Twin Peaks' influence on Veronica Mars

So I've been on a Twin Peaks binge since we began it in class- I only just found out who killed Laura Palmer!  And it's begun to remind me of my favorite show from last year, Veronica Mars. The similarities are mostly contained to the excessive detective work, however there are elements of the supernatural in this teen/murder mystery/sassy comedy.

The premise of Veronica Mars' is a teenage girl living in Southern California solves mysteries using the resources of her detective father.  Sounds like Nancy Drew, no?  But this blonde sleuth isn't as wholesome as her 60s counterpart, full of sarcastic insights and bitter world views.  Each season (well the first 2, CW forced them to change the format in the third- which is why it's bad) has a central mystery that Veronica is working to solve.  Through each episode she is set up to aid a classmate or one of her father's clients in solving their cases.  These cases often lead Veronica to learn something new about the main mystery.  

What Veronica often learns has to do with the seedy underside of her high class home town of Neptune.  Like in the innocent lumber village of Twin Peaks, Neptune seems innocent enough on the outside, however replace cozy suburbs with McMansions.  But no one is what they seem, from Veronica's pill popping, cult joining classmates to their high class parents squandering money and beating their children.  Often those we think are the wrongdoers, like the motorcycle gang leader, Weevel are actually the most supportive people in town; akin to Donna's misperception of the innocent Harold.  On the flip-side, those we least expect are often the ones causing the most harm, like the Christian parents who lock their daughter in a closet and Josie who burns down her own mill.

As for Supernatural elements, Veronica Mars mainly shows this in the first

season when dealing with the death of her best friend Lily Kane.  Lily's death is the catalyst in Veronica's change from average high schooler to super sleuth.  Her determination to find Lily's true killer is often obstructed by her own classmates or disapproving town-members.  However, Veronica often visits Lily in her dreams, similar to Cooper's meetings in the Red Lodge or with the Giant.  Lily always encourages Veronica to continue her search, leading her to put the puzzle pieces of Lily's death together.  Lily's brother Duncan is also subjected to hallucinations and dreams of his dead sister.  His family being the leading opposer to the idea that Lily's killer has not been caught, dismisses Veronica (and her detective/former sheriff father's) beliefs.  After speaking with his recently deceased sister, she explains that the killer has not been found and the logic of the Mars investigators makes sense.

Finally, also in similar fashion to Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars was cancelled well before it's time, giving fans no comprehensive conclusion to all the mysteries poured into the show.  With as loyal a cult following we can only hope that Veronica's Lily Kane mystery will live on with Laura Palmer.  And we may get to see more of Mars creator Rob Thomas, as he has just signed on to EP the remake of that other hit 90s show 90210!

In other supernatural news- you can check out Veronica Mars' star Kristen Bell in the up coming Fanboys movie (about a bunch of Star Wars fans trying to sneak on to George Lucas' ranch), a role that scored her a cover with Geek magazine! 

Wait! I blinked and the Show was Cancelled!

Over the years, many supernatural television shows were cancelled before their time. Millennium is just one example of a program forced to end too soon. When this happens, shows are required to create new endings (if they even get enough advanced notice to be able to write and shoot a new end). Some shows are not so lucky and are just cancelled out of the blue.

Threshold was one such program. It premiered in September 2005, and was cancelled in November of the same year, with four episodes unaired. I had fallen in love with the realistic nature of the program and was devastated when it was cancelled without warning. For those who are unfamiliar with the show, Threshold was the story of a scientist who writes about what should be done in worst-case scenarios. One of her plans, Threshold, was put into effect when aliens landed on Earth and began taking over by infecting humans, turning them into the aliens. Dr. Molly Caffrey then gathered a team and set out to understand the aliens and what should be done about the threat. A year after the show’s abrupt ending, a DVD was released with the four episodes that were never aired and a special reel explaining storylines that would have happened if the show had continued.

Threshold, like Millennium, got the time slot shuffle, which spelled disaster for what looked to be a very promising show. Far too many shows suffer this fate, supernatural or otherwise. You know, writing this made me sad for the shows that have been lost far too soon (and shows that have gone on way, way too long).

A poor mans "Tales From The Crypt?"

So every Tuesday and Thursday as I am getting ready to go to class I always turn my TV to the Sci Fi Channel. I have been noticing that around that time they will normaly be playing mini marathons of X-Files, Outer Limits, Jake 2.0 etc. One morning I'm going through my guide and it says "Tales From the..." So I think oh its Tales From the Crypt but when I turn to the channel, I see this low quality show with cheesy effects that is called Tales From the Darkside. I had never heard of this show before and no clue what is was about.

Turns out that Tales From the Darkside had aired from 1984 to 1988, and was created and produced by George A. Romero of all people! The show was an anthology series very similar and inspired by The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but tended to deal more in horror stories very similar to Tales From the Crypt. Each episode would be its own story that usually ended in a plot twist of some kind. Some of the episodes were written by Romero himself, but most episodes were adaptations of famous books or stories, even Steven King's short stories were adapted for the show. Despite only being on air for 4 years it had enough success for its own movie.

The two episodes I saw were My Ghostwriter - The Vampire where a writer discovers a vampire and agrees to store his coffin in his apartment in exchange for his life stories and becomes famous. The other one being The Enormous Radio a story in where a couple buys a new radio but it can pick up the personal conversations of couples from around the area. I have to say that while both episodes were interesting and creative they certainly did not seem scary, it did not even seem that well made and quite funny because of its low production value.

Even the opening screams low quality, I mean come on Are You Afraid of The Dark? had a scarier opening. despite its cheese factor and not being that scary, it still seems like a cool show with some creative aspects. So the next time it is on in the morning as I am getting ready to go I will be happy to see what creative/hilarious story will come from it.

So in closing I just have to ask, has anyone else seen or heard of this show?

Fuzzy/Digital “Monsters” and Other Japanese Gaming Consoles that Saturated the American Buying Market.

Say the word Pokemon and kids all over the world know exactly what your talking about, Fun and Excitement! Although I was never a big fan of the franchise, it dominated and took over the gaming world during the end of the twentieth century. Switching to different mediums such as movies and television, the beloved Pikachu and company were soon featured in everything from trading cards, video games, and even action figures that were all dedicated to these cute little furry creatures hailing from the east that easily accommodated their growing audience. 

This "miniature world" of animals and people insatiately became the new "it" toy and consumers couldn't get enough, buying up anything they could to please their crying children. The growing influence of imported Japanese goods was quickly influencing the buying market and soon toy shelves across the nation became saturated with toys and other gadgets aimed towards kids and their curiosity towards different outlets of escapism. However, Pokemon wasn't the only phenomenon imported from the east that caused toy-craving frenzies. 

Who could forget the lovable Digi (digital) Pets that populated the market during the end of the century? We all walked, fed, and played with our pets electrically and got sad when they weren't loved enough, which untimely resulted in death. Although the thought of owning your own electronic Dino or Dragon was appealing, the fad quickly died out. Even before the Digi Pets, the Nintendo Game Boy was welcomed into the arms of video game lovers. At last, video games were made portable and distracted us all, even from our original Nintendo gaming system. Originating in 1989, the Game Boy sold over 32 million units since its initial release and still goes strong with the DS (Dual Screen) released in 2004 to the next booming generation of gamers.

Since this semi-recent outcry of toys and gadgets, the Japanese electronic industry was booming and America quickly cashed in. After the original Nintendo (85') and the popular 64 (96') gaming systems, Sony Playstation 1 and 2 had successful runs within the gaming realm. All systems released thousands of titles that entertained the youth and reflected a culture of consumers. Even more recently, and possibly the most popular gaming console currently available, is the Nintendo Wii. Released in 2006, the Wii has sold millions of units and is still selling out to a point where they're still hard to get two years later.

In short, without these beloved gadgets, what else could distract us so beautifully from our boring everyday life? Being raised in a generation where it's impossible to think of a world without the Nintendo, I couldn't think of a better life filled with not only colorful graphics but also colorful characters.  

More info on Japanese Gaming Systems.

Supernatural Simpsons

Millennium was one of those shows I remember being horrified of when I was growing up. I know for some 10 to 13 year olds supernatural television like Millennium and the X – Files were weekly television viewing, but for people who just recently got over being afraid of the dark, the images from these shows could cause endless nightmares. Now after viewing them in class, and partaking in this blog which tells me “Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark” I see the interesting merits of such programming.

I am not sure if the episode we watched in class is considered a classic millennium episode or not, but I can see some of the reasons it failed and The X-Files succeeded. The X-files is enjoyable even to a casual fan because of the dry wit and appeal of its lead actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The characters of Mulder and Scully transcended the X-files by becoming a fixture of 1990s pop culture, even appearing on The Simpsons. Frank Black’s bleak darkness like the show itself probably was too intense for American audiences. If you can’t be spoofed on the Simpsons you are never going to make it as a series.

In fact, much of the knowledge I have about supernatural television shows comes from various Simpsons parodies over the years. Each Halloween we can look forward to a new “Tree House of Horror” episode of the Simpsons. While the quality of the Simpsons has gone down by most standards over the years, as the series approaches its 20th season and the strange airing of the “Tree House of Horror” episodes after Halloween may be seen as a sign of a weaker cultural impact. Many of the parodies will stand the test of time as testaments to supernatural television that may be remembered more than the films and shows they spoof themselves.

The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, The X-Files, and countless other supernatural television shows and films have been parodied on the Simpsons. The seemingly endless syndication of the Simpsons will make the supernatural television parodied live on forever and entice television viewers to revisit the supernatural past.




I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would blog about the Simpsons, but at least it is something other than Lost. Although I have to admit watching Millennium and seeing John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) with a mustache and hair was highly enjoyable. Also, the villain pharmaceutical worker who poisoned Frank Black was the evil president Charles Logan on 24. When I Lost and 24 cross paths my mind begins to explode!

Prue vs. Paige Debate

Three sisters all with magical powers, what should they do? Save the world perhaps. What makes them different from other good witches is the fact that they hold the power of three. This is the greatest power and only these three sisters have it to fight demons and make the world a safe place. These sisters Prue, Piper and Phoebe are descendents from a magical family tree. There is history of magic through the female line. At the beginning of the series Charmed these three sisters find out they are magical so they begin the long journey of fighting demons and risking their lives on a daily basis. All the women in the family seem to have trouble with guys from demons to angels/whitelighters whom they aren’t allowed to be with, no one ever seems truly happy. This hardly seems to be the problem, since Phoebe marries the Source of all Evil, but at the end of season three Prue dies. Prue, the oldest of the three sisters, dies and the Power of Three dies with it leaving no story. What’s that all about? Whether you watch the show or not, you know its bad when they kill a main character that drives the show every week. For example, no one likes the second guy who played Darren on Bewitched.
They bring a new “charmed” one to the show, Paige. She is supposedly a secret child that was given up at birth but qualifies to be next in line to the Power of Three. I totally don’t buy this, and hate her character from the start along with many other people who was watching the show at the time. Everyone liked Prue and wanted her back basically. So, Paige was the secret child Patty, their mother, had from the love affair she had with her Whitelighter. All the fans were mad; I’m guessing a good percent of viewers stopped watching after Prue died. I wasn’t so quick to give up on the show. I love the weekly kills and mythological creatures that came around. The Book of Shadows grew over the years and so did Paige’s character.
Since they brought her into the picture her character was very personable and interesting. While we all love Prue, I do think Paige was able to live up to the job. I mean she did last 4 years which is more than half the run of the series. I was reading some Prue vs. Paige forums and it was definitely clear that people, overtime, enjoyed Paige’s character more than Prue’s. Both had similar powers but Paige was half Whitelighter. Paige was the better asset and all was forgiven for the death of Prue. I still don’t like how they “mended” the Power of Three, but you gotta keep the show going somehow.

Here's one forum about the debate.

Valenzetti, Lost, And The End of The World

So as of recently in class we have taken it upon ourselves to discuss everyone’s favorite topic…the end of the world, the apocalypse, the piece de résistance of our own mortality. Daunting yes, scary, oh yes, but dreadfully entertaining none the less.

What better story line for a show than the impending and inevitable end to our world and humanity’s constant efforts to stop it. Shows have done this for years. Specifically in class these past few weeks we have gone through 2. Millennium and their apocalyptic Y2K ending and the X-Files with their unstoppable aliens.

I can’t say that I was a huge fan of these programs during their run, however after watching my first few episodes of the X-files I’m change my tune on the sci-fi classic but Millennium is a just seems like such a downer and….wait what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the whole end of the world thing. After all this talk of Nostradamus and the impending 4 horsemen I figured I would try and relate this to something in modern times that I can relate to. And that something was the fan favorite “Lost” a show who’s MO is blowing peoples minds week to week.

Now Lost isn’t exactly a show that lays everything out there for it’s audience, you gotta look in the back corners and search the internet for info. Finally after a little digging I found Enzo Valenzetti, a fictionalized Mathematician who “Anecdotal reports indicate that Valenzetti, at the request of the United Nations, devised a complicated algorithm capable of predicting the exact date of the extinction of the human race.”
http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Enzo_Valenzetti

Leave it to lost to make the weirdest and most in depth side story line that gets maybe 8 seconds of air time a season.

Through his formula he came up with the numbers 4:8:15:16:23:42, in which some how represent the exact end of the human race. Any fan of lost knows the importance of these numbers. For one, they are Hurley’s winning lotto numbers, which after winning he is surrounded by death and destruction. But most notably the numbers served purpose in the hatch a place where Desmond would enter the numbers into a computer every 108 minutes so he could do what class? That’s right! Stop the world from ending! The numbers even appear written in invisible ink map on a door within the Hatch itself (Translated Version of the Map on the door) and seen on the elusive Dharma training videos, and in the secret HANSO Tapings.

Check this youtube video, if you're a fan and you haven't seen it get on it.
HANSO TAPINGS

Some people suppose that the purpose of the Dharma initiative is to find away to prevent this Valenzetti equation, possibly saving humanity. Who knows really, I guess we will all have to wait and see. Damn this Lost universe for making the end of humanity so in depth and weird……but oh so cool.