U.N.C.L.E. a day is my obsessive-compulsive approach at working through The Complete Man for U.N.C.L.E., now available on DVD. One episode, one review a day (usually – occasional hiatuses may occur due to travel).
YES! My favorite U.N.C.L.E. episode, ever! Which is strange because in it’s structure and plot, it’s much more like a Mission: Impossible episode than U.N.C.L.E.…
Said plot involves the need to bring down a diplomat who is threatening international relations, and how they do it is elaborate: Illya is in disguise as a member of the “secret police” from the country in question, a young couple’s exterminator company is used as a “false front” for a fake secret military project titled Strigas, and a double/double cross is used when the plan falls apart.
If the story was all that there was to this episode it would be entertaining enough, but the guest cast! William Shatner as the innocent husband! Werner Klemperer as the diplomat! Leonard Nimoy as the diplomat’s assistant!
Yes, you read that right: Shatner and Nimoy appear in this episode together, two years before Star Trek. They only have one scene together, but it’s a good one: Shatner’s character is pretending to be drunk and he falls all over Nimoy!
If you want to introduce anyone to the world of U.N.C.L.E. who is apathetic, THIS is the episode you want to show them. Great writing, acting, and directing: this one’s the whole package.
NOTE: This is the first episode to NOT show the “documentary” opening (not counting the pilot) and uses the “Napoleon behind the bulletproof glass” opening from said pilot – I guess they decided that by the 9th episode people “got” the org chart/purpose of The United Network Command for Law and Enforcement…
Who, you may ask? Well Forrest J Ackerman helped found Sf fandom, helped organize the first SF convention, and for years was the editor and publisher of Famous Monsters of Filmland, the classic magazine that showcased the world of fantasy. Aintitcool.com has this sad news as well as an address that you can use to send well wishes. I had the pleasure to meet and dine with Uncle Forry (as fans like me call him) and I wish him the best, in this life and the hereafter….
Ah yes, another straight-to-video Futurama flick. How is it? Good (better than the last one, not as good as the first one), but a little uneven, especially the last third… Let me explain.
Basically, the whole first 2/3rd of the movie is setup for the last part, which is a Lord of the Rings/Dungeons and Dragons parody, and this setup is a subtle as a brick through a suicide booth’ window. Getting there is fun, but once the characters are in the fantasy setting jokes start falling flat.
And talk about a target-rich environment! One only needs read the classic Harvard Lampoon’ Bored of the Rings or listen to the Dead Adelwine’ “Dungeons and Dragons” to know how ripe this genre is for parody. Yet somehow the jokes only land on target about half the time. Must have missed some saving throws…
There are some highlights worth the price of the DVD, though: the demolition derby and the various vehicles that are fighting in it (George Takei’ line, which I will not reveal, made me bust a gut laughing); the dark matter “farm” was nicely realized (though I think there is some continuity issues with the backstory that is detailed in this sequence); Morbo’s talk show; and, of course, the MORKS (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it)…
Ethnography may differ from what is traditionally regarded as ‘normal’ ressearch, but it is far from the dark art that it is sometimes perceived as. Indeed, it’s high time to dispel some of the myths that have sprung up around ethnography so that organisations can understand its true nature.
The first myth to dispel is that ethnography is not a method; it is a research approach that uses a wide selection of methods:
- Secondary and semiotic analyses: understanding the systems behind all the things that you “˜just know’.
- Informal observation: used as a “˜first pass’ research tool, to generate questions, focus issues or confirm choice of venue or target audience.
- Formal observation: expert researchers in the natural, day-to-day setting, observing what people do, how they interact, the kinds of things they use, etc.
- Interviews: in-context, narrative interviews, which try to elicit the participant’s view of the world.
- Self-documentation: where the participant is given the tools and structure, and then records their own critical and open-ended self-reporting, logging the things that they see as most important to the question, rather than being led in any way.
- Groups & events
It does not aim to study people, but instead uses the techniques above to observe people in order to examine every day experiences, situations, environments, activities, relations, interactions and processes in very rich detail.
Despite often being perceived as a bit of a black art, ethnography is rooted in the disciplined treatment of data. By far the most important part of “˜doing ethnography’ is the rigorous analysis of all the data gathered and interpretation of key data patterns. The participants are experts on their own experiences and the ethnographers are experts at translating those experiences into a descriptive and analytic account that clarifies business issues and reveals the cultural basis for consumer experiences. The goal is to produce a consistent body of data that can have utility beyond the study’s original scope.
WHY USE ETHNOGRAPHY?
The commercial benefits of using ethnography are that it provides:
- A clear understanding of any given experience from your customers’ point of view and entirely true-to-life.
- A remarkable richness of data.
- Highly actionable information with long shelf life.
The unique value of ethnography is that it reveals not just what people say or how they think, but also provides a clear understanding of how experiences work, so that businesses can see what actions they need to take to support, improve and change those experiences.
I'd like to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this site would not be possible.
About Joe…
Joseph Dickerson is a User Experience Architect focused on improving the usability of on-line and mobile applications. With over a decade of experience in software design and user research, Dickerson has made it his mission to make technology easier for people to use.
@DVDGeeks Absolutely. I've stayed at Marriott so much for business I've reached Latinum status. The CEO called the other day to say "thanks" in reply to DVDGeeks10 hrs ago
