GPWizard F1 Forum
Everything Else => Entertainment, Games & Computers => Topic started by: cosworth151 on September 08, 2016, 02:18:09 PM
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Fifty years ago today, 8 Sept 1966, Star Trek debuted on the NBC television network. The episode was "The Man Trap" and, yes, I watched it. I'm still a fan.
Unlike today's mostly dystonian sci-fi, it presented a vision of a bright future. Creator Gene Roddenberry used the series to address many of the major social issues of the day. That was unheard of in a day when shows like Gunsmoke & Gilligan's Island ruled American TV.
It also was one of the first American TV series where the "smart guy" was just as cool as the "action guy," not a bumbling social oaf. Mr. Spock was every bit the equal of James Tiberius Kirk.
The series inspired a generation of future scientists & engineers. (It certainly inspired a future computer geek from Appalachia.)
Happy fiftieth, Star Trek. I'm looking forward to your return in January.
The opening sequence of the first aired episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcRX0Gw1aaw
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Since I was only 3, I can't say I was there live, but I certainly became a Trekkie quickly and watched it well into my teens in reruns and eventually the spin offs and movies. Loved it all. Plenty of groaner moments, but I loved that it always felt real, not cartoonish like Star Wars. The anticipation of a new Star Wars is often similar to a new Trek movie, but the walk out of the theatre is always much more satisfied with Star Trek.
Happy Birthday...and if you want to watch a crazy reality show with Shatner, along with George Foreman, Terry Bradshaw and Henry Winkler (also Producer), it's called Better Late Than Never, which follows them on a kind of bucket list of travel destinations. Also a bit cringe worthy, but if you were ever a fan of any or all of them, it's fun watching them have a blast together and they are all over 80.
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt5020352/
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I grew up with the mistaken belief that you had to choose between Star Trek and Star Wars. Since Princess Leia kicked more ass than Uhura, it was an easy choice for me.
I did get into The Next Generation, which led me to go back and get into Star Trek and appreciate what it accomplished. Much has been written about how influential the show is. I find it a great irony that our modern age makes a science fiction show from 50 years ago look antiquated, because everyone wanted life to be like the TV show!
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I always found the Star Trek vs Star Wars divide hard to understand. Star Wars (at least the first 3) were wonderful light entertainment.
One more thing: After Star Trek TOS (The Original Series) hit big on cable in the 70's, Paramount was thinking about doing a low budget made-for-TV movie. The huge success of the first Star Wars movie convinced them to do a high dollar theatrical film. The rest is history.
There is a new TV series coming in January, Star Trek Discovery. It's set in the Prime Timeline ten years before the original series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqm9HSYbf0o
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I always found the Star Trek vs Star Wars divide hard to understand. Star Wars (at least the first 3) were wonderful light entertainment.
I think the binary choice is a very American thing. Democrats vs Republicans. Paper or Plastic. Designated hitter vs Pitcher batting. Ovals vs Road Course. Open wheel vs fenders.
Star Wars was 'fun', Star Trek was 'serious', as though you were only allowed to enjoy one or the other. One one level, it doesn't make sense, but on another level, it doesn't make sense to hate a rival sports team either. If a Red Sox fan can hate the Yankees, why can't a Star Trek fan hate Star Wars? Sometimes you just need to have something to hate.
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Watched ST firsthand from the beginning.I didn't hate
Star Wars at all but preferred ST.
I also like the designated hitter for the reason it keeps
some great hitters in the game longer.
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I think I've watched every episode of every series except "Enterprise", for some reason I couldn't get into that one. I hope a new concept for a new series can be found, if not long may the movies continue.
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Scotty was my fav...naturally :D :D
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I liked Enterprise. It took a little time for it to find it's feet but became a worthy ST series.
The new movies are absolute trash. No message, no depth, just typical horny teenager summer action movies usurping the Trek legacy. They have no more to due with real Star Trek than the Peter Sellers/Woody Allen Casino Royale had to do with real Bond movies.
And, since you brought up the designated hitter: I like there still being a difference between the NL & the AL. The DH is as good a difference as I can think of.
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I liked Enterprise. It took a little time for it to find it's feet but became a worthy ST series.
The new movies are absolute trash. No message, no depth, just typical horny teenager summer action movies usurping the Trek legacy. They have no more to due with real Star Trek than the Peter Sellers/Woody Allen Casino Royale had to do with real Bond movies.
And, since you brought up the designated hitter: I like there still being a difference between the NL & the AL. The DH is as good a difference as I can think of.
I quit Star Trek after Voyager. Actually, didn't make it to the end of Voyager, I might have quit when DS9 ended.
I agree that the new movies don't really fit into the 'spirit' of Star Trek, but I do think they accomplished the goal of not letting Star Trek fade away. Look at them as a way to prime the pump for more Star Trek TV shows. Without nuTrek, the franchise might have continued into oblivion, like Tarzan, Annie or Flash Gordon. Instead we're getting a new series that promises to get back to basics.
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The one thing I hate about Star Trek was having to endure "Beam me up, Scotty" greetings/jokes my entire life. >:D >:D
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:DD :DD :DD
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As a definite Star Wars rather than ST fan I can still applaud the staying power of the series.
This also explains why so many TV channels here in Blighty are showing whole hosts of ST episodes and films currently. I thought maybe a new distribution cash carve up had caused this multi channel assault, so at least things may quieten down in a couple of months. :tease:
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Our local newspaper, the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, just ran this cartoon about NASA's launch of the OSIRIS-REx mission:
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Saw the latest Star Wars last night on Starz....would give it a review but
it put me to sleep.Special effects,a little,story,and more special effects.
Movie makers must not think people can watch a film with a good story.
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Top 10 highest grossing movies: any great stories here?
1 Avatar Fox $2,788.0 $760.5 27.3% $2,027.5 72.7% 2009^
2 Titanic Par. $2,186.8 $658.7 30.1% $1,528.1 69.9% 1997^
3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens BV $2,068.2 $936.7 45.3% $1,131.6 54.7% 2015
4 Jurassic World Uni. $1,670.4 $652.3 39.0% $1,018.1 61.0% 2015
5 Marvel's The Avengers BV $1,519.6 $623.4 41.0% $896.2 59.0% 2012
6 Furious 7 Uni. $1,516.0 $353.0 23.3% $1,163.0 76.7% 2015
7 Avengers: Age of Ultron BV $1,405.4 $459.0 32.7% $946.4 67.3% 2015
8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 WB $1,341.5 $381.0 28.4% $960.5 71.6% 2011
9 Frozen BV $1,276.5 $400.7 31.4% $875.7 68.6% 2013
10 Iron Man 3 BV $1,215.4 $409.0 33.7% $806.4 66.3% 2013
From Box Office Mojo: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/ (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/)
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I'd like to see a listing like that based on attendance volume rather than dollar volume. An night time adult ticket to my local theater is now $11. When I first had to pay adult price, it was 75 cents.
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Top 10 highest grossing movies: any great stories here?
1 Avatar Fox $2,788.0 $760.5 27.3% $2,027.5 72.7% 2009^
2 Titanic Par. $2,186.8 $658.7 30.1% $1,528.1 69.9% 1997^
3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens BV $2,068.2 $936.7 45.3% $1,131.6 54.7% 2015
4 Jurassic World Uni. $1,670.4 $652.3 39.0% $1,018.1 61.0% 2015
5 Marvel's The Avengers BV $1,519.6 $623.4 41.0% $896.2 59.0% 2012
6 Furious 7 Uni. $1,516.0 $353.0 23.3% $1,163.0 76.7% 2015
7 Avengers: Age of Ultron BV $1,405.4 $459.0 32.7% $946.4 67.3% 2015
8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 WB $1,341.5 $381.0 28.4% $960.5 71.6% 2011
9 Frozen BV $1,276.5 $400.7 31.4% $875.7 68.6% 2013
10 Iron Man 3 BV $1,215.4 $409.0 33.7% $806.4 66.3% 2013
From Box Office Mojo: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/ (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/)
Movies and TV shows are very different media, and comparing them directly is like complaining that the Mona Lisa's bass riff doesn't compare to anything the Beatles ever recorded.
While the top movies generally tell simple stories, the top 10 aren't bereft of depth. Many do explore important themes. Avatar has messages about corporate greed, environmental harmony, scientific inquiry. You won't find a single episode of Trek that covers that, even though there are plenty of episodes of Trek that cover the issues.
Titanic explores ideas of arrogance, class warfare and the difference between responsibilities and happiness.
I could go on.
The movies naturally focus on crowd pleasing spectacle because it pleases the crowds. However, they don't become the biggest movies because of pure spectacle, there is more going on. The movies that rely on spectacle alone aren't in the top 10. It's a delicate balance between giving people what they want, and giving them something to think about.
It's not possible for an episode of Trek to match these movies in terms of pure entertainment, however, it's not possible for these movies to match the depth of Trek as a whole.
Apples to oranges, and it's okay to like one more than the other, but it's important to understand they're not the same. (As a thought exercise, which 'Trek movies could most easily be adapted to a single TV episode? Hint: the odd ones.)
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I'd like to see a listing like that based on attendance volume rather than dollar volume. An night time adult ticket to my local theater is now $11. When I first had to pay adult price, it was 75 cents.
boxofficemojo.com does a pretty good job of estimating comparative grosses from different eras.
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Thanks, Jeri. I thought Gone with the Wind would be at the top of the list.
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I'd like to see a listing like that based on attendance volume rather than dollar volume. An night time adult ticket to my local theater is now $11. When I first had to pay adult price, it was 75 cents.
$11? Wow, I remember those days. Try $17-20 depending on showing or tech (3D etc). I go to maybe 2 movies a year now. Used to go every couple of weeks. In Canada (and probably the US) they have VIP theatres, which means they are licensed and no kids. Kinda nice touch to have your drink and 'special' snacks delivered to your First Class seat with built in table...but you pay for that too.
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Only seen one of those top ten, Avatar, graphics were ok but I thought the film itself was cr*p.
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It's true that some of the top 10 tackle issues, but none of them tell stories like "To Kill a Mockingbird", or "Twelve Angry Men". They don't tell a tale like the old Noir films "The Big Sleep" or "The Maltese Falcon". Cos, "Gone With the Wind was still near the top in 2012 but now they're counting worldwide gross and that cuts GWTW way down. Many films today make more money in foreign (sorry, I mean outside North America) markets than they do in the US.
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It's true that some of the top 10 tackle issues, but none of them tell stories like "To Kill a Mockingbird", or "Twelve Angry Men". They don't tell a tale like the old Noir films "The Big Sleep" or "The Maltese Falcon". Cos, "Gone With the Wind was still near the top in 2012 but now they're counting worldwide gross and that cuts GWTW way down. Many films today make more money in foreign (sorry, I mean outside North America) markets than they do in the US.
That's true. However, movies with deep, thought provoking stories are rarely as good as books with deep, thought provoking stories. Not everyone wants spectacle, but for those who do, there's not much more spectacular than a big budget hollywood movie. The top 10 ARE more substantial than your average fare, even if they aren't going to make you a better person for watching.
Of course, that's what makes Star Trek so special, it is elevated, providing a message, but maintains the veneer of spectacle to draw people in. You can enjoy Kirk making out with green babes if you don't care for Spock and Bones debating the benefits of the few vs the many.
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I think ours might be that high on the week-ends, Scott. We just got a new indoor theater at the mall here. It has a Extra Price Super Ginormous Screen theater in it. The screen is almost as big as the old 1930's vintage downtown single screen theater we used to have.
They turned the old one in the mall into a megachurch.
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I think ours might be that high on the week-ends, Scott. We just got a new indoor theater at the mall here. It has a Extra Price Super Ginormous Screen theater in it. The screen is almost as big as the old 1930's vintage downtown single screen theater we used to have.
Crazy how that trend went. Screens got so small until TV screens and home theatres exploded so people started having better screens at home and now they are winding them back up into...er, what they used to be. :fool: :fool:
They turned the old one in the mall into a megachurch.
On the other side of the coin, there's a Mega Church in Toronto called the Meeting House that is utilizing theatre screens across the country to broadcast their Sunday services live. Gives new life to Sunday mornings at the Cinema. :crazy: :crazy: