As a way of distracting myself as I wait for the airing of the next BSG episode (just a little more than two hours away!), I decided I’d share my thoughts on a movie I saw this last week with the Awesome (Edward James) Olmos starring and directing.

The movie of which I speak is American Me (1992). I’d never seen it but it has been on my list of things to see for a number of years. I found it this week for a bargain price at a local store, picked it up, and watched it later that night.

It was an impressive movie, terribly brutal — something that viewers are warned of from the beginning — but the violence (of the street and prison variety) was neither gratuitous nor sensationalized. The film looked and played almost like a documentary in some respects.

Olmos, who has shown a knack for cutting to the psychological quick in his direction, holds nothing back in this his directorial debut, creating a film that is both powerful and unsettling in what appears to be an honest and unflinching look at the cycle of gang violence.

This is not a movie for the family, nor the faint of heart, but I found it enlightening and think Olmos should be incredibly proud of this work.

• American Me at IMDB
• American Me at Wikipedia

The clock continues to tick down to “The Oath” and so do my thoughts, bouncing back and forth between excitement and fear about the events we’re going to see in this episode of Battlestar Galactica. Among my fears:

Someone I like will die…

This is entirely likely with the BSG writing gang. The dramatic and artistic integrity of these scribes is enough to make any die-hard fan nervous. They will do what’s right for the story, even if it wrenches our guts out. I don’t mind that on some level — I like that they’re fearless and that the network is allowing them to do it– but I will confess there are some people I don’t want to die — namely Adama and Roslin, and their closest allies. This is probably going to be a hard episode to watch no matter what considering that Galactica crew are going to be turning on their “Old Man.” There’s just something intrinsically heartbreaking and troubling about that because we know that he would lay his life down for any one of them — they are his surrogate children.

How soon people forget that “the Old Man” risked
everything to liberate them from the cylons on New Caprica
and has put himself and his ship between the fleet and
their enemies time and again.

Or that none of them would be alive if it hadn’t been for a
school teacher-turned-secretary of education who stepped up to lead
after their worlds were destroyed.

Someone I don’t like will dodge the bullet…

Really, bad guys should not have the ability to dodge the bullet. Yes, that means you, Tom Zarek. And Mr. Gaeta.

Cavil and the Cylons will show up…

Been awfully quiet on that front. I think it’s only a matter of time before the cylon baddies are back.

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As the clock clicks down to the next episode of Battlestar Galactica (Friday, 9 p.m. Central, “The Oath”), I find myself anticipating several things, including:

The Fighting Adamas

I could be wrong, but I feel like there’s an OK Corral-esque showdown coming and the Adamas (both blood and extended family), like the Earps and Doc Holliday, are gonna take care of business. At the very least, I think it’s gonna be an exciting, if nerve-wracking and potentially heartbreaking, thing to watch.

Speaking of which…

Warhorses

I’m looking forward to seeing the two old warhorses, Adama and Tigh, take up arms and show the young people how it’s done. Think any of them remember these guys are combat veterans and experienced enough to be lethally cool under fire?

Roslin Pissed Off (and back in the saddle)

I have a sneaking suspicion this mutiny on the Galactica is gonna piss off a certain president. How dare someone usurp her admiral! (Maybe the Adama blindfolded in an airlock scene this week? And the Roslin “I’m coming for all of you” moment?) At the very least, l think she’s gonna step up and address the people.

Gaeta and/or Zarek bite the dust — preferably both

I think they have just bit off more than they can chew and are really asking for someone to introduce them to a bullet. They just might get one this week. I also think Gaeta is in for a rude awakening when he realizes exactly what “deadly consequences” Zarek has in mind. Let’s face it, if Zarek ever hopes to take and retain power, Roslin and Adama and those most loyal to them will have to be taken out — permanently. Alive, they will always be a threat.

***Images used in this post are copyrighted works and used here for informational and entertainment purposes ONLY.***