The Twilight Zone: Hocus-Pocus and Frisby - Lies and stories

I love the original Twilight Zone. It is one of the most consistently interesting TV shows I have seen. To top it all off, it is something that remains unique even with its long-standing influence. For all of its faults, it easily remains as one of my favorites. And of the show, one of the best episodes is "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby," an episode about an old storyteller whom I admire.

Fargo pt. 2 - Revisiting expectation

I've been thinking a lot about my personal life recently, and as a result I feel that I actually have more to say about Fargo than what was included in the original post. I don't have much else to say about the movie itself, but I do have a bit to say about how its messages play into my own personal philosophy.

Fargo - Betrayal of expectation

While I do love the Coen brothers' films, I have to admit it took me a while to appreciate Fargo. I just couldn't quite understand the reputation behind it—not that I ever thought it was bad, of course. I really liked William H. Macy's acting, and I wondered why Frances McDormand won the Oscar instead of him. I also wondered on its message and morals. Critics seemed to like the "folksy" nature of the leading lady, but the story itself was often painted in a simplistic light: good is good, bad is bad, and justice prevails. I won't argue against the value of this message, but it seemed to be an awfully "easy" answer that did not quite sit for me. Was it really worthy of the Academy Award not only for lady McDormand but also for its screenplay? What about the cult following? Were people really that amused by what I was seeing?

Well the nice thing about great movies is that you walk away from them with your own interpretation. I have come to my own conclusion and I do not have to rely on the critics, the fans, or any dead author to tell me what to think about this movie.

Spoilers will be mentioned.

JoJo's - The difference between East and West

I really hate being able to predict what is going to happen in a story before it happens.

Sure, sometimes its not a problem, even when it comes to stories I already know. If the story is good  then even if its my second or third or fourth time watching I can get lost in what is happening. But more often than not, I find that I can predict what is going to happen, and I hate it. The worst is when the writer(s) think they are being clever, so they draw out the intended tension and instead end up frustrating me. It happens with story events which are so clearly labeled there may as well be a warning: "This is going to be a problem."

Its even worse when this sort of thing happens to characters. A bad moment in the story can pass while the rest of the tale theoretically rebounds, but a bad character? You're stuck with those. There may be no getting rid of them. Most often the best case scenario is that the character is swept under the proverbial rug like Jar Jar Binks after Phantom Menace or sent back to their home planet like Poochie. The only other hope for such bad characters is for them to undergo such a radical change that little to nothing remains. Some characters, however, are simply flat and lifeless with nothing of value to be noted. The most common "lazy" character writing I find is the "Batman" type of character: strong, silent, dark, brooding. This way they can seem interesting and the writer never has to make them interesting because these traits theoretically justify any lack in expression that would expose any depth the character could have. Characters written like this can be good, like Batman, but more often than not it is a lazy, shallow excuse for character development, also like Batman. Not only is it lazy, but because it is recurring enough to be common, it becomes more and more boring with every example. Characters need depth, and too often when it comes to comics the writer(s) will be afraid to commit to any lasting consequences involving their main character. A tragedy may occur only for it to be forgotten about in the next issue or episode, yet we are expected to keep following this character and enjoying them when there is no real consequence for any intended tragedy.