Comments: 48
Langue-Skulptur [2013-01-22 04:00:11 +0000 UTC]
I told you I watched the Invasion of the Bane which was good and the Revenge of the Slitheen which was also a good (in a standard sort of way). I preferred Invasion of the Bane. Then I watched Eye of the Gorgon, same standard brand of good. I love how RTD-ish and happy these stories are. Good ol' fashion adventure and happy.
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2013-01-22 16:10:46 +0000 UTC]
Revenge of the Slitheen is good because it introduces Clyde, but Bane was probably better overall. Gorgon is awesome - great cast and nice references to Sontarans. There's definitely an optimistic RTD feel about SJA, but there are some darker episodes as well that will surprise you - the show actually takes a few risk which is part of what impressed me about it. Plus there's some nice continuity not just with Doctor Who but within the series as a whole.
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FATIMAGIC [2012-02-29 09:52:54 +0000 UTC]
RIP Elisabeth Sladen. <3
I actually have a question. Has Sarah Jane passed away, as well, or is she still alive off screen despite Elisabeth Sladen's passing?
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Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-02 20:47:40 +0000 UTC]
I finished the Visitation. Was alright. I don't have an opinion on it because honestly? I was sort of multitasking homework and more listening to it. I'm not sure if that lizard outfit was really good or really bad and the android's face was a neat design, but the rest too busy. That's all I can say besides it reminds me of the Slitheen story. Oh and the highwayman was kind of nice to have around because he had no idea what was going on. Well he wavered between that and being an annoying comedy character.
On the other hand, I watched the Black Orchid. I was surprised it was only two episodes and very happy at that. Definitely a good story and for once it wasn't about aliens. With the tenth so much like the fifth, this story reminded me a lot of the Unicorn and the Wasp but good. Same kind of setting, family secrets, love, etc. The dancing music had a very happy atmosphere that was a good change in pace. Also thought it was great when the Doctor was trying to explain his case and then just says "Oh I give up."
Also I'm glad the Doctor didn't stay accused for long- that plot cliche can get old. What was funny was the cricket. Such a funny coincidence that there was a Doctor, a Master, and a cricket game. Honestly though, besides that it involves a ball, bat and is called cricket, I've no idea about the game. I cracked up because I had no idea if the Doctor knew how to play cricket or if he was even doing it right. Though apparently he's pretty good.
Is that really how one plays cricket? The way he flailed his arms when he threw that ball...
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-02 21:57:14 +0000 UTC]
Huh cricket's a funny thing. I didn't realize the Doctor's outfit was from the 1800's. I really like it. But why is it called cricket??
I'm starting part three of Earthshock. Definitely liking. Though the cybermen have silly voices. I still can't help laughing at them. "More powahhh!" I still like the sing-song cadence of the originals.
As for Adric, he's not so bad here. It'd odd that fight they had. I've never noticed what Adric points out but considering the real life actors and the fans, it makes sense. So I'm glad they got it out in the open and made up. Too bad this is the one where he dies, right?
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-03 15:41:07 +0000 UTC]
I have no idea why it's called cricket According to Wikipedia, it may come from old Dutch or English words meaning stick. But, yes, the Doctor's outfit is supposed to be an Edwardian cricketing outfit, so early 1900's, late 1800's.
Well, the Cybermen will have those voices for the remainder of the classic series From this point on David Banks and Mark Hardy are the Cybermen. Banks became quite obsessed by them - even wrote a book about them. And a novel as well!
It is strange that Adric actually becomes most tolerable in his final story (which, of course, was written by the script editor, so maybe Eric Saward had finally gotten the hang of the character...). But it was nice that he and the Doctor sort of got their problems out in the open, and as I recall, there's a nice moment where you sort of get a hint of what it all comes from, and that is, Adric just doesn't respect the fifth like he did the fourth.
One day I might sit down and write about the companions motivations
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-04 03:31:16 +0000 UTC]
Hmm lately I've been thinking about drawing some Doctors. Very seldom do I get inspired enough to draw anything. I know I've got a half-finished Tom Baker drawing laying around somewhere. I'm really celebrating finishing Baker here. It feels like I'm now near the end of classic Who (despite several more seasons to go).
Also- did the Brigadier ever meet 10 and 11 (SJAs)? I know 1-5 and 7...
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-06 03:35:10 +0000 UTC]
Wow that's quite enthusiastic. One day in the distant off future when I actually have time (or stop watching classic), I should.
I just watched Snakedance. Honestly? I have to say that the story this time around was even better than Kinda. Haha, it was brilliant! It drew me in, the "effects" worked, they were eerie and withstood the test of time (or technology, either one). The only bit I thought was odd was the whole flashing between the faces in the final episode, but it worked fine when Tegan came back to herself so I guess the first time around was just a fluke.
The thing I like most about this story is the attention to cultural detail. The jail cells, the way the prince guy dressed especially. Sure it looked a bit, well gay, but it was a good costume and the style he wore was a little odd (being alien) yet it worked... somehow. The crew really went to town on those sets as well! That six headed helmet thing was pretty awesome and the acting I also loved.
Definitely liked the conversation between the Doctor and Dogin...or however his name is spelled. It made me think about the fifth. He really is the most human and vulnerable of them all so far.
It's kind of hard to tell because sometimes I feel like classic Who is like watching normal tv through a thick glass sheet. There's a lack of clarity as to the characters and their emotions. Maybe because it's not as played up or dramatic, or the music, direction, and all that isn't tuned to creating a single emotional effect. Or, at least, not as well as it is nowadays- mainly due to tech advances.
Well tech advances and having a screen that's got a good enough resolution where the lines on their faces aren't thicker than a crayon's. Or maybe it's a cultural/generation thing. I mean sometimes I find the way the companions talk to be oddly formal. Maybe the way they say yes or thank you, or "What are we to do now?" sort of thing. It sounds old fashion. Do you know what I mean? Or what I'm trying to say? Or is it just me?
Anyways, I loved Snakedance. The only real thing I could argue is that we're told the crystal was manufactured and tuned to the human mind's wavelength. So how did the Doctor use it? He's not human.
So now's Mawdryn Undead! I've heard so much about this one. I think the Brigadier is even involved... I hope!
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-09 08:56:14 +0000 UTC]
Extremely enthusiastic about seeing more of your art Why would't I be?
I don't think Snakedance is as good as Kinda (I don't think it's as clever as Kinda, mainly), but there's a few people out there who rate Snakedance above Kinda, so what do I know? It has a lot of mysticism, but some of it is just a little odd...Dojjen, for instance, is very confusing for the most part of the story, but he's a great character. And yes, the fifth Doctor is the most human and most vulnerable - you can also see he's the one who struggles the most at restraining his temper Whereas other Doctor's would let it out, the fifth Doctor bites his tongue and keeps his annoyance to him self
Yeah, I really like the sets of Snakedance, because they offer a different sort of culture, but it's interesting that Janet Fielding, for instance, thought the jail sets were stupid because the bars were at an angle, which made no sense for her. For me, when I see things like that, I just accept the fact they are, and wonder what the reason was behind it. I think, in some ways, there's different approaches to sci-fi; you either have a theory and moan that things don't fit it, or you create and adapt your theory as things appear on television. And maybe the prince guy was gay?
The emotions are certainly not as over the top as they are nowadays. They are all much more subtle, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not there, and certainly doesn't mean that the actors weren't trying to create them. Times have changed, and so we get bombastic music to signify what is happening, whereas that used to be reserved for horror movies I'm not attacking one or the other, but I'll happily defend both. The emotions are there, just kept slightly more under wraps.
As for the way the companions talk - well, it's not generational, but BBC. For pretty much the entire run of Doctor Who the actors were expected to speak in, what is called, received pronounciation. Which means, basically, "formal accentless English" (yes, yes, I know they'll have an English accent, but it's a generic English accent rather than a specific one). When Dodo was first introduced in 1965 she had a cockney accent (South London), but was quickly told to change to RP for the next episode because the audience wouldn't like that accent. So it's definitely not you - there is an element of old fashion-ness to their speech.
In answer to your question about the crystal being tuned to the human mind and how could the Doctor use it...there was a story where the Doctor made mention of finding "the correct alpha wave" which was established as the waves of the mind. So presumably the Doctor can alter his "alpha waves" to match those of a human and use the crystal. Or human could be slightly more generic - after all, the Manussans weren't human, they were alien.
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-10 07:55:33 +0000 UTC]
Yeah, apparently on the gay scene in the 80's the earring was very significant
I shed a tear when Sarah Jane left, and when Jo did, actually...
Fandom tends to make brash judgements against periods it hates, and at the moment, fandom hates the 80's, so anything after season 17 is rubbish, apparently. It's also total pants, because there is a huge progression with the seventh Doctor. In fact, in some ways, the last seventh Doctor story seems like it was made to lead directly into the 2005 series
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-10 20:26:44 +0000 UTC]
You think it has been influenced by the Whovie? Do tell!
Hiatus is a good way to shut the fans up... I'm surprised Britain didn't riot or anything. But I guess ratings were down.
I always imagine myself going back and safeguarding the show from day one. Protecting it from major continuity clashes (but I'll keep in the contradicting ages and such- just not the half human)... I'll tell them to fire Michael Grade, give the show more budget, tighten up their quality on writers, modernize Hartnell and Troughton direction, DO NOT TRASH THE EPISODES, do not try an "American" Doctor Who- it loses some of its charm, ermmm make sure all Doctors have three full seasons (but try to stick to original years of actors)...change Colin's coat for god's sake. I love that thing, but it's a sort of painful love-hate relationship. Technicolor Dreamcoat!
Change the TARDIS interior for Invasion of Time, stop having so many medieval or obviously Earth-culture-derivative stories...well just focus on subtle alien-culture more (Snakedance). Oh! Do not make any story exceed 7 parts! And make sure that McGann does the series as well (whether it would be after a movie in the 90's or a continuation 1989, no idea-because I don't have a time vortex in my head).
So there. If I was to nitpick and change out every little thing in the show that popped into my head, it'd be that. I'm definitely not firing any Doctors or making any big changes.
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-12 21:32:40 +0000 UTC]
Hey I like the Karate Kid (not the new one-ew), but just...sometimes I have to facepalm at the sheer dorkiness of these references. It's sort of like when a kid's parents purposely get slang wrong to make them cringe.
Definitely agree about how they should've started the Whovie. Same with namedropping, the corridors, companion dynamic and anything else I donβt disagree with further down this post. What's funny is that I just reread Lungbarrow and caught that Whovie reference!
What do you mean by deathworm? Did Dicks decide that the Master should look like that? And what about changing into any species? I definitely donβt remember that bit. Even with that logic, it's weird that we've never really seen *any* Time Lords that didn't look human. As for the operating scene...ehh. I can't share your passion. It was just sort of odd for me.
The Doctorβs regeneration worked pretty well, even if it was a little cliche. But they paralleled it with Frankenstein so it wins points. Same with the clock scene, which I prefer over the regen scene. As for "Who. Am. I?!" I'm sorry but I find that absolutely just...ugh. No. If I could delete any bit of the Whovie it would be that one.
I think the difference in our opinions is because I grew up when all the direction and "modern" ideas of the Whovie had already become cliche by then. It was dated. And not like old tv-classic Who dated, but some awkward place stuck between being old-in-a-good-way and modern. I judge it by modern standards because it feels recent enough, versus classic Who which I really try to give lenience towards. Very few classic stories do I truly cringe at less than I did the Whovie.
Thinking about this later, I realize that there are a ton of older movies than the Whovie that I liked better. Maybe because British tv was starting to lean toward the American format it felt new to people, but not me. That American person.
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-12 22:41:06 +0000 UTC]
Yes, do tell me when you facepalm. It'll make me laugh.
Well yes, Romana. But we never see them stick around in the alien bodies. I mean, if they can change into any species, they're not really one specific species are they? They just happen to like hanging around in the bodies of aliens who have two hearts and look like humans. Where was this stated anyways?
As for the whovie, don't worry. I mellow over time. I'll definitely be reading the Retrospective because I like it a lot. Maybe I should've mentioned this, but it's a great refresher to the usual comments of "Oh god that was the worst movie ever". I mean yes, it makes me want to cringe, and I'd never show it to anyone lest I get laughed out of town, but like a lot of classic Who, the Doctor makes everything worth it. That and I have this idea, okay:
Since I realized that maybe I do just plain like old 60's sci-fi tv, maybe I like 90's sci-fi movies as well and I don't know it yet. Or I can convince myself that I do until it becomes true. I have this evil plan now to go watch 90's sci-fi movies and see what they're like and how they compare to the Whovie. If I do that then maybe I will have a third standard to judge by.
After all, I knew what kind of horrors I was jumping into when I started at 1963 and I'd seen lots of clips of rubbersuited aliens in the many Doctor eras so I was prepared. Contrast the Whovie where I said, "1996? That's not so bad!" and then immediately youtubed. So, any other movies out there that are a good standard of 90's sci-fi? (British might help as you mentioned this Americanising stuff)
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-12 23:13:20 +0000 UTC]
But again, again. Where is it stated that Time Lords can change species? Don't slide past this one. Or is it not really stated, it's just Romana's scene (at which point I think it would be pretty easy to write something up to explain it ala temporal grace). It is then just another case of the unsaid assumption + Occam's Razor. But I am hoping.
As for facepalming, do you only do so when people are being idiots? I just facepalm whenever I think something is really silly, or dorky, or just "so bad it's good" cheesy.
Babylon 5? I've heard about that show. Never knew much about it. I hear that all the seasons were planned out to form one huge story but they never got around to it. Oh and, Sheldon Cooper, heard of him?
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-12 23:22:16 +0000 UTC]
In the telemovie the Doctor specifically responds to Grace's question about so you can change species, with yes. (Well, actually he replies something like "only when I've died" or something, but essentially he says yes.) The ninth Doctor tells Romana that there is a variety of things that could when he regenerates, including regenerating without a head. Now, yes, he might be saying the regeneration could produce a mutantation, but the point he seems to be making is that you can change species. And finally - and most compellingly - Romana actually does change species. She does it. Right there and then, she becomes a blue fish woman. You can try to chalk it up to whatever you like (not temporal grace though...that makes no sense), but Romana regenerates into a blue fish person. (Having said that, there's a short story that gives a different spin on that scene, but the Doctor isn't surprised by the blue fish woman - well no more than any other - so he certainly believes it to be possible).
Babylon 5 was indeed one big five year story and they did get around to it - all five seasons were produced. But the story changed a little along the way for a couple of reasons.
Sheldon Cooper? Err...Bazinga!
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-13 02:07:20 +0000 UTC]
Ahh I'll have to rewatch that. I just saw the end of Search for Spock which was awesome. When I mentioned the temporal grace, I just meant it would be easy to explain away the seeming contradictory nature of what we've seen (as temporal grace gets violated a lot and it's mentioned in LKH that it was a clever lie). Not like there's anything to disprove it, but considering you never see any Time Lords that don't look human, you have to wonder if it was some kind of exception /technicality /something else. Same with the half-human. Do you think the Doctor is half human?
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-13 02:37:57 +0000 UTC]
Search For Spock is a great movie. I love it...dunno why people heap shit on it
Temporal Grace is meant to explain why you can't use weapons inside the console room, and the Doctor's clever lie could be about being unable to fire the gun in the console room. Temporal Grace only ever worked on a staser, and in Arc of Infinity, Nyssa points out it isn't working anymore and needs to be repaired - which the Doctor never appeared to do
The short story I was talking about reveals that the TARDIS created an avatar and became Romana for a brief while, which was how she swapped bodies. The real Romana was locked in a room, struggling to regenerate. So, maybe that says something...
But I'm one of those people who believe if it's said/written explicitly then it's true. So, I actually go with Terrance Dicks' version rather than the idea that the Master regenerated into a CGI Snake. But if you don't accept the novels as canon, then you sort of have to accept what the Doctor says on screen - though arguably he could be talking about the Chameleon Arc...it's all so nebulous that you *could* spin it into something else. I don't believe the Master became the CGI Snake, but without The Eight Doctors I'd have to.
And yes, I believe the Doctor is indeed half human on his mother's side. I believe that the Doctor's mother is the only non-Gallifreyan Time Lord. But his phsyicality is still Gallifreyan, so ultimately it doesn't change much for me And it's NEVER been contradicted on television. Ever. So why not?
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-13 02:46:41 +0000 UTC]
I liked the movie. And yes, even Voyage Home.
As for the snake thing, I don't see it as a CGI snake because, well even in the Whoniverse that makes no sense. You can't apply CGI to real life. I assumed that it was some silly looking ability of the Master's that had an unexplained explanation. Unfortunately.
If you think the Doctor's physicality is full Gallifreyan, how did the Master realize he was half human by the DNA-stuff in his eye? 0'o
Sometimes I wonder though about this half-human stuff. Spock is half human on his mother's side. Why are our alien protagonists being written as half human? Why would someone slip that in there decades later? At least the Time War is brought up a lot. But the Doctor never mentions being half human now. Not like it's necessary, but you don't have to talk about being in a war either...
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DoctorRy In reply to Langue-Skulptur [2011-10-13 03:07:04 +0000 UTC]
Well, no it's not a CGI snake, but I'm just calling it that cause I don't know what you'd call it. The Master regenerating into the morphant makes more sense than the idea he has an ability that no other Time Lord has.
Yeah fair point OK, so his physicality is not entirely Gallifreyan, but aside from the eye he is. But there you go - it's explicitly stated on screen by a character other than the Doctor. The Master says "The Doctor's half human!" Why both to lie to Chang Lee?
Well, to not all of our alien protaganists are written as half human Spock's reasoning is give him conflict between the cold emotionless Vulcan side of his personality and the raw emotional human side. The Doctor...maybe for easier viewer identification? Companions come and go, so ultimately there's a point where the view has to identify, not with the companion, but with the Doctor. Maybe it's easier that way.
Look, I'm not saying in a million years that Verity Lambert, Barry Letts, Philip Hinchcliffe, John Nathan-Turner, Russell T Davies or Steven Moffat believe that the Doctor's half human, and that's why it's never mentioned or never been mentioned. But things change as a programme evolves. Verity Lambert never entertained the idea that the Doctor had two hearts or could regenerate, but we accept that because it was done and is part of the show...and it's convenient. The Doctor constantly banging on about the time war was annoying to be honest. Why *would* you talk about it all the time? Who talks about their Egyptian mother everytime they meet someone? It's just something that the Doctor doesn't mention much.
That said, there's hints in a book called "Unnatural History" that only the eighth Doctor was half-human...
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-13 22:38:36 +0000 UTC]
Hmm. Had an idea. Nothing is sacred, so even if we assume that Time Lords can change species just by seeing Romana and the Master, for all we know, it could be some strange unexplained...thingy. And then because we don't know, we can fall back onto the comics.
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Langue-Skulptur In reply to DoctorRy [2011-10-14 05:27:51 +0000 UTC]
Ohh is that what Dicks was saying? I thought it was Dicks' idea that the Master regenerated into a deathworm. Gotcha now.
Also, when you get friends into Doctor Who, how do you go about it? Which story do you start with? I've got this evil plan set up just for the purpose. It's designed for people who generally frown upon sci-fi or know little about it (basically everyone within a 50 mile radius of myself ).
First: The most important choice as it's their first impression of DW: Blink
Since the person will be watching a lot of the Matt Smith stuff in the following weeks (unless they're completist) then it'll be best to expose them to each Doctor before you give them several of a certain Doctor in a row. It'll help break the concrete idea of one Doctor as only being the Doctor. It's not uber hard sci-fi, but yet it has some great wibbly wobbly in it to underly the kind of awesomeness DW is capable of. It doesn't require knowledge about the TARDIS or the Doctor being an alien...etc. You just know he's a time traveller, which is a nice ease in for the bit where you mention evil saltshakers and police boxes. It's a plain good story, and if you start off with a Smith episode you'll spoil them in the way of special effects and direction..etc. One of my friends doesn't like Eccleston because I started them off on Smith episodes.
Second: Ninth Doctor Stuff- Dalek: To get Doctor 9 in there and educate them about the TARDIS and Daleks. It's also one of the best episodes for getting a feel for who 9 is. Then after that is Empty Child/Doctor Dances for general awesomeness and more "getting to know 9".
Third: The Eleventh Hour. So they can see, well, 11. Plus it's a good solid relaunch introduction.
After these three the person now has experience and a feel for the three new Who Doctors. Then after that, since Blink is 10-lite and we need to introduce them to the River Song arc, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. Now they've got a better feel for the three Doctors and are ready for River Song. (yeah I know this is all very Moffat-heavy stuff)
Fourth: Go watch series 5 and 6. Fifth: Go back and finish series 1-4
I also have a friend whose viewing goes in this order: Rose, The End of the World, Blink, The Eleventh Hour-Pandorica Opens, Dalek, Silence/Forest, and tonight, The Girl in the Fireplace. (I showed her Blink). And you know what? With that viewing experience she guessed that River Song is Amy and Rory's kid. Hasn't seen any series 6 yet. She said that during Silence/Forest. (I was keeping my face straight the whole time she theorized). Also she said Moffat's a distinct writer. He's all about misdirection. "~If the clock's broken, what's ticking? If five people are alive, why are there six in the room? Count the doors, count the shadows. And then she mentioned how the episodes are full of children, some of which the Doctor meets, dazzles, and then whisks away when they're older. She said Pompadour snogging the Doctor reminded her of Amy trying to get it on with the Doctor.
She catches onto things fast. Like the body parts in the ship- she immediately knew they were after Pompadour's brain. What I noticed upon rematch is that I liked Rose a lot in Dalek. I really felt for her. Also, in Silence/Forest, the parents of Cal call her sweetie. And in The Girl in the Fireplace the Doctor mentions cowboys in Pompadour's head, like the Eleventh Hour.
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AJK16 [2011-04-21 04:46:00 +0000 UTC]
"You Know, Travel Does Broaden the Mind."
"Yes, Until We Meet Again Sarah."
Elisabeth Sladen
Born: February 1st, 1946
Died: April 19th, 2011
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