It depends on the version of "Chess." Most of the rewrites done by productions sacrifice the narrative, but there are some that are very good, and one or two that make it into a compelling but less predictable story.

The "Dark City" resemblance might not have been intentional. Though I like the idea of Joss trying to recreate the eerie manners of the Cenobites.

It seemed that they were working from classic nightmare fuel - the inability to scream, inability to escape by running, the relatively slow way they killed their victims - people have a couple minutes of absolute terror before their hearts were ripped out.

I'm sure I've seen Joss namecheck Dark City as an influence on "Hush" in at least one interview.

Me too. In one of the print interviews around the episode. He ticked it off with Nosferatau and Mr. Burns.

I'm not saying it wasn't an influence, but it's interesting that he didn't mention it on the commentary. Or is it -- I mean those commentaries tend to sound offhand and casual and ad hoc; are they really? Do people just sit down in front of the video and chat, or do they make notes and do fifty-three takes because they fluffed a line and weren't casual-sounding enough.

Now that's what I want from my DVD extras. I want yet another version with the out-takes from the director's commentary...

Too much coffee.

Worth noting though that Dark City is yet another on the list of Cool Films Made In Sydney. I was telling my sister that the Matrix and the Star Wars movies were made here and she had no idea.

do they make notes and do fifty-three takes because they fluffed a line and weren't casual-sounding enough.

God, I hope not. There was one commentary in the BtVS S2 set, maybe Greenwalt's(?), where it seemed like he hadn't even bothered to watch the episode before going in front of the mic.

Well, and imagine if, an hour into [continuous] commentary, the talker fell out of his chair and knocked over the microphone. Would they make him start over??

I think they just mike up the talker[s], sit them in a theatre, and run the movie.

I'm sure some people are meticulous and do retakes. I've been known to take two or three runs at recording just a voice mail, and only one person is going to listen to that.

(I went back and edited this post two times, which reinforces my point.)

Whether Joss cited Dark City as an influence or not, it played its part. As did every other movie, or tv show, that had some villainous, shaved-headed dude dressed in black. There is something inherently dangerous/malevolent about that look.

Fiona, a late congratulations on the house! Also to Mr. Fiona and Benno.

John, what lovely pictures! I love it that you added some real explanations inside, too. I especially liked the one underneath you wrote "my wife" (not "Thuy" or anything else explanatory). You both look so happy, and Thuy is gorgeous. I'm very happy for both of you. And good luck with the house.

Thanks Nilly.

I have to say, when one hears about weddings, it's normally in the My Wedding Nighmare genre or the My Wedding Disaster genre, or, on the Ricki Lake show we watched the day before, the I Haven't Spoken To My [Sister | Mother | Best Friend | Etc] Since The Day They Ruined My Wedding! genre, so our wedding seems almost "nothing to report" in comparison, but that's a good thing, right?

I have to say, when one hears about weddings, it's normally in the My Wedding Nighmare genre or the My Wedding Disaster genre, or, on the Ricki Lake show we watched the day before, the I Haven't Spoken To My [Sister | Mother | Best Friend | Etc] Since The Day They Ruined My Wedding! genre, so our wedding seems almost "nothing to report" in comparison, but that's a good thing, right?

The best weddings should go off with at least one hitch.

Ba dum.