Babel Clash

I’ve been reading the comments and finding myself nodding in agreement, or with appreciation as I came to look at something from a slightly different perspective.  Great conversations, great feedback - particularly in that last post, “Is it me?”

Off I go to finish another book…

PEace,

Bob Salvatore

Bob,

Thank you for participating in Babel Clash.  Before you go, would you like to take the opportunity to tell us about The Ghost King and the Dame?  Why are these classic Salvatore must-reads?

Morgan

As I sit here thiinking about those moments in science-fiction/fantasy movies that really caught me (”Close Encounters of the Third Kind” had about 50 of them, by the way), I notice that almost all of them are far back in time.  Most of that is probably me - you see thiings differently in your teens and twenties than you do in your forties and fifties, i expect.

But I think there’s something else going on here.  I just did an interview with Newsweek Radio where we talked about whether or not the “arts” could inspire manned space flight again, as happened the first time around.  As I thought about it, I realized…probably not.  Here’s why: with computer graphics, we’ve outstripped reality so completely that anything “real” will be boring by contrast.  In the Marshall McLuhan vernacular, we’ve numbed ourselves to all but the extremes.  I find this very evident in horror movies, other than the occasional gem, and so to with science-fiction and fantasy.

I loved “The Fellowship of the Rings,” liked “The Two Towers” and moderately enjoyed “The Return of the King.”  As Jackson got more extreme on the CG in each film, I found myself moving further from them, emotionally.

Thoughts?

Bob

I caught a few minutes of Back to the Future II yesterday.  In the future, there’s a fax machine in every home, and there’s no e-mail or internet.  We see the challenge of near-future sci-fi… predicting future technology isn’t so easy.  Anybody else have any favorite anachronisms from sci-fil films?

Did anyone else watch the pilot episode of the new “V”?  I vaguely remember the original.  The aliens ripping off their human faces to reveal their true reptilian faces freaked me out as a kid.  I seriously had nightmares about it.  This new show is shaping up for solid entertainment, but I’m not expecting any nightmares this time.  It’s flashy and fun, but I miss some of the mystery and creepiness that came with the original.

2010 presents a promising list of new science fiction and fantasy films.  Here are the ones that I’m most looking forward to:

1) Clash of the Titans - Epic mythology with plenty of heroes, gods and monsters.

2) The Wolf Man - Remake of the Universal horror classic, with a strong cast.

3) Iron Man 2 - The # 1 blockbuster of the season.

4) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia) - based on the first fantasy novel that ever caught my eye.  There’s a big nostalgia factor here for me.

5) Alice in Wonderland - Tim Burton & Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, this will be a feast for the imagination.

Other contenders:  The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Red Sonja, the Losers, Legion, Prince of Persia, Daybreakers, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the Book of Eli, Predators, Tron Legacy, Twilight:  Eclipse.

They’re not Sci-Fi / Fantasy per se, but they look fun:  Scott Pilgrim & Jonah Hex.

Which movies make your top 5 “most anticipated” list?

Does anyone remember the Rankin-Bass animated version of “The Hobbit”?  Orson Bean starred as Bilbo Baggins…one thing about that excellent production that has stayed with me was the sense of whimsy it captured withint he framework of a more serious topic.

The colors of the Shire night, on the bridge above the stream, for example, were really saturated and beyond the expected spectrum.  it drew me in and made me want to be there.

I would also argue that this is one reason World of Warcraft has so smashed its competitors.  Many of hte other video games go for the grays and greens and browns of the real world in their quest for a near-real look.  Blizzard threw that out the window with World of Warcraft and instead moved the color palates to the extreme ranges.

And again, it’s a world I want to visit.

Bob

Gremlin

The debate this week is about movies, and it has turned to elves at the movies.  Unfortunately, we’ve had some gremlins in the machine.  Just like an old-fashioned movie reel slipping off the track, we’ve experienced some technical difficulties.

Bob Salvatore is still on schedule to post this week.  Because of some computer glitches, he’s had a hard time logging into our Babel Clash system.  That should be fixed today, and then we’ll be back to our regular geeky debate schedule.

Sorry for the interruption in posts, everyone.  Please stick with us and see more of the discussion with Bob throughout the week.  Thank you.

Bob, do envision Drizzt making it into a live-action film?  Do you have favorite scenes that you’d especially love to see on the big screen?  When envisioning scenes for your Drizzt adventures, do you consciously build scenes with cinematic scope or does that come naturally given the genre?

Best Sci-Fi movie moment?  Is there any contest here?  Empire Strikes Back.  “I am your father.”

It’s a perfect revelation that flips the story upside down and changes everyone’s view of the entire Star Wars mythos.  Well, it does if you haven’t seen the prequels first.

Aha, password issues resolved and here I am. I see that we’re discussing the best moments in sci-fi/fantasy films…I think I’ll show my age.

“Robinson Crusoe on Mars”: I used to watch this movie every couple of months on those Saturday morning monster matinees. The idea of the hero alone in a strange and hostile place is so terrifying…well, I guess it’s time to show why you’re the protagonist here.

Those moments of building a “home,” a place of reasonable security against such odds seem to me to be an essential element in escapist fiction. Sure, the world is big and bad and scary, but you can make that cave your home.

Similarly, the scene in “Lost in Space” (the series, not the movie), where the Robinsons, West and Smith first crash onto a hostile planet and have to carve out some sort of hope and home…the scene that most comes to mind is when they are all gathered in their all-terrain (all glass) vehicle exploring together, trying to find solutions together. I love that stuff!

Bob Salvatore