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Post by maherjunkie on Apr 23, 2006 12:17:13 GMT -5
Summerfield, good to see you again. Come back to vdofans.net and post the rest of your fan fiction.
I wish the Eames as Madam and Bobby as Bum spiel had gone on longer. Just so-so for me.
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Post by NicoleMarie on Apr 23, 2006 18:54:24 GMT -5
Locifan, too funny!
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Post by SarahIvy on Apr 23, 2006 19:34:14 GMT -5
I really liked the whole flip/flop aspect of this episode....getting to see how Goren and Eames functioned together when Eames was the partner who allowed a personal issue to cloud her judgement and potentially muck up a case. I mean, we've seen plenty of Goren butting heads with Carver, but this was the first time I remember seeing Carver dress down Eames specifically. Seeing Eames handle her mistake and be disappointed in herself was refreshing, as was seeing how Goren somewhat awkwardly but thoroughly supported her. LOVED the undercover scene...those always perk up any episode for me, there is just something about them in plain-clothes "acting" that delights me every time. And Eames sashaying along in her giant Jackie O sunglasses was awesome However....they sort of lost me with the whole Method Actor angle. I love getting little fun personal nods, like Eames' date in "Unrequited" being named Terry, or Goren doing a little magic trick in "Crazy" but this one went so far, and I apparently have read so much about the actors in question, that I just got sucked right out of the episode and it was hard for me to get back into it. Also, it started at a great pace, and seemed to sort of drag the last 1/3. I'd still say it was a pretty good episode though, especially for this season, which I have found pretty lackluster overall (though steadily improving!). I thought the girlfriend was a great protrayal in a weak and clinging female - she could be coy and cute when she thought she had the attention of a male, but when on her own - she was a bubbling baby. Good character. I wanted to slap her silly. Oh my word, YES. That girl was a nightmare, and I kept thinking to myself that I would have reacted to her in much the same way Eames did. She was really a perfect example of the sort of girl who gets on my last nerve and just works it. Re Season 4: I loved S4 for what is was (which was DARK). But then again, I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite or least favorite season (excluding this current one) because when I try to I find I have so many favorite episodes spread evenly throughout that there is just no way for me to claim one season is better/worse overall. I think they each have their own feel and flavor
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2011
Silver Shield Investigator
Posts: 51
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Post by 2011 on Apr 23, 2006 22:17:15 GMT -5
It was kinda refreshing to see Eames "lose control" so to speak--especially since she always looks so "perfect" (wrong word?).....like for example, it seems like she's the preferred detective for testifying (in The Wee Small Hours and against Nicole, mentioned in Great Barrier)--it seemed like she was almost infallible (Goren testified once, and really well too, in The Good Doctor--but that was because he had to get the guy on the stand somehow).
So it was nice to see a more "human" side (again, wrong word?)--now we know that she does have certain issues, which is nice.....
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Post by Patcat on Apr 24, 2006 8:27:23 GMT -5
As usual, Janet, an intense and thought provoking post.
I also love the ironies and twists of many LOCI episodes and believe this must come from Mr. Balcer's influence. Not to take anything away from the other terrific writers, but these elements are present in many LOCI episodes where the one consistent element is Mr. Balcer. I do wonder if these elements are why some people find it hard to follow LOCI--the plots do not necessarily move in a straightforward fashion.
Pat
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Post by NicoleMarie on Apr 24, 2006 13:42:48 GMT -5
Janet, loved your post. I usually don't agree with you on some stuff but I loved this post.
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Post by LOCIfan on Apr 24, 2006 21:30:55 GMT -5
This thread is interesting. I haven’t seen the episode yet but I did read the spoiler on the Reel so maybe it’s OK to comment. Allusions to the Acting and Writing process have always been part of Loci’s recurring concerns. It’s not a sudden indulgence. Remember it in Blinking Eye (series 4) and also an episode when Goren talks to a waitress about acting, and Slither when script writing goes under scrutiny. The Arts (including Expressionist Film techniques) are a part of LOCI’s texture, sometimes obtrusive, usually not. However I understand LOCIfan/Techguys frustration and realise its not everyone’s cup of tea. I have enjoyed LOCIs other forrays into the acting and writing process. The Unblinking Eye was fantastic in the way it depicted the acting process alongside the grasping desire for fame. And I very much enjoyed Unrequited, which dealt with the unrequited acting ambitions of the wonderful Claire Bloom's character. Then there was The Saint, with all the writings of "the saint" -- I enjoyed that immensely. And with "Slither", I loved the part of the plot concerning a screenwriter and his script about Bernard Fremont. The reflexive nature of the show has never bothered me until this episode, where it was far and away much more META than any of the aforementioned episodes.
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Post by LOCIfan on Apr 24, 2006 21:43:49 GMT -5
The actor vacates his own skin to occupy the vacant skin of another. As Lilee/ Sirenna say, it’s more than Method acting, because there are non-Method actors who do it, like Anthony Hopkins whom you mention, his Nixon being a good example. Actually, Sir Anthony Hopkins is a devoted classical actor. Classical actors differ significantly in the way they prepare for and perform roles, and Hopkins is a classical actor. Instead of probing the depths of their souls for the emotion of a part, classical actors build a character from the outside in, through the words of a script. The classical actor trusts the words, trusts the script, and finds the character -- the ins and outs of the character's psyche -- through the words and through the physicality of the character as presented on the page. Both schools of acting thought have created wonderful actors, but Anthony Hopkins is not a Method actor at all. In fact, about the role of Nixon, he did say that he watched many of his public speeches and studied them, but said it was about the physicality of the performances that interested him. He wasn't watching the film in order to identify within himself the emotions he detected in Nixon, he was simply looking at the physicality of Nixon. There's a big difference, and to suggest that Hopkins' craft in Nixon was Method, or that it involved Hopkins losing himself in the role belies both Hopkins' training as well as what he's said about how he performed the role. Hopkins, as a classical actor, did not "lose himself" in the role of Nixon. He masked himself in the role. And there is a pretty big difference between the two. I don't mean to suggest that either method or classical acting is "better" than the other. However, there is a large difference in what's involved in each technique, and VACANCY was definitely NOT about a classical approach to acting. And Hopkins is an inappropriate example of "losing oneself to a role" -- at least insomuch as it implies a psychological commitment from the actor. While you may find Hopkins' portrayal of Nixon deeply psychological (and, I'd agree that it is), the craft that produced that performance is not from the Method School. While perhaps the majority of great American actors, such as Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, VDO, etc... are steeped in the Method, there are many, many wonderful, contemporary actors who come from the Classical school of training. Among them: Ralph Fiennes Judy Davis Geoffrey Rush From my point of view (as a fan) I find them all to be wonderful actors.
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Post by SarahIvy on Apr 24, 2006 22:22:33 GMT -5
I was pondering how I wanted to respond to Janet's very thoughtful and interesting post and I came here and found LociFan had already typed the word right out of my fingertips....except no doubt more eloquently. I have enjoyed LOCIs other forrays into the acting and writing process. The Unblinking Eye was fantastic in the way it depicted the acting process alongside the grasping desire for fame. And I very much enjoyed Unrequited, which dealt with the unrequited acting ambitions of the wonderful Claire Bloom's character. Then there was The Saint, with all the writings of "the saint" -- I enjoyed that immensely. And with "Slither", I loved the part of the plot concerning a screenwriter and his script about Bernard Fremont. The reflexive nature of the show has never bothered me until this episode, where it was far and away much more META than any of the aforementioned episodes. So instead I'll just quote and say, "Yeah, what they said!" I love a little wink wink nudge nudge but for me this episode was more like wink wink slam over the head with a sack of bricks.
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Post by LOCIfan on Apr 24, 2006 22:39:10 GMT -5
This may tie into the title “Vacancy”, that Sirenna was considering. Sorry to repeat myself but VDO’s acting style does remind me of Keatsian “negative capability”, where one empties oneself to become another. Its not about Ego, its about being vacant and taking on another Vacancy. The actor vacates his own skin to occupy the vacant skin of another. Janet, on this we agree. I believe the title "Vacancy" refers explicitly to The Method style of acting, and to a particular personality-type that's attracted to The Method -- that is, an empty vessel who seeks to fill him/herself with another character in order to make up for a fundamental deficiency in him/herself. Both Strasberg and Checkhov (who espoused The Method) wrote about this, as something to be concerned about. And, in this episode, their fears come to radical fruition. An actor without a secure sense of self buries himself into the identity of a fictional character -- a serial killer... In its best sense, the "vacancy" that a Method actor creates for a character is an emotional cave that the actor carves out of himself (rather than surrendering his entire self to) in which to incubate the character from within. Sort of a marinating process, where the actor piles all the real-life emotions and experiences that the actor has onto the character. THAT kind of "vacancy" is good craft. The kind of "vacancy" referred to in this episode is on the pathological side of things...
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Post by LOCIfan on Apr 24, 2006 23:00:01 GMT -5
I was pondering how I wanted to respond to Janet's very thoughtful and interesting post and I came here and found LociFan had already typed the word right out of my fingertips....except no doubt more eloquently. I have enjoyed LOCIs other forrays into the acting and writing process. The Unblinking Eye was fantastic in the way it depicted the acting process alongside the grasping desire for fame. And I very much enjoyed Unrequited, which dealt with the unrequited acting ambitions of the wonderful Claire Bloom's character. Then there was The Saint, with all the writings of "the saint" -- I enjoyed that immensely. And with "Slither", I loved the part of the plot concerning a screenwriter and his script about Bernard Fremont. The reflexive nature of the show has never bothered me until this episode, where it was far and away much more META than any of the aforementioned episodes. So instead I'll just quote and say, "Yeah, what they said!" I love a little wink wink nudge nudge but for me this episode was more like wink wink slam over the head with a sack of bricks. SarahIvy, you seriously compliment me. You're always so eloquent. And I'll concur with what you've said. I'm entirely fine with wink wink nudge nudge. But wink wink slam slam is a bit much... The thing that crossed the line was how hard the SERIAL KILLER note was hit. An actor studying for a role as a serial killer who gets in touch with his inner serial killer, on a show that deals regularly with serial killers... Well, right there, I was taken out of the episode. Then there was Goren's fascination with the Method. I found that absolutely eye-rolling. I mean, here we have Goren pretending to be introduced to the Method style of acting, while viewers know that VDO is a devoted pupil of the Method. On top of everything, we're supposed to believe that the actor studying to be a serial killer, becomes a serial killer chased by a detective played by a Method actor... All of that just brought me right out of the story and into some netherland of actorville... Not quite what I sign up for with Criminal Intent. Honestly, this isn't something that has ever happened for me before on CI, and hopefully it won't happen again. Anyway, I don't mean to come off too harsh on CI, It's just something I've never encountered on this show before.
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Post by LOCIfan on Apr 25, 2006 2:10:38 GMT -5
I " elemental,dear Watson"!!!!!!! Odd, but true: the term "elementary, my dear Watson" is not a phrase that ever occured in any of Conan Doyle's tales involving Sherlock Holmes.
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Post by spankypup on Apr 25, 2006 5:46:40 GMT -5
me again! Was there a reference to 1984 in this one,or was it in Healer? Logan made a reference to 1984 in Stress Position
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deb
Rookie
Posts: 41
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Post by deb on Apr 25, 2006 10:32:49 GMT -5
LOCIFan,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was so mixed up by the end of the show, trying to seperate D'Onofrio from Goren that I was exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I thought several scenes were funny just from the play on words, but I hope CI never puts me through this again!!!
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Post by goreamesfan on Apr 25, 2006 10:43:51 GMT -5
I agree with you too, Locifan. I liked the episode, but I rolled my eyes at a few moments, such as when the actor/serial killer tells Goren that he couldn't possibly explain Method acting to Goren in a few minutes (or something like that). The somewhat smug look on Goren's face was entirely appropriate (because we all know he's smarter than anyone and doesn't usually need to be educated on anything), but I couldn't help experiencing that moment as a little wink to VDO fans. Clearly VDO doesn't need anyone to explain Method acting to him. It took me out of the episode in a way I didn't like. As someone else mentioned earlier, it was a very "meta" moment.
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