I have to intellectualize everything, don't I?

I've been wavering on what to post next, as well as the general direction that I want to take this blog.  I actually dislike talking about my own life, especially since I have discovered that in this age of information, people end up reading it and knowing stuff.  And I don't really feel like guarding myself all that much.  I also don't really want to make it too political, since it'll just end up being me ranting and raving about all the people that I disagree with.  In the end, I'm left with pop culture, which tends to be the most fun to blog about anyway.

So, with that in mind, I want to return to the topic of Terminator, and also to horror and action flicks (and shows) in general.  Anybody who knows me probably knows that I absolutely love the new TV show, especially the new season.  It got to a bit of a rocky start, but the portrayal of the characters is totally dead-on.  

What I really love about the show is that it isn't an action show.  Sure, there are robots beating each other up, but that's not what it's about.  It's about people who are launched from their orderly universe into something completely unexpected, terrifying, and dangerous.  And it's actually realistic about the consequences.  Let's face it:  running from killer robots is going to give you PTSD, or at least serious social disorders.  However, it's not whiny, it's about people dealing with it and moving on.  And the ones that don't usually last long.  It doesn't hurt that it's got Summer Glau and Shirley Manson.  Seriously, that's a catfight I can't WAIT to see.

In fact, this show has gotten me thinking about horror and action movies in general.  They actually have very similar premises:  people are thrown into extraordinary and dangerous situations.  For the most part, the actual details don't matter much:  what matters is how each character responds.  This is how franchises like Terminator and Alien can be so successful:  they can, at turns, be horror or action, or both.  What matters is the reaction to the terrifying other: fear and resignation, or anger and determination.  In most horror movies, there is a specific turning point where the protagonist switches between these two viewpoints, and that is the point where the plot becomes one of action.  One may even say that the only true horror movies are ones where nobody survives aside from by blind luck or the capriciousness of the villain.  The only specific example I can think of right now is The Strangers, in which (spoiler alert) both of the protagonists die.  There was actually one specific instant where I saw each of their reactions to the situation and decided that they were doomed.  Oddly enough, this resignation on my part completely removed my fear and the film almost became pornographic in nature because all I saw was the promise and carrying out of violence.  

Well, I got kind of sidetracked there.  Anyway, I love Terminator.  As I mentioned before, I think it's pretty awesome that the franchise can have such range.  The first movie was pure horror, the second was a feel-good action movie with a dark undertone, and the third was a pure campy romp.  The TV show embraces the action, and to some extent the camp, but its focus is really the psychological impact of the situation and the relationship between all of the characters.  I'm actually really nervous about the new movie because it doesn't take place in a contemporary world:  it's after the machine apocalypse.  The strength of the story is the fact that the vast majority of the world is completely oblivious of the threat, that the Connors have to run for their lives in a world that simply sees them as crazy, that nobody can help them because they have no idea of the scope of the threat.  If they play their cards right, it could be an amazing movie, but I just have no idea how it'll end up.  If they follow the path of the third movie, I'm afraid that it's going to be a flop, but if they concentrate on the human aspect instead of the action, I think that it could be an excellent continuation of the Terminator story.

hmm, maybe I should be working on my essay...

SO MUCH STUFF

Somehow I'm feeling completely overwhelmed on every front. I'm way behind on my studying for the biology GRE exam, I've got orchestra to practice for (at least now it's one orchestra, not two. Last week drove me totally crazy), and I'm trying to pull together a homemade Halloween costume when I barely just learned how to sew a straight line. Plus, I'm trying to juggle three ongoing experiments at work when i'm only supposed to work 30 hours a day. Oh, and I might only have a job for a few more weeks. Add on top of that the fact that I seem to be suffering from some MAJOR seasonal affective disorder already, and I'm about ready to go crazy.

So I'm going to take a step back, and talk about completely irrelevant things. Like music and TV.

First of all, and most importantly, Rachael Yamagata just released her new album. Now, I'm actually surprised about how excited I was about this. I mean, I never really listened to her first album obsessively, although I do think it's gorgeous. But there's just something about her music that I absolutely love. First and foremost, she's just got the most awesome husky voice, and she manages to write really emotional songs without coming out sounding whiny or cliché. That being said, I REALLY HATE the pacing on the album. Yeah, it's all gorgeous, and as far as songwriting goes, I think that she can do no wrong. However, she stacked all of the slow, soft songs at the beginning of the album and then jammed all of the faster-paced and edgier songs at the end. I'll be the first to admit that I have a really short attention span, and after 3 or 4 ballads, I get a little snoozy. But I'll tell you, the first time I heard Elephants, I literally almost cried. This woman is totally amazing.

Another exciting media thing: I finally watched the S2 premier of the Terminator TV show. LOVES it. First of all, it starts out with a bloodbath set to Shirley Mansion (the singer from Garbage) singing an awesome song about Samson and Delilah (probably a cover of a famous song). Then, lo and behold, she's ACTING in the show AS A T-1000! Running an evil corporation! Yeah, I'm a huge nerd. Let's face it, I watch TV for pure escapism, so as far as I'm concerned, the campier the better.

Then of course there's Project Runway. I'm annoyed with this season, I think that all the designers kind of suck, but I was actually glad that the last episode went the way it did. I've been hoping for Jerrell to get kicked off the show for the entire season, mainly because I just despise his style. I'm personally rooting for Korto, because what I've seen of her collection seems much more diverse than the other two, and Leane's is pretty, but so obsessive and her color pallet is too limited.

And last but not least, there is the issue of my Halloween costume. I have decided that it has to include some sort of lacing, and I'm trying to decide between a tunic and leggings, or a vest and pants. Tunics seem to be pretty ubiquitous as Robin Hood's uniform, but a vest would be much easier to make really tight, and I could lace it up all the way. I'm also a little concerned about the hat and boots, since those are things that would probably have to be bought, so I'll have to settle for what I can find/afford.

OH. MY. GOD.

So, I just discovered that iTunes is now selling vast numbers of classic Doctor Who episodes. It's only by virtue of being completely broke that I haven't gone crazy and started downloading like mad.

Somehow I'm going to have to come up with a way to see all of these. Seriously, this is like my childhood returning in full force. Maybe if I strictly ration myself to one episode arc a week...