Vee

Remember this? @DRW50

A very rough BTS look at the new TARDIS interior under construction has leaked to Reddit.

As I suspected: RTD is done with gap years. Moffat had his other responsibilities (Sherlock), but I never thought Russell would stand for the gaps in the Chibnall era and around the 50th. Also:

And now, comedy:

As am I. DeSantis can't win nationally IMO with or without Trump, he's too repulsive policy-wise and uncharismatic. And if he tries to run Trump will shiv him for the entire cycle and ride him into the sea like Ahab. He's another Rubio or Youngkin for the Beltway, another 'charismatic, sensible man's man Republican' illusion they'll be crushed to lose. Wherever the GOP looks for a candidate right now their options are doom.

Well folks, it's Blue People Time again. Avatar: The Way of Water reactions have begun rolling in from its London premiere - not just from the usual gaggle of 'just happy to be invited to a premiere' geeks who too often flood these kind of advance premieres with gushing takes and skew the early response, but from serious critics who I either like or (in the case of the obnoxious David Ehrlich) at least respect. Despite an understandable skepticism from I imagine most of us about the longevity of Avatar over the years, I learned long ago never to doubt James Cameron, whose career was supposed to be buried by big gambles with first Terminator, then the deeply chaotic production of Titanic, then the first Avatar (which I thought would spell disaster), all of which were monster hits instead. Therefore, I am unsurprised to find that most of these reviews are largely glowing. I am the first person to allow that Avatar's place in the cultural consciousness is permeable at best, and that its story ("Dances with Wolves in space") is as classic and old as the hills. I was among the many doubters in the 2010s, when these new films began production ages ago, that a plan for multiple sequels would fly. But as we've approached the film's release next week, I've noticed excitement quietly building among people for a major cinematic experience that has nothing to do with existing IP like Marvel or Star Wars, or simple nostalgia bait, and I think people have underestimated Cameron yet again. Also, Sigourney Weaver's new role is very unusual and daring, and I am excited to see her being offered a totally unique character and type of role for the first time in a very long career.

Trump and Dobbs lost them these midterms, and Trump lost them this seat. He's spent years saying do not vote early, and this will keep happening until they can successfully steer enough of their base away from Trump. And I don't think they can yet. DeSantis is the next body to fall. Remember I said it.

I don't care. A win is a win.

Ding:

I couldn't bring myself to directly link to Hamilton Nolan, who I detest, so:

There is a string of these all like this, but here is the latest.

Warnock is still projected to win. Anything can happen, but I'm not panicking.

I'm so glad the show is doing so well. Rarely has a sitcom deserved it more. I just wish it wasn't off after tomorrow til January.

Kirstie had absolutely no ego onscreen, which is what made her so watchable on Cheers and so many other things, including an up and down movie career. Laurie Metcalf is often the same on Roseanne/The Conners; her visceral revulsion with herself after sleeping with Tom Arnold's character on that show is hysterical and reminded me a lot of Kirstie. It's funny that her other iconic role, Saavik in Star Trek, is so controlled and razor-precise, a total opposite of her typical wheelhouse, and yet she played both extremes (plus the steely noir antiheroine/villain in Carpenter's Village of the Damned that I mentioned in the edit above) perfectly. Then again, Saavik was an interesting Vulcan character for Trek. The dialogue didn't make it into most cuts of TWOK, but Saavik was actually half-Romulan, which meant she had access to emotions. So it makes sense for a little bit of the other Kirstie Alley to slip into that very different character, when in her first scene, facing impossible odds, the controlled Vulcan officer mutters 'damn.'

Russell masterfully working the rumor mill as always:

I saw Madhouse in the theater for some ungodly reason. The TV scene where Kirstie just slams her head on the anchor desk over and over always cracked me up. Kirstie was also one of the last of John Carpenter's gilt-edged genre women - stylish and forbidding in his flawed but disturbing remake of Village of the Damned with Christopher Reeve.

A lot will be made of Kirstie Alley's sad descent into right wing nuttery over the last decade or two, but I'll always remember her best and stay very fond of her work not just on Cheers, where she was a hysterical comic performer, but in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where she instantly commanded the screen as Commander Saavik and remained unmatched (Kim Cattrall's character in STVI was originally intended to be Saavik, but they couldn't come to terms with Alley who had become a star) for years to come.