Computers in movies

I wouldn't even grant it that. Some (though not all) of the kung fu choreography was OK, but it's done better in thousands of Hong Kong films. The gun fights are boring; machine guns are always boring in movies, as they're just a bunch of squibs exploding. Nothing interesting happens. The chase sequences aren't particularly inspired. And between those elements you get lots of idiotic cliche-stuffed filler. If you die in virtual reality, you really die! (This may be the single worst SF cliche ever.) We'll go see the Wise Old Black Woman! (Apparently she was rescued from one of those turn-of-the- century antebellum-nostalgia advertising campaigns.) We'll recite a bunch of sophomoric pop-philosophy Landmark Insbreastute self-help pap to pretend this is some kind of intellectual tour de force!

I'm glad you liked it, sure, but I'd rather watch a couple of old Shaw Brothers dubs than sit through that sort of self-indulgent crap. I can enjoy a Hollywood dumb action flic, but only if it sticks to its comfort zone. Trying to be smart and failing is the kiss of rest.

Nah. Iron Giant has special dispensation. For one thing, it's really children's fantasy, which is a different genre, just done in SF trappings.

Oh, the plant is one of the best characters in the film. And Dark Star isn't all bad; I'm glad I have a copy. It's just not really good, either.

--

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail? -- David Bonde