9-045: Maldemar 732

Oliver finds he can get through about 50 books a Cycle at this rate.

Following on from Inhabitant Gumm, Leader Gumm is a ‘midquel’ that significantly expands a single scene from the original film into it’s own story.  Staying true to the flashback and unreliable narrator approach of the first film, Leader Gumm follows the attempt by film maker Denham Armstrong to make a documentary about the appointment of Randolph Gumm to Vizier Ordinary.  Preferring to edit and work the camera, Armstrong engages Vinia Darrow as his interviewer.  Unlike the original, the sequel initially follows the documenter character more closely than Gumm as he and Darrow work their way into Gumm’s inner circle collecting anecdotes about Gumm as they go.  Finally obtaining an interview, Gumm is taken with Darrow and they begin an affair, Darrow abandons Armstrong while Gumm separates from his long-time partner.  Gumm then uses his influence to promote Darrow as a major film star, beyond what her talents can sustain as she’s essentially a journalist.  Miserable, she runs back to Armstrong who has been collecting incriminating evidence about Gumm.  Staying true to the unreliable narrator trope, the film has several different endings, with Armstrong and Darrow variously forming a romance, acrimoniously going their own ways before one or the other is killed, dying in an accident or dying on the orders of Gumm or by his direct hand. 

A musical with a psychedelic mix of animation and live action, Blizard Silver is a small man who lives with his ailing father and the father’s partner, who is not Blizard’s mother.  Awkward and isolated from the rest of society he uses genetic engineering to grow himself a bunch of giant girlfriends, each of whom he splits part of his personality into.  Each of the giant women have their own introductory song.  When The Inevitable Plot to Kill Blizard (that’s actually one of the songs) so she can be name heir is discovered, his giant girlfriends help him escape and go on an unlikely journey.  Argyle notes that, “The ending is confusing and unsatisfying but the finale is visually and musically spectacular.  Some people love this movie, but I don’t see the attraction.”     

While grabbing some food for dinner on 211.407, Erin bumps into Oliver in the Common Area.

“Wow.  You are actually on the ship.  What have you been up to?”