olivia_sutton | Entries tagged with the man from uncle

Mediawest Con
Memorial Day Weekend, Lansing Michigan
General Media Convention
For Info see: http://www.mediawestcon.org/
Hi all,

Media West is back!!!!

Well-- I went to Mediawest this year, officially, for the first time in awhile. I'd missed the con for several years because I either had the time but no money (e.g. I was unemployed or really poorly under employed) or money but no time (I had a job but I couldn't go on vacation for 5 days straight all at once. Hey -- it happens!). But now, with a permanent job, and luckily with my class teaching schedule ending on Monday, I was able to go.
Now -- I did have to commute, so I missed some morning panels that I wanted to go to, but other than that, the commuting thing went OK. AND, I found someone I can room with next year, which should help.
First-- It was really, really fun that MY fandom was the "new, hot fandom". Now, "new", really needs to be in quotes, because *Doctor Who* ***isn't*** new (and even "Torchwood" has been around for a couple of seasons. Only *Sarah Jane* is new to these shores). but there were like ten panels on DW, ten on TW, and about five or so on SJA.
I also caught one panel on UNCLE (I missed two other ones that I really wanted to catch, but I ended-up not being able to). I also caught a SGA panel and a Psych panel. I went into the SGA panel (which was listed as a 4th season discussion panel) saying, "So, OK, is this the 4th season complaining panel,". And, while there was a certain amount of complaining abut what 4th season did; there was also a definate attitude of "how dare you criticise the show and claim to be a fan of it?" -- which is something about newer American fandom that can be annoying. Older fandoms, contray to popular belief, DO complain about their shows and are, (sorry about the phrase) but they're willing to call a spade a spade -- just look up some fan reaction to the Classic Trek ep, "Spock's Brain", or UNCLE fan reaction to "The Gorilla Afr" and Third Season in general. But, on the flip side, about half the room did agree with my assessment of Seasn 4 of SGA that "it just needs to Go Away!, It never happened., They need to have somebody wake up and the entire season was a dream. Really!!!"
The "Psych" panel was also fun, tho' most of the folks in the panel apparently watched the show for different reasons than me. (Sorry, I just don't think James Roday is gorgeous. He can act, yes, but he's just NOT my type. Now Lassie on the other hand...)
But the whole, clicky, "we're only going to hang out with our friends from on-line" attitude of past years is gone. Finally. Woo-hoo! So he con is fun again.
I did end-up not getting to the reg desk in time to purchase my membership for next year at the con, so I'll need to send a check on Friday when I get paid, which I will. And, I've got a roommate for next year, who's willing to take a room at an overflow hotel if we can't get a room at the con hotel, which if fine with me.

--Olivia

Current Mood: okay
Current Location: My home office
Current Music: Filk

Hi all,

DVD Review - The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Season 2 -- 30 1-hour episodes (color) - 50 minutes running time

The second season of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is probably the most UNCLE-ish or proto-typical of UNCLE's four seasons. The plots are more fantasical than the more serious first season, but not as silly as season 3 (review forthcoming once I get a chance to watch the entire thing and re-evaluate it). Illya's been "promoted" to number 2 of Section 2 (Operations and Enforcement) and full partner status with Napoleon, tho' there are still episodes where one or the other agent is heavily featured and their partner is hardly there. Season 2 also contained "The Moonglow Affair" which introduced Agents April Dancer and Mark Slate, who would be re-cast (to Stephanie Powers and Noel Harrison) and spin-off to the short-lived series, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. -- both Napoleon and Illya are taken out at the beginning of the ep. by a radioactive gas, and April gets to strut her stuff finding the cure for our two agents and stopping yet another Thrush plot. Despite the lack of Napoleon and Illya, the episode isn't actually that bad, esp. as Normal Fell plays Mark Slate.
During Season 2 of U.N.C.L.E., Thrush becomes THE villian of the show - most episodes involve stopping Thrush's plots in some way or another. Also, just as in first season (well, all of UNCLE actually), Napoleon or Illya often gets captured and his partner needs to rescue him, and occasionally both agents are captured and need to figure out a grand escape. Also, in season 2, tho' we normally see both Illya and Napoleon, there are episodes where the two agents are separated, working on a case from different angles, such as "The Bridge of Lions Affair" (2 parts) where Illya's in London Soho and Napoleon is in Italy (or France, I forget).
The move to color brings more life to the series (yes, those were the days of Technicolor), with brilliantly lit sets, and colorful backgrounds. However, as I said in my Season 1 review, because of the sheer size of the new color cameras (and the requirement of using dollies to move the camera around) the direction took a turn to the extremely static. Also, black and white, by it's very nature, gave the series a more serious tone, while the color just makes things look bright and fun.
The partnership and friendship between Illya and Napoleon is more developed, tho, and they work together more often, tho' not in every single ep, as I said earlier in this review.
Also, in both season 1 and 2, there are plenty of shots of both men that are just really, really nice to look at (after all both Robert Vaughn and David McCallum are incredibly good-looking men, especially back then. And, actually both have aged well, and Vaughn, esp. is extremely good-looking now).
Ta for now,
--Olivia

Current Mood: good
Current Location: my home office
Current Music: misc. Canadian Maritime folk

Hi all,

Season 1 of The Man from UNCLE, filmed entirely in black and white, 29 episodes (1 hr each; running time 50 minutes).

It occured to me that I had written my DVD review last night without really explaining why I like UNCLE so much. First, it's just a fun show -- lots of danger, excitement, adventure, well-written plots (especially in the first season), and a wonderful, yet unusual partnership between Illya (the Russian) and Napoleon (the American). I mean, think about it, in the middle of the Cold War, you had a Russian and a American working together for an international organization. It was awesome! But it was also fun to watch!

Both Robert Vaughn and David McCallum are great actors, and both are still in the business, Vaughn in Hu$tle made by Kudos (I think for the BBC, but I'm not sure - could be ITV). McCallum's in NCIS here in the US. Yes, ironically the American actor is now living and working in the UK and the Scottish actor is here in the US. Weird, huh?

The other thing about UNCLE is that I've been trying to remember when I first saw it. I think I started reading the zines first. And I'd seen McCallum in Sapphire and Steel, which I adored. But I did see UNCLE in syndication, on TNT in the 80s. Of course, since it was syndicated the eps. were cut-up a bit (edited for more commericial time). Also, TNT didn't run season 1 at all, and I'm not sure if they ran season 4. I did get copies (2nd or 3rd gen 6-hour speed VHS videotapes) of season 1 from another fan, but as you may guess, they were poor quality, I don't think I got all the episodes, and the eps were cut-up, since they'd aired in syndi. on the fan's local station. (Ah, those were the days - tape trading!).

I suppose what I really like about The Man from UNCLE is the partnership/friendship of Napoleon and Illya, as well as the pure fun of the danger, excitement, adventure, etc.

--Olivia Sutton

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: my home office
Current Music: Carbon Leaf

Hi all,

I finally got the money together to order The Complete Man from UNCLE and The Complete Get Smart from Time-Life (and rec'd them). Now, with 5 seasons of Get Smart and four of The Man from UNCLE, it's going to take me awhile to watch everything, not to mention writing reviews, but I aim to get everything posted in the next couple of months (yes, I said months -- I gotta' work for a living!).

The Man from UNCLE is one of two series that established media fandom (the other is the obvious original Star Trek). Like Trek, UNCLE fans have produced zines (and still do, as well as on-line fic), established conventions or fannish get-togethers, and just created fandom as a creative and positive place to be. One can even argue, since UNCLE was incredibly popular from the very beginning, and the second season debuted at number 1 in the Neilson ratings (and never left the top ten for that season), UNCLE fandom preceded and eclipsed Trek fandom. Personally, I wouldn't quite go that far, but I've seen the argument that UNCLE was really the first (and biggest) female-centered media fandom.

Briefly, in case you don't know, U.N.C.L.E, the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement is an international organization devoted to peace, order and good government (no, sorry, that's Canada. Sorry that's a joke -- god, I don't think I should have had wine tonight). Well, UNCLE devoted to peace and order anyways. They basically step in to combat criminal activity. Often they are combating Thrush - an international organization of evil. Napoleon Solo (played brilliantly by Robert Vaughn) is the American number 1 of section 2 based in New York. Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum - who's also brilliant) is Solo's Russian partner. Alexander Wavelry sends Napoleon and Illya on their missions - he's UNCLE's version of James Bond's M or Austin Power's Basil Exposition. And yes, UNCLE is the type of spy series that Austin Powers is satirizing.

Another thing to remember about UNCLE, is that, like SeaQuest DSV, each season of the series had a different flavor. (It's like Linux, we have flavors! Sorry, computer geek joke!) Anyway, each season had it's own distinct flavor, tho' the seasons weren't quite so different as SeaQuest (season 3 of SeaQuest is practically a different show entirely).
Here's the basic breakdown:
Season 1 - filmed entirely in black and white, much more serious than later seasons, more intrique/less camp, established the basic "look and feel" of the series (the Innocent, Napoleon and Illya's partnership, Waverly playing the M/Basil Exposition role).
Season 2 - Probably the most UNCLE season of all. Details to follow when I watch all of it and post a review.
Season 3 - The campest UNCLE, but still fun and adventurous (details to follow when I watch all of it and post a review.)
Season 4 - A return to serious UNCLE. I actually don't think I've seen much of it. Also, only a half-season.
(details to follow when I watch all of it and post a review.)
Watching Season 1 -- I really enjoyed it. Filming in black and white adds to the seriousness of the first season stories. Also, the writing as a much more serious tone than the campy/silly season 3 (made in the Batman vein, unfortunately).
The other thing about season 1, is that occasionally there is some absolutely brilliant directing, and fantastic shots. Some of the episodes actually remind me of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, not in content or story type but in shots and direction. Later, of course, with the switch to color everything has a flat "locked-off" look (the same happened in early Technicolor films -- the jewel tones look gorgeous, but directing suffered because you can't MOVE a 1-foot square camera! -- Yes, 1-2 FOOT - the early Technicolor film cameras were huge, mostly because they held four rolls of film, synced together.)
Anyway, there are some truly lovely shots in season 1 UNCLE - looking thru' a glass table from the bottom for instance, and outdoor scenes with a sense of unreality to them.
The only bad thing about season 1 is "not enough Illya". Illya is definately a secondary character, especially in the early episodes of the season. As the season moves on, you do see more of him, but he and Solo tend to be separated. UNCLE works best when Napoleon and Illya are working together as unlikely but excellent partners and friends. Illya does get to be the lead agent in "The Bow Wow Affair" (which, unfortunately, is not a great episode), and "The Odd Man Affair", because Napoleon gets shot half-way through the episode, and Illya takes over the mission (course, it's the ubiquious shoulder wound, and he's fine at the end of the ep, except for a sling on his arm).
Oh, and I most emphatically don't dislike Vaughn/Napoleon - Vaughn's excellent (watch his expression in "The Love Affair" when he knows Illya's been hurt or killed by a hand grenade for example, or his rolling his eyes at Illya in the beginning of "The Girl from Navarone Affair"). Anyways, I've always liked Vaughn, and he's at his young, spry, and sauve best in UNCLE. It's just there's something about Illya. Well, McCallum actually - who's magnetic on the screen (I also love him opposite Joanna Lumley in Sapphire and Steel), and he's also done several brill eps. of both the original and the re-make of The Outer Limits.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first season of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. I wouldn't say it's the best season, but only because I like David McCallum, and miss Illya when he's not in an episode.

--Olivia Sutton

Current Mood: silly
Current Location: my home office
Current Music: Billy Joel

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MediaWest Con Review
DVd Review The Man from U.N.C.L.E Season 2
Man from UNCLE review part 2
DVD Review - The Man from UNCLE S. 1 (b/w)

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Olivia Sutton's Fanfic Journal

Entries tagged with the man from uncle

MediaWest Con Review

DVd Review The Man from U.N.C.L.E Season 2

Man from UNCLE review part 2

DVD Review - The Man from UNCLE S. 1 (b/w)