The House of Fear

DVD, The House of Fear (1945) film

Apparently based on the story 'The Five Orange Pips' though as usual I can't remember that very clearly so I'm not sure how much of it was used as inspiration (probably not much going on how loose the previous adaptions have been!). This was the first of the Holmes films I saw, back when they were shown on TV in the summer of 2000, and the atmosphere of confusion and suspicion that lingered over each character, while mixing in the amusement of Dr. Watson's incompetent meddling was more than enough to make me want to see more. Even now, seeing it on this occasion I was fooled right up until the last moment about who was responsible. I did suspect that one of the murdered victims might have faked their death, but I was never sure until Holmes and Lestrade descend the stairs to the lair. A clever solution to a solidly-made story.

I noticed the direction was especially strong, the shadow and light used to great effect to produce tension and certainly proved enough to send Watson round the bend. The scene where he's chasing in and out of the house on a stormy, rain-soaked night, and gets to a state of near-hysteria was probably the most gripping moment, but I also enjoyed the unconventional beginning as we see events unfold to an unknown narrator's words, eventually dissolving to the insurance man telling his story in Baker Street. He'd been in at least one before, as had the actor's playing Dr. Merivale and Captain Simpson. Lestrade is at his most professional in this one, which isn't saying much, but he doesn't come across as idiotically as previous appearances! The sets are suitably grand and homely the one minute, then haunting and forbidding the next, depending on how many people are there and what they're doing. All around one of the better entries in the series.

***

Initiations

DVD, Voyager S2 (Initiations)

In light of the later seasons, episodes such as this are more precious - a Chakotay episode in which the good Commander takes centre stage and gets to prove the words he lives by are not hot air (or warp plasma, or whatever), when he stands facing the Kazon leader and his men as their captive you sense that he won't budge a millimetre if they try to intimidate him. He stands firm in his own space, not in the least fazed by the situation. We learn that he now cherishes the uniform that he cast off when he joined the Maquis, as representing what he's earned. If you were being pedantic you could balk at such words, since he learned to fight in the Maquis and was against the Federation.

It could also be pointed out that he hasn't necessarily earned his position on Voyager in purely career terms as it was more a case of necessity and symbolism that led Janeway to give him the post. But coming in the second season, he's had a year to show his mettle, as he does here, and he certainly has earned and is worthy of his position. His devotion to non-violent solutions, even though he's a big, powerful man, unafraid of conflict, must seem foolish to the Kazon, who have learned that to survive you must fight against others. Chakotay shows that there are alternatives, unless the only option is to strike, as he does when he uses Razik as a hostage to escape the ship. But his persona comes across as Vulcan-like in that he remains calm, is strong, but prefers not to use force, and is resigned to what happens if there's nothing he can do. All a positive advert for the first officer (we'll skirt around the mumbo-jumbo, though even there he shows great control by carefully wrapping his medicine bundle even while Kar is firing on him, perhaps too obsessively being disciplined?!).

The boy he comes across, Kar, ably played by Aron Eisenberg (who was Nog on 'DS9'), is fortunately less typical of his people than most we've encountered, or Chakotay would probably have been killed in his sleep (not that Kar would have gotten away with it). First Maje Razik, the current leader of the Kazon-Ogla sect is one of the strongest characters of the race we've met, with a believable hold over and respect from his people. The unstable nature of Kazon life is expressed eloquently by the their actions - Jabin, the leader of the Ogla in the first episode of the series has been replaced, in the course of the episode Razik is replaced, we hear that sect territory changes every day, as does the number of sects. Any progress that might have been made (ie: Voyager wasn't blown apart, but allowed on its way), would be impossible to keep hold of by the speedy changes in authority and alliances of Kazon society.

Though Razik claims he'd like to talk about an alliance with Janeway, that was probably just part of the ruse to get them to trust him, and it's surprising the crew fell for it. The Kazon also show their inherent stupidity, and why they are basically savages roaming the area, and nothing greater, by giving Chakotay a weapon and assuming he'd do what they wanted and kill Kar. If they'd learned more about the Starfleet ship they'd have realised he wouldn't do that, which shows what a sect is like without the pinpoint guidance of Seska. The seeds of future plots are laid by dropping the details that the Kazon once fought for independence from the Trabe, the race they shared a homeworld with and who wore uniforms (which is why they hate the symbols of regimented authority Chakotay's uniform represents).

The crew takes a back seat to their first officer, but we learn of Neelix' feelings of inadequacy (though he doesn't put it that strongly). Even though he serves many roles aboard the ship he wants more, perhaps a sign of where things would go with the character, of not having an 'essential' role once Voyager leaves the space he knows? Tom Paris is shown to be the fourth person in charge, after Janeway, Chakotay and Tuvok, a position he shares with fellow helmsman Sulu in the Original Series (he'd be left in charge of the bridge when Kirk, Spock and Scotty were unavailable).

Neelix relishes his posting to the bridge and I couldn't quite see if it was the Commander's or the Captain's chair he settled into so smugly - it should have been Commander since Paris was in command... In any case Neelix and Kes are shown to be more valued members, joining in on the briefing when they wouldn't necessarily be there in Season One. And Mr. Ayala gets a mention (he's the guy in most episodes who is the most visible Maquis member as he originally beamed aboard with Chakotay), though he's not seen. But without doubt the episode belongs to Chakotay (the loop the loop in the shuttle would have done it alone!), and easily shows Beltran's ability to carry the story on his own.

**

Recruit

DVD, Smallville S4 (Recruit)

Lois' flamboyant character, willing to enage in things that Clark would consider a little out of the realms of correct behaviour (say, drinking some football lads under the table), is well known, but the drinking scenes still sat uncomfortably in a series aimed at teenagers - as usual the scenes are full of bravado and contemporary music, but although it does make the participants out to be foolish, the 'accident' on Cooper has nothing to do with alcohol and any message of the negative impact of drinking irresponsibly is lost in the ensuing plot. Just an observation.

The story played out quite conventionally and I guessed early on that the friendly guy that everyone thought was great was going to be the bad guy. The infrastructure pointed to Clark seeing underneath the sheen of wealth and adoration and discovering the evils of winning at all costs (something that was covered more effectively in Season One's 'Heat') and though I didn't see him giving up football entirely, I sensed he was going to uncover underhanded tactics and the 'reality' of such a commercial sport - fast cars, lots of girls and parties and stuff (if the creepy welcome was anything to go by - that was more like some kind of weird nightmare!), but at the expense of being true to himself.

So no surprises, but the other storylines moved along a bit too, Chloe finding it hard not to let on she knows about Clark's powers, but not being able to stop herself from letting slip the occasional odd comment! At least she now has the advantage of knowing who to turn to or where Clark might be in a given situation, and that must give her a great deal of satisfaction; being the one in the know, even if she can't share it with Clark. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before she lets slip something that will give it away to him. There are downsides to this knowledge because she may need something done or see something that happens that Clark didn't stop or won't get involved in for whatever reason, and I can see her getting upset with him for not being there. She sees him in his true light, but he doesn't know that so he'd become confused if she were dissatisfied with his conduct, while on the other hand she can't explain why she's so proud of him (as she was when he gave up the football scholarship), so she's in an unfortunate position that isn't going to be a bed of roses, I feel.

The other storyline of Lex' involvement in the affairs of Lana and Jason is incongruous with the rest of the episode, like a separate one or even one of another series! Can we trust Lex now? Photos can be doctored and it isn't clear whether he's doing all this to help Mrs. Teague or, as he claims, for Lana's protection, or (most likely) his own interests somewhere along the line. Another worrying uncertainty is that we haven't heard from Lionel for a few episodes now.

Halfway through the series and things have built up to something, but it's a hazy destination and I'm not sure where Chloe's knowledge will take her, what will happen to Jason (and if he is Doomsday or that's just my imagination), and what all this silly witch stuff is leading to. I have to say that the season so far has been significantly better than Season Three, but hasn't been consistent and still hasn't managed to hit the heights of One and Two. But I like the change of direction Clark's taken, being big enough to give up football and leaving himself open to take a more important role that others believe is his destiny.

**

The 37's

DVD, Voyager S2 (The 37's)

For the beginning of a season this isn't immediately obvious as a suitable way to start. It begins with the incongruous discovery of a 1930s pickup truck floating in space and encompasses the first ever landing of a Starship on a planet, a colony of humans abducted by aliens and some people from 1937 stored in cryostasis. Nothing is heavily reliant on previous knowledge, but at the same time you have to keep up rather than the characters and situation being gradually reintroduced as you might expect. It's not that strange when you realise it wasn't exactly meant to be the season opener. It and three other episodes were filmed at the end of Season One and kept over for Season Two, perhaps to save money. On the DVD it's used as the opener and actually it's a fine example of a 'Voyager' episode and by the end does reinforce the isolation they're in compared to the other Trek series'.

If it hadn't been for watching 'The Next Generation' episode 'The Neutral Zone' recently it probably would have played better, but immediate comparisons can't be helped as they both centre around a group of people in cryostasis that come from the 20th Century and must learn to live in their new surroudings. Similarities end there (and inter-series continuity is upheld as it's the same method used in both cases) and this one becomes as much about the other humans on the planet - those that came from other 37's who were not held in stasis and were used as slaves by unknown aliens. When Trek tidies up some plot holes from the past (alien abductions and the disappearance of Amelia Earhart) it helps to ground the series in our reality, just as the crew were grounded in their own reality of a home they've left behind thanks to the cities these humans have built.

I wonder if the 37's were never unfrozen because of the uprising by their fellow captives and the Briori were keeping a few people hidden away from contamination in case they needed breeding stock. Whatever the reason the other humans left them alone, although it's strange they managed to learn to use the alien technology, but never worked out the cryostasis units. It may be that they were venerated as being the only pure humans that had only ever known Earth and so the humans assumed they were dead and they were never disturbed. (as confirmed by Evansville - what a name! They should have called the planey that: "Welcome to Evansville, I'm Evansville"). Gene Roddenberry would have been pleased that the humans showed the same promise as his Earth people - they also are the architects of a thriving, positive civilisation without war and poverty and all done without Starfleet and the Federation.

The heart of the story is what the crew will do next, though it comes near the end of the episode. Much wistful talk of staying and building a new life on the planet ensues, almost enough to convince us that quite a few might stay. When Janeway and Chakotay walk into the cargo bay and there's no one there, it fires up the family spirit as every person aboard has decided to stick to their duty and their Captain, their mission to get home the highest priority. The episode also has novelty value in the ship landing (blue alert a logical progression from red and yellow), and seeing the monument to their travels perched majestically on the surface was quite a thrill the first time I ever saw it. Quite fun to see sky and clouds out of the windows where darkness and the pinpoint light of stars is the usual panorama.

In speculation I wonder if the series could have done something dramatic and actually stayed on the planet for a few episodes or a season. I've always thought a colony series could be fantastic as whenever we see Starfleet types surviving in the wilderness it shows off their skills and training better than ever. They could still have travelled around the system in the ship, gathering resources for the planet, and eventually going back to exploration and the journey home as would be inevitable. I expect such a detour would have been considered a waste of time, but look at the Klingons in 'DS9' Season Four - that was a detour from the way the series panned out, but it was great!

I would also have welcomed one or two of the 37's staying aboard Voyager, but again, it might have taken away from the main characters, although I think that adding recurring characters actually enhances the regulars and their environment, making it a more real place (plus it gives you someone to kill off dramatically without pulling the cast apart!). So a good start for the season, even if it really was only a continuation. You'll get the hang of that cliffhanger idea eventually, Mr. Voyager!

***

Shades of Gray

DVD, TNG S2 (Shades of Gray)

Commonly considered the worst episode of all 'Star Trek' I would have to agree for the most part. But even at its darkest hour I could find things to enjoy - there are a couple of nice scenes, such as O'Brien joking about Pulaski's fear of tranporters, or Deanna's approach to Riker's side in his time of need, but many more of the scenes come from other episodes, for, yes, this is the one and only clips show. I never understood the point of clips episodes, they are merely a waste of time - literally! We're seeing snatches of other stories, ripped from their context and expected to like it. Now once in a while (and this is rare) clips can be a good source for an episode (there was one in 'Starsky & Hutch' where the clips were used quite effectively and the in-between scenes gelled), but in general they are only produced because the series has to make another episode, but can't afford to ('Stargate SG-1' a prime offender).

Logic would dictate that one less episode is made, thereby retaining the sense of quality of a series, but most people would probably agree that TV companies don't work logically. Watching a barrage of clips, no matter how good they are, is like a reminder that we could be watching a new episode, a 45-minute trailer for the series, maybe even seen as a consolidation, a primer on where the series has come from. But in the main it's a bit dull and the linking material was mostly uninspired - Deanna and Pulaski wittering about what Riker might be dreaming about doesn't make for riveting viewing. So we're left with the only fun that can be eked out of the episode being to see how quickly we can guess the episode in which each clip comes from.

I was surprised to see the exploding head of 'Conspiracy' after the complaints it precipitated the first time around. And how come they could show clips of Tasha Yar after Denise Crosby had left, yet not in the final scenes of 'DS9' for a similar character in that situation? So the episode is not absolutely terrible, but its position as the end to the season magnifies its faults higher than ever. The writers hadn't yet discovered the cliffhanger ending, but to go out on a feeble little laugh when half the cast don't appear, or are only seen briefly would be unthinkable in modern TV.

Dr. Pulaski's last episode of the series at least uses her character (strangely, more than in some of the proper episodes!), but there's no sense of progression or finality. Maybe they hadn't decided she wasn't coming back at that stage? She was one of those one-season wonders that came onboard promising development in interactions with the crew and a rounded character, but it never really came to pass and instead she was hardly used in the last few episodes. She had a few good episodes scattered through the season, but the writers never really got hold of what her character was about. She was meant to have a Spock/McCoy thing going with Data, but it wasn't kept up, and though she could be a thorn in Picard's side, she wasn't for long. As for other members she never had much of a chance to interact with them. Perhaps the continued problems behind the scenes resulted in her casualty and many of the mistakes and dreariness of some episodes.

It can't be denied that Season Two took the series further than One, and at first seemed to have stabilised, but it proved an illusion and as much as so many good things were set in motion at the start of the season, they weren't as much in evidence by the end. The alliance with the Romulans against the Borg hinted at by the last episode of Season One never came to fruition, though we can be grateful at least that the deadly cyborgs did reach the screen. It had the potential to be a stunning season, but though the changes which shook it up at the start breathed new life into the characters, it wasn't quite sustained all the way through thanks to money and behind the scenes production problems. Thankfully it was as loved by viewers as before or it might have begun to decline. Season Three was around the corner and the fortunes of Trek rarely looked brighter, but that was in spite of the shades of grey in which this season hung up its phaser and certainly not because of it.

*

The Scarlet Claw

DVD, The Scarlet Claw (1944) film

The Scarlet Claw (1944) (approx. 71mins)

Not based on an existing story this was a complete fabrication combining a trip to Canada with scenes from an English country village. The first time I saw this I thought it was the best of the films, but tastes change and I found it less than thrilling this time, even though I'd forgotten who the murderer was. Amid the usual foggy scenes and undeniable black and white contrast that freezes the visuals with an artist's eye, there were moments of brilliance that impressed me - the false Nora, 'her' face in shadow, advancing on the victim was one and any film would be improved by a villain that leaps through a window into a river to escape.

The chilling and callous murders, enacted upon this maniac's personal stage of vengeance remained the work of a cunningly concealed malice. That the enemy is one so public and unexpected applauds his ingenuity of the acting profession, but awes us with a horror that such a man can inject such different personalities into his life. The story uses some of the tricks of 'The Hound of The Baskervilles' and is suitably namechecked by Dr. Watson along with the Sussex Vampire to get us into the correct mood, though we aren't going to be fooled twice so it's no surprise that phosphorus is the rational explanation of the monster. The dark and forbidding bog also pays homage to the Grimpen Mire, but this time the villain isn't destroyed by his own choice of hideout even if he is killed by his own weapon.

The weapon in question - a five-pronged garden fork - doesn't exactly strike fear into the viewer and looks to be a rather ineffective means of dispatch, but those kind of details aren't too important. The mood is different from some of the other films in that there are no other regular characters along with Holmes and Watson, but there are some familiar faces as several had been in other films in the series, true to it's tradition of recasting. The story isn't bad, and there are comforting signs of the affectionate partnership between Holmes and Watson (who is more a part of proceedings as opposed to the previous film), but did feel a little too drawn out, and while it is an engrossing tale, the sense of dread (which attempts to be evoked by mentions of the occult and monsters, are not appreciated) doesn't come through enough. And the speech at the end comes out sounding like an advert for Canada holidays!

**

The Pearl of Death

DVD, The Pearl of Death (1944) film

They went for a closer retelling of a proper story (The Six Napoleans) than they have in most films and successfully strung it out to an hour's length, although this did mean some scenes are noticeably there as padding and the pace is fairly pedestrian throughout. When the padding succeeds is when it's furthering certain characters, the main scene being Dr. Watson's height of bumbling charm as he convinces himself he's practically another Sherlock Holmes while playing the fool the whole time! Lestrade too is on fine form in his ridiculing persona and slow on the uptake sarcasm, gleefully mocking the great detective when Holmes makes an uncharacteristic blunder, setting off the foul play by his diligent attempts to prove the inadequacy of the pearl's security measures.

Dennis Hoey has really relaxed into the Lestrade role by this film and provides as much comedy as Bruce's Watson, who mutters himself in and out of rooms in his usual fashion. Watson doesn't have a lot to do with the plot, however, and he pretty much just follows his friend around and does what he's told. Perhaps he was feeling a bit under-used and that was what got him to thinking on his own deductive powers? Mr. Hodder and the sculptor of the Napolean busts had both been in previous films in the series, I'm sure, and as usual there are plenty of characters to keep track of. The Creeper was very creepy and sensibly only seen in shadow or silhouette until the moment he advances on Holmes. It was his attraction to the girl that made him more frightening as she clearly didn't even want to be in the same room, and the teasing of her associate on the subject showed his cruel streak plainly.

Holmes' disguises now make me wonder if anyone remotely of the same build and height could be him, and the early experiences with the clever ruse to save the pearl had me fooled for a while! Rathbone does the voices and mannerisms so well and in the monochrome half-light he can get away with a lot. The film ends on a less uplifting sentiment than usual, the pearl inspiring him to talk of the many deaths such avarice inspires.

**