Typing as I Watch: Night of the Casual Killer
Jul 20, 2013 19:46:02 GMT -5
zimmerman and Chiyo like this
Post by niecie on Jul 20, 2013 19:46:02 GMT -5
I didn't recognize that the Marshall shows up so many times in this episode the first time I watched it through lately. It took me a few viewings before I realized he was with the guy in the teaser and also one of the two guys who visit Jim & Artie on the train at the start of Act 1. And then he shows up later too. Man, I can be slow on the uptake!
I think most fans of WWW already know this, but when Artie plays the violin, that really is Ross playing. He was a child protege on violin.
One of the Tennyson episodes.
I think this is where we learn that Artie had been an actor before he became a Secret Service agent. I find the phrase 'trodding the boards' a little odd. I know actors use the phrase 'trod the boards' to mean acting on the stage, but 'trodding'? I keep wanting it to be 'treading' instead.
I love the interactions between Jim and Artie in this episode. Jim in a bow tie, Jim draping his arm around Artie's shoulders, Artie pinching the bridge of his nose. And then when Jim plays victim while Avery's gang beats him up, and Artie doing the big voice, calling them Hoodlums as he leads Jim away. A recent quiz on one of the WWW boards pointed out the fact that, in this scene, one of the guys, the one at the far left, is wearing modern sunglasses, then whips them off and hides them when he realizes he's in frame. Ah, I love the anachronisms!
As for the hunting scene, I don't know much about guns, but I figure at the distance apart Jim and Avery were, if the rifle had been loaded with blanks, Jim could have done Avery a respectable injury if he'd pointed the rifle at Avery and pulled the trigger, as Avery suggested he do.
Ruta Lee really holds her eyes wide open, doesn't she? And Jim gets in some kisses on the episode's Pretty Girl.
I think most everyone spots the glitch about the rabbit in the magic act. I love Artie's Hamlet outfit and hair style. And I get grumpy that we don't get to actual focus on Artie doing the whole soliloquy. His different mannerisms while taking his bows are great!
Artie's not the only one who gets to quote the Bard this episode. And as Jim gets into trouble, Artie somehow knows he's needed. His drunken Hamlet scene (with a dash of Stephen Foster thrown in) is beautiful and more eye- and ear-catching than the straight version. Dub Taylor is a hoot there too. And the image of Artie in his Hamlet tunic and tights while wearing Dub's hat and toting his rifle is just priceless!
Ruta does the eye thing again while giving Jim directions. And Jim should have ignored Avery's objection about the hat. I like watching Artie hop out of the secret passageway.
Later, when Jim blows up part of the tunnel, I like how Artie grins at Avery. But I absolutely do not believe Artie had all those sticks of dynamite hidden in his costume all that time! And if he was carrying the dynamite, why oh why was he also the one carrying the torch??
I would have liked to hear Artie/Ross do the imitation of Avery's voice for himself, instead of lip-synching. But oh well.
Jim has a tear in his pants somewhere through there.
The scene of Jim merrily lighting the dynamite with his cigar and tossing the dynamite out one by one, with Ruta flinching, and the bad guys getting blown into the air: :-)
And then the tag with Avery choosing the rolling cell rather than the company of Our Heroes. Hmph! And then Ruta's character doesn't join them heading for Chicago. And Artie's little musical joke on the violin -- the song he plays has Ruta's character's name in the title. And the little mocking sound he makes the violin play at the very end. Very cute!
I think most fans of WWW already know this, but when Artie plays the violin, that really is Ross playing. He was a child protege on violin.
One of the Tennyson episodes.
I think this is where we learn that Artie had been an actor before he became a Secret Service agent. I find the phrase 'trodding the boards' a little odd. I know actors use the phrase 'trod the boards' to mean acting on the stage, but 'trodding'? I keep wanting it to be 'treading' instead.
I love the interactions between Jim and Artie in this episode. Jim in a bow tie, Jim draping his arm around Artie's shoulders, Artie pinching the bridge of his nose. And then when Jim plays victim while Avery's gang beats him up, and Artie doing the big voice, calling them Hoodlums as he leads Jim away. A recent quiz on one of the WWW boards pointed out the fact that, in this scene, one of the guys, the one at the far left, is wearing modern sunglasses, then whips them off and hides them when he realizes he's in frame. Ah, I love the anachronisms!
As for the hunting scene, I don't know much about guns, but I figure at the distance apart Jim and Avery were, if the rifle had been loaded with blanks, Jim could have done Avery a respectable injury if he'd pointed the rifle at Avery and pulled the trigger, as Avery suggested he do.
Ruta Lee really holds her eyes wide open, doesn't she? And Jim gets in some kisses on the episode's Pretty Girl.
I think most everyone spots the glitch about the rabbit in the magic act. I love Artie's Hamlet outfit and hair style. And I get grumpy that we don't get to actual focus on Artie doing the whole soliloquy. His different mannerisms while taking his bows are great!
Artie's not the only one who gets to quote the Bard this episode. And as Jim gets into trouble, Artie somehow knows he's needed. His drunken Hamlet scene (with a dash of Stephen Foster thrown in) is beautiful and more eye- and ear-catching than the straight version. Dub Taylor is a hoot there too. And the image of Artie in his Hamlet tunic and tights while wearing Dub's hat and toting his rifle is just priceless!
Ruta does the eye thing again while giving Jim directions. And Jim should have ignored Avery's objection about the hat. I like watching Artie hop out of the secret passageway.
Later, when Jim blows up part of the tunnel, I like how Artie grins at Avery. But I absolutely do not believe Artie had all those sticks of dynamite hidden in his costume all that time! And if he was carrying the dynamite, why oh why was he also the one carrying the torch??
I would have liked to hear Artie/Ross do the imitation of Avery's voice for himself, instead of lip-synching. But oh well.
Jim has a tear in his pants somewhere through there.
The scene of Jim merrily lighting the dynamite with his cigar and tossing the dynamite out one by one, with Ruta flinching, and the bad guys getting blown into the air: :-)
And then the tag with Avery choosing the rolling cell rather than the company of Our Heroes. Hmph! And then Ruta's character doesn't join them heading for Chicago. And Artie's little musical joke on the violin -- the song he plays has Ruta's character's name in the title. And the little mocking sound he makes the violin play at the very end. Very cute!