ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

I didn't know what to expect from this movie, and a friend even told me that it wasn't good. The box office totals and a significant number of movie critics weren't crazy about it either.








After all those warnings, the movie certainly wasn't what I expected. The scope of the story is far beyond anything attempted in movies like this. Other films have gone all wild and crazy with their yarns about the threat of artificial intelligence, and that's exactly why I've disliked some of them.





This one did the opposite.





It presents its complex concepts slowly, leading the audience along at a careful pace, one step at a time. And the methods it uses to tell the story are elegant and beautiful. The photography, the editing, the special effects, the sets, the lighting, the acting, and the music — they all work together to present a tale that keeps the mind engaged.







It gives us time to think about what we're seeing.





The basic premise has much in common with Colossus: The Forbin Project, but with a big difference. In this case, the machine that wants to help mankind actually could have done miraculous things for us — but mankind didn't want it, and this time we succeeded in killing it. In doing so we killed the ultimate Golden Goose, and wound up sending human civilization backwards a hundred years.

I like this movie. So, does my computer. It told me so.



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

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

I can't really tell if this trailer would have tempted me to see the movie or not, because I've already seen the movie (and liked it).

If anyone hasn't seen the movie, I'd be interested to hear if this trailer is effective. Does it make you want to watch it . . . or not?

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

[Rick]

I saw this on DVD, long after it had crawled out of the theaters. I knew it had been unsuccessful, but somehow I had absolutely zero knowledge of the critical reception.

So I saw it. I liked it...quite a bit. Fine, good. Then I saw that it turned up on a whole lot of critics' WORST lists for that year. So I dug into some of the reviews. People really hated this thing. I found some sense in some of the reviews. Some of the critics made good points. But not good enough. I still liked it a lot.

And I still do....so there.
_________________
Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Well, by gum, there's at least three of us who liked it, Rick.

You and me . . . and my computer. It told me so, remember?
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Robert (Butch) Day]

THIS IS THE VOICE OF COLOSSUS

MANKIND, FORWARD TO ME THE LIST OF THE SO-CALLED CRITICS

I WILL DEAL WITH THEM IN MY OWN MANNER

END TRANSMISSION
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

[Mike Cervello]

I liked it. Good story with a new twist.

The American audience isn’t into science and engineering. Blue chip companies have to hire brainpower from around the world in science and engineering.

Just like lots of people were left to watch snow on their TV sets when we went from analog to digital, this country is in for a rude awakening when artificial intelligence and robots replace hundreds of millions of jobs in the next eleven years.

There’s no turning back. The best artificial intelligence movies tank in the USA and do much better overseas. It’s a real shame.

[Bud Brewster]

________________________________

Well said, Mike. It's sad but true.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)