The Letters to the Editor department is intended to be a forum for our readers to express their own opinions and ideas. While we appreciate the many complimentary letters we receive each day, you won't find them on this page. Instead, you will find letters that go beyond or even contradict what we have written, letters that offer a different perspective and provide a different view of science fiction. If you would like to submit a letter, please use our feedback form or send a message to scifiweekly@scifi.com.
-- Craig E. Engler, Editor
Blair Witch Attacks Protestants, Not Witches
his is in
response to Richard Festa Jr.'s letter Issue No. 117 "The Blair Witch
Persecutes Pagans." As a Pagan, I had severe reservations concerning the
subject simply from the title. But then I saw the trailer, and the recent
preview on the SCI FI Channel, and it is clear that the subject has nothing
to do with witchcraft at all, but what happens when hate and suspicion destroys an innocent person,
and how the "sins of the fathers" can be visited upon future generations. It was
the fear of the unfamiliar that caused the fictional Protestants of Blair, Md.,
to believe that the lone Catholic in their midst was capable of evil, and caused them to do evil
in turn. The Blair Witch Project is an imaginary legend about a 200-year-old
ghost story and the actions of intolerant people festering into a presence that kills
whatever crosses its path.
If this movie attacks any religion, it is the Protestant percentage of
Christianity, and not without reason.
Linda Stoops
jassmoris@yahoo.com
Witch Burnings Are Not Humorous
was shocked
and amazed as I sat watching the documentary that portrayed
the Blair Witch as an evil, horrible personage. Imagine,
as I discovered, not at the credits, but through a different Web page
entirely that it was all a hoax! The burning times are not
humorous, or something to treat lightly. I do
not poke fun at, nor try to sell something based upon the early Christians'
experiences with the Romans, where Rome persecuted them. Why then make up a
false tale, and not even tell people that it is made up? This is the major
thing that upsets me. I know not all who profess to be witches or Wiccans are
good-intentioned, and knowing
these exist, I know we who are "white" as they call us will continue to get
a horrible reputation from them. The burning times were a terrible display of
fear and ignorance blasted out of
proportion through some peoples' lust for power. The witches I know are
healers, just like those people burned, hanged and tortured during the
time the Blair Witch took
place. I, and several people who are members of
my club, are upset over the whole movie and the
documentary.
Denise Rogers
Gypsycaine@yahoo.com
The Blair Witch Is About Folklore
t's easy to see that Richard Festa Jr. missed the entire point of The
Blair Witch Project in his Issue No. 117 "The Blair Witch Persecutes Pagans."
Indeed, after seeing the film, I had to wonder if he
just missed the movie entirely, rising to defend "paganism" with the
knee-jerk swiftness of the uninformed rather than taking the time (and
buying the ticket) to see the movie and make up his own mind.
The movie had nothing to do with paganism or wicca, and only tangentially
with the witchcraft fever that spread through Blair, Md. It had everything to
do with folklore, the propagation of superstition in the rural mind and the
way people respond to solitude. The way in which the movie was presented
(as the "recovered" film of the
missing students) presented the viewer with three different first-person
subjective viewpoints. The film is, then, not even a investigation of the
Blair Witch mystery, but three starkly intense character studies.
The makers of The Blair Witch Project had no religious agenda. They
made a very scary film. They used the fiction of a witch legend to get the
student filmmakers into the woods, but it could have just as easily been
bigfoot, flying saucers or mothman. People who chafe against any use of the
word "witch" without their blessing
are just as virulent to free speech as those pious tyrants who would curb
their free speech.
Ralph E Vaughan
RalphV2@spiritmail.zzn.com
The Blair Witch Isn't About Wiccans
s a Neopagan Witch I just want to say that I like The Blair Witch
Project. I have not seen the movie yet but I will as soon as it comes to
my town.
I don't think it is offensive to modern witches because it isn't about us.
It is about the myth of witches. It is about peoples' fears. It is not about
the Wiccan religion.
I also like the Wiccan priest who appeared in the SCI FI Channel special.
He was not who we would have chosen to represent us, he was more of a
magician than a priest. However, the opinions he expressed are not unheard
of in our community.
Eva Snyder
sheherazahde@yahoo.com
Should We Object To The Wizard Of Oz?
just read Richard Festa Jr.'s issue No. 117 letter "The Blair Witch Persecutes
Pagans" and I was flabbergasted. The character of the witch
is an ancient,
established figure in the collective mythos of our culture, both Western
and Eastern. Does Festa object to Macbeth for the same reason? To
Hansel and Gretel? To The Wizard of Oz?
Joseph Allgren
hatallgren@earthlink.net
Not All Witches Are Wiccans
ith all due
respect to Richard Festa Jr.'s obvious problem with The Blair
Witch Project ("The Blair Witch Persecutes Pagans," Issue No. 117),
he needs to realize that there are many different interpretations of the
word "witch." Modern Wiccans (of which I'm a member, an initiated
Gardnarian) sometimes forget that these other definitions exist. The
Blair Witch Project uses the term as it was commonly used in
the 18th and 19th centuries. The concept of witchcraft being a
pre-Christian pagan religion, now called Wicca, is purely a 20th century
concept, developing from the works of Margaret Murray (much of which is now
discredited) and
Gerald Gardner. The Blair Witch Project is a horror movie, properly
using what 18th century people thought of
as a witch: a woman who used magic, usually evil. It's not trying to say
that modern Wiccans are satanists or evil. Remember, not all witches are
Wiccans. I really think some
members of the modern Wiccan movement should stop spending their time
yelling "Help help, I'm being repressed" and concentrate on their own
personal development.
T.C. Wilson
gryffin5@aol.com
Blair Witch Fiction? How Disappointing.
was extremely
disappointed to find out that The Blair Witch Project is
completely fictional. I watched the SCI FI Channel's presentation and it
scared me! It was spooky regardless, but
most of my fear was based on the fact that I believed I was watching a real
documentary. Kudos to whomever
thought up this marketing ploy but jeers for misleading so many people! I
felt stupid until I went online and discovered that most people thought it
was real, also.
Shelley Thompson
outthere@theremc.com
It's Not The Blair Wiccan
his is
in response to Richard Festa Jr.'s Issue No. 117 letter "The Blair Witch Persecutes Pagans."
He has apparently chosen to be offended by this movie
simply on the basis of the name, since he does not say he has seen it.
I'm a member of the Neopagan community, and I refer to myself as a witch,
where it seems appropriate. It bothers me whenever I see other Neopagans
spouting off about some media depiction that has nothing to do with Wicca
as a modern religion. They would be better off writing letters to
politicians about real issues facing
Wiccans and other Neopagans.
The movie is called The Blair Witch Project, not The Blair Wiccan
Project.
The term "witch" has struck fear into people for centuries. We
should know that we use it at our own risk, and that it will continue to be
used sometimes to mean "an evil female worker of magic," probably until
English is no longer spoken.
Dana Organ
d_organ@hotmail.com
Blair Witch Scares, Doesn't Persecute
feel a need to respond to the writer who feels that The Blair Witch
Project is an anti-pagan work. ("The Blair Witch Persecutes Pagans"
Issue No. 117). This movie isn't about some hag on a broom
stealing children. It's about three students who disappear under
mysterious circumstances while investigating a local myth. The nature of
their disappearance may have nothing to do
with witches or pagans. I would ask that those who would judge this movie
judge it on the basis for which it was filmed. It was a horror movie, pure
and simple. In a day and age where all successful horror movies must have
special effects budgets that would
give Bill Gates nightmares, The Blair Witch Project gives us twice as
many scares from two guys shaking bushes. This movie wasn't made to
persecute witches...pardon me, pagans...or even to blame them for the
students' disappearance. It was filmed to scare
the living daylights out of the audience. From what I've seen of this film
I would say that for a first effort, no, for any effort, this is a film
that earns the feelings it emotes.
Michael Moser
mwmoser@alltel.net
All Monster Movies Must Offend Someone
n response to the Persecuted Pagan ("The Blair Witch Persecutes Pagans"
Issue No. 117): Why do people nowadays get offended
with everything and anything? I think people just want to complain about
something so everything offends them.
The Blair Witch Project is a fun SF movie. It's not meant to
ridicule or
degrade any religion. It's classic horror, just like any other scary
movie ever made. The witch is a classic "monster" along with the vampire,
werewolf, mummy, Frankenstein, etc.
I guess we can complain about those "monsters" too. I mean, if you're Egyptian,
the mummy must be sacrilegious, the werewolf must be pretty degrading to
any religion that regards dogs highly, and most religions are against
digging up buried bodies so Frankenstein is pretty gruesome. So I guess we
should just get rid of all horror
flicks, because you can connect religion or something to offend with all of
them.
Yes, the witch is more connected to the pagan religion, but if you think
about it, every religion has its evil doers. I think the pagan religion is
very interesting, and as with any religion, taken to the extreme, can turn
to evil.
Jamie Crowley
Ramie_Jae@hotmail.com
Blair May Be Anti-Witch, Not Anti-Pagan
n his Issue No. 117 letter "The Blair Witch
Persecutes Pagans," Richard Festa Jr. wrote that The Blair Witch Project was the single most inflammatory, anti-pagan effort he has seen in years.
My dictionary defines "pagan" as: a follower of a polytheistic religion (as in ancient Rome); one who has little or no religion.
The sentiment might be that the movie is anti-witch, but then the rest of
his statements make no sense. He says, "No witch would do what The Blair
Witch Project pretends has happened." I'm sure that there is some witch
somewhere who would do just about anything (and that sentiment goes for all
groups anywhere).
If he's worried
about anti-witch sentiment, perhaps he should present a more reasoned
argument against the movies' statements to the rest of us.
Wayne Burrows
wayneb@scsn.net
GvsE Is A Brimstone Rip-Off
read the review of the new USA Network series GvsE. I didn't see the
series Brimstone mentioned in the article. The premise of
GvsE is clearly
a take off on this wonderful series that is the same exact thing.
Brimstone
was well written and still has millions of faithful viewers who would
follow it to any network.
There are
also committed advertising dollars for this series that is a big hit in the
foreign market and Armed Forces Network. The fans have continually asked
for merchandise (soundtracks, posters, etc.) and have had to make their own
because of a lack of
any available
to us. GvsE is only the beginning of a succession of knock-off series of
Brimstone. Have you
ever noticed that they only copy really good programs? They can do 10 more
knock-off series but
it ain't
Brimstone and it never will be. This was a riveting, thought provoking
series that dealt with good vs. evil, redemption, true love, the consequences of
our actions, an angel sent by God and the efforts of a truly good man who
had an
all too human moment that cost him his salvation and his efforts to get it
back. It was also voted "Best new cop show" in 1998 by the critics. I hope a
network or cable company has the foresight to pick this up and run with it
because it could be as
big as
The X-Files if properly promoted.
Barbara Arnold
Robes4you@aol.com
Quatermass Steals From Doctor Who
ust an addition to the Quatermass/Doctor Who connection.
They didn't
just steal the dynamic, they stole the whole plot. Go watch the episode
entitled "The Daemons" right after seeing Quatermass and the Pit.
The good
folk at the BBC lifted the plot almost wholesale.
Laurent Castellucci
lightcastle@hotmail.com
Quatermass Was Even Better On TV
was interested to read your acknowledgment that Quatermass and the
Pit
was a classic. I've long been a champion of Quatermass. The three
original Quatermass BBC TV serials were "edge of your seat" entertainment
and much was lost in the translation to the big screen. The special
effects were incredible for
'50s/'60s TV
shows.
I still have paperback copies of the TV scripts and the strength of the
three stories--The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass II and
Quatermass and the Pit--really shows in repeated readings.
I believe all three TV shows may still be available on video from obscure
art video dealers, as is the fourth story Quatermass starring John
Mills.
Jim James
jimjames@ix.netcom.com
Classic SF Film And TV Is Timeless
enjoyed your review of Quatermass and the Pit, otherwise known
as Five
Million Years to Earth. The release of the film in America was a year
later in March 1968. There was also a few minutes of missing footage in
the U.S. release. Response was very positive on both sides
of the Atlantic, with The New York Free Press stating on
June 13, 1968, "Makes 2001 look like a nursery story."
I'm glad your magazine also looks back on the wonderful,
older films that are the basis of the SF/horror films we see
today. People should enjoy films like Seconds, These
Are the Damned (a.k.a. The Damned), Dead of Night,
The Haunting, etc. And Doctor Who, who, pardon the pun,
is timeless. May we never run out of "who goes there?"
Michelle Carey-Davison
Cdav1256@aol.com
SF Challenges Our Ideas About Society
yndon Rosser's diatribe ("Right Wing Politics Cloud Book Review," Issue
No. 117) against Mark Walker's review of The
Cassini Division by Ken MacLeod so intrigued me that I had to go back and re-read
the review said to be "knee-jerk and right-wing" and to reflect a point of
view both "parochial and insular." I was astonished to find that Walker's
review was generally positive. The book received a B rating and was peppered with comments such as "an unbelievable romp," "a tense tale," "thought-provoking," "an appealing concept," "a solid book." To be sure, Walker expresses some doubts about the proposed structure
of the society, but these seem motivated by common sense rather than ideology.
His letter becomes hilarious when he plays his trump card: "I presume
[Walker's] never heard of Nestor Makhno and his Revolutionary
Insurrectionary Army..." I certainly had not, nor, I would guess, have
most of your readers. Ever willing to educate myself, I looked him up and
discovered that he was one of those obscure anarchists who made the Russian civil war so chaotic and bloody, and who ended his life in a Paris automobile factory drinking heavily. This actually proves the reviewer's point. Successful armies, from the time of Alexander to today,
have always had a command structure. Makhno was a loser!
Science fiction, from Robert A. Heinlein to Ursula
K. Le Guin to Kim
Stanley Robinson often challenges our ideas about society and human nature.
To be convincing, the author must explain what about the situation or
human nature has changed so that some concept which has never worked before
will work now. MacLeod's book is enjoyable even if he doesn't quite bring this off. If Mr. Rosser wants to convince us otherwise, he will have to bring more than name-calling to his argument.
Robert R. Chase
rrchase@arl.mil
Let's See The Early Federation
reg Hignight has a good point in his letter Issue No. 117 letter "Where Star Trek Needs To 'Boldly Go.'" My wish, and I'm sure there's support out there somewhere, is to see the
Federation in the early days. It was nice to see it somewhat in the First
Contact movie, but pick it up from there and go. Give us that fresh,
exciting, will-the-ship-blow-apart feeling again. I am not saying let's see
James Kirk as a kid, but rather the Federation as it grew with space travel
and transporters and shields. With the special effects today it would really make the early Federation days look retro cool. This would give Star Trek: The
Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and even
Star Trek: Voyager a fresh future to work with again. Slow things
down a bit for the
Federation future canvas and tell some exciting stories while building the
basics.
Thomas J. Pacini
TPacini@seic.com
Star Trek Needs Big Changes
could not agree more with Greg Hignight's Issue No. 117 letter "Where Star Trek Needs To 'Boldly Go.'" The flagging Star Trek: Voyager emphasizes the need for a big change every time I squirm while watching yet another recycled Star Trek or Star Trek: The Next Generation episode.
Not that the production values have fallen or the quality of the actors
diminished, the blame must lay firmly with the scripts, or more accurately
those who select them, or even more accurately those who suppress anything
that may challenge the audience.
Surely it's time for some fundamental changes. A deviation from the stultifying
episodic format is too much to hope for, but must the next series have an
omnipotent captain, an emotionally challenged alien/android, a cutesy kid,
a
feisty doctor and everyone in nice clean uniforms behaving nobly all the
time?
It's past time to see how life is lived in the 24th century outside of the
military--let's have a civilian expedition populated by real human beings,
rather than God-like heroes (bring back Reginald Barclay). Let's chuck the freckle
faced kids out the airlock where they belong and use the po-faced stuffed
shirts of Starfleet as a source of conflict and humor as they try to deal
with
what they'd see as undisciplined rabble treading on their turf.
Steve Roberts
steve.roberts@midsinc.com
DS9 Finale Had Complexity
s much as I like Star Trek: Voyager, I agree with the
comment that it has been a "bad alien of the week" show lately. I wish they
(the writers, producers, etc.) would work a little harder to get back to what
Star Trek is really about. I miss Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
as well. It really hit home in the last couple years and
kudos to them for
doing it too! Anyone who thinks the Founders weren't a complex society
didn't see all the episodes. I preferred the ending too. It wasn't
everyone riding off into the sunset with treasure and a beautiful
companion. There were several issues competing
for our emotions at the end of the show. Thank you
to the one who wrote that Terry Farrell might have been left out for
reasons other than spite and
nastiness.
There's more than that behind lots of decisions in every show.
Jen Montgomery
jmontgo@trib.com
Not Wild About Wild Wild West
o paraphrase a political debate I saw on television: I saw Wild Wild
West when it was first transmitted, I know what the Wild Wild
West should
be and this movie, sadly, isn't the Wild Wild West.
When I first heard that Will Smith was playing the role of Jim West, I
thought that it was an interesting casting choice. I mean, hey, it's the
'90s! Nothing wrong with a black guy playing a role originated by a
white guy, right?
Wrong. Y'see, Wild Wild West was first and foremost a fantasy. A
cowboy special agent was enough of a stretch--to make him black or white
shouldn't have been an issue, but in this movie it was! Big mistake.
It's like saying, I don't have a problem with Superman flying but I
can't believe that anybody would wear a cape in public!
Warner Bros. and director Barry Sonnenfeld forgot the cardinal rule that many other
studios and producers do when adapting a creation--they went against the
spirit of the work! To be fair, this isn't the first time somebody did a
bad adaption of Wild Wild West.
Anybody remember the Wild Wild West Revisited TV movie? It made the
same
mistake by scoffing at the entire "cowboy secret agent" concept! Which
made the "crime" even worse, in my opinion.
If you are a fan of Will Smith--go see this movie. If you don't
remember the television series--go see this movie.
If you're a fan of the TV show, if you never had any problem with
accepting that a secret agent could exist during the days of the Wild West
or maybe you're just a fan of Conrad and Martin--don't!
Ricky Cruz
RCRUZ01@compuserve.com
The Force Is Not A Gumball Machine
he discussion of the Force as religion interests me, but it also appalls
me a bit. The letter writers in the last two issues seem to miss the
point. Does
the Force and the Jedi dedication to it represent a form of religion?
Certainly, but what the first writer misses is that it's a form of religion
in the movies, not in
real life!
As a Christian I see many echoes of the teachings of my real life faith in
the Force and honor Lucas for his positive imagery and philosophy. But,
please, let's not confuse fictional faith and religious imagery
with the real world. It
demeans
both.
Secondly, the more recent writer attacked this fictional religion
because 1) Qui-Gon prayed, then died anyway. First, I don't know that what
he did was prayer, it may have only been meditation. But even if it was,
unless you require the infinite power to be also the cosmic gumball machine
(pop in prayer and
you always get the
gumball) then we've missed the point that sometimes the answer is no!
2) Obi-Wan was seen pacing and angry despite the Jedi
teaching
against anger. Trust me, there are plenty more practitioners of any religion
who still have a way to go on the path to perfection than there are
perfect.
We must never forget that while the images, stories and characters of
fiction, both on screen and off, may inspire us to do great things, they
are still fiction. Search for the divine in this world, not the silver
screen world.
J.D. Phillippi
jdrp@cecomet.net
Saving Alien Worlds? Go For It!
his concerns the letter from David Alley ("Star Wars Is Too Bad To Be A
Religion," Issue No. 116). Sure, it's just a movie, but peace of mind is
peace of mind. And if you need to cruise around the universe saving alien
worlds to achieve inner peace, then for Buddha's sake go for it! It
is no one's place to say
what does or
does not make a "good" or "bad" religion. If someone believes there was a
dude named Obi-Wan Kenobi and he brought forth some amazing evil, then so
be it! Mayhap there was, for all we know!
Anna Evans
dub_e_dub@hotmail.com
SF Don't Get No Respect
have noticed that SF shows do not get the respect they should
have on network TV. I live in the Chicago area, and Star Trek: The
Next Generation is on at 4:30 a.m. I mean, come on, who is up
at 4:30 a.m.? It used to be on week nights at 6 p.m., but now they have
sitcoms in its place. Look at what TNT is doing to Babylon 5 and its
spin off Crusade. Babylon 5 is no longer on week nights. It
is on at
6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Who is up at that time anyway on
Saturday morning? Our local station did not play the Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine
finale in a two-hour block. They played it in two parts, and it didn't
get showcase treatment. Then there are shows like Sliders that get put
on SCI FI because the networks don't want to carry the show.
The show
would probably have its cast still intact if it was still on Fox. You
only see reruns of Star Trek in syndication anymore. Dramas and
sitcoms always get special treatment. I think that SF shows deserve
the same kind of treatment.
Joe Zaragoza
jazaragoza@yahoo.com
Most Of Sliders' Charm Left With Arturo
watched Sliders religiously when it first came out, greatly
entertained
by a series with likeable characters and which explored a sub-genre of
science fiction rarely found outside the covers of a book. As the four
adventurers explored the ifs and maybes of history, we were treated to
views (sometimes mere
snippets) of worlds
that were images of our own in a "mirror of truth."
Then came the Kromaggs, infusing what had been an innovative show with
elements derivative of Combat and The Fugitive. Prof. Maximillian Arturo died a useless death on a doomed world, and most of the charm of the series went with him. His character was lucky not to have lived to see Sliders become nothing more than a filter
through which was shoved the detritus of classic science fiction (The Island of Doctor Moreau, R.U.R., The Last Man on Earth a.k.a. The Omega Man), giving the show all the charm of a colostomy bag.
The changes made to "salvage" the show were too little and too late, not to
mention the fact they took the show farther and farther away from Tracy
Torme's original concept. Given all the changes that have been wrought, I
doubt the series is at all salvageable.
I recently made the decision to stop watching the show. It retains nothing
of the show that first attracted me.
Ralph E Vaughan
Ralph@Centropolis.org
Sliders Has Stagnated
liders died once Fox dropped it and the SCI FI Channel picked it up. I
don't understand why the SCI FI Channel wanted to change the formula of the
show, but they did.
Unfortunately, they can't take all the blame. The loss of the Professor and
Wade really injured the show to a point where it could not easily recover.
And talk about a drag...they couldn't even make it a happy reason for them
to leave. The Professor dead, Wade in a Kromagg breeder camp, and now
Mallory is part of
another Mallory
and his brother is unstuck. No happy endings for any of these sliders.
Now, they never talk about the Professor or worry about finding Wade; they
stay on the forever Kromagg story line, which I can't stand. It used to be a
fun show. I always used to look forward to the new worlds they would visit
or the alternate Earth histories. That was exciting. This new
Sliders isn't concerned with fun, but with a
torturous continuing story line of the Kromaggs that I can't stand.
Trevor A. Smith
TSmith8500@aol.com
Crusade Looks Like Cheap B5
orry to sound too negative but Crusade was...well...let's
just say it was
bad. I thought I had the Babylon 5 universe worked out, but
now? The special
effects are good, but, I'm sorry, the cast are not a patch on Babylon 5.
There's no variety, no diversity. Just a token alien.
I saw the pilot and was disappointed, but when I saw the B5 pilot I
laughed
through most of it (especially the music, and same goes for
Crusade). The
difference between B5 and Crusade is that B5 got
better, and quickly.
Crusade just looks like a cheap rip-off and has maintained a level of
quality which makes Flash Gordon look good!
W. O'Malley
mouse@sanfransisco.freeserve.co.uk
Crusade Needs No Excuses
t is unfortunate that a lot of the people who would like to see
Crusade continued feel the need to qualify their remarks with
something to
the effect of, "it would be even better if TNT hadn't put their hand in the
mix." Unfortunately, that is the reality of situation.
With or without TNT's influence, the show is a worthy
competitor to any other science fiction fare currently being produced. I
do not say this in order to begin throwing nettles at other shows--all
shows have their flaws. In order to determine whether I'll be watching a
show next week or not,
I look more to its
merits and hope to see these exploited in the future, knowing any new show
has kinks to work out. So far from this show I've seen a great action
episode set in a beautiful, colorfully populated, futuristic setting (my
favorite kind!).
I've seen more development spent on minor characters
(Galen's friend, the rogue technomage, for example) than many shows ever
spend on main characters, and I feel enriched for the experience. The main
characters are strong and evoke emotional response upon recall. Galen, in
particular, has gone
from a melodramatic enigma to a likable yet powerful man, complete with quirks and human weaknesses--and still more than enough mystery to fuel a long run.
Each main character seems to contain as much potential in their own
respect. Because this is from the man who
brought us Babylon 5, I know the main characters will grow and
change in
unpredictable ways that will leave my jaw where it usually was while
observing Babylon 5: lying slackly on the floor in disbelief and
sheer overwhelming entertainment
value.
Robert Wolfe
cmcdunah@aol.com
Crusade Leaves Me Cold
've tried to give Crusade a chance but it
leaves me cold. There's no excitement, or mystery, or intrigue. The
attitude seems to be "Well we have almost five years to save Earth, so
let's take our time and look at the scenery," which for me won't cut
it.
In any case it seems that the show was doomed from the start. J. Michael
Straczynski might
have to resort to finishing it up in a series of novels. Which is a
shame, since I like Gary Cole.
John Barrett
jrbarrett101@yahoo.com
Crusade Must Establish Its Own Legend
hen looking at Crusade, I think everyone has chosen to forget the
first
season of Babylon 5. It is very much comparable to this first season of
Crusade. They didn't really focus on the story arc as much as they did on
elements
of the arc, because characters and atmosphere have to be established first.
As for Crusade not being "compatible" with the Babylon 5
universe, it is
not supposed to be a sequel, but a spin-off. The title of this series is
Crusade. Not The Babylon Project: Crusade or Babylon 5:
Crusade.
Crusade has to establish its own space in the mythology of this
wonderful franchise. To do that,
you can't fall back
on Babylon 5's story. If you do that, you insult the intelligence of
the
viewers. Remember the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Naked
Now?" Its premise was dependant upon a Star Trek episode, and all we
got out of it was a
regurgitated
plot that substituted names on a script.
Geoff Dakota
Latimere@aol.com
Five Episodes Don't Compare To Five Seasons
am writing in response to two letters involving Crusade.
The first said that Crusade can't compare to Babylon 5
("Crusade Shouldn't Be Given A Chance," Issue No. 117). Well first of all
it is unfair to judge five episodes of a series (Crusade) to five
seasons of a
series (Babylon 5).
As you can tell by my e-mail address, I love Babylon 5. It is my
favorite show
of all time, however I suffer from no delusions of grandeur, I didn't like
the first few episodes of B5, not to mention the pilot ("The
Gathering"), but
the show got better with each episode the same way Crusade is.
The second letter ("Crusade Lacks Urgency," Issue No. 117) complained that
the show lacked urgency. Well, in each of
the episodes so far, anywhere they traveled was because they thought it
could help in some way with the plague. True, two episodes ended up having
nothing to do with the plague, but they didn't know that going in.
I guess the writer of the second letter wants the first and last line of each
episode to be "Oh my God! Oh my God!"
I mean, what is really to be done yet? Nothing. Remain calm, keep your wits
about you and keep searching. It wouldn't serve any purpose for everyone to
be running around panicking and being hysterical, would it?
David Daniels
b5fan4life@aol.com
