Entertainment
Babylon 5 's Best Joke Can't Save One Of Its Worst Episodes
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Babylon 5 isn’t a sci-fi comedy; it’s a sci-fi epic, but the carefully crafted story is filled with small moments of comedy that cut the tension, usually thanks to Londo. Tucked away in the Season 1 episode, “Grail,” is an amazing joke that directly pokes fun at alien abductions.
It has no impact on the rest of the episode and serves only to introduce the station’s judge, but a man suing the Vree, modeled after the famous “Grey Aliens,” for abducting his great-grandfather, is the kind of offbeat humor that sci-fi fans love.
Suing Over Alien Abductions
As soon as “Grail” returns from the title sequence, viewers are dropped into the courtroom of Ombuds Wellington (Jim Norton), listening to Flinn (John Flinn, the episode’s director of photography and he directed multiple episodes, including “Grey 17 is Missing”) argue that his great-grandfather was abducted by the Vree for two days, and then, no one believed him, he couldn’t get a job and a he lost everything. That’s why Flinn is suing for damages. The Vree’s response is to draw a picture. Obviously frustrated, Wellington wonders why he always gets these cases.
The Vree are one of the most annoying races in the world of Babylon 5, thanks to their religious devotion to a Trickster God, justifying their prankster behavior. Turns out, that’s why they would abduct humans; they found it funny. We never find out if Flinn won his case against the Vree or not, but the thought that in the future, when humans are living alongside aliens, someone would sue over alien abduction is the type of absurdity no one expected from the war-torn political series.
The Search For The Holy Grail
Flinn’s court case is the early high point of “Grail” which spends most of its runtime on Jinxo (Tom Booker), a station mechanic in debt to the gangster Deuce. Desperate to get out of debt, he picks the pocket of Aldous Gajic (David Warner), a strange man who came to the station as part of his quest for the Holy Grail. The two find themselves bonding after Gajic takes the downtrodden worker under his wing in lieu of banishment for thievery, with Gajic explaining that a dying man restored his will to live by passing on the quest for the Holy Grail to him.
In case you’re wondering, Sinclair (Michael O’Hare) doesn’t take the quest for the Holy Grail seriously, but Delenn (Mira Furlan), part of the Minbari religious caste, respects Gajic for being a truth-seeker. It’s an interesting character moment for both of them in an episode that’s otherwise completely devoid of the main cast. The way humans and Minbari view religion is very different, and it’s hard for any human to understand why it’s so important to Delenn, though, as viewers know, Sinclair would go on to understand the Minbari better than they knew themselves.
Great Shows Are Allowed To Have Bad Episodes
“Grail” sidelines the main cast to focus on Gajic, Jinxo, and Deuce, culminating in a firefight within the sub-basements between the gangsters and a security squad after a monster disguised as Ambassador Kosh is revealed as the source of the mindwipe murders. It wouldn’t be the last time that Babylon 5 would focus on side characters, but Season 5’s “A View From The Gallery” is one of the best of the series, while “Grail” is a dull slog.
Babylon 5 is still one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, even if it has some uneven episodes. The saga of Gajic and Jinxo was a one-and-done story, and now, the episode is still best remembered for the brief, 60-second joke about suing little grey aliens. It’s short, it’s hilarious, it fits within the world, and it’s the type of gag Star Wars would never make.
Entertainment
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 trailer promises big Benophie arguments and steamy makeouts
Celebrate Valentine’s Day a day early with the latest trailer for Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2.
The trailer above explores what happened after Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) royally stuck his foot in his mouth by asking maid Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) to be his mistress. On the one hand, he certainly thought it was romantic, as it’s the only socially acceptable way for people of their differing social standings. Plus, he didn’t know that Sophie’s mother was her father’s mistress, adding extra emotional baggage to his request.
On the other hand… Benedict. Buddy. Read the room.
The trailer also explores the fallout of Benedict’s faux pas: Benedict pines after Sophie, while Sophie wrestles with her complicated feelings over the proposal. The yearning is simply off the charts.
Apparently the lovebirds aren’t apart for too long, though, because the trailer is full of passionate Benophie kisses — as well as a teaser for a steamy bath scene.
That’s not all, though. In addition to all the Benedict and Sophie drama, these next episodes will see the much-welcome return of Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley). Anthony even gives Benedict a pep talk about following his heart and going after Sophie.
Here’s hoping Benedict will actually follow through (and maybe choose his words better next time he tries for a big romantic gesture).
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Part 2 premieres Feb. 26.
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Entertainment
A Lion for Lunar New Year
Oh Ruth, this was just perfect and made me tear up! Wishing you and all the COJ readers a xīn nián kuài lè!
Our house is all decorated for the new year, we had dumplings on little new year this past week (festival of the kitchen god), and a big family feast to look forward to next week. Celebrating the holiday is one of the things I’ve come to look forward to every year since I met my husband – we joke we have three new years now (Jewish, Gregorian, and Chinese) to get things right! 😉
P.S. Ruth- I first found your work because of your BTS comic which was perfect… how excited is everyone for the new album/tour?!
Entertainment
Kevin Smith’s Ultra Violent, R-Rated Comedy Horror On Netflix Is A Terrifying Transformation
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Long before I found my passion for digging up movies that play better than their critical reputations suggest, Kevin Smith made a little horror comedy in 2014 called Tusk that I completely wrote off and forgot about thanks to its 45 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. Having since spent years reviewing movies with single-digit scores that I feel are better than some of their critically acclaimed counterparts, I finally decided to give this one a go. In my mind, 45 percent probably translates to at least a B minus based on how I personally rate films.
I’m admittedly a bit squeamish when it comes to body horror, though I’ll still check out films like Possessor and Stopmotion if the synopsis sounds compelling enough. And let me tell you something. Justin Long getting transformed into a walrus sounds pretty compelling for one very specific reason.
I used to hate Justin Long because he always plays a jerk. After watching movies like Barbarian and The Wave and thoroughly enjoying them for this exact reason, I’ve come to appreciate that this is where his talent really lies. Given how much fun he seems to have playing a jerk in nearly every project he’s in, I’ve started to believe he’s probably disproportionately nice in real life and living vicariously through his characters. Add Kevin Smith’s twisted sense of humor to the equation, and Tusk becomes essential viewing for anyone who loves violent and bizarre B-movie schlock.
Starts With A Podcast
Justin Long’s Wallace Bryton, sporting his best Anthony Kiedis mustache, is introduced through his offensive podcast, The Not-See Party, where he and his cohost Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment) roast viral videos. Following a lead about a Manitoba-based, katana swinging teenager known as the Kill Bill Kid, Wallace is disappointed to discover that the subject of the video committed suicide, meaning he traveled to Canada for nothing.
In an attempt to salvage his trip while still generating content, Wallace hears about a man named Howard Howe (Michael Parks), whose flyer claims travelers can live with him for free so long as they listen to stories about his life. Driving out to the middle of nowhere, Wallace prepares for what he believes will be the interview of a lifetime. Instead, he’s drugged and slowly stitched into a human sized walrus suit.
Meanwhile, Teddy and Wallace’s girlfriend Ally (Genesis Rodriguez), having not heard from him in days, receive an alarming voicemail detailing his current predicament. They enlist the help of former detective Guy LaPointe (Johnny Depp), who has been searching for Howard for as long as he can remember, under the suspicion that he’s responsible for countless missing persons cases just like Wallace’s. Determined to rescue their friend, the trio sets out to Howard’s last known address, completely unaware of the brutality waiting for them.
Production Values That Transcend Its Budget
Despite its meager, three million dollar production budget, the practical body horror effects in Tusk are more than solid. We get graphic closeups of Wallace during and after his transformation, and they’re absolutely nauseating in the best possible way. Justin Long’s look of bewildered distress really sells the entire ordeal. He starts the movie overly confident and smug, only to end up as a man trapped inside a walrus’s body.
Since I’ve personally never been sewn into a lifelike walrus suit made from scraps of my own amputated limbs against my will, I can’t say how I’d react in a similar situation. What I can say is that Long sells it convincingly, so credit where it’s due.
The best part of Tusk, though, is Johnny Depp. It feels like the role of Guy LaPointe was written specifically for him, even though reports suggest it was originally written for Quentin Tarantino, who passed on it. Depp is enthusiastic, eccentric, haunted by his past, and driven by his obsession with Howard. He carries himself like a flask-swigging, hard-boiled private detective who’s well past his prime.
While I enjoyed Tusk well enough before his arrival, Johnny Depp’s presence and ability to command every scene he’s in is what truly sealed the deal for me.
An interesting take on body horror mixed with comedy, Tusk isn’t for everyone, but I’m glad I finally got around to watching it. It has the same sick sense of humor you’d expect from Kevin Smith, but it’s focused squarely on this specific genre, showing his range in ways that characters like Jay and Silent Bob simply can’t. Once again haunted by the realization that I could have watched this movie over a decade ago and enjoyed it just as much, it’s another reminder of why you should always take what critics say with a grain of salt.
As of this writing, Tusk is streaming on Netflix.
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