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I always loved the fact that there is a glossary in the back of the book. I wish more scifi books did that.
My father refused to read any book that needed that, at least with regard to invented words It was a thing for awhile. It also brings up something brought up at a convention panel long ago. An author asked the audience WHY they bought things like the later Dune books Herbert wrote (which I actually liked). Someone stood up and said readers have learned all this detail about fictional universes, and wanted to keep reading something that made use of it. The more complicated the universe, the more they needed to keep reading new stories to keep from feeling like the effort was wasted.
Take any normal movie about politics that works, put them in funny outfits. If it still works, the answer is "yes" I think most of the problem is related to the one Teague had with Dark City (except this time justified): with a SF tale, you first have to understand the background before the politics become interesting. Unless the tale can be broken down to its most basic components (they must do THIS to stop war!), politics often IS local and doesn't translate well. This is true with foreign films, and is going to be even more true in a fictional universe. In both cases most viewers will just follow the character arcs and ignore the actual political details.
Then why the success of Dune? Is the Dune political system that easy to understand?
Dune is religion. And, yes, the politics is easy to understand. It's feudal families back stabbing each other. All else is gloss. Everything the reader really needs to know is set up in the opening scene (kid may be messiah, family going into danger willingly because they think knowing the danger limits it). As for the success, the first movie flopped, and the TV versions had more time to deal with the politics (I haven't seen them). There's also lots of action (poisonings, the attack, etc). Really, I don't think of it as a "political" story, at least in the book version.
A TV series lets you ease people into it. Plus, Babylon 5 started with a mystery, and worked in the politics later. It was the UN in space, which then branched out to deal with the various alien governments.
Take any normal movie about politics that works, put them in funny outfits. If it still works, the answer is "yes" I think most of the problem is related to the one Teague had with Dark City (except this time justified): with a SF tale, you first have to understand the background before the politics become interesting. Unless the tale can be broken down to its most basic components (they must do THIS to stop war!), politics often IS local and doesn't translate well. This is true with foreign films, and is going to be even more true in a fictional universe. In both cases most viewers will just follow the character arcs and ignore the actual political details.
I'm amused by the name. The Artemis Project was a for profit attempt to do a quick series of moon missions. I went to one of their panels at my first Science Fiction Worldcon in the late 90's. Very impressive artist renderings! Last i heard of them, at the Denver Worldcon, it was one guy promoting "open source" space tech.
I've plugged them a few times, but since they're still off the list I'll once again put out there The Cowboys, the one John Wayne movie everyone MUST see, and A Bridge Too Far. Come on, I need you guys to dive into a William Goldman film that was screwed up by someone, possibly him.
Oliver has taken over before, I think, when Jon Stewart was sick. The writers will have lots of time to come up with some overall arc for his tour of duty. Now, if they wanted to be daring, they'd put the guy from The Last Airbender (who's name I won't attempt to spell and am too lazy to look up) in charge. Make it a commentary on Gore selling his TV network to an Arab company.
It is self publishing, but I don't have to deal with Amazon or Apple Print on Demand is damned cheap nowadays, and the place I found lets you order a book at a time.
These are collections of stories I have available for free on my main website. I won't make any money from this, but damn my ego is being fed by having actual books on my bookshelf
Another general rule, spelled out in other films, is if your wife/girlfriend wants to pause and have a good frolic with you, DO IT. Otherwise, bad things will happen to one or both of you and you'll never get another chance.
It's an old argument. In the animation world, where something is written in one country, storyboarded in another, and animated in the third, how do you describe its nationality? Is a Japanese movie only released with English dialog with US actors no longer an anime? In general, I go with who does the writing/storyboarding. Applied to live action, this would mean The Fifth Element is a French film
It's always been interesting, in the comic book industry, when artists band together to form an "artist friendly" publishing company. It never takes long for the lesson of "Animal Farm" to prove true, and the next batch of artists to come in to be treated much as they are at other places.
Kickstarters are all the rage now. Hell, even I considered one. Now Rifftrax is getting into the game, with a kickstarter to do a live riff of Twilight. The idea is to walk into Summit Entertainment with a giant novelty check, making an offer they can't refuse. It's already up to $145,000. If they still say no, they go down the list of worst movies as voted on by those on the site and try to get each one.
Ah, Megaforce... I actually managed to talk my friend out of going to see that one back in middle school He was so convinced from the ads that it would be great...
It looks like the kind of production well suited to good local groups, so I'm sure many of us will get the chance to see a version of it over the next few years.
I just realized there are touring companies of stage musicals, but not plays. Maybe because plays ARE easier to produce, or at least cheaper than most musicals.
I'm not sure if they still do it, as I haven't watched in years, but it was the regular format of The Simpsons. Start with one plot, then have the real one show up later.
I think you should know something of, and like, the genre. I remember years ago a woman (not the regular Movie Reviewer) started her piece on the movie Disorderlies by saying this was a three stooges inspired movie, and she hated the three stooges. OK... so, why were you picked to do this film? OK, obviously one reason was the main guy had no desire to do it, but her opinion of the movie was set regardless of how the actual film was. That it was, in fact, a bad film doesn't make it right
As a short tangent, I've heard this quote before, how Star Wars was saved in editing. Would anyone have any info about what specifically this means? Google is being a bit unhelpful with those search terms.
As mentioned, do a search and try and find Deleted Magic online (if he ever did the other two films, I'd love to know). As for specifics, in the x-wing battle originally there was no ticking clock. The Death Star is not within firing range of the base. After the first two runs fail, Luke and friends make a run... which fails. Luke's ship is hit as they come around for another run, with R2 trying to fix it. It's as they enter the trench again that Biggs says "They're coming in much faster this time." Biggs is killed, and Luke tells Wedge to just go, as he's not doing any good back there. He doesn't leave until after his ship is hit, though. Ben does not tell Luke "the force will be with you, always", or "use the Force, Luke." Also, in the final version they inserted more shots of Tarkin, as the only time you see him originally was when he says he won't evacuate.
It was a thing for awhile. It also brings up something brought up at a convention panel long ago. An author asked the audience WHY they bought things like the later Dune books Herbert wrote (which I actually liked). Someone stood up and said readers have learned all this detail about fictional universes, and wanted to keep reading something that made use of it. The more complicated the universe, the more they needed to keep reading new stories to keep from feeling like the effort was wasted.