Month: August 2021

The Wyrmking’s Ring

It’s been three months of me trying to manage my tendonitis. As it seems to be chronic now, and as I don’t want to stop gaming, I’ll move forward with the Dogma story. My current regimen: Try to keep a light touch on the controller, and if a hardcore battle comes take a break afterward and stretch the thumbs. Also, ibuprofen.

Remember when I accidentally killed the griffin and I said I missed a quest and an entire corner of the map? Well, now it’s time to visit the Blue Moon Tower. Salomet’s gone to ground there. If I’d fought the griffin I would’ve dropped a portcrystal for later, but no matter. We trudge out there and fight Salomet’s outlaws on our way to the top.

It’s easy to lose a Pawn here off the edge of a broken staircase and into the aether, but we all make it to the final battle. Salomet challenges us and attacks. He doesn’t fight well and he doesn’t say much of interest. I really don’t understand his purpose, but . . .

No worries, I can see fine from back here.

He falls off the edge, leaving behind his magical ring.

I’m to deliver it to the Duke, but I take it to the Black Cat and pay for a forgery to be made. Anyone who carries the original ring has their magical powers augmented. We wants it, precious.

Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

As a child I loved Bewitched, so I was initially charmed by this first episode of WandaVision. On a second viewing, though, it becomes old very quickly. Nostalgia is only good for a brief moment, apparently. Structurally, you’ll see the episode is fairly sound. It’s just not funny, and the unsettling creepiness is too low key. Full notes are at the end of the Enneagram breakdown.

ONE

The screen clicks on, like a tube tv would, to show a black and white scene. A classic car, with a Just Married sign on the bumper, drives down a road. Inside, still in wedding gear, are a smiling Wanda and Vision. Sitcom music plays as they pass through a neighborhood. The mailman waves and Wanda, smiling, waves back while Vision pulls down his hat brim. Anyone who’s seen a sitcom has seen these dynamics: friendly wife, grumpy husband.

Wanda gestures at the For Sale sign in the yard, and it magically has a Sold banner across it. Vision, with his bald, metallic head, carries her, bride style, toward the threshold. With animated twinkle stars, he goes through the closed door and she drops to the welcome mat, shaking her head in mock confusion. He opens the door and carries her in proper while credits roll: “Starring Wanda Maximoff”. We get the picture. It’s winsome and retro, and also a little puzzling.

In the kitchen Wanda, wearing apron and pearls, magically levitates the dishes as she organizes the room. It’s done with CGI, I’m sure, but they’ve animated the dishes to look like they’re on wires, the way the old shows would’ve done it. Fun. Vision comes in, reading the newspaper, and they go through the sitcom schtick — insult, smile, give an “Oh, you!” with a dismissive gesture. With laugh track!

TWO

Vision asks if today is special. The calendar has a heart on this date, but neither of them remembers why. And they won’t admit they’ve forgotten. Just before Vision leaves for work he changes his face to a normal human presentation. So that explains that.

THREE

A knock at the door and here’s Agnes, “your neighbor to the right”. 

Continue reading “Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience”

MAID MARIAN (1991), NULL

In my memory this Marian was pushy and dominating. Funny. In the first half of the movie she’s completely reasonable. As cousin to King Richard, she keeps her head down and provides for her tenants. She’s politically savvy and a good landlord. Robin, apparently, was a lightfoot lad before crusade, and she formed her opinion of him accordingly. He’s not a serious person to her.

Her practicality and efficiency are very Seven.

However, in the second half she changes her character. When Nottingham insists she marry him, she reacts much too emotionally for the era and for a Seven. A noblewoman of this time would’ve expected to marry for expedience, not love. Now, the Sheriff is repugnant and she should object, but not with such surprise and outrage. His request is logical and she would’ve expected it.

And how am I to properly judge her Enneagram when she’s given scenes utterly unreasonable? A woman with her property holdings would certainly know how to birth animals, let alone handle a woman’s breach delivery. That she’s sidelined by the guy is laughable and insulting.

I think I always expect Mastrantonio to be her character from The Abyss. She was so excellent in that part. Surprisingly, I would welcome that style for this Marian. Anything would be better than this hopscotch person we end up with. She’s a Null.

Miri

Critical notes, as always, are after the Enneagram breakdown.

LEFTOVER NINE

On the bridge Kirk reacts intensely to an old Earth-style SOS that the Enterprise is receiving. None of the crew is a familiar face except for Spock at his science station and Yeoman Janice standing near the captain’s chair.

They approach an Earth-like planet, although no colonies or vessels are out this far. Bones comes onto the bridge, and the camera dollies in for a two shot of him and Kirk as Spock reads out the planet’s specifications, eerily familiar . Close-up of Janice, vaseline lens and all, as she reacts: “Earth!” Heh, the view screen of this planet shows the African continent and the Arabian peninsula. “Not THE Earth,” Kirk says. “Another Earth.” The globe on the screen rotates and we see Florida and the Eastern seaboard.

Roll credits.

ONE

After recapping events so far, Kirk prepares to transport down to this alternate Earth. We’ll land in the vicinity of the distress signal, he says.

Here they come, beaming into a rough cityscape. It’s Kirk, Bones, Spock, Janice, and two red shirts. Already their clothes look incongruous. (It’s just one of the studio back lots with a couple of derelict classic cars, burnt brick building facades, and some random debris in the street. Actually, it looks like an Old West set mixed up with a Prohibition set.) Spock estimates this is the equivalent of 1960’s era Earth. The red shirts have gone in separate directions to scout the area. Heh. Evidence suggests, says Spock, the distress signal is automated. No one is around.

TWO

Red Shirt 1, phaser out, strides past a building. The door mysteriously closes after he passes. The gang stop to ponder a child’s tricycle. As Bones gently sets it back on the rubbish pile, spinning its squeaky wheel, a wild man yells and comes from a building. He attacks Bones. Intense music. Everyone, including Red Shirt 1, run to his aid. Lol, Kirk punches it. 

THREE

Downed, the wild man crawls to the trike and cries. He’s got blond hair and blotchy purple (?) skin, and kinda looks like a surf dude. He wants the trike fixed, and our team is gentle and sympathetic.

Continue reading “Miri”