Facelift and Master of the Revels

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well, I finally watched Facelift the whole way through, and

there are almost-spoilers for it (not the ending)(and maybe Master of the Revels) down below...

Okay - ohmigod, weird film! It's set in the year 2074, and our MS plays Zax, a magician who really can do magic to entertain the "names" - the scruffy - but at least interesting and human! - proles of the future. They are generally ignored by the "numbers", the elite - and incredibly boring - upper class, who are born in laboratories, exist in a sterile computer-generated world and rarely venture out of it. One of their guilty pleasures, however, is to visit Zax's magical theatre and when F-number female insists on going with M-number male, Zax spots her in the audience and is enraptured. But she returns to being the guinea-pig in the numbers' experiments to isolate the human soul, and he returns to his dressing room where he treats his girlfriend and magician's assistant appallingly, and starts work on a replicant of the F-number female. Of course when he finds out about the numbers' experiment - from his friend Ojuka (Peter Clarke) no less! (Oh alright, his friend Bob) - he realises what he needs to do...

But I'm really not going to spoiler the end too badly. *g* It's actually got lots of potential to be quite interesting, in an eighties, humanity-is-doomed-unless-we-save-ourselves kind of science fiction-y way. The bit that should be the crises is totally gory and made me go ewwwww very effectively, but then it just copped out and made that the penultimate scene instead - with a sort of see-why-you-shouldn't-meddle sort of final message... Ewwwww.

Master of the Revels, on the other hand, which I've started with only the first half in my hand until next month - ack! - not only brings in Bodie and Cowley (okay, Galen and the Controller, but they so are Bodie and Cowley), but it's started to flesh out the world of names and numbers and Regulators a bit more, and I stayed up way too late last night reading it when I meant to go straight to sleep... And Zax in the film just has no personality that I can see, so I can totally believe that he might yet turn out to be Doyle in a he's-been-terribly-traumatised kind of way. Which means that it really is an AU, and as we know I've gone from hating them to adoring them over the last eighteen months or so... Usually I hate it when AUs use names other than Bodie/Doyle too, but maybe because I've seen the film now I can deal with it in this one.

I know lots of people don't seem to like it, and I was wondering - do you think it might be because you've not seen the film? Might that help? ('cos, honestly, anything's got to be good after that..!) Or is there something else about the zine (without spoilering me too much, cos I'm barely a third into it!) that puts you off? And there are people out there who liked it, right? Apart from the gorgeous art?

Oh, and credit for the wallpaper up above to Bri's Professionals Wallpapers!

Comments

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

I have seen Facelift and whilst it is an odd story, I enjoyed seeing Martin in the role ... he takes his make-up off, puts it on, puts the wig on, does some magic ... never saw that in The Professionals. Also, bit of singing, some medical procedure (of magical/mechanical sorts) and it was great to see Ojuka (Peter Clarke).

Always a joy to see Martin working with people from the Professionals for me.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

never saw that in The Professionals.

Now there's an AU! In fact I rather think it's already several AUs... But I love the idea of the lads having to cover their face with glop to go undercover... Doyle'd do it, and Bodie'd take the piss, unmercifully!

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

Bodie'd take the piss, unmercifully

definitely!

Reminds me of Harry Potter 4 ... when Ron is dancing with Prof McGonigal (probably spelt that wrong) and he says to the Weasley twins ... you are not going to let me forget this ...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Not sure if I've seen that one... and I'm a bit disturbed by trying to think of Harry Potter and Pros in the same breath actually! Just seems... wrong somehow!

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

Not wrong for me as I love both. And there are PROS people in Harry Potter ... RAMOS was in Goblet of Fire ... so Pros is in my mind when I watch ;)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Fair enough - it's just a weird mix for me! I tend to think of Ramos more as Trigger, from Only Fools and Horses, tbh... *g* I got all giggly when I realised that Trigger was Ramos!

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

Robert Hardy (Death In Holy Orders) and David Tennant (Dr Who) are also in Harry 4 ... so I get more of my favourites. Never seen Only Fools and Horses.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I think my thing about HP is that I got bored trying to keep up while the books were still being written. I generally do with series, no matter how good - I end up waiting until they're all published. *g*

Only Fools and Horses is brilliantly funny - Del Boy Trotter and his brother Rodney, a couple of wide boys from London... *g* They even mentioned Pros in one ep, apparently. Del Boy is always ducking and diving the wrong side of the law - sells the sort of thing that falls off the back of a lorry, you know? At one point Del Boy tells Rodney that they have to be professionals, and Rodney says summat like "What, jumping over the bonnet of the car and driving really fast?"... or something... *g* Anyway, "Ramos" plays one of their very dim (and really funny) mates, Trigger. Ooh - he's even got his own page on wiki: here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_%28Only_Fools_and_Horses%29). There are links to sites with pics of him if you're interested...

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

Have bookmarked your link and will look later (named it RAMOS).

Looking forward to the next Harry movie ... and then the final book ... who lives, who dies ... I may stop at film 5 as I so do not want Harry to die.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

But... if you know that he dies in the book/movie (Wait, he dies? Did you just totally spoiler me?), then you know that he dies - whether you read/watch it or not! See, this is a thing I don't get, I guess I read/watch stories in a completely different way...

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

NO SPOILERS given ... just stating my own opinion.

I have no idea what is going to happen ... last book is not out yet.

All I believe happens ... 2 will die, 1 gets a reprieve and the last word is going to be SCAR.

Some are saying that for Voldemort to die, Harry must die too ... but I don't want to believe that as I am one for good triumphing over evil. And yes, sometimes good has to be sacrificed, but not Harry. Malfoy was supposed to kill Dumbledore in Book 6, but couldn't and Snape did the kill ... so many variables and we will soon know.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

NO SPOILERS given ... just stating my own opinion.
Oh good - phew - and at the same time:

*puts fingers ostentatiously in ears, closes eyes, and sings lalalalalalalallalalalalalala very loudly*

I don't really want to get that deeply into HP (or any other programme/book) before I've read/watched it. I end up reading/watching something with all the speculation in mind rather than just enjoying it for the gorgeous story, which is what I love about reading/watching in the first place! So - please no more! *g*

*g*

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

Do not talk HP, do not talk HP, do not talk HP ...

Will be hard in LJ land soon, so will have to remember, IF I do, to put HP SPOILER first, and then you know NOT to look.

For us HP fans, it is getting very exciting ...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh I love HP, and it is exciting that the last one's nearly out - means I can go back to the start and read the whole series at last! - I just don't go and hang out at HP forums, or read discussion about it etc. I'm usually pretty safe in Pros-world! *g*

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

pretty safe

Yes, and you know my loves (see my icon). Dr Who last night, Life on Mars tonight ... Professionals ... every day ;)

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

Never saw the movie (not sure if I ever want to) but whenever I see those pics my fingers start itching and I wanna give him a thorough shave. Face hair - yuck!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - you've mentioned that before! He's one of the very very few people who I think looks quite good with a beard (not a moustache on its own though - yurch)... *g*

The movie's interesting - though it might help there to be anthropologicaly-minded! - and I didn't want to read Zax fic until I'd seen it, but it took me two attempts I must admit. I... erm... fell asleep halfway through, the first time...

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

Ickickick - I think he looks terrible with any kind of facial hair *shudder* I wanna see those sinful, kissable lips of his!

If you fell asleep it couldn't have been that exciting. Either that or you must have been totally knackered from doing I don't wanna know what *G*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Nope, exciting is really not the word I'd use for it... But I am glad I've watched it, and I may watch it again, for research purposes...

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

MOTR possible spoilers...

Oh, cool. You've seen the movie. I've heard it's appallingly bad, but it's all taste, right? I'd love to see it since I love the zine. I have about twenty more pages of that tiny, itty-bitty print and I'm finished, but I was suck in immediately. I love the facial hair on Zax (Doyle) myself. And I do see Doyle and Bodie and Cowley through the entire story. It is definitely AU, but I've bought it big time.

The zine is beautiful. I bought it for the art and after hearing how people hated the story, I thought a few times I wouldn't read it, but what the heck. It's right here, next to me. So I started in... I can tell if I like a story within the first few pages. Next thing I know, it's two hours later and I'm happy.

The secondary characters are very lifelike, as is the "nemesis" to Zax. So all in all, I like it very much.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Erm... I'm not sure that taste does have much to do with the quality of this movie actually...

I've seen the zine, I've just not bought it yet. I figured I wanted to try it first, since it's not technically B/D. It's just that it turns out that it sort of is! And I've not got to his nemesis yet, so now I'm even more intrigued... *g*

[alicambs.livejournal.com]

Want to borrow it?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oooh - could I?! I've got the first half from the Paper Circuit at the moment, but it'll be a whole month before I can read the rest of it! Plus the print is very faded on this copy in places...

My email is slantedlight at hotmail dot com... *g*

Ooh, I'm all happy-excited about that now too...

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

no I'm sorry all you facial hair haters, but this makes me want to do a *beardy* Doyle fic ... don't think I'll bother with the film tho, just separate Doyle from his beloved electric shaver somehow LOL

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

just separate Doyle from his beloved electric shaver somehow

Don't you dare!!! *megadeathglare*

I mean I absolutely love the early morning stubble but everything beyond that is just yuck. He's got a much too pretty face to hide it like that.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

oh but beardiness just shows off his pretty pretty eyes ...haha I *love* the shaver icon it's hilarious .. how about a beardy fic with a shaving scene thrown in?? LOL

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

His eyes are just as pretty without a beard.

I *love* the shaver icon it's hilarious

He, thanks. sunray45 made the shaving icons for me.

how about a beardy fic with a shaving scene thrown in??

Guess I could live with it as long as the fuzz comes off somewhere along the line.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Huh. I have to admit that I'm apparently still a teenager at heart, and being told not to makes me want to write a beard-y fic as well. Well, I already have, but they did shave them off in the end. Next time Doyle might have to keep his... *g* Though Bodie wouldn't suit a beard at all, I don't think...

Plus it's true that the beard shows off his pretty eyes - it emphasises them somehow... Just look..! (http://byslantedlight.livejournal.com/76758.html)

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

I know I always said that nothing could ever disfigure his pretty face. I was WRONG!!! Not even Doyle would stand a chance with that fuzz in the face. And he's pretty damn well my perfect guy image.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - personally I think I'd want to slap a Perfect Guy anyway. Nice that we all have different tastes though, right?!

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

Nice that we all have different tastes though, right?!

You're absolutely right on that, mate.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

*g*

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I don't normally have a problem with AUs. But I find I have a hard time liking a story when one of the characters isn't Bodie or Doyle. I don't want to read about Cade or Deed or whoever. Those are totally different characters. Bodie or Doyle in a different setting, like Cook and the Warehouseman, I can deal with. It's a different place. But the underlining characters are still supposed to be Bodie and Doyle.

I haven't read MotR, though I have the zine, mainly because of this. Is Zak Doyle? And, if so, what does that say about the Zak character? Or Cade, or whoever they use? Is there so little in these other characters that Doyle, or Bodie, can be so easily overlaid on them?

Oh, and thanks for the link! It's one I hadn't seen before. Great work!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

But I find I have a hard time liking a story when one of the characters isn't Bodie or Doyle.
That's exactly how I feel - I'm very wary of Cade and Deed fic, I want Doyle to be around as well, and I don't want Cade/Bodie or Deed/Bodie, I only want Doyle/Bodie (*stamps foot petulantly*)

The thing about Zax in the film is that, to me anyway, he totally had no personality, so he can be completely overlaid with Doyle-persona, with no effort at all. And that's one reason I'd argue it's not a good movie - not only do I have no sympathy for what Zax does in the movie but there's no aspect of a personality in him that I can latch onto as motivation unless I make up my own backstory for him, which pretty much negates the whole point of watching a movie imho.

I'm reading Zax as Doyle with a different name, and although that usually throws me too (I search and replace alternative names that authors have used when I can - I know, I'm bad...), in this case it works just fine, and I'm really enjoying the world and the situation that HG has created for them.

[empty-mirrors.livejournal.com]

Looks good, in an eighties big hair thing kind of a way.

I have to admit that MS is one of the few blokes who I think looks brill with facial fuzz. He can really carry it off.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

in an eighties big hair thing kind of a way
Heeeeee!

And yeah, he really can, can't he. See above comments about eyes, and follow the link for more of the pretty... *g*

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I saw the movie before reading MotR...pretty sure. I actually enjoyed the movie. Well, I'd been warned, so my expectations were low. *g* Besides...there was a lot of potential there--and a lot that a decent writer can do with fan fiction that improves upon the original. *g*

Which leads me to MotR. I like it very much. I've burned out on some of HG, but this one still grabs me. I like the serialized way in which it appears to have been written--as if bits and pieces of it were appearing in public--so there are lots of cliffhangers. It just...takes you along for the ride. I'm not surprised it kept you up! It did the same with me. Enjoy!

Oh, and I do very much see them as an AU version of Bodie and Doyle. *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - I'd been warned too, but I'm not sure my expectations were that low... *g* I was definitely interested in it, but I didn't watch it in the same way I'd watch other movies, tbh. But it's the potential that caught my imagination too - and I'm a sucker for any sort of futuristic, basically-post-some-apocalypse-even-if-it-was-other-humans kind of theme. Can't wait to find out what else HG has made of it... and to think I have to mark 40 scripts before I can read more!

I've not noticed the "serialised" style actually - maybe I've not really got that far yet - but I shall watch out for it now!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

I really liked MotR, I have it and read it a few times. Galen is certainly Bodie-esque enough to keep me reading ;) And I like the fact that there's a whole world-building in the novel, I'm a sucker for that :D

I watched Facelift only after, but it made me appreciate the few Zax/Bodie stories out there so much more. Yes, it's a very 80s film with potential, though it ended up being pretentious and too 'symbolic', but Martin is gorgeous in it and gives Zax a raw vibrant energy that balances the film's inadequacies, imo.

:D

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

The world-building is great, I'm loving that too. Have you read the Point of Hopes (http://www.pointsman.net/hopes.html) books? (I'm sure you have.) That's another world-building-around-the-lads story that I adore...

I've got to admit, I'm not sure I saw all that much energy in MS's acting here - but I blame the movie rather than him. Maybe (after a while!) I'll watch it again and see if I see him any differently!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

I love the Point of Hopes books! I was crushed when I learnt about Lisa Barnett's passing :(

I suppose I see it in MS's eyes :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was too - too tragic for words. The world they made was just so incredible...