This Week in Geek (18-24/07/11)

Buys

One book, this week, and that's Wil Wheaton's Just a Geek. Reading it now. As for DVDs, bargain bin buys include Superman Returns (for Reign), Planet of the Apes (the 1968 version of course), The Omega Man, and Midsummer Night's Dream (with Kevin Kline). Found outside the bargain bin, we have the BBC's Tragedies II boxed set (King Lear, Antony & Cleopatra, Titus Andronicus, Timon of Athens and Coriolanus), The Double Life of Veronique, and Doctor Who Series 6 Part 1.

"Accomplishments"

DVDs: From the previous post, you already know what I think of the 40s Superman shorts. But what about the DVD itself (entitled Superman: The Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection)? It contains all 17 shorts (which usually range from 7 to 10 minutes each) plus the army training Super-spoof, "Snafuperman". All are in good condition, though the prints are a little murky here and there. The rest of the package is a bit disappointing however. The text cards provide detailed but redundant synopses of each episode and what they call "fun facts", mostly a collection of nitpicks like "the bullets don't bounce off according to physics" (some of them I'd go so far as call insulting). We also get a phone interview with Joan Alexander, the voice of Lois Lane. I'm not sure an interviewer was even needed, as she starts talking about her talent and illustrious career without much prompting. Plenty of self-aggrandizing comments and name-dropping, but not a whole lot of discussion about the animated shorts themselves. Rounding up the extras is a trailer for the live action Superman serial.

The original V mini-series was way better than it had any reason to. The next year's follow-up, V: The Final Battle, doesn't quite match it. Though it has some memorable moments (I've never forgotten Blair Tefkin giving birth to a lizard, for example), and is full of incident (each "episode" advances the story and provides victories and setbacks), it just doesn't have the allegorical depth of the original. V explored a mock-Nazi invasion (with aliens), and every strata of society affected. It was about the Holocaust, about informing on your neighbors, about Hitler Youth. The Final Battle (which would not prove final since it spawned a short tv series that never even got a finale - sound familiar?) was a Resistance story, first and foremost, and consequently feels padded with chases and gun fights. And while there are interesting elements - a priest trying to bring God to the Visitors, internal politics on the mothership, and of course, Robin's pregnancy - the ending is a nigh unforgivable piece of metaphysical nonsense. No really, what the hell was that!? (No extras to ask forgiveness either.)

Why did it take me so long to see Charlie Wilson's War? After all, its credentials are pretty spectacular - Aaron Sorkin script, Mike Nichols directs, Philip Seymour Hoffman co-stars (AND Amy Adams)... I'm going to blame Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, two actors who are perfectly good (and excellent in this film, by the way) but that, through overexposure at one point, just turned me off. Well, never too late to do/see a good thing. Charlie Wilson's War is the true story of how three people used their marginality to make the Soviets lose the war in Afghanistan, and subsequently caused the fall of the Soviet Empire. Real and quirky people, armed with Sorkin's wit, lending humor to real world events you've likely never heard of, and all of it steeped in a certain irony knowing, as we do, how those events are in many ways responsible for the current situation in that country (without making a meal of it or hitting the nail right on the head). The DVD includes about a half-hour of interviews, about half of which are given over to the people who lived it, confirming what you might have thought was artistic license.

Daytime Drinking is a small indy picture from Korea with a premise that goes like this: Lovesick Hyuk-jin is convinced by his friends to go on a trip with them. He shows up, they don't. Awkward hilarity ensues as Hyuk-jin encounters strangers on the road, where the steady stream of alcohol may or may not be responsible for several more misunderstandings. It's a run of bad luck that would make Peter Parker go white. In the hands of Hollywood, this would be a fast-paced romp à la The Hangover or even Sideways. But no, it's a quiet film that actually plays on the boredom of the doomed trip, capturing the act of drinking alone. Hyuk-jin is a timid character who doesn't say a lot, but the people he meets are always eccentric and interesting. A lovely change of pace, made especially interesting to me because Korea in winter looks a heck of a lot like New Brunswick in the spring. Slightly taller mountains and more pine tress, sure, but this could have been filmed HERE. I have half a mind to adapt it for Canadian audiences. Of course, I'd need to change the soju for Colt .45. Less than 5 minutes of extras include a couple of deleted scenes and a montage of behind the scenes clips and pictures. Korean drinking rules are explained on the inside of the box.

Every week in July, I'm comparing/contrasting two versions of something, and this week, it's King Lear. The 1974 Thames Shakespeare Collection version was up first, a somewhat old-fashioned, 2-hour effort starring Patrick Magee in the title role. His Lear has the shakes and frequently appears drunk (though bonus material says the inveterate drinker swore not to drink a drop during production). It's not a bad performance, though at times strange and distracting, and at others, making you understand why his daughters would disrespect him. This is a version I'd seen before, long ago on PBS or somewhere, and it's responsible for my long-held opinions of the play. It seemed King Lear was never going to be my cup of tea. For one thing, there's too much madness in it. Lear is driven to a sort of senility, while Edgar is quite over-the-top in his feigned madness. It's likely I never got to the end before. So re-evaluating it now that I'm older and (cough) wiser, I find that Edgar and Lear still annoy me, but that the play really hangs on the manipulative Edmund, and the moral center of the play, Kent. Both these roles are well played. Patrick Mower bringing sexiness to his scenes with the sisters as Edmund, and Ray Smith is strong and dependable as Kent. The production really does show its age though, with awkward fights and a really very dry storm. Being studio-bound is one thing, but the director doesn't quite seem to know how rise above those limitations. The DVD includes a half-hour interview with Mower, and it's a fun, candid one. The actor has some good recollections, does impressions of his co-stars and takes no prisoners when discussing the play and the production.

The BBC 's King Lear from 1982 is superior in almost every way. First, it restores a full hour of text, and I'm once again impressed at how plays I didn't particularly care for are completely redeemed in my mind by the use of the integral text. Suddenly, motivations make SENSE and the play doesn't appear so creaky. Second, the production has style. A severe, sober color palette speaks to Lear's decay, the storm is a grand affair that could be the death of the actors, and there's real directorial flair in many of the shots, and this despite being just as studio-bound as the Thames version. Michael Hordern is a more lively Lear, and thanks to the restored text actually has a sense of humor. His evil daughters (one of which is Penelope Wilton, yay!) are more clearly humorless psychopaths who see their father's frivolity as dottiness. John Shrapnel as Kent is excellent, and Michael Kitchen is wry and funny, looking into the lens to take us into his confidence (here again, the restored text gives him better reason to act against his brother and father). As for Edgar, he's still a sore point for me. Here, they dress him as Christ on the cross, and he's just as loony and annoying as ever. Anton Lesser is quite affecting when he ISN'T playing mad though. This is one version of Lear I'd revisit gladly.

I also flipped the tv classic, I, Claudius, based on the Robert Graves book and starring the most excellent Derek Jacobi, as well as John Hurt, Patrick Stewart and many others. The history of the Roman Emperors from Augustus to Nero (and the women who manipulated them) is one so steeped in scandal, murder, incest, violence and debauchery that there seems only one way to play it - as the blackest of black comedies, and as a master class in manipulation. Fans of HBO dramas should feel right at home and may use the series Rome as a prequel. (I like to then use Doctor Who's The Romans as a sequel. I think both portrayals of Nero match up.) Sadly, no DVD extras explore the making of the 12-episode series or even Roman history itself. There's an old 1960s documentary about the making of a never-completed film production of I, Claudius (starring Charles Laughton), but that's hardly consolation. Still, interviews with Graves and long film clips (as well as outtakes) do interest the modern viewer.

Doctor Who: The Awakening is a short 2-episode story for the 5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough, and it's one that should have been stretched to 3 (or only cut to 3, as it was originally designed as a standard 4-parter). It's about an ancient evil that's forcing a small town to act out the English Civil War and has good production values, performances and the very first appearance in Who of a CRACK IN TIME. No really, it kinda looks like the Series 5 meme. Unfortunately, the ending is so rushed that it's hard to understand just what's happening, what the Malus is, or how it is defeated. Sadly, Peter Davison doesn't show up for the commentary, the only one of his stories where he's failed to do so. Toby Hadoke moderates an actually lively discussion with the script editor and director. The DVD also includes a good making of filmed in one of the villages used for filming, as well as "Then and Now" location comparisons. A private collector still has the Malus, and he shows up to say a few words and the monster's designer and model make are reunited with the prop to share their memories. All that plus some deleted scenes and a famous Doctor Who blooper too. It's a nicer package than these short stories have usually merited.

Fast forward 26 years as I also flip Doctor Who's A Christmas Carol. 10 and 1 things about it are already on the blog, so I won't repeat myself except to say it's still one of the better Doctor Who stories ever. The DVD includes a whole episode of Doctor Who Confidential, hanging its behind the scenes material on the first read-through, returning to it and using it as a structure. It makes sense and gives the Confidential more unity. And then there's Doctor Who at the Proms 2010, a concert of Murray Gold's music for Series 5 with appearances by the lead actors and many of the monsters to frighten the kids in the audience. I loved the previous Proms, and this one has a lot going for it too (though not Karen Gillen's hosting, she's too flighty and nervous for it). One highlight is Matt Smith as the Doctor, not on tape, but interacting with the crowd, finding a young volunteer to save the theater, etc. Very fun. And another is the heart-swelling montage of each Doctor's regeneration scene, with Gold's music playing over it. Well, I'm a big crybaby.

Audio: Though The Crusade is included in the Lost TV Episodes Vol.1 set, it's not a completely lost Doctor Who story. Indeed, the Lost in Time DVD set includes all four episodes, though 2 and 4 are audio only. On CD, however, William Russell's linking narration adds a lot, especially to the last episode's action beats, which are just random noise and non sequitur dialog on the DVD. I had originally listened to those missing episodes while looking at tele-snaps. Worth owning in two formats? Sure. The Crusade is one of the best historical stories (or any stories, really), with a broad canvas, a cast of dozens (including Jean Marsh and Julian Glover), Shakespearean-style dialog and paints its historical figures, both Richard the Lion-Hearted and Saladin, as atypically ambiguous figures, neither good nor evil. I may even like it more than The Aztecs.

Books: Tina Fey's Bossypants is full of her trademark humor, but it isn't a "stand-up" book like many comics write. It's more biographical than that, and its main theme is the role of women in comedy, from improv to sketch comedy to producing her own sitcom. I can totally relate. Not because I'm a woman, because I'm not, but having been involved in improv for some 25 years, I've come across more than my share of people who think women can't be funny, or as funny as men (many of them insecure female improvisers). Funny men are sexy, funny women are ugly. Tina Fey dares to be the ugly girl. I'm playing on those clichés, but I of course believe none of them. Men give themselves greater license to be funny, and Tina doesn't miss a trick when comparing the sexes in the comedy workplace. It's not all "feminism", of course. There are plenty of stories about her family, her college days, her cursed honeymoon... But fans of hers will find much to like in the sections about Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. It's a light read with a few pictures, reprinted script pages and funny cover blurbs. I certainly recommend it to the improv girls in my life (of which there are more and more).

New Unauthorized Doctor Who CCG cards: 13 new cards as I begin working on my game's 2nd Edition. Tentatively, because rules design is still going on, but I like what's been produced so far (most from A Christmas Carol).

Hyperion to a Satyr posts this week:
II.ii. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I - Classics Illustrated
III.i. Briefings (the text)

100 Sexiest Women in Science Fiction (70-56)

The rules of our game/#86-100
#71-85
Get ready for the next 15 sexiest ladies in science fiction film and television! What is it about science fiction that seems to pair the genre up with luscious babes? Traditionally, SF has been a boys' club. Since you knew that your audience was largely male, you laid it on thick with other things boys tend to like (action, gadgets and of course, pretty girls in tight outfits). But as confidence is a sexy trait, and as science fiction tended to level the playing field with the sexes (speculating that gender bias would eventually disappear), it was only a matter of time before the stronger female characters attracted female audiences in search of viable role models as well. The effect over time is to have pulled SF out of the ghetto, and in keeping with its growing female audience, multiplied the number of central female characters in these shows and films. Sexiness has begat sexiness...

70. Kristine Kochanski from Red Dwarf (Chloë Annett)
Funny is sexy. Certainly, women think so or I'd never have gotten a date. But the reverse is also true. If there's anything this series has shown, it's that there's nothing sexier than a woman who can break you in half. And while that's usually represented physically, getting "broken" by words is just as sweet. Kristine Kochanski seems to be a state of perpetual annoyance with the morons around her, but that's just the trigger for her sassiness (men are funny, women are sassy, if we get politically correct). I'm no doubt showing my bias here. A cute waitress shuts down my shenanigans with a verbal slap-down and I leave triple the tip. That's just me. Hey, when is Tina Fey going to do a genre movie?

69. Lindsey Brigman from The Abyss (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)
Mrs. Brigman is a no-nonsense, order the Navy SEALs about, looks good with the wet look, woman. She's also smart as hell if she designed the undersea platform. And then there's the relationship with Bud Brigman that throws off sparks all over the place (and with all that water around too). She's so sexy, she can make her estranged husband fall in love with her all over again (though a near-death experience plays a helping hand). So sexy, James Cameron married her (she was reportedly based on his then-producer Gale Anne Hurd, now doing all those Marvel films).

68. Jadzia Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Terri Farrell)
Dax starts out as something of a cold fish (with cold hands, brrr), albeit with a twinkle in her eye and a tendency to date outside her species. As with too many Star Trek female characters, they made her cerebral and somewhat distant, which keeps the beautiful Terri Farrell from advancing further up on the list. And yet, Dax has her moments. A hot girl-on-girl kiss in Rejoined, censored in certain markets. An ultra-hot Mirror Universe analog. And the chance to have a good sense of humor and play the tigress opposite her par'Machai, Mr. Worf.

67. Sharon Valeri from Battlestar Galactica (Grace Park)
I might as well be talking about the entire Cylon model. Though, of course, Athena is the "good guy", Boomer is probably the sexiest, but in a dangerous, damaged goods kind of way. Girl had sex on the job even before she went traitor, and followed that up with nude tai chi and impersonating another man's woman to get jiggy with it. She's the psycho girlfriend, and yet you can't keep away. You just know your stuff is gonna wind up on the front lawn someday, but you can't help yourself.

66. Peri from Doctor Who (Nicola Bryant)
There is no doubt in any Whovian's mind that Peri is sexy. She was very much designed "for the dads" and from the very first bikini shots was given ample opportunity to showcase her... talents. Unfortunately, Nicola Bryant was saddled with terrible costumes, an irritatingly whiny personality and a nasal fake accent. But she's a real hottie and fun to research on the Internet!

65. T'Pol from Enterprise (Jolene Blalock)
T'Pol was another character designed for sex appeal, one surmises based on the success of Seven of Nine in that area. They just overdid it. The audience knows when it's being played, and the early fixation on almost nudity, greasing T'Pol down in the decontamination chamber, and costumes that put a big bullseye on her breasts was over-egging the pudding. Blalock had trouble with the character too, playing "logical" as "bored". Pouty just wasn't sexy anymore. As the seasons progressed, they got her a cuter hairstyle and slinky, but less obvious uniforms, and Blalock grew into the role. T'Pol became more relaxed, emotional and endearing. Sexiness restored. It also helps that Blalock is an avowed geek and Trekkie, which I'm sure sent the fanboys in a tizzy.

64. Wade Welles from Sliders (Sabrina Lloyd)
Sometimes, there's something about a "girl next door" that is entirely sexy. In other words, just because you're one doesn't mean you can't be the other. Part of the secret is to allow the character to develop romantic chemistry with another, in this case, fellow Slider Quinn. The more he ignored her, the more you wanted to take her in your arms and steal her from him. Regardless, she's a strong, independent woman with feminist leanings. Watch out, boys!

63. Chani from Dune (Barbara Kodetová)
What kind of woman does it take to seduce a Messiah? I never liked Sean Young's Chani, but Czech actress Barbara Kodetová is an exotic beauty that I can believe as a desert warrior woman. She not only beats out David Lynch's Chani, but in her own story, Princess Irulan herself. On paper, Irulan is Paul's wife, but history will remember the concubine as his true partner.

62. Trinity from The Matrix (Carrie Anne Moss)
Speaking of Messiahs, remember how Trinity's kiss is what triggers Neo's resurrection. Definitely another candidate cut from the same cloth as other warrior women. Trinity's look is severe, though leather and inscrutability is attractive, but she also has a softer look outside the Matrix. She's the girl that's just as sexy when she's at home in sweats as when she's all dressed up and out on the town. Plus, "kick your ass" factor in full effect.

61. Diana from V (Jane Badler)
When the Visitors came to Earth, they needed to seduce humanity. As soon as Diana walked out of that ship, we were. So what if she's a big lizard and eats guinea pigs whole? There's something about a bad girl...

60. Kara Thrace from Battlestar Galactica (Katee Sackhoff)
Not all bad girls are on the side of evil. Just as the original Starbuck, Dirk Benedict, was something of a sex idol, the new Starbuck is too. She's one of the boys (the Battlestar universe doesn't really have gender bias), but also "cleans up nice". And she's a total mess, likes it rough and is, in short, dangerous to be around. She's a maneater, but hides a vulnerability that makes you want to love her. When you're not hating her. All the ingredients you need for maximum chemistry. Starbuck sparks off HERSELF. Be careful, her kisses are bites.

59. Lt. Shane Vansen from Space: Above and Beyond (Kristen Cloke)
What is it about a girl in uniform? I think it's an offshoot of the sexy librarian phenomenon. Military women, by their lack of overtness, hide a sensuality you ache to unlock. Vansen is tough as nails, but when she's allowed to let her hair down, whoa Nelly! She's a real hottie. Cloke was named #9 of Sci-Fi's Sexy 50 by Femme Fatales magazine in 1997. It's now 2010 and Space: Above and Beyond (and Millenium) are a bit far behind, but some of us still remember.

58. Princess Leia from Star Wars (Carrie Fisher)
This week's controversial entry is geek icon "Princess Leia in a chainmail bikini". Face it, while Leia has the proper confident, sassy attitude that makes one sexy, much of her reputation for sexiness stems from this costume. I'm only hoping the collar and chain aren't part of the attraction for you. To me, the sex slave look is only surface sexiness and I never got into that whole thing. Leia, in fact, undercut her sexiness in the fist film by 1) taking "sassy" too far towards "irritating" and 2) having no sense of style. She styles better in subsequent films, but the damage was done (kissing your brother isn't sexy either). I recognize she is a sex idol to a whole generation though. Feel free to put her in your own personal top 10.

57. Col. Wilma Deering from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Erin Gray)
Wilma sure knows how to pour herself into a slinky outfit, but that wouldn't mean as much if she wasn't also a strong woman who saves Buck Rogers' bacon on a regular basis. She ain't no damsel in distress. An early example of what I was talking about at the top of the post, Wilma Deering apparently inspired a lot of women to go into the military. She's a smart leader and competent action hero, but hasn't sacrificed her femininity in the process.

56. Lisa from Weird Science (Kelly LeBrock)
Built from a barbie doll, cut-up Playboys and government-stolen power, Lisa should have been just another artificial fantasy woman. But as soon as she walked in the door with her 80s hair and English accent, she became the quintessential 80s sex symbol. Not only is she hot hot hot, but all she really wants is for you to get the cred you need to grow up and get with some real girls. Sexy science genie! She mothers you, but in the sexy way your mom can't, taking care of your bullies and making everyone jealous. You can't hate her because she's beautiful, as the commercial goes. Definitely more than the sum of her parts.

Part 4 takes us deeper down the Amazon river. See you in seven!

V for Vhat Happened to That?

Yeah, Siskoid, what happened to your weekly review of the new V series? Well, you see, what happened is Tuesday came, and I was sitting in the living room, and I sort of chose not to watch it.

Just like that.

In other words, the show failed to grab me within its first three episodes, and I was only watching it because I said I would on this here blog. Just trying to get rid of SOME obligations where I can.

Peace (V).

V for Visas

Episode 3: A Bright New Day

Don't know how long I'll be keeping tabs on this show for the blog. I'll be watching it, but writing about it? Not sure. The biggest part of the reason is that NOT ENOUGH HAPPENS. Or really, NOT ENOUGH HAPPENS FOR ME. And it's totally my bias for BBC and HBO productions that keeps seasons between 6 and 13 episodes, fully packing each hour (yes, full hours!) with CHARACTER and STORY. Now it's not really V's fault. It's just following the American model, losing 20 minutes to commercials and mini-cliffhangers going into those commercial breaks. Furthermore, it's following the "deep mystery built for DVD" trend started by "24", ending each episode on a small twist that makes you want to play the next episode ("just one more"). But on a weekly basis, it's not quite as engaging. A week passes, and I forgot what intrigued me at the end of the last ep.

If V is to play out over 4 seasons as planned, the first season will probably just build the Resistance. The fight begins in Season 2, the Vs win over Season 3, and humanity's inevitable comeback occurs in Season 4. But at 20-something episodes per season, none of that is compacted. In episode 2, our good sleeper sought out another sleeper only to get whacked on the head. This episode, same thing happens. Not exactly the same result, but do we need to see each recruitment attempt? The answer is yes, because we've got all those episodes to fill.

I'm also missing out on the Visitor's alienness. What kind of culture do they have? Right now, they've taken human names and use concepts such as the Fifth Column, which are decidedly humanocentric. I understand the need to keep secrets, this early in the game, but even when they're alone together, they keep things close to the vest, only a sometimes sufficient reptilian performance supporting the scenes. And yet, I admire their media games, staging events to help their P.R., that's all very well done. And even among the V, you can't trust the bad guys to necessarily be bad. Looks like both sides are manipulating humanity. But aside from the high tech elements, this could be a conspiracy story without the aliens.

Did anyone else have sound problems in one of the acts? All I had was the soundtrack and folley, but no dialogue (or dim, very distorted dialogue). Rather bizarre. Thank the Lords of Geekery for Close Captioning. And speaking of production problems, I think the creators missed out on giving their episodes titles that start with the letter V, something I have availed myself of on this blog. A simple thing, easy to miss or to find unworkable over the series' projected ±100 episodes, but I don't particularly care for the titles they DID come up with. In this one, the Vs get Visas. Writes itself.

V for Version 2.0

Episode 2: There Is No Normal Anymore

As promised, I'm keeping tabs on the new V, and I must say that with its second episode, it comes more into its own. Gone was the déjà vu, to be replaced with the New V's own breed of story. And that breed is PARANOIA. The V sleeper agents is the new element here, and it's making me suspect about half the ancillary characters of being Visitors. So that's kinda cool, and the motor for the show's suspense.

I don't know if it's on purpose, but fitting that theme, a number of things made me think of The Prisoner. You don't know who's who, what's what and who's listening to your calls as you get chased by a floating ball. And then there's the Hitler Youth "Peace Ambassador" jacket that reminds me of Patrick McGoohan's.

One thing that does bother me a little bit now is the casting. The show is populated by a bunch of pretty boys and girls, like so much of American television these days, and that somehow feels wrong. I don't just mean that it turns the program into a glossy, starlet-filled V 90210, but that it doesn't fit the premise. If the Visitors are universally good-looking (except maybe some sleepers), then having humans that are a little less pretty would tend to highlight that fact. But no, the priest is just as cute as the Vs and everyone else (as an example of a character who needn't have been).

Also, a large portion of the cast seems to come from other cult shows - Lost, Firefly, The 4400, Smallville... Are they trying to bring followers of each cult to create another cult? Could be. After all, Morena Baccarin got ME to watch it.

I'm not discussing the plot much, I know. It's not too late to get caught up via the Internets, so I guess I don't want to spoil anything. I do enjoy the media games Decker is playing with Anna. The Vs having bad photo resolution is a bit of twit bit. Rather convenient. And is Ryan's girl tapped to give birth to the first alien baby? Cuz who doesn't fondly remember that moment in the original series? Am I right? Right?! Anyone? Hellooooo?

V for Visitor

So I watched Tuesday's broadcast of the new "V" series... Why? Well, nostalgia, mostly. I was a big fan of the original mini-series (still am) and watched both the follow-up and weekly series loyally. But the realization Morena Baccarin was going to be in it tipped the scales (and she's not the only Firefly alumni in the pilot either). So what did I think?

Well, one of the things I really enjoyed about the original mini was the multiple points of view. We followed a large number of characters and what impact the Visitors had on their lives. The cast here doesn't feel quite as large, but we still get many POVs. Though none of the characters return per se, there are a lot of homologues. There's a journalist and a kid enrolled in the V's "Hitler Youth" and a blond resistance leader and a dark-haired V leader. You know, as much as I like Morena Baccarin, she's no Jane Badler, and by that I mean to question whether she can eventually be as cold and evil.
One of the things that's changed is the series' preoccupations. The original mini wasn't entirely topical, instead likening the Visitors to the Nazis, right down to the aforementioned Hitler Youth movement, a Final Solution and the Resistance. The 2009 version is more of our time. I don't know if the Visitors plan to cannibalize humanity, but they were here for a while before officially arriving, creating instability and strife to better position them as saviors. There are Visitor sleeper cells and everything. In other words, they're terrorists.

The choice of characters is also more actual. Instead of a maverick cameraman/action hero, we have an anchorman who is seduced into betraying his principles to advance his career and risks becoming the V's puppet spokesman. Manipulation of the media is a modern concern. (The V are also Big Business and Corrupt Government.) Perhaps to counterbalance the terrorism theme, we have a good Visitor in Ryan Nichols, hoping to marry a human woman. Not quite as endearing as Robert Englund's Willie, but a gateway to stories about how Arab Americans are perceived (using the same metaphor).

Speaking of themes, religion is a big one here. Christ falling from the cross when the Visitors arrive was perhaps a bit obvious, but the inclusion of a priest in the cast will give the show a spiritual/philosophical dimension. The Visitors are setting themselves up to be gods on Earth, in a way. The V complete their Axis of Evil by also being a Cult. So goes the set-up for our villains.
One of the things the new show has to fight against its status as a reboot. This probably won't affect viewers coming to the concept fresh, but as someone who knows the original, the pilot felt a little sluggish. I tended to get antsy whenever the same ground was tread, and though it must recognizably be "V", it can't follow the old series plot point for plot point. That took the stuffing out of a few revelations (they're lizards!!!), and likely will continue to do so unless details are changed. Certainly, there's nothing hear akin to seeing a Visitor gulp down a rat.

But despite the similarities (the seduction of the innocent, the Visitors' true forms, the Resistance formed), there are enough new elements to forecast complete deviation within only a few episodes (they're not here for water, the sleeper cells, the good V hiding among us). We must also realize that the mini-series was a television event, with less time to tell its story and longer installments to do it with. The creators of this version hope to run for 4 seasons, telling a complete story in those four years. A nice commitment, and with rather good viewing figures of 14 million the first night, apparently not premature. I do so hate to get involved in a show like this and see it fold halfway through the first season (good news on that front: it's not on FOX).

After one episode, I can say V looks promising. A good cast, and of course, good 21st-century effects, but also room to tell a long form story full of twists, turns, and the occasional food for thought.