Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the is-twenty-years-old-classic-yet dept.
Silas writes "According to CNN, twenty years after NBC's hit sci-fi miniseries "V" invaded the small screen, the network is bringing the aliens back with "V: The Second Generation," a three-hour TV movie from the original creator Kenneth Johnson."
Here's a little synopsis for those not born when this came out: Kenneth Johnson's brilliant 1983 mini-series takes Nazi Germany to a global scale. A group of aliens calling themselves "The Visitors" have come to Earth asking for aid for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of lizard creatures intent on taking our water and using humans for food. After gaining public trust, the Visitors begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted.
--
I have often regretted my speech, never my silence. -Xenocrates
Yeah, well, I have SF and I never watch it. Mostly low-budget horror films there. Their original stuff is mostly abysmal, although Dune was an obvious exception.
As a friend of mine said, they didn't even show Space:1999 on May 13, 1999. What an obvious chance to do something cool.
Oh, yeah, and I'll never forgive them for cancelling MST3K.
-- You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
they have reportedly shipped 250,000 copies of the DVDs so I think they're assuming that most people that would watch it have already bought it and that a new version is the right thing to do. Of course, I expect the original to re-air within a week of the sequel.
They rebroadcast it here in the Netherlands about 2 months ago. I remember watching the original and being scared as hell (I was 10 or so). Now it seems kind of hokey. I can only hope that the special effects and the acting is better the second time around.
Huge cable package it is not; I just get a deal with the cable modem (until DSL becomes available here)... but the 'Action' channel, I believe in the same string as Encore (with Mystery/Love/Western/and a couple others) airs both V miniseries either one clip a day or all in a row every so often.
-- I think with the interesting people, their lives can't possibly be wrapped up into a nice little package.
Get off your butt and rent it. Better yet, buy it. It's been out on VHS for the better part of ten years. Shouldn't be too hard to find a local video store where you could buy it. Plus, the DVD should be coming out soon. Why wait for it to hit TV with all the commercials??:)
Re:synopsis
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I remember "V" -- kind of silly, but a fun miniseries at the time.
Strangely enough, I've been reminded of it a lot recently. No kidding! Every time I watched Ari Fleischer give a press conference at the White House I always expected him to start ripping off his face to reveal the lizard skin underneath.
So depressing I'm going to slurp up a nice fat rat!
Re:synopsis
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
OOOooh, you know what... we own all of you 'cause Kenneth Johnson's nephew works with us! Yeah, eat that Slashdot! You think I'm kidding don't you? I'm not fools... for example:
Did you know Kenneth Johnson's nephew, who is also incredibly famous and cool, has dark brown hair and is wearing Van's sneakers... RIGHT NOW! Yeah, you know why we know... 'cause he's sitting right here.
OOooh, I can feel the jealousy... its seeping from your pores. You just can't stand that we are so cool 'cause Kenneth Johnson's nephew is sitting right here... and you're all the way over...... -there-.
Kenneth Johnson also produced The Incredible Hulk, Six Million Dollar man, Bionic Woman and many more things... and guess who told us that... thats right, Kenneth Motha-fsking Johnson's nephew.
>Forget the synopsis... I want NBC to re-show the original series!
"The Action Channel" has been showing "V" for the last several months. In fact, it showing on right now.
5:15 PM Channel 530 ACTNw Tuesday, 10 V: The Final Battle 85 min. Conclusion. Espionage, a form of germ warfare and the threat of nuclear annihilation figure in the showdown between the aliens and the freedom fighters. Mike Donovan: Marc Singer. Julie: Faye Grant. Diana: Jane Badler. John: Richard Herd. Ham Tyler: Michael Ironside. Sean: Eric Johnston.
Category: Sci-fi & Paranormal
Additional Airings Date Time Channel VCR Plus+ Friday, 20 12:10 AM 529 ACTNe N/A Friday, 20 3:10 AM 530 ACTNw N/A
--
In a world that is Free and Open,
who needs Windows and Gates?
Re:synopsis
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
No doubt they will. It's garbage.
Re:synopsis
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Not for the people who weren't alive when it was on primetime television. The funny thing is that everyone in the 80's was embarassed about the 70's.
Re:synopsis
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
The funny thing is that everyone in the 80's was embarassed about the 70's.
Not for those of use that lived through both decades. I remember when I was fresh out of college in '82 a bunch of us decided to throw a 70's party. We had bell bottoms, hip-huggers (you call the low-riders now), that Farrah poster we all had above our beds, sacrificial punch and a big ÂKill Khomeni poster on the wall. Good fun, that was.
I was really interested when they had this news on Saturday. I remember that being a family event for my house.
I did quite a bit of googling and apparently the script will be set 20 years afterwards the last movie, BUT a new ally will come to help us. Rumors on several sites that claimed to be close to Johnson said another alien race that defeated the "lizards" will come to save us. Sort of like an "operation iRaqi Freedom" effort on a planetary scale. The "new aliens" will be like a United States of the Universe that everyone is jealous of for their immense technology and "morality" - I could see how it would make a good commentary, just as the original was good commentary about WWII.
-- Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
another alien race that defeated the "lizards" will come to save us. Sort of like an "operation iRaqi Freedom" effort on a planetary scale.
But after they "liberate" the Earth, will they have a hard time finding these so called "weapons of mass water depletion" and "bio-human McNugget processing" equipment that their leaders told the other planets in the federatoin? Will it turn out that the lizard race were simply a bunch of petty power hungry lamers who used their position to simply "live the good life" ignoring the well being of those they oppressed? Will they then speak harshly of the "bird race" that aided the lizard leaders and who themselves are suspected of harboring these water depletion devices?
You made a typo and a mistake. First of all, we're not talking about weapons of mass destruction, but about weapons of mass distraction (even Paul Wolfowicz has admitted that). Second, the weapon was not in the series but it was the series itself! While we were all watching it, the aliens (who actually look like chimpanzees underneath) took over - Bush is their chief leader.
another alien race that defeated the "lizards" will come to save us.
Hmm...didn't humans come up with some chemical compound that would kill the lizards? I thought we had already won.
That said, I'm really looking forward to it. I loved V...I just hope they don't spoil it.
--
Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
theNetImp
·
· Score: 0
the chemical compound only worked in certain areas of the world due to climate It thrived in hot climates but not cold climates(or was it the other way around). Also in theory the lizards could have come up with a vaccine within the 20 or so years since the creation of that compound.
That was how they ended the second (?) movie, but in the regular series, I vaguely remember they had established that the red chemical was, in fact, harmful to humans, so they had to stop using it, but they tried to keep that facts under wraps from the aliens.
-- "Enough of this wretched, whining monkey life." -- Marcus Aurelius, _Meditations_, Book 9, 37
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
theNetImp
·
· Score: 0
It was never harmful to humans. I've got both the first and second miniseries on Tape. U r wrong.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
Cpt_Kirks
·
· Score: 1
The bacteria that killed the lizards had to have a cold cycle (winter) to reproduce. It died off in the southern regions and the lizards came back.
I guess it never occured to the resistance to re-seed the southern regions...
I remember that being a family event for my house.
I remember it being a big family event at my house too. I was watching it with my mom and two brothers and we were on the final episode. I was in the back of the room, my mom was in a chair in front of me on my left, my younger brother was lying on the couch in front of me on my right, and my older brother was lifting weights in the middle of the room while watching TV (why? I don't know).
Well one of the clamps holding the weights had broken because my brother over-tightened it so he took off that clamp and then took off the other so that it was balanced. You can see what's coming.
During an extremely suspenseful moment, my older brother is standing there just holding the weights at chest level, eyes glued to the screen. The bar on the right slowly tips down to the right. My eyes are diverted from the TV screen by the weight which slides off the bar and "Bam!" right onto my younger brothers head.
"Oh, no!", my older brother cried and tilted the bar the other way causing a weight on the left to slide off and hit my mom's leg causing her to scream in pain. My older brother and I rush to my younger brother who has this dazed look on his face and is holding his head. He doesn't realize that his hand is filling up with blood. He looks at my older brother and says, "You dork" very softly. He then realized that his hand was all wet and pandemonium ensued.
As my family is rushing out the door to go to the hospital, I start arguing with my mom over whether I can stay and watch V. The argument didn't last long. I never did find out what happened.
Sigh!
I have been wanting to rent the whole series for the past 10 years to find out what I missed and if it's as enjoyable as I remember it, but it is too much of a commitment.
-- Sigs are bad for you.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
sckeener
·
· Score: 1
Hmm...didn't humans come up with some chemical compound that would kill the lizards? I thought we had already won.
Because of air currents, there were areas where the lizards could live.
Why lizard didn't bomb the humans with rocks from space to keep us in the stone age, I'll never know. I'm sure after a few rocks we'd make great pets.
-- "Only one thing, is impossible for god: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet." Mark Twain
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
tuffy
·
· Score: 1
Who will liberate us from the liberators? Now there's a concept that'd make a V sequel interesting...
--
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
feepness
·
· Score: 1
Will they then speak harshly of the "bird race" that aided the lizard leaders and who themselves are suspected of harboring these water depletion devices?
No no, obviously the ones aiding the evil lizard race are the evil "frogs".
Nope, the poster is correct. The fact that the dust harmed humans was revealed in the short-lived TV series, not the miniseries.
However, what I couldn't understand was why the aliens left the humans alone in the areas where the dust remained, when they could've attacked them in ships or wearing protective clothing.
Oh God, I'm sitting here rambling on about sci-fi trivia from almost 20 years ago...
Anyway, I wonder where they'll pick up the story. Will it be after the first miniseries, after the second, or after the weekly series?
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
langgp
·
· Score: 1
According to TV Guide the new movie is a sequel to the first miniseries and ignores everything that happened after it. The humans won in second miniseries which they are pretending never happened.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
the_consumer
·
· Score: 1
Stories like this are why I read/. comments. Sweet!
-- "If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you're right." -
Those barrels were looted form the Large nuclear site in Iraq, one we decided didnt need to be guardede by tanks and men with guns. So I'd say the military saw no threat in it.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
southpolesammy
·
· Score: 1
You know, the ending to "Mars Attacks" was much more believable than the Red Powder ending. After all, Grandma's music is horrible enough to make anyone's head explode...
Don't nobody say NOTHIN bad about Slim Whitman! That guy could out-yodel anyone on the planet! Besides, he saved your ass from domination by evil brainiac Martians! You must be eternally grateful!
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom
by
nuintari
·
· Score: 1
Harmful to humans, and incapable of surviving in warm climates. So, the lizzards invaded areas like LA, and Houston, but had to avpoid New York, and Moscow and the like.
basically, one of those, "tv series never planned, so we have to remove the super end all weapon they used to win the mini series."
"Other Worlds" is my prefered cheesy 80's sci-fi show.
-- Blar.
Re:Bah...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
"I want to be a Zone Trooper." heh.
The best episode was the one where the lot of them stumbled into the province run by women. Now that one was classic: "He must be punished. He was naked from the waste up."
Re:Bah...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Otherworld was a great show. Too bad they made only 8 of them. And I don't believe you can get them anywhere on tape or DVD. If someone knows where to find them, I'd sure like to know.
Re:Bah...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
me too. i loved that show!!!!
Re:Bah...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
"Other Worlds" is my prefered cheesy 80's sci-fi show.
Good god you have no taste. There's a reason only 8 were made, you know. . .
Re:Bah...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
It was a very cool show... Not as bad as Manaminal! That show use to scare the crap out of my sister when he use to change in other animals.
Re:Bah...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
After that show came out, the network probably lobbied the government for a pardon for Stacy Keach.
...David Icke seen foaming at the mouth and ripping biblically at his turquoise shellsuit. No film at 11 as the Bilderberg Group have confiscated it.
-- --
Proud descendant of semi-nomadic cattle-herders.
Re:In other news...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
LOL Thanks man
Already overdone
by
crow
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
The original was a lot of fun, but it killed itself with the superbaby junk. But it seems that there aren't enough original ideas out there, so everyone is looking for something to make a sequel of or more to a new medium (e.g., comic books moving to movies).
Yeah, the superbaby was supposed to be a way for the two races to make peace with each other but I found that whole plot line too much of a stretch.
The strongest parts of the story (IMHO) involved the humans who helped the visitors in exchange for positions of power.
-- "We make our world significant
by the courage of our questions
and by the depth of our answers." Carl Sagan
Re:Already overdone
by
0123456
·
· Score: 2, Informative
"The original was a lot of fun, but it killed itself with the superbaby junk"
However, as I understand it, the original creator was barely involved with the second series with the "superbaby" junk and pretty much disowned it, so there may be hope for a decent show.
Re:Already overdone
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Yup - overdone understates it. The original was sick-o enough. And now a revisit to lizardville? Now I *AM* going to turf the TV out the house and into the dumpster. Between "reality TV" and this shit, there is nothing left to watch but trekkie re-runs...
What about the Red Dust?
by
fudgefactor7
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
If you recall, we humans came up with this red dust stuff that killed the Visitors on contact...so they couldn't be on the surface of the planet--hope they answer that situation in the return.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
That was really a very disappointing anti-climatic ending. These powerful aliens being defeated by hot air balloons and powdered cherry kool-aid. I blame Micheal Ironside's appearence, he ruins everything he's in!!!
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Dutchmaan
·
· Score: 4, Informative
If you'll recall, later in the series the "red dust" didn't work as well in tropical and temperate zones leaving it only "effective" in the colder polar regions...
So I doubt the red dust issue will even be a factor.
I guess I'm more of a geed than I thought...
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Jerk+City+Troll
·
· Score: 1, Interesting
If you recall, we humans came up with this red dust stuff that killed the Visitors on contact...so they couldn't be on the surface of the planet--hope they answer that situation in the return.
The Visitors probably will have learned how to synthesize the antidote the humans gave to the traitors.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I blame Micheal Ironside's appearence, he ruins everything he's in!!!
Dude, Michael Ironside was the very best thing about Starship Troopers.
Yes, I know, that's not saying much, but still, he phoned in a hell of a performance for that one. I think he got nominated for "best performance by an actor in a non-emoting role."
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
bastion_xx
·
· Score: 2, Funny
The red dust is for polar zones only. There is no parking on red dust locations.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
NaugaHunter
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Not to mention a) it was harmful to other earth species, and b) it was bought out by some corporation that later tried making deals with the visitors.
-- R: That voice. Where have I heard that voice before?
B: In about 365 other episodes. But I don't know who it is either.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
The white dust is for polar zones only. There is no parking on the white dust locations.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Listen, Betty, don't start up with your white zone shit again.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Mac+Degger
·
· Score: 1
I dunno...maybe the hyper-technologically advanced reptiles will think of something like a space suit? Or maybe even something akin to a haz-mat suit?
Nah...
-- --
Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Tackhead
·
· Score: 1
> If you recall, we humans came up with this red dust stuff that killed the Visitors on contact...so they couldn't be on the surface of the planet--hope they answer that situation in the return.
If that's what it takes to get us to set up a colony on Mars, so be it.:)
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
We know what this is really about! You want me to have an abortion!
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Funny
> If you'll recall, later in the series the "red > dust" didn't work as well in tropical and > temperate zones leaving it only "effective" in the > colder polar regions...
So *now* we know who's responsible for global warming.
Re:What about the Red Dust?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I was in high school when it came out... I thought it was really lame. The effects were horrible. About as good as "The Martian Chronicles" staring Rock Hudson.
Like most MFTV crap, it always falls short of its potential.
Re:Heh.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Yeah but it had Jane Badler, who was the first alien chick I wanted to nail...
Re:Heh.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Yeah but it had Jane Badler, who was the first alien chick I wanted to nail...
Does Erin Grey count? I know she's not technically an alien, but I don't think any human woman could have squeezed into those outfits, either.
I was probably 4 or so when it came out. It freaked the bujeezus out of me, I remember being scared by one of the aliens pulling off a human face to reveal a lizard head underneath. But after rewatching a small bit of it (I think the tail end of it) a couple years ago, I realized how terribly corny it was. Ahhhh... closure.:-P
--
"I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
> Does Erin Grey count? I know she's not technically an alien, but I don't think any human woman could have squeezed into those outfits, either.
<reference mode=obscure>must examine funny little bumps!</reference>
Tasty Humans!!!
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Now how many of these Slashdotters actually remember this series? I just hope the aliens choose better disquises than the early 80's "feathered hair" look.
Sounds familiar...
by
pir8garth
·
· Score: 4, Funny
"...came to Earth with the promise to solve the world's problems through their high technology, but after gaining control of the planet through subterfuge and media manipulation, began to methodically kill their hosts."
Sounds suspiciously like V could have been predicting Microsoft's rise to power...I think I may go live in a cave
Right on! It's not like Patrick Duffy's got anything better to do.
What about Jason of Star Academy?
Superheroes are big - why not revive the Flash? Or Mantis? Or, better yet, Manimal!
Maybe a revival of an even older one - Space: 1999. Hmmm, there's a problem with the title of that one, though. Maybe Space: 2099? Probably not far enough off for a Moon base, though, considering our progress of late.
They could at least do a 6 million dollar man first.
-- The Kruger Dunning explains most post on/. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Let's see here...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
the worst of the bad Sci-Fi.....
The Misfits of Science. Now that was a show no-one could be proud of. I still wake-up some nights afraid that those actors or writers ever found work again....
Ow! I had a roommate and she did not take kindly to MST3000-like comments while watching that show. Hell, I did that from the first show onwards. I had to hide in my room when she watched it. *SPLORF*!
-- One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Sorry - I think Star Academy was the original show it was spun off from, maybe. It's been awhile, and sad to say, I'm not getting any of this stuff off IMDb; this is all raw outta my head.:)
God, why did you have to mention that? The only water-breathing superhero that managed to be lamer than both Aquaman and The Submariner.
Hell, let's go all the way back and redo Wonder Woman. Hmmm? What about a live-action Superfriends program? Think of what they could do with the Wonder Twins?
But here's a better thought? Why not something new? Or at least newer? Maybe Sergent Fury? Or Sergent Rock? Or even that damn Ghost Tank comic book?
Or Reality TV: A group of overweight geeks talking about/. postings and saying things like "Dude, like what if Wonder Woman fought Wolverine?"
Seriously, isn't everyone really disturbed by now about how everything old is new again? I'm tired of "Let's Redo CRAP" arguments. Just the other day, the Sci-Fi channel broadcast the Galactica 1980 series (all five episodes). I remember watching it as a kid, thinking about how really good it was. But it wasn't. It completely sucked, and so did V. The heavy-handed jewish/nazi/earthling/visitor comparisons mentioned above were so bad, that I couldn't watch the program when I borrowed the DVD from my sister and her husband (who are now in therapy and doing better). Fifteen years from now, I'll probably watch B5 and Firefly and think that they suck too. Why can't they just give us something original to watch?
-- 144l. ph34r my 133t l3g4l 5k1lz!
Re:Let's see here...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Knight Rider has been brought back like three times already.
The only one worth seeing was Knight Rider 2000 (I think) and ONLY because they played off the 2000 thing and used sound effects from the 2001 Kubrick movie. 2001 has this unique style of sound effects.... I have no idea why they'd do that but it was stylish and cool and kind of an inside joke.
Anyway, they don't need to remake Buck Rogers. I can drool enough over the old ones. There will never be another Erin Gray. *sigh*
Well I guess this mean the end to original Sci-Fi on tv. Its just about makes me want to stop watching tv all together. And there just doesn't seem to be a thing that real sci-fi fans can do about it these days.
I recall having seen it and being somewhat scared by the alien revealing himself in the bathroom while removing his contacts.
But IMO the show really jumped the shark when the writer/producers started exploring the "magical child" plotline. Heh--seems as if many a show has already passed its peak with the introduction of an infant.
-- To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
Re:It was good at the time
by
PurpleHigh
·
· Score: 1
Remember, there were two V mini-series: the original in 1983, and the "Final Battle" in 1984, and a short-lived weekly series after that. At some point, Kenneth Johnson walked out of development of "Final Battle" (the one that introduced the 'star child'), and I don't think he had anything to do with the awful weekly series. In the past, he has said that if he resumed work on V, he would ignore the Final Battle and the weekly series, and pick up after the first mini-series, the only one over which he had full control.
Re:It was good at the time
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Joe Straczynski, when he submitted a proposed 3rd miniseries (which assumedly has nothing to do with current efforts) dissected the Star Child before the credits started
Re:Effects... Firefly
by
cowsgomoo666
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
They're thinking about making Firefly into a movie. It's a shame they axed Firefly and John Doe, they were the best shoes on TV (next to Smallville).
see http://www.darkhorizons.com/news-n.htm :
Firefly: The Movie: Prospero reports that it looks like the failed Joss Whedon sci-fi/western series "Firefly" may make a comeback on the big screen. Reports coming in indicate that during a recent Net chat, actor Adam Baldwin said "We will see a FF movie! Within 18 months!?". Its a little ambitious of course (even if it got underway now 18 months is still a little soon), but more certain news is fans of the show can pick up the whole series (incl. unaired eps) in an elaborate upcoming DVD box-set later this year. Thanks to 'VP'.
I remember watching this when I was a kid, I loved it. I hope the new series will be as good, or even better - that would be one series I would watch:-)
Daniel
-- Carpe Diem
Will Michael Ironside be available?
by
cprincipe
·
· Score: 1
A minimum level of glaring and gruff commands will be needed.
--
bun-fhuinneog agam!
Re:Will Michael Ironside be available?
by
Darth+Hubris
·
· Score: 1
As long as he's dressed in a black commando outfit, sneaks around in the dark and snipes or knocks the lizards unconscious, and answers to the name "Fisher".
-- The party's over... the drink... and the luck... ran out
Re:Will Michael Ironside be available?
by
*SECADM
·
· Score: 1
I was fortunate enough to be taught in high school by the great man Bill Ironside, Michael Ironside's brother. Mr. Ironside! Now there's a lot of glaring and gruff commands in the wood shop class! "Quit fooling around! You're gonna lose a toe!"
-- sure I'll have a sig.
Re:Will Michael Ironside be available?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I'm sure he'd welcome any chance to show off his new dentures. Maybe they can get polident to sponsor the show!
My wife and I both loved this series, so when the DVDs came out we snatched them up. Corney, over(and under)acted, and predictable, but still very entertaining. If this really happens, I can't wait.
Dear lord.. I read that yesterday and now it pops up. Im sure if i wouldve submitted it it wouldve gone on the waste-side..
oh well.. my subscription $$ is being put to good use.. NOT/end RANT
-- There's no Freedom like UFP-dom
Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
corebreech
·
· Score: 4, Funny
And this time, let's do more than just hearing the lizard-people belch after a meal of human. I want to see somebody get eaten. I want to know what kind of wine goes best with human. Do the lizard-people have anything like the Atkins Diet? How many carbs are in a human anyways?
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
DreamingReal
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
That was Blair Tefkin, not Molly Ringwald. And that magical visitor kid ending ruined the entire series for me. I'd prefer that they leave it alone.
-- We want some answers and all that we get
Some kind of shit about a terrorist threat
- Ministry
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
binaryDigit
·
· Score: 2, Funny
And Hanibal Lector can be made the head chef to the lizard queen (or even shown to be a lizard dude himself!)
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
corbettw
·
· Score: 4, Funny
"I want to know what kind of wine goes best with human."
Why, a nice Chianti, of course!
-- God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
Sloppy
·
· Score: 2, Funny
How many carbs are in a human anyways?
I thought the trick to getting the most out of humans, was not to eat them, but to keep them alive in little pods, distracted by VR.
Teach a lizard to eat a human, and you've fed him for a day. Teach a computer to enslave a human, and you've fed him for life.
-- As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
rmarll
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Do the lizard-people have anything like the Atkins Diet?
Something like that I think.:-o
Though there probably wasn't enough of him to save leftovers.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
kmhebert
·
· Score: 1
Having just watched the DVD's very recently, I will say I am looking forward to this. The lizard baby was great although pathetically fake looking in retrospect. There is one scene where a visitor "morphs" her mouth open to the point where her jaw is open about 4 or 5 inches and she eats a cat or something. It's great, it looks SO FAKE yet I guess it gets its point across: ALIENS IS MEAN!!!
-- Regular Meta Moderators are not more likely to get mod points.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
Tackhead
·
· Score: 1
> There is one scene where a visitor "morphs" her mouth open to the point where her jaw is open about 4 or 5 inches and she eats a cat or something. It's great, it looks SO FAKE yet I guess it gets its point across: ALIENS IS MEAN!!!
When I said I wanted to see that hot alien chick eatin' some earth pussy, that's not what I had in mind!
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
Cpt_Kirks
·
· Score: 2, Funny
I want to know what kind of wine goes best with human.
IIRC, Chianti, with a side of fava beans...
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
Mostly+Monkey
·
· Score: 1
Such casual insanity. I love it!
>"IIRC"
-- Chika Chik-ah... do-e ow ow.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
LittleGuy
·
· Score: 1
>>Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
>That was Blair Tefkin, not Molly Ringwald.
...who got the part of Robin Maxwell after Dominique Dunne was murdered during the filming of the Original Series. Other than one reverse shot, all of Dominique's scenes were subsequently deleted.
-- Mod Karma -1:I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom
by
weeboo0104
·
· Score: 1
I want to know what kind of wine goes best with human.
How about a fine Chianti?
-- It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass
Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
cabalamat2
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
The plot: Aliens come to the earth to steal our water
This is incredibly silly: if they want water, they could simply get it from Europa, or no doubt many places in their own solar system: hydrogen and oxygen aren't exactly rare elements, and if oxygen was rare there, life wouldn't have evolved there anyway.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
nhavar
·
· Score: 1
No they came to steal water and FOOD? Remember they were shipping ships full of humans back home. Water was just an excuse - yes they needed it but food was more important.
-- "Do not be swept up in the momentum of mediocrity." - anon
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
corbettw
·
· Score: 1
I seem to recall scenes where they were pumping the water they so desperately needed back into the ocean. So water was the key, it was the food.
And don't forget, the Visitors were carnivores. Any carnivore intelligence is going to think of solutions to food problems differently than omnivores like us would. We see "not enough food" and think "grow more", they see "not enough food" and think "catch more."
-- God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
laosland
·
· Score: 1
I'm still waiting for Space balls: The Search For More Money.
Well, I guess stealing the planet's water isn't that much different than stealing the planet's Oxygen.
"Who made that man a gunner?
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
PhxBlue
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
. ..and if oxygen was rare there, life wouldn't have evolved there anyway.
Animal life evolved on earth despite the presence of an oxygen atmosphere, not because of it. Prior to that, oxygen was just a corrosive by-product of photosynthesis. Even now, there're far more anoxic lifeforms on Earth than there are lifeforms that require molecular oxygen to live. . . probably by about 10:1 or so.
-- !#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
FuzzyGuru
·
· Score: 1
You guys are all wrong. The Visitors were pretending to process the seawater, but were dumping it back in to the sky/ocean. They were only interested in the food (humans).
-- OK - who stole my duct tape?
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Actually, you are wrong.
Having both mini-series on DVD...
The visitors were creating chemicals as a front for stealing water and humans for food.
The visitors came here to use us both as cheap labor and a resource.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
Cpt_Kirks
·
· Score: 1
Wouldn't that be a "Human Resource"?
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
Restil
·
· Score: 1
Europa might have a plentiful supply of water, and in all fairness, they might have grabbed all of that too, but Earth has more, and it's in a form that's probably easier to obtain. They also were looking for food, slaves, and soldiers, of which Europa had none.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
jedidiah
·
· Score: 1
...sounds like this is why their own planet is so desolate. It looks like it never occured to any of them to take up farming.
They didn't need to kidnap humans, they just needed to take a trip to the Chicago stock yards... '-)
Besides, humans aren't exactly the best livestock animals. They really should have been focusing on animals that could feed off of industrial waste (pigs) & grasses (cattle).
-- A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
gilroy
·
· Score: 1
Blockquoth the poster:
, they might have grabbed all of that too, but Earth has more, and it's in a form that's probably easier to obtain
Hmm, in solid form at the bottom of a shallow gravity well, compared to in liquid form at the bottom of a deep well... no, Europa wins on that. Of course, the comets, rings of Saturn, and other chunks of flying ice win even more easily.
Sorry, there's no way to make the premise of V work... they're expending far more resources just reaching Earth than they'll ever recover. You need a non-economic motivation (imperial instinct, for example) for this to make sense.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
LittleGuy
·
· Score: 1
This is incredibly silly: if they want water, they could simply get it from Europa, or no doubt many places in their own solar system: hydrogen and oxygen aren't exactly rare elements, and if oxygen was rare there, life wouldn't have evolved there anyway.
Europa already has a nuclear weapons program in place, so they're just at the negotiation/diplomatic stage.
Besides, as others have pointed out, it's not about the water! This is about liberating humans!
-- Mod Karma -1:I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
banzai51
·
· Score: 1
No, they were taking the water. They were pretending to process some type of chemicals before dumping them back into the air. Remember they made a big deal of commishoning the chemical plant?
What I want to know is 20 years later and everyone still hasn't figured out these guys are hell bent on humans as food? I find the public dumb, but not quite THAT dumb.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
dmaxwell
·
· Score: 1
Maybe humans are just plain tasty. We only had their word for it that they needed our planet to survive. We weren't invaded by an alien military force; we were invaded by gourmets with bad taste in fashion. I don't buy that Fifth Column crap either. There's just some other race they thought was much tastier and they couldn't get their buddies to buy it.
Yeah, yeah, you can catch a few humans and grow them in tanks but it just doesn't taste the same as Genuine Free-Range Organic Human. A nice tall glass of chilly East River water is the perfect aperitif. They like the way we flavor the water for them with fertilizer, algae, bacteria, and odd industrial chemicals. It's like alien Mountain Dew!
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
gooddope
·
· Score: 1
Organisms can survive and even thrive in almost any environ at all. They have found bacteria in the core of a nuclear reactor that were living and even multipying.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
el-spectre
·
· Score: 1
Eh, people have gone to war over silly things before...
It's mostly a plot device... it establishes the baddies as really bad (along with dining on grandma), and allows the allegory to progress.
-- "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
Slurm-V
·
· Score: 1
They also were looking for food, slaves, and soldiers, of which Europa had none.
Just keep on believing that, human. And attempt no landings there.
-- Of course it's going off the rails. How else is it ever going to fly?
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
mpe
·
· Score: 1
Europa might have a plentiful supply of water, and in all fairness, they might have grabbed all of that too, but Earth has more, and it's in a form that's probably easier to obtain.
There is a huge quantity of water in solar orbit. That is a lot easier to get hold off that taking it off the surface of a planet of any substantial size. Any aliens who can consider Earth to be an environment they can walk around in without elaborate protection probably come from somewhere with a similar environment. Thus their star system is unlikely to be fundermentally different from the Sol system. So if they want water why not mine their own cometry ice.
They also were looking for food, slaves, and soldiers,
They can easily farm food animals on their own planet. Slaves and soldiers can just as easily come from their own species.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
SuiteSisterMary
·
· Score: 1
You'd be surprised. Even now, there are people who refuse to believe that the Nazi holocaust happened, for example.
-- Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
Chacham
·
· Score: 1
Yeah, but some people believe Arafat wants peace. Most people are dumb, possibly by choice.
History Repeats itself
by
SL33Z3
·
· Score: 3, Funny
The series would be better if Robert England would have an identity crisis and confuse his alien role with his Fredie Kruger role. At least then you could have an interesting plot.
-- SL33ZE
- Artificial Intelligence is No Match For Natural Stupidity -
Re:History Repeats itself
by
cellocgw
·
· Score: 1
The series would be better if Robert England would have an identity crisis and confuse his alien role with his Fredie Kruger role. I was watching the beginning of a clearly trashy movie trailer a couple weeks ago, so I announced to the whole theatre, "And now.... Freddie vs. Jason!" Imagine my surprise (and disgust) when it turned out that's EXACTLY what the movie is about!
Back to V: I think we should just grab the aliens and shove them through the Stargate. They'd get along fine with the Gou'a'ulds.
Well, it was basically a soap opera:). But yea, the thing I remember most was that the women were gorgeous in those V body suits. I don't really remember much else actually. Too many other sci-fi things all blend in my brain to be sure what was V and what wasn't.
I can't decide wether to see this or the new 'Jason Vs. Freddy' movie.
The quality of entertainment coming out of Hollywood never ceases to amaze me.
Dolemite ___________________
-- Save the World! Use a Quote!
Re:Decisions, Decisions.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Why are most people on the computer scene so critical of everything they don't like? If you don't like it, DON'T watch it, but don't waste a post on slashdot for something that will obviously never affect you.
Re:Decisions, Decisions.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Why are anonymous cowards so devoid of being able to recognize sarcasm?
About the Red Dust
by
razberry636
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
If you recall, we humans came up with this red dust stuff that killed the Visitors on contact...so they couldn't be on the surface of the planet--hope they answer that situation in the return.
NBC had a "V" series that ran for a short while afterward. The "red dust" only worked in temporate climates. The Visitors had to move to tropical places, like the Bahamas, in order to survive.
Sad, huh. To be doomed to live a life in the tropics...
...they would ignore the second miniseries and weekly series, and pick up where the first miniseries left off. A basic description I read makes it sound that way. The first series ended with the humans beaming a cry for help into deep space, and a description of the new series talks of Earth gaining an ally. Radio messages are rather slow way to communicate, but these other aliens could have had a listening post nearby...
Actually, this has the potential to be the kickass knock down drag out fight to save the Earth that Independnece Day *could* have been. And, oh, wait.... NBC? Never mind.:-(
Someone please do Roger Zelazny's "Creatures Of Light And Darkness". Now that would be a trippy miniseries, although the religious types would not be very pleased with the ending.
Someone please do Roger Zelazny's "Creatures Of Light And Darkness". Now that would be a trippy miniseries, although the religious types would not be very pleased with the ending.
Anything you can do to piss off the Religious Right is a Good Thing.
Re:childhood's end?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Interesting. I always thought it was more fun to piss off the Liberal Left.
They're sooooo cute when they get hypocritically tripped up in that whole tolerance debate.
Re:childhood's end?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I was about 10 years old when the first series aired, and by today's standards it's pretty tame, but the 'alien eats a live mouse' scene is still pretty vivid in my mind. (It was also the focus of many a playground discussion. I don't remember if "radical" was the hip lingo at the time, though.) I'm hoping the new version keeps the mouse-eating around.
>... but the 'alien eats a live mouse' scene is still pretty vivid in my mind.
I'm sure there were a couple different scenes along those lines, but the one I remember vividly wasn't a mouse, but a guinea pig...... I also remember some rather vulgar comments with my friends about her being able to detach her jaw like that, but I won't elaborate on that...
-- Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum, cogito.
TV - Series that never happened
by
nhavar
·
· Score: 2, Informative
From the way it's presented it sounds as if they are basing the new story line off of where the MINI-Series left off and excluding the TV-Series timeline. This is both good and bad. It's good because we can ditch the whole Star Child prophesy hoohah. It's bad for the people who enjoyed the TV-Series and liked the character build up and events that took place in it.
Of course a whole new batch of hotties are going to have to be brought in since the old hotties are pushing 50. And of course the good thing is it also means costume redesigns:).
-- "Do not be swept up in the momentum of mediocrity." - anon
Re:TV - Series that never happened
by
kindbud
·
· Score: 1
It's bad for the people who enjoyed the TV-Series and liked the character build up and events that took place in it.
Did "V" rip-off "Childhood's End"?
by
peter303
·
· Score: 5, Informative
"V" (and "Independence Day") start out the same as Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End", a favorite of mine. A single huge alien ship suddenly appears above each of Earth's major cities. The aliens stay hidden for a while because they are repulsive reptiles. Then the stories diverge. Childhood's aliens are merely subcontractors for another more powerful race with apocalytic intentions. "V" degenerates into a cops-and-robbers action series.
> The aliens stay hidden for a while because they are repulsive reptiles.
You need to re-read; the aliens stayed hidden for a while because they were very Satanic looking, not reptilian.
And the "apocalypse" at the end was the promotion of all Earth's human children to a next-higher stage of life, leaving the parents behind - hence the title.
If I remember Alien Nation also starts the same way, although in AN the aliens are more or less just like us, some good some not so good. Plus Alien Nation has bald poeple with spots and the males got pregnant. which makes it so much better than anything else.;)
Also, from what I remember, the aliens weren't exactly subcontractors, they just did what they were told in some mysterious fashion. The "apocalypse" in Childhood's End is just an early version of Vernor Vinge's Singularity.
No, they weren't reptilian. They looked like demons and had minds that think several thoughts at once. Anyway, they were supposed to be scary in appearance because humans had a racial memory that feared the change that the aliens would bring about. I think the other alien race they worked for was just a big collective conciousness like the Q or something. They were kind of like "galactic midwives".
Actually, I believe Arthur C Clark himself copied the idea from an earlier author (who's name escapes me). If I remember correctly, it mentions this in the foreword to Childhoods End, but I could be wrong. It has since been reused in several films, because lets face it, it's the ultimate "Aliens make a grand entrance" image.
-- If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
If I remember Alien Nation also starts the same way, although in AN the aliens are more or less just like us, some good some not so good. Plus Alien Nation has bald poeple with spots and the males got pregnant. which makes it so much better than anything else.
One of the best things about Alien nation is that the Aliens were actual aliens. Rather that 3 dimensional human stereotypes in suits.
In AN, I believe, an Alien ship crashes into a California desert; what most people didn't realize (in the story) was that it was a slave ship.
So the Aliens try to integrate into the population; being slaves bred for physical labour, they have extra hearts, they're faster, stronger, etc etc. Thy wind up taking jobs away from humans, yadda yadda yadda.
-- Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Nope! - Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever?
by
RocketJeff
·
· Score: 1
2 words: Galactica 1980
British miners strike
by
pork_spies
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
In the UK "V" was shown at the same time as a national miners strike. Britain's mining communities quickly warmed to the theme - for them the UK was in the grip of an evil alien she-monster and they went arount scrawling red 'V's everywhere
Re:British miners strike
by
NDPTAL85
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Margaret Thatcher saved the UK economy from the grip s of the evil Unions which now foul the commercial sectors in France and Germany.
-- Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Re:British miners strike
by
el-spectre
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
According to the writer/director, at one point "V" was shown in (then segregated) South Africa, as "an example of white and black people working together peacefully". The next morning, thousands of red "V"s were spraypainted all over the country.
oopsie.
-- "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
Re:British miners strike
by
ThePlague
·
· Score: 0
Yes, for about a two week period in 1983, these red "V"s were popping up everywhere. Someone even managed to do one in the 24-hour library at my college.
Re:British miners strike
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
You are sooooo right. She put unemployment up to three million and gave us the deepest recession since the war. Brilliant.
Re:British miners strike
by
BigBadBri
·
· Score: 1
Yahwohl, mein Fuhrer!
Margaret Thatcher saved the UK economy in much the same way that Tony Blair is saving the Iraqi economy.
-- oh brave new world, that has such people in it!
Since the Iraqi's are now liberated and free to form their own democracy which will inevitably lead to a much more open and accountable economy.... how can that possibly be a bad thing?
-- Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Re:British miners strike
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
NDPTAL85 - If you're going to mindlessly pedal ignorance, why not just become a pastor at your local church?
Oh, in case you'd forgotten, this is a forum for intelligent, technically-minded individuals - not soulless, brainless, arrogant asswipes such as yourself. I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, but you'd have to pull your head out of your ass to get it done, and I'm sure you enjoy the view in your colon much more than the real world.
In the UK "V" was shown at the same time as a national miners strike. Britain's mining communities quickly warmed to the theme - for them the UK was in the grip of an evil alien she-monster and they went arount scrawling red 'V's everywhere.
Though the actual reason for the broadcast as another industrial dispute. Otherwise it would have been coverage of the olympics instead.
I'm an atheist. Why would I want to become a pastor? And if this is really a forum for intelligent, technically-minded individuals why does it always seem to be "If its pro-Linux GOOD, pro-Microsoft BAD"? A bit simplistic don't you think?
-- Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Re:Germany/Linux status?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
You're thinking of the "Newcomers" and Tweeky. Damn, so many alien invasions, can't they schedule it or something?
-- One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
I wonder if there'll be more mouse-eating...
by
tuffy
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Or perhaps the Visitors will start chowing down on lemurs or perhaps a pygmy marmoset. In any case, while the original was entertaining enough when I was much younger, my tolerance for forced allegory has waned in recent years. But as long as there isn't any more "star children", perhaps there's hope for it.
--
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
tomhudson
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
The series was shit. Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there. "Original" only to people who can't read.
Guess that's why so many people watched it -
"There's no underestimating the intelligence of the American public." - Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1955)
i was in 5 th grade when this came out. I loved it as a kid. I remeber having the trading card stickers. I was always scared of the alien when their disguise would get torn off and you could see they were a lizard. I also remeber that for some reason the aliens were not very acurate at shooting their guns for some reason.
-- people who think they can rule the world should start out with a small garden.
Re:i liked it
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
If I had to guess based on your diction and spelling, you're still in the 5th grade.
Re:i liked it
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I also remeber that for some reason the aliens were not very acurate at shooting their guns for some reason.
That because they we all ex-Stormtroopers. That an Ep 3 spoiler...
This is very cool, I just hope that they don't make it a politically correct POS.
My only complaint with the original moni-series was the uber crappy ending. That little girl with the magic powers! I hope they can rewrite or avoid that.
AFA the `good-guys` are concerned lets hope that it is not a candy-apple version. I don't want it to be sickening sweet.
-- "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
I just hope that they don't make it a politically correct POS.
Heh, good one. Its coming out of Hollywood, you know. Not much chance of it being anything but politically correct.
--
appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars
Manimal sucked
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Manimal sucked and so do you for bringing him up.
Have to agree about ...
by
burgburgburg
·
· Score: 2, Funny
"Manimal" and "Jason of Star Academy". But why stop there!
Bring back "Quark"! What's been happening to the garbage scow Quark and it's captain Adam Quark all these years? What about Betty I and Betty II, Andy the Android and The Head? The people want to know!
Re:Have to agree about ...
by
Tumbleweed
·
· Score: 1
"90 degree turns - all the best videogames have them.":)
I loved that jet that morphed from the Lamborghini - that thing (as far as my hazy mind recalls) looked pretty awesome.
I saw a few episodes of this show on tv last year - oh my GNU they were bad. *phew*
Re:Have to agree about ...
by
Cpt_Kirks
·
· Score: 1
You forgot Ficcus...
Re:Have to agree about ...
by
wideBlueSkies
·
· Score: 1
>>Bring back "Quark"!
Absolutely. What's been going on in the bar lately?
And while they're at it, they should bring back Lita the Dabo Girl. What a freakin babe she is.
-- Huh?
Re:Have to agree about ...
by
ShadowBlasko
·
· Score: 1
Automan!!! Automan!!!!!!!!!!?????
Oh thank god!
I was truly starting to believe that I had hallucinated that entire show.
Then about a year ago sci fi (or, the channel that used be actually *have* some sci fi on it) replayed the series in its entirety in one day. I taped the whole thing. Then lost the tape.
So I asked around if anyone else had seen it.
No one. Not a single person. So then I started thinking, ok, it was a flashback.
Now I have proof! Someone else saw it!!!
I miss that show. It was truly sad, but very cool for its day.
Anyone remember StreetHawk ? (I think thats what it was called.) basically KnightRider on a souped-up motorcycle??
-- There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order- Ed Howdershelt Via Tass
Now, between this sequel and catching the other half of that Buck Rogers 2-parter I missed when it first aired things are looking up in the esoteric 80's sci-fi TV department. Now I just need Automan, Manimal, and The Phoenix, and I'm all set.
The article says Marc Singer may be back. Given his resume, I doubt that his own willingness would be any kind of holdup. Will they hire him? Probably.
He's going to have to chose a different type of weapon this time. I doubt a contemporary Nokia cam-phone is as good for wuppin some alien butt as the old-school vidicon-tubed Ikegami he swung around in the original.
The article also mentions Robert Englund might sign up, too. I always found it hard to take any of his scary stuff seriously after seeing him as the (I think the polite word is) *challenged* alien Willie in the original V miniseries.
-- In a related story, the IRS has recently ruled that the cost of Windows upgrades can NOT be deducted as a gambling loss.
Re:Marc Singer
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Thank god movies like Reloaded can use unlimited amounts of crappy actors and directors.
3 hours probably includes the commercials. The breakdown of actual content is likely to be: storyline: 20min; laser gun fights: 15min; shuttle craft chases 5min; love interest angle: 2min; rebels using voice reverberators to "pass" for aliens: 3min; gratuitous shots of really big motherships hovering over the city: 10min. That of course doesn't leave a *lot* of time for character development, but it didn't seem to hurt us the first time around.;-)
Will this version fix all the bugs from the V1 version like the bad acting, lousy effects and shallow characters?
Re:V2?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Will this version fix all the bugs from the V1 version like the bad acting, lousy effects and shallow characters?
It's airing on NBC, where all three will be obligatory.
The lizard baby birth scene
by
Geccoman
·
· Score: 2, Funny
As a kid, the scene where the baby with the forked tongue scared the crap out of me.
I recently saw that episode again with my wife and could not stop laughing at how funny the little doll looked when that little plastic tongue popped out and wiggled back and forth.
I can't wait to check this out.
-- I'm on a chair.
Re:The lizard baby birth scene
by
VelvetHelmet
·
· Score: 1
I was hoping someone would mention the lizard baby. I was 8 and that thing really scared me. I remember brushing my teeth after the episode ended and being convinced that it was going to pop up out of the clothes hamper.
Re:The lizard baby birth scene
by
eclectro
·
· Score: 1
That's part of the charm to these old sci-fi shows. They had limited capability to what they could do.
Nowadays I imagine that it would be entirely realistic either with advanced animatronics or CG generated images, probably both. It probably would be small potatoes.
Look at the recent movie Reign of Fire for realistic looking dragons that would have been impossible 20 years ago.
It will be interesting to see what they could do with the story with modern technology.
-- Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Re:The lizard baby birth scene
by
badman99
·
· Score: 0
What I can't understand is that they were able to interbreed. I remember in one episode a lizard spat at a human and it was acid ? So.... they don't kiss ?
Are there really no new ideas?
by
JimPooley
·
· Score: 1
The only good thing about V was that the year it was first shown, ITV had decided not to bother showing the Olympics, and showed this instead in direct opposition. At the time there were three TV channels, and two of which were showing the olympics, it was the only safe refuge for anyone who really didn't give a shit about gold medals!
--
"Information wants to be paid"
20 years ago?
by
Washizu
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
"V" came out 20 years ago? Man, I was only four years old, but I remember someone scratching the fake skin off a lizard alien.
I remember both! And that scary little baby with the forked tongue! I was only 4 when it first aired, but I remember watching it with my dad. I saw the dvd the other day and almost bought it. Funny how this came up now...
I saw the dvd the other day and almost bought it. Funny how this came up now...
Um, yeah. It's just an amazing coincidence. Just like it's an amazing coincidence when you're at Burger King and happen to see a poster for a movie and realize, "Hey, isn't that movie playing in theaters?"
-- As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
I can't believe someone fucked a lizard thus had a baby.....Though I have to admit I have been with a few 'people' that could resemble a lizard in bed.....cold blooded etc....
Re:My uncle
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Master
After seeing a great deal of his work, ...
by
burgburgburg
·
· Score: 1
Michael Ironside is capable of a minimum of glaring and gruff commands in the same way that Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper are capable of constrained, concise acting as needed.
Re:After seeing a great deal of his work, ...
by
indead
·
· Score: 1
I'm assumming you were being sarcastic, but I think Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken are capable of restraint at times... Their shared scene in True Romance, for example. The same film, though, showcases Gary Oldman's over-acting pretty well.
It wasn't just the water, dummy!
by
EvilStein
·
· Score: 4, Funny
The Visitors had a little trouble finding a Starbucks on Pluto, but you can't swing a dead cat on this planet without hitting one.
C'mon. Visitors need their morning venti latte goodness too. Selfish human!
Re:It wasn't just the water, dummy!
by
colinduplantis
·
· Score: 1
swing a dead cat on this planet
Lizard Creature: Mmmmm, dead cat
-- If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, hump its leg.
V the second generation?
by
nocomment
·
· Score: 1, Funny
Then there will be "V Outer Space 9", then will come the show about the generation before the first generation, and that will be call "V voyaging".
-- /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */ /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
Re:V the second generation?
by
tomhudson
·
· Score: 4, Funny
No, after V, there's
VI (roman numerals)
W (alphabetical order)
V2 (bombs away!)
U (the prequel)
V++ (V with classes)
V# (V extended by M$)
V.pm (the perl module)
GNV (GNU V - GNV is Not V)
Got any more?
Re:V the second generation?
by
blancolioni
·
· Score: 1
GNV (GNU V - GNV is Not V)
Nah, that's just the Roman GNU.
Re:V the second generation?
by
L0gan1
·
· Score: 1
You forgot
v2.0
oh yea that's been done already hasn't it.
Re:V the second generation?
by
tomhudson
·
· Score: 1
and then there's...
vhtml (alien web pages)
v.NET (alien networking)
VW (the alien "bug")
VVV (the Verld Vide Veb, aka the Outernet)
v-- (another copyleft version of v++)
VBase (for alien data)
cV (what aliens use when applying for jobs)
Vm-ware (virtual alien clothing)
V-eep (scary/alien-looking vice president - remember Al Gore?)
vd-rom (read-only social disease)
Re:V the second generation?
by
rifter
·
· Score: 1
If you let them make a VI, RMS will wonder why they did not include emacs and blast NBC's lack of commitment to Free Software. nano nano!
I don't know . . . a lot has changed . . .
by
Idou
·
· Score: 1
For instance, we now all know that when we see aliens, we are just seeing the Matrix assimilate some rogue program . . . takes all the fun out of it.
-- Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there.
Um. Dude, you do know that "V" was originally written as the story of the German invasion of Austria, right? The bit about space aliens was only changed in the next-to-the-last draft of the screenplay or something.
And as for the opening premise being "ripped off," Clarke has himself said that he took the opening image of Childhood's End from any number of "earth versus the flying saucers" movies. And since that's where the similarities end, I think you might wanna just back the hell up a step and rethink your position.
Yes, a lot about "V" was tacky. But you have to give credit where it's due. The hardest thing to write is something funny. But second only to that is good allegory. It's incredibly hard to write good allegory, and the guy who wrote V whose name escapes me right now wrote a damn good allegory. So good that you didn't even get it, which is a mixed blessing of sorts I guess.
I can't believe you mention Firefly and John Doe in the same sentence. Firefly was good. John Doe was ridiculous. Half the "science" gibberish he was spouting wasn't even true, and his analogies made no sense at all. Not to mention the fact that he is the worst overactor since Shatner.
Oh yeah, but which Betty was I and which was II? "You're the clone!" "No, YOU'RE the clone!":) What an awesome show. Richard Benjamin never had it so good.
Then there's the 90's crap - Viper, Street Hawk, etc. I sure liked that motorcycle.
Honestly, I'll be happy if the re-up Black Sash. Hot young babes doing martial arts - what more could you ask for?
Wow V.. now I feel old
by
malice95
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Dam has it been 20 yrs? I remember that series like it just aired last year.. I was 12 when it hit the little screen. I remeber the Eating live mice bit and all the lasers... This rag tag humans were just so ingenious compared to the dim witted aliens. Oh.. and the glasses so you could figure out who was a visitor and who wasnt. I remeber on of the big fast food chains gave those out.. Red colored glasses I think.
Didn't those glasses spawn off an entire infomercial industry selling AmberVision and the like?
I'd forgotten about the shades in V. I initially thought you were talking about John Carpenter's movie They Live. Now that was fun movie -- or maybe I'm just viewing my youth through abmer-colored glasses.;-)
Dam has it been 20 yrs? I remember that series like it just aired last year.. I was 12 when it hit the little screen. I remeber the Eating live mice bit and all the lasers... This rag tag humans were just so ingenious compared to the dim witted aliens. Oh.. and the glasses so you could figure out who was a visitor and who wasnt. I remeber on of the big fast food chains gave those out.. Red colored glasses I think.
I also remember seeing a big red "V" spray painted on every abandoned house, on mailboxes, school doors, etc in my home town. It was pretty cool. I remember seeing a clip from it a few years ago, and MAN did it look cheesy. But that was the 80s. I think I remember playing Laser Tag and splitting people up into the Lizards and the Resistence teams. I still have my original Laser Tag gun and sensor, but I threw away the dumb harness and belt about 2 months after I got it.
I wondered if they would ever bring it back. I kind of wish they wouldn't, just because it was cool then, but now it seems kind of lame.
Want some more nostalgic cheese? What about Flash Gordon from 1980? With Queen doing the soundtrack. Oh yeah. "Flash! Ahhh-ahh. Savior of the universe!"
--
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Re:Wow V.. now I feel old
by
mdielmann
·
· Score: 1
I was shocked when one of my fellow geeky coworkers didn't know the reference to "mousey, here, mousey"...ah, the good old days...
-- Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
Re:Wow V.. now I feel old
by
ashitaka
·
· Score: 1
"Flash! Ahhh-ahh. Savior of the universe!"
I wonder if Macromedia has any plans for this...
-- If you don't want to repeat the past,
stop living in it.
You remember live mice, lasers, and red colored glasses?
Jeez, you musta been 12. I recall Faye Grant like it was yesterday. Cute. Sweet.
No Googling necessary to remember her name.
Re:Wow V.. now I feel old
by
Mostly+Monkey
·
· Score: 1
Aparrently lots of people view "They Live" through amber-colored glasses. Try finding a mint cope for under $100. I'm glad I bought it for $5 at Wally-mart several years ago.
-- Chika Chik-ah... do-e ow ow.
Re:Wow V.. now I feel old
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
No Googling necessary to remember her name.
Maybe not for you, but I had to google just to find out what she looked like.
And now that I have, I can safely say: Old people have no taste in women.
oh goody
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Interesting
More boring sci-fi from a guy who knows nothing about sci-fi.
Isn't this the same nimrod who made "The Incredible Hulk" boring and watered-down for TV?
What's next? "The Greatest American Hero Still Doesn't Know What He's Doing"?
Here's an idea: have ACTUAL sci-fi and fantasy authors do screenplays instead of hack writers who moonlight writing soap operas. Then see how things go.
Imagine Neil Gamain writing "Sliders". Now that would be weird.
robseth
Re:Original Mini-Series was Great
by
WC+as+Kato
·
· Score: 1
The original 4-hour mini-series was great. The following series "jumped the shark."
-- --- I'm Green Hornet's sidekick not Inspector Clouseau's!
Never trust your memory
by
wbattestilli
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I, being born in 1975, was a kid when this came out. I have found that lots of things that came out when I was a kid were actually really bad. I loved V. If I see it again or see V: Part II, it will probably ruin it for me.
I plan to just enjoy the memory.
Re:Never trust your memory
by
el-spectre
·
· Score: 1
The miniseries holds up surprisingly well. I recently purchased it on DVD, and except for the hackneyed (sp?) ending to the second part (um, why can the kid glow?), it is still a good show.
I prefer the first 4 hours mini, as it was a little more allegorical. I am glad to hear that the original writer is back.
I also note that the first mini ended with the humans 'calling for help' via a transmittion into space... maybe that's where the 'new ally' somes from.
-- "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
I, being born in 1975, was a kid when this came out. I have found that lots of things that came out when I was a kid were actually really bad.
Well, I was 19. I remember it as being pretty bad. It's not allegory when you make the symbol of the V ships a truncates swastika. And the water thing? Sheesh. The humans-as-batteries device in The Matrix is almost as bad, but leaves wiggle room.
Maybe the new one won't suck. I'll probably watch, either way.
-- -dwd-
Re:Nope! - Is this the worst TV skiffy program eve
by
Neil+Watson
·
· Score: 1
ARRRRRRGGGGGG the memories come flooding back. Flying motor cycles! It's CHIPS in space.
Thanks for bringing that back. I had worked hard to blank it out.
Are we supposed to read and be aware of every fucking thing so that whenever someone copies some sort of a concept we'll just instantly be able to recognize and know this?
-- Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Re:Effects... Firefly
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Um, tacky? Of course it was tacky!! It was the 80's for pete's sake! You remember the 80's, right?
Other old Series I'd love to see remade
by
Faizdog
·
· Score: 1
Already mentioned, Manimal: Great series about a man who had the power to change into any animal. Usually if I remember right he was a puma or a black panther, but there were other things too, includign birds. Very interesting.
Automan: My memory about this is vague, but it was about a nuclear man or something, he was blue and could do strange thigns, like call cars or something. I can't remember it much, but it was good
Highwayman: kind of like an old Knightrider. It was about these two guys who drove around in super trucks. The trucks could decompose into things like helicopters and stuff. Funniest thing was the guy switching the truck's driving wheel for a joystick to drive the helicopter. Was pretty cool.
Other newer series I'd love to see redone because the originals jumped the shark and got bad quickly: Seaquest DSV and Viper.
Can you tell I'm a technogeek?
--
-"Those who fought today will die tommorow."-
Re:Other old Series I'd love to see remade
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Automan was kind of a rip-off of TRON in the sense that the guy was supposed to be computer-generated--a computer program, basically. They even used very similar animation techniques as TRON. The plot was a straightforward cops-and-bad guys rehash, but I guess they decided that the effects would look cool on a TV show.
Re:Other old Series I'd love to see remade
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
...and if you watched any of those today, you'd probably cringe at how pointless they are.
Anyway, something with a premise similar to Manimal (as in human-that-can-turn-into-animals, not otherwise) has been done recently in Sheena.
Software glitches of the future
by
lightspawn
·
· Score: 4, Funny
Or were they the ones that went "diggity-diggity - hello Dr. Theopolis"?
You mean "BIDI-BIDI-BIDI <obvious comment>, Buck!".
By the 25th century, medical knowledge will have advanced so much that humans will no longer have speech impediments. OTOH, comp sci advances will make robots so humanlike they'll start developing them.
How does a bug like that get out of QA without being caught? Should the vendor be sued? Can a patch be issued? Is Twiki running windows 2491?
Re:Software glitches of the future
by
AndroidCat
·
· Score: 1
Are you trying to generate a lot of FUD?
-- One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Re:Software glitches of the future
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
You mean "BIDI-BIDI-BIDI , Buck!".
It's not a bug, it's a feature. It warns about the obvious comment or bad pun about to be unleashed upon the world. It gives humans with any IQ at all time to flee. (That no one in the show fled tells you much concerning their intelligence.)
Re:Software glitches of the future
by
ashitaka
·
· Score: 1
Oh, as in:
"BIDI-BIDI-BIDI, What a body!".
Surely you remember that?
And what you did alone in your room afterwards?
-- If you don't want to repeat the past,
stop living in it.
Re:Software glitches of the future
by
WildBill1941
·
· Score: 1
Hey, I remember Col. Wilma Deering.:) I've been religiously TiVoing and ripping the Buck Rogers off Sci-Fi everytime they show it. Yeah, the show sucks... but teh hottie Wilma... YUM.
Oh, my lunch!
by
codefool
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Lordy, just when I didn't think television couldn't get any worse...
Okay, V was an 'okay' show - just okay. I have a fundamental problem with their story premise that I just can't muster enough suspension of disbelief to swallow.
They come to Earth for two reasons:
Water
Food
So they're saying this alien race can build these huge inter-stellar vehicles but we can't figure out how to generate water and farm food animals? That somehow its easier to mind f*** an entire planet and dress up like humans than just flat out invade? What kind of lazy writing is that?
Kinda reminds me of the pong gag on the Simpson's halloween special a few years back. "All species who have mastered inter-galactic travel raise their tentacles."
Well you can't ask Movie and television script writings to get sci-fi plots right. I mean think of even the Matrix where the whole reason for the Matrix (power source) is fundamentally flawed.
And V too of course. They come to earth looking for water but (somehow) manage to miss all those huge Gas Giants full of water, Europa, and the Asteroid belt. It makes - literally - no sense for them to invade earth for "Water" and expend the delta-v when they could just grab it from anywhere else in the solar system.
Just about every Alien Invasion movie has this problem... they all expect the aliens to come to Earth to grab our "resources" but the fact is earth is a piss poor place to get resources. The asteroids, etc are far more accessible and you don't have to fight a war to get said resources.
I think the problem is that the paranoid schizeophrenic American population finds it easier to believe in aliens invading than believing that Europa has water.
"How do they know?, we never even went to the moon!"
-- If you don't want to repeat the past,
stop living in it.
Geez, I hate to defend shabby plots, but . . . okay, I'll give it a shot.
You're first question is why can't they figure out how to generate water and food? Well, we're not certain what circumstances the aliens were in prior to this movie. Maybe their solar system was destroyed by a supernova, leaving them just enough time to get the heck out of there. Thus they wouldn't have many options for food unless they did an ark sort of thing and took their livestock with them.
Even then you might ask why they don't just synthesize their food. With their technology, they probably could, but come on, would you rather have (assuming you aren't a vegetarian) Tofurkey (tofu-based turkey-like product) or actual turkey. Let's go with the theory that they like human meat, it's tasty, they're connesieurs.
This kind of reminds me of the Matrix where they concoct this goo that provides "everything the body needs", except of course that it tastes like snot. Sure they could synthesize their food, but would it really be better than the real thing?
People have mentioned that they could have gotten their water elsewhere. Well, if they have a taste for human meat, then perhaps they looked at Earth as offering a twofer. Sure, they could get water at Europa, but why not just get it at Earth along with the humans.
Finally, why not just invade? Again, if they like human meat, then, unless they are just making a intergalactic pit stop and need a bite to eat, they will want to domesticate their game. Using your logic, a farmer should "invade" his animals when he gets hungry. Farmers do just the opposite, they take care of and breed their animals for the purpose of slaughtering and eating them at some point. The animals are sufficiently fooled by the farmer's care taking.
And on one last note, maybe they get their kicks on this crap. They got tired of playing world domination video games and thought it would be cool to see if they could do the real thing.
Ok, I'll stop. Loved V, would love to see it back again.
So they're saying this alien race can build these huge inter-stellar vehicles but we can't figure out how to generate water and farm food animals?
And we can land probes on Mars but most people can't program their VCRs or get their voice-mail half the time. Who's to say the aliens coming to "invade" aren't just a bunch of lazy, anti-intellectual exploiters who get a kick out of dressing like other races?
Good points, all. But this is directly on point with what I was saying about 'lazy writing.' If the aliens really did have some other purpose for being on Earth, then please say so. What the writers did say was that the aliens needed water and food. And they go to so much trouble sneaking around wearing rubber human suits, and secretly pumping the water off the planet (which, btw, water is easily made by combining hyrodgen and oxygen under pressure, both elements plentilly available everywhere, and so pumping it is more work than just making it), and secretly kidnapping everyone and storing them in their ships.
If we were being kept as farm animals, it would seem to me to make more sense to harvest us covertly. After all, with the exception of most politicians humnans are a sentient race and can figure out they're being eaten, while turkeys can't.
The end all is that the writers have to put in some kind of plot device to indicate iminent danger to the human race. And its all pretty shallow. They have to instill a mystery and a cover up, and a rebel force to fight against it, etc. They really need better motivation for all this to work well. Otherwise, is just another waste of celluloid.
It's been tried many times, but the only two I can think of right now that have got it right are
The Twilight Zone and Predator.
Does anybody else remember Alien Nation? I think that was a better series, same director though I believe. However, I was so young when V came out, I only ever saw a few of the episodes in reruns much later, whereas I can actually recall watching Alien Nation. I thought Alien Nation had a solid and interesting plot - well okay, maybe there were problems, but I was young, it was easier for me to suspend disbelief back then.
So they're saying this alien race can build these huge inter-stellar vehicles but we can't figure out how to generate water
Why would they need to generate water? All they need do is capture some comets.
and farm food animals? That somehow its easier to mind f*** an entire planet and dress up like humans than just flat out invade?
Sentient creatures make bad prey. Sentient creatures who are top predators and have put a substantial part of their history developing weapons make a very bad choice of prey.
And V too of course. They come to earth looking for water but (somehow) manage to miss all those huge Gas Giants full of water, Europa, and the Asteroid belt. It makes - literally - no sense for them to invade earth for "Water" and expend the delta-v when they could just grab it from anywhere else in the solar system.
Or for that matter their own planetry system. Water is hardly an exotic compound.
Just about every Alien Invasion movie has this problem... they all expect the aliens to come to Earth to grab our "resources" but the fact is earth is a piss poor place to get resources.
It dosn't make sense for Aliens to come to Earth just to cart off resources. What would make sense is if the aliens wanted the planet to live on...
And they go to so much trouble sneaking around wearing rubber human suits, and secretly pumping the water off the planet (which, btw, water is easily made by combining hyrodgen and oxygen under pressure, both elements plentilly available everywhere, and so pumping it is more work than just making it)
Why bother making it. Why not just mine it from comets? Rather than waste all that energy hauling it out of a 1G gravity well.
Hope they don't "teen-a-cize" it
by
nedron
·
· Score: 1
As the subject says, I hope they don't make it a lame 20-something show as seems to be the trend when doing follow-ons.
If they handle it like the Alien Nation movies, then I'll be happy, since those stayed true to what had been setup in the series.
-David
--
* As is generally the case, my opinions do not reflect those of my employer.
I don't remember if "radical" was the hip lingo at the time, though.)
<simpsonscharacter voice="millhouse">
"Hey! That kid said 'radical!' I say 'radical' - it's that thing that I say!"
</simpsonscharacter>
Re:My uncle
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Not only did you get the rule wrong, your poem didn't even follow your own fucked-up rule.
You suck in two ways.
Re:Effects... Firefly
by
cowsgomoo666
·
· Score: 1
aw c'mon. It was fun to watch.
And as for Firefly, the captain guy was not casted correctly, that guy sucked. The dude played by Baldwin was a bad ass. He was half the fun
In the same genre I would like to see a miniseries or set of Movies made from Turtledoves wonderful WorldWar series. It adds the twist of the aliens invading earth during WWII -- and what strange alliences and situations that leads to. (The humans having to set aside their differences to battle the bigger evil...) A really good read.
For those who don't know, there's a second series, Colonization, which follows what happens 20 years later.
-- Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Re:Germany/Linux status?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
what are you - farking jewdish??
everyone used hollerith machines
you dipsh*t! and Henry Ford loved
Hitler's ideals - does that make
today's Ford cars bad? go buy yourself
an israeli car - oops they don't make any.
pet rodents the world over are cringing
by
Mantorp
·
· Score: 2, Funny
you know some dumbass will try to swallow one after watching V
Re:pet rodents the world over are cringing
by
PhxBlue
·
· Score: 1
Why not? It worked for Ozzy. Do you think he'd be where he is today if he hadn't bit the head off that dove while he was in the record studio?
-- !#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
Re:pet rodents the world over are cringing
by
ashitaka
·
· Score: 1
Wrong end.
Two Words: Richard Gere.
I know, I know, see snopes.
-- If you don't want to repeat the past,
stop living in it.
Re:pet rodents the world over are cringing
by
NeuroManson
·
· Score: 1
And I bet Richard Gere will be the first. That guy's probably a walking Habitrail by now.
(yes, I know, urban legend and all, but one can dream)
-- Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right.
Shoes for industry!
Re:Indoctrination...
by
Bassman59
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
his is just one more step down the road, and if you think Bush is at the lead you are wrong. Just as in Nazi Germany, the mob ruled.
Listen, fuckhead: the mob was incited. That's Bush's job, ably supported by the right-wing media cabal.
I will stand up and proudly declare:
by
Thud457
·
· Score: 1
ANY show that has good-looking women in skin-tight jumpsuits (preferably shiny satin) can not be a entirely bad thing!
--
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Has it really been 20 years?!
by
Colonel+Panic
·
· Score: 1
Seems like just yesterday... man, I'm getting old.
And that 'next generation' thing is real original...
Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it...
by
Phoenix666
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Aliens come to earth to take all the water and take humans for food, mice and small birds for snacks. A rag-tag band of rebels fight them and their human collaborators. Eventually, they go up in hot air balloons to pour Red Dust into the ecosystem and make the planet poisonous to the Lizards.
What part of that is an allegory for the Nazis and the Final Solution? The Nazis didn't want to eat the Jews. They rounded them up and exterminated them. The Nazis had weird eugenics programs and notions of racial purity and hierarchy. The Lizards just ate people. The Nazis sought Lebensraum in the East. The Lizards just wanted to eat people. Yes the Lizards were out to smear and control the human scientists, but that's because they were the only ones who could figure out what was going on and prevent them from eating people.
Unless all bad guys in all stories are really Nazis, because no one else could be, and all underdog good guys in all stories are really Jews, because no one else could be, then it's really hard to make out what you're talking about.
IMHO, this is a story about Lizards wanting to eat people, and the people objecting.
-- Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Um. Dude, you do know that "V" was originally written as the story of the German invasion of Austria, right? The bit about space aliens was only changed in the next-to-the-last draft of the screenplay or something.</quote>
And Star Trek was "Wagon Train in space". The difference was that "Star Trek" (the original, not any of the sequels) broke barriers (first televised inter-racial kiss, for example).
<quote>And as for the opening premise being "ripped off," Clarke has himself said that he took the opening image of Childhood's End from any number of "earth versus the flying saucers" movies</quote>
spoiler warning - if you haven't read "Childhooods' end, stop now, log off and get a copy!
Clarke took that premise and extended it into a totally new area - "superior" aliens who are delegated to be our caretakers, but are envious of us because of what we can and do become, and can't let us know. Not the usual us-vs-them ad nauseum.
Seriously, wouldn't you have rather they made "Childhoods' End" into a mini-series, instead? The story's timeless.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
are u kidding,, jeez I was just a kid, I thought it was cool. I hadn't yet learned that you're not allowed to just like something without checking with your friends.
of course it was tacky, if I saw it now I would probably cringe at it.
save your elitist BS for something else, TV is not a highbrow medium and nobody pretends it is!
It is hard to understand why a race that can move from planet to pplanet would actually land and fight on the ground. Really, just drop a rock into the ocean, and there goes the coast line. If it is good enough, and will be able to suspend that thought.
-- The Kruger Dunning explains most post on/. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
just drop a rock into the ocean, and there goes the coast line.
Dude! They NEED the water, because of the desparate water shortage on their home planet. Furthermore, they need the people, because of the desparate food shortage on their planet.
Didn't you watch the first series? They explained all this stuff.
Idiotic TV halfwittery. It'll be a huge hit.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
It was an incredibly stupid show (Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle made fun of it in "Footfall"). No wonder so many Linux Leftists look back on it fondly...
re: Space: Above and Beyond
by
Tumbleweed
·
· Score: 1
I thought we were talking about _bad_ sci-fi shows? That show rocked.
opening, a hugh spaceship moves onscreen, the earth in the back ground. Lizard command: "Is this the planet that developed the chemical that kills us?" "yes" "Launch"
bact to space, we see a 20 kilometer astroid being pushed toward the earth, striking the earth and obliterating most life.
Roll credits.
now THAT would be funny, and an important lesson. It would definiatly be a remembered moment.
-- The Kruger Dunning explains most post on/. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
AndroidCat
·
· Score: 2, Funny
The difference was that "Star Trek" (the original, not any of the sequels) broke barriers (first televised inter-racial kiss, for example).
And K&S fan-fiction broke every other barrier. (And what they didn't break, the furries took care of.):^)
-- One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
No, SciFi shows the mini series only
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
They don't show the actual series that ran, they show the mini series that got the series started. Compared to the actual series, the mini series on SciFi sucks. It's one thing that has always pissed me off, any network that shows V either shows the "movie" or the "mini series" but nobody actually runs the full series.
Re:No, SciFi shows the mini series only
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Uh, that's because the series was horse shit.
The first mini-series set up the story, then they wanted to use it to kick off a series, but NBC turned it down. So, they begged to do another mini-series to wrap everything up, which turned out to be such a huge hit, that NBC suddenly decided that they wanted a series after all, so all of the loose ends that were tied up in the second mini-series had to be untied again, resulting in one of the crappiest sci-fi programs in the history of TV.
No, it was from 'They Live'
by
Colonel+Panic
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Oh.. and the glasses so you could figure out who was a visitor and who wasnt.
I think that was from the movie 'They Live', not 'V'. 'They Live' (a John Carpenter film) was a much better alien invasion movie IMHO.
Re:No, it was from 'They Live'
by
Cruciform
·
· Score: 1
The glasses weren't so you could see the visitors real appearance... Visitors wore the sunglasses to protect their eyes or cover up the reptilian appearance when they didn't have the artificial ones in place.
So it was a visual cue as to who was a visitor. Just like the PCs vs. Macs theme in 24 discussed last fall:)
Re:No, it was from 'They Live'
by
M.C.+Hampster
·
· Score: 1
Just like the PCs vs. Macs theme in 24 discussed last fall
Ooooh, I missed that. What was that about?
-- Forget the whales - save the babies.
Re:No, it was from 'They Live'
by
The+Only+Druid
·
· Score: 1
Its pretty simple: in that season of 24, all good guys used Macs, and all the bad guys used PCs.
-- "Stumble before you crawl"
Re:No, it was from 'They Live'
by
mink
·
· Score: 1
Whose side were the Amiga users on?
-- Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
HOLD IT, HOLD EVERYTHING!
by
boy_afraid
·
· Score: 2, Funny
I thought that when the rebel fighters developed the Red Dust they would disperse it around the planet, into the air. The ending of the series doesn't get into details, but it is assumed that the humans won after the little girl safed the mother ship from crashing and killing the leader with the dust. How can the Visitors STILL be in charge when they can't even breathe the air. This is BULLSH*T! We don't need to stinkin' aliens coming to resue us, in fact, they need US to give the the forumla for the Red Dust.
Re:HOLD IT, HOLD EVERYTHING!
by
SuiteSisterMary
·
· Score: 1
As I recall, the company that created the dust also created the antidote. Also, it turns out that climate affected how well the dust worked; some places a Visitor couldn't walk into without dying immediately, other places they had no problems.
Also, they wern't bullet proof; they wore armor. As long as they used teflon coated bullets, they were fine.
Oh, and James..aka wots-his-face from Star Trek 2..."Full impulse power! DAMN YOU!"
-- Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
That Hulk Hogan's the least convincing Muppet that I've seen in twenty years!
--
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
As long as there is no Star Child...
by
adrenaline_junky
·
· Score: 1
I've read through many of the posts and seen quite a few that negatively refer to the Star Child from the original V series. This is in line with my reaction to the whole Star Child story line: why throw religious mysticism into a sci-fi flick??
I'm glad to see that there appears to be general agreement that the Star Child story thread was a disaster and ought to be shot into the sun (along with the planet Zeist from the second Highlander movie).
Let's just hope the writers got the memo on this.
Re:As long as there is no Star Child...
by
Slurm-V
·
· Score: 1
This is in line with my reaction to the whole Star Child story line: why throw religious mysticism into a sci-fi flick
Like 2001. Great movie, up until the appearance of that stupid star child. Ruined the whole thing. There should have been more HAL - he could've become corporeal and ridden a tandem bicycle with knives coming out of the wheels. That would have been kewl.
-- Of course it's going off the rails. How else is it ever going to fly?
I remember I had a crush on Diana too and would role play her.. but alas, I'm a male and gay so maybe I was just being a fruit.
Re:WHEN?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I remember I had a crush on Diana too and would role play her..
I'm with you for the first half of that sentence...
Re:WHEN?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I don't think you really thought it was a crush; rather breast envy.
Re:WHEN?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I remember I had a crush on Diana too and would role play her.. but alas, I'm a male and gay so maybe I was just being a fruit.
Yeah, I had a crush on Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) from the X-Files, so did my boyfriend (I'm gay) and I used to roleplay her.
I had a couple of expensive wigs to emulate her different hairstlyes plus a few outfits like she wore in the series. From the back I was indistinguishable rom her. From the front, if I let my hair fall in my face, I was indistinguishable from her.
AAhhh, those were the days...
Worst Thomas Pynchon Adaptation Ever!
by
Tax+Boy
·
· Score: 4, Funny
I mean really. WTF with all the aliens?
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
And Star Trek was "Wagon Train in space".
No, you don't understand. V wasn't "Germans as aliens." It was a full-length miniseries about the German invasion of Austria. Completely written, final draft, pitched to the networks. They turned it down, so the writer (guy whose name I forgot AGAIN) tweaked the script, changing the settings and some characters' names and adding a scene here and there. "V" was never conceived as an allegory, or a retelling. It was conceived as a historical drama. The setting and some plot details were changed at the very last minute before production started.
Seriously, wouldn't you have rather they made "Childhoods' End" into a mini-series, instead? The story's timeless.
Uh. There's a lot that's good about "Childhood's End." But it's not the be-all, end-all you seem to think it is. In a lot of ways, it's a very amateurish novel. Clarke wrote it when he was just figuring out how to tell a story. In particular, the ending is just awful. It's deus ex machina of the worst kind. "All of a sudden, a magical hive-mind with supernatural powers emerged. The end."
"Childhood's End" tried to say something about large-scale change and the nature of transcendence. But it cut too many corners, and the story ended up falling flat.
A very different but much better book about the nature of change on a species-wide level is Varley's "Steel Beach." In fact, much of Varley's work deals with the theme of what it means to be human, and where the line is between human and "other," in very interesting ways that ALSO happen to be excellent stories.
the humans are terrorists!
by
Frymaster
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
what the hell are they thinking? v glorifies terrorism! witness:
the humans don't wear uniforms - they are "unclassified combatants"
they wear the visitors' uniforms in combat situations
they win in the first series by using biological weapons of mass destruction
given the current political atmosphere in the united states i find it amazing that anyone could dare glorify the efforts of extremist human terrorists.
Re:the humans are terrorists!
by
Qrlx
·
· Score: 1
In today's political climate, it's pretty likely that the humans would be sent to the showers -- the showers with no water!
Re:the humans are terrorists!
by
eclectro
·
· Score: 1
One could argue that this show was made in an era that didn't have the same political sensitivities that we have today.
Beyond that, when you're fighting aliens that want to eat you anything goes. And "rag tag" "irregular" forces fighting an overpowering alien presence has been (and continues to be) a plot device for sci-fi movies.
It just doesn't matter to audiences as long as the movie is good.
-- Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Re:the humans are terrorists!
by
El+Cabri
·
· Score: 1
They even do hit and run deadly actions against a foreign military that occupies them under the pretext of bringing them peace through advanced technologies and civilization.
Oh well, in the original Star Wars series, there were already irregular combatants performing a suicide attack on one major fixture of a militarily dominant empire, and then having this empire invade the desert planet where they were hiding and training, but then their leaders manage to escape.
Go figure.
Re:the humans are terrorists!
by
vidarh
·
· Score: 1
Well, that is exactly the same argument anyone fighting the US would use: When you're fighting an enemy that want you dead, anything goes. As long as they believe they are facing an army they can't win over in a regular war, and which they believe is there with the intent of destroying their lives, of course they won't pick up army uniforms and march out to get slaughtered.
Face it, most international law dealing with what is a "legitimate" way of fighting is the result of governments trying to come to an understanding that is mutually beneficial for them even when they are face to face in a war. It breaks down and becomes utterly unreasonable the moment one party isn't a government or one party is significantly weaker than the other, and where the alternative is to dress up in the right colours and get killed, or being an "unlawful" combattant and stand a chance.
Re:the humans are terrorists!
by
swordgeek
·
· Score: 1
"One could argue that this show was made in an era that didn't have the same political sensitivities that we have today."
One could...if one wasn't there.
The world hasn't changed that much, really. We're just getting more (not necessarily better--just more) news about it.
--
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
I've played around with the idea of writing rules for alien invasion movies for a while, but the only one I can come up with is this:
Rule 1. If an alien race that has the technology to cover the time and space to get here, if they want the planet there is nothing that we can do about it.
Will Smith and terrestrial viruses taken as granted.
But I digress.
IIRC, even the main character's name (Michael Donovan) was taken from an Asimov short story. I don't remember which one, but I remember being pissed of at the time.
Re:synopsis recollections
by
mnemotronic
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
As I recall, the whole alien/nazi earthling/jewish thing was way too haavy-handed and preachy. The "V" insignia was a swastika with a few missing chunks, the uniforms were SS. They may have even had the equivalent of "hitler youth", but my brain is rebelling at trying to remember. No subtlety, too little imagination, really bad dialog, and a limp, hole-ridden plot (i.e. like "Matrix" but without the overly-long fight scenes). Please, if you're going to waste my time and beat me over the head with your same-old message, at least show me some t*t.
-- The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
Robotech....
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Check
Re:Robotech....
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Please tell me you're joking. And if you're not, please tell me it's NOT live-action.
Robert Englund as a Freddy Lizzard
by
jinglecat
·
· Score: 0
After the original V, Mr. Englund did Nightmare On Elm Street, NOES2,NOES3,NOES4,NOES5,NOES6,NOES7... And finally there will be a NOES8.. Freddy Vs. Jason coming later.. Clearly he is on a one way ticket to movie obsecurity.
Yes, the original V was cheesy.. but what scifi isn't cheesy --- Look at the crap on SciFi -- Farscape............arg,/dead
Re:Robert Englund as a Freddy Lizzard
by
untaken_name
·
· Score: 1
After the original V, Mr. Englund did Nightmare On Elm Street, NOES2,NOES3,NOES4,NOES5,NOES6,NOES7... And finally there will be a NOES8.. Freddy Vs. Jason coming later.. Clearly he is on a one way ticket to movie obsecurity.
I saw him in a cheesy (but entertaining) space flick on SBYND yesterday. (showtime beyond? i dunno...something beyond. I just know the abbreviation from the program guide:) Anyhow, it was called something like 'a galactic rhapsody'. Wasn't worth renting or buying (InMyNotSoHumbleOpinion) but it was worth watching. It really surprised me to see him in a main role, though. I've seen a few other (really bad) movies with him in them, in very small roles. Not the most celebrated collection of movies, but I bet he has a nicer car than me:)
One of these days I may actually start working with a Mac
Why not steal their technology?
by
rleibman
·
· Score: 1
A big plot issue that always bothered me was that no matter what the humans kept on using human weapons (machine guns) and never once tried to steal or otherwise figure out the technology the aliens were using to get on an equal footing. Maybe the weapons were patented?
Re:Why not steal their technology?
by
DrVxD
·
· Score: 1
Actually, the real problem with the alien weapons was that they were, in fact, open source - and all the humans were too busy bucking for management to dabble with anything that's clearly that worthless - after all, if it's free (as-in-beer), how can it be any good?
-- Not everything that can be measured matters; Not everything that matters can be measured.
Why has this not been modded up?
by
Pii
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Excellent work, sir.
And for your list...
9. VD (The creeping crud)
-- For those that would die defending it, Freedom
has a sweet taste that the protected will never know.
Re:Why has this not been modded up?
by
tomhudson
·
· Score: 2, Funny
9. VD (The creeping crud)
</quote>
... and to continue, when it comes out on disc, it'll be DVD - the "boxed" set! the Digital Venereal Disease...
I don't even what to think about what the bittorent SVCD / VCD will stand for:-)
already posted
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I posted this yesterday but got rejected...talk about bogus QC.
Check out this google cache of CNN: http://216.239.37.100/search?q=cache:Lo238_0 fIlkJ: www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/15/knight.rider.ap/+cnn+knight+rider+movie&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Screw the original cast
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I'll be happy if they put someone else in Julie's bodysuit.
LOL!!! We know what is really important. You forgot the Battlestar Galactica Babes. See my other comments in this thread for the links and links to more great pics.
-- Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
That rings a bell -- weren't there two robot experts that worked for 'The Company' in all of the robot short stories? Wasn't Dr. Susan Whatherface the robo-psychiatrist always talking about those two guys, one of which was Donovan? It's been some years...
As long as *Dianna* is in it....
by
The+Lynxpro
·
· Score: 1
I wonder how she looks now... she was cast later in "The Highwayman" along with everyone's favourite Australian, Jacko...:)
I can live without *Wilhelm* from Seinfeld being the Alien leader this time around...
-- "Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
Re:As long as *Dianna* is in it....
by
lostboy2
·
· Score: 1
Heh heh heh. Jane Badler will forever be remembered for deep throating a guinea pig (or was it a ferret?)...
What was that animal that required her evilness to open her mouth really wide to eat?
Me.
Though I prefer "Stud" to "Animal".
I was thinking of that scene ...
by
burgburgburg
·
· Score: 1
when I included Walken and Hopper in my list. While both can be exhibit restraint, (King of New York for Walken, Carried Away for Hopper), neither particularly wants to.
As for Oldman, he's not physically capable of not chewing scenery.
Re:I was thinking of that scene ...
by
indead
·
· Score: 1
I really wouldn't consider either's performance in that scene to be scenery chewing... Compare that scene to Hopper's work in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 or even Red Rock West or Walken's in Things to Do In Denver When You're Dead. It's an exercise in subtley in comparison.
I definitely wouldn't say Walken overplays his part anymore in TR than he does in King of New York. He never raises his voice inappropriately, makes no Pacino-esque wild gesticulations or eye movements... The same can be said, I think, for Hopper in that scene. The dialogue is laughably over-the-top in places, sure - but that's on the writer, not the actors, whose interpretation of the dialogue is pretty good, IMHO.
I remember the ad posters...
by
Leomania
·
· Score: 1
The ads were really well done; there was a poster up at the BART station (SF bay area rapid transit) with the caption "The alien visitors... our friends" but later a new poster went up with a "V" appearing to have been spraypainted over the top. It was good foreshadowing of what was to happen in the storyline.
I loved the show, although making the scientists the persecuted equivalent of the Jews in the story and the aliens the Nazis was WAY overdone. I kept feeling like saying "I get it, enough already, I GET IT!"
But wow... sci-fi coming to prime time again. I hope they do more of it (and do it well).
- Leo
-- You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I find it amazing that you're being modded insightful. I can only hope that you're not serious, and this is just flamebait. How can you say that anyone that hasn't read this random book is not as intelligent as you?
As for everyone else, please stop stroking this elitist's ego.
Re:Effects... Firefly
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Not to mention the fact that he is the worst overactor since Shatner.
if you watch that show in the proper sequence (not the fox "we're complete morons" sequence), it is vastly superior to almost every other sci-fi show ever aired.
i understand there's a movie in the works, per alec baldwin (jayne), maybe 18-24 months off.
ed
They couldn't find anything new?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
There are so many good sci-fi stories that never made it to TV or the big screen. Why come back to the same old shit again?
Not that I didn't like V back in the 80s, but come on. Give us something new already.
Re:Nope! - Is this the worst TV skiffy program eve
by
jedidiah
·
· Score: 1
Actually, it was just highly unbalanced just like the original. I think you could call both Galacticas Bi-Polar TV shows.
However after having heard some of the plot highlights for the Sci-Fi channel Galactica remake, even Super Scouts doesn't seem that bad anymore.
Besides, Manimal and Automan were way worse than any Galactica episod.
-- A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:synopsis -- with one big-ass plot hole
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
>... discover that they're really a race of
>lizard creatures intent on taking our water and
>using humans for food.
...who have somehow neglected to notice on their way in that there is more ice-water in the rings of Saturn than they could ever hope to extract from Earth's oceans.
That alien voice thingy..
by
chiller2
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I remember really really wanting one of those little voice changer things that Donovan, etc wore to make them sound like the visitors.
Having one of the shuttle space ships would have been cool too, but it wouldn't have fitted in my parents back yard at the time;p
Finally, as someone else pointed out, Diana (Jane Badler) was definitely hot alien or not, though James T Kirk probably already already had her;)
-- ---
Commission free trading & free stock up to $500 - use http://share.robinhood.com/kelvinp6:)
Re:Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it...
by
grungeKid
·
· Score: 3, Informative
The Nazi paralells were in the way the visitors slowly took over the planet. Remember; they did not take it over with brute force at first, but through manipulation, much like the Nazi party rose to power.
They fabricated a conspiracy in the scientific community, making those in power treat scientists (and later on, anyone related to or in contact with scientist) as criminals, paralelling the way the Nazi's made the german society mistrust the Jews.
They also made sure to control the mass media early on, telling their version of events (paralelling Goebbels quote "If you tell a big enough Lie, and keep on repeating it, in the end people will come to believe it")
Later on, scientists and other visitor enemies were placed in labour camps, which was in reality genocide camps, another paralell.
The visitor friends program was an obvious Hitlerjugend paralell.
In other aspect (such as the human informants), it more resembled East europe communism.
I never said that anyone who hasn't read Childhood's End is a dummy.
What I did was quote Mencken's quote about nobody going broke underestimating the public's intelligence. This is/. after all. If I had said this in context w. Windows, I'd either be moderated +5 Insightful or -1 Karma whore.
It's not just a lot of TV that's crap (Jerry Springer et. al.). There's plenty of moronic stuff written as well (National Enquirer, anyone? The self-proclaimed Idiots and dummies books?).
And then there's the whole video poker/government lotteries/casinos thing, where everyone KNOWS it's just a surtax on stupidity and desperation.
So - How does pointing this out make me an elitist?
The captain was supposed to be a little like Vash the Stampede. It sounds like you were expecting something else entirely. I'm curious, what were you expecting?
I, being born in 1975, was a kid when this came out. I have found that lots of things that came out when I was a kid were actually really bad.
I know what you mean. I recently saw The Fall Guy again. It's, ehm, not as great as I remembered it. You better be eight years old. Knight Rider, Airwolf, same there.
No, you don't understand. V wasn't "Germans as aliens." It was a full-length miniseries about the German invasion of Austria. Completely written, final draft, pitched to the networks. They turned it down, so the writer (guy whose name I forgot AGAIN) tweaked the script, changing the settings and some characters' names and adding a scene here and there. "V" was never conceived as an allegory, or a retelling. It was conceived as a historical drama. The setting and some plot details were changed at the very last minute before production started.
Very interesting. I have never heard that before. You wouldn't have a source for this, would you? I mean, that's a FAIRLY MAJOR change and I would submit that more than a few scenes would need to be rewritten. I'd put it more at 90%.
By the way, the writer was Kenneth Johnson. Additionally, B5's JMS wrote a treatment for an attempted resurrection of the TV series some years ago.
Just goes to show that good ideas get mangled once the [producer/director/their significant others/spouses/ad execs/marketroids/anyone that one of the foregoing wants to have sex with] get done.
So maybe someone will notice, and make/tell the original story? Not if the [producer/director/their significant others/spouses/ad execs/marketroids/anyone that one of the foregoing wants to have sex with] have any say - and they do:-(
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
So let me see: the left-handed people are evil was from the anchluss (invasion doesn't quite work when discussing Germany and Austria)? The eating rodents was from the anchluss? I think you might say that V started as a mini-series about the anchluss, but was rewritten half a dozen times so that all the details and a number of the scenes became science fiction.
Taelons' use of humans.
by
hackwrench
·
· Score: 1
The Taelons wanted to weaponize humans. The creatures that came after the Taelons wanted to eat them.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I remember when "V" first aired, they broadcast it so that you could use the blue/red "3d" glasses and get some sort of 3D effect from the show.
Would be very cool if they plan on doing something along the same lines this time.
And what good is this primitive resource for energy when there's all sorts of fusion/fission/ultraplasmagigatomic-energy sources that I would suspect an intergalatic race to possess?
Well, oil's a hydrocarbon, and once nanotech matures, we're going to have a huge appetite for Carbon since it's the ideal building block material.
The funny thing is that today we bitch about the high levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, but in a few decades we may be bitching about just the opposite: CO2 depletion.
Hmm, ever hear of carbonaceous chondrite asteroids?
-- You will not drink with us, but you would taste our steel?
- Walter Matthau, The Pirates
Re: Space: Above and Beyond
by
SquadBoy
·
· Score: 1
I was talking about it being good. Shows I want to see come back.:)
--
Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics.
Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Because you're criticizing other's right to be stupid;-)
Re:Automan
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
IIRC. Automan was a computer generated guy who was created by some nerdy programmer. His personality was based on all the great fictional detectives.
The gimmicks were: his James Bond-ian attraction to women. Sprite a little silver diamond that would draw his vehicles (helicopter, car etc), all vehicles were black with blue neon piping. All his vehicles only turned at 90 degree angles (rationale being that all computer games turned at sharp 90 degrees), which left his hapless nerd splattered up against the window each time they took a corner.
Oh yeah, he could only come out of the power system at night because it took lots of electricity to keep running. This led to great dialog such as "I have to go now, I can feel the coffee machines and microwaves turning on" or something like that anyway.
In addition, if you shot him with a light gun from those old arcade games it would hurt him.
1) I remember it being a good series. 2) I can't believe how much I remember about a series I havent thought about in over 20 years!
I thought that when the rebel fighters developed the Red Dust they would disperse it around the planet, into the air. The ending of the series doesn't get into details, but it is assumed that the humans won after the little girl safed the mother ship from crashing and killing the leader with the dust. How can the Visitors STILL be in charge when they can't even breathe the air.
The planet shifted to a pro-Visitor political climate. Lots of tax cuts, improvements in education, and a balanced budget. Besides, don't you think it's suspicious that those rebels use "Red Dust" to defeat the Visitors? Sounds pretty pinko to me.
"Visitors Bless the Earth... and no where else!"
-- Mod Karma -1:I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Because you're criticizing other's right to be stupid;-)</quote>
Well, when it comes to state-run gambling, not only is it a tax on stupidity, but it also ends up taking more out of the local economy than it puts in:-(
Now, if they didn't ban card counters (thus discriminating against people who CAN do the math), I'd be there taking my share out of the pot, as I'm sure most/.ers would. After all, we can spend the money more effectively than the government, and when the casinos go broke, we'll have proven that gambling doesn't pay:-)
The Red Powder Didn't Cut It
by
lysium
·
· Score: 1
In the official continuation of the original miniseries (both on TV and in print), the funky red powder that makes the lizards pull their fake-skin off as they die is an imperfect solution.
Warm weather/humidity breaks the compound down, so humans are only safe from attacks if they stay in chilly climes. I don't remember many more of the details....I was a wee lad at the time. They may just change the official story for this "second generation," however.
-----------------
-- Together, we will drive the rats from the tundra.
You be overlookin' the obvious
by
Ethelred+Unraed
·
· Score: 3, Funny
Just about every Alien Invasion movie has this problem... they all expect the aliens to come to Earth to grab our "resources" but the fact is earth is a piss poor place to get resources.
Y'all's overlookin' the obvious. "They" don't come here for our resources. They come for our women.
However, if we geeks were to defend the Earth against a large gaggle of female-snatching aliens from the planet Zod, the Zodders would make off with them before we knew what hit us.
Worse, the women would take one look at us (or at the back our Slashdot-reading heads) and go willingly for a little Zodomy.
(I don't know what got into me on that post. I really don't.)
Cheers,
Ethelred
-- Everyone wants to be Ethelred. Even I want to be Ethelred.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Interestingly enough, and completely offtopic, the second Star Trek movie was Moby Dick.
I'm sure many of you knew that and will now flame me.
--
My Ass hurts.
Aliens...Aliens...Aliens!
by
alchemist68
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
...slima...Would you be my [nuck]Dork?...February 7, 1990: that was a good week for chunky rotten milk...salt water got you down?
Oops, wrong "Alien" series.
...Leave her alone you BITCH!...[Alien head shot, mean pissed-off hissing sound]...
Oops, wrong "Alien" series again.
...Nanu Nanu...floating eggs delivering envelopes at the front door...
Wrong Again!
...Oh my, it's the BIG HEAD...
Ack, wrong!
I wish they would re-televise the Martian Chronicles. Now THAT was cool. At least there was a story, theme, and plot. This made for TV series stuff is really not that great. Star Trek is great. When will NBC come up with something that is TRULY original? At least most Nerds here on Slashdot have a book on Star Fleet Academy, and at least one book describing the history of events that happened in Star Trek, listing the episode, and people involved, well, at least I do.
No parallels to the US here....
by
jjh37997
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
...came to Earth with the promise to solve the world's problems through
their high technology, but after gaining control of the planet through subterfuge
and media manipulation, began to methodically kill their hosts.
So.... it's a story about the United States' liberation of the Middle East?
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Fair enough. I guess we just look at it differently. Most of the people I know that gamble don't do it to win money, they do it because they find it fun and enjoyable. Also, I didn't think casinos banned people who could count cards with their own God-given gift? Eh, not like there's enough people that could dent the bottom line for them anyway. BTW, nice sig.
If you want to talk about horrible ripoffs of 'Childhood's End', how about "Independence Day"? When I first saw the previews, I got excited because the beginning looked like such an analogue to the book...needless to say, after the first 15 minutes or so of the movie, I was *quite* disappointed.
-- In Soviet Russia, Chuck Norris will still kick your ass.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Speaking as an Austrian (born, raised, moved to America when I was in my twenties and have lived here ever since) I think the word invasion is the perfect word for it.
What would would you use if a foreign army marched into your country and said, "By the way, this country is ours now. Always has been, really. Mind if we set up a garrison here? Thanks so much."
Missing one
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
You forgot:
"The day after"
(see http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1800054174&cf =info&intl=us)
We all need a good nuclear holiday now and then.
Re:Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
That's not Nazi, that's "The X Files" in a nutshell.
Re:Effects... Firefly
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Ahh yes, I agree. The cast of smallville and firefly did wear the best shoes. Too bad their shows sucked balls, though.
Re:Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it...
by
ShieldWolf
·
· Score: 1
Have you watched it lately? I saw it a year ago and the Nazi stuff not only there it is VERY heavy handed.
I think the fact that we saw this as kids coloured our view of what the show was about, at 10 years old the Nazi parallels are not obvious, but at 30 they are painfully lame.
-- just = (My)Opinion.toCents();
In my office, sitting right beside me...
by
gcarper
·
· Score: 1
...is Mike Johnson, the nephew of Kenneth. And that is just cool.
C-ya,
Gray
--
Gray Carper
Director of Technology xRhino, Inc.
Who was Elizabeth....? Ah!
by
LittleGuy
·
· Score: 1
Who else thought Elizabeth (Lizard Breath, ha ha) was hot? Hot in that greasy 80's sort of way......played by Jennifer Cooke.
According to a Google-cached Tripod website (no longer online):
Biographical Information Jennifer was born in September 1964 in Sataukey, Long Island. She is 5'6" tall. As well as acting, Jennifer has also done some swimsuit modelling. She is currently married to "Celestial Seasonings" founder Mo Siegel. With her husband, she co-wrote the 1996 cookbook, "Cooking with Tea: A Celestial Seasonings Cookbook". Jennifer has retired from show business, and with Mo is active in the Urantia Brotherhood/Fellowship.
-- Mod Karma -1:I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Take 2 old shows, put them together and get ......
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Remember they are re-imagining Battlestar Galactica right now. What if Battlestar Galactica show shows up and finds the earth 20 years after V the mini-series happened. They kick the V guys off Earth, which could happen, the V guys weren't that powerful as I recall, which is why they used subterfuge. They get Earth back on its feet and build a huge fleet to take a big fight to the Cylons.
Ok, it was just a thought, but I have always had these crazy thoughts of combining things. I feel better now thanks.
Speaking of old sci-fi shows...
by
Chazmati
·
· Score: 1
What was that old show where a small crew traveled around the planet on this funky all-terrain RV-like thing? I wanted to "Ask Slashdot" but this was just too small a question. Some here has got to know.
Re:Speaking of old sci-fi shows...
by
Vengeance
·
· Score: 1
ARK 2!!!
Or maybe
ARK II:-)
Damn, I remember that!
-- It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
Re:Speaking of old sci-fi shows...
by
mink
·
· Score: 1
Damnation Alley?
-- Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
Re:Speaking of old sci-fi shows...
by
Wolfrider
·
· Score: 1
"Armor plated cockroaches!" Favorite line of the movie.
-- .
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
The series was shit. Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there. "Original" only to people who can't read.
Ah, but it featured alien babes in tight costumes, and many of us were 13-year-old boys at the time. Sure, snug alien costume technology wasn't as advanced then as it has since become (Seven of Nine, anyone?), but Wonder Woman had gone off the air years before and we were grateful for what we could get.
We needed something to take our minds off walking to school barefoot through the snow, uphill both ways. To echo many other posters: Thank you, Slashdot, for making me feel like I'm one short step away from senility.
I am grateful to the USAF for keeping me out of the country while this turkey was on. Please, let it stay in the can, along with "Logan's Run : The Series" and "Battlestar Galactica".
If you're going to watch a cheesy sci-fi series, why not watch The Doctor?
Chip H.
Re:Indoctrination...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
WOW,,,,More liberal pussies on/.
Quit ranting about the prez and get a job douche bag
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Hey, that's clever! You compared the United States of America of 2003 to Nazi Germany of 1939! I've never, ever heard that comparison before!
You know what you ought to do next? You ought to say something about how President George W. Bush is like Adolf Hitler.
Hmm. Then again, maybe that's not such a great idea. Seeing as how Hitler rose to power in an armed revolt, and President Bush was elected. Oh, well. Don't let that stop you. Maybe you could say something about how President Bush lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Of course, in order to make that allegation you're going to have to come up with some kind of evidence that he lied, something that nobody has yet been able to do. Wait! What am I saying! You don't need evidence! You just need to be clever, and people will believe what you say!
After all, you compared the United States invasion of Iraq, an invasion that destroyed an illegal, autocratic, rogue government, to the German invasion of Austria, an invasion that destroyed a duly elected and sovereign government. It's clear that you're not one to let facts get in your way.
And you know what? I admire you for it. Facts are overrated. It's much more important to draw comparisons than it is to actually have a substantive understanding of world events. Save that stuff for the eggheads on PBS.
Keep fighting the good fight, brother! And whatever you do, don't ever let reality influence your opinions! Remember: sarcasm is stronger than truth!
Re:AirWolf vs Blue Thunder
by
Tumbleweed
·
· Score: 1
What kind of moron wouldn't realize that AirWolf would beat the hell out of the Blue Thunder without batting an eye? Gimme a break.:)
Yes, AirWolf rocked the hizzouse. At least, until it got rid of the original cast and moved production to Canada.
Never a good sign. It sure was strange seeing Michelle Scarabelli without her 'Alien Nation' makeup, too. (and no, Alien Nation does not need to come back, even though they had the best alien names ever - 'Sam Francisco'?!)
Re:synopsis recollections
by
way2trivial
·
· Score: 1
you don't remember David? the human turncoat- in the not quite red uniform
had a medical student lick his boot? a definite 'youth' type
-- every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
J. Michael Straczynski wrote a V sequel earlier
by
motown
·
· Score: 1
Back when I was a kid in the eighties, I never found out what the big deal with 'V' was, because unfortunately, my parents did not allow me to stay up late enough to see it then. We didn't have a VCR back then.
Recently, I saw a rerun of part two of the 'V' miniseries, which I regretted doing later on, because I would have preferred to have seen it from the start (to watch the horrible truth being unraveled gradually). It was impressive to see it this day, so I can't imagine what it would have been like to have seen it as a kid when it was brand new and state of the art! I still intend to see all parts in the proper sequence one day.
Anyway, following the part of 'V' I watched a few months ago, I did some searching on the internet. And it turns out that there were already plans to make a sequel to 'V' back in the early nineties. What's even more interesting is that the script for this sequel was written by none other than Babylon 5's J. Michael Straczynski!
Unfortunately, the project was cancelled, due to it being to expensive. One of the many instances in history of TV and movie companies being too chicken to give something scifi-related a change. Sigh...
Anyway, in 1994 someone got Joe's permission to publish on Usenet the first three acts of "Rebirth", which was supposed to be the pilot episode for a miniseries called "V: The Next Chapter".
I don't know about you, but having read these first three acts, I find it quite a shame that this sequel was never given a chance. It's pretty promising.
Interestingly, the site that informed me about the public availibility of these three first acts (I don't have the link anymore, sorry) also mentioned that Straczynski's script involved a scenario about "another party having finally answered humanity's cry for help". This party would actually be of the same lizard race as the "Visitors", with the difference being that this would be an faction, which was exiled from the Home World for being more enlightened.
The plot described in the CNN article also mentions mankind getting help from some new outside ally, which could be an indication that the upcoming miniseries may (at least in part) be based on Joe's script.
-- "Oooh, does that mean we get to kick some puffy white mad zionist butt?"
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Star Trek II was actually a very literary movie. Apart from the obvious references to Moby Dick, there were also allusions to A Tale of Two Cities and Paradise Lost.
Of course, the best stuff comes from Melville. "To the last, I grapple with thee. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."
I guess they couldn't figure out how to get Khan lashed to the mast of the Reliant for his last scene. It was still good anyway.
Timely and realistic
by
poptones
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
"V" had its weaknesses but I still remember watching it every week even after it went to a series. We used to visit friends every thursday night and I still vividly recall one show starting out with a "fake news" report about motherships over washington that prompted my buddy, who was in the kitchen, to come running out exclaiming "WTF?" It was a wonderful "War of the Worlds" moment.
Anyone notice how many "nazi" films are showing up on TV lately? Gee, you don't think that could have anything at all to do with the atmosphere set by the current administration, do you?
Anyone notice how many "nazi" films are showing up on TV lately? Gee, you don't think that could have anything at all to do with the atmosphere set by the current administration, do you?
No, I don't think so, but I'm glad your liberal mindset is in overdrive.
The Nazi era, while awful, is basically the classic story of good vs. evil. I think that was even a tagline of one of the Indiana Jones movies, "Seldom in human history has good vs. evil been so clearly defined." That's really quite true for WWII.
Why are there so many "nazi" films? Because it's the classic story of good vs. evil and people want to see the good guys win. After 9/11 and not being able to see Bin Laden captured and after the wishy-washy lead-up to Iraq and subsequent failure to find Hussein I think many people are in the mood for a good, simple, "Here's the bad guys, here's the good guys. Good guys win."
It's not like we had an overabundance of movies of guys using cigars in disgusting ways with interns just because Bill Clinton happened to be in the White House.
Re:Timely and realistic
by
poptones
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
...and it's not as if Bill Clinton getting a blowjob and stuffing monica with a cigar in any way threatened my freedom to come and go as I please.
It has nothing to do with a "liberal mindset" - although my idea of "liberal" is most likely not what you were imagining when you stuffed that strawman.
"Seldom in human history has good vs. evil been so clearly defined."
Uh huh. Tell that to "the office of homeland security."
Re:Timely and realistic
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Only in America is the word "liberal" used as an insult.
Re:Timely and realistic
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Anyone notice how many "nazi" films are showing up on TV lately? Gee, you don't think that could have anything at all to do with the atmosphere set by the current administration, do you?
Given Hollywood's usual treatment of history not that many people are likely to notice the parallels Between 1930's Germany and early 21st century USA.
Johnson Disowned Final Battle...
by
Deslock
·
· Score: 1
After creating, writing, and directing the original miniseries, Kenneth Johnson wanted to create a new movie every few months. Instead NBC wanted a second mini-series, so he reluctantly agreed to write what became V: The Final Battle. According to Johnson, NBC took his script and "bastardized it" (another direct quote from that magazine interview), turning it into a soap opera. Johnson argued with them, but he lost. So he quit the project and NBC filmed Final Battle without him.
After Final Battle did well, NBC decided to create a weekly series, but it was a total failure. They tried to bring Johnson back on board to save the weekly-series 1/2-way through its run, but he declined saying "Too much water under that bridge..." (this is a direct quote from a magazine interview with him back in 1985).
After V: The Series was cancelled, NBC told Johnson "You were right, we should've done it your way" (this is according to Johnson - same magazine article).
So, this news surprises me... is the timeline going to ignore the weekly-series and The Final Battle? (or possibly just the weekly-series?)
FYI, a couple differences in Johnson's Final Battle were:
- Ham Tyler was wheelchair bound, but still a bad-ass. When he and Donovan greet each other in Johnson's version, Donovan lunges at him (Donovan hated Tyler far more in Johnson's version than in NBC's version). Tyler does a fancy wheely and knocks Donovan on his ass. Johnson liked this bit because "you never see the good guy attack someone in a wheel chair" (another direct quote).
- No glowing-star-child-saves-the-day-ending (instead Martin sacrifices himself by flying the ship out of orbit).
Re:Johnson Disowned Final Battle...
by
mpe
·
· Score: 1
After V: The Series was cancelled, NBC told Johnson "You were right, we should've done it your way" (this is according to Johnson - same magazine article).
The real suprise is that the apologied to him. Not that TV companies appear to have changed that much in the last 20 years when it comes to leaving talented people to just do their stuff.
"Childhood's End" - Early Singularity Fable
by
meehawl
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Childhood's aliens are merely subcontractors for another more powerful race with apocalytic intentions
Actually I think the wonderful and majestic Childhood's End was one of the early modern-form Singularity eschataological-themed science fiction books.
Current technological eschatology extensively uses the fictional device of runaway information technology leading to computerised transcendence. In Childhood's End, the theme was that all advanced dominant planetary species throughout the galaxy (except the "devils") inevitably developed their civilisations to a critical biomass of psychic cognition that would prompt the emergence of a new, absorptive group mind. The "demons" didn't hasten the process, or retard it -- they simple arrived to nursemaid the new organism.
In that era, most psychoactive drugs had yet to be prohibited, the "talking cure" of developmental psychoanalysis was at its zenith, and the potential effects of group psychology deployed within advertising and the new mass broadcast media seemed limitless. It was generally assumed that advancing pharmcological technology and increased self-actualization techniques would lead to stronger, mentally fitter humans. Of course, that didn't happen. These days, a lot of people put their faith in computation cycles, encryption, and wireless packet switching. Good luck with that.
Childhood's End is quite similar to a few other books of that 1950s era, especially Poul Anderson's Brainwave, which was one of the first books to advance the notion of different cognitive "zones" within the Galaxy that creates different levels of intelligence and self-awareness. This idea was most famously borrowed by Vernor Vinge for his 1980s Fire On The Deep space opera. I'm also thinking of Fritz Leiber's "The Girl WIth The Hungry Eyes".
It was 25 years ago. I'm lucky I remembered what I did.
Were parts of V ripped off from a play?
by
elh102
·
· Score: 1
Any theater geeks out there?
The last time I watched the original V miniseries a few years ago, my friends and I had just finished taking an "Introduction to Theater" class in college. We were stunned that several scenes in the show seemed to be lifted, almost word for word, from "Fear and Misery in the Third Reich" by Berthold Brecht. The play, written in the late 1930's, was a collection of several short scenes which showed how the Nazis slowly corrupted life in Germany.
I did a quick Google search for "V the miniseries" and "Fear and Misery in the Third Reich" and didn't get any hits. I checked the credits listed in V's entry in the IMDB, and couldn't find any credit given to Brecht.
Anybody out there know more about this? Were parts of V openly adapted from this play, or are the similarities I saw a coincidence (or something shadier?)
DR WHO!
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
*wail* Why oh why not? If only you Americans hadn't chosen to watch Roseanne instead of the Paul McGann movie (which sucked as much as it blew, but hey, it was something)!
Re:Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it...
by
vidarh
·
· Score: 3, Informative
Maybe you should go back and watch it again (it's out on DVD) and look for:
The youth movement used to snitch on their parents.
The arm bands
The Jewish family that had been through Nazi persecution making a big point about how it is "happening again"
How they make a big point about how they are looking after the public good, and stamp all opposition as a threat to the state
How the make excessive use of staged media events for propaganda
The "prisoners" that are really being taken away to be killed (yes, by being used as food, instead of just as mostly waste) instead of serving sentences as people were being told
How they see humans as inferior (as opposed to the Nazi's seeing non-germanic people as inferior)
Breeding programs (lizard - human pregnancies, much as the Nazis had extensive programs to breed the perfect master race through careful selection)
(as you mentioned) The victimisation of scientists and other intellectuals (the lizards shared with the Nazis an excessive program of arresting and discrediting scientists and political opponents, including pegging crimes on their opponents to turn public opinion against them - Reichtags fire, anyone?)
The parallels are so blatant and in your face that it at some points it really disturbs the story, but I guess that's the point.
Yes, you are right, the lizards wanted humans for food, while the Nazis wanted racial purity and power, but it both amounts to a fundamental disrespect for other sentient beings - all of humanity in the case of the lizards, and "just" all non-germanic people and all in political opposition or anyone who for any other reason didn't fit into the Nazi ideal in the case of the Nazis.
Without some twists, there would have been no point making it as a sci fi series instead of making yet another series about the war.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
untaken_name
·
· Score: 1
Okay, you got me there! alien babes, earth babes, it's all good (except for the mutant chick with the three tits in "Total Recall" and the other mutants - guess I'm a closet xenophobe in some respects, or I just lack imagination:-).
Re:AirWolf vs Blue Thunder
by
On+Lawn
·
· Score: 1
I think the playground arguement ran aground on whether or not AirWolf really had a laser. If it did, it would win. If not it was anybodies call. Especially since both had missles and anti-missle flares (thats all you need right?) With missles effectively at a standstill the speed of AirWolf wasn't much of an advantage since choppers can fly in the opposite direction they are pointing.
Back then I stuck behind Blue Thunder. And now I do even more. Not much that can get past a 50cal gattling gun. But nowadays I have an even better reason. Becuase anyone that backs AirWolf is just not in touch with reality and is the kind of person who would argue US vs Japan hanging on the outcome of the obvious King Kong vs Godzilla matchup.
But yeah, except for the Dick Van Dyke evil genious ready to take over the world episodes there wasn't any redeeming qualities to the USA network version of AirWolf.
But bring back the origional. The coolest part was that the test pilot got so disgruntled with the company that he stole the chopper, and they still manipulated him to go on missions for them.
That may seem like fantasy, but somehow it had a very resonant chord with my experiences with corporate mentality.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
untaken_name
·
· Score: 1
Are we supposed to read and be aware of every fucking thing so that whenever someone copies some sort of a concept we'll just instantly be able to recognize and know this?
I agree totally. We should just realize that nothing's truly original. Everyone's influenced by *something*, whether they know it or not. Every story is based on or similar to some other story. It's all been done before.
Note to everyone who doesn't like V but bothered to post about it anyway: Perhaps the intent of the creator of V was not to blaze new trails, or change the world, or make elitist professional bitchers and poseur intelligencia happy. Perhaps he just wanted to make some entertainment. Oh wait, I forgot, none of you people think anything should be simply entertaining anymore. (perhaps you just think that if *you* weren't entertained, no one could be) Fuck you. It's *my* time, I'll "waste" it being entertained by V if I want to. If you think it sucks or it isn't original enough for you, don't fucking watch it. How hard is that?
WOW, more attractive chicks swallowing live animals whole?!! Ho boy. Suggestion to the producers: can we see a girl eating a gopher this time? No wait, two girls sharing a koala! With honey! Nnnnhhhh....oh god, my keyboard's sssttttiiiccckkkiiinnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggg......
At last a chance to tell my very short story...
by
tyroneking
·
· Score: 1
When V was all the rage in the UK, so was Billy Graham (the US preacher). His posters were all over the church boards in my home town.
One day I saw a couple of people hanging around my local church notice board, laughing.
When I went up to see the gag, I saw that someone had sprayed a big red V on a Billy Graham poster.
At first I laughed along with the rest. But later, my joy turned to confused terror, when I read of David Ickes horrific theories about reptiles (load of c**p really, but quite funny - but please don't follow the link if you are easily offended, or seriously stupid, like this guy;)...
Seems to me that Icke's theories started around the time V was broadcast in the UK - so the original series has a lot to answer for;) Bring on the next series (we need more nuts!)
Maybe Billy should wear a pair of these to stop people spotting his weird, reptilian eyes.. darn that reptilian agenda...
It seems that people are having a little trouble differenciating TERRORISTS and FREEDOM-FIGHTERS.
It is tricky to spot the difference:
FREEDOM-FIGHTERS use sneaky, unsportsmanlike, tactics to fight a war against a government that DOESN'T ALLOW the rich from your country to come in and exploit the local people and resources and take the money elsewhere.
TERRORISTS use sneaky, unsportsmanlike, tactics to fight a war against a government that ALLOWS the rich from your country to come in and exploit the local people and resources and take the money elsewhere.
As a hormone infused teenage geek and connoisseur of all things science fiction at the time, I really enjoyed the show on several levels.
First, this show had some great looking leading ladies. There was Jane Badler as Diana, leader of the aliens. You wouldn't believe how bad I wanted her to come to my house and eat mice. I kept asking myself what I would/could do to get on Diana's good side so I could date her. Sure she was an alien intent on world domination so she could harvest humans for food, but maybe she could "reform" with my help. This is one lizard lady I wanted to meet. There were other aliens equally attractive. I didn't care that they were lizards down deep. Faye Grant wasn't too bad either.
Joking aside, the V mini-series movies was innovative and interesting. It's true that the series that followed lacked, but that was the case with most TV sci-fi series of that era as they just did not have the production values/capabilities that we have today.
But to diss the whole V story indicates that you do not have an appreciation for sci-fi in general and the efforts of that particular period. There is nothing wrong with that per se, but it invalidates your criticisms, which is very much in the minority Or you are showing both your arrogance and ignorance.
At that particular time, we didn't have the quantity nor the quality of science fiction shows and movies that we have today. They were few and far inbetween. Today we have a whole summer of sci-fi with advanced high quality special effects and good stories. Not to mention all this has gone over to TV where we see the same improvements in sci-fi TV shows.
So before you call V "shit" understand both the era and context that it appeared in.
-- Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
--Dr. Susan Calvin, and yes. George Powell was the other expert, and some of their adventures are pretty funny...
Thx to Google for the help. http://www.essaymill.com/free_essays/inmers /m2582. htm
-- .
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
Re:Original Mini-Series was Great
by
Wolfrider
·
· Score: 1
--Seeing that list reminded me... I hope they bring back Michael Ironside.
-- .
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
Re:AirWolf vs Blue Thunder
by
Tumbleweed
·
· Score: 1
I don't remember AirWolf having a laser, BUT, it was _heavily_ armored, unlike Blue Thunder. Also, its weapons pod could turn side to side, making any evasive maneuver by BT pretty much pointless. That and the turbo thruster advantage gives it all to AirWolf. I don't think it would even be a _close_ match. Of course, BT is a much more realistic aircraft, but let's not get into that.:)
re: King Kong vs Godzilla
I'd love to see King Kong dancing around on fire after Godzilla flamed him.:)
re: Airwolf & disgruntled test pilot
No, what happened was it was stolen by its creator & test pilot team (who then proceeded to destroy the shit out of the test facility - that's how 'Archangel' lost his eye). Stringfellow was sent in (after they stole his parents art collection) to retrieve it. He then kept it to make them find his MIA brother (St. John - who took over for him after the show got rid of Jan Michael Vincent & Ernest Borg9). It's so sad that I remember this so well.:)
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I take it you've never seen Masterpiece Theatre or anything that PBS broadcasts?
Believe it or not, when I watched the original V broadcast, the whole Nazi thing completely missed me. I mean, it went way over my head. Of course, I was 10 at the time, so hopefully I can be forgiven.
Also, Marc Singer's nostrils creeped me out big time.
-- --
Who am I? How did I get here? My God, what have I done?!
Re:AirWolf vs Blue Thunder
by
Tumbleweed
·
· Score: 1
Oh yeah, amusing anecdotes re: AirWolf
Apparently when they modified the production helicopter to create AirWolf, the changes they made improved the aerodynamics. Funny.
When some military types first saw AirWolf on TV, and it was doing some non-helicopter-capable stunts, they immediately called the people of the show to ask them how the hell they did that, only to be told it was 'tv magic.' hehe
The machine guns on the sides of AirWolf were, of course, fake. To make them look real during firing, they fed gasoline through them and ignited them with sparkplugs. Wicked.
My favourite episode was the one with 'AirWolf II' - seeing that thing firing multiple missiles at once was pretty startling. Rather like the first time I saw a video of a Tigershark (F-20?) unloading its whole weapons rack.
Or you are showing both your arrogance and ignorance.</quote>
Or perhaps my tastes are a bit different from the general populace. But to say that I have no appreciation of sci-fi in general would be to (wrongly) assume that I'm not a sci-fi fan. I am, just that I don't find much worth watching on the tube as opposed to the local book store.
I guess that makes me a bit jaded - by the time it shows up as a mini-series, I can't help but feel something akin to "been there, done that".
The problem continues, because most TV productions aren't going to take big risks. They'll continue to make what sells. That means, unfortunately, more of the same. It's like all the Star Trek sequels, that just continue to grind on and on, milking the same cow until there's nothing left, the cow looks scraggly, and it's all just filler anyway.
The stories that tend to engage people the most aren't about special effects and production values - they're about people. If the story has a good plot and isn't "self-conscious" or heavy-handed about it, (unlike 'V'), it'll work.
With V, the producers/directors hand showed through in too many scenes, instead of transparently telling a story. That's why it sucked.
Unfortunately, alien babes don't make up for this (wish they did, though).
V was a great disappointment to me because the miniseries started so well, and ended full of TV Sci-Fi's most stupid cliches.
They came and they looked human. They said this was due to common ancestry, which is something I could almost buy (though it has to be very recent common ancestry, and a lot of the fossil record needs major reinterpretation.) They have a hidden oppressive agenda -- good plot device, to make for good stories.
Then suddenly it is all undone at the end of the miniseries. They are lizards in amazing human suits so good you want to have sex with the women, but which can be peeled off. And they want our water, stuff made from 2 of the most common elements in the universe. How could people who wrote a good beginning like that write such a stupid ending. I don't want them to write more, based on the trend.
Sadly, this is not the only time this happens in TV SF. Look at the Matrix with its "battery" story. Why does it happen so much?
Wanted: Dead or Alive
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Bad Guy: Must be recognizeable with extensive experience in the bad guy profession. Must appear to be intelligent, but with fatal flaw. Perfect villians will not be considered. Also must have extensive weapons expertise, while being a poor marksman in the presence of a 1st or 2nd tier protagonist. If you can't hit a good guy at 2 feet with a fully automatic shotgun, a laser sight, a scope and a targetting computer, YOU'RE OUR MAN/WOMAN/ALIEN. Welcome aboard!
Good Guy: Must have pepsodent (TM) smile, be dumb as a stump, and capable of delivering one liners with a straight face. Also required, must be an expert marksman, capable of wounding bad guys at 2km ranges with a single shot from a snubnose revolver or a steak knife. Alternately, can have expertise with automatic weapons. must be able to expend entire magazine into a crowd and selectively kill/maim all bad guys, with no civilian casualties.
Positions must be filled before June 13, 2003.
Contact PTB for details.
How to save a series that has "jumped the shark"
by
Wolfrider
·
· Score: 1
--Have a main actor or the producer come on-stage before the show starts and say something like this:
"Remember the episode(s) that **really sucked?** I want you to know that those episodes NEVER HAPPENED from the standpoint of this show. We're going forward, and we'd like you all to forget the bad stuff and concentrate on what we're developing plot-wise from here on. We have re-committed to developing this series in a quality way, and hope that you, the audience, are pleased with our efforts.
Thank you."
--God, I wish they would do this for Witchblade. The whole 1st year ROCKED until the **last freaking episode.** (Ex-fans of the series will know what I'm talking about; the whole stupid time-travel BOGOSITY.) Then the entire 2nd season sucked so bad, I stopped watching. Result: They cancelled the series, and for good reason. But maybe they could bring back the kind of quality that made us love the 1st season.
Maybe.
-- .
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
Now my childhood TV memories are flooding back... even Shazam and ISIS. Dear god, did I have some sort of primitive Shazam underoos? Maybe these memories are better left uncovered.
"4.2 V" Poster from Mt. Xinu
by
billstewart
·
· Score: 1
A long, long time ago in a universe far, far away....
Does anybody still have a copy of the 4.2 > Vposter? It showed a "4.2BSD" tie fighter speeding away from an exploding AT&T Death Star.
--
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
"For millions of years earth was fertile and rich. Then polution(sic) and waste began to take their toll. Civilization fell into ruin. This is the world of the 25th century. Only a handful of scientists remain. Men, who have vowed to rebuild what has been destroyed...This is their achievement...Ark II, a mobile storehouse of scientific knowledge, manned by a highly trained crew of young people. Their mission: to bring the hope of a new future to mankind. Ark II log, entry #1 - I Jonah, Ruth, Samuel and Adam are fully aware of the dangers we face as we venture into unknown, maybe even hostile areas. But, we're determined to bring the promise of a new civilization to our people and our planet."
Ha ha!!!! Birds of feather really do flock together. See my other post in this very thread. Mine took longer because of the links.
Wonder woman was a great sci-fi babe of that era. Another babe was Erin Grey as Wilma in Buck Rogers. She still looks great and is still the subject of much lust (there is a yahoo group devoted to her). She signs photos at the sci-fi cons (I need to go to one). Pam Hensley was another babe on Buck Rogers.
Everything a teenage geek could love - science fiction and space babes. It would seem the producers of these shows knew well what their target audience wanted.
Ahh, the memories.
-- Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Love to eat them mousies!
by
billstewart
·
· Score: 1
Memory works in funny ways - I thought the following reference was about the EFF, but apparently it was an EFF person referring to the CIX, but in any case:
I just like that word. Suckage. It's so nice and effective.
ANYHOO...I remember V the first time around, and after two episodes, thought it sucked. I've seen it on reruns, and...it still sucks. Having run out of good shows to copy and sequelise, are we doomed to a TV life of rehashing unsuccessful shows now?
--
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
Re:AirWolf vs Blue Thunder
by
On+Lawn
·
· Score: 1
I don't remember AirWolf having a laser, BUT, it was _heavily_ armored
The Laser only showed up in the first three episodes. Its why we couldn't figure out if it really had it or not. And yeah it was heavily armored. I think it had the same paint job as KITT or something like that.
Blue Thunder had the armor plating that even survived a stint with armor piercing bullets.
Heh, this is taking me back to the day. I wonder where the WWWF grudgematch went to. This was the kind of ground they used to cover oh so well.
re: Airwolf & disgruntled test pilot
Oh yeah, I remember now.
Willie wasn't "challenged"!
by
geekwench
·
· Score: 1
Due to a clerical error, he had been deployed to the US instead of Saudi Arabia, and he had to learn English on the fly. Apparently, the Visitors hadn't discovered Berlitz language courses. Some of the word substitution errors were darn funny, too.
Hold on a minute. How I remember this isn't an issue. The question is, why do I remember this??
Dear Lord. I really am a geek, aren't I?? [broad grin]
-- Doing my level best to piss off the religious right wing...
Bleaggghhh
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
This is just too stupid! This gives you an idea of how bad things are over at the networks these days. It takes real talent to try and breathe life into a story about the world being taken over by peckish forked tongue lizards who wear rubber suits and are lead by some sadistic, bitchy Joan-Collins/Alexis-wannabe. Hey, will the ex-beastmaster be in it, or will they cast some young guy with great hair? Will the new series also recycle disco-y incidental music from C.H.I.P.S? To be fair, I began to have a respect for Michael Ironside after he left the series and moved on to bigger and better things (Andromeda doesn't count).
I guess they think this series will appeal to the losers who long for the glory days of yore when they flopped on their couches and watched endless episodes of this rubbish instead of doing their homework. Fa!
Re:Robert Englund as a Freddy Lizzard [sic]
by
MsGeek
·
· Score: 1
Actually Robert Englund's role as a "Commander Data"-like lizard person who joins the resistance was quite good and quite nuanced. The guy basically is the modern-day Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff...both actors were quite skilled and desperately wanted to break out of their typecasting.
The difference between Lugosi and Karloff is that Lugosi became a Heroin addict to soothe his frustration at his not being considered for anything other than horror roles. Karloff made peace with his horror stardom and died knowing he had literally millions of fans who loved him for his ability to make monsters multi-dimensional.
I don't know where Englund is in that continuum. I would like to see him do something other than Freddy Krueger and Freddy Krueger-like characters (Erik in a Phantom of the Opera remake, for instance) but alas, he's a horror star and horror is what he does. A quick look at IMDB shows that he's getting more work abroad (Italy, Croatia) than what he's getting here, which is basically grade-Z horror flicks every so often.
-- Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
When is the rest of the series coming out on DVD?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
What about the TV series followup where Diana escapes and calls the troops back and Elizabeth metamorphoses from this green yucky slimebag into a grown woman and that Bates guy comes into it and when the fleet comes back with yet another bitch.. LYDIA..?.. Cos whenever I see the series rerun on TV they usually only sends up to the redpowder episode.. and see them leave. the 2nd part where they come back is hardly ever aired.. if I'm gonna buy this I want ther WHOLE THING!..
http://www.movieprop.com/V/tvseries.htm
Wow, I'm old.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
This makes me feel old -- I remember the original series!
Re:Wow, I'm old.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I reember how scared it made me....I had troubles eating meat and sleeping for weeks:D
Re:Effects... Firefly
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
they were the best shoes on TV
Hey! I thought Ed Sullivan was dead!
only one thing I remember
by
madmarcel
·
· Score: 1
Unfortunately I'm old enought to remember watching this on tv...
I distinctly remember 3 things:
1) All the magazines spoiled the surprise on the 'real' identity of the aliens by publishing photo's of their 'leader' with the flaps of his fake human skin hanging off his face, showing half his slimy reptilian face. Looked freaky then, betcha it still looks good today. That was probably the best part in the whole damn series... Ooh, and the much hyped scene where the evil alien she-bitch eats a whole hamster in one bite - IIRC 'the making of' later explained that they had to build a complicated contraption so that it looked like she could stuff an entire hamster/gerbil in the appropriate orifice...
2) The eh....landsharks. They were neat. All the aliens had to do to protect their bases was dump a few tons of red sand in a ring around their bases, release some of those critters and voila. No intruders. <<Cue scene where actor sinks into the sand - whilst waving arms and screaming like a maniac>> The eh...landsharks were man-eaters if you hadn't figured it out yet...can't remember why they didn't eat the aliens.
3) How crap the second series really was compared to the (obviously bigger budget) first/mini series...the lizard alien actors, when not disguised as 'humans', wore cheap plastic masks (didn't even look like lizards half the time;) The aliens were suddenly bullet-proof as well. Oh...and plot? Well...yes, as previous posters have pointed out...the 'magic' child plot just ruined it.
Heck, I think I remember watching the very last episode...it ends with the 'magical' child walking into some shuttle (it's all supposed to be very mystical and meaningful...) which is eh...piloted by the "real" leader of the aliens? Something like that...you never see him, you just hear his voice, coming from the dark interior of the shuttle. Shuttle door closes, people&aliens start crying/cheering, shuttle buggers off, end of series, thank god.
Action Channel on digital cable has it
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
they show it fairly often.
Laissez-Faire Capitalism != Democracy
by
meehawl
·
· Score: 1
Since the Iraqi's are now liberated and free to form their own democracy which will inevitably lead to a much more open and accountable economy
You are mixing your ideological buzzwords here. Democracies do not necessarily lead to vibrant economies, just as vibrant economies do not necessarily lead to democracies. Otherwise, how to explain the lack of democracy in China, and the lack of economic growth in Argentina?
Additionally, can you explain what an "open and accountable economy" is, exactly. "Economies" apply to the "production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services". "Democracies" are all about the "common people especially when constituting the source of political authority". These concepts do not have any necessary concordance beyond that which ideologues like to ascribe.
And given that Rummy et al have put the smackdown on any attempts by the Iraqis to hold a elections any time soon (because they know that the expressed will of the people would return an overwhelmingly anti-US government), can you explain how "the Iraqis" are now "free to form their own democracy"?
While all of you speculate....
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
I have found the truth!Â
The truth is that George Bush is actually a reptilian. Believe it or not. ÂMy good friend David Icke
and I did a whole bunch of research regarding this issue. The rehashing of the mini series V serves no
other purpose than to brainwash the masses into the easy belief that there
really aren't any reptilian aliens here on earth now! These reptilians live on blood and fear! The only way defeat them is through
love. If you don't believe me, please
check out http://www.davidicke.com/icke/articles/bushblood.h tml
for a glimpse of the truth.
Stealing Spaceships
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
The Visitors did not build the Spaceships, but rather stole them from another species. I believe they stole them from the same group of aliens that the resistance tries to contact by sending out a message in the last scene of the original V series.
...how many guys remember the scene where the head alien V babe (sorry forgot her name) opened up for a snack, and scarfed down that entire guinea pig in one bite--and sat there in stunned silence for awhile and thought "man, that is SOME talent there..."
about the only thing I remember was that on the movie, they had cool buzzing voices but on the series they didn't do that effect.
-- Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Earth Final Conflict??
by
wideBlueSkies
·
· Score: 1
The Visitors" have come to Earth asking for aid for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of lizard creatures intent on taking our water and using humans for food. After gaining public trust, the Visitors begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted
-----
The Companions have come to Earth for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of creatures intent on taking our resources and using humans for diabolical experiments. After gaining public trust, the Companions begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted.
-- Huh?
Re:Automan
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
and Cursor would draw a wireframe of his maclaren f1/lamborghini diablo shaped car. The one which only turned corners at 90 degrees (and splated his human partner against the side window) because "that's the way pacman turned corners"!!
The alien friends have already been mentioned...
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
The aliens that are going to come help the resistance are actually refered to in the original miniseries. Remember, the resistance set up a computer & satellite to send out signals constantly to try to get the aliens attention. Elias said something like "so we're just gonna crank up the boom box and wait for help"... to which Julie Parish replied with something like "yeah, sort of.. but the reality is that help may never come."
Also, Mike Donovan's visitor friend, Martin, mentioned the enemy that "has defeated the leader before".
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the new stuff.
But no blockbuster has the original TV series. They might have the movie and the miniseries, but that is different. Then again the movies/miniseries is probably enough to get up to speed, unless they actually do pick up from where the tv series left off or use stuff from there, which they may do. Too bad no one made a dvd of the series...
The bright red uniforms of the visitors suggested something else entirely to me.
That's right! The Bush Family Outing photos!
--
The REAL jabber has the user id: 13196
What you do today will cost you a day of your life
Re:synopsis -- with one big-ass plot hole
by
d34thm0nk3y
·
· Score: 1
hehehe
maybe they wanted salt water, they were draining the oceans after all...
and c'mon, longpig is the best kind of pig (some sort of vague cannibal reference?)
eesh....we have been over this and over this.
first off hitler was elected, no coup involved (maybe some shady election shenanigans, but that was the case with GW as well)
However...comparing GW to Hitler is a retarded comparison.
Hitler was way more intelligent! GW strikes me more as a badly programmed robot.
Re: V viewing maybe harmful to children...
by
HuffMeister
·
· Score: 1
Don't get me wrong the two mini series done where quite good for their time, but the attempt at the V TV series just suck. One of the things that bugged me was that they changed the fact that the Aliens sounded human, and since we all new what they looked like why keep up with the human masks? I think that the only reason that I watch it was because there just wasn't anything better on at the time. Personally I'd rather see something new on tv, or at least get such shows like FireFly, Crusades, or Legend of the Rangers back on the air.
I don't remember AirWolf having a laser, BUT, it was _heavily_ armored, unlike Blue Thunder. Also, its weapons pod could turn side to side, making any evasive maneuver by BT pretty much pointless. That and the turbo thruster advantage gives it all to AirWolf.
Being able to fly supersonic is a definite advantage if people start setting off nukes.
The series was shit. Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there.
Clarke admits that "Childhood's End" isn't entirely original. Anyway just about any story is "ripped off" from something or other anyway.
I think this may be a good idea. But because I was not born, besides for not knowing how big of a hit it was, I still would want more about it. Maybe NBC should do some special for the younglings.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
Hey, that's clever! You compared the United States of America of 2003 to Nazi Germany of 1939! I've never, ever heard that comparison before!
The more meaningful comparison would be between the US now and Germany in the early 1930's
You ought to say something about how President George W. Bush is like Adolf Hitler.
Try looking up Mr Bush's grandfather.
Seeing as how Hitler rose to power in an armed revolt, and President Bush was elected.
Both were "elected".
Maybe you could say something about how President Bush lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Of course, in order to make that allegation you're going to have to come up with some kind of evidence that he lied, something that nobody has yet been able to do.
So anyone disbelieving the claim must come up with evidence of a lie (an activity politicans enguage in often.). How about some proof that these WMDs ever existed?
Come now. By the time we have nanotech common place, you don't think we'll be creating carbon atoms from subatomics? I mean, we gonna compete with nature we might as well do the whole verticle market, right? Why depend on her for anything?
Not like there's a universal Anti-Compeitive Monopoly Regulation, is there?
-- "Last one in is a rotten goblin!" - Kepp
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
first off hitler was elected
Look up the meaning of the word "putsch."
Hitler was way more intelligent!
Dear god. The human race is doomed.
Re:Great Series - NOT
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 0
The more meaningful comparison would be between the US now and Germany in the early 1930's
You're an idiot.
Try looking up Mr Bush's grandfather.
Ah, good. The sins of the father are visited upon the sons. Excellent.
Both were "elected".
No. Hitler rose to power on the shoulders of a putsch. President Bush was not "elected," he was elected. Fairly and democractically according to the rules set out in the Constitution of the United States.
So anyone disbelieving the claim must come up with evidence of a lie
No, anybody accusing someone of telling a lie must come up with evidence of a lie. Jumping from irrational disbelief to "You're lying!" is going too far.
How about some proof that these WMDs ever existed?
We don't need proof of that; we have Iraq's own admission. They admitted, at various times during the 1990's and under various disclosures to the UN and other parties, that they had various stashes of weapons both conventional and unconventional. They declared that a certain number of armed chemical shells were left over from the Iran-Iraq war; these shells were never accounted for. They declared that a certain number of armed chemical bombs were left over from the Iran-Iraq war, and also that a certain number had been manufactured and stockpiled during the 1990's. These bombs were never accounted for. And so on.
Iraq said, "We had X, Y, and Z, but we don't have them any more." You're taking this on faith. That's an incredibly foolish thing to do, and thank God our president was unwilling to be so naive.
Plot ripped from Larry Niven!
by
hawkfish
·
· Score: 1
A short story called "They're assimilating our culture, that's what they're doing".
As has been pointed out, the water thing was a ruse (and a pretty darn obvious one too). Objections to the food angle, though, require more thought. Yes, they could breed farm animals, but think of the markup they could make for imported human meat? For all you know, the economics could make sense.
(Spoiler for Larry Niven: The aliens actually just stole human DNA and used it to grow the meat in tanks. Which shows how dumb the V premise really is.)
-- You will not drink with us, but you would taste our steel?
- Walter Matthau, The Pirates
Ham Tyler and Beast Master
by
Mark+Dentari
·
· Score: 1
V was an event series for the entire neighborhood. Everyone talked about it and as kids we ate it up. Now in retrospect it holds up except for a few bad plot elements but after buying the DVDs I enjoyed the the series alot. Of course Michael Ironside is super cool as Ham Tyler playing one of his typical bad ass roles and Mark Singer does a solid job bringing home some gut wrenching points. "Because my wife, my kid and the whole damn town is up there!" Also Marks previous movie Beast master was fun chezzy kids entertainment but really didn't showcase anyones acting skills. It would be good to see Mark and Mike back for even brief roles in the new series, older wiser and perhaps worn down by years of fighting.
As I said, NOT FOR BURNING. How common are carbonaceous chondrite meteorites with the monomers used for polymer synthesis? I am not a chemist, but my understanding is that building certain polymers from petroleum-derived monomers is a hell of a lot easier than from molecular carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. But then again, I don't have recourse to ultraplasmagigatomic nonsense.
Re: V viewing maybe harmful to children...
by
FullyIonized
·
· Score: 1
12 stitches on the head. He still has the scar which you can see since he has a military hair cut (he's in Tikrit now).
Actually my mom suffered more pain. She had a bruise that took a long time to heal.
Slashdot Mirror
Here's a little synopsis for those not born when this came out:
Kenneth Johnson's brilliant 1983 mini-series takes Nazi Germany to a global scale. A group of aliens calling themselves "The Visitors" have come to Earth asking for aid for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of lizard creatures intent on taking our water and using humans for food. After gaining public trust, the Visitors begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted.
I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.
-Xenocrates
The mini series was great... Now we just have to wait for it to really happen.
I was really interested when they had this news on Saturday. I remember that being a family event for my house.
I did quite a bit of googling and apparently the script will be set 20 years afterwards the last movie, BUT a new ally will come to help us. Rumors on several sites that claimed to be close to Johnson said another alien race that defeated the "lizards" will come to save us. Sort of like an "operation iRaqi Freedom" effort on a planetary scale. The "new aliens" will be like a United States of the Universe that everyone is jealous of for their immense technology and "morality" - I could see how it would make a good commentary, just as the original was good commentary about WWII.
Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
"Other Worlds" is my prefered cheesy 80's sci-fi show.
Blar.
...David Icke seen foaming at the mouth and ripping biblically at his turquoise shellsuit. No film at 11 as the Bilderberg Group have confiscated it.
-- Proud descendant of semi-nomadic cattle-herders.
The original was a lot of fun, but it killed itself with the superbaby junk. But it seems that there aren't enough original ideas out there, so everyone is looking for something to make a sequel of or more to a new medium (e.g., comic books moving to movies).
If you recall, we humans came up with this red dust stuff that killed the Visitors on contact...so they couldn't be on the surface of the planet--hope they answer that situation in the return.
Lets just hope the effects are a little more modern than the 80s series (although it was a great miniseries back in the day!).
Honestly, though, I think they'd do better to bring in John Doe or Firefly (hell, or even bab5) instead of redo'ing this old flick.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
I was in high school when it came out... I thought it was really lame. The effects were horrible. About as good as "The Martian Chronicles" staring Rock Hudson.
Like most MFTV crap, it always falls short of its potential.
Now how many of these Slashdotters actually remember this series? I just hope the aliens choose better disquises than the early 80's "feathered hair" look.
"...came to Earth with the promise to solve the world's problems through their high technology, but after gaining control of the planet through subterfuge and media manipulation, began to methodically kill their hosts."
Sounds suspiciously like V could have been predicting Microsoft's rise to power...I think I may go live in a cave
Something clever...
Battlestar Galactica? Check
V? Check
Next up: Man from Atlantis
It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
According to the article, the first time around the plot was an allegory referring to the Nazi invasion.
I just wonder if, in this sequel, the humans will be looking for some Weapons of Mass Destruction.....
I recall having seen it and being somewhat scared by the alien revealing himself in the bathroom while removing his contacts.
But IMO the show really jumped the shark when the writer/producers started exploring the "magical child" plotline. Heh--seems as if many a show has already passed its peak with the introduction of an infant.
To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
I remember watching this when I was a kid, I loved it. I hope the new series will be as good, or even better - that would be one series I would watch :-)
Daniel
Carpe Diem
A minimum level of glaring and gruff commands will be needed.
bun-fhuinneog agam!
W
You think that I'm crazy, you should see this guy!
I thought they'd call it "W"...
Isn't it obvious that the sequel should be VI?
Double entendres that mention emacs will be sent to /dev/null.
My wife and I both loved this series, so when the DVDs came out we snatched them up. Corney, over(and under)acted, and predictable, but still very entertaining. If this really happens, I can't wait.
Dear lord.. I read that yesterday and now it pops up. Im sure if i wouldve submitted it it wouldve gone on the waste-side.. oh well.. my subscription $$ is being put to good use.. NOT /end RANT
There's no Freedom like UFP-dom
And this time, let's do more than just hearing the lizard-people belch after a meal of human. I want to see somebody get eaten. I want to know what kind of wine goes best with human. Do the lizard-people have anything like the Atkins Diet? How many carbs are in a human anyways?
Is this truly the only Earth I can live on?
The plot: Aliens come to the earth to steal our water
This is incredibly silly: if they want water, they could simply get it from Europa, or no doubt many places in their own solar system: hydrogen and oxygen aren't exactly rare elements, and if oxygen was rare there, life wouldn't have evolved there anyway.
The series would be better if Robert England would have an identity crisis and confuse his alien role with his Fredie Kruger role. At least then you could have an interesting plot.
SL33ZE - Artificial Intelligence is No Match For Natural Stupidity -
The V Series was one of my favorites as a kid growing up. The movie they run on sci fi every now and again sucks compared to the series.
it was called Earth Final Conflict -- bet the plot line is very close
IIRC, the book made for excellent 14 year old boy reading...
I can't decide wether to see this or the new 'Jason Vs. Freddy' movie.
The quality of entertainment coming out of Hollywood never ceases to amaze me.
Dolemite
___________________
Save the World! Use a Quote!
Sad, huh. To be doomed to live a life in the tropics...
Actually, this has the potential to be the kickass knock down drag out fight to save the Earth that Independnece Day *could* have been. And, oh, wait.... NBC? Never mind. :-(
--- Ban humanity.
when will someone please do childhood's end? did i miss it? maybe i was asleep.
I was about 10 years old when the first series aired, and by today's standards it's pretty tame, but the 'alien eats a live mouse' scene is still pretty vivid in my mind. (It was also the focus of many a playground discussion. I don't remember if "radical" was the hip lingo at the time, though.) I'm hoping the new version keeps the mouse-eating around.
From the way it's presented it sounds as if they are basing the new story line off of where the MINI-Series left off and excluding the TV-Series timeline. This is both good and bad. It's good because we can ditch the whole Star Child prophesy hoohah. It's bad for the people who enjoyed the TV-Series and liked the character build up and events that took place in it.
:).
Of course a whole new batch of hotties are going to have to be brought in since the old hotties are pushing 50. And of course the good thing is it also means costume redesigns
"Do not be swept up in the momentum of mediocrity." - anon
Manimal!
"V" (and "Independence Day") start out the same as Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End", a favorite of mine. A single huge alien ship suddenly appears above each of Earth's major cities. The aliens stay hidden for a while because they are repulsive reptiles. Then the stories diverge. Childhood's aliens are merely subcontractors for another more powerful race with apocalytic intentions. "V" degenerates into a cops-and-robbers action series.
2 words: Galactica 1980
In the UK "V" was shown at the same time as a national miners strike. Britain's mining communities quickly warmed to the theme - for them the UK was in the grip of an evil alien she-monster and they went arount scrawling red 'V's everywhere
Not the first time IBM has done a deal with Germany.
Or were they the ones that went "diggity-diggity - hello Dr. Theopolis"?
Or perhaps the Visitors will start chowing down on lemurs or perhaps a pygmy marmoset. In any case, while the original was entertaining enough when I was much younger, my tolerance for forced allegory has waned in recent years. But as long as there isn't any more "star children", perhaps there's hope for it.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Guess that's why so many people watched it -
no, no, no. you got it all wrong. remember haiku is 7 5 7. should be: my uncle took me fishing We never caught any fish. now my anus is bleeding
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
i was in 5 th grade when this came out. I loved it as a kid. I remeber having the trading card stickers. I was always scared of the alien when their disguise would get torn off and you could see they were a lizard. I also remeber that for some reason the aliens were not very acurate at shooting their guns for some reason.
people who think they can rule the world should start out with a small garden.
I mean, if you're going to bring back
evil aliens.
This is very cool, I just hope that they don't make it a politically correct POS.
My only complaint with the original moni-series was the uber crappy ending. That little girl with the magic powers! I hope they can rewrite or avoid that.
AFA the `good-guys` are concerned lets hope that it is not a candy-apple version. I don't want it to be sickening sweet.
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
Manimal sucked and so do you for bringing him up.
Bring back "Quark"! What's been happening to the garbage scow Quark and it's captain Adam Quark all these years? What about Betty I and Betty II, Andy the Android and The Head? The people want to know!
I thought they'd call it "W"..
Either that or V++.
Now, between this sequel and catching the other half of that Buck Rogers 2-parter I missed when it first aired things are looking up in the esoteric 80's sci-fi TV department. Now I just need Automan, Manimal, and The Phoenix, and I'm all set.
Will he be back in the show? Or will he be working on Beastmaster 14.
Where am I going and why am I in this handbasket?
My God! 3 hours.... With the amount of comercial breaks the have in the states it'll take the whole weekend to air it...
Will this version fix all the bugs from the V1 version like the bad acting, lousy effects and shallow characters?
As a kid, the scene where the baby with the forked tongue scared the crap out of me.
I recently saw that episode again with my wife and could not stop laughing at how funny the little doll looked when that little plastic tongue popped out and wiggled back and forth.
I can't wait to check this out.
I'm on a chair.
The only good thing about V was that the year it was first shown, ITV had decided not to bother showing the Olympics, and showed this instead in direct opposition.
At the time there were three TV channels, and two of which were showing the olympics, it was the only safe refuge for anyone who really didn't give a shit about gold medals!
"Information wants to be paid"
"V" came out 20 years ago? Man, I was only four years old, but I remember someone scratching the fake skin off a lizard alien.
OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
Master
Michael Ironside is capable of a minimum of glaring and gruff commands in the same way that Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper are capable of constrained, concise acting as needed.
The Visitors had a little trouble finding a Starbucks on Pluto, but you can't swing a dead cat on this planet without hitting one.
C'mon. Visitors need their morning venti latte goodness too. Selfish human!
Then there will be "V Outer Space 9", then will come the show about the generation before the first generation, and that will be call "V voyaging".
/* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
For instance, we now all know that when we see aliens, we are just seeing the Matrix assimilate some rogue program . . . takes all the fun out of it.
Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there.
Um. Dude, you do know that "V" was originally written as the story of the German invasion of Austria, right? The bit about space aliens was only changed in the next-to-the-last draft of the screenplay or something.
And as for the opening premise being "ripped off," Clarke has himself said that he took the opening image of Childhood's End from any number of "earth versus the flying saucers" movies. And since that's where the similarities end, I think you might wanna just back the hell up a step and rethink your position.
Yes, a lot about "V" was tacky. But you have to give credit where it's due. The hardest thing to write is something funny. But second only to that is good allegory. It's incredibly hard to write good allegory, and the guy who wrote V whose name escapes me right now wrote a damn good allegory. So good that you didn't even get it, which is a mixed blessing of sorts I guess.
I can't believe you mention Firefly and John Doe in the same sentence. Firefly was good. John Doe was ridiculous. Half the "science" gibberish he was spouting wasn't even true, and his analogies made no sense at all. Not to mention the fact that he is the worst overactor since Shatner.
Lord $GOD, that was a bad show! (Except Mr. Ironside.)
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
-1, no one says " - NOT!" anymore.
Oh yeah, but which Betty was I and which was II? "You're the clone!" "No, YOU'RE the clone!" :) What an awesome show. Richard Benjamin never had it so good.
Then there's the 90's crap - Viper, Street Hawk, etc. I sure liked that motorcycle.
Honestly, I'll be happy if the re-up Black Sash. Hot young babes doing martial arts - what more could you ask for?
Dam has it been 20 yrs? I remember that series like it just aired last year.. I was 12 when it hit the little screen. I remeber the Eating live mice bit and all the lasers... This rag tag humans were just so ingenious compared to the dim witted aliens. Oh.. and the glasses so you could figure out who was a visitor and who wasnt. I remeber on of the big fast food chains gave those out.. Red colored glasses I think.
Malice
Here mousey-mousey, lovely tasty mousey... :)
More boring sci-fi from a guy who knows nothing about sci-fi.
Isn't this the same nimrod who made "The Incredible Hulk" boring and watered-down for TV?
What's next? "The Greatest American Hero Still Doesn't Know What He's Doing"?
Here's an idea: have ACTUAL sci-fi and fantasy authors do screenplays instead of hack writers who moonlight writing soap operas. Then see how things go.
Imagine Neil Gamain writing "Sliders". Now that would be weird.
robseth
The original 4-hour mini-series was great. The following series "jumped the shark."
--- I'm Green Hornet's sidekick not Inspector Clouseau's!
I, being born in 1975, was a kid when this came out. I have found that lots of things that came out when I was a kid were actually really bad. I loved V. If I see it again or see V: Part II, it will probably ruin it for me.
I plan to just enjoy the memory.
Thanks for bringing that back. I had worked hard to blank it out.
UNIX/Linux Consulting
Are we supposed to read and be aware of every fucking thing so that whenever someone copies some sort of a concept we'll just instantly be able to recognize and know this?
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
dude buy a Whore.
Um, tacky? Of course it was tacky!! It was the 80's for pete's sake! You remember the 80's, right?
Already mentioned, Manimal: Great series about a man who had the power to change into any animal. Usually if I remember right he was a puma or a black panther, but there were other things too, includign birds. Very interesting.
Automan: My memory about this is vague, but it was about a nuclear man or something, he was blue and could do strange thigns, like call cars or something. I can't remember it much, but it was good
Highwayman: kind of like an old Knightrider. It was about these two guys who drove around in super trucks. The trucks could decompose into things like helicopters and stuff. Funniest thing was the guy switching the truck's driving wheel for a joystick to drive the helicopter. Was pretty cool.
Other newer series I'd love to see redone because the originals jumped the shark and got bad quickly:
Seaquest DSV
and Viper.
Can you tell I'm a technogeek?
-"Those who fought today will die tommorow."-
Or were they the ones that went "diggity-diggity - hello Dr. Theopolis"?
You mean "BIDI-BIDI-BIDI <obvious comment>, Buck!".
By the 25th century, medical knowledge will have advanced so much that humans will no longer have speech impediments. OTOH, comp sci advances will make robots so humanlike they'll start developing them.
How does a bug like that get out of QA without being caught? Should the vendor be sued? Can a patch be issued? Is Twiki running windows 2491?
Okay, V was an 'okay' show - just okay. I have a fundamental problem with their story premise that I just can't muster enough suspension of disbelief to swallow.
They come to Earth for two reasons:
- Water
- Food
So they're saying this alien race can build these huge inter-stellar vehicles but we can't figure out how to generate water and farm food animals? That somehow its easier to mind f*** an entire planet and dress up like humans than just flat out invade? What kind of lazy writing is that?Kinda reminds me of the pong gag on the Simpson's halloween special a few years back. "All species who have mastered inter-galactic travel raise their tentacles."
"Stop whining!" - Arnold, as Mr. Kimble
As the subject says, I hope they don't make it a lame 20-something show as seems to be the trend when doing follow-ons.
If they handle it like the Alien Nation movies, then I'll be happy, since those stayed true to what had been setup in the series.
-David
* As is generally the case, my opinions do not reflect those of my employer.
I don't remember if "radical" was the hip lingo at the time, though.)
<simpsonscharacter voice="millhouse">
"Hey! That kid said 'radical!' I say 'radical' - it's that thing that I say!"
</simpsonscharacter>
Not only did you get the rule wrong, your poem didn't even follow your own fucked-up rule.
You suck in two ways.
aw c'mon. It was fun to watch. And as for Firefly, the captain guy was not casted correctly, that guy sucked. The dude played by Baldwin was a bad ass. He was half the fun
In the same genre I would like to see a miniseries or set of Movies made from Turtledoves wonderful WorldWar series. It adds the twist of the aliens invading earth during WWII -- and what strange alliences and situations that leads to. (The humans having to set aside their differences to battle the bigger evil...) A really good read.
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
what are you - farking jewdish?? everyone used hollerith machines you dipsh*t! and Henry Ford loved Hitler's ideals - does that make today's Ford cars bad? go buy yourself an israeli car - oops they don't make any.
you know some dumbass will try to swallow one after watching V
his is just one more step down the road, and if you think Bush is at the lead you are wrong. Just as in Nazi Germany, the mob ruled.
Listen, fuckhead: the mob was incited. That's Bush's job, ably supported by the right-wing media cabal.
ANY show that has good-looking women in skin-tight jumpsuits (preferably shiny satin) can not be a entirely bad thing!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Seems like just yesterday... man, I'm getting old.
And that 'next generation' thing is real original...
Aliens come to earth to take all the water and take humans for food, mice and small birds for snacks. A rag-tag band of rebels fight them and their human collaborators. Eventually, they go up in hot air balloons to pour Red Dust into the ecosystem and make the planet poisonous to the Lizards.
What part of that is an allegory for the Nazis and the Final Solution? The Nazis didn't want to eat the Jews. They rounded them up and exterminated them. The Nazis had weird eugenics programs and notions of racial purity and hierarchy. The Lizards just ate people. The Nazis sought Lebensraum in the East. The Lizards just wanted to eat people. Yes the Lizards were out to smear and control the human scientists, but that's because they were the only ones who could figure out what was going on and prevent them from eating people.
Unless all bad guys in all stories are really Nazis, because no one else could be, and all underdog good guys in all stories are really Jews, because no one else could be, then it's really hard to make out what you're talking about.
IMHO, this is a story about Lizards wanting to eat people, and the people objecting.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
And Star Trek was "Wagon Train in space". The difference was that "Star Trek" (the original, not any of the sequels) broke barriers (first televised inter-racial kiss, for example).
<quote>And as for the opening premise being "ripped off," Clarke has himself said that he took the opening image of Childhood's End from any number of "earth versus the flying saucers" movies</quote>
spoiler warning - if you haven't read "Childhooods' end, stop now, log off and get a copy!
Clarke took that premise and extended it into a totally new area - "superior" aliens who are delegated to be our caretakers, but are envious of us because of what we can and do become, and can't let us know. Not the usual us-vs-them ad nauseum.
Seriously, wouldn't you have rather they made "Childhoods' End" into a mini-series, instead? The story's timeless.
are u kidding,, jeez I was just a kid, I thought it was cool. I hadn't yet learned that you're not allowed to just like something without checking with your friends.
of course it was tacky, if I saw it now I would probably cringe at it.
save your elitist BS for something else, TV is not a highbrow medium and nobody pretends it is!
and by great, I mean horrible. ;)
It is hard to understand why a race that can move from planet to pplanet would actually land and fight on the ground. Really, just drop a rock into the ocean, and there goes the coast line.
If it is good enough, and will be able to suspend that thought.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
It was an incredibly stupid show (Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle made fun of it in "Footfall"). No wonder so many Linux Leftists look back on it fondly...
I thought we were talking about _bad_ sci-fi shows? That show rocked.
opening, a hugh spaceship moves onscreen, the earth in the back ground.
Lizard command:
"Is this the planet that developed the chemical that kills us?"
"yes"
"Launch"
bact to space, we see a 20 kilometer astroid being pushed toward the earth, striking the earth and obliterating most life.
Roll credits.
now THAT would be funny, and an important lesson.
It would definiatly be a remembered moment.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
And K&S fan-fiction broke every other barrier. (And what they didn't break, the furries took care of.) :^)
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
They don't show the actual series that ran, they show the mini series that got the series started. Compared to the actual series, the mini series on SciFi sucks. It's one thing that has always pissed me off, any network that shows V either shows the "movie" or the "mini series" but nobody actually runs the full series.
Oh.. and the glasses so you could figure out who was a visitor and who wasnt.
I think that was from the movie 'They Live', not 'V'. 'They Live' (a John Carpenter film) was a much better alien invasion movie IMHO.
I thought that when the rebel fighters developed the Red Dust they would disperse it around the planet, into the air. The ending of the series doesn't get into details, but it is assumed that the humans won after the little girl safed the mother ship from crashing and killing the leader with the dust. How can the Visitors STILL be in charge when they can't even breathe the air. This is BULLSH*T! We don't need to stinkin' aliens coming to resue us, in fact, they need US to give the the forumla for the Red Dust.
Alf vs. Hogan.
Best Alien wins !!!
I've read through many of the posts and seen quite a few that negatively refer to the Star Child from the original V series. This is in line with my reaction to the whole Star Child story line: why throw religious mysticism into a sci-fi flick??
I'm glad to see that there appears to be general agreement that the Star Child story thread was a disaster and ought to be shot into the sun (along with the planet Zeist from the second Highlander movie).
Let's just hope the writers got the memo on this.
I could not find *when* this will be showing?
I remember I had a crush on Diana too and would role play her.. but alas, I'm a male and gay so maybe I was just being a fruit.
I mean really. WTF with all the aliens?
And Star Trek was "Wagon Train in space".
No, you don't understand. V wasn't "Germans as aliens." It was a full-length miniseries about the German invasion of Austria. Completely written, final draft, pitched to the networks. They turned it down, so the writer (guy whose name I forgot AGAIN) tweaked the script, changing the settings and some characters' names and adding a scene here and there. "V" was never conceived as an allegory, or a retelling. It was conceived as a historical drama. The setting and some plot details were changed at the very last minute before production started.
Seriously, wouldn't you have rather they made "Childhoods' End" into a mini-series, instead? The story's timeless.
Uh. There's a lot that's good about "Childhood's End." But it's not the be-all, end-all you seem to think it is. In a lot of ways, it's a very amateurish novel. Clarke wrote it when he was just figuring out how to tell a story. In particular, the ending is just awful. It's deus ex machina of the worst kind. "All of a sudden, a magical hive-mind with supernatural powers emerged. The end."
"Childhood's End" tried to say something about large-scale change and the nature of transcendence. But it cut too many corners, and the story ended up falling flat.
A very different but much better book about the nature of change on a species-wide level is Varley's "Steel Beach." In fact, much of Varley's work deals with the theme of what it means to be human, and where the line is between human and "other," in very interesting ways that ALSO happen to be excellent stories.
- the humans don't wear uniforms - they are "unclassified combatants"
- they wear the visitors' uniforms in combat situations
- they win in the first series by using biological weapons of mass destruction
given the current political atmosphere in the united states i find it amazing that anyone could dare glorify the efforts of extremist human terrorists.now, everyone together: "no blood for water!"
2 1337 4 u!
I've played around with the idea of writing rules for alien invasion movies for a while, but the only one I can come up with is this: Rule 1. If an alien race that has the technology to cover the time and space to get here, if they want the planet there is nothing that we can do about it. Will Smith and terrestrial viruses taken as granted. But I digress.
IIRC, even the main character's name (Michael Donovan) was taken from an Asimov short story. I don't remember which one, but I remember being pissed of at the time.
As I recall, the whole alien/nazi earthling/jewish thing was way too haavy-handed and preachy. The "V" insignia was a swastika with a few missing chunks, the uniforms were SS. They may have even had the equivalent of "hitler youth", but my brain is rebelling at trying to remember. No subtlety, too little imagination, really bad dialog, and a limp, hole-ridden plot (i.e. like "Matrix" but without the overly-long fight scenes). Please, if you're going to waste my time and beat me over the head with your same-old message, at least show me some t*t.
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
Check
After the original V, Mr. Englund did Nightmare On Elm Street, NOES2,NOES3,NOES4,NOES5,NOES6,NOES7... And finally there will be a NOES8.. Freddy Vs. Jason coming later.. Clearly he is on a one way ticket to movie obsecurity.
/dead
Yes, the original V was cheesy.. but what scifi isn't cheesy --- Look at the crap on SciFi -- Farscape............arg,
One of these days I may actually start working with a Mac
A big plot issue that always bothered me was that no matter what the humans kept on using human weapons (machine guns) and never once tried to steal or otherwise figure out the technology the aliens were using to get on an equal footing. Maybe the weapons were patented?
And for your list...
9. VD (The creeping crud)
For those that would die defending it, Freedom
has a sweet taste that the protected will never know.
I posted this yesterday but got rejected...talk about bogus QC.
Check out this google cache of CNN:0 fIlkJ: www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/15/knight.rider .ap/+cnn+knight+rider+movie&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
http://216.239.37.100/search?q=cache:Lo238_
I'll be happy if they put someone else in Julie's bodysuit.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Does this mean I can relive all of my Jane Badler fantasies I had as a kid?
Watching her slowly eat that mouse, just wishing that some part of me were...
Sorry, I'll be right back.
-Goran
Carpe Scrotum - The only way to deal with your competition.
My favorite part was that since the aliens were essentially bulletproof they started using bow and arrow and crossbows.
Being a child of the '70 myself the whole thing was immensely cool at the time.
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
I will track you down and kill you for the mental image of CowboyNeal in a skintight unitard that you just tricked me into forming!
That rings a bell -- weren't there two robot experts that worked for 'The Company' in all of the robot short stories? Wasn't Dr. Susan Whatherface the robo-psychiatrist always talking about those two guys, one of which was Donovan? It's been some years...
I wonder how she looks now... she was cast later in "The Highwayman" along with everyone's favourite Australian, Jacko... :)
I can live without *Wilhelm* from Seinfeld being the Alien leader this time around...
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
What was that animal that required her evilness to open her mouth really wide to eat?
--
But then again I thought VCR+ was a stupid idea and would die a quick death--so what do I know?
As for Oldman, he's not physically capable of not chewing scenery.
The ads were really well done; there was a poster up at the BART station (SF bay area rapid transit) with the caption "The alien visitors... our friends" but later a new poster went up with a "V" appearing to have been spraypainted over the top. It was good foreshadowing of what was to happen in the storyline.
I loved the show, although making the scientists the persecuted equivalent of the Jews in the story and the aliens the Nazis was WAY overdone. I kept feeling like saying "I get it, enough already, I GET IT!"
But wow... sci-fi coming to prime time again. I hope they do more of it (and do it well).
- Leo
You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right.
I find it amazing that you're being modded insightful. I can only hope that you're not serious, and this is just flamebait. How can you say that anyone that hasn't read this random book is not as intelligent as you?
As for everyone else, please stop stroking this elitist's ego.
no, my friend that honor belongs to this guy
infidel.
if you watch that show in the proper sequence (not the fox "we're complete morons" sequence), it is vastly superior to almost every other sci-fi show ever aired.
ed
There are so many good sci-fi stories that never made it to TV or the big screen. Why come back to the same old shit again?
Not that I didn't like V back in the 80s, but come on. Give us something new already.
Actually, it was just highly unbalanced just like the original. I think you could call both Galacticas Bi-Polar TV shows.
However after having heard some of the plot highlights for the Sci-Fi channel Galactica remake, even Super Scouts doesn't seem that bad anymore.
Besides, Manimal and Automan were way worse than any Galactica episod.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
>... discover that they're really a race of
...who have somehow neglected to notice on their way in that there is more ice-water in the rings of Saturn than they could ever hope to extract from Earth's oceans.
>lizard creatures intent on taking our water and
>using humans for food.
I remember really really wanting one of those little voice changer things that Donovan, etc wore to make them sound like the visitors.
;p
;)
Having one of the shuttle space ships would have been cool too, but it wouldn't have fitted in my parents back yard at the time
Finally, as someone else pointed out, Diana (Jane Badler) was definitely hot alien or not, though James T Kirk probably already already had her
--- Commission free trading & free stock up to $500 - use http://share.robinhood.com/kelvinp6
The Nazi paralells were in the way the visitors slowly took over the planet. Remember; they did not take it over with brute force at first, but through manipulation, much like the Nazi party rose to power.
They fabricated a conspiracy in the scientific community, making those in power treat scientists (and later on, anyone related to or in contact with scientist) as criminals, paralelling the way the Nazi's made the german society mistrust the Jews.
They also made sure to control the mass media early on, telling their version of events (paralelling Goebbels quote "If you tell a big enough Lie, and keep on repeating it, in the end people will come to believe it")
Later on, scientists and other visitor enemies were placed in labour camps, which was in reality genocide camps, another paralell.
The visitor friends program was an obvious Hitlerjugend paralell.
In other aspect (such as the human informants), it more resembled East europe communism.
I never said that anyone who hasn't read Childhood's End is a dummy.
What I did was quote Mencken's quote about nobody going broke underestimating the public's intelligence. This is /. after all. If I had said this in context w. Windows, I'd either be moderated +5 Insightful or -1 Karma whore.
It's not just a lot of TV that's crap (Jerry Springer et. al.). There's plenty of moronic stuff written as well (National Enquirer, anyone? The self-proclaimed Idiots and dummies books?).
And then there's the whole video poker/government lotteries/casinos thing, where everyone KNOWS it's just a surtax on stupidity and desperation.
So - How does pointing this out make me an elitist?
The captain was supposed to be a little like Vash the Stampede. It sounds like you were expecting something else entirely. I'm curious, what were you expecting?
I, being born in 1975, was a kid when this came out. I have found that lots of things that came out when I was a kid were actually really bad.
I know what you mean. I recently saw The Fall Guy again. It's, ehm, not as great as I remembered it. You better be eight years old. Knight Rider, Airwolf, same there.
Very interesting. I have never heard that before. You wouldn't have a source for this, would you? I mean, that's a FAIRLY MAJOR change and I would submit that more than a few scenes would need to be rewritten. I'd put it more at 90%.
By the way, the writer was Kenneth Johnson. Additionally, B5's JMS wrote a treatment for an attempted resurrection of the TV series some years ago.
So maybe someone will notice, and make/tell the original story? Not if the [producer/director/their significant others/spouses/ad execs/marketroids/anyone that one of the foregoing wants to have sex with] have any say - and they do :-(
So let me see: the left-handed people are evil was from the anchluss (invasion doesn't quite work when discussing Germany and Austria)? The eating rodents was from the anchluss? I think you might say that V started as a mini-series about the anchluss, but was rewritten half a dozen times so that all the details and a number of the scenes became science fiction.
The Taelons wanted to weaponize humans. The creatures that came after the Taelons wanted to eat them.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I remember when "V" first aired, they broadcast it so that you could use the blue/red "3d" glasses and get some sort of 3D effect from the show.
Would be very cool if they plan on doing something along the same lines this time.
And what good is this primitive resource for energy when there's all sorts of fusion/fission/ultraplasmagigatomic-energy sources that I would suspect an intergalatic race to possess?
Lubrication?
"Last one in is a rotten goblin!" - Kepp
I was talking about it being good. Shows I want to see come back. :)
Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
Because you're criticizing other's right to be stupid ;-)
IIRC. Automan was a computer generated guy who was created by some nerdy programmer. His personality was based on all the great fictional detectives.
The gimmicks were: his James Bond-ian attraction to women. Sprite a little silver diamond that would draw his vehicles (helicopter, car etc), all vehicles were black with blue neon piping. All his vehicles only turned at 90 degree angles (rationale being that all computer games turned at sharp 90 degrees), which left his hapless nerd splattered up against the window each time they took a corner.
Oh yeah, he could only come out of the power system at night because it took lots of electricity to keep running. This led to great dialog such as "I have to go now, I can feel the coffee machines and microwaves turning on" or something like that anyway.
In addition, if you shot him with a light gun from those old arcade games it would hurt him.
1) I remember it being a good series.
2) I can't believe how much I remember about a series I havent thought about in over 20 years!
Blue Thunder (police with an Apache helicopter), AutoMan, AirWolf (which was one of those great shows that had no where to go but down).
Boy, there was never a hotter debate topic then AirWolf vs Blue Thunder on our playground.
no
text
I thought that when the rebel fighters developed the Red Dust they would disperse it around the planet, into the air. The ending of the series doesn't get into details, but it is assumed that the humans won after the little girl safed the mother ship from crashing and killing the leader with the dust. How can the Visitors STILL be in charge when they can't even breathe the air.
... and no where else!"
The planet shifted to a pro-Visitor political climate. Lots of tax cuts, improvements in education, and a balanced budget. Besides, don't you think it's suspicious that those rebels use "Red Dust" to defeat the Visitors? Sounds pretty pinko to me.
"Visitors Bless the Earth
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Well, when it comes to state-run gambling, not only is it a tax on stupidity, but it also ends up taking more out of the local economy than it puts in :-(
Now, if they didn't ban card counters (thus discriminating against people who CAN do the math), I'd be there taking my share out of the pot, as I'm sure most /.ers would. After all, we can spend the money more effectively than the government, and when the casinos go broke, we'll have proven that gambling doesn't pay :-)
Warm weather/humidity breaks the compound down, so humans are only safe from attacks if they stay in chilly climes. I don't remember many more of the details....I was a wee lad at the time. They may just change the official story for this "second generation," however.
-----------------
Together, we will drive the rats from the tundra.
Y'all's overlookin' the obvious. "They" don't come here for our resources. They come for our women.
However, if we geeks were to defend the Earth against a large gaggle of female-snatching aliens from the planet Zod, the Zodders would make off with them before we knew what hit us.
Worse, the women would take one look at us (or at the back our Slashdot-reading heads) and go willingly for a little Zodomy.
(I don't know what got into me on that post. I really don't.)
Cheers,
Ethelred
Everyone wants to be Ethelred. Even I want to be Ethelred.
Look it up in the IMDB.
Interestingly enough, and completely offtopic, the second Star Trek movie was Moby Dick.
I'm sure many of you knew that and will now flame me.
My Ass hurts.
...slima...Would you be my [nuck]Dork?...February 7, 1990: that was a good week for chunky rotten milk...salt water got you down?
...Leave her alone you BITCH!...[Alien head shot, mean pissed-off hissing sound]...
...Nanu Nanu...floating eggs delivering envelopes at the front door...
...Oh my, it's the BIG HEAD...
Oops, wrong "Alien" series.
Oops, wrong "Alien" series again.
Wrong Again!
Ack, wrong!
I wish they would re-televise the Martian Chronicles. Now THAT was cool. At least there was a story, theme, and plot. This made for TV series stuff is really not that great. Star Trek is great. When will NBC come up with something that is TRULY original? At least most Nerds here on Slashdot have a book on Star Fleet Academy, and at least one book describing the history of events that happened in Star Trek, listing the episode, and people involved, well, at least I do.
So.... it's a story about the United States' liberation of the Middle East?
Fair enough. I guess we just look at it differently. Most of the people I know that gamble don't do it to win money, they do it because they find it fun and enjoyable. Also, I didn't think casinos banned people who could count cards with their own God-given gift? Eh, not like there's enough people that could dent the bottom line for them anyway. BTW, nice sig.
If you want to talk about horrible ripoffs of 'Childhood's End', how about "Independence Day"? When I first saw the previews, I got excited because the beginning looked like such an analogue to the book...needless to say, after the first 15 minutes or so of the movie, I was *quite* disappointed.
In Soviet Russia, Chuck Norris will still kick your ass.
Speaking as an Austrian (born, raised, moved to America when I was in my twenties and have lived here ever since) I think the word invasion is the perfect word for it.
What would would you use if a foreign army marched into your country and said, "By the way, this country is ours now. Always has been, really. Mind if we set up a garrison here? Thanks so much."
You forgot:
f =info&intl=us)
"The day after"
(see http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1800054174&c
We all need a good nuclear holiday now and then.
That's not Nazi, that's "The X Files" in a nutshell.
Ahh yes, I agree. The cast of smallville and firefly did wear the best shoes. Too bad their shows sucked balls, though.
Have you watched it lately? I saw it a year ago and the Nazi stuff not only there it is VERY heavy handed.
I think the fact that we saw this as kids coloured our view of what the show was about, at 10 years old the Nazi parallels are not obvious, but at 30 they are painfully lame.
just = (My)Opinion.toCents();
...is Mike Johnson, the nephew of Kenneth. And that is just cool.
C-ya,
Gray
Gray Carper
Director of Technology
xRhino, Inc.
Who else thought Elizabeth (Lizard Breath, ha ha) was hot? Hot in that greasy 80's sort of way... ...played by Jennifer Cooke.
According to a Google-cached Tripod website (no longer online):
Biographical Information
Jennifer was born in September 1964 in Sataukey, Long Island. She is 5'6" tall. As well as acting, Jennifer has also done some swimsuit modelling. She is currently married to "Celestial Seasonings" founder Mo Siegel. With her husband, she co-wrote the 1996 cookbook, "Cooking with Tea: A Celestial Seasonings Cookbook". Jennifer has retired from show business, and with Mo is active in the Urantia Brotherhood/Fellowship.
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Remember they are re-imagining Battlestar Galactica right now. What if Battlestar Galactica show shows up and finds the earth 20 years after V the mini-series happened. They kick the V guys off Earth, which could happen, the V guys weren't that powerful as I recall, which is why they used subterfuge. They get Earth back on its feet and build a huge fleet to take a big fight to the Cylons.
Ok, it was just a thought, but I have always had these crazy thoughts of combining things. I feel better now thanks.
What was that old show where a small crew traveled around the planet on this funky all-terrain RV-like thing? I wanted to "Ask Slashdot" but this was just too small a question. Some here has got to know.
You R teh sux3r. Lun1x L4m3r.
But "too broke" is like "slightly pregnant"...you either are, or aren't, broke. Sorry, but I had to chime in!
The series was shit. Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there. "Original" only to people who can't read.
Ah, but it featured alien babes in tight costumes, and many of us were 13-year-old boys at the time. Sure, snug alien costume technology wasn't as advanced then as it has since become (Seven of Nine, anyone?), but Wonder Woman had gone off the air years before and we were grateful for what we could get.
We needed something to take our minds off walking to school barefoot through the snow, uphill both ways. To echo many other posters: Thank you, Slashdot, for making me feel like I'm one short step away from senility.
Based on current events, it sound's like a liberation to me.
I'm not a nerd. Nerds are smart.
Lizard Creature: Mmmmm, dead cat
I think you're confusing the lizard creatures with "Alf".
Freedom: "I won't!"
I am grateful to the USAF for keeping me out of the country while this turkey was on. Please, let it stay in the can, along with "Logan's Run : The Series" and "Battlestar Galactica".
If you're going to watch a cheesy sci-fi series, why not watch The Doctor?
Chip H.
WOW,,,,More liberal pussies on /.
Quit ranting about the prez and get a job douche bag
Hey, that's clever! You compared the United States of America of 2003 to Nazi Germany of 1939! I've never, ever heard that comparison before!
You know what you ought to do next? You ought to say something about how President George W. Bush is like Adolf Hitler.
Hmm. Then again, maybe that's not such a great idea. Seeing as how Hitler rose to power in an armed revolt, and President Bush was elected. Oh, well. Don't let that stop you. Maybe you could say something about how President Bush lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Of course, in order to make that allegation you're going to have to come up with some kind of evidence that he lied, something that nobody has yet been able to do. Wait! What am I saying! You don't need evidence! You just need to be clever, and people will believe what you say!
After all, you compared the United States invasion of Iraq, an invasion that destroyed an illegal, autocratic, rogue government, to the German invasion of Austria, an invasion that destroyed a duly elected and sovereign government. It's clear that you're not one to let facts get in your way.
And you know what? I admire you for it. Facts are overrated. It's much more important to draw comparisons than it is to actually have a substantive understanding of world events. Save that stuff for the eggheads on PBS.
Keep fighting the good fight, brother! And whatever you do, don't ever let reality influence your opinions! Remember: sarcasm is stronger than truth!
What kind of moron wouldn't realize that AirWolf would beat the hell out of the Blue Thunder without batting an eye? Gimme a break. :)
Yes, AirWolf rocked the hizzouse. At least, until it got rid of the original cast and moved production to Canada.
Never a good sign. It sure was strange seeing Michelle Scarabelli without her 'Alien Nation' makeup, too. (and no, Alien Nation does not need to come back, even though they had the best alien names ever - 'Sam Francisco'?!)
had a medical student lick his boot? a definite 'youth' type
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
Back when I was a kid in the eighties, I never found out what the big deal with 'V' was, because unfortunately, my parents did not allow me to stay up late enough to see it then. We didn't have a VCR back then.
Recently, I saw a rerun of part two of the 'V' miniseries, which I regretted doing later on, because I would have preferred to have seen it from the start (to watch the horrible truth being unraveled gradually). It was impressive to see it this day, so I can't imagine what it would have been like to have seen it as a kid when it was brand new and state of the art! I still intend to see all parts in the proper sequence one day.
Anyway, following the part of 'V' I watched a few months ago, I did some searching on the internet. And it turns out that there were already plans to make a sequel to 'V' back in the early nineties. What's even more interesting is that the script for this sequel was written by none other than Babylon 5's J. Michael Straczynski!
Unfortunately, the project was cancelled, due to it being to expensive. One of the many instances in history of TV and movie companies being too chicken to give something scifi-related a change. Sigh...
Anyway, in 1994 someone got Joe's permission to publish on Usenet the first three acts of "Rebirth", which was supposed to be the pilot episode for a miniseries called "V: The Next Chapter".
I don't know about you, but having read these first three acts, I find it quite a shame that this sequel was never given a chance. It's pretty promising.
You can read it here.
Interestingly, the site that informed me about the public availibility of these three first acts (I don't have the link anymore, sorry) also mentioned that Straczynski's script involved a scenario about "another party having finally answered humanity's cry for help". This party would actually be of the same lizard race as the "Visitors", with the difference being that this would be an faction, which was exiled from the Home World for being more enlightened.
The plot described in the CNN article also mentions mankind getting help from some new outside ally, which could be an indication that the upcoming miniseries may (at least in part) be based on Joe's script.
"Oooh, does that mean we get to kick some puffy white mad zionist butt?"
Star Trek II was actually a very literary movie. Apart from the obvious references to Moby Dick, there were also allusions to A Tale of Two Cities and Paradise Lost.
Of course, the best stuff comes from Melville. "To the last, I grapple with thee. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."
I guess they couldn't figure out how to get Khan lashed to the mast of the Reliant for his last scene. It was still good anyway.
Anyone notice how many "nazi" films are showing up on TV lately? Gee, you don't think that could have anything at all to do with the atmosphere set by the current administration, do you?
After creating, writing, and directing the original miniseries, Kenneth Johnson wanted to create a new movie every few months. Instead NBC wanted a second mini-series, so he reluctantly agreed to write what became V: The Final Battle. According to Johnson, NBC took his script and "bastardized it" (another direct quote from that magazine interview), turning it into a soap opera. Johnson argued with them, but he lost. So he quit the project and NBC filmed Final Battle without him.
After Final Battle did well, NBC decided to create a weekly series, but it was a total failure. They tried to bring Johnson back on board to save the weekly-series 1/2-way through its run, but he declined saying "Too much water under that bridge..." (this is a direct quote from a magazine interview with him back in 1985).
After V: The Series was cancelled, NBC told Johnson "You were right, we should've done it your way" (this is according to Johnson - same magazine article).
So, this news surprises me... is the timeline going to ignore the weekly-series and The Final Battle? (or possibly just the weekly-series?)
FYI, a couple differences in Johnson's Final Battle were:
- Ham Tyler was wheelchair bound, but still a bad-ass. When he and Donovan greet each other in Johnson's version, Donovan lunges at him (Donovan hated Tyler far more in Johnson's version than in NBC's version). Tyler does a fancy wheely and knocks Donovan on his ass. Johnson liked this bit because "you never see the good guy attack someone in a wheel chair" (another direct quote).
- No glowing-star-child-saves-the-day-ending (instead Martin sacrifices himself by flying the ship out of orbit).
Current technological eschatology extensively uses the fictional device of runaway information technology leading to computerised transcendence. In Childhood's End, the theme was that all advanced dominant planetary species throughout the galaxy (except the "devils") inevitably developed their civilisations to a critical biomass of psychic cognition that would prompt the emergence of a new, absorptive group mind. The "demons" didn't hasten the process, or retard it -- they simple arrived to nursemaid the new organism.
In that era, most psychoactive drugs had yet to be prohibited, the "talking cure" of developmental psychoanalysis was at its zenith, and the potential effects of group psychology deployed within advertising and the new mass broadcast media seemed limitless. It was generally assumed that advancing pharmcological technology and increased self-actualization techniques would lead to stronger, mentally fitter humans. Of course, that didn't happen. These days, a lot of people put their faith in computation cycles, encryption, and wireless packet switching. Good luck with that.
Childhood's End is quite similar to a few other books of that 1950s era, especially Poul Anderson's Brainwave, which was one of the first books to advance the notion of different cognitive "zones" within the Galaxy that creates different levels of intelligence and self-awareness. This idea was most famously borrowed by Vernor Vinge for his 1980s Fire On The Deep space opera. I'm also thinking of Fritz Leiber's "The Girl WIth The Hungry Eyes".
Da Blog
It was 25 years ago. I'm lucky I remembered what I did.
The last time I watched the original V miniseries a few years ago, my friends and I had just finished taking an "Introduction to Theater" class in college. We were stunned that several scenes in the show seemed to be lifted, almost word for word, from "Fear and Misery in the Third Reich" by Berthold Brecht. The play, written in the late 1930's, was a collection of several short scenes which showed how the Nazis slowly corrupted life in Germany.
I did a quick Google search for "V the miniseries" and "Fear and Misery in the Third Reich" and didn't get any hits. I checked the credits listed in V's entry in the IMDB, and couldn't find any credit given to Brecht.
Anybody out there know more about this? Were parts of V openly adapted from this play, or are the similarities I saw a coincidence (or something shadier?)
*wail*
Why oh why not?
If only you Americans hadn't chosen to watch Roseanne instead of the Paul McGann movie (which sucked as much as it blew, but hey, it was something)!
The parallels are so blatant and in your face that it at some points it really disturbs the story, but I guess that's the point.
Yes, you are right, the lizards wanted humans for food, while the Nazis wanted racial purity and power, but it both amounts to a fundamental disrespect for other sentient beings - all of humanity in the case of the lizards, and "just" all non-germanic people and all in political opposition or anyone who for any other reason didn't fit into the Nazi ideal in the case of the Nazis.
Without some twists, there would have been no point making it as a sci fi series instead of making yet another series about the war.
-1, no one says " - NOT!" anymore.
Like, no DURRRRRRR
http://xkcd.com/386/
Okay, you got me there! alien babes, earth babes, it's all good (except for the mutant chick with the three tits in "Total Recall" and the other mutants - guess I'm a closet xenophobe in some respects, or I just lack imagination :-).
I think the playground arguement ran aground on whether or not AirWolf really had a laser. If it did, it would win. If not it was anybodies call. Especially since both had missles and anti-missle flares (thats all you need right?) With missles effectively at a standstill the speed of AirWolf wasn't much of an advantage since choppers can fly in the opposite direction they are pointing.
Back then I stuck behind Blue Thunder. And now I do even more. Not much that can get past a 50cal gattling gun. But nowadays I have an even better reason. Becuase anyone that backs AirWolf is just not in touch with reality and is the kind of person who would argue US vs Japan hanging on the outcome of the obvious King Kong vs Godzilla matchup.
But yeah, except for the Dick Van Dyke evil genious ready to take over the world episodes there wasn't any redeeming qualities to the USA network version of AirWolf.
But bring back the origional. The coolest part was that the test pilot got so disgruntled with the company that he stole the chopper, and they still manipulated him to go on missions for them.
That may seem like fantasy, but somehow it had a very resonant chord with my experiences with corporate mentality.
Are we supposed to read and be aware of every fucking thing so that whenever someone copies some sort of a concept we'll just instantly be able to recognize and know this?
I agree totally. We should just realize that nothing's truly original. Everyone's influenced by *something*, whether they know it or not. Every story is based on or similar to some other story. It's all been done before.
Note to everyone who doesn't like V but bothered to post about it anyway:
Perhaps the intent of the creator of V was not to blaze new trails, or change the world, or make elitist professional bitchers and poseur intelligencia happy. Perhaps he just wanted to make some entertainment. Oh wait, I forgot, none of you people think anything should be simply entertaining anymore. (perhaps you just think that if *you* weren't entertained, no one could be) Fuck you. It's *my* time, I'll "waste" it being entertained by V if I want to. If you think it sucks or it isn't original enough for you, don't fucking watch it. How hard is that?
http://xkcd.com/386/
WOW, more attractive chicks swallowing live animals whole?!! Ho boy. Suggestion to the producers: can we see a girl eating a gopher this time? No wait, two girls sharing a koala! With honey! Nnnnhhhh....oh god, my keyboard's sssttttiiiccckkkiiinnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggg......
Ade_
/
Big Bubbles (no troubles) - what sucks, who sucks and you suck
When V was all the rage in the UK, so was Billy Graham (the US preacher). His posters were all over the church boards in my home town.
One day I saw a couple of people hanging around my local church notice board, laughing.
When I went up to see the gag, I saw that someone had sprayed a big red V on a Billy Graham poster.
At first I laughed along with the rest. But later, my joy turned to confused terror, when I read of David Ickes horrific theories about reptiles (load of c**p really, but quite funny - but please don't follow the link if you are easily offended, or seriously stupid, like this guy ;)...
Seems to me that Icke's theories started around the time V was broadcast in the UK - so the original series has a lot to answer for ;) Bring on the next series (we need more nuts!)
Maybe Billy should wear a pair of these to stop people spotting his weird, reptilian eyes .. darn that reptilian agenda ...
They're "freedom fighters."
As a hormone infused teenage geek and connoisseur of all things science fiction at the time, I really enjoyed the show on several levels.
First, this show had some great looking leading ladies. There was Jane Badler as Diana, leader of the aliens. You wouldn't believe how bad I wanted her to come to my house and eat mice. I kept asking myself what I would/could do to get on Diana's good side so I could date her. Sure she was an alien intent on world domination so she could harvest humans for food, but maybe she could "reform" with my help. This is one lizard lady I wanted to meet. There were other aliens equally attractive. I didn't care that they were lizards down deep. Faye Grant wasn't too bad either.
Joking aside, the V mini-series movies was innovative and interesting. It's true that the series that followed lacked, but that was the case with most TV sci-fi series of that era as they just did not have the production values/capabilities that we have today.
But to diss the whole V story indicates that you do not have an appreciation for sci-fi in general and the efforts of that particular period. There is nothing wrong with that per se, but it invalidates your criticisms, which is very much in the minority Or you are showing both your arrogance and ignorance.
At that particular time, we didn't have the quantity nor the quality of science fiction shows and movies that we have today. They were few and far inbetween. Today we have a whole summer of sci-fi with advanced high quality special effects and good stories. Not to mention all this has gone over to TV where we see the same improvements in sci-fi TV shows.
So before you call V "shit" understand both the era and context that it appeared in.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Automans "unit" was called Cursor, not Sprite.
Man do I feel sad for knowing that.
Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
...twenty years ago, horrible carnivorous war-like creatures took over, fomented war and tried for global domination.
So, the sequel should be called "vv" or, maybe,... yeah, "W".
--Dr. Susan Calvin, and yes. George Powell was the other expert, and some of their adventures are pretty funny...
s /m2582. htm
Thx to Google for the help.
http://www.essaymill.com/free_essays/inmer
.
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
--Seeing that list reminded me... I hope they bring back Michael Ironside.
.
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
I don't remember AirWolf having a laser, BUT, it was _heavily_ armored, unlike Blue Thunder. Also, its weapons pod could turn side to side, making any evasive maneuver by BT pretty much pointless. That and the turbo thruster advantage gives it all to AirWolf. I don't think it would even be a _close_ match. Of course, BT is a much more realistic aircraft, but let's not get into that. :)
:)
:)
re: King Kong vs Godzilla
I'd love to see King Kong dancing around on fire after Godzilla flamed him.
re: Airwolf & disgruntled test pilot
No, what happened was it was stolen by its creator & test pilot team (who then proceeded to destroy the shit out of the test facility - that's how 'Archangel' lost his eye). Stringfellow was sent in (after they stole his parents art collection) to retrieve it. He then kept it to make them find his MIA brother (St. John - who took over for him after the show got rid of Jan Michael Vincent & Ernest Borg9). It's so sad that I remember this so well.
I take it you've never seen Masterpiece Theatre or anything that PBS broadcasts?
Believe it or not, when I watched the original V broadcast, the whole Nazi thing completely missed me. I mean, it went way over my head. Of course, I was 10 at the time, so hopefully I can be forgiven.
Also, Marc Singer's nostrils creeped me out big time.
-- Who am I? How did I get here? My God, what have I done?!
Oh yeah, amusing anecdotes re: AirWolf
Apparently when they modified the production helicopter to create AirWolf, the changes they made improved the aerodynamics. Funny.
When some military types first saw AirWolf on TV, and it was doing some non-helicopter-capable stunts, they immediately called the people of the show to ask them how the hell they did that, only to be told it was 'tv magic.' hehe
The machine guns on the sides of AirWolf were, of course, fake. To make them look real during firing, they fed gasoline through them and ignited them with sparkplugs. Wicked.
My favourite episode was the one with 'AirWolf II' - seeing that thing firing multiple missiles at once was pretty startling. Rather like the first time I saw a video of a Tigershark (F-20?) unloading its whole weapons rack.
Or perhaps my tastes are a bit different from the general populace. But to say that I have no appreciation of sci-fi in general would be to (wrongly) assume that I'm not a sci-fi fan. I am, just that I don't find much worth watching on the tube as opposed to the local book store.
I guess that makes me a bit jaded - by the time it shows up as a mini-series, I can't help but feel something akin to "been there, done that".
The problem continues, because most TV productions aren't going to take big risks. They'll continue to make what sells. That means, unfortunately, more of the same. It's like all the Star Trek sequels, that just continue to grind on and on, milking the same cow until there's nothing left, the cow looks scraggly, and it's all just filler anyway.
The stories that tend to engage people the most aren't about special effects and production values - they're about people. If the story has a good plot and isn't "self-conscious" or heavy-handed about it, (unlike 'V'), it'll work.
With V, the producers/directors hand showed through in too many scenes, instead of transparently telling a story. That's why it sucked.
Unfortunately, alien babes don't make up for this (wish they did, though).
V was a great disappointment to me because the miniseries started so well, and ended full of TV Sci-Fi's most stupid cliches.
They came and they looked human. They said this was due to common ancestry, which is something I could almost buy (though it has to be very recent common ancestry, and a lot of the fossil record needs major reinterpretation.) They have a hidden oppressive agenda -- good plot device, to make for good stories.
Then suddenly it is all undone at the end of the miniseries. They are lizards in amazing human suits so good you want to have sex with the women, but which can be peeled off. And they want our water, stuff made from 2 of the most common elements in the universe. How could people who wrote a good beginning like that write such a stupid ending. I don't want them to write more, based on the trend.
Sadly, this is not the only time this happens in TV SF. Look at the Matrix with its "battery" story. Why does it happen so much?
Has it been over a year since you last donated to the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Bad Guy:
Must be recognizeable with extensive experience in the bad guy profession.
Must appear to be intelligent, but with fatal flaw. Perfect villians will not be considered.
Also must have extensive weapons expertise, while being a poor marksman in the presence of a 1st or 2nd tier protagonist. If you can't hit a good guy at 2 feet with a fully automatic shotgun, a laser sight, a scope and a targetting computer, YOU'RE OUR MAN/WOMAN/ALIEN. Welcome aboard!
Good Guy:
Must have pepsodent (TM) smile, be dumb as a stump, and capable of delivering one liners with a straight face.
Also required, must be an expert marksman, capable of wounding bad guys at 2km ranges with a single shot from a snubnose revolver or a steak knife. Alternately, can have expertise with automatic weapons. must be able to expend entire magazine into a crowd and selectively kill/maim all bad guys, with no civilian casualties.
Positions must be filled before June 13, 2003.
Contact PTB for details.
--Have a main actor or the producer come on-stage before the show starts and say something like this:
"Remember the episode(s) that **really sucked?** I want you to know that those episodes NEVER HAPPENED from the standpoint of this show. We're going forward, and we'd like you all to forget the bad stuff and concentrate on what we're developing plot-wise from here on. We have re-committed to developing this series in a quality way, and hope that you, the audience, are pleased with our efforts.
Thank you."
--God, I wish they would do this for Witchblade. The whole 1st year ROCKED until the **last freaking episode.** (Ex-fans of the series will know what I'm talking about; the whole stupid time-travel BOGOSITY.) Then the entire 2nd season sucked so bad, I stopped watching. Result: They cancelled the series, and for good reason. But maybe they could bring back the kind of quality that made us love the 1st season.
Maybe.
.
== WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
Thank you!
Ark II
Now my childhood TV memories are flooding back... even Shazam and ISIS. Dear god, did I have some sort of primitive Shazam underoos? Maybe these memories are better left uncovered.
Does anybody still have a copy of the 4.2 > V poster? It showed a "4.2BSD" tie fighter speeding away from an exploding AT&T Death Star.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
was when the nice guy who sacrificed himself to save us turned out to be played by the same actor who played Freddy Kruger.
It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
The CNN article says "The appeal of 'V' continues" ... "a fresh take on this timeless story of human resilience and resistance."
I only watched it for the "mousies."
John
From TV Tome:
"For millions of years earth was fertile and rich. Then polution(sic) and waste began to take their toll. Civilization fell into ruin. This is the world of the 25th century. Only a handful of scientists remain. Men, who have vowed to rebuild what has been destroyed...This is their achievement...Ark II, a mobile storehouse of scientific knowledge, manned by a highly trained crew of young people. Their mission: to bring the hope of a new future to mankind. Ark II log, entry #1 - I Jonah, Ruth, Samuel and Adam are fully aware of the dangers we face as we venture into unknown, maybe even hostile areas. But, we're determined to bring the promise of a new civilization to our people and our planet."
Ooh, and a cheesy picture here.
Ha ha!!!! Birds of feather really do flock together. See my other post in this very thread. Mine took longer because of the links.
Wonder woman was a great sci-fi babe of that era. Another babe was Erin Grey as Wilma in Buck Rogers. She still looks great and is still the subject of much lust (there is a yahoo group devoted to her). She signs photos at the sci-fi cons (I need to go to one). Pam Hensley was another babe on Buck Rogers.
There were other space babes too - Battlestar Galactica babes not to mention princess Leia.
Everything a teenage geek could love - science fiction and space babes. It would seem the producers of these shows knew well what their target audience wanted.
Ahh, the memories.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
[They] "might be a conspiracy of lizard-like aliens here to steal our water, but I doubt it."
In case you're too young to recognize the Subject line...
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
OMG.. V.. RULES!.. Lets get Donovan and Diana and Lydia and Martin and the whole bloody gangbangers back!.. AND GET THEM ALL OUT ON DVD! i/O
I just like that word. Suckage. It's so nice and effective.
ANYHOO...I remember V the first time around, and after two episodes, thought it sucked. I've seen it on reruns, and...it still sucks. Having run out of good shows to copy and sequelise, are we doomed to a TV life of rehashing unsuccessful shows now?
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
I don't remember AirWolf having a laser, BUT, it was _heavily_ armored
The Laser only showed up in the first three episodes. Its why we couldn't figure out if it really had it or not. And yeah it was heavily armored. I think it had the same paint job as KITT or something like that.
Blue Thunder had the armor plating that even survived a stint with armor piercing bullets.
Heh, this is taking me back to the day. I wonder where the WWWF grudgematch went to. This was the kind of ground they used to cover oh so well.
re: Airwolf & disgruntled test pilot
Oh yeah, I remember now.
Hold on a minute. How I remember this isn't an issue. The question is, why do I remember this??
Dear Lord. I really am a geek, aren't I?? [broad grin]
Doing my level best to piss off the religious right wing...
This is just too stupid! This gives you an idea of how bad things are over at the networks these days. It takes real talent to try and breathe life into a story about the world being taken over by peckish forked tongue lizards who wear rubber suits and are lead by some sadistic, bitchy Joan-Collins/Alexis-wannabe. Hey, will the ex-beastmaster be in it, or will they cast some young guy with great hair? Will the new series also recycle disco-y incidental music from C.H.I.P.S? To be fair, I began to have a respect for Michael Ironside after he left the series and moved on to bigger and better things (Andromeda doesn't count).
I guess they think this series will appeal to the losers who long for the glory days of yore when they flopped on their couches and watched endless episodes of this rubbish instead of doing their homework. Fa!
Actually Robert Englund's role as a "Commander Data"-like lizard person who joins the resistance was quite good and quite nuanced. The guy basically is the modern-day Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff...both actors were quite skilled and desperately wanted to break out of their typecasting.
The difference between Lugosi and Karloff is that Lugosi became a Heroin addict to soothe his frustration at his not being considered for anything other than horror roles. Karloff made peace with his horror stardom and died knowing he had literally millions of fans who loved him for his ability to make monsters multi-dimensional.
I don't know where Englund is in that continuum. I would like to see him do something other than Freddy Krueger and Freddy Krueger-like characters (Erik in a Phantom of the Opera remake, for instance) but alas, he's a horror star and horror is what he does. A quick look at IMDB shows that he's getting more work abroad (Italy, Croatia) than what he's getting here, which is basically grade-Z horror flicks every so often.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
What about the TV series followup where Diana escapes and calls the troops back and Elizabeth metamorphoses from this green yucky slimebag into a grown woman and that Bates guy comes into it and when the fleet comes back with yet another bitch.. LYDIA..?.. Cos whenever I see the series rerun on TV they usually only sends up to the redpowder episode.. and see them leave. the 2nd part where they come back is hardly ever aired.. if I'm gonna buy this I want ther WHOLE THING!.. http://www.movieprop.com/V/tvseries.htm
This makes me feel old -- I remember the original series!
they were the best shoes on TV
Hey! I thought Ed Sullivan was dead!
Unfortunately I'm old enought to remember watching this on tv...
...the lizard alien actors, when not disguised as 'humans', wore cheap plastic masks (didn't even look like lizards half the time ;) The aliens were suddenly bullet-proof as well. Oh...and plot? Well...yes, as previous posters have pointed out...the 'magic' child plot just ruined it.
I distinctly remember 3 things:
1) All the magazines spoiled the surprise on the 'real' identity of the aliens by publishing photo's of their 'leader' with the flaps of his fake human skin hanging off his face, showing half his slimy reptilian face. Looked freaky then, betcha it still looks good today.
That was probably the best part in the whole damn series...
Ooh, and the much hyped scene where the evil alien she-bitch eats a whole hamster in one bite - IIRC 'the making of' later explained that they had to build a complicated contraption so that it looked like she could stuff an entire hamster/gerbil in the appropriate orifice...
2) The eh....landsharks. They were neat. All the aliens had to do to protect their bases was dump a few tons of red sand in a ring around their bases, release some of those critters and voila. No intruders. <<Cue scene where actor sinks into the sand - whilst waving arms and screaming like a maniac>> The eh...landsharks were man-eaters if you hadn't figured it out yet...can't remember why they didn't eat the aliens.
3) How crap the second series really was compared to the (obviously bigger budget) first/mini series
Heck, I think I remember watching the very last episode...it ends with the 'magical' child walking into some shuttle (it's all supposed to be very mystical and meaningful...) which is eh...piloted by the "real" leader of the aliens? Something like that...you never see him, you just hear his voice, coming from the dark interior of the shuttle. Shuttle door closes, people&aliens start crying/cheering, shuttle buggers off, end of series, thank god.
Da Blog
they show it fairly often.
Additionally, can you explain what an "open and accountable economy" is, exactly. "Economies" apply to the "production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services". "Democracies" are all about the "common people especially when constituting the source of political authority". These concepts do not have any necessary concordance beyond that which ideologues like to ascribe.
And given that Rummy et al have put the smackdown on any attempts by the Iraqis to hold a elections any time soon (because they know that the expressed will of the people would return an overwhelmingly anti-US government), can you explain how "the Iraqis" are now "free to form their own democracy"?
Da Blog
I have found the truth! The truth is that George Bush is actually a reptilian. Believe it or not. ÂMy good friend David Icke and I did a whole bunch of research regarding this issue. The rehashing of the mini series V serves no other purpose than to brainwash the masses into the easy belief that there really aren't any reptilian aliens here on earth now! These reptilians live on blood and fear! The only way defeat them is through love. If you don't believe me, please check out http://www.davidicke.com/icke/articles/bushblood.h tml
for a glimpse of the truth.
The Visitors did not build the Spaceships, but rather stole them from another species. I believe they stole them from the same group of aliens that the resistance tries to contact by sending out a message in the last scene of the original V series.
...how many guys remember the scene where the head alien V babe (sorry forgot her name) opened up for a snack, and scarfed down that entire guinea pig in one bite--and sat there in stunned silence for awhile and thought "man, that is SOME talent there..."
about the only thing I remember was that on the movie, they had cool buzzing voices but on the series they didn't do that effect.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
The Visitors" have come to Earth asking for aid for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of lizard creatures intent on taking our water and using humans for food. After gaining public trust, the Visitors begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted
-----
The Companions have come to Earth for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of creatures intent on taking our resources and using humans for diabolical experiments. After gaining public trust, the Companions begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted.
Huh?
and Cursor would draw a wireframe of his maclaren f1/lamborghini diablo shaped car. The one which only turned corners at 90 degrees (and splated
his human partner against the side window) because
"that's the way pacman turned corners"!!
Just dying to be remade:
Supertrain
Mork and Mindy
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Huh?
The aliens that are going to come help the resistance are actually refered to in the original miniseries. Remember, the resistance set up a computer & satellite to send out signals constantly to try to get the aliens attention. Elias said something like "so we're just gonna crank up the boom box and wait for help"... to which Julie Parish replied with something like "yeah, sort of.. but the reality is that help may never come."
Also, Mike Donovan's visitor friend, Martin, mentioned the enemy that "has defeated the leader before".
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the new stuff.
I always got a kick out of how the lizards could have a whole platoon with laser rifles and somehow be picked off one by one by Martin with a pistol.
In this respect, V borrowed from the A*Team.
-- $G
If *my* Blockbusters has it, so does yours.
The REAL jabber has the user id: 13196
What you do today will cost you a day of your life
The bright red uniforms of the visitors suggested something else entirely to me.
That's right! The Bush Family Outing photos!
The REAL jabber has the user id: 13196
What you do today will cost you a day of your life
hehehe maybe they wanted salt water, they were draining the oceans after all... and c'mon, longpig is the best kind of pig (some sort of vague cannibal reference?)
eesh....we have been over this and over this.
first off hitler was elected, no coup involved (maybe some shady election shenanigans, but that was the case with GW as well)
However...comparing GW to Hitler is a retarded comparison.
Hitler was way more intelligent! GW strikes me more as a badly programmed robot.
What happened to your kid brother?
Don't get me wrong the two mini series done where quite good for their time, but the attempt at the V TV series just suck. One of the things that bugged me was that they changed the fact that the Aliens sounded human, and since we all new what they looked like why keep up with the human masks? I think that the only reason that I watch it was because there just wasn't anything better on at the time. Personally I'd rather see something new on tv, or at least get such shows like FireFly, Crusades, or Legend of the Rangers back on the air.
I don't remember AirWolf having a laser, BUT, it was _heavily_ armored, unlike Blue Thunder. Also, its weapons pod could turn side to side, making any evasive maneuver by BT pretty much pointless. That and the turbo thruster advantage gives it all to AirWolf.
Being able to fly supersonic is a definite advantage if people start setting off nukes.
The series was shit. Tacky, dated, sci-fi at its' worst - with the opening premise ripped off from Clarke's "Childhood's End", and everything going downhill from there.
Clarke admits that "Childhood's End" isn't entirely original. Anyway just about any story is "ripped off" from something or other anyway.
I think this may be a good idea. But because I was not born, besides for not knowing how big of a hit it was, I still would want more about it. Maybe NBC should do some special for the younglings.
Hey, that's clever! You compared the United States of America of 2003 to Nazi Germany of 1939! I've never, ever heard that comparison before!
The more meaningful comparison would be between the US now and Germany in the early 1930's
You ought to say something about how President George W. Bush is like Adolf Hitler.
Try looking up Mr Bush's grandfather.
Seeing as how Hitler rose to power in an armed revolt, and President Bush was elected.
Both were "elected".
Maybe you could say something about how President Bush lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Of course, in order to make that allegation you're going to have to come up with some kind of evidence that he lied, something that nobody has yet been able to do.
So anyone disbelieving the claim must come up with evidence of a lie (an activity politicans enguage in often.). How about some proof that these WMDs ever existed?
Come now. By the time we have nanotech common place, you don't think we'll be creating carbon atoms from subatomics? I mean, we gonna compete with nature we might as well do the whole verticle market, right? Why depend on her for anything?
Not like there's a universal Anti-Compeitive Monopoly Regulation, is there?
"Last one in is a rotten goblin!" - Kepp
first off hitler was elected
Look up the meaning of the word "putsch."
Hitler was way more intelligent!
Dear god. The human race is doomed.
The more meaningful comparison would be between the US now and Germany in the early 1930's
You're an idiot.
Try looking up Mr Bush's grandfather.
Ah, good. The sins of the father are visited upon the sons. Excellent.
Both were "elected".
No. Hitler rose to power on the shoulders of a putsch. President Bush was not "elected," he was elected. Fairly and democractically according to the rules set out in the Constitution of the United States.
So anyone disbelieving the claim must come up with evidence of a lie
No, anybody accusing someone of telling a lie must come up with evidence of a lie. Jumping from irrational disbelief to "You're lying!" is going too far.
How about some proof that these WMDs ever existed?
We don't need proof of that; we have Iraq's own admission. They admitted, at various times during the 1990's and under various disclosures to the UN and other parties, that they had various stashes of weapons both conventional and unconventional. They declared that a certain number of armed chemical shells were left over from the Iran-Iraq war; these shells were never accounted for. They declared that a certain number of armed chemical bombs were left over from the Iran-Iraq war, and also that a certain number had been manufactured and stockpiled during the 1990's. These bombs were never accounted for. And so on.
Iraq said, "We had X, Y, and Z, but we don't have them any more." You're taking this on faith. That's an incredibly foolish thing to do, and thank God our president was unwilling to be so naive.
A short story called "They're assimilating our culture, that's what they're doing".
As has been pointed out, the water thing was a ruse (and a pretty darn obvious one too). Objections to the food angle, though, require more thought. Yes, they could breed farm animals, but think of the markup they could make for imported human meat? For all you know, the economics could make sense.
(Spoiler for Larry Niven: The aliens actually just stole human DNA and used it to grow the meat in tanks. Which shows how dumb the V premise really is.)
You will not drink with us, but you would taste our steel? - Walter Matthau, The Pirates
V was an event series for the entire neighborhood. Everyone talked about it and as kids we ate it up. Now in retrospect it holds up except for a few bad plot elements but after buying the DVDs I enjoyed the the series alot. Of course Michael Ironside is super cool as Ham Tyler playing one of his typical bad ass roles and Mark Singer does a solid job bringing home some gut wrenching points. "Because my wife, my kid and the whole damn town is up there!" Also Marks previous movie Beast master was fun chezzy kids entertainment but really didn't showcase anyones acting skills. It would be good to see Mark and Mike back for even brief roles in the new series, older wiser and perhaps worn down by years of fighting.
I just hope that they get Blair Tefkin to record a couple of songs for the soundtrack.
She can do double-duty: reprise her role as Robin, and provide some tunes for the show.
--- Biffster.org
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
As I said, NOT FOR BURNING. How common are carbonaceous chondrite meteorites with the monomers used for polymer synthesis? I am not a chemist, but my understanding is that building certain polymers from petroleum-derived monomers is a hell of a lot easier than from molecular carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. But then again, I don't have recourse to ultraplasmagigatomic nonsense.
Actually my mom suffered more pain. She had a bruise that took a long time to heal.
Sigs are bad for you.