ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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No, she doesn't, you silly boy.

Go to the members list and you'll see her name still listed as number six, a proud member of All Sci-Fi since the first day the new board was created on December 14, 2013!

Check the PM I just sent about how to get a temporary password, if she's forgotten hers.

As for Gort, I agree with her about him being a "robo-chick magnet" with that sexy new belt. I think I'll put the initial G on the buckle and really make him look like a Heavy Metal stud muffin.

In fact, with the new "buff, cut, and sexy" look I gave Gort, I wouldn't be surprised if he got real cool and cocky.

"So, this is Earth, huh? Any hot chicks on this planet?"





"Oh, I'm sure you'll pick up at least one."

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"Seriously, Honey, you've never seen the inside of a spaceship? Well then, you're in for a real treat!"
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

[Bud Brewster]

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If Eadie thought the earlier version of Gort would appeal to the ladies, wait 'til she gets a load of this one?

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rick]

Almost ten years ago my brilliant and ultra-cool then-sixteen-year-old son was over for dinner. He's a huge fan of Japanese films, and especially Akira Kurosawa, so I'd gotten a tape of DRUNKEN ANGEL from the library. After we finished watching that, he said, "What else you got?"

I looked and thought and finally, without telling him what it was, I put the DVD of DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL on. As soon as he saw the black and white and the title, and heard the music ("theremin" he said), he chuckled. I could tell he was expecting some more of Dad's schlock but I just kept my mouth shut. The first saucer shots got another reflexive giggle, but then he shut up. About twenty minutes in he said, "I like this." I think he expected me to say, "You LIKE this junk?" But I just kept quiet. A few minutes later he said, "you know, this is good." A short time later--"who directed this?" By the end of the movie he was saying, "cool...cool..." When it finished, he jumped up, got on the computer and added "Klaatu barada nikto" to his MySpace page. Or Facebook. Or whatever sixteen-year-olds were doing then.

His only semi-critical comment was, "that is one cocky alien." He was referring to Klaatu's bemused reactions to all the silly, stupid earthlings and what they don't know or understand. And he was right. Rennie does smirk quite a bit. Only Abraham Lincoln and Billy Gray avoid his condescension. Still, it was awfully gratifying to see that this classic still works, at least on the more intelligent (MY SON!) of today's youth.
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Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Bud Brewster]

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Another great personal anecdote, Rick. I shared all my classic sci-fi favorites with my young kids while they were growing up, and now my daughter is sharing them with my grandchildren (11-year-old boy, 5-year-old girl).

In fact, my daughter and my grandson are members of All Sci-Fi!

As for Klaatu smirking and acting condescending, I'd have to disagree. He was "impatient with stupidity" (so am I ), he was amused by quaint things like the music box, he was very respectful to Patricia Neal and the other folks in the boarding house, and he was surprised when Sam Jaffe hadn't solved that mammoth math equation after he gave him a little help.

His mannerisms and reactions to the world around him were, of course, meant to convince us that he was a highly intelligent being from an advanced civilization, and his people weren't prone to the "strange, unreasoning attitudes" that caused all the heads of state to refuse to meet and listen to his message.

I mean that's just the way I've also interpreted his actions.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rick]

Well, you're certainly not alone in that opinion, Bud. Years ago, when I discussed Klaatu's condescension on the Classic Horror Film Board, no less than Bill Warren jumped all over me in disagreement.

My son and I may have overstated the case, I'll grant you. But I still maintain there's at least a barely hidden superiority in Klaatu's demeanor.

But, not a big deal.
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Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Bud Brewster]

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I understand completely, Rick. He does act superior. I guess Robert Wise figured the only way to show that Klaatu was superior (in many ways) was so show him being either angry with human failings (like the way we refused to get together long enough to be warned that the robot police were going to destroy us!) or amused from time to time by things like the music box and the pipes on Barnhardt's desk.

And those last two examples were just intended to give him that "stranger in a strange land" quality.

I actually can't think of examples of him acting condescending in the way you seem to mean. Could you site a few examples? By a happy coincidence, I watched the movie yesterday (for about the 50th time in as many years), so I'll know which scenes your describing without too much description.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Brent Gair]

A few examples ! ?

Klaatu is the very definition of condescension from the moment of his uninvited appearance.

Whatever questionable superior intellect may be possessed by those deep space Nazis, an understanding of tact and diplomacy is not among them.

With no prior notice, this storm trooper plops himself down into the middle of a super-power's capitol city. He figures he can stroll out of his spaceship and demand a meeting with world leaders. What a snot. He should have been blown out of the sky. But he was so full of his superior race mindset that he figured he could just show up like Hitler visiting Paris.

I mean...how could anybody NOT realize what an uppity Aryan flake this guy was?

[Bud Brewster]

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Goodness gracious, Brent! Are we talking about the same movie?

Klaatu's society lives under the threat of a race of robots who have "absolute power over us" (his words), a power which "cannot be revoked" (his words again).

He came to Earth to warn us that his society had set into motion something that couldn't be stopped. (Damn, what the hell were they thinking?) He wasn't here to tell us we were misbehaving and they disapproved of our self-destructive actions. In fact, he said:

"It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet, but if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder."

Remember, Klaatu's society had foolishly arranged the situation so that his people couldn't even come to our defense if Gort decided to destroy the Earth just because a soldier shot Klaatu!

So, your harsh judgement of Klaatu is bit like being upset with a guy for not saying "please" when he shouted, "Get out of here! The building is on fire!"

The poor guy came here hoping to prevent us from being destroyed by the soulless robot police — but he couldn't get anybody to listen to his warning! He had to escape captivity and hide from the police.

And then we killed him.

Read Klaatu's speech below and you'll see that even though he defends the cowardly decision his society made when they put the robots completely in control of their own moral choices, the true purpose of his speech is to warn us that the robot police will annihilate us if we do anything that violates their inflexible, programmed directive.

And there isn't a damn thing Klaatu's people can do to help us!
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I am leaving soon, and you will forgive me if I speak bluntly.

The universe grows smaller every day, and the threat of aggression by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all, or no one is secure.

Now, this does not mean giving up any freedom, except the freedom to act irresponsibly. Your ancestors knew this when they made laws to govern themselves and hired policemen to enforce them.

We, of the other planets, have long accepted this principle. We have an organization for the mutual protection of all planets and for the complete elimination of aggression.

The test of any such higher authority is, of course, the police force that supports it. For our policemen, we created a race of robots. Their function is to patrol the planets in spaceships like this one and preserve the peace. In matters of aggression, we have given them absolute power over us. This power cannot be revoked.

At the first sign of violence, they act automatically against the aggressor. The penalty for provoking their action is too terrible to risk.

The result is, we live in peace, without arms or armies, secure in the knowledge that we are free from aggression and war. Free to pursue more profitable enterprises.

Now, we do not pretend to have achieved perfection, but we do have a system, and it works.

I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet, but if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder.

Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer.

The decision rests with you.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Robert (Butch) Day]

[Rick]

[Bud Brewster]

[Robert (Butch) Day]

Bud Was RIGHT!!!

Robby just sent me this picture of the resistance:



(The painting is by The Brothers Hildebrandt and was used for the cover of My Name Is Legion by Roger Zelazny.)
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Common Sense ISN'T Common

[Eadie]

[Robert (Butch) Day]

Bud, have fun with this the blueprint for the full-sized saucer!



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Common Sense ISN'T Common