[X] My Assistant

[ustrax]

Well, trax, I just think you were distracted for a time. I'll bet you've always had the spirit of a dreamer, explorer, poet and philosopher in you the whole time. And I'll add my voice to others who've mentioned it: thanks for starting this trip down memory lane.
- John
PS: I like your website... seems incredibly interesting; probably moreso if I could read Portuguese! (Still looking at changes in Ultreya, I see )

Maybe just directed the nose in other directions trying to catch the smell of discovery in other areas...What is curious is that all those, the pilgrimages, philosophy, poetry, the silence of a bright winter morning, all of them, fused, indicate one direction...Onward...
And facing that the children dreams we all had we're not only dreams...Because there were people actually bringing them to reality...All the people envolved in space exploration break down the walls separating those kids with eyes lost in the distance we all were and the worlds we, in our innocence, dared to dream...
That's why I'm so proud of Human nature and, naturally, of those who, waving the flag of adventure, lead the way, materialized creatures of fiction...

The website...that's a big russian salad, everything fits there...But mainly texts about paths I've taken among other unidentified objects...

[nprev]

Remember the LADIES on UFO? (Rowrrrrr)

Oh, yes, I do indeed, Dan...check out post #10 on this thread...

[algorimancer]

Funny, I somehow never managed to be exposed to UFO. That's a cool looking series, much better than Space 1999 (which I watched regularly when it was broadcast, but find it doesn't stand re-watching). I may just have to order the dvd set and have a look at this.

[Stu]

Remember the LADIES on UFO? (Rowrrrrr)

Somehow I doubt any female members have the same fond memories of the submarine crews' beige string vests...!!!!

[nprev]

Funny, I somehow never managed to be exposed to UFO. That's a cool looking series, much better than Space 1999 (which I watched regularly when it was broadcast, but find it doesn't stand re-watching). I may just have to order the dvd set and have a look at this.

Me too! UFO was really heavy on action & cool technology, but I'm afraid that most of the plot nuances may have escaped me at my age then; I have no doubt that this aspect was also excellent. Plus, as EGD pointed out, the women were, to say the least, stunning (with apologies to our female forum members; this was a very effective marketing ploy for the target audience...who am I to ignore it? )

[nprev]

Sorry for the add-on, but I really love this thread! I am gratified (and somewhat amazed) at how influential SF television series like 1999 & UFO were on so many of us.

Sadly, I think that the recent generations are so saturated by special effects that their imaginations aren't allowed to run free. Cheesy, primitive effects generally left a lot to the viewer's imagination, which of course produced an ongoing interest beyond the immediate experience...and thereby produced, well, rocket scientists. We need to recapture this dynamic.

[algorimancer]

As to modern special effects, after seeing the initial miniseries of the new Battlestar Galactica, particularly the view of H-bombs exploding on Caprica as seen from orbit, I decided that I would no longer be impressed with special effects. They have effectively achieved realism indistinguishable from reality, even on a made-for-tv series. Henceforth special effects will take their appropriate place as incidental to the story, rather than the focus.

[nprev]

I sure hope that's true. Plot had to be the central focus way back when, because suspension of disbelief was so hard to achieve.

Still, there are some interesting possibilities with this new technology. For example, would anyone else love to see just-like-the-book movies of Heinlein's Red Planet or Niven's Ringworld? That would rock!!!

[lyford]

Plot had to be the central focus way back when, because suspension of disbelief was so hard to achieve.

I understand UFO's popularity amongst the gentlemen was due to the suspension of other things.

[nprev]

...certainly it was a significant factor, Lyford! In fact, I believe that my entry into adolescence was accelerated about three years by that show...

[ElkGroveDan]

...certainly it was a significant factor, Lyford! In fact, I believe that my entry into adolescence was accelerated about three years by that show...

OK so we all know what's on the minds of the UMSF guys in California.

[dvandorn]

Yes, it's now possible to present on film just about anything. Ringworld, Rendezvous with Rama, you name it -- it can be done.

I'm actually sort of amused that the people who run the Star Trek franchise have picked up on a suggestion I made several years ago. They're re-releasing the original series episodes for syndication, with "sweetened" special effects. They've replaced those fuzzy colored-ball planets with real-looking planets, made the old Enterprise look much better (and move more realistically), along with other little enhancements. They also digitized the old film stock and brightened/balanced the colors. It's a much sharper-looking show, with far better effects than were possible in the 1960s.

They didn't go as far as I would have, though (probably because it would have been way too costly) -- redesigning the interiors of the ship. It could be done, they could change the look of the panels and displays, even change the colors and all the minor detailing. But they'd have to work around the actors as they moved through the scene, and that probably would be prohibitively time-consuming and expensive for the entire run of the original series.

-the other Doug

[nprev]

What a thought...Can you imagine an IMAX version of Rendezvous with Rama?

Seriously, if anybody here has any connection whatsoever with the SciFi Channel, this should be pitched. I can't think of anything more entertaining than truly bringing SF classics to life, nor can I imagine anything that might turn on our young people more to the wonders of space. We need this.

[dvandorn]

I'm not all that enthusiastic about the Sci-Fi Channel's adaptations. Ever see the mess they made out of "Riverworld"?

They done some good stuff, but made some really bad shlock, too. To be decent, I think any adaptation of a good sf novel would have to be done by a producer and director who were committed to filming the piece properly, not someone who's looking to see how many flashing lights and kewl explosions he/she can cram into 92 minutes...

-the other Doug

[dilo]

My gratitude to "Space1999" arise also from another reason: the illustrated books published in Italy, containing beautiful appendix on astronautics with amazing drawings and future projects descriptions.
This made me a real space and astronomy enthusiast, so thanks again!