Author Archives: Bob Evans

Mini-review Tron: Legacy

This weekend saw the release of TRON: Legacy, a sequel the the cult film TRON from 1982.

TRON did not become the blockbuster hit that Disney had hoped for in 1982 and so the film was relegated to home video when that appeared in the market. There TRON found a following and has become something of a cult hit.

Now twenty-eight years later Disney has released a big-budget sequel to the sleeper cult hit. There are those who have called this a remake but that is simply and categorically wrong. TRON: Legacy builds on the story laid down in the TRON. Surprisingly you do not need to have seen TRON to understand the story of TRON: Legacy. The screenwriters and filmmakers have done a pretty decent job of crafting a story that can be followed by people new the TRON universe and one that can be enjoyed by the fans of the original TRON.

There are those who would consider this film a science-fiction film, but I approach it as a fantasy. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of computers can see that the terabytes and terabytes of data and processing that would be required for such a real-time environment is simply beyond anything close to existing in our world. So if you are a computer literate person I would suggest that you leave your specialized knowledge in the lobby and accept TRON as fantasy and allegory.

This story is simple. Sam Flynn, orphaned at a young age, discovers a clue that his father may not have died or abandoned him. He seeks out this clue and ends up in a  realm of fantastic imagery and dangers, both for Sam and for our world at large. Sam must learn to navigate this new and threatening world with a bewildering array of allies and enemies. During the course of the adventure Sam learns about forgiveness and the dangers of arrogance.

My friend Bear and I saw this film during the matinee show this morning and we both enjoyed ourselves. The story moved along, the characters were convincing, and once the ground rules were established the world of the story behaved in a consistent and logical fashion. The 3-D effect was well used to portray the world of the computer-grid and the director resisted the temptation top thrust items repeatedly at the audience. (Though I will say that this film will play perfectly fine in2-D.)

Bear commented on what appeared to be fairly obvious Christian symbology in the film, and his argument for it is not a weak one. However, I think it could be taken too far. I cannot discuss the weakness and the Christian allegory without giving out too many spoilers. What is central to Christian theology, the sacrifice to wash away another’s sins is missing and so I do not think this was a direct Christian allegory.

This is a movie worth watching in the theaters, particularly if you were a fan of the first film.

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Excellant News

The United States Senate has passed a bill repealing the odious policy enacted by the Clinton Administration known as ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.’

Before President Clinton’s DADT policy gays were banned from serving in the military, but it was a policy that could have been over turned by executive action only, just like President Truman overturned President Wilson’s segregation of the military. Because Bill Clinton singed into law DADT it really required an act of Congress to undo it and now they finally have done just that.

The prohibition on homosexual persons serving in our nations armed forces was a senseless relic from less enlightened time and I rejoice at this repeal.

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The Tax Compromise

meh

I would not have cried a river of tears f the tax rates had gone back to the level that they were at during the 90s, not am I going to get mad if the tax rates remain where they have been for the last ten years.

My personal preference is a flat tax, the same percentage on all persons and all sources of income. Anything else is by definition treat people unequally and that I detest.

Still we have seen what happen when the republicans are faced with a choise of raising taxes on the upper brackets or spending money that they do not have to keep those taxes at the current level. They spend money that they do not have.

Fiscally responsible my eye.

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a busy week

Well sorry I haven’t been around to blather at the internet but it has been a busy week here.

I have gotten the actual scripting started in the next version of Cawdor and the first draft if the first chapter is finished. Now only 29 or so more to go.

I had to deal with my xbox dying over the weekend, just two months after the warranty expired. It turns out that buying a refurbished xbox 360 is cheaper than repairing one. So, that is the route I took. In a strange way it worked out well because this Xbox, though refurbished, is newer and has a better graphic out than my older one.

Saw my rheumatologist and things seem to be going well on that front too.

It seems I am getting sucked back into the world of SFB gaming. For those who do not know SFB stands for Star Fleet Battles and in the 80’s it was a pretty fun game for starship combat in the Star Trek Universe. (Romulans, Klingons and the like.) Sadly the game kept expanding with new rules and new weapons which required new rules and rule for how the new rules worked with the old rules until the game collapsed under it own weight like a radiation enlarged ant. I gave up on the game because it turned into just who knew the rules better and it took fricking long to play.

Well, apparent retailer told the company that they would no longer carry the game because it was too complex. A game that can not attract new players is a dead game. So the game designer stripped the game down and made a new game out of it. I’ve read through the rule and it seems pretty playable again. I found a used set for more than half off the retaile price. (A used set that had never been played.) and I went ahead and ordered it.

Ahh the Gorns will fly again.

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Sunday Night Movie: The Kentucky Fried Movie

I was not in the mood for anything heavy, serious, or that require more brain power than say a epileptic mouse. After scanning my collection I settling on the sketch comedy movie, The Kentucky Fried Movie, for my sunday night feature.

If you are familiar with Airplane! then you know something of the kind of humor to expect from The Kentucky Fried Movie. It was written by the director/writers of Airplane! and directed by John Landis.

The film is a collection of sketches and comedy bits. Most are presented in a coming attractions format except for the odd TV spot and of course their feature presentation: A Fist Full Of Yen.

This is not a movie for the kiddies. There is rampant nudity and language, but hell there’s nothing wrong with either of those thing in my book.

I suspect that much of the humor will be dated and inaccessible to viewers not young enough to remember the seventies. The PSA, the films parodied, and the frequent refrain ‘Film at 11’ are pretty much meaningless now. That said I think that there is enough humor that it would still be entertaining just not as fulfilling as to say someone of my age bracket.

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A photo

So this afternoon on my second break of the day I walked outside and took in a bit of a constitutional. (I didn’t have enough battery power in my laptop to continue writing at work.)

I turned the corner looking north/west towards UCSD and La Jolla. Fog rolled over the hills and buildings in a thick blanket. I loved the site and tried to capture it with my cell phoner.

Here it is.

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There was a Dragon in the sky today!

Earlier today, December 8th 2010, SpaceX successfully launched their Dragon space capsule into orbit. After two orbits, apparently without and flaws, they de-orbited the craft and brought it down for a soft landing in the pacific ocean.

I think this is the first time a private enterprise spacecraft has flown to orbit and back. SpaceX, and companies like SpaceX, (such as Xcor) are the pioneers of a bold new tomorrow.

I salute them and sheer their victory today!

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Sunday Night Movie: Forbidden Planet

Commander J.J. Adams has got problems. Firstly, he’s in command of 18 highly-competitive physically perfect specimens of manhood who have been cooped up inside a tiny spaceship for 370 days. Next, the twenty members of the Bellerophon expedition he has been sent to relieve are all, save one, dead. Slaughtered by a mysterious and unstoppable entity. The sole survivor the enigmatic Dr. Morbius refused to divulge the secrets of the ancient and dead world orbiting Altair. If all that wasn’t enough, Commander Adams finds himself competing with his own First Officer for the affection of Morbius’ beautiful and intelligent daughter, Altaira.

Forbidden Planet is truly one of the great films of Science-Fiction. I selected it as my Sunday Night Movie to honor the passing of it’s star, Leslie Nielson . (see action pose to the left, and thanks to Forbidden Planet’s The Daily Planet for the image.) If you are 30 or under it is likely that you know Leslie Nielson only as a talent comedic actor, but that was his second career as an actor. From the 50’s through the 70’s Leslie Nielson was primarily a dramatic actor.  Forbidden Planet is one of his first leading man roles and he was selected to be a dashing, romantic lead. That said, he found moments in the script where is comic timing could come to the fore.

This is a movie about power, the corruption of power, and how that corruption can take place even with the best and noblest of intentions. It is a warning that the powers of a god does not make a god. A warning that all of us have a nasty dark and dangerous side that is best kept chained in the basement of our minds.

The script is dated and there is no mistaking that this was a story and characters populated in the 1950s. It might take place in the year 2500 or something, but the culture and the characters are pure Americana in the mid 1950s.  That said it is still one of the handful of SF films that I would urge all serious fans of the genre see. The story is still compelling, the science is still spot-on and the vision still bold .

If you watch this movie you might feel flashbacks to the original series of Star Trek and that would be understandable. Gene Roddenberry’s show was clearly following in the footsteps on this film. This is one of the pivotal movies influscing film and Tv producers until today.

Every now and then someone tries to get this remade, and in my opinion that is a bad idea. Last I heard there were considering a three picture remake, ’cause hey that makes more mulla. If they make it, it won’t be as good. It will not be as bold and as original. This movie is not flawed and it is not forgotten, it should be left alone.

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Back From Convention

We got back last night from Loscon 37, the Los Angeles Area SF convention. This was a good Loscon and I had a great time. There were lots of interesting panels and presentations plus Saturday night I enjoyed the parties so much I stayed out past my knees’ endurance.

I would chat more about the convention, but I’ve been headachy today and am so now. This is going to be a brief post before bed.

It does, however, look like there is a road trip in the near future. The Mojave Air and Spaceport has an open house event every third Saturday they call Plane Crazy Saturdays, and on those Saturdays Xcor — a private enterprise rocket company — hosts open-houses. Xcor is a cool company staffed by cool people and if they stay on schedule they’ll be flying their sub-orbital spaceplane next year.

Not a dropship like Spaceship one and Two, but a craft that takes off like an airplane, scoots above the atmosphere into space — briefly — and then return to the spaceport to be readied for another flight.

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