Gradually degenerating into ignorance and complacency.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Lost interests

I have watched each and every episode of Lost. I'm not a Lost-phile, in fact, I like to pick on it, like anything else. Through gitsiegirl I read up on the latest translations of cryptic writings on a blast door.
"A bad plan that can't be changed" -- something could be said there.

Anyway, I would believe that survival would be the first and only thing important at any time with wild beasts, limited food and no real prospect on rescue. They have guns, metal from the wreckage ... seatbelts for roping and high-chrome finish parts for mirrors. If only they had weapons ... oh, yes. They have guns and ammo. I would try to slay the polar bears, the boars -- as they mastered fire, they can smoke the meat, not that 40 some people would take long to eat any of that. They have golf clubs -- lightweight clubbing weapons; effective range 1-4'. Lock brought knives. They found a "natural" rock structure for shelter.

They haven't gone searching for the others as a whole group of 40, nor have they hunted the animals. They could all -- though smelly, be comfortable in the hatch, away from the rain and black smoke beast (as it were) as well as any known and unknown pests, and insects that would naturally abound there. In any other situation, the area around the campsite (or hatch here) would be more and more depleted of fruit and supplies, so a circle of destruction (blight) would grow out from the hatch.
This would clearly show where they are, but it seems obvious that the others know exactly who and where they are. They seem disinterested in killing them but have threatened their lives. They did the impossble (with real fire torches), instant ignition and extinguishing. Smoke and mirrors -- really.

The underlying theme of general distrust is okay, considering their fiction shows that they don't talk -- the 30 some people never introduced are not integral to the plot whatsoever -- why have them?

On top of all the supplies they do have -- including heat and power that they don't exploit, they could wonder around the coast for anything else. In a military theme, a clean line of 40 people is a difficult target to truly eliminate. There were some supplies on the Black Ship -- apart from volitile dynamite. Why not recheck everything you know.
It implied that the next episode would have the masses battling for the mound of supplies, the origin os which undeclared. They have a battery there -- a beacon. They had flashlights, from the flight and from the medical hatch -- they know the location there too. The bright balloon -- for what good it is, would make a great signal or shelter or rain catcher -- fresh water?
The paints, sitting idly by could be used to discolor a tree or two on the coast line to clear mark habitation or need of assistance. I'm no survivalist, but 40 some poeple, with supplies and a desire to leave would improvize and think of anything to survive.

A lying other sits in a vault, though beaten, reasonably better off than those who could be snatched out of the shelter, no one being the wiser. He even got milk-less cereal -- a luxury denied their airline brethren. The hidden stash of Charlie's heroin, mixed with saltwater, could be used as a simplified truth serum, as beating lead to no real results. The only other options would be fish-feeding, burning, or bear baiting.
An armed, crazy Danielle who slayed her own party, might be better used as an ally rather than a second anchor.

If I go on, it'll turn into a very heated, argument with people emotionally bound to the show berrating me, so I'll quit here. I met the same reaction to Matrix, where people defended it like a religion -- emtionally involved in it. Personally, I sum Matrix up to be bad fiction.

Ice Age Meltdown

It was okay. I didn't like the number of incidental profanities (mild, but there), cocentrating on mating, not really a kid theme. This one was Manny-centric. I suppose the next one will be Diego-centric.
I see here that I didn't mention the positives. I generally like family movies and kid movies. I liked some of the humor, the effects were nice. The story was, well ... okay.

More interesting was the post movie.

Charlie uses sarcasm: Do I see my home, no! (on Daddy using a different way to get home)
Charlie uses cunning: I want to get that one for Mommy! (later in the car about a different cookie) I've got a good idea, [let's] put the cookie next to my table [while I eat].