From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V8 #44 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Monday, October 12 2009 Volume 08 : Number 044 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] Shark Island Prison and Crusader [cr ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:24:46 +1300 From: cr Subject: [chakram-refugees] Shark Island Prison and Crusader ... also known as Locked Up and Tied Down. I always had problems with this episode (aside from the fact that I don't like prison movies). Mainly that Xena, with her dark and murderous background, should meekly allow herself to be arrested for one incident (Thalassa's presumed death - which turned out to be spurious anyway since Thalassa was still alive). Incidentally, regarding the crabs, I can't help recalling the joke Ian Fleming played on his readers in 'Dr No', where the fiendish Doctor No had Honeychile Rider tied down on Crab Key and left overnight to be eaten by the crabs. And she turned up next day, none the worse, and told Bond the crabs 'smelt musty and tickled a bit' but didn't bother her. Well, in the DVD Interviews for LUATD, Rick Jacobson recounts how Katrina Browne had to lie half in the water while they put live crabs on her, but the crabs just sat there, eventually they had to tie strings to them to get them to move, and with that and some fancy cutting they managed to get a result that looked just okay. In other words, the crabs just didn't want to eat Katrina Browne. (Silly crabs 8-) I think, on the whole, Ian Fleming wins that one ;) Katrina Browne, now, has striking good looks, as was obvious in 'Prodigal Sister' as Siri, and all too briefly as Mendala in When in Rome. I'm disappointed that in LUATD (her biggest role on Xena) she spent most of the time with a tied-back hairstyle that didn't suit her and a disfiguring scar on her face. I would have liked to see her guesting in further episodes. Talking of appearances, the chief warder, now, just looked the part of a sadistic thug. Other villains have looked evil or barbaric, but this one managed to look like the quintessential coward/bully. (I'm sure the actor's a perfectly nice man and just a very good actor). Mention of Katrina having to lie in cold water with the crabs of course leads to Xena having to bury the dead girl in pouring rain and later, lie in a cell while they threw rats on her. (Rick noted that the rats weren't any more enthusiastic than the crabs had been). Life isn't easy for Renpics actors.... The next ep 'Crusader' also had a big credibility gap, for me. Najara just doesn't look like she could beat Xena up. Callisto could, Hudson made up for her size in sheer intensity. Alti, yes, Claire looks like she could beat up Arnold Schwarzenegger. Cyane looked like she could take Xena on. And I think if Katrina Browne had been cast as Najara, I would have found that believeable (having seen her fight as Siri and briefly as Mendala). But Kathy Morris just doesn't do it for me. Oh yeah, and I deeply resented them using Callisto's musical theme for Najara in the first fight. Callisto she is not and never could be. This was Renpics doing Joan of Arc (though there isn't much similarity, except superficially). I can't help thinking of that immortal line from The Blues Brothers - 'We're on a mission from God'. And the fact that Gabby swallows this does not endear Gabby to me . One would think that Gabby might have learnt after Khrafstar, but evidently not... And they all sing happy little songs. What is wrong with this picture? Besides which, I can't stand holier-than-thou characters. :) One good line in it - XENA: No. Shebs too dangerous a girl to leave on the loose. She likes killing too much. GABRIELLE: But she beat you up so badly. XENA: Well thatbs another reason. There's nothing holier-than-thou about Xena :) Oh, another reason I don't care for this episode much - this is the first episode where Xena's fighting ability starts to misfire. In Sin Trade she wiped the floor with Alti, in Shark Island Prison she was deliberately holding back, but in this ep she got bushwhacked by a religious nutter who hears voices in her head. This I didn't like at all. cr ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V8 #44 *************************************