A US Life on Mars (LA pilot) critique

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:31:12 +1200

Life on Mars USA—well, let’s say it’s little wonder ABC wants it reshot and the leak is a great way to get comments from fans, many of whom have downloaded the unscreened pilot as made by David E. Kelley and directed by Thomas Schlamme.
   The storyline is identical to the original, which is not a bad thing, but the British media comments about the American version lacking something are not far off the mark. They are not being anti-American or unduly negative.
   First, some neutral comments: the LA setting does not annoy me. To me, New York City, especially Manhattan, is not different enough between 1972 and 2008 unless one heads down to Battery Park and some of the reclaimed-land bits. It should also shut up all those who moaned about the Bowie song not being on the TVCs (a “duh moment”—of course it would be in the programme but not in ads, and since when was the song in the British ads?).
   Now, the good points:

the second half does draw you in, even when you know what is happening;
re-elect Nixon posters on the high street;
no Nelson, replaced by a waitress pouring coffee at a cafeteria—good character, but Sam needs someone whom he can chat to;
a reference by Colm Meaney to Klingons;
Annie being a detective actually works; and Rachelle Lefèvre gives a good performance;
the briefing scene with Sam and Annie and the camera going around the performers;
sexism by a detective during Sam’s briefing (responding, ‘Her titties’);
the musical score (by Edmund Butt?);
Sam’s realization that Colin Raimes lives next door to Kenmore—well acted and directed;
final shot of Sam and Annie on the hotel roof with ‘Life on Mars’ playing is a different take on the original—and is quite nicely done.

And the bad points:

dull first act;
Sam tells everyone in the police station that he’s from 2007 so it gives no reason for him to have a closer relationship with Annie;
bad special effects for 1972 Los Angeles (though I assume these are temporary) and I can see modern cars in the high street scene where Sam goes into the record store;
Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen is very pretty but I felt no chemistry between her and Jason O’Mara—while they are meant to be distant, I never felt Jason’s Sam Tyler cared for Maya before her abduction;
Gene Hunt is not foul-mouthed and not even politically incorrect except for the orientation (punching Sam) and abusing a woman helping with police enquiries;
generally no sexism other than the scene mentioned earlier—contrast this to, say, the movie The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, from 1974;
no racism (an Obama-for-president reference might be interesting if it’s remade);
Gene Hunt asking Sam nicely to join him for an interrogation—and lack of tension between the two beyond unconvincingly trading a few punches;
absence of humour;
no Chris and Ray, and Lenny Clarke is no substitute (I expect he will be recast);
not much in the way of contrasting 1972 and 2007 methods;
Sam’s 1972 arrival does not seem particularly tormenting to him and I was not drawn in to his feeling any confusion. Jason O’Mara almost seems too rigid and suffers in comparison to John Simm;
bland performances from O’Mara and Meaney—watch the scene when Beryl Raimes tells them about the music next door ceasing to annoy her and contrast it to the original—which can be blamed in part on direction;
certain lines copied verbatim from the original.

   I know the majority of people who will see the US one will not have seen the original. However, I believe it lacks a lot of sparkle and even cohesiveness and it could harm the series’ chances Stateside. The comparisons do need to be made: the success of Life on Mars was based on how deeply we were drawn in to Sam Tyler’s predicament. The American producers need to understand (if they don’t already) that it is possible to create that effect, but possibly with another director (with respect to Mr Schlamme).
   This first US version lacks that depth—and it is nothing to do with it being American.
   A remake prior to the fall début in ABC might not be a bad idea because there is room for improvement, especially for the underdeveloped Gene Hunt character and O’Mara’s rigidity.

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Capt Kirk gets off a speeding ticket

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:14:58 +1200

Just as I finished writing about Philip Glenister getting his driver off a ticket by acting as Gene Hunt, I surfed over to an article about Canadian actor William Shatner linked from the Daily Mail page I cited earlier:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=565380&in_page_id=1879

In the 1960s, Shatner wore his Capt Kirk uniform rushing to work and was also stopped. He writes:

I got out of my car, dressed in my uniform. The police officer looked me up and down, frowned and asked: “So where are you going so fast at this time in the morning?”
I told him the truth: “To my spaceship.”
He sighed. “OK, go ahead,” he said, before adding the Vulcan blessing: “Live long and prosper.”

Nothing new under the sun.
The story is quite good, told in the first person. Shatner recounts his lows and the death of his third wife (after what seems to be the final paragraph talking about the price of his autobiography).

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Star Wars, (almost) nothing but Star Wars

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:24:52 +1300

William Shatner’s self-deprecating humour is brilliant, as he opens the AFI Life Achievement Award: a Tribute to George Lucas show in 2005. He takes the mick out of his public image in this video found on YouTube.

Shatner Singing to Lucas

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Jack Yan on Vox

A US Life on Mars (LA pilot) critique

Capt Kirk gets off a speeding ticket

Star Wars, (almost) nothing but Star Wars