Science Fiction Interpretations

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Subject: Science Fiction Interpretations

Posted by: brm50diboll
Date: Jan 02 17

I have debated with myself starting a Virtual Blog for months. I have so little free time nowadays that I may not be able to keep it up, but I think I'll at least try. This is intended to be wide-ranging, so it wouldn't fit in the Television, Movies, or Literature boards categories and I don't want to clog up General with just my observations but here I can rant if I choose and people can choose to ignore me or engage my flawed analysis if they wish.

469 replies. On page 18 of 24 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

UmberWunFayun

I'm not massively into old movies myself generally (I was born in 1971), but I'm a big fan of horror movies, and some of the best are the old ones, before everything relied on special effects and making the audience want to vomit.
Also, since I have always had a passion for reading, I'm always interested in movies that are made from books I've read. Wyndham was a great writer.

Reply #341. Mar 17 19, 3:42 PM

brm50diboll

I will readily admit I don't read too many books. I just don't have the time. I force myself to read books (two or three a year, maybe) because I know it's good for you and in cases where there is both a book and a movie version, the book version is almost always better, as there is more space available for storytelling and engaging the readers' imaginations on some matters is better than cutting that process off by direct portrayal. But due to time constraints, I am predominantly a skimmer. I read a lot of internet articles and summaries. My tastes in literature and drama are quite eclectic, but I favor some genres more than others. Obviously, given the title of this blog, I have a great deal of interest in science fiction, and, since I define that quite broadly, I have discussed several things in this blog that properly aren't really science fiction, including some horror. Horror overlaps with science fiction a lot more than most other genres, I think. But I'm not really much of a straight horror fan. Jump scares do nothing for me, and indiscriminate grossness actually irritates me. I think Stephen King has interesting "world-building" ideas. However, "It" is the only Stephen King book I've actually read to completion (I've skimmed a lot of "The Stand", but it is a really massive book.) And I'll admit right away that I haven't read any straight horror novels by any other authors, although I have read quite a few Edgar Allan Poe short stories. I particularly like "The Masque of the Red Death" and "Hop-Frog". But I'm afraid I'm not going to be reading any horror novels in the immediate future. Sorry about that.

Reply #342. Mar 17 19, 5:30 PM

MiraJane

Okay, I saw "Village of the Damned" then. That makes more sense as the title since it was the one where all the children were in the same village. It was the one where they took apart the brick wall.

Both those movies came out long before I was born. Simply because I wasn't born yet doesn't mean I haven't seen the movie. Brian I haven't read your last reply so I can't comment on what you've said. My headache is making the words look wonky.

Reply #343. Mar 18 19, 12:45 AM

brm50diboll

People who comment without reading in full the comments above are lazy. If they have a physical problem that prevents them from reading before they make a comment, they should wait until they are better to do so.

Reply #344. Mar 18 19, 4:03 AM

UmberWunFayun

Brian, 'IT' is my favourite book, undisputed number one. I've read it six times. I'm also impressed by King's ability to interweave the plots, locations and characters of his work, when you read them all, it's a very clever tool for getting you engaged and invested in each new story. The man is a genius.
Watch 'Village Of The Damned' if ever you get the chance, I think you'll like it. The George Sanders character is a teacher, and ultimately the hero of the piece. The creepy children have a hive-mind, and he's the only adult they have any respect for, because he can teach them things. He, in turn, is the only adult who responds to them with anything other than fear and loathing, because they are eager to be taught. It is ultimately this relationship that becomes their undoing.....all of them. The biggest horror is in the realisation that to defeat something inhuman, you might have to sacrifice your own humanity. It's as much Science Fiction as horror, I think Wyndham is definitely classed as being a Science Fiction writer.
I don't get nearly as much time to read anymore as I'd like, but I started reading adult books around age 5-6 so I've managed to fit in quite a few. My tastes are also very eclectic, but I particularly like being whisked away to other worlds, since that's what I feel books are for.

Reply #345. Mar 18 19, 4:04 AM

UmberWunFayun

I also love Poe. One of my dogs is named Edgar.

Reply #346. Mar 18 19, 4:07 AM

brm50diboll

People are less likely to see movies before they were born than after. Facts are stubborn things. I never said I never watched old movies. I don't like when people misrepresent my point. I'm not going to go out and try to find a movie I'd never heard of just because it is possible for me to do so.

Reply #347. Mar 18 19, 4:07 AM

brm50diboll

On my list of old movies I haven't seen but that I would like to someday when I have the time and it is convenient (meaning I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for it off Amazon Prime or something), I give priority to things that have a concept that intrigues me. Most horror movies just don't. I've discussed some of the ones I did find intriguing in previous posts, but one that is on my "To see... someday" list is the 1942 version of Cat People. I am more partial to "cosmic karma" types of themes (or revenge themes) where someone who was badly wronged manages to get the comeuppance he/she was entitled to. The fall of Prince Prospero and his retinue of entitled, wealthy, sycophants is particularly delicious to me.

Reply #348. Mar 18 19, 4:20 AM

UmberWunFayun

Ah, hence your Poe preferences.

Reply #349. Mar 18 19, 6:46 AM

brm50diboll

Most (not all) Twilight Zone episodes follow the "cosmic karma" idea. Yes, this is why I like it. I like other things, too. But as this is my blog, I feel I should try to explain if I like, dislike, or am neutral towards various topics and give my reasons for my opinions as best I can. I certainly don't expect others to always agree with me. But as a general principles, if I find myself disagreeing with the majority of what another virtual blog writer writes, I stay away from that blog. An occasional disagreement is OK (I'm a big boy), but anyone who posts on another player's virtual blog should expect that the blog creator may choose to comment on their post, even if it wasn't directly addressed to the blog creator. This is my blog, I'm not going to be excluded from writing my opinions on my own blog. If another player really feels that they have the need to disagree with me repeatedly, they are free to start their own virtual blog (maybe even title it "Why everything brm50diboll writes is wrong"). I might post there once, and leave them free to enjoy always having the last word on their own blog afterwards. I value honesty. I wouldn't be honest myself if I didn't state why I didn't like something from time to time. I respect that others have different opinions.

Reply #350. Mar 18 19, 1:57 PM

brm50diboll

Star Trek TOS "The Alternative Factor". Very sad. I wouldn't want to be Lazarus. All eternity with his doppelganger.

Tired now. But will try to finish my GC and Duels, anyway.

Reply #351. Mar 24 19, 7:53 PM

MiraJane

Brian? I don't read here all the time. If you were making comments directed at me, I'd like the chance to answer. I you weren't, ignore this then. Perhaps ask that this post be removed.

If the post stating people should read previous posts referred to me, I did read them. I don't know why you had the opinion I didn't. I went back to check the TV listings and the movie had been listed as "Children of the Damned." However, it appears that wasn't the movie shown.

You mentioned you born in 1963 and gave that as a reason you missed both of the movies with the creepy children. Jo, you also mentioned when you were born after stating you weren't into old movies yet you were familiar with the movie I mentioned. I don't know why the years you, both of you, we're born had any bearing on wether you saw the movie or not. It is played on American TV often, Brian. I was born after both of you. I don't necessarily seek out what you termed "old movies" but I don't snub them either.

Yes, I know this wasn't what you were discussing. I don't read Stephen King or watch movies made from his books usually. The only ones I've seen are "Carrie" and "Shining". I don't intend to see any more.

I mentioned my migraine that time because it hit me while I was typing that post. They come on fast with little to no warning. Having one then had nothing to do with the previous posts.

Why did I come in here in the first place to make the post about "Children of the Damned"? Well, gee, I looked at the blog title. I've posted here before. Brian, you told me I was welcome to post here again. Sorry that I interrupted your private conversation.

Reply #352. Mar 25 19, 12:33 AM

brm50diboll

You are welcome to post here again, MiraJane. But I control the subject matter I wish to address.

Reply #353. Mar 25 19, 12:36 AM

UmberWunFayun

I'm sure Brian could explain the science better than me, but since it's of particular personal interest to me, here's why mentioning age is a factor in likes and dislikes.
The era in which we are born is bound to directly affect our core tastes in entertainment, including movies, music, TV, and even literature. We may stray outside of these core tastes, to a greater or lesser degree dependent on the individual, but the reason for those core tastes is nostalgia. The human brain stores memories in a very complicated way, and the storage is very associative - we remember a movie best if it is associated with other memories, such as a cinema visit, an anticipatory discussion with friends, staying up late for the first time, owning a first car or bike, a whole slew of seemingly unassociated things that become associated simply because they happened to occur at the same time. Thus, I love a lot of 80's movies, some of which are dreadful, because I was a teenager in the 80's and was being bombarded with associated experiences. The reason that this interests me personally is because I have no sense of smell, which is a key element in other people's memory storage and retrieval process, and so my cognitive function is slightly different than 'normal'. I rely even more heavily on vision and sound, so movies and music are especially important links to me in recalling other events in my life. Therefore, the year I was born, and the subsequent years in which I grew up, are bound to have shaped my tastes in entertainment to a degree.
Having said all that, I did also say that I think a lot of the older horror movies are the best.
I may be wrong, but I think that if an individual who is much younger than me has a particular affinity for very old movies, this will generally be due to some exposure associated with other pleasant memories, such as watching them with favourite grandparents and a special treat of candy or pie or ice-cream, or the style of clothes or cars in those films being reminiscent of a beloved relative, or some such thing. You may not realise or care about the reasons why, but your tastes are shaped by many factors, and age is definitely one of them.

Reply #354. Mar 25 19, 2:09 AM

UmberWunFayun

I haven't watched Star Trek since I was a child, so I don't remember anything of the episode you mention, Brian. However, I looked up a synopsis online, read the most detailed one I could find, and it sounds very interesting. The idea of time travelers causing untold damage by meeting themselves is widely used in science fiction, and poses lots of fascinating questions that will probably never be answered. The idea of layered dimensions also intrigues me greatly. In some fiction, the parallel universes are created by our own actions; whenever we make a decision, two new branches form along the space/time continuum, one for each possibility. Imagine if that were true...I'd want nothing more than to take a peek at what was happening in some of my other existences, but not at the risk of ending up like poor old Lazarus and Anti Lazarus.

Reply #355. Mar 25 19, 12:54 PM

brm50diboll

All I can say now (and I'll admit this reference is intentionally oblique) is now I feel deeply sad for Eobard Thawne.

Reply #356. Mar 25 19, 4:54 PM

terraorca

Time travel has long been a favorite of the Sci-Fi genre. If the subject interests any of you further, one of my personal favorites on the topic is a short story by Ray Bradbury called "A Sound of Thunder."

Reply #357. Mar 25 19, 7:23 PM

brm50diboll

What I remember from the Laws of Thermodynamics is that heat spontaneously flows from warmer areas to cooler ones. Tonight I have been experiencing some very unusual temperature distributions in my immediate environs. The weather, however (which has never particularly been a concern of mine) is perfect. Reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode "The Midnight Sun". The uncomfortable feeling has definitely thrown off my concentration.

Reply #358. Mar 25 19, 8:44 PM

brm50diboll

I don't normally revisit topics I've looked at recently, but I've been thinking more about Netflix's Bandersnatch and I wanted to elaborate a little more on it: The idea is to find an acceptable ending. The problem is, some of the "endings" aren't really endings at all because the thing resets and makes you play again. What you want is to get all of the way through the ending credits.

For example, if you take the quickest route, which is work with the team, the thing forces a replay again and again until you finally have to choose work alone. If you go to the psychiatrist and take your meds, you still end up being forced to follow Colin eventually because the Exit to End Credits option doesn't show up. If you follow Colin, you are forced to smoke marijuana and take LSD (very distateful options for me, personally, as I've never taken recreational drugs and never plan to) and you are then forced to choose to either have Stefan (the central character) or Colin jump out of a skyscraper window balcony to fall to his death (both terrible options).

I don't really care about the number of stars on the rating Stefan gets on his Bandersnatch game, but I don't want to *kill Dad* either. Is there a way to get through the game to the end credits without killing Dad?

Reply #359. Mar 26 19, 6:58 AM

brm50diboll

So, having finished all the episodes of the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones some time ago, tonight I watched the first episode of the eighth and final season. Not a whole lot happened, just stage-setting and getting the old gang all together. But I wouldn't throw out any spoilers, anyway. This final season is only going to have six episodes, so five more to go. I guess I'm committed to watching it all the way to the end now.

Reply #360. Apr 14 19, 8:23 PM

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