"
"Oh, look, Gabrielle, another townful of villagewes." I
guess that's what happens when you don't have enough budget
to have both pro AND con townsfolk.
"Save some for me?" This from our usually fight-reluctant
bard? But she does a nice leap into the fray... and then she
almost manages to clock Xena with that staff. Whoops! Other
lines of Gab's seemed harsh this episode, too: her pompous
speech about poetry, her accusations of Tara, her brusque
attitude with the leatherworker (who suddenly became a
steelsmith for the sake of tap), and her defense of her new
gig as speechwriter.
Great sneer from Xena when Istafan tried to bluster past
her!
Dancing movie cliche #2: where there's a beat, there's a
band. Gab starts gettin' down for the town, and suddenly has
a whole orchestra backup. THEN the villagewes join in, and
of course the town where there's no dancing also has darned
fine musicians to play a snappy tune for the big finale.
Hey, look, kids, we got a toilet flush and a zipper sound
effect for yuks, even though there's... no toilet and no
zipper. Next.
I kept waiting to find out why Gabrielle was afflicted with
severe happy feet this episode as she did the sneaky
shimmies behind EVERYbody's back - and sometimes to their
fronts. I expected to find out that maybe Calliope was
trying to tell us something, but never did. Sure, whatever.
Bad choice to talk about Thebes and swindled kings before
the line about the "King of Thieves." The first time I saw
this scene I couldn't figure out why Autolycus was taking a
dis at the King of Thebes so personally.
"Extremism in the defense of piety is no vice:" never knew
that Barry Goldwater cribbed from the King of Thieves, did
you?
Why does Xena cheese it up so much when she's instructing
the "kids" in martial arts? If the idea is to plant the seed
that this extremism may not be such a good idea, she should
have been scaring the pants off the villagewes. And could
have easily done so.
Xena's speech to Tara didn't make much sense to me: why did
she keep harping on Tara about running away? Tara didn't run
away from anything in the first episode when we met her, and
Xena doesn't have much experience with turning tail, either.
Why was she talking as if they're both experts on it?
Autolycus scurries away with the Line of the Episode award
for his "I can tell: you need to get-" speech. Made me laugh
out loud. He also wins style points for that great "get down
and funky" gesture with his "Let's dance!" line.
A question: Calliope is the muse of poetry. What does
dancing have to do with her? And if the villagewes were so
extreme in their devotion, wouldn't a lot of the speeched
and sermons be in rhyme? And wouldn't Gabrielle, the bard
who was just composing poems on their way to the town, go
through the roof with this notion that her muse would outlaw
fun and expression of any sort?
Also a question: who is the second muse in this title?
Obviously we're dealing with Calliope, but other than to
copy a Dickens book title (which also has nothing to do with
this episode), why mention two muses?
Gabrielle's the dancing queen in this episode. Xena only
does some real dance a couple of times - she participates in
a couple of others with war moves and some NICE staff work.
But Gab boogies down like nobody's business - you go, Renee!
She looked ready to join a Janet Jackson video in the dance
number with all the villagewe's "kids." Xena finally gets a
fed up with all the fancy footwork from her bard and does a
"top THAT, twinkletoes" mid-air flip to put an end to the
episode. Can't argue with gravity-defying leaps, Gab, don't
even try. Give 'er a hug instead.
COMMENTARY 2:
This commentary is by Deb E McGhee.
SOUNDBYTE SUMMARY: XWP does yet another 'homage' episode. In the
immortal words of Xena: "Yee Haw!" Rating: 1.5 quills (out of 5).
ANALYSIS-REVIEW:
Lucy Lawless was in _Peach_ with Don Selwyn; Don Selwyn was
in _Mesmerized_ with John Lithgow; John Lithgow was in _Footloose_
with Kevin Bacon.
Renee O'Connor was in _Night Games_ with Roy Scheider; Roy
Scheider was in _2010_ with John Lithgow; John Lithgow was in
_Footloose_ with Kevin Bacon.
You've just been Baconed. At one time, we believed Kevin
Bacon was the Centre of the Universe, owing to the fact that just
about anyone who had ever acted in a publicly-released film could be
linked back to Sir Kevin in 7 or fewer steps, the average number of
steps being just over 2.6. Now we know that there are at least two
others who are "better" centres, but I dismiss these claims of
superiority on the grounds that Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, was
just a simple carpenter, and yet....
In light of Kevin's Supreme Centreliness, it should come as
no surprise that XWP would get around to making an episode that
links directly to M. Bacon. What better way than to 'homage'
_Footloose_, the movie that launched Bacon into the stars with its
no fewer than 5 semi-known to well-known actors (Lori Singer, John
Lithgow, Dianne Weist, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker)?
In fact, if we weren't restricted to using only actors in
film appearances, but instead could also use 'not-so-thinly-veiled
plot ripoffs' then LL's and ROC's 'Bacon Numbers' (number of names to
get to KB) would decrease from 3 to 2! That is, Renee O'Connor was
in "A Tale of Two Muses", a ripoff _Footloose_; _Footloose_
starred Kevin Bacon.
All is not lost, however. Turns out that Renee O'Connor's
TRUE Bacon Number IS 2, not 3. ROC was in _Night Games_ with Paul
Gleason; Paul was in _She's Having a Baby_ with Kevin Bacon. The
earlier Bacon linkage was simply to get into the _Footloose_ mood.
Alas, LL's number cannot be decreased any further. In the mother of
all ironies, LL's number is the highest of all four of the
first-credited actors in Muses: Shiri Appleby's and Bruce Campbell's
numbers are both 2. Shiri was in _The Killing Time_ with Kiefer
Sutherland; Kiefer was in _Flatliners_ with KB. Bruce starred in
_The Quick and the Dead_ with Sharon Stone; Sharon was in _He Said,
She Said_ with KB.
Oh, now I'm getting into this. If I change the rules and
allow 'theme advanced by particular plot' as a valid link, then:
Lucy stars as Xena, a character with a Dark Past who is exceptionally
skilled and fighting for justice and who happens to be female in a
typically male genre; Sharon did the same thing in _The Quick and the
Dead_; Sharon..._He Said_...Kevin. (Of course, there's the Raimi as
Producer link, but that's much too mundane, don't you think?) Sadly,
that's still 3 steps.
Then there's: RENee starred in "Muses"; "Muses"... ripoff...
_Footloose_; REN MacCormack in _Footloose_ was played by Kevin Bacon.
Or: O'CONNOR is an Irish name yadda yadda; MAC CORMACK
is the Irish name Kevin had in _Footloose_.
And the coup de grace: JOHN Givins played Istafan the
Preacher Magistrate in "Muses"; "Muses"... ripoff... _Footloose_; the
preacher in _Footloose_ was played by JOHN Lithgow; John...
_Footloose_ ... Kevin.
This is turning out to be neither an analysis nor a review,
isn't it? Let's try again.
A TALE OF TWO MUSES. Review Version Two: The Season
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the
age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness, it is the epoch of Very
Deep Insights, it is the epoch of Extreme Disbelief Suspension, it is
the season of Light, it is the season of Darkness, it is the fall of
Hope, it is the winter of Gab-semilite episodes, we have everything
before us, we have nothing before us, we are all going direct to
Eternity, we are all going direct down the ancient flush toilet -- in
short, the season is so far like the last season, that some of the
most noisome episodes insist on being produced, for good or for evil,
in the superlative degree of comparison only.
One week Xena and Gabrielle are so in character it is both
depressing and sublime; one week they are so far gone it is
heartbreaking and ridiculous. Yesterday the plot was too thick to be
contained in the space allotted; tomorrow we will search for turnips
and dance tunes to fill the emptiness. On this day an hour will pass
all too quickly; another day the minutes will swell to become hours
unto themselves.
I haven't done any controlled timing, but I'm fairly certain
that *both* LL and ROC had less screentime than average in this
episode. That, combined with the poor characterisations, an
underdeveloped yet meandering plot, and awkward direction (I have
loved Hurst's work in the past, but I think even he was lost as to
what to do with this script), made what could have been a nice,
light, filler episode a source of deep personal frustration.
The portrayal of Gabrielle serves as a fairly representative
object lesson. In the teaser she flippantly, even condescendingly,
tells Xena she wishes Xena had an outlet for her innermost feelings.
Now, the insight happens to have merit, but the delivery of that line
made me cringe. The problem is, I don't know what to make of it.
Because of XWP's history of willful disregard of character continuity
between the dramatic episodes and the lighter ones, and because this
theme is not explicitly explored vis-a-vis X&G in the remainder of
the episode, it is unclear whether Gab's attitude indicates a
fundamental change in her approach to life, a deep-seated fracture in
X&G, anomalous scripting and/or directing, heat-induced pissiness, or
some combo of the above. The moment dangles there as a bit of
mystery.
There are plenty more moments of Gab oddities sprinkled
throughout the episode, not the least of which was the berating of
the leatherworker. Was there a scene missing explaining why she
would approach the man with such aggression? I suppose one could
chalk it up to the influence of past events and the bard's travelling
companion, but again, XWP mainly refuses to get into the "turgid"
areas of planful character development so one week Gabrielle is the
hopeful but confused lover of humanity and the next she's bouncy but
mean-spirited and just as exuberant as Xena about jumping in feet
first to a situation about which they know nothing and bashing heads.
Likewise, one week Xena is one who mainly eschews contemplation in
favour of action, the next she is warrior... philosopher...
psychotherapist. The script wavers between saying something 'real'
about the main characters and being light fluff, and the confusion is
increased by direction which focusses not at all on the former.
Also in the scene with the leatherworker, the man tells
Gabrielle it will be three days to repair her boots and when she
expresses incredulity, he relates that Phillipon is coming to town.
Was the rest of his explanation, the part that would have been
relevant to the 3-day wait, chopped because they had so much else to
cover they hadn't the time for it? Indeed, there were so many
dialogue fragments like that I finally had to give up trying to make
sense of what anyone was saying.
The main failure of this episode, as I see it, is that
practically no two people involved in its production were on the same
page, and no one person stayed on the same page throughout
production. ROC plays a Gabrielle who is becoming increasingly
cynical and insensitive, but neither the script, nor the direction,
nor LL were working from that angle. The script at one point wants
to comment on religious fundamentalism (slapping us across the face
with images evoking 'the Middle East' and 'Southern U.S. Conservative
Christians' to which I say again, "XWP ought not be going there") and
at another point doesn't give a damn. One minute Muses is a drama,
complete with tight closeups of Very Serious Actors, and the next
Xena is grunting on the toilet. Someone wanted to make a 'dancing'
episode and then didn't have the wherewithal to develop the idea past
the "do _Footloose_" stage. And finally, ROC and LL forgot to keep
playing Gabrielle and Xena throughout all of the scenes. Sure, the
gals may have been having fun, but I'm not about to believe the happy
hugs at the end were at all relevant to X&G.
In fairness, though, just as Good Day isn't at the top of my
all-time favourites list, Muses isn't at the bottom of the all-time
most-hated. There were interesting and pleasant moments here and
there.
Colophon: The writing of this analy-view was greatly aided by a
nice, chilly screwdriver, the ghost of Charles Dickens, and The Oracle of Bacon at Virginia.
COMMENTARY 3:
This commentary is by Stryper.
Ancient Greece, meets "Footloose", meets "Riverdance", with just a shade
of "Dirty Dancing" thrown in for good measure, is how I’d describe this
latest installment from the Xenaverse called, "A Tale Of Two Muses".
Now the question is, do we really need a Xena "Fame" type, dance video
like episode? It’s hard to believe that out of all the subject matter
that the writers could deal with, this was the best they could come up
with.
I find that the best Xena episodes are those that show character
development and growth, or that give us a glimpse into the characters
inner selves, but in "ATOTM" and other episodes like, "In Sickness And
In Hell", nothing of any real value is learned. Now don’t get me wrong,
I like comedy episodes, "Been There, Done That" and "A Day In The Life"
being two of my favorites, but a comedy episode can promote growth in
the characters and/or insight into what makes them tick, and still be
funny. I mean, what useful information did we get out of this episode?
That Gabrielle invented Irish step dancing? That Tara, the scrappy
little, teenage, Xena wanna be, street beggar, is somehow capable of
doing dance steps that would give Ginger Rodgers and Paula Abdul a run
for their money? That Autolycus was the fore father of Jimmy Swaggert,
and Oral Roberts? That dilapidated ruins in the desert have better
plumbing then Greece itself (having abandoned "Out Houses" in favor of
flush water toilets)? There’s just no real relevancy to our characters,
in what takes place in this (and others like it) episode.
Also, here’s something that made me go, "Hummm…"; Gabrielle seems
totally obsessed with dancing in this episode, constantly bopping around
to anything with a beat, but isn’t this the same Gabrielle that had to
be dragged, kicking and screaming (well, almost) into her own initiation
dance when she became an Amazon Princess back in, "Hooves And Harlots"
(Gabrielle: "They wouldn’t let me dance at the crop festival because I
brought a bad harvest")? Granted, it’s been a few years since then, but
exqueese me, what episode was it where she was given a crash course in
Irish step dancing? I must have missed that one.
They also have Gabrielle sporting a pair of newly, metal patched boots.
Gee, that’s practical. Especially in the dessert. I mean, because
metal’s SO noted for its cushiony characteristics and comfort, not to
mention its ability to breath…, NOT!
Plus, Tara was wasted in this episode, having no real scenes where her
spunky, rebellious attitude was utilized. She lets the Magistrate and
his goons seize her, then tie her to a pole, without so much as uttering
a contemptuous remark or attempt to get away (it sure looked like Tara,
you know, the little scamp that beat up Gabrielle and tempted Xena’s
wrath, but it sure didn’t act like her. Maybe it was the heat).
Here’s another thing, Rob Trebor has stated that he’d like to do more
Xena episodes, so why then didn’t they give him the role that Autolycus
plays in this episode? I think that Auto’s talents were wasted on this
episode and Salomoneus would have filled the role better. Who better to
con the Magistrate then a used chariot salesman/con artist like Sal? Let
Autolycus have the roles where riches and jewels have to be slyly
swindled out from under the nose of deserving merchants or Kings, that’s
where he shins, but when you need a con man to pull the wool over
someone’s eyes, then Sal’s your man (at least, I think so).
I also found that the episodes choice of villain left something to be desired. He just didn’t come off as scary or tough, but was more
cartoonish in nature, over playing his roll till you felt more inclined
to laugh, then sneer at him.
I think that one of the saddest parts though, is that it was Michael
Hurst at the helm again, but where as his first effort brought us the
classic, "A Day In The Life", this effort, I’m afraid, will be only
vaguely remembered as season four filler, being nowhere close, to his
first episodes caliber.
Or is it just me?
COMMENTARY 4:
This commentary is by Videntur.
This was an entertaining episode. It contained a great deal of fun and humor mixed with lessons of morality.
First let's look at some of the changes and/or consistencies in our characters.
Tara has definitely changed. She has softened. Tara has become very concerned with making life better for those she cares about.
This is very different from the Tara that we first encountered in
"Forgiven" who was irritating and well deserving of the punishment
she finally received from Gabrielle. Tara has matured. Also, when
Tara and Andros were in the process of running away and were
in the cave, when Xena stated her disappointment in Tara - you could
tell that this was the one person that Tara did not want to disappoint.
Afterall, she was still copying Xena's style by trying to help those who
were having trouble helping themselves.
Gabrielle seemed annoyed and irritated in this episode, not to mention
her great deal of pinned up energy. When she found out that dancing
was not permitted in the town, she became obsessed with dancing.
It was as if all Gabrielle wanted to do was defy the laws. Subsequently,
by being so focused on being so defiant, she at times lost focus of other
important things happening in the town. Example: When Xena was walking with
Gabrielle [who was dancing and practicing with her staff] - Gabrielle
seemed unconcerned when Xena asked her where Tara was. Subsequently,
Xena found out from Andros' father that Andros and Tara had run away.
In fact, Gabrielle's defiance almost blew the cover of Autoylcus/Philipon
when she kept dancing in the presence of Istafan. One might think that
her wanting to defy the rules resulted from her coming from a Town like
this one (a fact which she mentioned to Tara at the beginning of the episode).
Another thing that was uncharacteristic of Gabrielle was when she threw
her boots down at the repairman and said in an irritated voice: "I don't want
some half-hearted patch job - I just want something that will last".
Irritation (or was it independence) was again shown when everyone was raising their
hands in praise and Xena asked Gabrielle to do it, to which she defiantly
said no.
Xena was focused in this episode. She wanted to help Tara and the townspeople - that's what she did. She danced and had a good time but she remained focused. She also showed us that if you believe something is wrong, running away from it is not an answer - you must stand up and fight for your beliefs and realize that its not always easy. It was also interesting the way that Xena was able to read the people around her. If you notice, many times Xena stands, listens and looks at the people in her surroundings. She knew Autolycus would go back to
the King's sister and the crown jewels - so she sent two pigeons -one which
informed the King about Autolycus' intentions. Xena also knew that
when she mentioned Philipon's effect on the King of Thieves, that in turn,
Istafan would insult the King of Thieves and by doing so insult Philipon alias
Autolycus (The King of Thieves). She received the reaction from Autolycus
that she needed - his help. Another person that Xena read well was Andros' father, who Xena knew would be the one man in the town to stand up to Istafan.
Funniest scenes: When Xena with one hand pushed Gabrielle back to the ground when she was trying to sleep and Gabrielle wanted to dance; Philipon's interpretation
of an innocent picture painted by Andros' father; Xena's unforgettable
split while dancing in which she was having a hard time getting back up.
Coolest scenes: Gabrielle and Tara's dancing was good (as well as Andros');
however, Xena and Autolycus were the coolest. They were a presence on
the dance floor. Xena's moves were awesome throughout the episode.
Best scene: When Xena grabbed Gabrielle and they both hugged each other. This
one scene reminded us of what make this show great: the unique relationship
between Xena and Gabrielle. Hat's off again to our two actresses. Note: the
ending scene would make a fantastic poster - it truly shows the friendship
that exists between the Warrior and the bard.
COMMENTARY 5:
This commentary is by L.N. James.
Yet again, a seemingly comedic episode of this week's Xena: Warrior Princess was a brilliant multi-layered psychological club sandwich (if you will) of deep meaning and profound implications for Xena's character. Oh,
and for the bard's too.
Folks, 'A Tale of Two Muses' is a Character Study waiting to happen. Under the guise of a Footloosian premise, TPTB have once again managed to convey SO MUCH with SO LITTLE. Sure, one might dismiss this episode as fluffy feelgood Hero-Frees-the-People-from-Oppression fare with nary a
hand-wave of 'whatevah', but to do that would be to overlook the
METAMESSAGE of psychological angst underlying this ENTIRE SERIES! Oh,
sure, the dancing looked like fun and games, but that is hardly the point
of this episode. Afterall, Descartes didn't say 'I dance, therefore I am',
did he? No, there is so much more under the SURFACE that is _not_ being
said that makes this episode rich with metaphorical and allegorical
import.
I would like to posit that foundation of the entire series--the character
of Xena--has been encapsulated in the FIRST 30 SECONDS of this episode! In
fact, the remaining 43 minutes and 30 seconds of 'Tale' are superfluous
with regard to the fundamentals of WHO Xena is (and, by extension and
afterthought, who that bardly one is). In those 30 seconds, we witness a
scene that is so simple, yet so fraught with meaning that its significance
can only be discovered by examining the complexities of the metaphysical.
Indeed, those crucial 30 seconds necessitate a journey into the depths of
existential philosophy never before imagined. It's not going to be
pretty, my friends, I tell you that so that you may bail now if you so
choose.
Please indulge me in a stream of consciousness approach as the linear
restraints of discourse bind me unmercifully to reason and logic..this is
a journey best given freedom, best expressed in free-form thought, best
symbolized by the infamous shadow on a wall -- is it an illusion or
reality? -- but see how wavy and ephemeral "I" am when "I" dance in front
of candlelight and oh how profound that image is!
Xena: a solitary figure, too alone in this world, one free will searching
for the point of its existence, moving toward action...but not, almost
nihilisticly wandering the desert of life, wandering, searching for
meaning, dry...hot..sandy, the Sun Shining Bright (next to her? or above
her?), a horse and Her the only accoutrement her soul carries...but wait!
Is that the call of her being asking for meaning? The bardly one,
Her, voice adrift in this primordial landscape, talks of Her writing and
survival and "I wish you had something like that, Xena", AND oh..here is
the answer, here is the crux upon which the solitary woman's existence
rests, here She defines herself, here She becomes, here are the words She
has spoken "Are you kidding? I've got this."
This. This. This which defines Xena. Not That. Not Those. Not it. And Not
Her. No, THIS! This forged of the world, this handled with control, this
instrument, this THIS. And what of the meaning of This? What of She is
This? And what is this This? A round killing thing? A chakram? Yes, but
that is not This of which she speaks. This is Xena and Xena is This. And
what of This does Her think?
"That's perfect."
Xena, Warrior Princess is not the sum of her parts. She does not see the
complexity others see. She defines herself not by what she does, not by
who she was, not by how others see her. Xena defines herself in the
circular symbol of violence that she carries. And that is perfect.
What of this character? What of this metamessage? What of this quest? As
Xena goes, so goes the world and thus, the world rests upon the chakram,
rests upon the violence inherent in this self-definition. She Has Many
Skills, but she sees only one when she looks inside. She sees herself in
relation to world, in connection with the chakram, in terms of violence.
THIS is the Only Way. And by extension, This way has become Her Way now.
This is no longer defining only She, This now defines Her too.
And so goes the rest of the episode while We are left with This. Hero
saves the village from oppression. Dancing, dancing, dancing. We are urged
to cut, everybody cut, everybody cut footloose. How ironic. We are
left with This, sitting in our proverbial laps, and yet we are urged to
dance, dance like the wind and let our spirits free. In essence, to Forget
This.
My friends, I have danced the lambada. I have danced the cha-cha. I
have danced the Viginia Reel. I have squaredanced. I have vogued. And yes,
I have even danced the hokey-pokey. And now, with Xena, Warrior Princess,
I am being asked to dance the chakram shuffle. I ask you this, Who will
lead This dance and where are We going?
Note 1: One tiny glimmer of hope remains as Xena journeys to her destiny.
While attempting to redefine herself with the metaphorical 'splits', Xena
both succeeds and is plagued by psychic 'pain'. It is clear that the road
to Who Xena is will be paved with mental gymnastics of which superhuman
acrobatic skill is necessary. We can only hope that Gabrielle remains true
as Xena's 'spotter'.
Note 2: The question of who Gabrielle is, of what comprises her character,
is at this time, too complex to examine. Indeed, if it were an easy answer
like 'chakram', I could include it in this Note. However, given her
secondary role in the series and her sidekick status, her character is
only important in relation to Xena. Thus, for our purposes, her
character may be simplified and reduced to the One Who Shines Xena's
Chakram.
Note 3: Esoteric messages extracted from this episode. a). 'These boots
were NOT made for walking' b). 'Boogie oogie oogie'
WHIMPERS, MURMURS, AND A LOVE GONE TOO
FAR
11-10-98. Sharon Delaney, president of the Official XENA Fanclub, stated on the Xenaverse mailing list on 11-09-98 that "Lucy is not doing the singing in this episode."
10-28-98. It looks like another episode which flaunts in our face that Argo uses horseshoes way before any other horse should. The gang visit the town Pelios to shoe that horse, but while in town they find a young woman, perhaps Tara, about to be beaten for the crime of...GASP...dancing (and dangerously treading the the ground of Herk's ...AND FANCY FREE). The hilarity never stops from that point, building such a tenure, that only the appearance of Autolycus can push them over the edge. Street talk says that Xena gets to do a rap number the likes of which no one has ever seen. Maybe they should have made this the Halloween episode?
10-28-98. Sharon Delaney discussed this episode while conducting a slide show at the Cherry Hill Convention (08-29/30-98). She stated that it was an homage to the movie FOOTLOOSE about a village that had outlawed dancing. Regarding the return appearance of Tara, the juvenile delinquent, she was reported to have said, "I don't know what she's doing there, but if dancing's been outlawed, she's probably dancing." She also mentioned that the dance, the limbo, is featured in the episode. Since ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT also showed clips from this episode, it became the most pre-promoted episode of the fourth season.
10-28-98. At the Dearborn Con (08-22-98), Sharon Delaney stated that Xena does the limbo in TALE OF TWO MUSES and "something that nobody
would think Lucy would ever do." Mostly everyone's money is on that Lawless raps as Xena...perhaps adding verses to the already famous Xena Rap by Renee O'Connor?
08-21-98. The gang comes across FOOTLOOSE in ancient Greece in the episode A TALE OF TWO MUSES. Autolycus and the ladies find a town where they punish dancing by whipping! What a drag! This episode was featured in an Entertainment Tonight report with Xena and Gabrielle frollicking around.
07-29-98. Oh...where to start? Let's start with YET ANOTHER fascinating homage episode. A TALE OF TWO MUSES has been filmed. It was directed by Michael Hurst, has Autolycus in it, and homages that great cinematic classic, FOOTLOOSE. FOOTLOOSE was a jewel in Kevin Bacon's crown. Let's hope they do justice to it. Bruce "Just call me Auto" Campbell has some set shots up at his webpage, click here to check them out. TALE is scheduled for airing 01/04/99.
07-29-98. Bruce Campbell signed earlier this year to do 11 projects between XENA and HERK. What's the tally so far? Mr. Campbell has done seven out of the 11 so far. Three have aired (HERK's PORKULES, ONE FOWL DAY, and MY FAIR CUPCAKEE), and four are in the can (HERK'S JUST PASSING THROUGH and FOR THOSE OF YOU JUST JOINING US; and XENA's KEY TO THE KINGDOM and TALE OF TWO MUSES). That leaves four more before he has to renegoitate. Also, one of these was to be a pilot with RenPic. We have not heard much about it other than it might involve piracy or pirates. Also, there is a rumor that Ted Raimi would be a significant character in it...but then again, it might just be wishful thinking.
WHAT THE HECK IS THIS FOOTLOOSE THING?
This insight is by Shelley Sullivan.
FOOTLOOSE [Herbert Ross, 1984] was a movie way back when, with Kevin Bacon in it. He played some teenager who moved with his mom to this straitlaced town that didn't allow teenage type stuff. Naturally he set out to reform things, together
with a new girlfriend and a couple of friends, vying against the town teenage baddies. Or something. The title track was called FOOTLOOSE, and Bonnie somebody sang this song called "Lookin' Out For A Hero". I think. That song was also used as the theme song for a tv show (short-lived) called COVERUP (TV, 1988), if I'm not mistaken, about a fashion photog and female models (and the token guy...ex Seal or something) which was a cover for government spying.
Anyway, at the end of Footloose, there was this big school dance where the
town fathers realized that dancing and singing was a good thing. Naturally
the town father most against it in the beginning was the father of the girl
friend. That's about all I remember.
THE TWO MUSES is reported on Campbell's site, and described as a FOOTLOOSE
homage where Xena and Gab recruit Auto to help free a town that oppresses
expression.
ADDENDUM TO THIS POST:
Believe it or not (and I barely do), I've had several mails gently correcting me about the title track to the FOOTLOOSE writeup in the MUSES ep guide.
Jeanne Hedge was the first to inform me of the following:
"Thought you might like to correct your essay about the movie "Footloose" on the Whoosh site. The song you mentioned was actually titled "Holding Out for a Hero", performed by Bonnie Tyler, written by Jim Steinman (who wrote several songs performed by MeatLoaf). Hero went as high as #34 in 1984."
Unsurprisingly, absolutely no one remembers any details about the movie
itself, and in fact, one woman asked me if I was sure it *had* a plot.
Fortunately she was joking, although she's seen MUSES and says that the
Xena ep is gonna be remembered in a similar manner. According to her, it
makes TSUNAMI look like Tolstoy. [G] I suspect that, like Kevin Bacon,
this is *not* gonna be one of LL's finest hours. :)
HIGHLIGHTS:
Highlights by Beth
Gaynor.
NEAT camera work and effects during Philipon the Southern
Baptist's sermon, complete with organ music and thunder in
the background. The silhouette dance was also a gorgeous
number - and a great song. It's too bad Xena and Gab were
nowhere to be seen for the two best scenes of the episode.
THINGS TO LOOK OUT
FOR
These things are by Beth Gaynor.
Xena is apparently a regular customer at the Pigeon Express office.
Watch as Xena fills in Autolycus on what's going on -
between their heads and behind them, you can see Gabrielle filling in Tara at the same time.
TRANSCRIPT
Click here to read a transcript of TALE OF TWO MUSES.
DISCLAIMER:
No Self-Righteous Magistrates intent on
surpressing the basic human right of freedom
of expression were harmed during the production
of this motion picture.
LINKS:
Shiri Appleby
E! Fact Sheet
Bruce Campbell
The Official Bruce Campbell Website
Gillian Horvath
Official Gillian Horvath Website
Michael Hurst
Articles about Michael Hurst
Mindy's Michael Hurst Page
