Post by zimmerman on Jul 2, 2013 15:55:05 GMT -5
while TNOT Iron Fist is still not an overall favorite episode of mine, it actually turned out to be better than I thought it was, with several wonderful comedic elements thrown into the programs overall drama.
One of the reasons why this episode has more of a dramatic element than most WWW episodes is because the episode was written by Ken Pettus, a veteran dramatic scriptwriter whose credits also include Mission: Impossible, Cannon, and The Big Valley, which may explain why the episode is Barkley-esque in nature.
I personally felt Mark Lerned as Count Draja was getting to be a little over-the-top as the episode progressed, especially when he was all those crazy little tricks at Jim to escape. He really conveyed the dramatic edge for most of the program, but there are times that I felt he tended to overact and make me wish that they had gotten Vincent Price to play Count Draja. Vincent probably would really made the Count Draja character his own with his own distinctive mannerisms and unique voice. .
Lisa Pera did a pretty good job as Countess Zorana. She did go a little over-the-top but she really played the countess to a "T", and at times reminded me of Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Zsa Zsa especially, who could have really brought some unique distinctive flavor to this episode as well, and could have really brought some sparkle to Artie's faux-Count Draja. Countess Zorana was romantic, powerful, and ruthless, and had one of the best lines in the entire episode: "Kiss me now and I'll scratch your eyes out later." Plus, the scene where Artie's Draja meets Countess Zorana for the first time in years is wonderful and just a touch romantic at times.
The Garrisons from San Miguel, named no doubt as an homage to WWW creator Michael Garrison, brought a down-home comedic edge to the episode, in comparison to the two thugs who were after Draja's money for the better part of the episode. I found it really interesting that the father wanted Count Draja's fancy boots, and was determined to do anything to get them!! . In a way, "Pa" Garrison and his interaction with his boys reminded me a little bit of Orkney Cadwaller's relationship with his boys in TNOT Human Trigger, especially when that one boy landed in the water, causing him to quip, "That boy was born under an unlucky star." And talk about being born in a barn! Those Garrisons threw those papers in the ground in search for the one that had Count Draja's story in it, and never put them properly back nice and neat!! What is the deal with that!! .
One of the many advantages of making this mostly-dramatic episode of WWW worth watching are the scenes between James and Count Draja. The scene where Draja falls off Superstar and James laughing profusely, causing Count Draja to do "The Tuscon Two-Step" was very funny and a hoot to watch. ., as well as James getting wind of some of Draja's escape plans. On the other hand, getting loose from James' clutches during the sandstorm was kind of annoying!! If you watched that scene very closely, you can detect a subtle whine in Draja's voice!! That type of voice tone did not bode well for me when I was growing up.
James is really outstanding in this episode. The scenes with him alone, and with him and Draja together, are very well-written and well-paced. Really enjoyed the fight scene in the barn!! He sure trashed the Garrison's place really good!! ;D. Also like the huge silver-colored smoke bomb and the homemade barricade that James used to help get free from the Garrison's clutches!
I particularly did not care for Gabe Kelso and Joe Stark, the two heavies in hot pursuit of Draja's hidden $5,000,000 in Buffulo Springs, but they really played the bad guy roles to a :"T", from disrupting Artie's chess game rather dramatically, to not even letting Artie's Draja change into his old uniform once Countess Zorana makes her grand entrance on the train. Gabe Kelso, dressed in brown chaps, almond-colored pants (Almost exactly the same color as the pants that I am wearing on the day that I am writing this review), bluish-green pants, and tan cowboy hat reminded a little bit of Neville Brand, whose speaking voice was very similar and was another actor who could play bad guys pretty well, in addition to playing Ranger Reese Bennett for laughs on "Laredo." .
It was great that all of the stuntmen got credited parts for this episode!! Even the wonderful Red West got a couple of scenes and lines in this episode, more than he usually got in most WWW episodes. I like the stuntguys in Artie's lab a little better than the two money-hungry outlaws, even though their parts were very minor in this episode.
Artie's rather dramatic portrayal of Count Draja was very well-done. His masterful acting abilties are in full display here, proving to us that he could easily do dramatic roles as well as the more humerous disguises he donned in most of the 104 episodes of the series (Well, 94, minus the ten he missed in the final season . I really like the way he tries to instill respect in these greedy cowboys by insisting on calling him "Your Excellency", and when he and the Countess are being held hostage by Kelso, he has a great quip, "It Is like a club--The shoot Draja Club." I also like the scene where Artie non-chalently throws those people off of the train, and his quip when James returns to save him: "Little Late Jim. What Kept you?"
There are several wonderful train scenes in this episode, many wonderful Wanderer moments, plus that one shot of a train of a different color that really duped me into thinking it was the Wanderer until Ace pointed it out to me in her review.
We also learn that cigar smoke does not bother James West, "It's what's in the tobacco that does", and that the honor system does not work with him. Also, we get a good closeup of the back of James' cuordory jacket!!
Even though I did not like Joe Stark and his gang, it did make for a great tag when Artie opens the door and pulls out a gagged Stark: one of the better tags of the series.
Re-using some of his best music for the series for the majority of this episode, my fave WWW music composer, Jack Pleis, gets a full music credit at the end of the episode.
After watching this again for this review, TNOT Iron Fist now recieves a generous score of.....
7 out of 10 from me.
One of the reasons why this episode has more of a dramatic element than most WWW episodes is because the episode was written by Ken Pettus, a veteran dramatic scriptwriter whose credits also include Mission: Impossible, Cannon, and The Big Valley, which may explain why the episode is Barkley-esque in nature.
I personally felt Mark Lerned as Count Draja was getting to be a little over-the-top as the episode progressed, especially when he was all those crazy little tricks at Jim to escape. He really conveyed the dramatic edge for most of the program, but there are times that I felt he tended to overact and make me wish that they had gotten Vincent Price to play Count Draja. Vincent probably would really made the Count Draja character his own with his own distinctive mannerisms and unique voice. .
Lisa Pera did a pretty good job as Countess Zorana. She did go a little over-the-top but she really played the countess to a "T", and at times reminded me of Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Zsa Zsa especially, who could have really brought some unique distinctive flavor to this episode as well, and could have really brought some sparkle to Artie's faux-Count Draja. Countess Zorana was romantic, powerful, and ruthless, and had one of the best lines in the entire episode: "Kiss me now and I'll scratch your eyes out later." Plus, the scene where Artie's Draja meets Countess Zorana for the first time in years is wonderful and just a touch romantic at times.
The Garrisons from San Miguel, named no doubt as an homage to WWW creator Michael Garrison, brought a down-home comedic edge to the episode, in comparison to the two thugs who were after Draja's money for the better part of the episode. I found it really interesting that the father wanted Count Draja's fancy boots, and was determined to do anything to get them!! . In a way, "Pa" Garrison and his interaction with his boys reminded me a little bit of Orkney Cadwaller's relationship with his boys in TNOT Human Trigger, especially when that one boy landed in the water, causing him to quip, "That boy was born under an unlucky star." And talk about being born in a barn! Those Garrisons threw those papers in the ground in search for the one that had Count Draja's story in it, and never put them properly back nice and neat!! What is the deal with that!! .
One of the many advantages of making this mostly-dramatic episode of WWW worth watching are the scenes between James and Count Draja. The scene where Draja falls off Superstar and James laughing profusely, causing Count Draja to do "The Tuscon Two-Step" was very funny and a hoot to watch. ., as well as James getting wind of some of Draja's escape plans. On the other hand, getting loose from James' clutches during the sandstorm was kind of annoying!! If you watched that scene very closely, you can detect a subtle whine in Draja's voice!! That type of voice tone did not bode well for me when I was growing up.
James is really outstanding in this episode. The scenes with him alone, and with him and Draja together, are very well-written and well-paced. Really enjoyed the fight scene in the barn!! He sure trashed the Garrison's place really good!! ;D. Also like the huge silver-colored smoke bomb and the homemade barricade that James used to help get free from the Garrison's clutches!
I particularly did not care for Gabe Kelso and Joe Stark, the two heavies in hot pursuit of Draja's hidden $5,000,000 in Buffulo Springs, but they really played the bad guy roles to a :"T", from disrupting Artie's chess game rather dramatically, to not even letting Artie's Draja change into his old uniform once Countess Zorana makes her grand entrance on the train. Gabe Kelso, dressed in brown chaps, almond-colored pants (Almost exactly the same color as the pants that I am wearing on the day that I am writing this review), bluish-green pants, and tan cowboy hat reminded a little bit of Neville Brand, whose speaking voice was very similar and was another actor who could play bad guys pretty well, in addition to playing Ranger Reese Bennett for laughs on "Laredo." .
It was great that all of the stuntmen got credited parts for this episode!! Even the wonderful Red West got a couple of scenes and lines in this episode, more than he usually got in most WWW episodes. I like the stuntguys in Artie's lab a little better than the two money-hungry outlaws, even though their parts were very minor in this episode.
Artie's rather dramatic portrayal of Count Draja was very well-done. His masterful acting abilties are in full display here, proving to us that he could easily do dramatic roles as well as the more humerous disguises he donned in most of the 104 episodes of the series (Well, 94, minus the ten he missed in the final season . I really like the way he tries to instill respect in these greedy cowboys by insisting on calling him "Your Excellency", and when he and the Countess are being held hostage by Kelso, he has a great quip, "It Is like a club--The shoot Draja Club." I also like the scene where Artie non-chalently throws those people off of the train, and his quip when James returns to save him: "Little Late Jim. What Kept you?"
There are several wonderful train scenes in this episode, many wonderful Wanderer moments, plus that one shot of a train of a different color that really duped me into thinking it was the Wanderer until Ace pointed it out to me in her review.
We also learn that cigar smoke does not bother James West, "It's what's in the tobacco that does", and that the honor system does not work with him. Also, we get a good closeup of the back of James' cuordory jacket!!
Even though I did not like Joe Stark and his gang, it did make for a great tag when Artie opens the door and pulls out a gagged Stark: one of the better tags of the series.
Re-using some of his best music for the series for the majority of this episode, my fave WWW music composer, Jack Pleis, gets a full music credit at the end of the episode.
After watching this again for this review, TNOT Iron Fist now recieves a generous score of.....
7 out of 10 from me.