emily k(nits, watches, and writes)

I had to skip yesterday because of the holiday. Worth it, though, because I watched two football games, ate tons of fantastic food, spent time with great friends, and played many hours of Rock Band 2.

Back to business, though.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Thoughts:
- Nuclear wessel.
- Whale biologists are lame. See Futurama “Three Hundred Big Boys” for further proof.
- Kirk and Spock are absolutely hilarious when trying to be inconspicuous. See Star Trek “The City on the Edge of Forever” for further proof.
- Scotty is still pretty much my favorite, Sulu pretty much tied, but I also really love Spock’s dad for some reason.
- I have a cool idea for an article about the music of this movie, and Star Trek in general. No spoilers about it yet, though. That might be my project over break.

Oh yes, the shows go on.

Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock

Thoughts:
- They used five difference actors to play Spock.
- Scotty is pretty much my favorite ever.
- Well, Sulu too.
- Essentially everyone that Kirk loves ends up dead at some point. Rough life. How melodramatic.
- The adventure goes on …
- … OH! Some other actress playing Saavik? Weak, guys. Weak. Seriously all the things she did that probably kept Kirstie Alley from being in this movie were crap.

Tonight’s viewing is:

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan

Who would have thought?

Notes:
- Totally forgot Kirstie Alley was in this movie. Hilarious.
- She’s a Vulcan? Or a Romulan? I didn’t think Romulan-Federation interaction had been solidified by that point, or if they ever were. Maybe I’m forgetting a later episode of Star Trek that dealt with that. Or supposedly she’s Vulcan-Romulan? Whatever.
- Watched “Space Seed” on cbs.com before watching this to make sure I remembered Khan’s origins correctly.
- As such (see last bullet point) I was really mad when Khan said he recognized Chekov. Damnit! Canon, people. CANON!

Today’s viewing is Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Comments about the film thus far:
- Kirk/Spock OTP
- Dr. McCoy looked like a total pimp when he first came aboard
- Spock is going through major acclimation issues. He’s been away from humanity for too long.
- Spock looked hilariously incredible with the long hair.
- I really hope that whatever our version of the Earth Federation is will end up being will be HQ’d in San Francisco.
- TNG stole the entire soundtrack of this film.

So I’m finally watching Death Rides a Horse, a spaghetti western from 1968 directed by Giulio Petroni. There are a few reasons I’m watching it:
1- The score was composed by Ennio Morricone.
2- The film co-stars Lee Van Cleef.
3- Other actors include Mario Brega and Luigi Pistilli.
4- The script was designed by Luciano Vincenzoni, who also helped writeFor a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Fistful of Dynamite/Duck, You Sucker!.
4- It’s a spaghetti western … duh.

So I’m paying more attention to the music than anything, and am noticing that Morricone recycled some old music in this film. There are two pieces I’m recognizing: “Poker d’Assi” from For a Few Dollars More, and some incidental music from For a Few Dollars More.  I don’t really have an explanation for it, it’s just something I’ve noticed from working on those other movies for so long. Maybe because he had so many movies going that he ended up borrowing from himself?

As an aside, I see quite a few similarities between Death Rides a Horseand Kill Bill, particularly the plot. Bad guy is taken advantage of and incarcerated (Ryan sold out by his gang and spends 15 years in jail, The Bride/Beatrix tries to leave but is hunted down and shot, spends four years in a coma), then hunts down and slaughters everyone that turned on them. In most cases the people they are hunting down are in higher places in society (wife/mother, politician, rich estate holder, etc.). The Bride almost seems like an amalgamation of Bill and Ryan. There are also similarities between Death and For a Few Dollars More, mostly the master/apprentice relationship between Bill/Ryan and Monco/Mortimer (hard to avoid seeing this due to Van Cleef being in both films). Some of Morricone’s music from Death Rides a Horsemen is used in Kill Bill (I think “Man to Man”).