Quantum Leap: A small project
Quantum Leap: A small project
Hobby: an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation
So, a couple months ago, Sheila gave voice to an obsession that had popped up in her life: Dean Stockwell. I like Sheila's site very much: she's well-spoken and funny, and she writes so accessibly about her obsessions, no matter how off-the-wall they may seem to start with, that they become instantly interesting to the reader.
I commented on an early Dean Stockwell post that if I'd spun the big wheel of things to think about a million times, I doubt that I'd have come up with Dean Stockwell even once.
Well, Sheila's been on a Dean Stockwell kick for a while (most of the summer, I'd reckon). Her fascination has been the subject of much blogging the past few months. If you'd told me I'd be reading fairly regularly about Dean Stockwell a few months back, I'd have been dubious. But, here I was, at least a couple times a week, reading about Dean Stockwell's rise as an actor, his friendship with Dennis Hopper, the lean times he went through in the 70's and 80's, and his re-emergence in the 80's as a personality in the public eye.
See, to be honest, I'd known Dean Stockwell through just a few projects. I knew him from movies (Married to the Mob came to mind, as did that Mr. Wrong movie, and believe it or not, Tucker: a man and a dream). Sheila reminded me that I'd seen him once upon a time, late at night, in the movie Werewolf of Washington, which made me consider the possibility of World War III possibly beginning because a werewolf eats the leader of a foreign power....
But mostly, I knew of the man through the teevee show Quantum Leap. The character of "Al Calavicci" was actually one of my favorites, and to be honest, when I thought of the actor Dean Stockwell, that was the role I most associated him with. Cigar-smoking, crazily-dressed, overly-(and comically-)libidinous Al.
I watched Quantum Leap during its original run, almost weekly. I enjoyed the show very much, and at the time had made it one of my weekly watches. I enjoyed the S.F. concept, and I was hooked by the series' optimism. I appreciated the interplay between Sam and Al, who despite coming from different backgrounds and times both seemed to have an inherent knowledge of right and wrong (though neither was without temptation or failure through the run of the series)
Since its original run, I have to admit that I've caught a just a handful of episodes since then. Re-runs here and there, most of them coming one under-the-weather afternoon when I caught several episodes in a row during a Sci-Fi channel marathon.
To make a long story even longer, Sheila's fascination with Mr. Stockwell rekindled my desire to see the show again. I was able to get a hold on the first couple of seasons of the show on DVD.
It was right around the same time that Sheila expressed her intentions to do an episode-by-episode series of posts.
An e-mail was sent along. "Mind if I play along?" I asked.
"Sounds like fun," she said.
Sheila sounded the clarion here. Starting here in a few minutes, just after I get the thing written, we'll be going point/counter on the teevee show Quantum Leap.
We'll call it a hobby. It's weird. Life's been hectic, for longer than I can remember now. But I sat down and watched the first couple episodes of Quantum Leap, a yellow pad in hand and a beer by my side. I'd never have expected it, but I got more out that little bit of distraction than I've gotten out of most in the past few months. So, we're gonna ride this sucker all the way into shore.
Away we go. Oh, boy....
(One last administrative note: These things have a way of morphing as I find a way that better suits my mood and methods. To start with, my thoughts will be a little disjointed, I reckon. As I find themes and forms, I may adjust my writing style to accommodate them. But for now, I may start with just bullet points....)
Hobby: an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation
So, a couple months ago, Sheila gave voice to an obsession that had popped up in her life: Dean Stockwell. I like Sheila's site very much: she's well-spoken and funny, and she writes so accessibly about her obsessions, no matter how off-the-wall they may seem to start with, that they become instantly interesting to the reader.
I commented on an early Dean Stockwell post that if I'd spun the big wheel of things to think about a million times, I doubt that I'd have come up with Dean Stockwell even once.
Well, Sheila's been on a Dean Stockwell kick for a while (most of the summer, I'd reckon). Her fascination has been the subject of much blogging the past few months. If you'd told me I'd be reading fairly regularly about Dean Stockwell a few months back, I'd have been dubious. But, here I was, at least a couple times a week, reading about Dean Stockwell's rise as an actor, his friendship with Dennis Hopper, the lean times he went through in the 70's and 80's, and his re-emergence in the 80's as a personality in the public eye.
See, to be honest, I'd known Dean Stockwell through just a few projects. I knew him from movies (Married to the Mob came to mind, as did that Mr. Wrong movie, and believe it or not, Tucker: a man and a dream). Sheila reminded me that I'd seen him once upon a time, late at night, in the movie Werewolf of Washington, which made me consider the possibility of World War III possibly beginning because a werewolf eats the leader of a foreign power....
But mostly, I knew of the man through the teevee show Quantum Leap. The character of "Al Calavicci" was actually one of my favorites, and to be honest, when I thought of the actor Dean Stockwell, that was the role I most associated him with. Cigar-smoking, crazily-dressed, overly-(and comically-)libidinous Al.
I watched Quantum Leap during its original run, almost weekly. I enjoyed the show very much, and at the time had made it one of my weekly watches. I enjoyed the S.F. concept, and I was hooked by the series' optimism. I appreciated the interplay between Sam and Al, who despite coming from different backgrounds and times both seemed to have an inherent knowledge of right and wrong (though neither was without temptation or failure through the run of the series)
Since its original run, I have to admit that I've caught a just a handful of episodes since then. Re-runs here and there, most of them coming one under-the-weather afternoon when I caught several episodes in a row during a Sci-Fi channel marathon.
To make a long story even longer, Sheila's fascination with Mr. Stockwell rekindled my desire to see the show again. I was able to get a hold on the first couple of seasons of the show on DVD.
It was right around the same time that Sheila expressed her intentions to do an episode-by-episode series of posts.
An e-mail was sent along. "Mind if I play along?" I asked.
"Sounds like fun," she said.
Sheila sounded the clarion here. Starting here in a few minutes, just after I get the thing written, we'll be going point/counter on the teevee show Quantum Leap.
We'll call it a hobby. It's weird. Life's been hectic, for longer than I can remember now. But I sat down and watched the first couple episodes of Quantum Leap, a yellow pad in hand and a beer by my side. I'd never have expected it, but I got more out that little bit of distraction than I've gotten out of most in the past few months. So, we're gonna ride this sucker all the way into shore.
Away we go. Oh, boy....
(One last administrative note: These things have a way of morphing as I find a way that better suits my mood and methods. To start with, my thoughts will be a little disjointed, I reckon. As I find themes and forms, I may adjust my writing style to accommodate them. But for now, I may start with just bullet points....)
posted by Tommy at
12:44
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home