July 2015 viewing diary

Faith of Our Fathers (2015; d. Carey Scott).
A poorly done Christian movie. My review at Rogerebert.com.

In Stereo (2015; d. Mel Rodriguez III).
The second terrible movie I’ve had to see and review in June. My review at Rogerebert.com.

Red River (1948; d. Howard Hawks).
I had to watch a great film in order to cleanse my mind of the bullshit I was forced (well, I was paid, so there’s that) to watch. I love Red River so much. Montgomery Clift in his debut, holding his own with John Wayne, not an easy feat. Gorgeous cinematography. Great film.

Berlin Alexanderplatz, Part I (1980; d. Rainer Werner Fassbinder).
I went through a huge Fassbinder phase about 15, 20 years ago. I saw everything he did. (Which is quite a feat: in his short life, his output was prolific. It’s like he knew he wouldn’t live long.) I love Querelle and Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, and the television series Berlin Alexanderplatz. It’s really not like anything else. I didn’t watch the whole series this time around. I mean, who has the time, really. I love his style, though.

They Were Expendable (1945; d. John Ford).
You’ll see a lot of Wayne in this list. Seeing Hondo brought the obsession to the fore. They Were Expendable is a devastating and dark picture about a group of men left behind during a particularly fraught battle in WWII. There aren’t planes enough to come and get everybody out. Ford films it with gloom and despair: there are many GORGEOUS shots of the men walking through a particular tunnel, their figures turned into stark silhouettes of grief. John Wayne is wonderful but he plays support staff to the great Robert Montgomery. There’s a beautiful romance as well with Donna Reed: I love John Wayne pacing near the phone, waiting for her to call. Like an eager teenager. Beautiful film.

Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933; d. Busby Berkeley, Mervyn LeRoy).
A favorite. I have something I want to write about it, and I am putting it off because I can sense it will be huge and take over my life. Why do I do this to myself? A great film: gritty and fantastical and bizarre. Both a fantasy and an expression of the harrowing reality of 1933. Ending with one of my favorite musical numbers of all time. Wrote about it – and Joan Blondell – here.

Tree of Life (2011; d. Terrence Malick).
It’s been a while. I reviewed for Capital New York, right after seeing it for the first time, and you can hear my initial response to the film in my writing. It holds up. (I’ve seen it about 4 times.) Brad Pitt’s performance gets better and better. His HANDS. The whole performance is about his HANDS.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2011; d. Ana Lily Amirpour).
I love this movie! I reviewed this for Rogerebert.com, and also put up a post of screen grabs.

Tap World (2015; d. Dean Hargrove).
My review of this wonderful documentary about tap dancers around the world was slated to go up on The Dissolve the week it closed its doors. WHAT A LOSS. Not just personally, although I loved writing for them, and loved their comments section, but for the world of serious enthusiastic film fans everywhere. I put up the review on my own site, but almost hated pressing “Publish.”

The X-Files, Season 7, Episode 20, “Fight Club” (2000; d. Paul Shapiro)
Back to the X-Files! Kathy Griffin in a dual role. Super stupid!

The X-Files, Season 7, Episode 21, “Je Souhaite” (2000; d. Vince Gilligan).
An episode about a genie, and be careful what you wish for. It’s wonderful, especially that last scene which is KILLER. However, I can’t help but compare it to the genie episode in Season 2 of Supernatural, which is one of my favorite episodes of television ever made. Unfair comparison. Still: when you see what Mulder wished for … Heart-crack.

The X-Files, Season 7, Episode 22, “Requiem” (2000; d. Kim Manners).
The season finale. Mulder is sucked up into a UFO with a group of other freaks. And scene.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 1, “Within” (2000; d. Kim Manners).
I come to the series fresh, having no idea of the fan-consensus (such as there may be) about certain aspects of the show. I am also (clearly) binge-watching which is its own animal and very different from watching it in real-time. Mulder is gone for the majority of Season 8, and replaced by Agent Doggett (played by Robert Patrick, who was T-1000). I LOVE Agent Doggett. At a certain point in a long-running series, you have to shake things up – either because you are forced to (Duchovny didn’t want to come back full-time), or because you want the show to survive and not spin its wheels. Introducing a new agent into the mix, thereby putting the skeptical Scully in the position of being the “Mulder” in the new partnership, was wonderful. What ends up happening with Mulder’s disappearance, is we start to see what he meant to Scully, and her desperation to get him back. That’s what it’s all about. I’m in this thing for the emotions. The mythology is often beyond me.

The Third Man (1949; d. Carol Reed).
Charlie and I went to go see the new restoration playing at the Film Forum. I have seen the film many times, but never in a theatre. Those images. Those shadows. The tilted camera angles. The glowing mischievous face of Orson Welles peeking out of the shadows, one of the most famous entrances in cinema history. Charlie and I had a great time.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 2, “Without” (2000; d. Kim Manners).
Tracking down Mulder leads them to the desert, which leads them to the little genius kid from the chess competition. Agent Doggett is now the skeptic, fighting Scully every step of the way, except you can tell he has integrity as a person and wants to do as good a job as possible in an impossible situation. The intermittent shots of Mulder being tortured are both erotic (he’s naked, there’s a cod-piece-ish contraption over his groin) and HORRIBLE (his skin being pulled out from his face.)

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 3, “Patience” (2000; d. Chris Carter).
Oh boy, Duchovny’s name has disappeared from the opening credits! And Robert Patrick has taken his place. I get why fans resented it. But I fell in love with Agent Doggett.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 4, “Roadrunners” (2000; d. Rod Hardy).
My guide through the Files has been Keith Uhlich. He watched in real-time as each episode came out. His is a lifelong obsession. So when we watch together (as we watched this one), he gives me background, on how it was received initially. He said that there was a lot of irritation about this episode, fans did not like Doggett’s He-Man Let-Me-Save-Scully thing. So here’s my take on this one: I LOVED it. And LOVED Doggett in this. Him carrying Scully out to safety provided a sweep of emotion! She was a damsel in distress (as she often has been, against her will – since she is such a strong capable person). But this episode provided the glue between these characters, glue that carried us through the rest of the season.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 5, “Invocation” (2000; d. Richard Compton).
A bit of backstory about Agent Doggett and his son who died.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 6, “Redrum” (2000; d. Peter Markle).
I fucking love Joe Morton. Always have.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 7, “Via Negativa” (2000; d. Tony Wharmby).
Third eye. To be honest, the details of this one are a bit lost to me. That’s what happens when you watch 12 episodes in one day, which is what Keith and I did in June. “You two need help,” said Dan.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 8, “Surekill” (2001; d. Terrence O’Hara).
To be honest, my main takeaway from “Surekill” is being a secretary at that particular disgusting company has to be one of the worst jobs in existence.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 9, “Salvage” (2001; d. Rod Hardy).
Gulf War Syndrome: you’d have to be a certain age to remember when that condition was in the news all the time. It brought back memories. Mulder is really just GONE now, isn’t he. It was weird.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 10, “Badlaa” (2001; d. Tony Wharmby).
Kind of hilarious. Deep Roy is awesome.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 11, “The Gift” (2001; d. Kim Manners).
The return of Mulder, whom we have been dying to see, although once he re-appears it is terrifying. Super-gross to see someone vomit that much into a hole.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 12, “Medusa” (2001; d. Richard Compton).
Really fabulous. Great set of the Boston subway-system. Interesting ensemble, too, reminiscent of the band of warriors in Aliens.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 13, “Per Manum” (2001; d. Kim Manners).
Hey there, Adam Baldwin, how are you? I found this episode, with pregnancy and perhaps false-ultrasounds, and Scully’s panic to be incredibly upsetting. Also the tender flashbacks with Mulder, donating his sperm for her, their heads leaned together in silhouette. Emotional.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 14, “This Is Not Happening” (2001; d. Kim Manners).
Fantastic. Scully’s performance is coming into the Epic realm.

Supernatural, Season 2, Episode 17, “Heart” (2007; d. Kim Manners).
I’ve been busy and June was, frankly, wretched. It involved a date I was psyched about ending in weirdness and disappointment, a random sexual assault (not by the guy from the date, but from a guy leaping out of the shadows, literally – I had to punch him.), the start of new meds for my loony-tunes psychology, increasing health issues involving my uterus, and a Satanic doctor who made me feel my body was worthless because I have never had a child. “Your uterus is a piece of meat. I do not understand why you are attached to it.” Uhm, because it’s an important body part and it’s part of me and whatever I decide to do with it is going to be a big deal? June felt like the world was against me. So I have not been in the mood for re-caps. I tried to get in the mood, though, by re-watching “Heart,” an episode I love. I finally got around to the re-cap.

Mad Women (2015; d. Jeff Lipsky).
Terrible movie. I’m sorry I even saw it. My review at Rogerebert.com.

Magic Mike XXL (2015; d. Gregory Jacobs).
My third time seeing it. Can’t get enough. I have written before about how seeing it was actually healing, in the middle of June.

The Last Waltz (1978; d. Martin Scorsese).
A favorite. With such an air of melancholy and exhaustion keening through it.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 15, “Deadalive” (2001; d. Tony Wharmby).
Billy Miles Billy Miles Billy Miles. Also Krycek, whom I love, horrible villain that he is. Scully’s future baby is rising in importance. Like, entire government agencies are aware she is giving birth. Ridiculous. But great. The return of Mulder.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 16, “Three Words” (2001; d. Tony Wharmby).
FIGHT THE FUTURE. Okay, dude, but how? Not really interested in the plot here. More taken with how different Mulder is, how things have changed, and the strange new relationship between the two of them. Mulder is irritated and, if possible, even more paranoid than he was before.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 17, “Empedocles” (2001; d. Barry K. Thomas).
Welcome, Annabeth Gish. I like her slightly bizarre character. She doesn’t really fit in, but neither does the character. Scully again is a damsel in distress, hospitalized due to stomach pains. The “pizza man” becomes a running joke, which makes me think that a similar joke in Supernatural (beloved by Destiel fans and, seemingly, despised by the rest of us) has to be a nod to the X-Files. “The pizza man” is the universal code for = Porn Plot.

Samba (2015; d. Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano).
May be offensive to some since it treats the hot-topic of immigration in France with a light slapstick touch. The reason to see it is the charm and star power of Omar Sy. My review at Rogerebert.com.

Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006; d. Justin Lin).
In the midst of a re-watch of the whole series, which I love to death. Also: can someone please teach me how to do the Tokyo Drift? Even though my car is a Hyundai, used as a punchline in the film? I need to know how to do it.

A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile (2015; d. Sophie Deraspe).
Fascinating documentary about the recent Internet hoax that dominated world news for a week. My review at Rogerebert.com.

Supernatural, Season 2, Episode 17, “Heart” (2007; d. Kim Manners).
I told you June was rough. I needed to watch “Heart” AGAIN in order to get into the re-cap. I was moving in slow motion in June, beat up and upset.

Magic Mike XXL (2015; d. Gregory Jacobs).
Fourth time. My sister and I snuck away on our vacation to see a matinee. We were the only ones in a huge theatre. It was a private screening. We had a BLAST.

I, Confess (1953; d. Alfred Hitchcock).
Montgomery Clift as the priest caught up in a situation beyond his control. Karl Malden as the determined police detective. Beautifully shot, of course. Stunning black-and-white.

The Innocents (1961; d. Jack Clayton).
How had I never seen this unbelievably creepy and upsetting movie, based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw? Deborah Kerr always said this was her finest performance, and now I can see why. Gorgeously filmed. Scary as hell. Psychologically unstable.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 18, “Vienen” (2001; d. Rod Hardy).
Inquiring minds want to know: Did they really film this on a real oil rig? It looks like they did.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 19, “Alone” (2001; d. Frank Spotnitz).
Scully goes on maternity leave. Doggett gets a new partner, who seems pretty meta: a “fan” of Mulder and Scully. It’s weird: Scully and Mulder are exiting the series sort of. I loved the final scene, though, with the two of them bickering about whether or not they saw a spaceship.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 20, “Essence” (2001; d. Kim Manners).
Frances Fisher as the creepy baby-nurse! Scully’s due date approaches. And naturally the government is involved.

The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 21, “Existence” (2001; d. Kim Manners)
Scully gives birth in an abandoned town. And holy shit, she and Mulder kiss.

Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015; d. Marielle Heller).
For review at Rogerebert.com. My review will come out next week.

The Quiet Man (1952; d. John Ford).
I love The Quiet Man. My dad loved The Quiet Man: “There is a fight scene in it that is the longest fight scene I’ve ever seen.” John Wayne in the graveyard in the rain, with his shirt see-through – one of his sexiest moments. The Quiet Man always reminds me of a really fun conversation I had with a random guy in Ireland about the movie.

Supernatural, Season 10, Episode 1, “Black” (2014; d. Robert Singer).
The start of my first re-watch of Season 10 in its entirety. I had forgotten how terrible Hannah is. She’s a bad actress, basically, and forgets – always – that her character is an angel, a supernatural being. Compare to how Misha Collins originally played his character in Seasons 4, 5, 6. He did not seem human. I had forgotten how MUCH of her there is. But, and this is a huge but: JP and JA and Mark Sheppard more than make up for it. And Cole. I love Cole. He is my Special Ops doppelgänger. Not that I ever was Special Ops, but that’s one of the nicknames my friends have for me.

Supernatural, Season 10, Episode 2, “Reichenbach” (2014; d. Thomas Wright)
Ackles is superb. What he has created here … I just wish we had more of it, akin to Soulless Sam in Season 6. But c’est la vie.

Supernatural, Season 10, Episode 3, “Soul Survivor” (2014; d. Jensen Ackles)
Quite moving, and beautifully filmed. The other episodes Ackles directed did not have all that much “Dean” in them. This one is heavy on the Dean. And he’s grown as a director and is able to handle switching off roles. In many ways, the close-ups of him in the bunker basement are among the most beautiful shots of him in the entire series. Which just proves my theory that he knows what he has, is not embarrassed about it, and lets it be highlighted to its most baroque level. I also love the derelict old drive-in, created in post-production. A lost world.

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62 Responses to July 2015 viewing diary

  1. mutecypher says:

    Normally I think doxing is a vile thing to do. But if you wanted to with your Satanic doctor…

    And isn’t The Innocents great?

    The X-Files episode “Alone” – yes.
    “… and when the Sno-Cat ran out of gas, how did you get back?”

    I am a bit confused. What exactly are your feeling about the actress who played Hannah?

    • sheila says:

      Mutecypher – I will get my revenge on the doctor after I switch out of her practice. My revenge will be through Yelp, Zoc Doc and I will also write a post here, hopefully Google results will eventually place it on the first page. My experience with her was that bad. And it’s not over yet. I have about another month until I’m done with her. I just can’t face switching doctors right now – not when I’m almost done with this stupid process.

      and yes: The Innocents! I’m embarrassed I’d never seen it before. So good. That Truman Capote touch of gardens in decay. The scary ghost rising from the reeds. Terrifying.

      and “Alone” – hahahaha Yes!!

      Re-watching those opening episodes of Season 10 – I’m actually amazed Hannah made the cut. I mean, they hired her in Season 9, for that smallish part – so I guess they were stuck with her. She does not get better. It’s really weird – the episodes literally grind to a halt when she appears. And Misha Collins – as drippy as I found the Castiel Arc in Season 10 – early on – is wonderful – he’s basically CARRYING those scenes, because she’s giving him nothing but conventional acting. I do not grade on a curve. So yes, I’m harsh!!

  2. Helena says:

    Man, July sounds crap, what with the Satanic doctors, weirdo guys, crappy films … thank GOD for the likes of Magic Mike. (I’ve not seen it, tho – it hasn’t really taken off as a THING here in the UK in the way it has in the States, where it sounds like it been received much like the coming of the Messiah. I can’t quite face creeping off to see it by myself :-(

    Red River definitely has healing properties and sounds perfect choice for taking the taste of crap films away. Montgomery Clift exudes such a strong, calm presence here – perfect counterbalance to Wayne. I love how Clift kisses in this film: he watches her lips as she talks and you can see him thinking, I love watching those lips and the second she stops talking I’m going to kiss them. The ending is also perfect.

    //How had I never seen this unbelievably creepy and upsetting movie, based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw?//

    I saw this in the cinema not so long ago and there was a collective shudder as Miss Jessel rose up from the reeds. Also that scene right at the end with Miles where he starts hitting the jelly rabbit – that is such a genius detail, so uncanny. Deborah Kerr is amazing in this, then again I’ve never seen her in anything where she didn’t knock it out the park.

    re Hannah … I wish there was a delete button for characters I don’t like. But in general those first three eps are so strong what comes next can’t help but be an anti-climax. I wish demonic Dean had had more time to howl at the moon.

    • sheila says:

      // where it sounds like it been received much like the coming of the Messiah. //

      hahahaha The thing that makes it unique is not so much the ogling of hot men as the fact that it is all about prioritizing and embracing female desire – in all its forms – all body types – all ages – ladylike ladies to party girls – fat girls, skinny girls (now I sound like Eminem: “fat girls skinny girls I’m calling ALL girls on the dance floor”) – Instead of turning women into objects, instead of leering over them, the film embraces them, and shows what a friendlier world it would be if men were INTO it, and devoted themselves to it, instead of chasing after it like prey and then tossing it aside. I can’t even really describe the effect of the film. It is a critique of today’s sexualized landscape – as weird as that sounds. It’s super fun! Very very friendly.

      // I love how Clift kisses in this film: he watches her lips as she talks and you can see him thinking, I love watching those lips and the second she stops talking I’m going to kiss them. //

      Yes. He’s so sexy. I also love the scene between Joanne Dru and Wayne in the little tent, when she serves him a drink, and bosses him around. And he takes it. Realizing she is a force to be reckoned with. A beautiful film about dictatorship, in a way – and the “people” resisting a man who is out of his mind in his single-mindedness.

      In re: The Innocents: oh my God, yes, the jelly. So gross. And the KISS. My God, so bold!! So disturbing. And it’s so great because you are never quite sure if Deborah Kerr is imagining things, getting overwrought and therefore seeing things – she goes insane. Amazing.

      In re: Hannah. Yes – it is a testament to those other sequences – carried by JP and JA and Cole – that Hannah is a minor irritation. I’m looking forward to binge-watching the rest – which will give a different experience than watching in real time.

      And agreed, in re: Demon Dean.

      • Helena says:

        //It’s super fun! Very very friendly.//

        I got that impression too. I’ll see if I can hunt it down over the next week or so, if not, definitely the DVD.

  3. Lyrie says:

    Trying not to read spoilers about the X Files!
    I really like Doggett, he’s a smart and very honest man. And I liked Roadrunners a lot. Sure, Scully is in deep shit, but in a way she put herself in that situation by going alone, and she’s able to admit it to her new partner. She doesn’t like that Mulder is gone (understatment), but she does not resent Doggett. They’re both trying to do their best and are very understanding. I really love that their relationship is based on mutual respect. And I just love stories with creepy people in isolated places. Nothing scares me more. And I love the desert (as a child I was traumatized – in a good way – by a Stephen King book taking place in Nevada).

    But I’m having a hard time with season 8, so far. The main reason I was watching the show isn’t there anymore. The new opening credits just make me laugh so much. Scully’s face so photoshopped… Mulder falling… I’m sorry, I understand they wanted to keep the original feel, but to me it’s just goofy.

    I started watching another show, and I didn’t know one of the actors of the X Files was in it. It made me feel a lot of things. I love him. And so many Deadwood actors in it!

    This doctor… Seriously? A few years ago, an ob-gyn told me: “Women should worship the men who invented the contraceptive pill like gods”. Like, really ? Are you a medical doctor or do you just have a PhD in Stupid Useless Comebacks ? (Not that I don’t like the pill, I think it’s great, but you should be able to want another contraceptive method without being judged, and in context, it was the most idiotic thing to say to me.) Of course, that shithead said this when I was – literally – in no position to reply. I wish I could make him and your satanic doctor swallow a speculum and be there when they shit it.

    Demon Dean. I was very disappointed too, when I realized he wasn’t coming back. Not that Dean trying to fight the influence of the mark was not interesting. But I wish he had succumbed completely at some point, just to see that fun, sexy demon again. Dean with not a care in the world. That was so great!

    // I am a bit confused. What exactly are your feeling about the actress who played Hannah? //
    Yeah, I’m not sure either.

    // In many ways, the close-ups of him in the bunker basement are among the most beautiful shots of him in the entire series. Which just proves my theory that he knows what he has, is not embarrassed about it, and lets it be highlighted to its most baroque level. //
    You can see the influence of Manners on his work – he said he re-watched a lot of Manners’ work during his prep. I can’t find the exact quote of Joan Baez, but it really made an impression on me: the idea that when you’re good and you know it, false modesty would be arrogant. Something like that. Ackles knows what he looks like and is modest enough to use it well. I remember watching that episode he shot and being very admirative of him for that. Those close ups!

    I love that Kim Manners has its own tag.

    • mutecypher says:

      /I wish I could make him and your satanic doctor swallow a speculum and be there when they shit it.//

      I am a bit confused. What are your feelings about jerky doctors?

    • sheila says:

      Lyrie – Yes, so sorry, spoilers abound!! Where are you at now in the series? I think you’re catching up to me!

      I’m so glad to hear you like Agent Doggett too. I said to Keith – if he turns out to be evil, like Krycek, I’m gonna be PISSED. Because I was liking him so much.

      and yes: okay Scully, pregnant lady, why don’t you go off by yourself in this terrifying isolated environment? Good plan. I love stories about isolated cults too. Those people were really scary.

      // I started watching another show, and I didn’t know one of the actors of the X Files was in it. //

      Which show??

      Yes, I can see your feelings about X-Files. Agent Doggett is so strong – and Robert Patrick is so good – that I accepted the new premise, but was always anxious to get Mulder back. It was similar to the Soulless Sam season. Like: please, let Sam return, my GOD.

      I haven’t started Season 9 yet – where Mulder appears only once (or so I’ve heard) – and … what will THAT be like? I don’t know.

      // “Women should worship the men who invented the contraceptive pill like gods”. //

      Are you fucking kidding me?

      // Of course, that shithead said this when I was – literally – in no position to reply. //

      That’s always the worst part. She said this to me when I was wearing a paper gown and completely vulnerable. Doctors who do not take that seriously, and treat the patient with respect, have my deepest contempt.

      Oh, and here’s an interesting twist to my Satanic doctor story: She’s a woman. I’ve actually had bad experiences, in the main, with female ob/gyns. When I switch, I’m going to go for a male doctor – have had much better experiences with them. Gentle, clear, non-judgmental, professional. This woman is unbelievable – one of the reasons I stuck around (and I’ve only been with her since January) is because the rest of her staff is so nice, and the front desk girls, etc. Mostly I have had to deal with them – but my meetings with this woman as we discuss what to do with my problem – have been actually traumatizing. I wish I hadn’t taken it so personally, but whatever, it’s my body, it’s personal.

      // But I wish he had succumbed completely at some point, just to see that fun, sexy demon again. Dean with not a care in the world. That was so great! //

      Agreed!! Also it was so entertaining what it brought out of Crowley. I wish we had had more episodes exploring THAT – the BFF thing – “I will cherish our Flickr albums forever” – and the sexual domination thing that was going on there. Dean as pet, as “kept” man.

      // the idea that when you’re good and you know it, false modesty would be arrogant. //

      Interesting, yes!! It’s kind of like joking about the “humblebrag” on Twitter – it’s just so transparent. The ones who are truly great understand what they have, and are smart enough to use it, but aren’t braggy about it. I guess that’s why they’re great.

      I also loved all the scenes in the hallways of the bunker – Dean walking, holding the hammer – Sam hiding – they were beautifully shot, and Ackles did a great job of planning out the structure of that sequence.

      We still need a proper floor plan of the bunker! :)

      and haha – yes – the Kim Manners tag. It’s helpful for me, too – cause I can just click on it and see, in a flash, what episodes he directed.

      • Lyrie says:

        // Where are you at now in the series? I think you’re catching up to me! //
        Season 8, episode 9. But I’m going much more slowly now that I’ve started watching Sons of Anarchy. I’m not going to lie, I started watching knowing nothing about it – I just wanted to see BIG BIKES. Turns out it’s Hamlet on Harleys – kind of. Awesome!
        I didn’t know Mitch Pileggi was in it, what an great surprise! The opposite of Skinner: a very stupid neo-nazi drug dealer. And for the first time, I caught myself thinking “My God, that man is hot”. “Really? As a very decent man in a suit, nothing, but as a sweaty asshole in a tank top, you find this man – who could be your father – hot? He has a swastika tattooed on his neck, for crying out loud! What is wrong with you?” “I don’t know, Brain. I don’t control this. Leave me alone”.

        And so many actors from Deadwood keep appearing in SOA! I miss Deadwood so much, it’s ridiculous. And Rachel Miner pops up in an episode of season 4.

        // I’m so glad to hear you like Agent Doggett too. I said to Keith – if he turns out to be evil, like Krycek, I’m gonna be PISSED. Because I was liking him so much. //
        I hated Krycek immiediately. I did not trust him, he was too eager to please Mulder. That was suspicious.

        // I haven’t started Season 9 yet – where Mulder appears only once (or so I’ve heard) – and … what will THAT be like? I don’t know.//
        WHAT? Oh no. I don’t know if I can keep watching.

        As for your satanic doctor, sadly, I am not surprised. I’ve had terrible experiences with men an women alike – although the worst one was with a man – hands down. Doctors, by definition, are in a position of power. Not acknowledging that when talking to patients is professional misconduct. I hope your problem will soon be a bad memory and that you’ll find a better doctor.

        // We still need a proper floor plan of the bunker! :) //
        Did you see the tour of the bunker set on the dvds of season 9? That was so great. Jerry Wanek is so proud, it’s adorable. But in a way, I like the idea that there will always be a room we don’t know about. I like all the possibilities it brings.

        • sheila says:

          Lyrie – I have heard so much great stuff about Sons of Anarchy. Now that I’m almost done with X Files, maybe I can play some catch-up. I love bikes, I love tattoos, I love rough burly guys.

          // As a very decent man in a suit, nothing, but as a sweaty asshole in a tank top, you find this man – who could be your father – hot? He has a swastika tattooed on his neck, for crying out loud! //

          HA!!!

          Mitch Pileggi is so great. I am so happy he’ll be back for X-Files.

          // WHAT? Oh no. I don’t know if I can keep watching. //

          Oh shit, I just spoiled it for you!! Keith told me – I wouldn’t have known otherwise. so yeah, it’s a whole other series now, apparently. and then of course there’s the second movie, which I have not seen yet.

          and yeah: the bunker tour, that was great. I still think it would be fun to see what we all come with, in our own minds – how the place is laid out. And I loved the pride about the bunker. They really really put so much effort/love into that place.

          There’s got to be other rooms we haven’t discovered, right? Swimming pool? Old-timey dance hall? Bowling alley?

          • Lyrie says:

            //I have heard so much great stuff about Sons of Anarchy. Now that I’m almost done with X Files, maybe I can play some catch-up. I love bikes, I love tattoos, I love rough burly guys.//
            Then you’re in for a treat. So many great shots of the bikes! And there’s a beautiful car, too. Hot men, hot women, the desert. I’m really enjoying it. It’s very violent – I don’t mind but people should be warned.
            I’m in season 4, and so worried about one of the characters! I keep telling my boyfriend about him, like he’s a real person. “I’m so scared for him, he really is in trouble and he doesn’t deserve that, poor guy.” He was (still is) my favorite of the bunch and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna get killed. So unfair! I’m so worried! (So yeah, I think I’m into it)

            // Mitch Pileggi is so great. I am so happy he’ll be back for X-Files. //
            That’s great news!

            // Oh shit, I just spoiled it for you!! Keith told me – I wouldn’t have known otherwise. so yeah, it’s a whole other series now, apparently. and then of course there’s the second movie, which I have not seen yet.//
            That’s OK, I was afraid of something like that – I remember vaguely from when it was on tv seeing a man and a woman who were not Mulder and Scully.
            I hope I’m going to like it anyway.

            // There’s got to be other rooms we haven’t discovered, right? Swimming pool? Old-timey dance hall? Bowling alley? //
            Oh yes please! (I also imagine a small library just for erotic material. I know I have a dirty mind. But as you said once, so does the show.) I’d love to see the garage again.

  4. Paula says:

    Doctors are difficult to deal with in general. So many are quick to dismiss/diagnose (hey lady, I have 30 minutes for this then onto the next appt) that it conflicts with listening and responding to individual patients. And then you run into total idiots who shouldn’t even be in practice like this guy. Ugh, sorry to you had to deal with him.

    The Quiet Man is my favorite John Wayne movie because I love the dynamic between Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. “There’ll be no locks or bolts between us…” Such a role model for me because she was tall and not dainty or girly. Someone who was beautiful because of her strength.

    Hannah is relegated to the dustbin of hateful characters like Bartholomew and the aforementioned Satanic doctor.

    • sheila says:

      Paula – my doctor is a woman – can you believe it? Ugh. Only women have contempt for other women like this. At least that’s my experience. My mother is coming down for the final procedure and I will be glad to have her there. Maybe this bitch will behave herself better if my mother is standing right there.

      // “There’ll be no locks or bolts between us…” //

      Rowr, right?? I love how the second half of the film is basically John Wayne suffering from sexual abstinence and being PISSED about it. I love the sad moment when they sit before the fire, and she sits on the arm of his chair, and he holds her, but they both look so sad. She is refusing to join him in bed, he knows why, they’re at an impasse, but they’re together in it.

      Of course that changes when he drags her through the fields followed by the entire village. Ha!!

      I also love her hot-temperedness and her big hearty body. Buxom, big hips, a strong walk. She’s fantastic.

      I am already forgetting how long Hannah stuck around. I know I have a ways to go with her.

      I’m going to the beach today – but will watch a couple more episodes tonight. I think “Paper Moon” is up next – and I am remembering that “we” – as in all of us here – did not particularly like the majority of this episode, but to be honest, I’m not remembering why. I’m really looking forward to this re-watch of the whole.

      and thanks all for all the support!!

  5. Maureen says:

    I have also been on a huge John Wayne kick, every since you recommended Scott Eyman’s biography. I loved that book! In fact I just got an online order today of two DVD’s-El Dorado and Chisum. I am going to build up a John Wayne library-that is my goal for the rest of the year.

    The book has also led me to a fascination with Ben Johnson and his riding skills. I’ve always loved him, but I had no idea he was a rodeo champion. So now I am seeking movies where I can watch Johnson on horseback, where he is poetry in motion!!

    I’m so sorry you had such a rough month, what an ass of a doctor. Wishing the very best of things to come your way!

    • sheila says:

      Maureen – so thrilled you read and liked the Eyman book. What a treat it was!

      Yes, I’m going to go through many more Waynes – I’ve seen a lot, but there are a couple I haven’t seen – so this should be a lot of fun. Have you seen Baby Face? Early early Wayne – before he became a star. You probably have – but it’s great to see him as a hapless lover, eaten up and spit out by Barbara Stanwyck.

      and God, yes, Ben Johnson. What a total star. Incredible horseman but also a natural actor with such authority onscreen. I adore him – and I love how loved he is, how remembered. The Last Picture Show!!

      • Maureen says:

        I have seen Baby Face, in fact my sister and I were just talking about the movie the other day! It is sometimes easy to forget how beautiful he was when he was young. In Eyman’s book, I loved the story of Marlene Dietrich’s comment to one of her directors when she first saw Wayne in the commissary “Daddy, please get me that!”.

        // Incredible horseman but also a natural actor with such authority onscreen. //

        Absolutely agree-I find it hard to direct my attention anywhere else when he is on the screen! Have you ever seen a biography about him?

        • sheila says:

          Maureen – I haven’t seen a biography. I am sure Peter Bogdanovich has written something about him – let me look around and see what I come up with.

          I love him in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. It’s not just great support-staff to Wayne – he has star quality in his own right, and he’s just so easy with it. I love him!

          • sheila says:

            I just Googled Peter Bogdanovich Ben Johnson and the first link is a Youtube clip where he talks about how he cast Ben Johnson in Last Picture Show.

          • Maureen says:

            Sheila, I just got the book Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company by Harry Carey, Jr. Have you read this one? I am really enjoying it, and lots of mention of Ben Johnson. If you haven’t read the book already, I recommend it!

          • sheila says:

            Maureen – wow, no – it sounds awesome. Harry Carey Jr.! I will definitely read it.!

            It really was a stock company.

  6. sheila says:

    Also, sorry, Hannah’s rolled-up jeans make me angry and I can’t really explain why.

    • sheila says:

      and I realize how petty I’m being.

      If Charlie wore rolled-up jeans I’d be like, “OMG she looks so cute.”

    • Paula says:

      Dying. I think it’s the whole combo – rolled up jeans, the short boots, the blazer, the 90s hairdo. It’s manufactured cuteness.

      • mutecypher says:

        It fell upon the wardrobe department to give her character some character.

      • sheila says:

        Right, it’s the whole look. Teeny-bopper, yet she’s in her 30s. I don’t really understand. I am wondering what their GOAL was with her – I can’t really see it. Because everything has a purpose, right?

        Ideas:
        1. They wanted to have Castiel be in danger of dying because of losing his grace. Somehow that Arc really failed to pick up some steam – there was too much else going on – but initially, in the trailers and everything else – they were really making it seem like the Lost Grace would be a cliffhanger. And so: to avoid Castiel walking around by himself, coughing and looking sad, and not talking to anyone, they gave him a sidekick. Someone to talk to, and be a part of that Arc.

        2. Again, connected to Castiel: they wanted to re-connect him with “his” daughter – and ultimately that was Hannah’s role, or her “end” – her decision to make things right with herself spurred HIM on. Or at least I think that’s what happened. I was so annoyed by her I couldn’t tell – but I think that was the purpose of her little journey. It was a mirror for Castiel. Supposed to be a mirror image of Sam/Dean – and how they mirror (or don’t) one another. I mean, it didn’t really work, but I think that was part of it. He needed someone ELSE to bring him to that point.

        3. A tentatively handled – VERY tentatively – potential romance for Castiel. Now … why would they do this, considering the Destiel Faction? Are they TRYING to torment those people? Ha. I’m really asking. I don’t care about Destiel, but in those “Hannah, let’s be friends” and him opening the door naked and all of those flirty things – I could sense Destiel fans across the land feeling betrayed. Not that the fans should be totally in charge – but it just seemed … really really random to me. Especially because Hannah was supposedly clueless about human emotions. and yet, boom, she’s crushing on Castiel. I don’t know. Humanizing Hannah? Why would they do this? How interesting it would have been if the character Hannah had been a male. And still had the same crush reaction to Castiel. Destiel fans would have hated that too – but it would have been way more interesting.

        4. Hannah is keeping us connected to Heaven, now that Metatron is gone. I think we all pretty much agree that both Heaven and Hell have outstayed their welcome, in terms of being useful to the plot – or having anything to DO with the plot. But at least with Hannah – the Heaven representative – they could keep that door slightly open should they need it.

        (I am talking way too much about Hannah. Sorry – I’m re-watching Season 10 and it’s fresh in my mind!!)

        These are my ideas about the WHY of Hannah. Maybe it’s obvious to everyone else. It clearly doesn’t work – but they didn’t set out hoping it wouldn’t work, of course. There was a reasoning behind all of it.

        Except maybe for the rolled-up jeans?

        • Tatl Tael says:

          // How interesting it would have been if the character Hannah had been a male. And still had the same crush reaction to Castiel. Destiel fans would have hated that too – but it would have been way more interesting.//

          Hannah did appear as a male in episode 17 “The Inside Man,” still making the same googly eyes at Cas.

          As a Destiel fan and someone who follows a lot of Destiel fans on tumblr, my recollection is that a fair number of Destiel fans didn’t see Hannah as a serious threat–they saw her attraction to Cas as one-sided.

          Also, a lot of people were ecstatic to see her return in a male body and still attracted to Cas.

  7. Fiddlin Bill says:

    I’ve been waiting for this post so I could ask you if and when you’ve viewed First Name Carmen, which just floored me this week. Plus!! It comes with another Godard film, Passion, which stars Hanna Shuygulla, Fasbinder’s star of stars (as significant to him as Monica Vitti was to Antonioni.) Both of these films contain all sorts of wonderful visual links to other films (duh, it’s Godard)–compare both to Contempt, for example, and to La Chinoise, and to Fassbinder’s Third Generation. Anyways, just to make it simple for you, because you’ve got so much time as to watch so much X-Files [ ;-) ], some words from you on First Name Carmen would be wonderful I’m sure. I also think you’d love the film, if you’ve missed it. The way Godard puts himself in the “story” is really hilarious and mind-bending.

    • sheila says:

      I love Hanna Shuygulla, who makes a brief appearance in Berlin Alexanderplatz – at least in Part 1. She’s wonderful!!

      Thanks for the Godard tip! – that one I have not seen. (I love Godard. But there are definitely ones I have missed.)

  8. Anne says:

    Chiming in to say boo to your doctor! Awful! Hope you’re shot of her soon.

  9. Myrtle says:

    I hope things go really well with the festival and give you a cheerful boost into the fall (and selfishly hope it makes its’ way to Vancouver or Whistler so I can see it). I’ve been dying to see Diary of a Teenage Girl ever since I heard about it around Sundance time and read what compelled Marielle Heller to make it. It seemed like a really important story to tell, from a representation standpoint. I certainly didn’t know of anything like it when I was that age. If I can’t go to it myself (yet) the second best thing is to experience it through the eyes of someone who’s perspective I’ve been reading for years.

    • sheila says:

      Myrtle – // It seemed like a really important story to tell, from a representation standpoint. //

      Yes, it’s quite startling because of that. And very welcome! It reminds me of Little Darlings, actually – a film that took on a similar topic – with, yes, some screwball and silliness – but also actually was about female coming of age from the girl’s point of view.

      Another thing I liked was that so many girl coming-of-age stories are about how everything goes wrong: girls get used, tossed aside, they sell themselves out, they get pregnant, they start hooking under the freeway, blah blah blah. These stories clearly exist – bad shit happens – but for many of us we had sex and it was awkward/embarrassing/good/funny and we didn’t immediately go flying off the rails of civilized society afterwards.

      I know many of those movies mean well – and are trying to be sympathetic to the “plight” of girls, but God, it’s like another version of Criminal Minds which makes it seem like walking out your door as a woman is the Most Dangerous Thing in the World. Not a very empowering message.

      It opens this Friday – I’m not sure what the distribution plan for it is, if it will make it into a wide release. We shall see.

      • sheila says:

        Little Darlings, too, did not feature girls careening off the rails into a lifetime of underage pregnancy, hooking, and drug use. It was a summer, everyone fell in love (appropriately or no), and everyone wanted to lose their virginity, PRONTO.

        Just like the boys.

        Why this is so taboo to show is one of the outrageous things about our culture. Ridiculous!

  10. Jill V says:

    Ok. Just saw Magic Mike XXL. Swoon. Loved it. I might be pregnant after watching this movie.

  11. Jill V says:

    Haha! And the debate over red velvet cake vs. cookies. “I’m a cookie guy. I will take a whole box of Oreos over that.” And his talk with Tarzan. “We haven’t had our talk yet. So we good?” Annnndddd… Script is now complete.

    • sheila says:

      I loved that red velvet cake scene!

      How about nobody knowing what Tarzan’s real name is, even though they’ve known him for years.

    • sheila says:

      Also: “Here, how do you like THAT” (throws cell phone out the window of the moving van.)
      “That wasn’t my phone.”

      • Jill V says:

        Also… That whole damn convenience store scene. I was in tears. “How much for the water and the Cheetos?” Bliss

        • Melanie says:

          Oh yeah! Kudos to the clerk actress for keeping a straight face. For a second I thought she was gonna ask if he was gonna clean that up. Then she smiled that SWEET smile which really set the tone for the movie. Just because you like what you see doesn’t mean you’re skanky or sleazy.

          The other guys watching through the window like 10 year old boys! Then I remembered they were all high. Another layer that made this scene so great.

        • sheila says:

          “Hi Big Dumb Rick.”
          “It’s Dick.”

          God, I love that character.

          If you haven’t already, check out the documentary Joe Manganiello (that actor – of course) directed about a male strip club in Dallas. Which I will definitely go to if I’m there! The doc is called La Bare, and it’s really sweet in a strange way. The club is a Magic Mike-ish club, and the strippers are all Army Rangers, or saving money, or whatever. I really enjoyed it – had to review it for Ebert, and was really glad I did!

  12. Butler says:

    You made me watch Gold Diggers of 1933 again.

    • sheila says:

      Yay!! I love that movie!

      • sheila says:

        That final number absolutely kills me, every time. It’s almost amazing to me that they chose to end it on that bleak-yet-inspirational/political-social note, acknowledging all of these political realities like forgotten discarded veterans, and poverty, and soup-kitchen lines. Instead of ending on something more “uplifting” or aspirational – even though it truly is uplifting in its own way. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.

  13. Melanie says:

    I completely agree with you about valuing your body parts. What’s with the uterus bigotry in our culture? If I so much as utter a tiny whine about cramps or back pain at my age I get the response, “just yank it out and be done with it.” Modern surgery and medicine is wonderful and thank God we have access to it, but save us from the insensitive jerks who make a difficult time so much harder. You said, “I shouldn’t have…” No, you are the one who is sick, hurt, in pain and you shouldn’t have to be the bigger person. Sorry you’ve had such a rough time. Did it help having Mom there? It sounds as if you had a relaxing family vaca and got plenty of Magic Mike XXL healing!

    My 3 daughters refused to see MMXXL with their mom so I had to go with my super prude friend on a Monday night. My husband was just getting home from work when I was getting ready to leave. He casually said, “I stopped and got you a stack of ones on the way home.” AWWW, good sport. Convenience store scene was definitely one of my favorites. I loved that their “dreams” were so regular guy and the movie let them be important – froyo truck, van painting, etc.

    I have been avoiding the XFiles spoilers because I want to rewatch soon, but this… //holy shit, she and Mulder kiss// I have been enjoying Duchovney’s Aquarius series and am looking forward to the upcoming XFiles reboot miniseries.

    As far as SPN season 10 rewatch I agree with everyone that we needed more Demon!Dean. I was really expecting total badass, knight of hell Dean and was a little shocked by karaoke, screw the barmaid, hassle the strippers Dean. Recently I read your commentary on Rachel Miner’s Meg (I’m a HUGE fan) describing her as a sleazy lounge singer. I wrote a very belated response on Scarecrow (i think) about how Dean is always uncomfortable with Meg because he sees himself in her. I only recently realized that season 10 Demon!Dean owes a great deal to Miner’s sleazy lounge singer demon. And yeah 10×3 bunker hide & seek. The lighting alone was amazing if you could tear your eyes from JA’s beautiful, terrible face. There’s a tower with a giant telescope in the bunker, right? Or am I confusing wishful thinking with television “reality” again? I refuse to even think about the “H” person with her awkward wardrobe.

    The Innocents & Turn of the Screw. My parents took a Great Books class at our local library (yay libraries!) which included TOTS. I was a young teen and voracious reader so I picked it up and read it…mistake. I am pretty sure I saw the movie at about the same time on tv at home alone one Saturday afternoon. I have blocked it all from my mind except one image which will not stay buried and still terrifies and screws with me. I can’t decide if I should watch it again. Will it cleanse me or reawaken other images better left sleeping? I suspect many of you have stronger constitutions than I do with the mindf**k terror books and movies.

    Finally, thanks for the Heart post. Amazing commentary as always, particularly on the collaborative process.

    • sheila says:

      Melanie – Thank you, yes, it helped having my mother there! This whole process is almost over and I can’t wait to be rid of that bitch. (I use another word with my good friends, but I’ll spare you that.). She is AWFUL.

      // He casually said, “I stopped and got you a stack of ones on the way home.” //

      Ha!!!

      // I was really expecting total badass, knight of hell Dean and was a little shocked by karaoke, screw the barmaid, hassle the strippers Dean. //

      I think this may pre-date your showing up here on my site – but we were all talking about what we hoped for in Demon Dean – and we actually were hoping for “Id Dean” – pleasure-hound, burlesque, jolly, sparkly, fuck-it-all womanizer Dean. Season 9 had been so grim (and interesting, but grim) – and we hoped for him to at least have a little bit of FUN. I was thrilled they went that way – especially since Mark of Cain Dean was really going to be the dark guy, bad-ass. That’s why I’m bummed we only got 2 and a half episodes of Demon Dean – but as I said, c’est la vie.

      I love Marlene-Dietrich-sleazy-lounge-singer Meg. This is the Dean Burlesque I keep talking about.

      // I refuse to even think about the “H” person with her awkward wardrobe. //

      hahahaha Watching that whole Arc, which I finished up a couple of days ago, leaves me baffled. It so clearly doesn’t work. Everyone must have been in a pretty tough spot – it’s network television – you don’t have the luxury of totally cutting one entire Arc when you’re under the gun like that. I honestly believe if she had been a better actress, and more openly otherworldly – it might have worked. I’m very actor-focused and it’s a challenge for me to say that someone is bad – I look for the good, I give the benefit of the doubt – but except for her first appearance, I do not think she was up to that role at all. Misha Collins carried her through those scenes, giving them depth, humor, mystery.

      Oh well. She’s gone now. Buh-bye, Teen Angel.

      In re: The Innocents:

      // I have blocked it all from my mind except one image which will not stay buried and still terrifies and screws with me. //

      Ha!! I know, it is so so disturbing. That opening sequence – which you’ve probably blocked out – Instead of starting with a typical credits-roll, and sweeping music – we get silence, with a close-up of praying hands, and her tearful prayers (coming from off-screen) to protect the children. Everything is black except for her white hands. It’s sooooo bold and creepy.

      In re: “Heart” –

      Thanks! This was a two-deadline week for me so I haven’t been keeping up.

      • Lyrie says:

        Re: Hannah
        It’s all the more painful to see how much she’s bland that the other angels left this season were so good. I really admire Metatron – so petty and annoying! That’s an actor who’s not afraid to be unlovable.
        And the best Hannah we’ve seen is that guy, that other vessel Hannah occupies to talk to Castiel. That actor was on screen, what, 2 minutes? And he really made an impression on me. On minute he’s this very regular bouncer-angel, the next you can see Hannah. That was the only time I liked Hannah.

        • sheila says:

          Oh that’s right! Forgot about him!

        • sheila says:

          and yeah, love Metatron.

        • sheila says:

          and Naomi grew on me – although my preference is the eccentric insane angels from Seasons 4, 5, 6.

          • Lyrie says:

            Oh right, I had forgotten Naomi. In a way, she is the one who continues the tradition of dick angels of the seaons 4, 5, 6, with that manipulative quality.

            // eccentric insane angels //
            Yes. Uriel, Zachariah, Castiel when he did not get it. Love them! That was such a bold choice, to add angels to the mythology of the show, but to have them almost worse than demons.

          • sheila says:

            Right?? I mean, Uriel! (shivers.) He was so awesome. Zachariah was hilarious in his bitter middle-manager persona. But scary when he had to be.

            Naomi brought that True Believer thing, and also introduced the “corporate” environment to Heaven – maybe a reaction to all the chaos, etc. Who knows.

            Maybe Hannah was supposed to represent the lost wandering post-fall angels, not knowing what to do – but honestly that was already covered in Season 9, right? With Castiel becoming a Charlie Manson-type leader.

            I think Hannah was supposed to pour us into the Castiel journey – and Claire – and all that – justify that arc – but the rolled-up-jeans-and-bean-surprise writing (and acting) of the whole thing just did not satisfy!

          • Lyrie says:

            // I think Hannah was supposed to pour us into the Castiel journey //
            I think so too. I wonder if it doesn’t work just because of the acting, or if something went wrong in the writing. I just can’t put my finger on it. I just didn’t give a shit about what happened to Hannah. I’m more emotionally attached to that angry blonde angel woman who wanted out of Heaven at the beginning of the season, even though we saw her probably ten minutes total.

            And, Zachariah. My favorite! Such an asshole. Uriel was sort of righteous, in his own way. Zachariah was just worried about getting “laid off” – so pathetic.

          • Paula says:

            Thought it was just me but I loved Zachariah. Such an obvious emotional manipulator and the way he would just switch tactics when he was called out on it. Just when you were looking down at him, thinking he wasn’t the brightest tool, is when he would pull out, “oh I don’t know, stage four stomach cancer…” Totally heartless, or as we say in the corporate world “goal-oriented”.

            Uriel and that low reptilian voice. S4 angels were the best.

          • sheila says:

            // that angry blonde angel woman who wanted out of Heaven at the beginning of the season, even though we saw her probably ten minutes total. //

            YES. I loved her.

      • Melanie says:

        I tried to get The Innocents on Netflix or Amazon Prime, but its not showing up. Then I went back and read Turn of the screw on Sparknotes. “Governess sees the ghost at the bottom of the stairs.” “Housekeeper wants to call the absent uncle.” WOW! That was terrifying…

  14. Melanie says:

    //my preference is the eccentric insane angels from Seasons 4, 5, 6// Yes, loved to hate ’em. I have a feeling we’re going to see the archangels making a reappearance. Death made a point of saying it took God and his the archangels to push back the big “D” last time. How convenient that our guys have the only two remaining archangels locked in a box. Oh, Dean! “Life as an angel condom, great!”

  15. Melanie says:

    Jumpstarted my XFiles rewatch last night 1×7-10. Holy Cow! Croatoan IS Ice! I had fogotten how much I enjoy it even with the outdated fx.

  16. Wren Collins says:

    Sheila, I just want to say that thanks to your blog I am now bingewatching my way through Season One of The X-Files :)

  17. Lyrie says:

    // The X-Files, Season 8, Episode 21, “Existence” (2001; d. Kim Manners) //
    HOLY SHIT!

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