OH6@PSUVM.BITNET (01/27/86)
---first I'll cover my (can I say "ass"), I've already been flamed for one
spelling error--you guys sure know whats important.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SPELLED HARVE BENNET CORECTLY,
I DON'T CARE!!!!!
Now the posting...
I want to get your input on this. What do you think of Harve Bennet as the
producer of StarTrek? Here's why I ask: I'm a novice film buff (I'm sure there
are people out there in net.land that could put me to shame w/ the depth &
breadth(sp) of their silver screen knowledge, So let's not turn this question
into a "see how much I know" petty squabble). Anyway, I've developed an
of his "bent" from the pictures he's produced that makes me wairy(sp) of his
having control of the StarTrek mileu. My biggest disapointment of last year
was 2010. There were so many changes made in 2010 that detracted from the
movie that I got the book "the making of 2010" just to see what went wrong.
What I found was just about everything that I wanted to see and wasn't in
the movie or didn't want to see and was in the movie, was/or wasn't there
becuase Harve Bennet wanted it that way. (examples: the absence of the Chinese
spaceship, the addition of the "let's blow up the world" subplot).
I was disapointed, too, w/ his handling of "the search for spock". though,
I reserve judgement as to whether he or Nemoy was the cheif draw back there.
Why was it necessary to make the Klingons baffoons? Did we really need a
remake of the Star Wars cantina sceen? Was there no other way to convey a
starship breaking down than w/ juvanile special effects? Don't get me wrong,
I know that who ever produced startrek they would do things I didn't like--
thats not my point. My point is that, as fine and Talented a man as I'm sure
Harve Bennet is, he does not have a feel for what ST was all about(my opinion).
He seems to always trivialize space-never conveying that Jupiter or the genisis
planet are any further than around the block. He works hard at avoiding
serious drama; the scene where Kirk is told of his sons death is beautifully
acted and coriographed(sp) but some where in the sound track and editing the
scene was completely lost. The target he was shooting for in Search for Spock
was much less mature than the series ever shot for.
In short my Impression is that as long as he is the producer of Trek the
most we will ever see from it is some inane lightly entertaining films. I don't
think he has any intention of making a really good StarTrek like City On the
Edge of Forever or A Private Little War or I could list for a while. He seems
to see Science Fiction as the relm of children and not to be taken seriously.
I know there will be those of you who disagree, great, don't flame me,
tell me why. I'm afraid to protest to loudly because, w/ my luck, they'll
get rid of Harve Bennet and replace him w/ Deno DeLaurentis(sp) then we'd get
Trek that was neither good nor entertaining; just expensive.
-----I think I better include this disclaimer: The Opinions expressed here are
my own and do not in any way reflect the opinions or policies of Penn. State
University. And I hope none of those listed above will be paying my salery any
time soon...or I could be in big trouble.
9
8 "....the Computer's talking comander"
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4 "let Me Here what it's saying"
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Kevin M. O'Boyle OH6@PSUVM.BITNET
tom@utcsri.UUCP (Tom Nadas) (01/28/86)
I dislike what Bennett has done to Star Trek, as well. The tone of the
TV series was summed up by Shatner's opening credits narration:
"To seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man
has gone before." None of the three ST movies have explored this theme.
Instead, we see Starfleet as a purely military body. It disappoints
me greatly.
Bennett seems to actively dislike the Star Trek the rest of us love.
Why else kill Spock? Why else blow up the Enterprise? Sigh.
Robert J. Sawyer
in Toronto
c/o
--
Tom Nadas
UUCP: {decvax,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,allegra,utzoo}!utcsri!tom
CSNET: tom@toronto