Episode 158 - Body Parts: LIVE!

[tomspanks 9039]

The one funny moment for me was in the OR, the surgeons seem to carefully inspect the neck of Charley Fletcher with an operating microscope. Two seconds later, Dr. Webb saws off the guy's head willy nilly, so I don't know why they pretended like they were about to perform microsurgery.

 

 

[AtaraxyJames 16]

 

Good find, but this was referred to only a few posts in on the first page of the thread.

 

There has been a lot of posting without reading the prior threads, which lead to a lot of double posts. The Simpsons posts, and the posts with C+Os outlining things that are actually mentioned in the podcast: this stuff clutters the boards. Please just read through before adding.

 

 

Forgive me Grumposaurus Rex?

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

Baby CakeBug, you're my friend and I agree with everything you wrote. That being said, new poster Ataraxy just called you "Grumposaurus Rex" and I find that hilarious!

 

Sorry, this round goes to the newbie

 

(I still got your back though)

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

 

 

Forgive me Grumposaurus Rex?

 

 

Naw, I'm sorry for being a grumpy bugger. Welcome to the boards!

 

 

Baby CakeBug, you're my friend and I agree with everything you wrote. That being said, new poster Ataraxy just called you "Grumposaurus Rex" and I find that hilarious!

 

Sorry, this round goes to the newbie

 

(I still got your back though)

[NathanGordon 1096]

Also this aspect ratio change was really unnecessary -- I thought something had gone wrong with the video when I looked away while cooking breakfast. I actually stopped the movie and restarted my "smart" tv because sometimes it does random glitches like this.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I would like to bring up the miracle of surgery that was depicted in this movie.

 

The achievement of reattaching a donor arm is acknowledged several times, through the media coverage, and from Bill's declaration that she should win the Nobel Prize for Cool Surgery. But I don't think they're giving themselves all the credit they deserve, even if both of his kids say they have 'no questions' about his new arm when he gets home.

 

The process of limb donor surgery is not confined to the realms of science fiction: there are case studies of such surgeries being undertaken as far back as the early 1960's. These surgeries have become more sophisticated over time, but they remain risky and hold great potential for rejection and complications. Primarily these surgeries have been confined to below-the-elbow amputations - which mean there is only the single joint (the wrist) that comes into play, as opposed to above the elbow or shoulder, which make the rehabilitation process much more difficult. http://globalnews.ca...ully-in-canada/

 

The complexities of the reattachment are enormous:

 

These surgeries have taken into account injuries sustained in industrial or agricultural accidents (such as losing arms in wheat threshers or by crushing), and are very rarely 'emergencies' in the way it's depicted in 'Body Parts'. Obviously, people live long and fruitful lives after losing a single limb, and the fact that the doctor forces Bill's wife to sign the consent form under duress is unconscionable. The fact that he is still bleeding heavily and is not yet sedated shows just how much he's rushed in to surgery, as though it's an emergency on par with a heart transplant.

 

The technology in arm transplants post-date 'Body Parts' significantly - the first successful short-term transplant was completed in 1998, with a few other successes in the following years. The first double-arm transplant was completed in 1998, and took a team of THIRTY doctors over SIXTEEN hours to complete. I'm certain no power tools were involved. http://www.dailymail...gers-limbs.html

 

Complications after the fact are often to do with nerve reattachment, skin damage, and muscle recovery.

 

And here we come to the difficulty. In the many medical studies revolving around limb transplant and donation surgeries, the recovery time is gruelling, difficult, and reliant on huge discipline from the patient. In many studies patients' limbs did not do well because they neglected their rehab or medication, or because they felt alienated from their new limbs, like Bill was.

 

One case study showed a recipient of new limbs who took eighteen months of intense rehabilitation to proceed to a point where he was able to catch a ball: https://www.statnews...arm-transplant/

 

This man took a year to regain feeling or movement:

 

The functional results of such surgeries are mixed at best, and require massive work just to allow minor movements. Bill's very short recovery is nothing short of miraculous. https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC1422660/

 

In the movie's timeline, even if he is injured in the autumn, to gain that kind of use from the limbs (for all three men), we're talking YEARS of rehab, montages or not. Even if they recover that use, Jason's point about throwing footballs, fingering wives and lifting children is fantasy at best.

 

The timeline we're talking about is this:

 

November 1991: Bill Cruishank gets into a car accident, rushed to emergency.

November 1991: Serial killer Charlie Fletcher is finally sent down for his final series of murders, and is deemed eligible to be executed by buzzsaw in an operating theatre.

December 1991: Bill Cruishank awakens with Charlie Fletcher's arm; has difficulty embracing his new limb and is upset at the surgery he didn't choose to have.

January 1992: Bill Cruishank starts rehab and recovery, trying to do tiny incremental things with his new limb, which his body is rejecting due to the differences in the skin graft, nerve bonding, and infections.

July 1993: Bill Cruishank has shown remarkable fortitude to recover enough in his rehab that he can jerk a small weight unexpectedly above his head.

July 1993: the media is fed a story about the amazing surgery performed some eighteen months earlier on a now-forgotten serial killer's arm.

December 1993: Bill Cruishank, now completely healed and able to move his arm like it's part of his body, is released from hospital and confronts a mob of media.

January 1994: Bill Cruishank punches his son in the face, potentially because his son has not aged over the requisite two years it would take to allow the limb surgery to take hold.

March 1994: Charlie Fletcher, still in neck brace, confronts the owners of his former limbs, requesting their prompt return.

 

I'm just saying that the timeline of this movie, which appears to take place over a couple of weeks at best, seems to cover several years of recovery time.

 

And the main question I have is: if Bill's arm is so strong that it survives being handcuffed to another car and dragged through the streets, why does Brad Dourif's arm tear off like it's held on with Velcro? And if this is over what the movie suggests is only a couple of weeks, that's some pretty strong surgical stitching!

[Todd Mason 21]

Joel Schlosberg is not only correct about THE HANDS OF ORLAC, but about the all kinds of variations in film since, such as MAD LOVE (a remake), Oliver Stone's THE HAND (a ripoff--HA!), and THE EYES OF LAURA MARS...

[ChunkStyle 1160]

Is there anything in this movie that indicates that Fahey is good at his job? He says he'd like to fix just one person in his life. That reads as a deep take on the profession itself, but maybe it is just a flat admission of incompetence. He makes a minor breakthrough with Going For the Oscar Ray before making the mistake of not offering his left hand to shake so that is short lived.

 

The main thing that bugs me though is when he writes in his journal at the very end of the movie he implies that "Does evil live in the skin?" and "If a tree falls in a forest...?" are equivalent questions. One of those is purely philosophical. The other had a real world impact on his kid's jaw alignment and the number of bars where he is still welcome to drink.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Maybe I'm alone on this but every time they said the name Charlie Fletcher I thought to myself "Isn't that the guy that played Roger Rabbit?"

[RyanSz 3140]

The one funny moment for me was in the OR, the surgeons seem to carefully inspect the neck of Charley Fletcher with an operating microscope. Two seconds later, Dr. Webb saws off the guy's head willy nilly, so I don't know why they pretended like they were about to perform microsurgery.

 

 

One thing that bugged the hell outta me with that scene is that they aren't wearing complete face masks. There is an inmate's blood flying EVERYWHERE, and the amount of diseases that fly around a prison population is horrifying. I don't even think the guards were wearing the masks that the doctors were wearing. It is wildly irresponsible.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Great episode, Gilly and Claudia were both delightful. For some weird reason watching this movie reminded me of Dark Man another movie I desperately hope they do at some point. Maybe its the questionable science displayed in both movies.

 

So they mentioned that Jeff Fahey looks like a baby Ray Liotta, I would argue that he's a hybrid of Nicolas Cage and Ray Liotta.

Like if both of them ended up on the Island of Dr. Moreau, the resulting creature that would inevitably spring forth from the good doctors experiments would be Jeff Fahey.

[DavidArroyo 6]

When are we going to see the lakehouse episode?

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Am I crazy? Tell me you can't imagine Nic Cage in the wig/eye makeup combo that Fahey's gloriously rocking in the bottom pic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elektra Boogaloo 3371]

Not related to this ep, but if anyone is interested I've been recapping "Iron Fist" over on my tumblr. I've been thinking about this podcast a lot. Right from the jump with Finn Jones' feet (and Jason's rant about not wanting to see people's feet from TMNT2).

 

Iron Fist's training (minor spoilers?) was literally him being beaten by sticks! I was like, "Someone listened to the Bloodsport ep!"

[NathanGordon 1096]

Not related to this ep, but if anyone is interested I've been recapping "Iron Fist" over on my tumblr. I've been thinking about this podcast a lot. Right from the jump with Finn Jones' feet (and Jason's rant about not wanting to see people's feet from TMNT2).

Your link is broken, or at least doesn't work for me.

 

Iron Fist any good? I loved Luke Cage, but reviews for this new show have been mixed.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Iron Fist any good? I loved Luke Cage, but reviews for this new show have been mixed.

 

Let me just say that Iron Fist and Colleen Wing are two of my favorite superheroes, and I was willing to overlook a lot. I watched the first six episodes, the ones that all the reviews are based on, and I thought it was pretty good. All the Joy and Ward stuff was dumb, and the amount of redundant dialog gave me the impression that the show runner didn't get that people would be binging it, but overall, I kind of felt like the reviews were an overreaction. Colleen was a badass and I liked how goofy and blisssd out Danny was--which was all true to their characters.

 

...Then I watched episode 7 (I.e. The first of the episodes that weren't reviewed) and the show took a huge dump all over itself! I won't get into specifics, but basically

something happens that totally goes against who these two characters are. And from that point forward, goofy, optimistic Danny becomes another low voiced superhero cliche and all of Colleen's power gets taken away! It's fucking pathetic.

 

 

I still have a few more episodes to watch, but I thought the casting was fine and I don't blame the actors for how this is shaping out. It's the direction and the writing that's weak. If this was their attempt to silence their critics, they needed to do much better.

 

That all being said, I still want to see the Luke Cage/Danny Rand bro-mance in a Heroes for Hire show, and I've read somewhere someone suggest a Daughters of the Dragon show led by Colleen, which I would also be totally down for. I haven't given up hope yet. There's potential there, unfortunately, unless they can pull it together soon (which I doubt) it's completely squandered here.

 

Ultimately, I'm beginning to get how Suicide Squad fans must have felt about the movie. I'm not saying that this is as terrible as that, but just that feeling of, "Wow! I never thought I'd get to see a movie/television show about Iron Fist!" only to be disappointed with the end result.

 

They should have just adapted the Brubaker/Fraction run...

 

ETA: Oh! And there is a scene where they are talking about "synthetic heroin" that is some of the best unintentional comedy I've seen in awhile. After introducing a drug as "synthetic heroin" that's all the call it for an entire scene--not just "heroin" or "drugs"--synthetic heroin. I'm sure it wasn't quit this bad, but it sounded like:

 

IF: They are trafficking synthetic heroin. Do you really want your students exposed to this synthetic heroin?

 

CW: Of course not! This synthetic heroin sounds terrible, but what can we do about the synthetic heroin?

[AdrianFlynn 68]

Didn't mention the reporter asking how does this affect your sex life. And the fastest fingerprint look up ever and fastest cops called and arrive in 5 seconds

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

So they mentioned that Jeff Fahey looks like a baby Ray Liotta, I would argue that he's a hybrid of Nicolas Cage and Ray Liotta.

I cannot find the OP who drew this connection but:

 

 

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

Did anyone catch the names that Remo Lacey reeled off while talking about Dr. Webb's genius?

 

Charles Darwin

Edward Hopper

Richard Wright

 

(at least by my hearing).

[RyanSz 3140]

Your link is broken, or at least doesn't work for me.

 

Iron Fist any good? I loved Luke Cage, but reviews for this new show have been mixed.

So far I've liked what I've seen, and like Luke Cage I only have the briefest of knowledge on the character. The fighting is pretty fluid and it carries that Marvel humor pretty well. One thing I can't get out of my head is how the character Ward looks and sounds like Justin Long's gay pornstar character from Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

[joshg 207]

[tomspanks 9039]

...Then I watched episode 7 (I.e. The first of the episodes that weren't reviewed) and the show took a huge dump all over itself! I won't get into specifics, but basically

something happens that totally goes against who these two characters are. And from that point forward, goofy, optimistic Danny becomes another low voiced superhero cliche and all of Colleen's power gets taken away! It's fucking parthetic.

 

Things started getting dumb in episode 6.

Really? You're going to start making out with one of the challengers?

 

 

That all being said, I still want to see the Luke Cage/Danny Rand bro-mance in a Heroes for Hire show, and I've read somewhere someone suggest a Daughters of the Dragon show led by Colleen, which I would also be totally down for. I haven't given up hope yet. There's potential there, unfortunately, unless they can pull it together soon (which I doubt) it's completely squandered here.

 

Co-signed on the DotD show with Colleen.

 

ETA: Oh! And there is a scene where they are talking about "synthetic heroin" that is some of the best unintentional comedy I've seen in awhile. After introducing a drug as "synthetic heroin" that's all the call it for an entire scene--not just "heroin" or "drugs"--synthetic heroin. I'm sure it wasn't quit this bad, but it sounded like:

 

This new drug has different pharmacologic characteristics than heroin, which means it probably has a different chemical structure than heroin, then it's no longer heroin. They should've called it a synthetic opioid. Besides, there are already other synthetic opioids on the market that are 100 times more powerful than heroin.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Okay, so I finished Iron Fist. It has maybe five episodes worth of interesting stuff spread out over 13 episodes. And I'm not saying, "five episodes are good." I'm saying, five episodes worth of story, character, and moments are good and then scattered haphazardly throughout.

 

As a fan of the character, I'm super disappointed (sorry, Finn Jones).

Colleen and Danny should never be together. Even when they were introduced in the 70's, they've always been just friends. You might even say they have a brother/sister relationship. For all the issues of appropriation, which are fair complaints, Iron Fist--from the beginning and for its time--has been pretty progressive and feminist (what would you expect from Claremont?). He was bold enough to create a male and female character and say, "You know what? These two are just friends. They're equals. And in 2017, a stupid television show says, "No, they have to fuck. And once they do, this once badass character, she should lose her backbone, become a Danny Rand's emotional booster, and he should have to rescue her a bunch. Oh, and didn't we say he took a vow of chastity? Yeah, there will be absolutely no fallout when he breaks this very solemn oath."

 

Also, Danny Rand does have a romantic interest. Her name is Misty-Fucking-Knight and they have been (mostly) together since the the 1970's!.

 

 

Why wasn't she here? Claire basically stood in for her character in the show. Why not let Rosario Dawson sit this one out (because she certainly didn't seem to want to be there) and have Misty be in this? Oh, I get it. This way way Colleen and Misty (best friends in the comics) can have a cat fight over a dude in The Defenders. Also, Misty is Black so I guess she can only be in the Black superhero's show--even though her history is more with Iron Fist. Sure. that doesn't seem racist at all.

 

Aside from that, past the first few episodes, Danny isn't very fun or innocent (which is something that sets his character apart from other similar heroes.) His darkness in this is annoying and he just keeps making the dumbest decisions imaginable. Claire is basically Jar Jar Binks (and the fact that she doesn't once say, "I know another guy whose sworn enemy is The Hand. Maybe I should give him a call" is goddamn unforgivable). Coleen, after the "sex" episode, comes off toothles, needy, and whiny. And even though the show wants you to think they're fascinating, the Meachums are lame and boring as fuck (Seriously, the show might as well be called The Meachums ft. Iron Fist).

 

The good things are Madam Gao, the drunken fist fighter, and Davos. Some of the Danny Rand and Colleen stuff at the beginning is also pretty good.

 

I just feel so bad for those reviewers who watched the first six episodes. It turns out that the stuff they saw was "the good half" of the season.

 

Oh, well...I'm sure The Defenders will be good :)/>

 

 

 

[mikemac 49]

There is a Dollop episode (#57 "Eric Red") about the writer of Body Parts and The Hitcher. Long story short, he basically acted out some of the shit from those movies in real life and basically got away with it.

[tomspanks 9039]

I can't hit quote on Cameron H's post about IF because I haven't finished the series yet, but I agree about the story being stretched out.

 

I wanted more of the wushu stuff (sorry Colleen and kendo). The fighting scenes at The Hand HQ was so short compared to say, Danny's stay at the psych ward (that part was unnecessarily drawn out). Also, please no more flashbacks to the plane crash. There was some brief mention of leopard style. Gimme more! There was a nice long sequence with drunken style too, but I doubt I'll get to see it again.