TV Review: Star Trek (1968-1969)

Title: Star Trek
Release Date: September 20, 1968 – June 3, 1969
Production Company: Paramount Television
Episodes:  24
Summary/Review:

The common wisdom among Star Trek fans is that the series’ third and final season is the worst.  And yet, there are some diamonds among the rough.  When I was watching the show in syndication as a kid, I seemed to catch a lot of third season episodes multiple times and still ended up loving Star Trek (at the other end of the spectrum I heard about classic episodes like “The Trouble With Tribbles” for years before I got to see it for the first time).

There are a lot of reasons for the decline of quality including Paramount taking over Desilu Studios and their execs hating Star Trek, NBC moving the show to a deadend time slot, and the departure of several key creative minds behind the show.  William Shatner is genuinely a talented actor, but his response to bad scripts was to ham it up and thus his third season performances forever tainted him as an overactor.

That being said, I found this series has a lot of great science fiction premises and storytelling ideas.  They are not always executed well, but I give everyone involved an A for effort for trying new things at the same time resources were being slashed.  The season also features a significant number of scripts written by women and prominent guest roles for women actors.  Star Trek wasn’t always great in addressing sexual equality but this was a definite sign of progress. Of course, maybe the most important thing about the third season is that it gave Star Trek enough episodes to go into syndication.  Without it, Star Trek may never have become a phenomenon and I wouldn’t be writing about it right now.

My five favorite episodes in Season 3:

1. Day of the Dove
2. The Tholian Web
3. Spectre of the Gun
4. All Our Yesterdays
5. The Empath

And the biggest stinker: And the Children Shall Lead

Below the Read More, I’ve written up short reviews of each episode with a letter grade. These reviews assume some familiarity with the episode and are full of spoilers

Related Posts:

• Star Trek: The Original Series season one
• Star Trek: The Original Series season two
• Star Trek: Discovery season one
• Star Trek: Discovery season two
• Star Trek: Picard season one
• Star Trek: Lower Decks season one
• Star Trek: Discovery season three
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season one

Song of the Week: “Jacaranda” by Sivan Levy

Sivan Levy – Jacaranda

Israeli dream pop artist Sivan Levy’s song “Jacaranda” is a track off her most recent EP release SIDE:S.

Songs of the Week for 2023

January

• “Happiness” by THICK
• “Abathembu” by uKhoiKhoi
• “Blood Rushes” by CIVIC
• “Doomscrollers” by Quasi
• “Fold” by Bonobo & Jacques Greene

February

• “Go Dig My Grave” by Lankum
• “Tokyo Dub Story” by Gezan & Million Wish Collective
• “MA EMILY (featuring Rapsody)” by C.S. Armstrong
• “All of the Time in the World to Kill” by The Milk Carton Kids

March

• “False Spring” by Shelli Le Fay
• “Barley” by Water From Your Eyes
• “exodus the north star” by Yaya Bey
• “Grey Eagle” by Mighty Poplar

April

• “My My Orca Card” by Who Is She?
• “Pop Song Baby” by MEDIOCRE
• “Too Many Things” by The Linda Lindas
• “Consumerism” by Acid Tongue

May

• “Freak Me Now” by Jessie Ware
• “Journeyman” by The Baseball Project
• “Roll the Credits” by Danielle Ponder Hannah Jadagu
• “What You Did” by Hannah Jadagu
• “Star” by CERES

June

• “Kristine From the 7th Grade” by Ben Folds
• “Lima” by Rocket Empire
• “Eliza, I See” by Darlingside
• “Vine” by Glasser

July

• “Cellar” by Sea Lemon
• “hot blue summer” by dayaway
• “Tumbling Dice” by Little Dragon
• “ETA” by NewJeans
• “Jacaranda” by Sivan Levy

Movie Review: Barbie (2023)

Title: Barbie
Release Date: July 21, 2023
Director: Greta Gerwig
Production Company:  Heyday Films | LuckyChap Entertainment | NB/GG Pictures | Mattel Films
Summary/Review:

“To be honest, when I found out the patriarchy wasn’t about horses I lost interest.”

Some might say this movie is just a promo by a big corporation for a toy, but Barbie has been a significant cultural artifact since the doll’s introduction 64 years ago.  In the hands of Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), I figured the movie would be a lot of fun with some sociological messages worked in, and I was correct.

In the movie, Barbie (Margot Robbie, often referred to as “Stereotypical Barbie” because she’s the standard model) has an existential crisis.  She learns she has to leave Barbieland for the Real World to find the girl who is playing with her, reluctantly allowing Ken (a.k.a “Beach Ken,” Ryan Gosling) to accompany her. She meets up with Gloria (America Ferrera), a woman estranged from her teenage daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and they begin to help one another.

I won’t go into too much detail to avoid spoilers, but the underlying themes of the film deal with feminism through the lens of Barbie.  The denizens of Barbieland believe they have solved the Real World’s problems by empowering women but reality is of course very different.  The movie deals pretty well with the positive and negative effects fashion dolls like Barbie have on society.  Through Ken’s story, we see that feminism is also for men as his story arc is akin to a teen boy being radicalized by Men’s Rights Activists, before he ultimately realizes self-actualization.

The cast of the movie is strong especially with the various versions of Barbie and Ken.  I’m particularly fond of Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) and Allan (Michael Cera), a discontinued “friend of Ken” character.  Lizzo’s musical commentary and Helen Mirren’s droll narration are also well done.  And the dance number lead by Gosling and Simu Liu as competing Kens is a showstopper!  On the downside, Will Ferrell’s role as the CEO of Mattel feels kind of extraneous and derivative of the character he played in The LEGO Movie.

Barbie the movie isn’t perfect, but as we learn from this film, perfection is not an attainable goal.  It is great as a fun summer blockbuster that makes you think as well.

Rating: ***1/2

 

 

DEEP DIVES – Album Review: Diamonds and Pearls by Prince and The New Power Generation

I am doing a deep dive into the work of the musical artist Prince.  Each week until December I will post my thoughts on albums released by Prince (and his bands and side projects) focusing on one year of his career. 

This week I’m focusing on Diamond and Pearls from 1991.

Album: Diamonds and Pearls
Artist: Prince and The New Power Generation
Release Date: October 1, 1991
Label: Paisley Park | Warner Bros.
Favorite Tracks:

• Thunder
• Cream
• Willing and Able
• Gett Off (with Eric Leeds)
• Jughead
• Money Don’t Matter 2 Night

Thoughts:

Diamond and Pearls sounds more like a band album than anything from the Revolution. New Power Generation didn’t have a steady lineup, but they also existed and recorded outside of backing up Prince.  Most significantly, Tony M took the lead on the rap verses which become more significant in Prince’s music at this time.  The influence of New Jack Swing is also significant on this album.  The singles “Cream” (which was Prince’s final Number One song) and “Gett Off” were instant classics, and “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” is also pretty great.  There’s nothing bad about the rest of the album but nothing else really stands out either. It feels weird that someone as talented as Prince is making music that is actually quite good but somehow feels less because it doesn’t hold up with his 80s masterpieces.

Rating: ***1/2

 

For You	1978		***
Prince	1979		***1/2
Dirty Mind	1980		****
Controversy	1981		****
1999	1982	Prince and the Revolution	*****
Purple Rain	1984	Prince and the Revolution	*****
Around the World in a Day	1985	Prince and the Revolution	****
Parade	1986	Prince and the Revolution	****
Sign “☮︎” the Times	1987		****1/2
8	1987	Madhouse	***
16	1987	Madhouse	***1/2
Lovesexy	1988		***1/2
Batman	1989		***
Graffiti  Bridge	1990		***1/2
Diamonds and Pearls	1991	Prince and the New Power Generation	***1/2
Love Symbol	1992	Prince and the New Power Generation
Goldnigga	1993	The New Power Generation
Come	1994
The Black Symbol	1994
The Gold Experience	1995
Exodus	1995	The New Power Generation
Chaos and Disorder	1996
Emancipation	1996
Kamasutra	1997	The NPG Orchestra
Crystal Ball	1998
The Truth	1998
Newpower Soul	1998	The New Power Generation
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale	1999
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic	1999
The Rainbow Children	2001
One Nite Alone…	2002
One Nite Alone… Live!	2002
Xpectation	2003
N-E-W-S	2003
Musicology	2004
The Chocolate Invasion	2004
The Slaughterhouse	2004
C-Note	2004
3121	2006
Planet Earth	2007
Indigo Nights	2008
Lotusflow3r/MPLSound	2009
20Ten	2010
Plectrumelectrum	2014	with 3rdeyegirl
Art Official Age	2014	with 3rdeyegirl
HITnRun Phase One	2015
HITnRun Phase Two	2015

50 Years, 50 Movies (2019): Uncut Gems

I will turn 50 in November of this year, so my project for 2023 will be to watch and review one movie from each year of my life.  The only qualification is that it has to be a movie I’ve not reviewed previously. 

2019

Top Grossing Movies of 2019:

1. Avengers: Endgame
2. The Lion King
3. Frozen II
4. Spider-Man: Far from Home
5. Captain Marvel

Best Picture Oscar Nominees and Winners of 2019:

• Parasite
• Ford v Ferrari
• The Irishman
• Jojo Rabbit
• Joker
• Little Women
• Marriage Story
• 1917
• Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

Other Movies I’ve Reviewed from 2019:

• 63 Up
• Apollo 11
• Apollo: Missions to the Moon
• Booksmart
• Extra Ordinary
• The Farewell
• For Sama
• The Further Adventures of Walt’s Frozen Head
• Just Mercy
• Klaus
• Knives Out
• Knock Down the House
• Lady and the Tramp 
• The Last Black Man in San Francisco
• The Lighthouse
• Midsommar
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire
• See You Yesterday
• Sorry We Missed You
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
• Toy Story 4
• Us
• When They See Us
• Wild Nights With Emily

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Title: Uncut Gems
Release Date: December 13, 2019
Director: Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie
Production Company: A24 | Elara Pictures | IAC Films | Sikelia Productions | Scott Rudin Productions
Summary/Review:

This movie begins with Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) receiving a colonoscopy and that is the most relaxed we ever see him.  Howard runs a jewelry business in New York’s Diamond District and is a compulsive gambler.  Howard acquires a rare black opal from Ethiopia which he hopes to auction off in order to pay off his gambling debts.  During the course of the film, Howard loan the opal to Boston Celtics basketball star Kevin Garnet (himself) who believes it brings him luck, canoodles and then fights with his mistress Julia (Julia Fox),  attempts to reconcile with his wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) who wants a divorce, pawns items to gain money for his ill-advised bets, parties with The Weeknd (himself), and tries to avoid his loan shark brother-in-law Arno (Eric Bogosian) and his hired goons.

This a movie about loud and abrasive New Yorkers, and true to life of the loud and abrasive New Yorkers I know, they never stop shouting over one another the entire film.  It’s also a very Jewish film as themes of cultural Judaism are woven through the plot (although, even as a non-Jewish person even I know that Passover is over before the NBA playoff semifinals, but it’s dramatic license).  Sandler puts in an excellent performance that’s worlds away from his grossout comedies.  Howard is a complete and total asshole, and a self-destructive one at that, but Sandler gives him the personality that makes you still want to pull for him.

 

Rating:

Friday Fictioneers – The next great poet of their generation makes a statement

PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast

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“Woody Guthrie painted ‘This Machine Kills Fascists’ on his guitar,” exclaimed Ethan.

“Ya, bro?” questioned Alina.

“And Pete Seeger’s banjo said ‘This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces It to Surrender.’”

“Uh-huh … so what’s that on your guitar?”

“It’s a TV test pattern.”

“Wha? Dude, why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It means ‘The Revolution Won’t Be Televised!’”

“Not very original, bra.  You’re ripping off Guthrie, Seeger AND Gil Scott-Heron.  And still no one will ever know what the hell that means!”

“You’re just a normie, kid.  You don’t get it!”

“Whatever, just try writing a song that actually says something first!”

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Friday Fictioneers is a weekly photo prompt flash fiction challenge on Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Addicted to Purple blog.  See additional stories from the prompt by other writers here!

Book Review: The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin

Author: Emily Franklin
Title: The Lioness of Boston
Publication Info: Boston : Godine, 2023.
Summary/Review:

This historical novel details the remarkable life of a real life woman, Isabella Stewart Gardner.  Originally from New York, Isabella marries her friend’s brother from Boston and finds herself isolated from the stuffy, stratified society of the city’s elite.  Not only is Isabella an outsider but her interests in science and nature and her eccentric tastes further isolate her.  After the tragic death of her only child, and extensive travel in Europe and Asia, Isabella determines to chart her own course in Boston society. This builds up to her creating her gift to the city, a unique museum of the artwork she collected over the decades.

Isabella acquires her own coterie of friends including many intellectual luminaries of the Athens of America as well as figures known worldwide such as Henry James, John Singer Sargent, and Oscar Wilde.  There’s a lot of name-dropping in this book! From what I know of Gardner’s life, the novel follows her basic life trajectory.  The text includes a number of letters between Gardner and her correspondents and while her real correspondence exists in great quantity, author Emily Franklin made these letters up to serve her narrative.  Even better is the dialogue among Gardner and her famous friends which no one could know precisely, but I believe is true to life if not strictly factual.

Recommended books:

• The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

Rating: ***1/2

50 Years, 50 Albums (1990): Hindu Love Gods

50 Years, 50 Albums

I will turn 50 in November of this year, so my project for 2023 will be to listen to and review one album from each year of my life, 1973 to 2022.  The only qualification is that it has to be an album I’ve not reviewed previously. 

1990

Top Grossing Albums of 1990:

1. Step By Step – New Kids on the Block
2. No Fences – Garth Brooks
3. Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em – MC Hammer
4. Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey
5. I’m Your Baby Tonight – Whitney Houston

Grammy Award for Album of the Year of 1990:

• Back on the Block – Quincy Jones & Various Artists
• …But Seriously – Phill Collins
• Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey
• Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em – MC Hammer
• Wilson Phillips – Wilson Phillips

Other Albums I’ve Reviewed from 1990:

• Glíng-Gló  – Björk Guðmundsdóttir & Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar
• Heaven or Las Vegas – Cocteau Twins
• Violator – Depeche Mode
• 13 Songs – Fugazi
• AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted – Ice Cube
• Mama Said Knock You Out – L.L. Cool J
• I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got – Sinead O’Connor
• Graffiti Bridge – Prince
• Fear of a Black Planet – Public Enemy
• All Shook Down – The Replacements
• The Rhythm of the Saints – Paul Simon
• Goo – Sonic Youth
• Flood – They Might Be Giants

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Album: Hindu Love Gods
Artist: Hindu Love Gods
Release Date: October 5, 1990
Label: Giant/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records
Favorite Tracks:

• Walkin’ Blues
• Raspberry Beret
• Junko Pardner
• Mannish Boy
• Battleship Chains
• Vigilante Man

Thoughts:

Dug back to my college years to excavate an album that was on heavy rotation for me back in the day, but not one I’ve listened to in a long time.  Hindu Love Gods was a side project of R.E.M. members Bill Berry, Peter Buck and Mike Mills with Michael Stipe replaced on vocals by veteran rocker Warren Zevon.  Their only album resulted from a drunken, late-night jam session in the studio that was never intended for release but I’m glad they did. The majority of the album features interpretations of classic Blues tracks by the likes Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, and Muddy Waters.  It also includes some more contemporary tracks including a famous cover of Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” and (my personal favorite) The Georgia Satellites’s “Battleship Chains.” Hindu Love Gods have definitely earned their spot as one the great one-album bands of all time.

Rating: ****

Song of the Week: “ETA” by NewJeans

NewJeans – ETA

This is probably the first K-pop track to appear in Song of the Week, but I couldn’t resist the bouncy electronic dance sound of the all-girl quintet’s latest tune. This is one of 6 tracks on the band’s Get Up EP.

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Songs of the Week for 2023

January

• “Happiness” by THICK
• “Abathembu” by uKhoiKhoi
• “Blood Rushes” by CIVIC
• “Doomscrollers” by Quasi
• “Fold” by Bonobo & Jacques Greene

February

• “Go Dig My Grave” by Lankum
• “Tokyo Dub Story” by Gezan & Million Wish Collective
• “MA EMILY (featuring Rapsody)” by C.S. Armstrong
• “All of the Time in the World to Kill” by The Milk Carton Kids

March

• “False Spring” by Shelli Le Fay
• “Barley” by Water From Your Eyes
• “exodus the north star” by Yaya Bey
• “Grey Eagle” by Mighty Poplar

April

• “My My Orca Card” by Who Is She?
• “Pop Song Baby” by MEDIOCRE
• “Too Many Things” by The Linda Lindas
• “Consumerism” by Acid Tongue

May

• “Freak Me Now” by Jessie Ware
• “Journeyman” by The Baseball Project
• “Roll the Credits” by Danielle Ponder Hannah Jadagu
• “What You Did” by Hannah Jadagu
• “Star” by CERES

June

• “Kristine From the 7th Grade” by Ben Folds
• “Lima” by Rocket Empire
• “Eliza, I See” by Darlingside
• “Vine” by Glasser

July

• “Cellar” by Sea Lemon
• “hot blue summer” by dayaway
• “Tumbling Dice” by Little Dragon
• “ETA” by NewJeans

DEEP DIVES – Album Review: Graffiti Bridge by Prince

I am doing a deep dive into the work of the musical artist Prince.  Each week until December I will post my thoughts on albums released by Prince (and his bands and side projects) focusing on one year of his career. 

This week I’m focusing on the soundtrack for Graffiti Bridge from 1990.

Album: Graffiti Bridge
Artist: Prince
Release Date: August 20, 1990
Label:  Paisley Park | Warner Bros.
Favorite Tracks:

• Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got
• Release It
• The Question of U
• Round and Round
• Shake
• Thieves in the Temple
• Melody Cool
• Graffiti Bridge

Thoughts:

A new decade, new band, new movie, and new soundtrack. Is it also a new sound for Prince?  Kind of.  Prince embraces the New Jack Swing popular at the time but flavors it with his own brand of funk and rock.  The album is spangled with guest artists including the Time, Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Elisa Fiorillo, and Mavis Staples, not to mention Prince’s new band New Power Generation.

I’m not sure what it says that I like the songs from Prince’s guest artists more than the Prince tracks. The positive interpretation is that Prince is still excelling as a producer and a songwriter, and the man who so long worked as a one-band is becoming more comfortable as a collaborationist.  This sprawling album looks backward more than forwards, channeling the sound of Prince’s earlier works as well as soul/funk/rock classic of the 60s & 70s.  But this album also sounds like a transitional work. What exactly Prince is transitioning to I will discover in the upcoming weeks.

Rating: ***1/2

 

For You	1978		***
Prince	1979		***1/2
Dirty Mind	1980		****
Controversy	1981		****
1999	1982	Prince and the Revolution	*****
Purple Rain	1984	Prince and the Revolution	*****
Around the World in a Day	1985	Prince and the Revolution	****
Parade	1986	Prince and the Revolution	****
Sign “☮︎” the Times	1987		****1/2
8	1987	Madhouse	***
16	1987	Madhouse	***1/2
Lovesexy	1988		***1/2
Batman	1989		***
Graffiti  Bridge	1990		***1/2
Diamonds and Pearls	1991	Prince and the New Power Generation
Love Symbol	1992	Prince and the New Power Generation
Goldnigga	1993	The New Power Generation
Come	1994
The Black Symbol	1994
The Gold Experience	1995
Exodus	1995	The New Power Generation
Chaos and Disorder	1996
Emancipation	1996
Kamasutra	1997	The NPG Orchestra
Crystal Ball	1998
The Truth	1998
Newpower Soul	1998	The New Power Generation
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale	1999
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic	1999
The Rainbow Children	2001
One Nite Alone…	2002
One Nite Alone… Live!	2002
Xpectation	2003
N-E-W-S	2003
Musicology	2004
The Chocolate Invasion	2004
The Slaughterhouse	2004
C-Note	2004
3121	2006
Planet Earth	2007
Indigo Nights	2008
Lotusflow3r/MPLSound	2009
20Ten	2010
Plectrumelectrum	2014	with 3rdeyegirl
Art Official Age	2014	with 3rdeyegirl
HITnRun Phase One	2015
HITnRun Phase Two	2015