ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Oops, I forgot that.

My dirty mind is showing . . .
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

[Bud Brewster]

* Revised comment from yesterday.

[Krel]

[Bud Brewster]

[scotpens]

[Bud Brewster]

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Gentlemen, this discussion is fascinating! Your comments are informative and obviously well researched.

Concerning the depth to which sunlight reaches in seawater, it occurred to me that visibility is obviously affected by the clarity of the water in any given area. Places like Silver Springs, Florida — with it's famous glass bottom boats — represents the high end of the scale.

However, the clarity in the ocean is rarely that good, and in any giveN place the clarity can vary greatly because of tides and currents.

I did a bit of research to find out if most fish spawned in shallow water or deep water. What I learned was that the depths vary greatly. For example, the Bone fish lives in shallow water, but it dives down over 400 feet to spawn.

However, many coastal fish (especially tropical species) spawn in shallow water, and these are the areas with the clearest waters, especially the regions around the beautiful reefs.

The Proteus does seem well designed to navigate safely through the reefs, where the danger of collisions with the coral would be high.

But the sub's plethora of ports would offer a stunning view of the spectacular sea life, allowing oceanographers and marine biologists a ring side seat where than study this aquatic world in a relaxed, shirt-sleeve environment.



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

[Pow]

Agent Grant (Stephen Boyd) tells General Carter (Edmond O'Brien) that he (Grant) would not know if Dr. Duval (Arthur Kennedy)--who is under suspicion as a possible enemy agent--was saving or killing patient Benes during the critical brain operation that will be performed with the laser rifle.

Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasence) reassures Grant that he (Michaels) would be able to recognize if Duval was up to anything illicit during the operation.

Towards the finale of the movie we see Dr. Duval, his assistant Cora Peterson (Raquel Welsh) exit the Proteus in order to work on the damaged area of Benes brain.

Grant joins them.

Michaels remains inside the Proteus.

Shouldn't Grant find that highly unusual and alarming that Michaels isn't going with him to observe Duval's work!?!

Michaels told Grant that he (Michaels) would be able to detect any funny business done by Duval regarding the brain operation.

Grant has to know that Michaels cannot do much close up observing from inside the Proteus.

True: it is Michaels who is the saboteur and has decided to remain inside the Proteus in order to hijack the submarine in order to halt the operation and murder Benes.

But Grant doesn't know that Michaels is the enemy agent at this stage. At least he hasn't given any indication of it.

All Grant has surmised is that Duvall is probably not the undercover agent because 'He doesn't fit the profile.'

However, Grant should have asked Michaels just why he wasn't coming to observe Duval (just in case Grant is wrong) performing the delicate and crucial operation since Michaels is the only one who would be able to tell if Duval is doing anything fishy.

[Morbius]

Having a fishy background I can add that there are many Chondrichthyan (sharks skates and rays) species that either lay eggs or give live birth, for example the white shark.

In most sharks the male, as well as some skates and rays, have claspers near the caudal fins, one on each side — an easy way to distinguish males from females.

I really can’t think of any Chondrichthyan species that disperse eggs and sperm into the water column like most (all) bony fish. Although a shark may give live birth, to my knowledge there is no example of parenting.'

You’re on your own kid. Good luck.

[Morbius]

Speaking of subs

[Bud Brewster]

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Thanks, Morbius!

Sir, I've been to many message boards over the years, but I can say without false modesty that All Sci-Fi is the only one which offers intelligent and well-written comments like yours — comments which address both science fiction and scientific facts in a discussion about the movies which true sci-fi fans enjoy!

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

[Pow]

A thought occurred to me recently regarding a scene from FV.

Dr. Duval (Arthur Kennedy) & Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasance) get into a debate regarding the philosophical/religious aspects about an intelligent designer as they journey through the human body.

Dr. Duval believes that life was created by some sort of higher power and that the human body and its processes were miraculous.

Dr. Michaels argues it is all simply due to millions of years of evolution and nothing more.

*SPOILER AHEAD* Yeah, I know, for a 55-year old movie, but who knows?

When it is revealed that Michaels is an espionage agent and saboteur for "the other side" (USSR one assumes given the Cold War paranoia in the 50s and 60s), it made me think of the atheistic history of the Soviet Union government.

Is it possible that the scriptwriters were dropping the audience a clue in that particular scene that Michaels was the agent by having him profess what appeared to be his atheist beliefs just like the USSR had at that time?

[Krel]

[Pow]

I believe you, Krel, I believe you. Guess we can't assume that everyone has seen the same movies as we have seen despite the film being decades old.

[Bud Brewster]

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Well, I suspect there's a class of people who are less considerate than you, David.

Here's the other side of the coin.



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