LOST: A fantastic television series

L of the A to Z Blogging Challenge

I have never written a blogpost on a tv show earlier, but this is one show I have raved about for long enough to merit a post. 

Touted to be one of the greatest dramas that unfolded on television history by fans, LOST caught the imagination of millions of viewers around the world who were hooked to the adventures of survivors of an Oceanic flight that crashed on an unknown island. With several characters in shades of white, black and grey, and a gripping story with tight editing, LOST was a runaway hit.

Story

A drama interspersed with some science-fiction based on the lives of the survivors of the flight is the theme of the serialized story. Episodes are around the lives of the characters off the island and on the island. After surviving on the island for a few days, the survivors realize that they are not alone and that there are ‘others’ on the island who might want to kill them.  The story veers from the characters onto the secrets of the island in subsequent seasons – on its electromagnetic nature, its healing properties, the propensity to not allow pregnant women who have conceived on the island to survive, how there are people mainland who are desperately searching for the island, etc,

You can read all about the story and characters on Wikipedia so I will not delve deep into it. 

What I liked

What I liked about the story was the gripping storyline that seemed to have and had a finite ending unlike the rambling shows on Hindi TV. However impossible it might seem, the plot was constructed in a seemingly logical way and even made us believe when it shouted out for us to ‘believe’ the impossible parts, A wow location at Hawaii where it was shot was fantastic too. Crisp editing was another strong point. 

However,the greatest asset to the serial was the presence of very strong character roles.  Each of the characters were well suited to the roles they played, from Jack the Doctor, who wanted to always ‘fix’ things, to Ben, the manipulative leader of the ‘others’. My favorite though was ‘Sawyer; the suave conman and Kate the fugitive on the run.

Although the end was debatable and several open ends were not closed, all in all, a great series had ended when it did and the journey through it was enthralling as it was entertaining! I miss a show like that!

Veering back to reality, RIP MH370, the real life Malaysian plane that was never found after its journey on March 8.

Some interesting links for LOST fans - 

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

http://www.losttvfans.com/

http://lost.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Draculaaaaa

I am currently riding the Vampire wave which has caught the attention of readers and viewers alike. Stephanie Meyer with her Twilight series certainly caught the attention of young romantic readers with her thrills and chills in the backdrop of a soppy romance between a good-at-heart (if he has one) vampire, Edward Cullen and the still human teenager. This fascination around their world did not start with Buffy the teenager who stalked, staked and slayed vampires mercilessly in the late 90s and early 2000s but ever since Bram Stoker wrote the epic novel Dracula in 1897 which I read recently. There have been more than 700 movies that have been made on the topic (recent ones in this decade being the inane Twilight series, the hilarious spoof on them, Underworld, and several versions of the original Dracula. You can find the list of movies here http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/vampires/vampmovies.html). There has also been a recent spate of TV shows (popular being True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Angel Forever Knight, Blood Ties, Being Human, Being Dracula, Blade, Moonlight, Kindred-the Embraced) which continue to attract wide audiences. Dracula the literally immortal vampire, alone has been the central character in over 170 versions which makes him the most repeated subject in movies so far from the early 1900’s to 2011 in Fangland when Dracula comes to New York. Hats off to Bram Stoker for his fiery imagination that can still cast fear into the hearts of many after the turn of a century.

Vampires as they are known are blood sucking creatures that can transmute into bats or even into mist, control elements of nature, control evil animals, and raise an army by merely infecting more people. They sleep in coffins, cannot stand garlic, cannot stand light, cannot see their reflections in mirrors (poor female vampires) and are afraid of anything that is Holy. The only way to kill them is to drive a stake through them, behead them and stuff their mouths with garlic! The Un-Dead is a term coined for these creatures that have the wile and cunning of the living, powers gained on dying and immortality. It is not in the scary masks and made up faces apart from their malicious fangs, that they cast terror but in the fact that they look like all other humans, only more charming and connive to ensnare their victims into letting them drink their blood. Vampire lore has indeed come a long way from Count Dracula who was evil vampirified to Edward Cullen, the good vampire.

 

Duhh..are vampires for real? Well, I don’t think so despite the presence of the many websites which exhort ‘real vampires’ to join their communities and give helpful tips to identify people as vampires! Come to think of it, maybe real life vampires are just blood sucking leeches and mosquitoes! What do you think?

Here are some bloody cheesy vampire jokes:

Why is it a bad thing to tell a vampire to get a life?

Because it might decide to take YOURS.

What's the difference between a lawyer and a vampire?

A vampire only sucks blood at night.

How did the ghost say goodbye to the vampire?
So long sucker!

Why does Dracula consider himself an artist?
Because he likes to draw blood!

What is a vampire’s favorite holiday?
Fangs giving

Wat does a vampire fear most?

Tooth decay.

If you like Vampire stories, you might be interested in Zombie movies. Do check out this blog (after you share your views with me!) http://www.vinni.in/2010/07/the-greatest-zombie-movies-of-all-time/ for more to keep you awake!