Info Desk: Staff: Weblog

March 8, 2005

The movie is basically a social commentary. Superficially, Heston's character is just a cop trying to investigate the murder of some wealthy so-and-so. But, really, that's just window dressing. The point of the movie is basically that there are too many people for the planet to sustain, space is the ultimate resource, and the only people who can afford any space are those who commercially subjugate the rest of society. It's quite a dystopia on par with what you might see in 1984 or Metropolis.

What I found particularly striking was that, despite the commentary being largely one focused on the problems of overpopulation, a lot of the concerns are still relevant. There's a growing gap (at least in the United States, if not the world) between the rich and the poor. That is certainly exemplified in the movie. The corruption of police, government and industry are all still poignaint. The apathy of people to work to correct their situation. The use of information as a source of power. The use of media as misinformation. The inhumane treatment of dissenters. All still valid concerns thrity years later.

Maybe my cynicism fuels an interest in dystopias that most people don't share or appreciate, but there are some very powerful lessons to learn and it amazes me how many people refuse to learn them.
   --  Sean Kleefeld

March 6, 2005

March 2, 2005

Looking back, it was a easier than I thought it would be, with regard to workload. But it was mentally very draining since I'm REALLY not happy with the classic classroom/lecture style of teaching. Would I have gone through the program if I wasn't getting reimbursed for it at work? Probably not. Do I have any intention of going on to get a doctorate? No, but then again, I never had any real intention of getting a Masters degree either.

I suppose I probably ought to study for this exam tonight, though.
   --  Sean Kleefeld

February 28, 2005

Here we are, decades later, and I'm taking a shower. I had worked out at the gym the day before and my arms were a little sore. I lifted one arm up to massage it a bit and make sure I didn't pull anything, when I noticed that I actually had a bit of a muslce there. (It was the first time I had really checked in a few months.)

So I was feeling unusually proud for a second or two there, when I realized that I wasn't actually trying to make a muscle. I just had my arm elevated and bent a bit! That bulge was from a near-resting position! When I actually tried flexing, I could see my biceps grow even larger! I've never been a big fitness buff, but I do have to say that it was a pretty cool feeling!

This moment of vainity brought to you by: my local gym and several months of lifting weights.
   --  Sean Kleefeld

February 26, 2005

-Nathaniel Richards is a somewhat shadowy adventurer with a dark side who vanished while Reed was young. Reed made use of his father's fortune to finance his scientific explorations. James Clarke Wildman, aka Dr. Clark Savage, Sr. is a repentant criminal who was absent for most of Doc's young life, off on adventures to find fortunes that would finance Doc on his crusade against evil (Wildman decided that before he was even born, his son would become a mighty crusader for justice to make up for his own misdeeds).

-Reed Richards served in World War II alongside tough-talking New Yorker Ben Grimm. Doc Savage served in World War I alongside tough-talking New Yorker Monk Mayfair.

-Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four are family, either biologically, through marriage, or friendship. Doc Savage is tremendously close to his team (called the Fabulous Five) and constantly refers to them as "brothers"- according to Farmer, "...so often that you wonder if they really are."

-Ben and Johnny have a heated rivalry involving practical jokes, corny banter, and insults- as do Monk Mayfair and Ham Brooks. Reed and Doc both tolerate this rivalry for the most part, but sometimes it causes them to lose their respective tempers.

-The Fantastic Four's first true headquarters is the top five floors of the Baxter Building, a skyscraper in New York. Doc Savage's primary headquarters is the entire 86th floor of the Empire State Building.

-One of Reed's few failings is that he doesn't understand women, primarily Sue. One of Doc Savage's few failings is that he doesn't understand women.

Granted, there are many, many differences between the characters of Doc Savage, the Fabulous Five, and the Fantastic Four. Between the fact that Savage's first name is Clark, he has a nebbishy alter ego (Henry Peace), and a Fortress of Solitude, he could just as easily be considered a forerunner to Superman. Still, I was fascinated to find out that the distance between the Man of Bronze and Marvel's First Family is a rather short one indeed.
   --  Gregg

February 22, 2005

The premise was solid, the acting was good, and the stories were well told. The effects certainly up to ILM standards of today, but this was a TV show in 1981. So I think we can forgive them for anything there. The show holds up very well, I think. There's a bit of perculiarity with the origin in the pilot -- namely why Ralph hung around Bill's car long enough for the spaceship to find them. But aside from that minor point, the characters, especially Robert Culp's portrayal of Bill Maxwell.

What I found interesting, too, is that creator/writer/producer Stephen Cannell evidently knew little to nothing about the superhero genre. And he still treated the characters and the genre with respect. Even with Ralph's lack of skill at flying and the goofy costume!

So, hey, if you enjoy that kind of thing at all, I'd suggest buying, renting or borrowing a copy when you get a chance.
   --  Sean Kleefeld

February 19, 2005

So I've spent almost all of my free time in the past week checking out some of these films and burning them to DVD. The acting is a little stiff on some of them, but it's gonna make for enjoyable few days emersing myself in Lucas' playgound.
   --  Sean Kleefeld

February 16, 2005

Here's a link to some more info on the book: http://www.ffplaza.com/museum/1968.shtml

It still holds up fairly well as a story, even if it is written for a slightly younger audience than the regular comic. I was interested to note that the book's villain Dr. Weird was recently rehabilitated into the Marvel Universe courtesy of the Marvel Encyclopaedia vol 6. So go check out this negelcted corner of the FF's history - if you can find a copy.
   --  Steve

February 8, 2005

I was talking to my brother-in-law, and he mentioned that he has this cool DVD burner that will copy VHS tapes, despite any security that's been put onto the tape itself! And he was interested in borrowing my copy of the original Star Wars trilogy. The original, mind you, not the "Special Edition" or the new version that was released on DVD a few months back. (Well, I say "original" but it was actually the remastered versions from the mid-1990s. No new effects, but enhanced color and sound over the original original.)

Anyway, so he made me a copy as well, and I whipped up some cool DVD covers to blend in with the other movies. It looks cool and all, but then I happen to spot in a Target that they're starting to release Droids, Ewok Adventures and Ewok Animated Adventures. So I start thinking that I should get all of those (and Clone Wars) to have a big movie fest once Episode III finally comes out. Then I started looking online for fan films that fill in some of the other gaps, and thinking that I should burn all those to DVD so I can have a fully-integrated experience. Oh, and I should scrounge around for the old Holiday Special while I'm at. And...

Man, it's a sickness, I'm telling ya!
   --  Sean Kleefeld

February 5, 2005

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