This Week in Geek (25-31/08/08)

Buys

Based on the strength of the first series, I got the other two Extras DVDs. And while I thought the second season of Heroes was at least half rubbish, I still got THAT DVD, mostly because I'm curious to see what might have been if it hadn't gotten harpooned by the Writers' Strike.

"Accomplishments"

DVDs: Flipped the Barefoot Gen DVD, which held both the original anime and its sequel. Barefoot Gen is a semi-autobiographical story about the author's experience with the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. I had the original on VHS and it provided me with a shocking experience, doling out hope and horror in equal measure. Knowing what was about to happen made the courageous scenes of family life as unbearable as the horrifying results of what was, by today's standards, a dirty bomb. The sequel, which I'd never seen, continues Gen's family's struggles a few years on. It's more rambling (evidence of the original manga source), but manages some poignancy as well. In the end, Barefoot Gen isn't just a personal story, it's a metaphor for Japan's post-war journey. The DVD is slim on the extras, just a few pictures of Hiroshima in ruins and a three-sentence biography of the author. The picture hasn't been particularly cleaned up and the sound mix shows its age. Surprisingly, an English track isn't even provided.

RPGs: Last Monday was the penultimate episode of our Warehouse 23 series, in which one of the agents discovered his family line has been genetically manipulated by aliens for millenia. But are they too late in destroying a facility where the Greys are impregnating similarly resequenced women with human/grey hybrids? It all comes to a close in the center of the Bermuda Triangle tomorrow. I'll let you know how it went.

New Unauthorized Doctor Who CCG cards: 8, pretty much finishing up what I wanted to do with Survival. Last of the Time Lords in next on my slate.

Someone Else's Post of the WeekOverthinking It's provocatively-titled Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad for Women provides an interesting discussion on the subject of women's portrayal in cinema and other media. Check it out.

Comments

That's a great SEPotW. Thanks for sharing it.
Siskoid said…
I have When Fangirls Attack to thank, myself.