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fangrrl_squees) wrote2006-09-26 11:12 am
fangrrl_squees) wrote2006-09-26 11:12 am
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More Kaldor City - Death's Head.
I've got my hands on the second Kaldor City audio, Death's Head. An assasination attempt on Chairholder Uvanov turns out to be one facet of a complex scheme, blah, blah, blah.
Plusses: the actors seem a bit more settled into their characters, the interaction between them flows quite well. The further insight into Carnell's ongoing motivation was interesting. There's a couple of amusing lines, and the setup for the story, whilst a bit simplistic, is entertaining enough for the morning commute. The structure again reminded me of various RPGs I've been in, which I consider a not-bad thing because I've been lucky enough to have some excellent GMs in my time.
Minuses: The story doesn't really come together until the last five minutes, and it's a bit too pat. The writer(s) couldn't resist going for a couple of cheap gags and tired devices. Darrow's portrayal - go figure - has completely calcified.
If the Magic Bullet folks could promise me that Darrow emotes on the next disk, I'd pay them double for it. Possibly triple. I derive great amusement from the dark-n-snarky persona, I really do, but I'd be more satisifed with a performance that shows some range. Yeah, yeah, maybe it's deliberate - Iago is more automaton-like than the robots of Kaldor City, etc, etc - but my money's on it being a case of probably minimal direction and minimal exertion. "Give me the snarly baritone, Paul." "Sure thing. My check's in the mail, right?" Ah, well. I'm past expecting anything more from Darrow, but I can't help hoping, I s'pose.
Unfortunately, it's easily-satisifed fans like myself that allow an actor to keep getting away with such things, but that's a subject for a rant on another day.
Meanwhile, I don't care how dark-n-broody Iago is, there's got to be at least one woman in the story's setting that can resist his dark-n-broody charms. I'm also a bit tired of the female characters seeming to be there only to swoon into Iago's (presumably rigid) arms - although I s'pose Blayes had a point to her beyond that - not that it's revealed until that slightly-too-pat wrap-up at the end. On reading reviews of the series, it seems the character has a skosh more to do in the next story, but I bet she's still swooning, too. As is Iago's boss's secretary (the only other female character with more than one line). Sigh.
Overall, not as strong as Occam's Razor, but still entertaining. I'm not feeling like I want that 45 minutes of my life back, but I'm rather hoping that things pick up in Hidden Persuaders - assuming I can get my hands on it...
And, okay, I really liked the exchange below:
Iago: All murders are motivated by sex or money.
Blayes: What about power?
Iago: That's sex and money.
Blayes: And hate?
Iago: Fear of sex and not enough money.
Patently silly, of course, but amusing. Mind you, it's a sad comment when I listen to dialogue and think "Good lord, I think I wrote that... When I was 18... And thought I was so very cool... and was completely wrong."
The other fave, said when Blayes and her (male) partner were contemplating the consequences of failing to solve a mystery that has been handed to them.
MP: I hope the idea of making a living on your back in the sewer pits appeals...
B: I can't say it does.
MP: Well, that's where we're headed.
B: I don't know what to suggest. *pause* Well, I can teach you how to fake an orgasm and lend you an outfit but, after that, you're on your own.
Unfortunately, the so-awful-they're-good moments were almost outweighed by just-plain-awful bits.
To return to my earlier remark about RPGs, I think Kaldor City has all the hallmarks of a setting ripe for exploitation by a GM. It's defined with the broadest strokes - lots of room for the GM to insert their material - the social structure is simple, hierarchical and easily understood, and the setting is something that could appeal to players without giving them so much information that they confound the GM with their own ideas and interepretations (sure, it's B7, but so PGP and outside the Federation that it's largely uncharted territory). It reminds me a lot of when I went nutty developing Network 23 and the world of 20 Minutes Into The Future for a game. But have no fear, gentle reader, I'm not about to start writing a Kaldor City RPG. Besides, if I want to give my friends a multi-hour license to camp and vamp, I'll go through with my threat/notion of a full-on B7 larp. Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of overacting!
Plusses: the actors seem a bit more settled into their characters, the interaction between them flows quite well. The further insight into Carnell's ongoing motivation was interesting. There's a couple of amusing lines, and the setup for the story, whilst a bit simplistic, is entertaining enough for the morning commute. The structure again reminded me of various RPGs I've been in, which I consider a not-bad thing because I've been lucky enough to have some excellent GMs in my time.
Minuses: The story doesn't really come together until the last five minutes, and it's a bit too pat. The writer(s) couldn't resist going for a couple of cheap gags and tired devices. Darrow's portrayal - go figure - has completely calcified.
If the Magic Bullet folks could promise me that Darrow emotes on the next disk, I'd pay them double for it. Possibly triple. I derive great amusement from the dark-n-snarky persona, I really do, but I'd be more satisifed with a performance that shows some range. Yeah, yeah, maybe it's deliberate - Iago is more automaton-like than the robots of Kaldor City, etc, etc - but my money's on it being a case of probably minimal direction and minimal exertion. "Give me the snarly baritone, Paul." "Sure thing. My check's in the mail, right?" Ah, well. I'm past expecting anything more from Darrow, but I can't help hoping, I s'pose.
Unfortunately, it's easily-satisifed fans like myself that allow an actor to keep getting away with such things, but that's a subject for a rant on another day.
Meanwhile, I don't care how dark-n-broody Iago is, there's got to be at least one woman in the story's setting that can resist his dark-n-broody charms. I'm also a bit tired of the female characters seeming to be there only to swoon into Iago's (presumably rigid) arms - although I s'pose Blayes had a point to her beyond that - not that it's revealed until that slightly-too-pat wrap-up at the end. On reading reviews of the series, it seems the character has a skosh more to do in the next story, but I bet she's still swooning, too. As is Iago's boss's secretary (the only other female character with more than one line). Sigh.
Overall, not as strong as Occam's Razor, but still entertaining. I'm not feeling like I want that 45 minutes of my life back, but I'm rather hoping that things pick up in Hidden Persuaders - assuming I can get my hands on it...
And, okay, I really liked the exchange below:
Iago: All murders are motivated by sex or money.
Blayes: What about power?
Iago: That's sex and money.
Blayes: And hate?
Iago: Fear of sex and not enough money.
Patently silly, of course, but amusing. Mind you, it's a sad comment when I listen to dialogue and think "Good lord, I think I wrote that... When I was 18... And thought I was so very cool... and was completely wrong."
The other fave, said when Blayes and her (male) partner were contemplating the consequences of failing to solve a mystery that has been handed to them.
MP: I hope the idea of making a living on your back in the sewer pits appeals...
B: I can't say it does.
MP: Well, that's where we're headed.
B: I don't know what to suggest. *pause* Well, I can teach you how to fake an orgasm and lend you an outfit but, after that, you're on your own.
Unfortunately, the so-awful-they're-good moments were almost outweighed by just-plain-awful bits.
To return to my earlier remark about RPGs, I think Kaldor City has all the hallmarks of a setting ripe for exploitation by a GM. It's defined with the broadest strokes - lots of room for the GM to insert their material - the social structure is simple, hierarchical and easily understood, and the setting is something that could appeal to players without giving them so much information that they confound the GM with their own ideas and interepretations (sure, it's B7, but so PGP and outside the Federation that it's largely uncharted territory). It reminds me a lot of when I went nutty developing Network 23 and the world of 20 Minutes Into The Future for a game. But have no fear, gentle reader, I'm not about to start writing a Kaldor City RPG. Besides, if I want to give my friends a multi-hour license to camp and vamp, I'll go through with my threat/notion of a full-on B7 larp. Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of overacting!