monsoonster
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I Love AR
Posts: 76
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When a youth, I watched shows like "Dark Shadows" when I could. I always like the vampiness of it. And it was scary, to my under 10 year old mind, as well. However, upon catching it later, one episode, I cringed. lol
I also watched "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" and "Land Of The Giants", as a young'un. They were micro science fiction shows, at best, but still, seemed so "far out" at the time. I bought season three of "Voyage" and found it more espionage laden than sci-fi; I even had to smile at the sight of regular land-line phones used and swivel chairs that fell over when something happened to the sub. Bolt those chairs down!! Star Trek had the same issues (with chairs), and when you think of it, the Enterprise was really nothing more than a hopped-up submarine.
I used to read Heinlein, Asimov, Clark, Verne, HG Wells, Bradbury, and others, whose names at the moment escape me. I haven't reread anything by Heinlein, but did reread something by Asimov; other than the science, the rest was not very well written. I reread "Journey to the Center of the Earth" a few years back, a book I read twice, back to back, when 10 years old. I thought it was a monumental piece. However, after the rereading, I was like, ouch; more of an earth-science field guide, than anything. Wells and Clark hold up well. I love Bradbury and am reading "Machineries of Joy" short story collection at the moment. Although, I don't understand how he is considered -- how shall I put this? -- what I would consider science fiction, in the purest sense of the word. At most, his science fiction stories seem to be cautionary tales of "don't get too wrapped up in technology and miss the joy and sacredness that is around you everyday". "Fahrenheit" prophesied reality TV, the cell phone, and the internet; the burning of books seemed secondary to the actual tale. "No independent thought allowed here." His "Martian Chronicles" seemed to be more, "go all that way to find what they thought they didn't have at home, but in fact did." Human stories dressed in space suits and rockets shining on the hillside. Everything he handled was expertly done.
But as far as now, in today's environment, I'll take the science weirdness-based-on-fact any day. Something that pushes the boundary. Something that is not entirely derivative of yesterday's successes, something that seems more fantasy than fact; and today, that program is, "The Fringe".
I liked episodes 1-3 of Star Wars. Whenever I hear people poo-poo it, all they do is say they didn't like it. When asked to explain why, they will say, bad writing, bad acting, etc. And my response to that is, really? Did you actually watch episodes 4-6? Episode 4, to be honest, was badly acted; Mark Hammell in the Falcon with the helmet on, Obi wan telling him to feel the force, to Leia Kissing Han on the lips (a smack, really) before swinging over the abysmal machinery to safety, to Luke in his "feel the force" moment to take out the Dark Star.... Bad, bad acting. I mean really. Come on. Bad acting. 5 and 6, as well, which I could point out numerous scenes. BUT, it was/is more fantasy than sci fi. Something not seen but written about in pulp novels. Like you said, Jean, yay. Episodes 1-3 were less fantasy and more political, all of which had been hinted at in varying degrees in 4-6. So why, after seeing 4-6, did people poo-poo (and still do) 1-3, especially when all it did was realize hints from the previous 3 movies? I have an hypothesis: I think that when people saw 4-6, it was new. The technology was new, the ideas were new, and most likely, those watching it young, and if not, young enough that the show made them feel young. Then what happened? Roughly 20 years went by. People had no doubt endlessly rewatched episodes 4-6, expecting the same feelings to resurface when 1-3 were viewed. But during that time, the technology was used over and over and it wasn't new anymore, it was old hat (even kid shows were using it, or forms of the technology that made us go W.OW in '77). And people got jaded; cynical, because of it. I mean, look at the technology that was first an "Oh, W.OW! LOOK AT THAT!" when "The Matrix" first came out. What happened afterwards? Commercials were began using it, not to mention what seemed every other movie; even non-science fiction type movies. Because of that, cynicism for that series of movies crept in even quicker. Back to Star Wars: I really, really love episode 3. I consider that one the equal, if not better, than episode 4.
W.ow. I didn't mean to write so much. lol. As you can see, I am not made for social media type sites. My thoughts are bigger than 140 characters.
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