701

(40 replies, posted in Episodes)

702

(359 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Amazing that the budget was $190M - with no A-list cast, no big sets to build, no international filming locations, nothing much practical, no epic army battles, no CG creatures, and only a 2-hour runtime. The VFX budget must have soaked up most of that.

To be honest, I can't say that it looked like a $190M picture. It looked more like half that.

703

(133 replies, posted in Off Topic)

704

(359 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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(359 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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(359 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Comparing Blakes' 7 teleport to Star Trek's transporter....

The rules for Blakes' 7 were more defined and rigid. 1. You needed a teleport bracelet. 2. You needed to be within close range, usually low orbit above the destination point, implied as line of sight.

With Star Trek, anything goes.
Blake's 7 still found contrivances to intermittently lose teleport capability to ratchet up tension (e.g. a crewmember would lose their bracelet, or an enemy ship approaching meant they had to move out of orbit and lose teleport capability). But the rules were consistent, adhered to, and made conceptual sense. With Star Trek, it feels entirely arbitrary.
The scriptwriters don't want beaming to be possible? Just say 'too much radiation' or 'moving too rapidly' or 'too much interference' or 'not enough energy' or whatever. The scriptwriters want beaming to other side of the galaxy... sure, just insert techno-babble.

Why even have space ships if you can beam anywhere, anytime?

708

(359 replies, posted in Off Topic)

709

(19 replies, posted in Off Topic)

710

(19 replies, posted in Off Topic)

711

(133 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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714

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716

(18 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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718

(57 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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720

(57 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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(57 replies, posted in Off Topic)

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(57 replies, posted in Off Topic)

To give the counter-argument, some of the topography is awesome, primarily Olympus Mons and the Valles Marineris, but we can't even send rovers there, let alone humans. Landing is too difficult. It'll be a nice flat safe bit that'll become boring really quickly.

Unless you can bring your own nuclear powered SUV with unlimited range to hoon around in. Land safe and then drive to the canyons.

MRO's Hirise has spotted a few underground chambers that might protect against radiation too.