|
Pages: [1]
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: The Reviews And Links That The Sci-Fi Channel Does Not Want You To See (Read 192 times)
|
languatron
Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 689
Life could be this beautiful without NBC-TV in it.
|
http://www.firsttvdrama.com/central/scifi.php3
http://www.mahatmarandy.com/reviews/BGRemake.htm
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/444/444434pl.html
Since the contents of the third link were conveniently removed by the Sci-Fi Channel on-line CENSOR SQUAD, I'll repost the contents of that link here:
-quote
"December 5, 2003 - 'Never create what you can't control' implores the promotional campaign for the Sci-Fi Channel's reinvention of Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps the network should have heeded its own advice. Rarely in the history of entertainment has a 'reimagining' demonstrated such contempt for its source material - and rarely has a project with so much innate potential failed on so many fundamental levels. The new Galactica is not just a sewer dweller of a remake - it is a behemoth of troubled and inprecise storytelling whose brightest moments are only dim approximations of what they might have been.
The trouble seems to stem from the ground up. - It's difficult to look at this 'mini series' (a two part, four-hour TV movie) and believe that the "Powers That Be' had any true understanding of the qualities that allowed the original 1978 television series to remain in people's memories for over two decades, or possessed the slightest comprehension of the stirring human drama indigenous in the concept itself.
Original series creator Glen A. Larson's multifaceted, allegorical epic has been replaced here by a one-dimensional 'bottle' show (industry term for a show that rarely leaves a contained environment). The original series could be seen as a scathing examination of reverse imperialism. An enlightened, borderline decadent culture (the human race - aka Western Civilization) is run from its homeland by an oppressive empire of mechanical warriors who relentlessly hunt them down - bent on genocidally exterminating mankind. These automatons were utterly uninterested in the desires, hopes, fears, of others - they wanted only one way of things in the universe - their way - and would settle for nothing less. So, in essence, Galactica was originally an allegory for Western Civilization (the United States, Great Britain, etc.) being bullied and burned in the same way we have bullied and burned other nations for centuries.
Piled on top of this sublime, socio-political undercurrent were several other intriguing ironies and conceits:
-These mechanical nemeses were called Cylons. They were a humanoid species who became so entwined with its technology that the technology became a physical part of them. i.e. they were the 'Borg' - about a decade before the 'Borg' debuted on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. Despite their technology over naturalism approach, the Cylon hierachy of command was actually rotting from within due to some very human failings. Greed, opportunism, and lack of accountability perpetually hindered the Cylon efforts to exterminate mankind. The human failings of these technically perfect machines was slowly becoming their undoing.
- These humans, who are being hunted from existence by these pesky lords of technology, repeatedly turn to technology to save themselves.
- No matter how you look at it, the show's core was about faith. The characters in the original series did not always agree with each other, nor did they always comprehend (individually, or as a populous) what their future held. Not all of them were certain they would even find the new home they were seeking - 'a shining planet known as Earth' - nor did they always believe in the people leading them there. But, somehow, they always found faith. Not just faith in 'Gods' or 'Lords' (although religion & its place in society were certainly elements in the series) - faith in The Way of Things. Faith that tragic endings really can herald new beginnings. Faith in the axiom that we are only as alone as we let ourselves be. Faith in the strength of fellowship - sometimes having someone at our side in the darkest hour is more meaningful than the most powerful weapon anyone can construct. Faith that hope is more significant than all the answers we could ever actively seek. Faith that somehow, in some way, things will get better.
These qualities are not being mentioned in order to talk-up the (admittedly flawed) original series. This is simply meant to provide a sampling of the innate conceptual depth you will not find in the new Galactica. Gone is nearly every edgy and unique undercurrent that fuels the basic premise. Galactica is about a holocaust, yet the new movie offers no moments as gut wrenchingly truthful as the original series pan around the Battlestar bridge....to see the faces of Galactica's crew....crying in anguish....as they watch live video feeds of their homeworlds being obliterated. Here, Galactica gets wind of the Cylon attack on the humans homeworlds, and her crew stands around discussing the incident as if chatting about the score of a football game. There's a moment when lead Edward James Olmos believes someone he loves to be dead. - he looks more like he needs laxatives than appearing genuinely upset. The people in this movie are as cold and mechanical as the Cylons they are fighting - and as cold and mechanical as the desperately contrived plot around them. All things considered, it's rather silly - and extremely distancing."
-unquote
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: February 11, 2005, 04:53:47 PM by languatron »
|
 Logged
|
|
|
|
languatron
Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 689
Life could be this beautiful without NBC-TV in it.
|
Universal executives are like trained monkey's!! 
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1]
|
|
|
|
|
