dtuttle@uw-june (David C. Tuttle) (10/01/85)
Now, hold on! Let's hear an affirmative vote for "Amazing Stories," OK?
I loved it! I see a lot of potential for this series.
I didn't expect a 30-minute miracle from Spielberg & Co.
I also ignored NBC's Amazing Week Amazing Hype Amazing Ads
Every Amazing Hour For A Whole Amazing Month!!!, because I figured that
if I were spending $1M per segment, I'd do the same thing.
I simply wanted to see a well-written, well-produced, well-directed,
simply well-done half-hour television show (that should be compared to
other half-hour television shows, not to two-hour, $40M-budget movies).
And the show did not let me down in the least! I loved it!
Mr. Spielberg did not give us a swashbuckling tale or a special effects
spectacular. He simply told a story, like we might hear around a
campfire, or from an older neighbor from when we were kids. He attempted
to do nothing more -- if he had, with only a half-hour to use, it probably
would have looked like what many critics were waiting to lay waste to
(and undoubtedly, some still will). And he told the story well.
True, character development was not remarkable, and the plot was a simple
and quite predictable one. But it's TV! It was kept simple and
straightforward in a medium that demands it. You have only 22 minutes --
your plot has to be established in less than 5. That's the way it is.
Many of the best Twilight Zones (the best TV has seen in plots
and character studies in an anthology series) work the same way, and
could manage only one plot twist and one or two interesting characters.
And pilot episodes (even Twilight Zone's) aren't exactly where one
would expect anything radically different or... amazing.
Even with these limitations, I found that I was watching an excellent show.
I cannot fault the acting, even if it has strong ties to E.T. and
Close Encounters. The characters were familiar to me, if not totally
realistic (and if I wanted realistic, I wouldn't watch this *or*
Twilight Zone), and I thought the character of Old Pa was very well
performed. The relationship between the kid and Old Pa was obviously
very strong, and I think that came through best. To me, that was the
*real* story, the special bond they shared. The parents were best left
in the background, and that's where they stayed. Remember, a half-hour
show needs a well-focused story. The attention to detail was also good,
and the little touches, humorous or otherwise, were small enough to not
divert you from the story at hand. Even the relatively expensive special
effects didn't get in the way of the story! Darn it, it's just a great
piece of storytelling!!! And it gets my vote for Best New Show, 1985.
Maybe it's the show's name that's truly at fault -- the reviews I've read
have stated "It didn't seem Amazing to *me*!" Well, they're not *all* going
to all be *that* amazing -- some will be exciting, some will be poignant,
some will br humorous (boy, this *does* sound like Twilight Zone, doesn't
it?). Stick around -- your favorite may be still to come. (I just hope I
can come to terms with my wife -- she's a big fan of "Murder She Wrote" :-)
P.S. I read somewhere that Mr. Spielberg offered an episode to David Lean,
and Mr. Lean replied that he might -- if he's given six months to
make it. They just might do it, too (aren't two-year guarantees
wonderful? :-), and *that's* something to look forward to!!!
============================================================================
David C. Tuttle "Ompah?" Jeezus...
Computer Science Dept.
University of Washington
{ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!dtuttlelauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (10/01/85)
Within the first 5 or 6 minutes the entire plot of the "Choo Choo" episode was immediately clear even to the simplest minds. There was no attempt at surprise, twist, or amazement. As usual, Steven operates on the assumption that audiences are SO STUPID that they can't figure out anything if it isn't put out on a platter and drummed into them continuously. Even the final line of the show regarding the insurance salesman was diluted from being used (in a different form) earlier in the program. As a final line, without prior reference, it might have been mildly amusing. The old anthologies (TZ, Hitchcock, One Step Beyond, etc.) got most of their punch from the twist at the end. There was no twist in "Choo Choo." I don't think Steven feels audiences capable of understanding other than simple plots and cardboard characters. --Lauren--
root@trwrdc.UUCP (Lord Frith) (10/06/85)
In article <821@vortex.UUCP> lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) writes: > Within the first 5 or 6 minutes the entire plot of the "Choo Choo" > episode was immediately clear even to the simplest minds. There was > no attempt at surprise, twist, or amazement. As usual, Steven operates > on the assumption that audiences are SO STUPID that they can't > figure out anything if it isn't put out on a platter and drummed into > them continuously. > > The old anthologies (TZ, Hitchcock, One Step Beyond, etc.) got most of > their punch from the twist at the end. There was no twist in > "Choo Choo." I don't think Steven feels audiences capable of understanding > other than simple plots and cardboard characters. I think the problem was worse than that. Without an amazing twist... there was simply NO STORY to tell! The entire episode did nothing but parade typical Spielberg characters about on the stage emoting the same tired-out mystical lines ("I still AM that little boy Brian"). The whole time we were watching the Choo Choo episode, my friends and I were coming up with far more interesting twists and plot endings. What a disapoinment! The train arrives and takes Opah away. Wow.... that's simply AMAZING. -- seismo!trwrdc!root - Lord Frith Drama :-( Comedy :-) Surpise :-o Suspense 8-| Male :- Female >- Birth |-O Death 8-# Infinity 8 ---------------------- "I want to be seduced" "I dare anyone to try"
gds@mit-eddie.UUCP (Greg Skinner) (10/09/85)
I felt the premiere of AS was a little unbelievable, if not amazing.
1890's trains just don't come running into your house on nonexistent
tracks. It would have been much better if they'd had the boy wake up
from a dream afterwards and find that old Pa had died during the night.
Just the same, I was pleased with the first AS and the second as well (I
can't remember what it was about). I'll have to go get a USA today to
find out how all these shows are doing ...
--
It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under.
Greg Skinner (gregbo)
{decvax!genrad, allegra, ihnp4}!mit-eddie!gds
gds@mit-eddie.mit.edu