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From: @RUTGERS.ARPA:DINGMAN@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Criticizing the critics
Message-ID: <1869@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 2-May-85 11:59:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.1869
Posted: Thu May  2 11:59:59 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 3-May-85 05:25:32 EDT
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: DINGMAN@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA



  After reading this digest for about a year and a half, I have to say
I'm upset with the way most everyone complains about SF movies.  Most 
comments about SF books are neutral to good, while most comments about 
SF movies are neutral to negative. Very few good, supporting
statements are made. Now you must remember that writing allows
much more freedom of expression than does movie making.  I feel that
given the restrictions of time, money, available actors (with talent)
and politics (which eventually enter any large project) what we see
is not too bad.  Comments I've seen are about like this:

          WIZARDS: Generally poor
          LORD OF THE RINGS: Awful
          2010: Fair, but criticized heavily on details
          SILENT RUNNING: Some support, but mostly criticized
                          for lack of a 'realistic' plot & ending
          STAR WARS: Not taken serously
          DUNE: Horrible adaptation (I might even agree here)
          And so on...

   My point is that I don't blame the movie industry for not putting
its heart and soul into SF.  No matter what they try, it gets
torn apart by SF 'fans'.  Nothing is good enough, nothing is acceptable.
Well I enjoy seeing a new SF movie, if it is a serious attempt to do 
well, even if it falls short.  We see *so* little of it.  WIZARDS
was enjoyable, LotR was entertaining, and 2010 was far better than
watching the The Love Boat.
  I'm not saying films shouldn't be criticized.  If they weren't
nothing would improve.  But the impression from this digest is,
"Nothing is good enough for us. You do your best and we'll pick
it to death somehow."  Many of the criticisms I've seen are really
ridiculous. If I was a movie producer and read this digest, I 
wouldn't even attempt SF.  I'd get Jacqueline Bisset, put her in
a T-shirt, and be assured to make money without anyone noticing the
plot (or lack of).
  I'd like to see more constructive comments; remove the clothespins
from your noses and point out the good parts, the creative and
original ideas, the novel approaches.  Don't be in such a hurry
to jump on the bandwagon of critics that recognition is forgotten.
Support for what the industry does right may create more progress
and generate more creative ideas than continuous, boring and tiresome
criticisms.

   Comments, anyone?


  -- jd           "Why me?"  "Because it might be boobytrapped."
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