tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.comments2024-02-03T13:09:38.313+00:00Mirabilis - Year of WondersLeo Hartashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14417174942647091006noreply@blogger.comBlogger860125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-26267266693846774182024-02-03T13:09:38.313+00:002024-02-03T13:09:38.313+00:00ThankssThankssDave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-31201616781582759962024-01-31T17:38:26.636+00:002024-01-31T17:38:26.636+00:00Fair enough about the delayed flight, though why t...Fair enough about the delayed flight, though why they then just give up (and why they don't kill his girlfriend/housekeeper and the taxi driver) is harder to account for. Or even why his handler/manager hired them in the first place. And why didn't they stake out the place, instead of charging straight in? "He's not here at the exact minute we expected." "Oh, well he must be in the wind, then." My PCs plan their hits better than that.<br /><br />The theme would be difficult to miss, as it's double-underlined in almost every scene. He learns that he's not a stone-cold killer after all, but a rather hot-blooded one. We pretty much see that coming from the start, though, right? At least from the point where he talks to the housekeeper-with-benefits in the hospital. It's why everybody else does what they do that I think makes less sense.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-33427541738641871662024-01-27T20:02:22.650+00:002024-01-27T20:02:22.650+00:00Late to the party, but I didn't think The Kill...Late to the party, but I didn't think The Killer was too bad in terms of plot holes. For example, just the first two points you bring up:<br />The Killer gets spooked on his flight back home, so books a new flight delaying him by 24hrs. The 'clean-up' crew were expecting him to be home, and when he isn't there (and the housekeeper is none-the-wiser) they presume they have been made and he has disappeared, and will now be impossible to find. Hence they flag the operation as a bust and go home.<br />The fact that he doesn't disappear once he realises what has happened (despite his introductory monologue suggesting otherwise) is the core theme of the movie. Wayne Imlachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03904174524132194290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-21293169510533655762024-01-24T21:23:26.452+00:002024-01-24T21:23:26.452+00:00Very nice posttVery nice posttVeekohttps://vee-ko.tumblr.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-18135780159302478442023-11-15T14:53:45.440+00:002023-11-15T14:53:45.440+00:00The movie is an interesting study in the developme...The movie is an interesting study in the development process. I imagine it began with the idea of an accomplished expert who has come to rely on his own efficiency, and the effect on him of missing a target (precisely what the term hamartia from Greek tragedy actually means, in fact). That one single slip should ripple out to cause huge changes in his world.<br /><br />The snag is, that would make a great character study but this is a movie, so instead of interiority the writer has to build it around plot. That could still work with enough ingenuity and originality to construct a surprising plot. Unfortunately instead we got the John Wick plot with a girlfriend (beaten) in place of a dog (killed). The only remaining trace of the original concept was that the Killer undergoes change in the course of getting his revenge, a Scriptwriting 101 arc in which he goes from imagining he's a dispassionate outsider to admitting he's as emotionally driven as the next guy. Heartwarming stuff, I'm sure you'll agree.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-61888122981093475392023-11-14T09:48:09.544+00:002023-11-14T09:48:09.544+00:00Ben Affleck tells the story of when he tried to po...Ben Affleck tells the story of when he tried to point out the plot inconsistencies in the movie Armageddon, only to be told "shut up" by Bruce Willis, who knew that the story made no sense but must have decided that the audience wouldn't notice or care.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-3570970793769953022023-11-14T08:00:36.725+00:002023-11-14T08:00:36.725+00:00Absolutely spot on...and I haven't seen the fi...Absolutely spot on...and I haven't seen the film! So many 'franchises' are like this, think Statham, Neeson, Cruise. My 35 year old son has a family, a full time job and loves gaming as do so many of his generation. I wonder if they watch differently from me and miss the basic interior logic...or it doesn't matter to them? ~NormanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-34205611959622974582023-10-31T20:15:28.426+00:002023-10-31T20:15:28.426+00:00It's supposed to be open access, but Google so...It's supposed to be open access, but Google sometimes resets permissions without notifying me. I'll take a look.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-11670572679252351712023-10-31T02:30:46.272+00:002023-10-31T02:30:46.272+00:00Is it behind a paywall, or is it supposed to be sa...Is it behind a paywall, or is it supposed to be saying "access denied" and then "request access?"Baron Greystonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16636292202674906870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-10849583759860314212023-09-04T15:57:39.684+01:002023-09-04T15:57:39.684+01:00Needless to say, if there is only one Rolo left in...Needless to say, if there is only one Rolo left in the house then Roz gets it.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-68327726752238057432023-08-26T11:50:43.365+01:002023-08-26T11:50:43.365+01:00I'm not sure why I've never been. It was m...I'm not sure why I've never been. It was my father's favourite city and he often said I ought to go. But really I want to visit it in 1930, which is going to take more than an airline ticket.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-13912090133591188192023-08-25T03:34:58.099+01:002023-08-25T03:34:58.099+01:00VERY nice. I've been in Manhattan in the summe...VERY nice. I've been in Manhattan in the summer, including the Lower East. I've been in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and Houston too, but nothing is like Manhattan except Manhattan.Baron Greystonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16636292202674906870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-75210086204884764642023-05-03T14:48:25.016+01:002023-05-03T14:48:25.016+01:00Google can be irritatingly whimsical about when it...Google can be irritatingly whimsical about when it allows comments. (Counts fingers just to be sure...)Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-51271484191003667732023-05-03T12:16:34.125+01:002023-05-03T12:16:34.125+01:00This is Steve Williams (Google won’t play today. )...This is Steve Williams (Google won’t play today. )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-8076633117843832452023-05-03T12:16:03.619+01:002023-05-03T12:16:03.619+01:00Hands up! Prove to me to you wrote this yourself!....Hands up! Prove to me to you wrote this yourself!. <br /><br />(Counting fingers)<br /><br />Ok. We’re good. Great article, as always. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-72689592480572077872023-03-06T16:05:00.469+00:002023-03-06T16:05:00.469+00:00I thought so, and I argued that there was a huge m...I thought so, and I argued that there was a huge market of casual players who were far more interested in relationships and stories than in game economies. The Microsoft execs disagreed, however, believing that the reason The Sims succeeded was purely because it was a simple time-management game, and so they pulled the plug. The game assets are now owned by Rebellion but I doubt if they will ever resurrect the project.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-47777167305162283932023-03-06T11:49:53.233+00:002023-03-06T11:49:53.233+00:00Games that allow players to form friendships or en...Games that allow players to form friendships or enmities with NPCs are much more interesting than games that gather loot and points, only. Calydonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04612765326604027339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-80321344454146550962023-01-29T17:04:21.786+00:002023-01-29T17:04:21.786+00:00Joss has written a lot of great lines. There's...Joss has written a lot of great lines. There's a temptation when you're trying to get a script past network execs to stuff jokes in whether they work for the character or not. They always love jokes. I've done it myself, though I always go back and make sure everything is right for each character later.<br /><br />The principle doesn't just apply to putting gags in a script, though. It's important to be true to each character's voice. That doesn't mean the writer has to give up their own signature style (listen to Odets, or Pinter, or Mamet, who all get it right) but when every character speaks exactly the same that's bad writing.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-39058323209630086962023-01-29T13:25:54.641+00:002023-01-29T13:25:54.641+00:00Ah, sorry, I didn't use that link. And you are...Ah, sorry, I didn't use that link. And you are right that the director decided to include that. <br />I guess I would make sure I include appropriate humour by reading about people in different situations and seeing what kind of jokes they came up with to cope. If I remember correctly, I think there was a lot in Man's Search for Meaning about how Victor Frankl kept his humour in a concentration camp. I'm pretty sure it did not involve making Joss Whedon Quips, though.Stuart Lloydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15100216520313336932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-34170487912088558962023-01-28T16:42:13.126+00:002023-01-28T16:42:13.126+00:00Yes, that's explained in the article I linked ...Yes, that's explained in the article I linked to above. But the responsibility for putting the line in the movie rests with the director, and it's no more random a joke than the ones he wrote himself in Love & Thunder.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-55988116295873659322023-01-28T15:29:13.814+00:002023-01-28T15:29:13.814+00:00On the other hand, there was no excuse for War Mac...On the other hand, there was no excuse for War Machine snarking all the time on the last two Avengers movies, including at a PTSD suffering Thor. He should know better.Stuart Lloydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15100216520313336932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-79464233563464076272023-01-28T15:27:59.403+00:002023-01-28T15:27:59.403+00:00Great post, as always.
Also, to be fair to the &#...Great post, as always. <br />Also, to be fair to the 'Friend from work' line, that was apparently from a child that Chris Hemsworth had met through Make a Wish. So there was a good reason why that line at least seems a bit immature.Stuart Lloydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15100216520313336932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-76664232927345982622023-01-28T13:38:41.671+00:002023-01-28T13:38:41.671+00:00Good point, Steve. I gave up on Doctor Who precise...Good point, Steve. I gave up on Doctor Who precisely because of that.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-42826603099369041272023-01-28T11:33:27.053+00:002023-01-28T11:33:27.053+00:00Excellent post.
I'm surprised that you didn&#...Excellent post.<br /><br />I'm surprised that you didn't mention Dr. Who, which gave up treating its audience with respect some years ago and seems to think that infant school humour is the way to go.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01573796377340185481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321339472666778123.post-76741923454705624822022-09-27T17:21:21.417+01:002022-09-27T17:21:21.417+01:00Yep, I expect that's exactly how Lucas came up...Yep, I expect that's exactly how Lucas came up with it!Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.com