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Shaggy Dog sci-fi

Feb 182011

As i was packing up our basement recently (in prep for a remodel), i ran across the boxed sets of the first three seasons of Battlestar Galactica. This is the 2000′s remake (I also have the box set of the 1970′s original series). But there were four seasons of the show. Where is the season four box set? It’s not like i didn’t know that i didn’t have it. I knew it was missing. It’s not like i couldn’t afford it. Money isn’t the issue. And with my slight OCD nature, when i start into collecting something, i almost always get it all (which can sometimes be rather expensive and annoying). It’s also not that i didn’t like the series. It’s an amazing series. The story is compelling, the acting is good. But … for some reason i just feel reluctant whenever i think about getting season four.

Well, today i was listening to a podcast, and the discussion there hit the nail on the head. Battlestar Galactica is a “shaggy dog story” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaggy_dog_story). Which basically means that the story is long, it’s complex, it’s interesting. And it ends with a horrible fizzle that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Many people view Lost the same way (although i never got into Lost – it “lost” my interest halfway through season 1). I would stick the Heroes series in this same camp. And the Matrix franchise. Loved it, hated the ending. Ruined the whole thing.

So yes – that’s it exactly. Everytime i think about Battlestar Galactica i think of the amazing story. And everytime i think about picking up that fourth season boxed set, i go “ehhhhhhh”, because it would mean i have to watch the ending again, and i just have no interest in ever doing that.

Of course, not every sci-fi tv series is a shaggy dog. Probably the very best example i can think of is Babylon 5. It has a five year story arc that’s completely planned out from beginning to end. There are scenes in the very first episode that only come to full fruition in the very last episode. There are story elements that span years. Characters make choices that actually matter and don’t ‘reset’ after the episode is over. If only more shows were like this.

What are some of your favorite (as in bad) shaggy dog shows?

The Grid

Technology, The Singularity Approaches 1 Response »

Jan 242011

Sparked by the recent Tron movie, i started thinking about the hyper-evolved 1980′s environment which is “The Grid”. Couple this with an interesting podcast discussion i was listening to about how different generations are interested in different things, and i find myself with something to post.

Think back to when you were in your teens. What was the cool new thing at the time? For my generation, it was home computers. Sure, computers had been around for decades as big giant mainframes and house-sized computers in universities and government buildings. But it wasn’t really until the early 80′s that they became accessible to the masses through the likes of Atari, Amiga, and Commodore. They were magical things. The world suddenly opened up to me. I had this little box that i could control. I could play pixelated games in 4 colors. I could write papers and design ascii-art banners and send them to a dot matrix printer. It made little bleep sounds. And the best part? I could write my own programs to do anything i could imagine (well … limited to the sparse programming materials i could find at the time).

The home computer was a wonder. To my parents it was a little scary. They didn’t quite know what to do with it. They coped, but it’s never really been a core part of their lives. Now let’s rewind a generation. What’s the cool thing when my parents were growing up? Televisions in every home? They probably thought that was the coolest thing ever. To me, a tv is just a tv. It’s always been there. No big deal. I use it, i like it, but it doesn’t inspire me.

Rewind further. Radio. You can actually hear what someone is saying hundreds or perhaps even thousands of miles away. At the same time as other people all around the country! They’re talking TO YOU. Telling funny stories, playing old time music. But to me (and to my parents i’d imagine), it’s just a radio. You use it, it’s there. Certainly not awe-inspiring like it was to the generation when it first came out. We can go further back, but i think you get the idea.

Let’s instead move forward a bit. My kids. They have computers. All around them. I’ve got phones that are far more powerful than any computer i had growing up. My kids have them, they use them, they’re convenient. But so what? They’re just things. They don’t inspire awe or imagination. They are inspired by other things (although i haven’t quite figured out what it is yet. Smart phones, music players, the internet, mmorpg’s, youtube, facebook, 3d movies)?

There is no “grid” for them. Which is why Tron is probably just another movie to people from before or after my generation. Sure, it’s got amazing special effects. The soundtrack rocks. But the concept of programs that look and act like us living inside of a virtual city? To me, it was something cool to ponder and imagine. Could it really happen? To my kids … ehh. They don’t have the context of wonder that i had back in the early 80′s when PC’s were just coming into their own and the grid was an exciting and revolutionary idea. And it makes me a little sad. And also a little curious and excited to see what the next revolutionary awe-inspiring thing will be.

Classic Movies

Literature 1 Response »

Sep 232010

I recently asked what makes a movie a “classic”. I got a few reponses back and thought they were all rather interesting.

Not surprisingly, there’s no one tried and true formula to determine if a movie is a classic. I mean, there are a few movies that are almost universally considered classics (even if you don’t happen to like the movie, you have to admit that they’ve made an impact on society). These tend to be really old movies that were really big.

1933′s King Kong.

The Wizard of Oz.

Casablanca.

Gone With the Wind.

Citizen Kane.

But what about E.T., The Godfather, or Star Wars? Do those count as classics? 12 Angry Men, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? 16 Candles or The Breakfast Club? Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter? The Matrix? Spaceballs The Movie? Where does one draw the line? Maybe there is no hard and fast line. A continuum would seem to make more sense.

Here are some of the resposnes I received:

Robin – From your own personal teenagehood or older.
Cynthia – A Classic to me is from around when I was born….
Alex – Robin, that means pretty much everything for me.
Mike – I am not sure what the answer to your question is but I think Tron is a classic and can’t wait for Tron Legacy.
Ellie – depends on the movie

I guess in the end, what really matters is did you like the movie? Would you watch it again? Did it have some meaningful impact on your life?

Clash of the Titans, 2010

General Information 4 Responses »

Apr 072010

Was it just me or was the new Medusa hot? Must have been her eyes. Quite striking, really.

While the new Clash of the Titans has been getting raked over the coals by the critics, i found the movie quite enjoyable. The characters were interesting, the effects were great. I liked the darker, more intense and action-packed storyline. I went and saw it in 2D, rather than 3D, since from what i’ve heard the director filmed it in 2d and only reluctantly had 3d added in post-production due to pressure from the studio. The only part that i didn’t quite get was the Djinn. What was up with them? They’re Persian, not Greek. (right?). Still, they were pretty cool.

The absolute best part of the film for me was Mt. Olympus. Specifically the “throne room” where all the gods were gathered around a room-sized representation of the Earth. Soooo amazing and cool. If for no other reason, that would make the movie worth seeing. My mind is swimming in ideas of projects from those scenes. I wish they would have shown more.

The Crystal Skull

Literature 2 Responses »

Feb 252010

When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out (a year and a half ago?!), i was first in line to go see it. In fact, i think i saw it multiple times in the theater. I loved it. And yet, there was a lot of bad press. “Oh, what a disappointment!”, “They never should have done another one”, “Harrison Ford is too old”, “Shia LeBeouf, are you kidding?”. However, all is not bad. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 77% rating on the tomatometer.

Yesterday i took a day off work and decided to rewatch it with the little ones. Man – how could anyone not LOVE this movie? I mean seriously – it’s got psychic kgb spies. Indiana Jones survives a nuclear blast by hiding in a fridge. We get to visit area 51 and see the crate where the Ark of the Covenant is resting. “Big damn ants!”. Chase scenes through the jungle, sword fights, spies, plane flights overlayed on the map, creepy graves. Immortal interdimensional archaeologist aliens that can survive for thousands of years without their heads. The hat. The whip. Snakes, quicksand, poison darts. I mean, COME ON – it doesn’t get better than this.

The bottom line? The latest installment is an action/adventure story with exotic locations and an over the top story line which is very much in line with the original Indiana Jones story.

I have dreamed a dream

Knowledge is Power 3 Responses »

Feb 032010

For some reason today a quote suddenly popped into my mind. Well, a vague recollection that there was a cool quote from a movie that i was pretty sure i would think would be cool if i could remember what it was. That’s not much to go on, to be sure, but i stuck it in the back of my mind and began a low-priority search algorithm, hoping that the old noggin would come up with a hit sooner or later.

As I was getting the kids ready for bed tonight, i remembered where i’d heard the quote. It was from Morpheus, during a dramatic scene in one of the Matrix movies. That’s all the info i needed. A few minutes later, Google had helped me narrow down the exact quote, the scene in the movie, and even a biblical reference of where the quote really came from.

Morpheus’ ship, the Nebuchadnezzar, had just been destroyed by some sentinels. As he looks on in helpless despair, he whispers: “I have dreamed a dream, and now that dream has gone from me.” It’s a very poignant moment. Right then, he believes there’s no possible way that mankind can win the war. I thought certainly that quote must be a reference to a poem.

Not quite. It’s actually a biblical reference to king Nebuchadnezzar, in the book of Daniel. He is having dreams which he can’t remember and they are troubling him. “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled … I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. … The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me.” – Daniel 2: 1-5.

I find it somewhat ironic that this is the quote that was troubling me all day and had gone from me. Fortunately, i got it back. Morpheus also got his hope back, and even king Nebuchadnezzar got his dream back (you know the one – with the head of gold, body of brass, feet of clay, …).

Star Trek

Space ... The Final Frontier 5 Responses »

May 132009

Now that Star Trek has been out long enough for anyone to see it who cares to, i thought i’d write some of my thoughts and impressions. Let me just start off by saying that the movie was amazing in every respect. The storyline, the acting, the visual effects, the music. All top notch. Whether you’re a Star Trek fan or not, this is a great show.

I’ve seen it multiple times and have several more showings lined up. Each time i’ve gone in looking at it from a different angle, trying to spot different things. And each time i’ve come away quite satisfied. From the very first scene where the bad guys come through the rift in a ship that just looks like evil incarnate, and Kirk sr. saves his wife and newborn child (Kirk) by sacrificing himself and his ship, you just know the movie is gonna be good.

This is definitely a series “reboot”. The essence of the original show is there – you’ve got all the main characters and the setting of a futuristic world with a federation of planets. You’ve got Vulcans and Romulans. There’s time travel, humor, tragedy, love, explosions, technobabble, and even a red-shirt. How do you reboot a franchise that has 40 years of television shows, movies, multiple series, and a rabid fanbase? You create an alternate timeline! That way, even though it’s still Star Trek, you’re not bound by all that canon. You have creative freedom to take the story and characters in new directions. And i, as an avid fan, think this is wonderful. I’m excited to see what happens next. More movies? Another television series that starts up where the movie[s] left off? Bring it on! Just don’t forget to explain what happens to the admirals dog. That’s all i ask

Now granted, many of the major events that occurred in the original timeline can be avoided now. For example, who’s to say we’ll ever meet Khan? I mean, the Enterprise just randomly bumped into him in the original series. The universe if different, the timing is different. It’s almost certain that Khan will just continue to float in space forever until the life pods eventually give out. Khan will never get stranded on seti-alpha five, Spock won’t have to die saving the ship, and Kirk and crew won’t have to go rogue to get him back (which may or may not work anyway since Vulcan is npw destroyed and who knows if they even still have the ability to reuinite body and spirit?).

But there are two events that i think are still going to happen, regardless. Things that were set in motion long before the timeline was altered, and would be completely unaffected by the changes to the timeline. One: VGER. Yes, everyone’s favorite probe that got sucked into a black hole and emerged on the far side of the galaxy. It’s still slowly traveling back to earth, assimilating all the knowledge it can. Eventually the big spoiled brat arrive looking for the creator, and if the Enterprise isn’t there to greet it .. who knows what might happen? Two: The wales are still extinct. The super whale ship from deep space is still gonna come knocking on earth’s door looking to find out what happened. And someone’s gonna still have to go back in time to save the wales. Right? Right? Of course, those events are still 30 years in the future from where we’re at now in the reboot, so there’s plenty of time to think about how to resolve them.

I can’t wait to see it again. I can’t wait to see the next movie. I can’t wait for a television series. My trek geek is alive and well once more. Bravo to all involved.

It’s almost back

The Singularity Approaches 1 Response »

Apr 072009

A great review of the legacy of Terminator. How can you not love something that has lines like this:

Like many beloved phenomena

The Hunt for Gollum

Literature 2 Responses »

Aug 042008

This looks like a really well-made fan movie that will be released as a free download in December 2008. The trailers are impressive. I hope it meets expectations.

The story takes place before the Lord of the Rings story. It’s about how Strider is searching for Gollum. The books (at least the original trilogy) make a passing reference about searching for Gollum after the Hobbit ends and before the Lord of the Rings begins. This fleshes out that story.

Indy 4

General Information 2 Responses »

May 212008

This is certainly THE blockbuster for the summer this year. There are many other great movies, to be sure, but nothing to compare with a fourth installment to Indiana Jones.When the first reviews began to come out they were either downright hostile, or luke-warm. This worried me only slightly because hey – it’s supposed to be a big over the top popcorn movie with outlandish plots – it’s Indiana Freaking Jones for goodness sakes!

Finally someone who gets it has written an excellent review (don’t worry – there’s no spoilers).

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an absolute triumph, and a picture-perfect tribute to one of cinema’s great action franchies.A conscious decision in production was made to steer clear of CGI effects when possible and perform stunts the old-fashioned way, and it’s certainly paid off – everything, from sword-fights on duelling jeeps to motorcycle chases and mad dashes through ancient ruins and treasure-filled warehouses feels suitably weighty and satisfying.

It’s everything an Indiana Jones film should be: stunning action sequences, a silly – yet riveting – plot, Russians, curses, tombs, caves, jungles, whips and Fedoras, allied with a mountain of adventure and a truckful of nostalgia.

I can’t wait to go see it this weekend!!!!

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