episode just comes together really well. Also, any person with any appreciation for film history will get a kick out of Emma opening a saloon door just like in a Western.
This is a strange episode in that it seems to polarize Avengers watchers. People either love it or hate it and there is very few people in the middle ground. It says a lot about an Avengers watcher whether they liked or disliked "Epic." As it stands, I love every second of it. It might not be your cup of tea, but it is worth watching because of Wyngarde's performance and the various nods at film genres.

"Too Many Christmas Trees" and the pleasures of an Evil Santa Claus

I apologize for the disturbing picture on the left. It frightens me as I write this blog, but I thought it would set the mood for my "Too Many Christmas Trees" review. The main reason that I vote this episode as the best is that it takes a concept that is ridiculous by design (telepathy) and makes it cool. It reverses the Emma episode making it the first and only "Steed episode" that I have encountered (correct me if I'm wrong). It also contains some of the most funny, touching, witty, and entertaining Emma/Steed moments of the entire season ("I have always fancied myself in one of these," says Emma referring to the bed. Steed replies, "So have I-I mean, I have too.") Classic. And what's cooler than an evil Santa?

In this episode, Steed is under mind invasion by a group of telepathic people. He is the only one under attack, but Emma is by his side, trying to figure out what is wrong with him. It is interesting to know Emma's agenda without entirely knowing what is going on in Steed's mind (more mystery).

"Too Many Christmas Trees" also features some cool dream sequences which everyone loves featuring some chilling camera work (camera cuts back and forth from the guillotine, to Steed, to the basket lady as Steed waits to get his head chopped off, mimicking the cutting motion of the approaching saw). The side characters aren't very interesting (except maybe Janice Crane), but the rest of the episode makes up for it. I also think that the hook for this episode is one of the best hooks in any episode ever. It used to scare the pants off me as a child (stockings are transformed into a dead man's feet).

What else is there to say? This is a personal favorite of Pactrick Macnee's. Emma looks good as Oliver Twist. Metronomes make people sleepy. Santa should never be on a playing card. Butlers are very creepy. Never trust any mysterious people in your dreams. This is the closest thing that Avengers gets to perfection. And how ironic? A perfect Chirstmas show. This is one episode that you will want to see year round (and be sure to wait for the wonderful tag).

I Think that the Joker is the most Badass Villian, but this is not about That Joker

"The Joker" is another "Emma episode" (you can tell I like those a lot). It plays out similarly to "The House That Jack Built" except they play the scary card rather than the weird card. But otherwise they are virtually identical. Two evil masterminds who Emma dissed before the episode starts. Two Steeds getting to the deadly place in the nick of time. There are even two weird guys with glasses (Pongo and "The Weird Guy"). The direction is far better and there are much better side characters such as Ola who likes to show off her teeth. Also the main mastermind is more interesting than in "The House That Jack Built" because his personality is semi-taken from the Batman Joker (featured top left). He has a sadistic sense of humor and likes to carry around playing cards.

Like "The House That Jack Built" the bad guy's true intentions are shown at the end. Unlike "The House That Jack Built," the methods to his madness aren't. We know that this guy messed with Emma, but you never know at all how he did it. That is left up to the viewer's imagination which is a better way to handle the mystery. Something that is less known about is more scary than something that is known about (evident in many horror films). The director of this episode is quite good with some excellent cameria shots (focusing on scary people under beds and doors that shouldn't have opened) and the music is superb (much better than the beeps of "The House That Jack Built"). Meine Liebe, Meine Rose will be forever in my memory and nightmares.

The main problem that I had with this episode was that they didn't do enough with the Joker idea. There aren't many places where the Joker shines through. Maybe I'm missing something, but he never seems to joke around. He just acts weird. For example, he trips Steed with a tripwire and kills Steed's friend with a Joker card. Do these incidents strike anyone as Joker activity? Even when he is terrorizing Emma, he uses dummies and other things. Maybe he is just amusing himself. Thats my only real problem, its not the same Joker from the Batman comics (and thats fine, but think of the potential). That and that it is a remake of an older Cathy Gale show (Honor Blackman episodes).

I'm totally excited about the new Batman movie. If you have any interesting insight on either Joker, let me know. Otherwise, watch this episode!

"Murdersville" and my love for Hubert

This is one the best late Emma Episodes. It takes a different tact than most straight Emma Avengers episodes because instead of one creepy mastermind trying to kill her, A WHOLE TOWN IS TRYING TO KILL HER!!!!! . There is nothing really wrong with this episode at all (except some personal problems I have with it). Like most of the Avengers episodes coming out at this time ("The Positive Negative Man," Mission... Highly Improbable," and "You Have Just Been Murdered."), this one is pure gold. But it contains some extra special moments that make it one of my top ten.
First off, this is not an Emma episode clone of "The House that Jack Built." Its completely different mostly because of the inclusion of cool side characters like Forbes and Hubert and Mickle. Hubert and Mickle are so naturally sadistic that it brings tears of joy to my face. And no matter how many times I watch this episode, I always feel bad for Forbes when Hubert and Mickle break all of the priceless glassware. This is also one of the Emma episodes where there are some quality interactions with Steed (I live for Baby Brian!). The tag is hilarious (watch for Steed getting his ear caught) and this episode brought about the invention of "deadly cream pies." This episode truly has it all.
Except, WHY DIDN'T SHE JUST RUN AWAY? WHY? OH WHY? Emma has a long amount of time to escape "Murdersville" (the town, not the episode) and she doesn't. Also another moment that I hate is when Steed knocks out the bartender by laying the bartender's head on the bar. Its the lightest of taps and it knocks him out. I guess Patrick Macnee was just feeling lazy. Also, the helicopter scene (while still pretty cool) is seriously underwhelming.
So, while Murdersville has no real glaring flaws, it just lacks some polish. There were some stupid choices made in the storyline, but that being said, the characters, the idea, and the great acting by Emma Peel make this a great episode.

Full of Campy Fun, "Man-Eater" is a Guilty Pleasure (much like this summer's "Wanted")

"Man-Eater of Surrey Green" is such a weird, strangely blood-thirsty, funny, and yet well done episode. Its the only real sci-fi episode that the Avengers has to offer. This episode again proves that innovation is the key (most of the time), but this "evil plant" plotline has been done before (just not in much British television, except maybe Dr. Who). The main plotline involves a evil, smart, man-eating plant wants to take over the world or at least Britian after it crashes onto Earth. It does this through mind-control apparently. It doesn't make much sense, but its a great effort from the director and the cast.

The first thing that I found surprising about this episode is the amount of death. At least 20 people die in this episode which is an Avengers record. Also, being a fan of zombies, I loved the way the mind-controled people behaved a lot like them. There is an average amount of Emma/John interactions, but there is one great moment with Mrs. Peel that I love. Toward the end, the duo is with their companion named Ms. Sheldon. At one point, Mrs. Peel looks off camera and says "Ms. Sheldon" like Ms. Sheldon wet herself or started a strip tease. Then the camera cuts to Ms. Sheldon being dragged off by monstrous vines. It never fails to bring a smile to my face. Also, the end fight sequence is tense even though its in an area full of nude mannequins. The episode is full of some really stupid moments that I love.

This is the kind of hit or miss episodes that comes along occasionally in Avengers. It might be one that only I love. If you like bad sci-fi movies or have a flair for all that is weird in this world, then I recommend this episode. Keep in mind, its really well made, just bad production values render it humorous.

The House that Made Me Love the Avengers: The Wonders of "The House that Jack Built."

This was the first great Avengers episode I watched. I absolutely love this episode (enough to warrent a number nine spot). It is the very first "Emma Episode." These episodes feature Mrs. Peel who is in a dangerous situation and has to get out of it. Like "Death's Door," these episodes feature very few Emma/John moments, but Emma is so awsome, I don't care. Besides, the endings where Steed actually reaches her are so sweet that it just makes you love the Avengers all the more.

The episode features Emma Peel, primarily, who goes to see her inherited house that she got when her uncle died. The house has another agenda, however. This is a very psychological episode with some freaky moments like with the neverending room of DOOOMMM! The house itself has such a personality that it ranks up there with one of the most original masterminds in the series. Diana Rigg really acts up a storm here and its cool to see here gradual progression into desperation. This is good because there is virtually no other actors that I care about in this episode (except Steed of couse, but he gets a small amount of screen time).

There are problems with this episode. It tends to drag a little and once Mrs. Peel seems to know what she is doing, the episode gets a little less interesting (though there are lots of surprises later). But its so well directed and features so many cool moments (spikes coming out of the ground to break the tires of Steeds jalopy). If they didn't make a better version of this same episode later ("The Joker") then it would be higher on my list, but as it stands, its one of my personal favorites.

A Great Story Elevates "Deaths Door" from Mediocrity

This is one of my favorite episodes and is featured in many top ten lists besides mine. It's one of the few tense episodes that really has a sense of mystery and suspense. It features a great plotline about these high level officials having death premonitions. These "dreams" are very creepy and feature these cool "faceless men" which are very dreamlike and make the episode very surreal in places. I always think that the Avengers do there best with innovation (sometimes) and this is a good example. Its not completely original, but it is one of the more unique Avengers episodes. It also features really good performances by the side cast unlike most episodes. There is also a very badass sequence with an archery range where Steed kills a guy with a fence and a bullet (one of the best scenes in the series).

The main problem that I have with this episode is that there aren't enough, what I lovingly call, "John/Emma moments." There aren't too many cute interactions between John and Emma that give the Avengers its beautiful heart (what sentimental writing). The villains of the episode are also really lame with no charm, distinguishing features, or witty dialogue. Its almost like they focused too much on the story and not enough on the important characters. But there are some really great moments in this episode that make me happy inside. This is not a must see episode, but if you want some cool dream sequences in your Avengers, check it out.

The Reviews

I will begin this blog by giving my comments on the Avengers episodes that I think are the best in the series. Disagreement is natural, but if you've just started getting into this television show, these are some ones you should probably see soon. So here it goes.....

Lights! Camera! ACTION!!!

Avenging Mrs. Peel and John Steed

The Avengers is a great, classic British television show. Its filled with spunk, vibe, and charm. It is entertaining, smart when it wants to be, and always witty. When I first saw the Avengers, I was been charmed by Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee to such a degree that I had to watch more and more episodes until I watched all of the Emma Peel seasons. Watching these episodes is one of my favorite pastimes. I just want to bring my opinions and comments to this great time in British television.

And without further ado "We need a drink!"