Difference between revisions of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"
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| − | ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. [[Haller, Daniel|Daniel Haller]], dir. Glen A. Larson, script, exec. prod. USA: Universal, 1979. | + | '''''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''.''' [[Haller, Daniel|Daniel Haller]], dir. Glen A. Larson, script, exec. prod. USA: Universal, 1979. |
| − | Made for TV movie "that began the popular TV series" (''Video Hound'' for 1995), starting from an updated Buck Rogers motif—20th-c. man finding himself 500 years in the future—and borrowing heavily from ''Star Wars IV: A New Hope'' (1977). Even stronger than ''A New Hope'' in stressing the necessity to go with one's instincts and feelings rather than computer logic. The ''mise en scène'' is of interest, contrasting on Earth a thoroughly modern and Modernist new Chicago with a wasteland with the standard-issue post-Apocalypse (here called "Holocaust") mutant monster-folk—and contrasting the high Modern, Terran-American city with the Oriental decadence of the invading Draconian ship (see Caution below). Willis (vol. II) notes a featured robot and "self-programming computers"; we'll add that the robot, Twiki, looks like a midget version of the Golem from Paul Wegener's ''Der Golem'' … silents (ca. 1920) and that the computers are talking AIs sufficiently micro-miniaturized that one can be worn like a large medallion by the very small robot. The featured AI minicomputer, Dr. Theopolis ("GodCity"), has a male voice, but one that makes HAL 9000 sound macho ; Theopolis also has a strong interest in Buck, hinting at a homo/mechano-erotic subtextual gender-bender" of some complexity and interest (any attraction, however, is one way and must, necessarily, remain Platonic; Buck and Dr. Theopolis just become friends). CAUTION: This film remains true to the original Buck Rogers stories in having a strong "Yellow Peril" motif, here visual. The TV series lasted 1979-81 (IMDb). (RDE, 29/04/01) | + | Made for TV movie "that began the popular TV series" (''Video Hound'' for 1995), starting from an updated Buck Rogers motif—20th-c. man finding himself 500 years in the future—and borrowing heavily from ''Star Wars IV: A New Hope'' (1977). Even stronger than ''A New Hope'' in stressing the necessity to go with one's instincts and feelings rather than computer logic. The ''mise en scène'' is of interest, contrasting on Earth a thoroughly modern and Modernist new Chicago with a wasteland with the standard-issue post-Apocalypse (here called "Holocaust") mutant monster-folk—and contrasting the high Modern, Terran-American city with the Oriental decadence of the invading Draconian ship (see Caution below). Willis (vol. II) notes a featured robot and "self-programming computers"; we'll add that the robot, Twiki, looks like a midget version of the Golem from Paul Wegener's ''Der Golem'' … silents (ca. 1920) and that the computers are talking AIs sufficiently micro-miniaturized that one can be worn like a large medallion by the very small robot. The featured AI minicomputer, Dr. Theopolis ("GodCity"), has a male voice, but one that makes HAL 9000 sound macho ; Theopolis also has a strong interest in Buck, hinting at a homo/mechano-erotic subtextual gender-bender" of some complexity and interest (any attraction, however, is one way and must, necessarily, remain Platonic; Buck and Dr. Theopolis just become friends). CAUTION: This film remains true to the original Buck Rogers stories in having a strong "Yellow Peril" motif, here visual. The TV series lasted 1979-81 (IMDb). |
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[[Category:Haller, Daniel]] | [[Category:Haller, Daniel]] | ||
[[Category:Drama]] | [[Category:Drama]] | ||
Latest revision as of 00:49, 28 December 2014
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Daniel Haller, dir. Glen A. Larson, script, exec. prod. USA: Universal, 1979.
Made for TV movie "that began the popular TV series" (Video Hound for 1995), starting from an updated Buck Rogers motif—20th-c. man finding himself 500 years in the future—and borrowing heavily from Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977). Even stronger than A New Hope in stressing the necessity to go with one's instincts and feelings rather than computer logic. The mise en scène is of interest, contrasting on Earth a thoroughly modern and Modernist new Chicago with a wasteland with the standard-issue post-Apocalypse (here called "Holocaust") mutant monster-folk—and contrasting the high Modern, Terran-American city with the Oriental decadence of the invading Draconian ship (see Caution below). Willis (vol. II) notes a featured robot and "self-programming computers"; we'll add that the robot, Twiki, looks like a midget version of the Golem from Paul Wegener's Der Golem … silents (ca. 1920) and that the computers are talking AIs sufficiently micro-miniaturized that one can be worn like a large medallion by the very small robot. The featured AI minicomputer, Dr. Theopolis ("GodCity"), has a male voice, but one that makes HAL 9000 sound macho ; Theopolis also has a strong interest in Buck, hinting at a homo/mechano-erotic subtextual gender-bender" of some complexity and interest (any attraction, however, is one way and must, necessarily, remain Platonic; Buck and Dr. Theopolis just become friends). CAUTION: This film remains true to the original Buck Rogers stories in having a strong "Yellow Peril" motif, here visual. The TV series lasted 1979-81 (IMDb).
(RDE, 29/04/01)
