Herculodge

Are the Lost Survivors Pawns in a Chess Game?

(Re-post)

ABC's metaphysical thriller Lost makes no secret that it's influenced by such literary sources as Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman and Philip K. Dick's Valis. We see some Lost characters, such as Ben reading Valis, reading these novels and it is apparent that the Lost writers are teasing us with clues about the metaphysical components that make up the Lost world.

The influence of Philip K. Dick became even more important last night when watching Episode Nine, Season Four's "The Shape of Things to Come," it occurred to me that Ben Linus and his arch rival Charles Widmore are playing some kind of game with set rules and that Widmore broke the rules when he killed Linus' daughter, making Linus change his game. Linus also referred to his daughter, about to be killed by one of Widmore's minions, as a "pawn." What's interesting about all this is that Philip K. Dick envisioned human beings as being pawns in a chess game going on in the minds of two Other Beings.

Lost appears to be matching Linus' chess skills against Widmore's. I wouldn't bet my life on it, though. It's not unusual for the Lost writers to make us feel like we know where we're going only to find ourselves going in the opposite direction--just like the Lost survivors.

Valentine's Day Compels Us to Ask: What Is Our Favorite Romantic Film? Sexy Beast

The first film that comes to mind in the romance category is Sexy Beast. This is not a date film to be sure. Dealing with a criminal underworld, the movie is often grotesque, absurd, and even disgusting as it explores the dark, sometimes demonic recesses of the psyche. 

Also, Ben Kingsley almost went mad getting into the part of Don Logan, the film's antagonist. 

But in spite of all its demonic elements, Sexy Beast is a love story. A husband rises to heroism to save his wife and his marriage. Sexy Beast isn't for everyone, but it is my favorite "romantic film," if we can afford some latitude to that definition. 

Runner-up in the romance comedy is about the ups and downs of a crazy marriage, a movie that is both dark and funny, Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney.

As a teenager, my favorite romantic film was David and Lisa, but I've become somewhat jaundiced over the years and now find that movie to be too mawkish for my tastes. Between the disgust level of Sexy Beast and the melodrama of David and Lisa, Two for the Road strikes a good balance. So maybe I'll have to rethink my favorite romantic film . . . 

The Late Night Wars Miss the Real Point: They’re Soon to Become a Thing of the Past

The networks used to pad their wallets with a reliable ritual: Americans' reliance on the shared experience of sitting down at 11:30 P.M. and watching a talented comic like Leno, Letterman, or O'Brien filter the news of the day through his wry lens, a forum crier in the town square, come to assure you that the world was an insane, absurd, sometimes unfathomable place that could be made palatable and less threatening by putting it in its place through irony and satire.

But then came niche programming, DVR machines,  the Internet and newer, hipper forum criers: Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, whose mockeries and diatribes could be immediately streamed in 5-minute YouTube bits. 

 The late-night ritual become usurped by a new generation who prefer their news in short clips gathered through whatever niche Internet sites. As the old generation passes on, we can say goodbye forever to the Late Night Wars and see the ego clashes of its principals partly as a refusal to accept their inevitable demise.

 

The Genius of Dexter

Based on a recommendation from a TV critic on Terry Gross' Fresh Air 4 years ago, I've watched every season of Showtime's Dexter and continue to find it to be one of the compelling TV shows. It probably ranks in my Top 7 List. 

I normally hate graphic violence and gore, yet I find myself drawn to this drama about a vigilante cop who kills violent criminals. 

The genius of Dexter is that Dexter Morgan's individual pathology and compulsion, his double life, and his self-doubts are all universalized so that we the viewer, living our relatively sedate lives, identify with Dexter's day-to-day torment. 

It doesn't hurt that a show this good draws such super stars as John Lithgow whose odious character seemed to be based in part on the BTK Killer. 

What vile criminals will Dexter get entangled with in the upcoming Season 5?

How Big of a TV Should You Get? Depends on Whom You Ask

(Re-post)

I've been casually researching the best TV to get and my living room positions viewers 8 feet from the screen. So how big should my new LCD TV be? Depends on whom you ask. My wife's uncle told me that "people in the know" would recommend going no bigger than 40 inches since at 8 feet a bigger TV would highlight defects in imaging. But CNETsuggests I can go up to 65 inches. 

But the LCD Buying Guide offers a distance-size calculator which at 8 feet suggests a screen of 32 inches, half the previous recommendation. 

But the Practical Home Theater Guide differs, offering the 2-to-5 Principle, stated as thus: "For optimum TV viewing distance, the nearest seating position should be limited to approximately twice the screen width . . . "

Then there's Crutchfield, which offers a guide that agrees with my uncle's 40-inch recommendation. 

Bottom-line is I'd to stick the TV in the living room on a trial basis and see how it looks. If I were so privileged, I'd like to sample various LCD and Plasma models. But my research tells me to get a 40- or 46-inch Samsung LCD 1080 with 120 Hz (which means refresh rate is faster and images look better). Now that I've narrowed down the focus, the fun is gone and I'm content with keeping my Toshiba conventional TV until the Samsung price reduces to a $1,000 or so. 

(Re-post)

I've been casually researching the best TV to get and my living room positions viewers 8 feet from the screen. So how big should my new LCD TV be? Depends on whom you ask. My wife's uncle told me that "people in the know" would recommend going no bigger than 40 inches since at 8 feet a bigger TV would highlight defects in imaging. But CNETsuggests I can go up to 65 inches. 

Gizmodo Posts the 5 Best Televisions You Can Buy

So many choices, so little time. Gizmodo posts the 5 Bests TVs. 

One: Panasonic Z1; 54'' for $4,000

Two. PIoneer Kuro Signature; 60'' for $4,800

Three. Samsung LNB8500; 55'' for $4,020 (no Amazon link as of today)

Four. LG LH90; 55'' for $2,800

Five. Sony XBR8; 55'' for $4,000

White Collar Razzle-Dazzles on First Night And Then Diminishes Into Familiar Formula

Have you ever had a professor who razzle-dazzled you on the first lecture and then you found yourself sleeping for the rest of the semester?

That's my reaction so far to USA's White Collar, a crime drama that came out with a bang, full of delicious twists, during its first episode. Talk about inflated expectations. The subsequent episodes have been conventional, banal, cliché-sodden. 

I saw all these formulas many years ago watching Hawaii 5-O and Streets of San Francisco.  

The Prisoner Remake Descends Into Solipsism and Incoherence

I loved the original version of The Prisoner, so I'm very disappointed that the remake has been getting panned, first in Entertainment Weekly, and now by David Bianculli. Incoherent, pretentious, and self-indulgent, it probably won't be on my DVR. Too bad since the updated shift to the dessert looked intriguing. 

47-Inch Vizio Buy Now for $670 with Free Shipping

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How Big of a TV Should You Get? Depends on Whom You Ask

(Re-post)

I've been casually researching the best TV to get and my living room positions viewers 8 feet from the screen. So how big should my new LCD TV be? Depends on whom you ask. My wife's uncle told me that "people in the know" would recommend going no bigger than 40 inches since at 8 feet a bigger TV would highlight defects in imaging. But CNETsuggests I can go up to 65 inches. 

But the LCD Buying Guide offers a distance-size calculator which at 8 feet suggests a screen of 32 inches, half the previous recommendation. 

But the Practical Home Theater Guide differs, offering the 2-to-5 Principle, stated as thus: "For optimum TV viewing distance, the nearest seating position should be limited to approximately twice the screen width . . . "

Then there's Crutchfield, which offers a guide that agrees with my uncle's 40-inch recommendation. 

Bottom-line is I'd to stick the TV in the living room on a trial basis and see how it looks. If I were so privileged, I'd like to sample various LCD and Plasma models. But my research tells me to get a 40- or 46-inch Samsung LCD 1080 with 120 Hz (which means refresh rate is faster and images look better). Now that I've narrowed down the focus, the fun is gone and I'm content with keeping my Toshiba conventional TV until the Samsung price reduces to a $1,000 or so. 

(Re-post)

I've been casually researching the best TV to get and my living room positions viewers 8 feet from the screen. So how big should my new LCD TV be? Depends on whom you ask. My wife's uncle told me that "people in the know" would recommend going no bigger than 40 inches since at 8 feet a bigger TV would highlight defects in imaging. But CNETsuggests I can go up to 65 inches.