you just pretty neatly summarized our post-movie dinner conversation ;-). I used to really enjoy J. J. Abrams, back when Alias was first getting started. But the way Sydney could travel 20,000 air-miles and have four pitched fights in the space of a weekend while being fresh as a daisy for her seminar on monday a.m., along with the shamless Maguffinism (can anybody say what all that mystical stuff was ever actually about, anyway?) soured me on it by sometime in the 2nd season. (Plus, how do you just **move ** an entire EEEEEVIL terrorist spy organization into the CIA whole-hog?)
I gave Lost two solid seasons and just lost interest in the third, for similar reasons. My general conclusion about Abrams has been that there's not much there, there. He's in it for the chase, and just about everything else is maguffin: relationships, technology, characters, you name it, they're all just excuses for situations, preferably involving either metaphorical or literal combat. (I long ago reached similar conclusions about David E. Kelley: that he was more than willing to sacrifice character-realism for an exciting plot development. And having said that I'll dial back on Abrams a little bit on character, and concede that [unlike kelley] when he changes up a character he usually finds some kind of force majeur to explain it away.) So while I'm not very invested in Star Wars, I sympathize with Wars fans who are worried about what Abrams will do to their world. The cinematic SW universe is fragile and doesn't make a lot of sense, but Wars fans and Extended Universe (term?) writers have worked hard to shore it up; I can readily envision abrams waltzing in and recycling a faster-paced, sexier pastiche of Ep. 4-6 tropes with a little Extended Universe stuff thrown in to get the fanbase on board with promotions. On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 7:12 AM, Robert Tyler <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi gang, > I saw Into Darkness a few weeks ago and was also disappointed, for a > number of reasons. It felt recycled. We've all seen Kahn before, we know > he's a badass, and we saw Spock die from radiation just like Kirk did in > this one. And really - if the fuel injector can get so easily knocked out > of alignment, you'd think they'd have some kind of remote re-alignment > gizmo so someone wouldn't have to get a deadly dose of radiation kicking > it back into place. And remind me...why did the admiral hide the bodies in > the torpedoes? And since they replaced the fuel cells, how could they be > fired? Or were they never mean to be? And...why did they need to capture > Kahn alive to make the life-saving serum...when they had a bunch of other > bodies onboard that had the same superhuman blood in their veins? And at > the end, why did it have to come down to a fist fight between the good guy > and bad guy, like soooo many other cheesy movies. > Ok, I've vented. Otherwise I liked it! > Cheers, > Rob > > Rob Tyler > mobile: 585-727-6125 > [email protected] > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Eric Scoles <[email protected]> > *To:* r-spec <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, May 26, 2013 6:32 AM > *Subject:* Re: [R-SPEC] R-SPEC Movie Night: Saturday, May 25 @ 3:15 p.m. > > I haven't seen Oblivion; I thought I remembered talking with someone about > it at the last meeting, but I'm mixing up a lot in my head lately. > > > > > On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 1:02 AM, Sally Caves <[email protected]> wrote: > > We didn't much care for this Star Trek either... seemed one long big car > chase, and the jokes were forced. The first one was superior, and had they > really been thinking they'd have turned this into a series like Mad Men. > That way, they could have had subtler plots and character development, > multiple adventures, and a longer time to develop them. They wouldn't have > been forced to push so much into a two hour time slot. Think how Kahn might > have developed over time. Spock and Uhura's unlikely romance could have > seemed more likely. Plus, you forget the characters. You love them at the > time, but three years later they look just a little older and... thicker. > > Looking forward to World's End. What did people think of Oblivion? > > Sarah > > > On Sat, May 25, 2013 at 8:24 PM, Eric Scoles <[email protected]> wrote: > > Benny chewed the scenery very well. > > We all agreed it was fun, but I don't personally care much if I ever see > it again. > > (I will say Sisto makes a great Spock.) > > I'm very much looking forward to The World's End, myself, which we have on > our calendar for August. > > > > On Sat, May 25, 2013 at 5:18 PM, Sally Caves <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hey, too bad! Chris and I saw it. Benedict Cumberbatch is awesome. LOL > (but I like him already) Hope you enjoy it.... Did you go see Oblivion? We > really enjoyed that. Sarah > > > On Sat, May 25, 2013 at 1:45 PM, Alan Vincent Michaels < > [email protected]> wrote: > > No worries. At the rate I'm going today, getting there by 3 might be a > challenge. :) > > > > On Sat, May 25, 2013 at 12:54 PM, Eric Scoles <[email protected]>wrote: > > > See y'all there. Alan, I probably won't be there quite that early but I'll > try not to leave you hanging out alone for too long. > > > On Sat, May 25, 2013 at 12:39 PM, Dave Henn <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I have to work. As Alan said Alicia might join at the restaurant. I might > too. Though in both our cases only for drinks or a light snack since Lydia > is cooking us dinner tonight. > > > On Saturday, May 25, 2013, Alan Vincent Michaels wrote: > > Eric, > > Michele and I will be there, probably a half-hour or little more early. I > don't think the crowds will be big, but it is the second weekend of the > movie and a holiday weekend, too. > > Alicia may join us for dinner and discussion afterwards. > > I haven't receive any feedback from others. > > Dinner and discussion afterwards is always a possibility. Near the theater > are Jeremiah's II, Quaker Steak & Lube, and Pixley's Restaurant. I've had > good food in all three restaurants. > > Alan > > > On Sat, May 25, 2013 at 10:11 AM, Eric Scoles <[email protected]>wrote: > > > I'll be there, most likely with Brad. Janice may sit this one out. > > Anybody else planning to go? Any thoughts on after? > > > On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 1:05 PM, Eric Scoles <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I'm out of the pool on this -- where did folks go the last couple of > times, & what did they think? > > > On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 10:37 AM, Alan <[email protected]>wrote: > > Hello! > > I thought I had already posted this. Apparently, my time this week has > been sucked into a traveling black hole! Darned those rogue singularities. > > Here is the movie and time for this Saturday... > > *Star Trek: Into Darkness* > > Cinemark Tinseltown (Gates), 2291 Buffalo Rd, Rochester, NY 14624 > > Saturday, May 25 > 3:15 p.m. > > 2 hours 12 minutes run time > > (Regular movie version @ $7.25 per person; not the IMAX 3D or real D 3D > version!) > > > We'll decide as a group if / where dinner is after the movie. > > Regards, > Alan > > Alan Vincent Michaels > R-SPEC Program Officer > 585-729-6167 > alan.vincent.michaels@gmail.**com > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > > -- > -- > eric scoles | [email protected] > > > > > -- > -- > eric scoles | [email protected] > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the > Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" > group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/r-spec/hg5M9RB0-HE/unsubscribe?hl=en-US. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > -- > Dave Henn > [email protected] > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > > -- > -- > eric scoles | [email protected] > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the > Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" > group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/r-spec/hg5M9RB0-HE/unsubscribe?hl=en-US. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > > -- > -- > eric scoles | [email protected] > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > > -- > -- > eric scoles | [email protected] > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en-US. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- -- eric scoles | [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. 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