That is rather high and the really big reason I have it is for the digital HDTV. Last night was the PBS "Lost World" episode of The Living Edens. It concerned the mysterious plateaus of Venezuela which inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write "The Lost World." They didn't find any dinosaurs but the animal and vegetation life, not to mention the other worldly landscape, was a fascinating hour of TV.
We are 'bundled' by Rogers Cable, so we get our digital cable and high speed internet for about $100 CDN a month, and I think we got the first six months for free....some deal connected with Mrs. cav's cell phone, also with Rogers.
I was a little disappointed with the second installment, but I'm not sure why.
Too reachy? A little predictable? I don't know.
The circus bear mauling the soldiers, maybe? Will stay tuned.
The third episode really opened up Pandora's Box with the healing evangelist fakery and the minister in the secondary plot arguing with the town authorities about his new chapel location in an old brothel. The owner of the property being basically exorted into giving the it to the church was cleverly done in a flashback revealing him to be a pedophile. The fate of the donor was a bit of a shock.
#3 was better, to me.
Looking forward to more background on the Justin character--and I wonder if Amy Madigan will do more than look ponderously at Justin...
He has a way with donors, for sure. :wink:
What is it about Chin's? I'm liking all the questions....
Chin's seems to be the beginning of a mystery to unravel along the way -- I have a feeling the minister is not going to give it up so easily.
From the political thread digression into "Carnivale:"
Tartarin
Veteran Member
Joined: 25 Nov 2002
Posts: 5253
Location: Getting closer to the border every day
Posted: Sun 12 Oct, 2003 11:07 am Post subject:
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I hoped Carnivale would be Lynch-like, but found it to be Lynch-derivative without the intelligence, visual interest, and depth. My hooker at the moment is The Wire. And I like HBO for trying things out even when I don't like the results. But there is something else: the less TV you watch, the less you watch. I only have the premium channels (no advertising, no sit-coms, no US-versions of newstainment!) and only watch now when something really, really good is on. The rest of the former satellite bill goes to buying films on tape/DVD. This wouldn't work for water cooler socialites, mainstreamers!
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Lightwizard
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Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 6538
Location: Orange County, California
Posted: Sun 12 Oct, 2003 11:11 am Post subject:
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I think "Carnivale" is setting up something that hopefully will knock our socks off. To put the benchmark of Lynch's finest is fair enough.
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Sofia
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Joined: 30 Mar 2003
Posts: 3399
Location: ..on a isolated Mediterranean beach...buffeted by balmy breezes...
Posted: Sun 12 Oct, 2003 12:05 pm Post subject:
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I'm with LW on the wait for Carnivale. It does seem something worthwhile is brewing. My daughter is now watching with me--
The Black Blizzard episode increased my stakes in the show.
The fire at Chin's made me sad. Justin's brand of Christianity (not counting the freaky supernatural stuff) is compelling. His 'speech' to Madigan about the horrors suffered by the children he housed at Chin's was powerful.
Somebody's in trouble. I wonder what God and Justin have in store for the arsonist?
LW-- I feel like I missed something. What was the Black Blizzard metaphor for? Injustice as felt by Justin? A precourser to what would happen in Babylon? It was alluded to by a few characters--but I felt like I missed the writer's intent... What would you say?
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Lightwizard
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Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 6538
Location: Orange County, California
Posted: Sun 12 Oct, 2003 12:12 pm Post subject:
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I can't quite figure out the Black Blizzard metaphor yet -- it could be the overwhelming effect of the social strife of the depression. There's a lot of Lynchian dream like metaphors injected into the series. Hey, maybe we should move this over to the thread I started on "Carnivale
It's practically the only program that my husband and I watch together. I like the slow pace of it and right now, my guess is that somewhere down the line, the preacher and the young healer, both seemingly in denial of their full powers, are going to meet up. I smell a showdown brewing.
You do get the feeling they'll meet up, but good v evil is not clear.
The boy has only healed with his power, and won't make the conscious choice to harm something in order to heal someone... Justin's power has only hurt and killed.... even though he is selfless, and tolerant...
eoe-- Any thoughts on The Black Blizzard-- It seemed to have held some special significance. (I was in and out while the old blind man was trying to convince the boy to hone his gift... Looked like the boy didn't agree to apprentice with the old blind man, but the old blind man was grinning about something....)
<I swear I'll learn these people's names tonight.> :wink:
Samson and the driver at the whore's house--funny.
I didn't feel that the dust storm held any real significance at all. The fact that the blind man and the comatose fortune teller seemed to know it was coming merely confirmed their talents for me.
Good vs. evil? I think the preacher is E-VIL. And he doesn't even know how evil but he knows that he's evil and flogs himself for it. The young man has been dealt a lousy hand in life (how'd you like his mom?!) but it seems like he's a decent person. I didn't notice but hubby says that when he joined the carnival, he was in leg irons. Did he escape from prison or something?
There are a lot of threads to the past coming up and I agree that the preacher is involved with some delusions that seem more sinister than it first appeared.
I think he did escape from prison.
The series has the Lynch influence but if anyone here has read Gore Vidal's "Messiah," there's some influence from that novel.
The self-inflicted beatings --self-flagellation--is the act of a very pious Christian, who inflicts pain on themselves because they feel unworthy to live without pain, when their Savior suffered so much on their behalf. So, this, to me, made Justin look very humbled and sincere in his faith.
I mostly read of Catholic women who did this. Incredible stories.
The boy did escape from prison.
That is the only reason he hooked up with the carnies. He was seconds away from being caught and returned to the prison.
Looking forward to showdown.... and their meeting.
His self-flagellation, to me, is more than proof of his piousness. He's beating himself because he knows he's an evil so-and-so. Hadn't he just returned from a bawdy house? Had some kind of encounter with an Asian woman. It was so dream-like, I couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.
What did Ben do to end up in prison? Have we gotten there yet?
I must've missed Justin's visit to the bawdy house. Was under the impression a chink had not yet been found in his perfect armor...except for that nasty temper.
Also don't know if the boy's reason for jail time has been divulged.
Really getting in to the 'religious' imagery. Loved last night's installment. Looks like next week's will be even more interesting.
The stuff from Babylon/Revelation is compelling....
Okay, I started watching 'Carnivale', and I'm not sure I have the patience for the pseudo-Lynch derivations. Mind you, I gave up on Twin Peaks after the first season. Carnivale is intriguing, but so far, it doesn't grab me. I think I would prefer to see it back to back on DVD. Mrs. cav quite likes it though, and is hooked.
Also, our TV is near our west-facing window, which causes a lot of glare when we watch the show as the sun sets, totally muting the almost monochromatic use of brown in the show, which annoys me a lot. Call me quirky...
We saw the sex starved side of Babylon but not the side that killed Dora Mae. Was it Stangler, who attended both her shows and talked to her all nite at the bar?
Haven't figured out how Scudder fits in, was Ben dreaming about the past after falling into a drunken sleep?
Poor Dora Mae must have been attacked by more than one man, don't you think? I was astounded to find out that Frank, the host of their show, is their father!
Isn't Scudder Ben's father?
