Apologies for the delay, my friends. Now that the show is on at 10pm, I will not be posting a Lost Blog every Wednesday night after each episode. I was exhausted at work today, and there is no way I can stay up that late on a ‘school night’ to write. So I appreciate your patience and readership!

 

Overall thoughts…I am thrilled that the show is back on for a very long run. I love Juliet’s character, and the dichotomy of her as a ‘mess’ in her prior life and as a woman of authority on Other Island.  

 

And as a huge fan of Deadwood, it has been fun to watch 3 actresses from that show appear on this one:

 

Robin Weigert/Calamity Jane: Rachel (Juliet’s sister)

Paula Malcomson/Trixie: Colleen (Other killed by Sun on boat)

Kim Dickens/Joanie Stubbs: Cassidy (Sawyer’s ex/con)

 

THOUGHTS

 

My first thought upon hearing the title of this episode was that it was yet another reference to The Wizard of Oz (i.e. ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto’). LOST is always referencing literary works, and this particular story seems to be a favorite among the writers (Dorothy’s Uncle was named Henry Gale).

 

The company that was trying to recruit Juliet, Mittelos Bioscience, is an anagram for Lost Time. It seems entirely too convenient, given that Juliet will be losing time with her sister once she is taken to Other Island. That and the obvious fact that the survivors of Flight 815 have lost time from their lives…

 

I would be willing to bet that the sonograms that the recruiter showed to Juliet were from her sister. She thought they were scans of a senior citizen, but he told her they were from a woman in her late 20’s. And he was well aware of her sister’s pregnancy. If the sonograms did indeed belong to Rachel (Juliet’s sister), that might explain why the Others are experiencing procreation difficulties…the premature disintegration of reproductive organs due to experimental medication.

 

The recruiter told Juliet she was ‘special.’ Walt was referred to as ‘special’ on many occasions. Juliet probably has unique abilities above and beyond her scientific capabilities. If her powers are psychic in nature, perhaps she had something to do with the bus that ran over her ex-husband…

 

But the producers seem to want us to believe that Mittelos is an offshoot of Dharma or The Hanso Foundation, and that they wield serious power. Causing a bus to crash doesn’t sound crazy when you think about the possibility of making an entire aircraft break in half and crash onto an island controlled by said company…

 

Nice pop culture shout-outs to Star Wars (Sawyer’s wookie comment) and A Clockwork Orange (Karl’s torture chamber).

 

Something tells me that this wasn’t the first time that the Others have subjected someone to brutal behavior modification techniques like the ones in the room where Karl was being held. I wonder if that’s what Isaiah Washington’s ‘rehab’ is like. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist…more thoughts on THAT debacle coming soon).

 

When Jack inquires why the Others didn’t just take Ben to a surgeon in the outside world, Tom mentioned the sky turning purple. Timeline wise, that doesn’t make sense. When Desmond turned to key to implode the hatch, causing the island to shake and the sky to turn purple, the Others already had Jack captive. In fact, they let Michael and Walt ‘go’ just after it occurred.  So I doubt that the hatch explosion really affected their ability to leave the island or communicate with the real world.

 

Earlier this season, when Kate had breakfast with Ben on the beach after first being kidnapped, he told her the next two weeks were going to be uncomfortable. She returned from that meal looking miserable, with severely bruised wrists. My feeling is that most of these events were a set-up and all is going according to Ben’s master plan…Kate’s easy cage escape, Kate & Sawyer’s cage romp, Jack seeing Kate & Sawyer’s romp on a monitor, Jack noticing the spinal x-rays, Juliet’s video plea for Jack to kill Ben, etc.   

 

For all of their talk about being ‘good,’ these Others have sure proven to be anything but. See: guns, psychological manipulation, prison-like work-camps, torture.

 

QUESTIONS

 

Is Juliet really being held against her will on Other Island?

 

Who is the father of Rachel’s child? Is he involved with Mittelos/Dharma?

 

Last season, did Ethan inject Claire with the same drugs that Juliet stole for her sister? Claire was already pregnant when she was injected, but Rachel wasn’t, so that would be interesting.

 

Is Alex really Ben’s daughter, or did he just find her in the jungle as a baby and raise her as an adoptive father after Rousseau went crazy? How on earth can Rousseau not be aware that her daughter is still alive? Is she in cahoots with Ben? Does Alex know that her mom is alive? OR…was Alex a product of a fertility experiment conducted by Ben that led to Rousseau’s ouster and insanity?

 

Was Karl a rogue Other? Why would the Others subject him to such torture, especially if he’s dating the Boss’ daughter? What must he have done to fall out of their good graces? Have some of the other Others been brainwashed using this method?

 

Why didn’t Tom kidnap Jack the first time they met in the jungle, knowing that Ben had a tumor and Jack was a doctor?! Why also wait to take Kate and Sawyer captive, when they had the opportunity to do so during that same encounter with Jack?

 

We know now that there is yet another ‘they’ in the Others mix; someone above Juliet and Ben. Could the infamous Jacob be among this new group?

 

CRAZY THEORY OF THE WEEK

 

Tom has had an apparent change of heart and/or demeanor. He went from Zeke, the tough guy with the fake beard who tried to scare the castaways in the jungle, to a concerned friend introducing himself to Jack while overseeing Ben’s surgery. He has not left Ben’s side, and even told Juliet to leave at one point. And when he told Kate he wasn’t interested in her or her shower earlier in the season, my gaydar alert went into warp speed. So my theory is that Tom is…Ben’s partner. I don’t think the ‘history’ between Ben and Juliet that Tom referred to was romantic at all. As a matter of fact, I believe that the tension between those two is primarily due to the power struggle that ensued after Juliet was forced to work and stay on Other Island against her wishes.

 

POP CULTURE FYI

 

Both Matthew Fox (Jack) and Nestor Carbonell, who plays Mittelos Bioscience recruiter Richard Alpert in this episode of Lost, have small roles in the movie Smokin’ Aces. Interestingly enough, in the film, Carbonell kills Fox. Let’s hope that art doesn’t imitate…art.

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I am absolutely exhausted and my sinuses are severely swollen. But it was more than worth it!   I have just returned from three days at the Sundance Film Festival. And do I have details to share with you!

 

Later this week I will review the two movies I saw yesterday. Right now I am too tired, and all I can handle are the photos and star sightings.

 

First of all, here is proof of just how cold it/I was. I was attempting to photograph a building across the street, but my breath got in the way.

Here is the requisite photo of the infamous Egyptian Theater on Main Street, where I saw two films.

And here is why I captured so few photos of the famous. The crowds on Saturday were insane and we had more luck across the street, where celebrities were purposefully avoiding said crowds.

We happened upon a swag lounge, where actors and actresses were given bags and bags full of free goods from companies hoping that they’ll be photographed wearing or using those products.  There was a bodyguard at the front door, and the first person to emerge was Ione Skye. I fought the urge to hold a boombox above my head and serenade her with Peter Gabriel schmaltz. Instead, we took her picture and that was that.

Minutes later, however, we ran right into John Cusack! If only they were there at the same time! An accidental Say Anything reunion would have made my day. Alas, Cusack was quickly ushered into an SUV before we could snap a photo. But he was our most A-level sighting of the day, and we loved it.

 

It appears that I am a reality TV magnet. First, I recognized David from Real World: Seattle walking by. He was more than happy to stop and pose for the camera. Apparently he is a fifth grade math teacher now.

 

A little while later, I met the winner of first season of The Apprentice, Bill Rancic, and his fiancé, E! News anchor Giuliana DePandi. They were incredibly nice.

 

Next, the very strange Crispin Glover briskly walked by. Known primarily for mainstream franchises like Back to the Future (McFly!) and Charlie’s Angels, Glover has transitioned into a writer/director of darker independent films.

 

This is actress Vera Farmiga, who was sporting a new look but you might know her as the only female lead in The Departed. She was also polite and didn’t seem to mind that she wasn’t being recognized by the throngs of fans stalking the swag doors.

Although it was from a distance, I was able to get a photo of Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men: The Last Stand) after a screening of her new movie An American Crime. Her performance was incredible and she is going to be one hell of an actress.

Other star sightings that do not have accompanying photos included: Illene Chaiken (creator/executive producer of The L Word) and former child actor Chad Allen (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), who has a film premiering at Sundance later this week.

 

Overall, we spent 14 hours at Sundance yesterday. It snowed and the temperature dropped precipitously, but it was good exercise and an experience I’ll never forget. As a matter of fact, I’d like to make it an annual trip, but would like to stay for the entire week next time.

 

Stay tuned later this week for full reviews of the incredible Catherine Keener and Ellen Page in An American Crime, the Australian crime film Noise, and a few short films as well.

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Arriving in Salt Lake City

At the rental car counter, there was a special sign welcoming E. Kennedy and R. Kennedy, a not-so-thinly veiled note to let all of us know that Senator Edward Kennedy and his niece Rory, the acclaimed documentary director/producer, were on their way too. They probably rented a hybrid.

 

Screech (Dustin Diamond) from Saved by the Bell walked by quickly. Yawn. Am I in for a handful of D-list star sightings?!

 

The guy next to me on the plane was watching Sundance filmmaker interviews on his video iPod. I was jealous. He also had a spreadsheet highlighting films he was going to see. I was jealous of that too (the spreadsheet, not the tickets).

 

Day 1: Friday

Got up at 4:30am. Put on so many layers that I looked like Ralphie’s kid brother running in the snow in A Christmas Story. Drove over the treacherous pass in the dark from Salt Lake to Park City. Arrived at 6:30am. Secured a precious parking spot for $20 (so worth it…the traffic snaked throughout the town all day as annoyed locals and lost tourists fought for the few spaces left). Waited for a coffee shop to open at 7am. Ate a warm bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar. Received an official Wait List number for the first film of the festival, Strange Culture. Walked up and down the street, cursing my decision not to purchase the thicker thermal long underwear from REI. The rest of me was warm; my legs are still recovering from the numbing chill.

 

Got in to see Strange Culture, and sat in the first row.  The director introduced the film and the man whose life it was based on. It is a very sad and alarming story about an artist who was arrested by the FBI after his wife died suddenly, because they suspected he was a bioterrorist (his art focused on how bacteria affected food; some Petri dishes were on display at their house and they panicked that he had contaminated and/or poisoned her). This outrageous injustice is presented in interesting fashion; the film intermixes documentary footage with actual actors both portraying the protagonist’s roles and commenting about the story as themselves. We learned that this man’s wife loved the actress Tilda Swinton, so Swinton signed on to play her in the film (for little to no money). It was a very sweet footnote from a man who is still awaiting trial for a nightmare he’s trying to escape. I have no idea whether or not Strange Culture will receive a distribution deal, but if you see it out on DVD down the line, it would be quite an educational and eye-opening rental.  

 

For lunch I treated myself to an excellent bowl of soup at local Vietnamese restaurant while scouring the film guide to decide my next move. I chatted up a large group of ladies that I dubbed ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.’ Decked out in their fur coats, Ugg boots and big hair, they were in line for a film they knew nothing about. They “just wanted to see a movie.” Sigh.

 

I met a really nice couple this afternoon on their way to a theater at 2pm. For a midnight premiere. Of their film (they produced it)! Here is the asinine part – they didn’t even have tickets! To quote them directly, “we had to give our tickets to Winona.” As in Ryder. Awesome. That is why I’m here. To soak it all in quietly and with a huge grin beneath my ski mask.

 

Later, I went to a theater further away from Main Street, hoping my chances to get a Wait List ticket would increase. Apparently that was a very unoriginal idea. The line was long and I was tired. I called it a day and went back to Salt Lake to rest up for tomorrow.

 

Star sightings: ½ (I think I saw Stanley Tucci). Here’s the thing – every single person at Sundance today was wearing a beanie or hat, sunglasses, and a warm bulky jacket. Frankly, there could have been famous people among the masses, but the cold weather attire masked their celebrity. I’m not disappointed though, because the city and the films and the atmosphere more than fulfilled my expectations. Besides, I’m heading back out there for a full day tomorrow. And I’m here for the experience and the culture. Seeing actual celebrities would just be an added bonus.

 

Random Observations & Stories:

 

* I love my rental car – a Subaru Outback 4 wheel drive with heated seats. It might have to be my next car.

 

* Everyone here drives like my grandma. And she’s 96. No offense, Utah.

 

* Salt Lake City is surprisingly smoggy. Park City is beautiful; it reminds me of Squaw Valley.

 

* Teenagers in Park City must be acclimated to this type of weather; some were wearing shorts and tank tops.

 

* Everyone involved with Sundance is really nice, from the vendors to the volunteers to the bus drivers who schlep filmgoers from theater to theater for hours on end.

 

* All of the people I met in various waiting lines today were from California. Not from Utah or anywhere else. It is a small world indeed.

 

* It is f’ing cold. Before any of you from the Midwest and East Coast give me a hard time, keep in mind that I have lived in California my entire life, so this is by far the coldest weather I’ve ever endured. Tahoe? Ha. Not cold. Not like this.

 

* It is f’ing dry. Here are the adjectives I would use to describe the air here: arid, bone-dry, moistureless. Good times!

 

* I walked today. ALOT. I know…it’s good for me, cry me a river, etc. But I feel like I skied all day in heavy boots. Uphill. In the wind. So I would like to take this opportunity to say: Thank You, Advil. You are there for me every single time.

 

* In casual conversation I used the word ‘crap’ to describe a certain actor’s body of work, and a woman next to me gasped. Out loud. I almost expected her to slap my wrist, shake her head at me and say ‘Language, young lady!’ with much disdain. Clearly, a local. Again, no offense to the entire state of Utah.

 

Stay tuned for my second and final Sundance blog…on Sunday. After I return home to my laughably comfortable 53 degree weather.

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It’s just not my day.

 

1. I helped throw a baby shower at work and the gift I ordered on behalf of everyone didn’t arrive until after the shower. Oh, and the cake I ordered said ‘Happy Birthday’ instead of ‘Congratulations.’

 

2. I waited patiently during my allotted half hour time slot both online and on the phone to try to get tickets to any Sundance films, but the website crashed repeatedly and I was left on hold for an hour.  If you need me next weekend, I’ll be the one standing outside in 20 degree weather in front of the theaters all day, hoping that someone has single tickets to spare.  While attempting to stave off the inevitable frozen ears and toes with entirely too many cups of hot coffee, I will take mental notes and try to blog each night about my Sundance experiences (since I may not be able to provide any actual movie reviews).  

 

3. After filling up my car with gas tonight, I drove off with the gas tank door ajar and the cap still atop my roof. Now the cap is on the side of the freeway somewhere. I realized this after I’d arrived back home. Dumbass.

 

It’s just not my day.  

 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take the pity party offline. I shall return with reviews of Dreamgirls,The Pursuit of Happyness and a belated word or two about The Holiday.

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I have discovered a very entertaining and sometimes educational form of procrastination.  Check out the “Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher” videos on Amazon.com. Each episode features interviews with authors, movie and TV personalities, as well as acoustic performances by a variety of musicians and bands.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/entertainment/fishbowl

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I have a question for you. Yes, you, the one reading my blog right now.  Who are you?

 

Here’s the thing. I monitor my website statistics, and I am baffled by the results. Only five people actually subscribe to my blog (see the box in the corner of this page to bring me into double digits!), and I’ve only alerted friends and family that it even exists.  And yet I’ve managed to garner over 16,000 views of my blog in just fourteen months (not to mention that a surprisingly large number of my columns that are printed out every single day). Granted, most mainstream websites average that many hits every hour. But I am proud of my numbers! This blog is my hobby, and a true labor of love.

 

So do me a favor, my mysterious readers. Can you please either send me an email (jo@jopinionated.com) or leave me a comment on this blog? I would love to find out any of the following information: how you found my site, what you think about the content, how often you read it (and if it’s bookmarked), and maybe even where you’re from, all to gather a better sense of who my virtual audience is. I’m completely open to movie, music & TV suggestions too, so drop me a line any time!

 

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

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