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.
-- Brooks Peck, Editor
Better No DVD Than A Bad DVD
totally support George Lucas's decision [to delay releasing The Phantom Menace on DVD]. Does it suck that you can't buy it on DVD? Yes. Do I understand why it's not on DVD yet? Yes.
A lot of people think it would be easy to make a DVD of the movie, put it out there for the consumer, and make everyone happy. George Lucas could do that, but then I would be even more pissed off about a bad DVD presentation. Being a George Lucas fan, you would think you would know he would like to take his time on something like that. Why? Because he does care for the fans and not how marketable a DVD would be.
I'm thinking he's going to wait until he has the appropriate time to do it correctly. I, for one, would love for a DVD to come out that has his commentary, previously unreleased footage, interviews with the cast, etc. rather than a platter that just has the movie and nothing else. I would also be willing to wait for a combination DVD set, having all six movies in one package. VHS will do me just fine, knowing he didn't waste our time with a worthless DVD.
So the people who are unhappy, grow up. I've waited a long time for him to make the prequels, and I'm sure as hell patient enough for him to come out with an awesome presentation of Star Wars films, whether it be on DVD or not!
Henry Steele
hmsteele@flash.net
Phantom Will Saturate The Market
ow that I enjoy the DVD format's superior performance, I refuse to buy or rent VHS tapes. Funny that George Lucas pushes for high-tech cinematic advances in his productions (not to mention all that expensive THX-certified gear for home theater enthusiasts), but delivers to the home video consumer no alternative to a decidedly low-tech offering. I, for one, would have been better pleased if Lucas had waited until he was ready to release The Phantom Menace in both VHS and DVD instead of saturating the home-video market twice with the same content. Would've been a far classier move.
Ron Giles
rongiles@home.com
Lucas Must Create The Phantom DVD
n the subject of the video release of The Phantom Menace being limited at present to VHS only, I want to offer a
dissenting comment to Mr. Sorenson and the majority of
SCI FI Channel voters who think that this delay in making a
DVD version is a ploy to squeeze more money out of the fans.
When the announcement came that the VHS version would come
out alone, the reason given for several weeks was that DVD
technology was not at a level yet to accommodate some of the
effects in the film to Lucas' satisfaction. Kind of like
the technology that was available to make the first Star Wars film
wasn't quite what up to the creator's imagination, but one
has to work with what one has, and maybe fix it later, if
possible. That's why we got the Special Edition versions of the middle
trilogy, remember?
Now, the story coming out of LucasFilm is that they're more
focused on getting Episode 2 out. Yeah, that does seem to
be stretching credibility a bit, but if you plan to cut a
deal for digital film technology with the companies that
make DVD players and discs, it's poor manners to diss the
hardware. That might explain the change in the official
reason.
Even if one presumes the second story to be true, I fail to
see why extra people, no matter how creative, should be
hired to second-guess what Lucas would want on the DVD,
because if it came out substandard, they won't be the ones
catching flak for it. Lucas handed the reins over to other
people on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and while both had their
moments, the underlying mythic pattern suffered. Like
two-thirds of Straczynski's Crusade, Roddenberry's
original Star Trek after second season, Burton's Batman and
Carter's Millennium, the original concept and treatment
got lost under someone else's control.
If I had a DVD, I
wouldn't mind waiting for a decent copy of a movie I really
liked, rather than demand one right away, no matter the
quality.
Linda Stoops
jassmoris@yahoo.com
X-Files Must Maintain Its Quality
he X-Files has been by far the best hour of television in a long time, especially for science fiction. In terms of originality and significance, it belongs on a level with the original Star Trek and The Twilight Zone.
However, with that said, what were they thinking when they put a lame episode like "First Person Shooter" on the air?
I'll confess that the writing of the last two seasons has been pretty hit-and-miss, but that one was by far the worst I've ever seen. This episode brought to mind three things for me.
1) I know Fox would love to pump an eighth season out of this show, but if "First Person Shooter" represents the kind of episode quality we can expect, then they need to pull the plug, and let The X-Files end with dignity.
2) Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are excellent actors, but on screen they look and act like they're thoroughly tired of the show. It's obvious they're ready to move on.
3) "First Person Shooter" prominently featured the Lone Gunmen. If Fox intends to spin off a show for those guys, the writing better get a whole lot stronger, or they'll have another Harsh Realm on their hands.
I love The X-Files and I admire Chris Carter, but he needs to take it up several notches if he's going to keep his audience.
John Cox
JCox@gja.net
Will SFWeekly Remain Objective?
've long relied on your reviews to help separate the wheat from the chaff in the many bushels of SF material that comes out over the course of a month. Now that you've been purchased by the SCI FI Channel, how will you insure objectivity ("editorial integrity," if you will) so that SCI FI Channel features will be panned when they deserve it, and other networks' offerings won't be under-praised when praise is appropriate? Seems to me there's a huge problem here--or is the plan for you to become the SCI FI Channel "house organ," and we will need to look elsewhere for objectivity?
Dave Konkel
75320.473@compuserve.com
[Science Fiction Weekly has been exclusive to Scifi.com since 1996, and there are no plans to change our editorial policies because of the sale. You the readers help us maintain our credibility by being our watchdogs. If you ever think we're not being objective, let us know! --Brooks Peck]
What Movie Did You Steal?
s I was reading your review of the new Gary Shandling movie What Planet Are You From? I was struck by its close similarity to an old movie from the 1950s called I Married a Monster from Outer Space. In short, it sounds like this new movie is basically a ripoff. I guess the folks responsible for Shandling's movie assumed that no one (or almost no one) is familiar with the old picture. Ergo, they can continue that fine old Hollywood/showbiz tradition of regurgitating old ideas in lieu of working to come up with something original.
The storyline of I Married a Monster goes like this: A small town in Anywhere USA is invaded by a group of male aliens who assume the identities of human males who live in the town. During the course of the movie we find out that these alien males have come to Earth to mate with human females. The reason is because (if memory serves) the females from the alien planet are dying and their world is suffering from some sort of ecological disaster.
Lisa Williams
ads_lisa@dayton.lib.oh.us
Fans Are Too Hard On Whedon
n the interview with Marc Blucas (Riley from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) he states that he was told not to look at the fans' postings on the message boards. This is sad, but too true. After a few forays into the WB's boards--Angel as well as Buffy--I've discovered that the fans are brutal! I think it's kind of sad that the fans can't quite accept Joss Whedon's (creator of Buffy and Angel) vision for his shows.
These rabid fans refuse to entertain the thought that a replacement character like Riley or Wesley could add anything to the shows. They are wrong! The changes have added depth and emotion to both Angel and Buffy.
I applaud Blucas' work. I think his acting is very good and he makes a welcome addition to the show! I still say Joss Whedon knows what he's doing! I'll keep watching.
Lisa Pett
cpett@columbus.rr.com
Wheel Of Time Should Be A Series
have to agree with Richard R. Laajala's Issue No. 149 letter, "Wheel Deserves More Than A Miniseries," but for a very different set of reasons. To start with, I have a feeling a miniseries of the first book is more likely than a miniseries of the entire set of stories to date. But that really begs the question of whether or not Robert Jordan's massive storytelling effort can possibly be translated to the little or big screens. I don't happen to think so.
But let's say someone goes forward with this, or any other motion picture project of The Wheel of Time. I think the stories would be better told as an on-going, weekly television series. You could devote an episode per chapter or something. Perhaps two episodes per chapter would work (The Eye of the World has 53 rather long chapters--the rest of the series gets even longer). Character development is crucial in books and if you're going to translate something like Jordan's work to a visual art, I think this would allow for that. There's also a lot going on in these books. To even make a miniseries, you would have to cut out so much of what makes these books what they are.
Martin Cahn
editor@demensions.freehosting.net
Have Sorbo Play Superman
kay! Who, besides me, thinks that casting Nicholas Cage as Superman and Madonna as Wonder Woman is absolutely preposterous? Nicholas Cage is a marvelous actor and I will watch him in anything except Superman. And Madonna as Wonder Woman?
Comic book characters are about being larger than life. Even Christopher Reeve couldn't carry off the physical type that Superman embodies (Steve Reeves might have been able to, but that's another movie era). And let's not forget Margot Kidder as the (supposedly) voluptuous (and non-chain smoking) Lois Lane, or Marlon Brando as (the young and virile?) Jor-El. Dye Kevin Sorbo's hair black and cut it short. Now there's a Superman body type for you!
I grew up with Superman and Wonder Woman and all the rest of the superheroes. To watch them on the big screen (at least the way they have been cast recently) is just not the same.
Diane Catanzaro
catanz@mail.com
Madonna Makes An Unwholesome Wonder Woman
adonna slated to play Wonder Woman? An exhibitionist who wants to play a wholesome woman? I don't think so. The rumor is false and besides, a real woman has one man in her life and never takes off her clothes for the masses. The character of Wonder Woman is wholesome and pure, while Madonna (not her real name) is not wholesome.
William J. Gallant
aerospaceman@hotmail.com
DiCaprio Makes A Good Weakling
egarding the question of who should play the youthful Anakin Skywalker: people seem to think that Anakin, at this point in time, should have the powerful presence, the overwhelming aura of evil, of the mature Darth Vader, and that's just plain wrong. As I see it, Anakin the young man is not evil, he's weak. He flunks the character test, and is turned to evil. If he had the strength, the presence, and the determination of the mature Vader, he could never have been turned in the first place. If you try to imagine what kind of heroic figure Anakin could have become if he had been saved and had a chance to mature to his best potential, then you will see what a truly tragic figure he is. That is what should be required of the actor who will play the young Anakin: not to play a powerfully evil role, but to play a tragic weakling. I don't know whether Leonardo DiCaprio is up to that, but he is at least a possibility, and shouldn't be ruled out.
Steve Block
ironhand@stlnet.com
