I’ve not got to reviewing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen yet, though I did watch it fairly recently. Alas, not exactly a shining example of literary merit either, really. (Lovely backstory, of course).

And I read your LJ post where you mentioned Brass Goggles – I too am soon to start watching Last Exile, having recently found it. That, and Brisco County Jnr. should keep me ticking over with Steampunk televisual entertainment for a while. Oh, and it’s seldom I get referred to as sir

Well, I have to say Brass Goggles is simply top drawer. Very well done, sir.

Indeed Wild Wild West is atrocious. My good lady wife and I made the error of going to see it in the theatre and were badly disappointed. However, I have to admit the movie at least does not lie in so far as what it claims to be, that being a spin–off of a 1960s TV show intended for light-hearted adventure.

I am sure you’ll agree that Steampunk rarely gets treated seriously as a plot setting, at least not in Hollywood. Since it is based upon retro-science, 19th C. science fiction and anachronistic technologies, it tends to be deemed as “quaint???. Good fodder for “high adventure fantasy!??? and “family fun???, but sadly not anything like serious science fiction drama. Perhaps that’s alright. Maybe we wouldn’t want every steampunk storyline to entail global disasters and dark anti-heroes and scenarios as we find in cyberpunk. However, one or two such films would be enjoyable.

In any case, the film is based on an intentionally corny 1960’s show which was, in turn, an attempt to cash in on the contemporary James Bond craze as well as the American appetite for westerns. It was campy – not as campy as say Batman, but still right in line with the 1960s attitude. I still recommend it over the movie.

What I did like about Wild Wild West was the CGI, of course. I mean, how often does one get to see a steam-powered robotic spider? I have a penchant for Villains and even though he was over-the-top, I enjoyed Dr. Loveless (despite his physicality being a bit too much of a stretch medically speaking). I recently downloaded the movie just to watch him and his toys again. As you do, I like to look for back story, and also simple eye candy. I adore mad scientist inventors, global domination schemes and sexy, death-dealing, corseted courtesans. Thus, Wild Wild West was amusing a second time around, brain in off-mode.

So, have you done a review of LXG yet? Just curious. If you’d like another old movie just for fun, I might recommend The Great Race. It is ultra-corny comedy, and not really steampunky, but it does have a delightful villain in the form of Professor Fate. His car and other contraptions are to die for and rather steampunk.

Cheers,

• Theridion

On the plus side, Amazon.Com is selling Wild Wild West first season on DVD now.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ERVJKO/qid=1152436165/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-0856755-0111219?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130

Unfortunately, it\’s not made it\’s way across to my UK shores yet, but when I can manage, it\’s definitely on my list for watching, and hopefully reviewing.

As for the shoes – I have some rather large boots of brown leather and brass rivets, though there\’s no steam to speak of yet My only problem is – there\’s no Steampunk music! (I\’ve looked, and there\’s nothing that really says Steampunk to me yet.)

Thanks for the comments though!

As an American, I have seen the WWW (Wild, Wild West) TV programmes, and they were/are superb — juicy bits of steampunk fantasy set in the cowboy era. I was unaware there was a movie version! James West had his own steam locomotive and luxury cars, Artemis Gordon was his trusty sidekick and inveterate inventor/genius.

West would embroil them (on behalf of the US Government) in intricate schemes to foil evil, and Gordon would save the day with some ingenious invention to defeat the foes. Rollicking good fun. I can only hope the movie version follows the same general outline. I’ll definitely look for it.

Thanks for the tip!

And, thanks for the steampunk blog! Your goggles are stupendous, just a terrific bit of work. I can only imagine the overall effect of wearing them, your cog-works skirt, and playig your guitar! [LOL] Brilliant. Maybe the outfit needs some serious platform shoes that vent “steam” from the soles — worn with horizontally striped hose .