Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-"What You Leave Behind"

I am still mourning the loss of AgonyBooth.com (as well as the apparent loss of the gentleman who ran the blog). One idea I had for an article is a review of the series finale of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as the other (so far) Trek finales had already been reviewed on the site. So here now is my review of that episode.

The show's final episode begins, perhaps inevitably with Bashir and Ezri Dax sleeping together, as it was pretty much hammered into our skulls all season long that they would. At least this show gave Bashir a chance at lasting romance, unlike Voyager with Harry Kim.

Elsewhere on the station, O'Brien is being reminded by Keiko and their kids that he needs to tell Bashir about the new teaching job he was offered at Starfleet Academy.

But it's not all fun and romance as Sisko gets another vision from his mother about his journey's end just as he's preparing for a new life with his pregnant wife Kasidy.

As he begins leading the Federation/Klingon/Romulan fleet to Cardassia for a battle that they hope will end the war with the Dominion, Kira, Garak, and Damar (who are also on Cardassia) manage to take out the planet's power grid, causing a break down of the Dominion's communication network.

The trio is captured by Jem'Hadar, who prepare to execute them until their Cardassian allies turn on them in retaliation for the Founders ordering the destruction of a Cardassian city. This turnaround continues as Cardassian ships suddenly fight alongside the Federation and their allies. The female Founder orders all Cardassians exterminated, but Kira and her group infiltrate her command center and take her prisoner, although Damar is killed in the assault. The Founder, who is dying of the Changeling disease crated by Section 31, refuses to give up until Odo arrives and cures her. Apparently this is enough for her to order her forces to stand down (wonder why we didn't try that with Hitler?). Odo later tells Kira that the Founder agreed to surrender if Odo returned to the Changeling homeworld with her so he can cure the other Founders.

After the armistice is signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri (named for the ship on which Japan signed an armistice to end World War II), Worf agrees to return to the Klingon homeworld with Martok as an ambassador (a development Nemesis would later piss on). The crew celebrate one last time at Vic Fontaine's holosuite lounge. During the party, though, Sisko gets another vision, which leads him to go to Bajor, where he finds Dukat and Winn in the Fire Caves attempting to reach the Pah-wraiths. A fight breaks out in which Winn is killed and Sisko rushes Dukat, sending both of them into a fiery chasm.

Sisko finds himself talking to Sarah, who tells him that he's defeated the Pah-wraiths. But he must remain with them for a time before he can return to his family. He subsequently tells Kasidy about this, who tearfully tells Sisko that she'll wait for him.

After grudgingly wishing Quark well, Odo is accompanied by Kira to the Founders' planet, where they bid each other goodbye.

The series ends with Worf and O'Brien departing. Kira, now in command, stares out into space with Jake.

Two things made DS9 unique among the Trek series: its space station setting & its story arcs, which remain the most concentrated of all the Trek shows. For the most part, the series managed to deliver great drama utilizing a wonderful cast. But, the serialization approach the series took all but said that the show's final season, more so than those of the original series or TNG, would really have to deliver-and overall that final season didn't! TNG's first season is understandably regarded as that series's worst because, with some exceptions, the episodes which comprised that season were simply rehashes of things the original series had already done. DS9's final season, however, is that show's worst because it the ending to this two-year war arc was not as involving as we were expecting. Fluff episodes like "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," "The Emperor's New Cloak," and "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang" certainly didn't help. There was also the issue of new character Ezri Dax (Nicole DeBoer) who was added after Terry Ferrell left (or was dismissed according to some sources) the series at the end of the 6th season. Nothing against DeBoer, but the fact that we only got one season to know her character, gave things in the final season a rushed feeling. Not to mention the fact that Worf does essentially nothing to avenge the death of Jadzia, whom he was married to. People have also understandably derided the flashbacks we see from the regulars at the end of the episode. Not only is Jadzia not seen in them, but the flashbacks unfortunately make the episode drag even more. Finally, I want to discuss Sisko's fate. Some have said he should have either died heroically or remained on the station, but not ambiguously disappear as the episode presents. Personally, I think the final shot of the series should've been Jake looking out that window with his old man. At the beginning of the series ("Emissary"), they both arrive at the station viewing it as a temporary home. But they both view the station as their true home by the last season, and having father and son stare into the sky, and by extension the future, having emerged triumphant from war would've been the perfect ending for the series.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone and, along with the fact that this year is the 100th birthday of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, I was prompted to write something about the 1973 Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. The special itself still has plenty of warmth and humor, as do many of the other specials based on the Peanuts strip. In recent years, however, there has been some controversy due to the moment in which the gang are seated at the dinner table Snoopy has made up. Franklin is seen seated alone on one of the long sides of the table, which has prompted cries of racism.

I can certainly understand why this would anger some, especially today. However, I must note that Franklin is still treated nicely throughout the rest of the special. For instance, he and Charlie Brown high-five each other when they meet up at the latter's home. Later, Franklin is seen proudly singing alongside the other characters as they depart for Charlie Brown's grandmother's home. Not to mention the fact that in the later special It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977), Franklin is seen dancing with a white girl. Prior to Franklin's first appearance in the strip in 1968, Schulz said that he was open to the idea of having a black character in his strip, but wanted to make sure he could do it in a non-condescending way. Some would later criticize the character for not having any quirks as the other Peanuts characters, but I always thought he had a characteristic that stood out. Franklin often offers a shoulder to other characters. For instance, he criticized his school's new dress code, which prohibited Peppermint Patty from wearing sandals. He would also have many deep discussions about family with Charlie Brown and Linus. Hence, Franklin could be viewed as a child wise beyond his years. Indeed, the only time Schulz truly stumbled in terms of Franklin was in a 1971 strip when Peppermint Patty wants an ice pond to herself to practice skating over Franklin's objections that he wants to practice hockey. Her response is asking him how many black NHL players are there. But even then, Schulz quickly apologized for any offense it may have caused. Also, (at the risk of sounding like I'm just making excuses), Schulz personally drew all the 20,000+ strips which comprise Peanuts, so it was inevitable that some of the gags would fall flat. Schulz and others didn't exactly praise some of the animation in the specials. For instance, look at the manner in which the tree in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) drastically changes shape once it is decorated.

The gaffe some now see in Thanksgiving could be another example of that. I like to think (and indeed hope) that this was a fluke and nothing more. Regardless, the series itself made up for it.

No Time to Die (2021)

"The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." -M.

Let me begin by saying that this is a look not only at this, the 25th James Bond film, but of all 5 which starred Daniel Craig. No Time to Die itself certainly adheres to the same type of narrative of Craig's previous Bond pics. The return of Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux) reflects that. While I disliked how Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) died, I did appreciate the moment when Bond refers to him as a brother. Bond's apparent demise at the film's end is appropriately vague. Craig basically shouted to the world that this would be his final Bond, although I was not surprised that the classic 'James Bond Will Return' message was seen at the very end of the closing credits. The use of Louis Armstrong's song "We Have All the Time in the World," previously used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), was a nice touch, as was the ending when M (Ralph Fiennes) eulogizes Bond with the same words(which I've quoted above) that are at the end of the 1964 Bond novel You Only Live Twice. One thing I disliked, though, was the fate of Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). I appreciate that there was a more definitive end for the character, as opposed to the disappointment fans felt at the same thing in Diamonds are Forever (1971); although, in fairness, that dissatisfaction would eventually lead to the awesome pre-credits sequence of For Your Eyes Only (1981). But this is a let down because Blofeld is killed apparently by the real villain of No Time to Die, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), who proves as unmemorable as the villains of Craig's other Bond pics. I also hated how Ana de Armas's Paloma was only in the film for a short time and is never heard from again. Craig's 1st Bond film, Casino Royale (2006), was essentially Bond Begins. Bond producers Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli reportedly wanted to do Bond Begins for years. However, Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli (Barbara's father & Michael's step-father) kept shutting such plans down. He felt that part of Bond's appeal was that his origins were kept deliberately vague. Broccoli's passing in 1996 led to Wilson & the younger Broccoli getting control of the Bond series. Hence, they were now free to make Bond Begins, which they did once they decided to not renew Pierce Brosnan's Bond contract after his fourth Bond picture Die Another Day (2002). The success of Batman Begins (2005) gave them further incentive for going this route. As Wilson & Broccoli were so determined to go this route, it made perfect sense that another actor would be introduced as Bond, as Bond Begins with an actor already estabished in the role would've been awkward. Casino Royale had a better pace than Die Another Day, & it was certainly a good move to attempt to have the series take a different track. Like Batman Begins & its two sequels, Craig's 5 Bond movies seem to tell a massive if convoluted story. But, just a few years earlier came the release of The Bourne Identity (2001), which was noted for its viseral action moments. Many have called this a more realistic tone in the aftermath of 9/11 & it's not surprising that the Bond series would pick up with this. But this understandably led to criticism that Craig's Bond films were too similar to the Bourne ones. I've always felt that this led to the spirit of Ian Fleming's Bond books being lost in an attempt to be more 'modern.' Previously, I noted that both Sir Sean Connery & Sir Roger Moore added a sense of whimsy and fun to their interpretations of the role. This aspect was not always present in the books, yet I felt it was always one of the many reasons the Bond series became the great success it did. Only a handful of the Bond pics are actually faithful to Fleming's stories. However, the films of both Connery & Moore managed to capture the essence of what made Fleming's Bond special. This is why I actually enjoy Moonraker (1979), save for the stupid decision to give Jaws a girlfriend. Yes, it was weird to see a Bond film which climaxes with lasers firing in space, but the film still managed to have the same nice sense of escapism as the others. Craig's films, however, became less and less enjoyable due to the emphasis on 'realism.' While the comparison to Bourne is understandable, I think another fair comparison to Craig's Bond would be the manga character Duke Togo, aka Golgo 13. Neither of the guys ever really smiles, & they both probably keep the stern face even when having sex.

Like The Dark Knight Rises (2012), No Time to Die certainly projects a sense of closure, but its storyline is too complicated for its own good!

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)

"We're racing toward the extinction of our species. We not only lack dominion over nature, we're subordinate to it." -Dr. Ian Malcolm.

Well, the end of the Jurassic Park series (at least the poster calls it that) plays out the way anyone who's seen the previous entries would expect. The beginning of the series is a classic movie which emphasized the dangers of genetic power. Now, flash forward to this, the sixth entry, and that issue is pretty much moot, since dinosaurs were set loose upon the world at the end of the previous entry Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), which I must note is the only entry in the series I did not see in the theater, & it turned out to be the right way to go since I find it the most boring entry. Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), the little girl responsible to dinos now running amuck all over the globe, is being raised by our couple from the previous two entries Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) & Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) in a cabin in the mountains of Nevada. Owen also spends his time trying to contain stray dinos.

Not surprisingly, Maisie would like to see more of the world, but her adoptive parents are protective of her because of her unique genetic characteristics, established in Fallen Kingdom. Sure enough, bad guys are spying on them and, when Maisie attempts to run off, succeed in capturing her as well as the daughter of Blue, the raptor Owen trained. At the same time, locusts start running amok all over the world. These attacks threaten to bring famine all over the world.

This problem is brought to the attention of Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), who, in turn, calls upon her former flame Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill). They deduce that the locusts are the products of a company called Biosyn. They head to the HQ in Italy, where, as luck would have it, they are assisted by their old acquaintance Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), who is an employee. Owen and Claire also arrive in Italy, having traced Maisie there. One thing leads to another and soon we have a James Bond-esque chase sequence through the streets complete with raptors.

Eventually, the culprit behind the locusts is revealed to be Dodgson (Campbell Scott), who was briefly seen in the original film and, we see, went to the trouble of recovering the shaving cream can which housed stolen dino embryos.

Eventually, all our protagonists converge together and, with help from Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong), also from previous entries, the locusts are stopped. To the surprise of nobody, Owen, Claire, & Maisie are once again a happy family living in the mountains, Grant & Sattler resume their relationship &, with Malcolm, become advocates for the dinos which are now sharing the planet with humanity.

I know this review doesn't hit all the marks of the film. That's because I always felt there was nothing much that could be done with the storyline after Fallen Kingdom. I must admit, I got a kick out of Claire going through the water a la Apocalypse Now (1979), to escape being dino chow.

But none of the newer characters adds anything, and everyone else just goes through the motions. What I hated about this film, though, was the locusts, which are as annoying as those in The Mummy (1999). On the one hand, it's cool to see characters from across the series sharing the screen. But Dominion is simply enjoyable if you're fine with films where you can guess what happens next practically from the moment the film begins.

Friday the 13th (1980)

"Did you know that a young boy drowned? The year before those two others were killed. The counselors weren't paying any attention! They were making love while that young boy drowned! His name was Jason!" -Pamela Voorhees.

This is, as they say, the one that started it all! At first glance, Friday the 13th was basically another Halloween knockoff. What made it stick out from the others, though, was that it had the backing of a major studio-Paramount Pictures. As a result, unlike Halloween and many of the films it inspired, Friday was able to get the same across the board distribution that other studio-backed classics like The Exorcist, Jaws, and the previous year's Alien enjoyed. This is why, when the movie opened in the summer of 1980, it made an absolute fortune. The only film that made more money that year was The Empire Strikes Back. Also, much like the James Bond series, the Friday series took its first three entries to establish its characteristics. Indeed, as any horror fan knows, Jason is not the killer in the original but his mother (Betsy Palmer). The second film has Jason front and center, but it isn't until the thrid that he gets his famous hockey mask! Yes, the film has some moments that make you go "Oh, come on!" For instance, Alice not finishing off the killer when she has the chance. But, it has a wonderful atmosphere, not to mention that classic Harry Manfredini score. Nearly all its sequels (including its surprisingly enjoyable 2009 reboot) kept this same tone. Hence, it is not surprising that this series thrived throughout the 1980s. No, the original is not quite up there with other summer scare fests such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, Grizzly, Piranha, and Cujo. But it is certainly as watchable as all those. To summarize, the Friday series is a great example of dumb fun! I even own the original NES video game of it!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

"There are moments when we cannot believe that what is happening is really true. Pinch yourself and you may find out that it is!" -Pam Willard.

It's summertime, and there's currently a scorching heat wave in my neck of the woods. With that in mind, I've decided to look at a few flicks that I always felt were ideal summer viewing. What can I say about this classic that hasn't already been said? It's definitely an intense shocker that will make you have sleepless nights. A group of friends are traveling to the graves of one of their family members due to reports of grave robbing. After an encounter with a creepy hitchhiker(Edwin Neal), they go to an abandoned house owned by another family member. This house is in close proximity to a huge farmhouse. In need of gas, two of the friends decide to see who's home. They soon get their answer when they meet Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who wears a mask made of human skin. Eventually, he kills all but one of the friends (Marilyn Burns), whom he and the hitchhiker proceed to torture before she manages to escape. Like Psycho (1960) before it and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) after it, this film was partially inspired by the case of Ed Gein. Gein was a farmer from Wisconsin who was arrested in 1957 after police discovered his home littered with human remains. Another thing I've always liked about the film is its atmosphere. The viewer truly feels like they are in the middle of nowhere in the dead of summer. The climax's closeups of Sally's eyes is reminiscent of the eye shots in Sergio Leone's films, but taken to another level. Despite the outrage that the film caused in some quarters, it became a smash, and its director, Tobe Hooper would later direct Eaten Alive (1976), Salem's Lot (1979), and Poltergeist (1982). Interestingly, it would be a dozen years before the film's first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986), also directed by Hooper. Other sequels and reboots followed. None have matched the original film, although I always got a kick out of seeing then-unknown Renee Zellweger in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995), also known as The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But the best trailer for me is the one for Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990). The sight of the chainsaw emerging from the lake like it's Excalibur always cracks me up.

Double Feature Time: Dr. No/Blood Feast

Now, this may seem like an unusual double feature, especially today. After all, even those who aren't James Bond fans have probably heard about the first film in that series, Dr. No. Whereas only hard-core horror fans may be familiar with the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis. While Dr. No was released in 1962, it first appeared in American cinemas the following year, just like Blood Feast. At the time, neither film was viewed at with excitement by American distributors. The budgets for both films were also quite small, even for that time (Dr. No cost roughly $1 million & Blood Feast had a budget of just under $25,000). Also, while Blood Feast is certainly gorier than Dr. No, both films came under fire for pushing the envelope in terms of both violence and sexuality. So, I can't but wonder if there was at least one drive-in where these two pics had a double bill, as American distributors had no idea what to do with them. Of the two, Dr. No has obviously become looked at with more fondness in the decades since its release. It both started the long-running Bond film series, and made its star, Sean Connery, a household name. I also must state that Dr. No's title character (played by Joseph Wiseman), proved much scarier than the wacko in Blood Feast, Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold). Indeed, to call the acting in Blood Feast hammy is an understatement. The actors reportedly read their lines off of cue cards hidden in the furniture. However, it is understandable that Blood Feast would get a following of its own, as it's regarded as the first film to show explicit gore. Lewis did the film after a series of films which were noted for showing nudity. So, he decided to switch gears by resorting to violence. But he also kept made sexuality prominent, which is evident as the female lead is played by Playboy Playmate Connie Mason. So, it's not surprising that Lewis would make more similar films, beginning with 2000 Maniacs (1964).

Double Feature Time: The Muppet Movie/Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Two of the most beloved TV shows ever are Star Trek and The Muppet Show. Not only did both of them spawn franchises that have lasted decades, but both also had memorable big screen and small screen installments. In an interesting coincidence, both made their big screen debuts in 1979. A Trek revival had already been in the planning stages basically since the original series aired its final episode a decade earlier. In contrast, the Muppets first appeared in cinemas in the midst of their TV show's successful run. Indeed, the only reason the show ended in 1981 was to allow Jim Henson to pursue other projects, Muppets or otherwise. While many fans disliked the slow pace of The Motion Picture, both films were successful enough to spawn more movies from each. Of the two, though, Trek would end up with the more spotty track record. Of the (so far) 13 Trek movies that have come out, only the first four and the sixth are the ones that I've gone to the trouble of getting on DVD. On the other hand, even the worst of the Muppet films, the most recent Muppets Most Wanted (2014), is still fun to watch. One more interesting tidbit which made me think of these two films as a nice double feature. The legendary Orson Welles has an appearance at the end of The Muppet Movie, and he narrates the trailer for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Double Feature Time: Hang 'em High/Night of the Living Dead

To say 1968 was a turbulent year would be putting it mildly. There were race riots, the Tet Offensive, not to mention the shocking murders of Dr. Martin Luther King and Sen. Robert Kennedy. I have an aunt who was in Indianapolis when Kennedy gave his eulogy on King. It could be argued that the types of movies put out that year reflected that turmoil, such as Planet of the Apes and Witchfinder General. Two such films that I've always found fascinating from that year were Hang 'em High and Night of the Living Dead. Both of these films are harsh but very well made productions. Hang 'em High was Clint Eastwood's first American-made western after the three he made in Spain with Sergio Leone made him a movie star. Living Dead was a low-budget production from George A. Romero, who had previously worked on television, including Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Intentionally or not, both movies must have been cathartic for audiences who first viewed them in '68.

Double Feature Time: Star Wars/Halloween

A while back, I wrote and article about films that I thought would make great double features. Two films that I always thought would are the original Star Wars (1977) and Halloween (1978). Not only did they premiere within a year of each other, but both had profound effects on the science fiction/fantasy and horror genres. Both films also have legendary musical scores, and villains wearing awesome Halloween costumes. Almost immediately, cinemas were flooded with films attempting to imitate both films. In fairness, some were quite entertaining, like The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) and The Last Starfighter (1984). Also, I've always gotten a kick out of the coincidence that both their first sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Halloween II (1981) also came out within a year of each other and both brought a plot twist involving family to their respective stories.

Farewell, Agony Booth!

For years now, I've had the pleasure of writing articles for the entertainment blog AgonyBooth.com. Sadly, no one has heard from the gentleman who runs the blog since the start of November. As of now, the site itself seems to be permanently closed. I sincerely hope and pray that he's alright. In any case, I am thankful to him for allowing me to contribute work to the blog over the years!