Degenerate Press (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} degeneratepress) wrote,@ 2009-05-14 17:56:00 |
|
Boldly go where Trek has gone before.
FILM FLAM
This week we caught Star Trek at the drive in. It has gotten good reviews from the geek set, probably due to the volume of references to Trek events from the various series and movies. I'm not a serious trekkie - I've probably seen most of the original series, a big chunk of New Generation and most of the films. That doesn't approach "serious" in the realm of all things Star Trek. The trekkies are probably the most fanatical of fans. But even still I spotted dozens of references - Captain Pike appears in the film, a reference to the same character from the orginal series' pilot. There are lines that echo lines from the previous Trek films, events that were mentioned as happening in the characters' pasts in the series and films, little scenes that were obviously homages to other Trek efforts or even other sci-fi efforts. (Sadly, Kirk never clings to the hood of a speeding car for the TJ Hooker fans out there!)
But if you don’t get these references, does the film hold up? Probably not so much. Several of the non-trekkies in our group were less than impressed. One called it "Star Trek 90210" for the sheer volume of too-young, too-pretty people who miraculously make it big in the adult world with seemingly little effort. The special effects are ok, though it's tough to judge properly on the drive in screen. There are shiny surfaces everywhere that reflect continuous, glaring lens flares (anyone living in this Trek universe would have a constant headache.) And almost no effort was made to make things look like early, crude versions of the ships or technologies that would supposedly "advance" to the late-1960's version of the future. So it's tough to see how you could think of this as a "prequel." It's more like of a "reboot" - from a punch-card-reading computer to the latest Pentium processor backed by massive quantities of RAM.
As to the acting… well, you didn't watch any incarnation of Star Trek for its acting, did you? The guy that plays a young Spock does a fine job, but young Kirk is very Star Trek 90210, all petulance and boiling over anger without a simmer setting - pretty much like Shatner.
As to the plot… well, you can't be a trekkie and care too much about things like believability or continuity, can you? There's time travel through black holes and multiple versions of Spock running around and a bit too much sampling of the Wraith of Khan revenge plot. Nobody, even the trekkies, found the villain very compelling. The Romulans look like Vulcans who've spent too much time at a goth club, a look that is consistent across most Trek baddies. Apparently black rubber and/or frayed overcoats are the goatee of the Trek universe.
Complaints aside, I enjoyed the film and expect there will be sequels but I'm not sure I'll care. The Trek films have been consistent with good, followed by horrible, followed by a refresh to good, followed by horrible again. Let's see if they can break the cycle.
PROPHESY
May 15, Friday
The MST3K guys are doing their shtick live at Woodruff Arts Center tonight and Saturday, a different movie featured each night. But tickets are $30 and $40, so if you have been regretting getting Degenerate Press a swell gift now is the time.
The Liverhearts, Allnightdrugprowlingwolves, Dan Sartain, Two Tears at The Earl.
A night of Rolling Stones covers with a mess o' local bands like Young Antiques, Pardner, Tom Cheshire, Bret Busch & Andy Hopkins, Antic Clay and more.
May 16, Saturday
The MST3K guys are doing their shtick live at Woodruff Arts Center tonight, but tickets are $30 and $40, so if you have been regretting getting Degenerate Press a swell gift now is the time.
Moog Gallery is hosting an opening featuring photos of L5P and the denizens that frequent the neighborhood, 7-11, free booze n snacks. 1653 McLendon Ave
Art show at Danneman’s and other locations in the Edgewood/Boulevard area.
Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause at Highland Inn Ballroom
Cadillac Jones CD release show, with East Ponce Soul Faction at The Earl.
May 22, Friday
Bubbapalooza at The Star Bar. Things usually kick off early tonight, like 7. Ghostrider Car Club, Blacktop Rockets, Caroline & The Ramblers, Sonoramic Commando, Cletis & His Cousins, Redneck Greese Deluxe, Slim Chance & The Convicts.
May 23, Saturday
Bubbapalooza at The Star Bar. Things usually kick off early tonight, like 6. The Belmont Playboys, Rocket 350, Psychodevilles, Raad Hamdallah & The Rusty Rebels, Jimmy & The Teasers, Billy Joe Winghead, Hornet, Bully, BBQ by Slopes and more.
This month’s Silver Scream Spookshow brings The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D back for those what missed it the first time. Don’t miss it this time! Kiddie matinee at 1PM (young’uns free), late night show at 10PM, with pre-movie musical theater meets mad science, burlesque, etc.
Clarkston Surf Fest, 1-10 at the Clarkston Community Center. www.clarkstonsurffest.com
May 28, Thursday
The Star Bar has The Black Diamond Heavies, Ocha La Rocha, Attractive 80's Women.
May 29, Friday
Unknown Hinson at The Earl.
May 30, Saturday
East Atlanta Village Beer Fest.
The Selmanaires, The Coathangers at 529.
Young Antiques, The Golest, Stovall at The Earl.
June 2, Tuesday
PJ Harvey & John Parish at Center Stage.
June 5, Friday
Reverend Andy's 2nd Annual Psychobilly Freakout Revival featuring: Junior Dolan and Cash, The King Daddy Polecats, the return of The Cogburns, and Willie Heath Neal.
June 6, Saturday
Detroit Cobras, Dexter Romwebber Duo at The Ear.
June 7, Sunday
Monster Bash at Starlight Drive In. Bands all day, horror movies until late. The original Tales from the Crypt, and The Howling.
June 12, Friday
Here We Go Magic, The Selmanaires, Carnivores at The Earl.
June 13, Saturday
X returns to Variety Playhouse. You ever go to a show thinking, “Wow, never thought I’d get the chance to see ______. This is a once in a lifetime chance and I’d better jump on it!” then the band keeps coming back over and over and you wonder if maybe you should go again because THIS might be the last time?
New York Dolls at Center Stage.
If, for some depressing reason, you're in Augusta tonight you can console yourself by seeing Gargantua at 1102 Downtown.
June 20, Saturday
Noot d’Noot record release show at The Earl, with Ile’ Tambor and a bunch of DJ’s.
June 27-28
Corndogorama. Rumor has it they're moving back to EAV.
July 1, Wednesday
Rumor has it The Fuzztones/Forty-Fives show at The Earl has been postponed or cancelled.
July 3-12
Camp Drunkalot.
August 15, Saturday
Kingsized does the usual Elvis memorial show tonight at Variety Playhouse.
September, 11-13
the First Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival, the only festival devoted to classic burlesque, at Harrah's Casino.
2014
World Cup Soccer in Brazil.
>Electric Degeneration has been brought to you by Degenerate Press:
www.degeneratepress.com
Also on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Livejournal.
FILM FLAM
This week we caught Star Trek at the drive in. It has gotten good reviews from the geek set, probably due to the volume of references to Trek events from the various series and movies. I'm not a serious trekkie - I've probably seen most of the original series, a big chunk of New Generation and most of the films. That doesn't approach "serious" in the realm of all things Star Trek. The trekkies are probably the most fanatical of fans. But even still I spotted dozens of references - Captain Pike appears in the film, a reference to the same character from the orginal series' pilot. There are lines that echo lines from the previous Trek films, events that were mentioned as happening in the characters' pasts in the series and films, little scenes that were obviously homages to other Trek efforts or even other sci-fi efforts. (Sadly, Kirk never clings to the hood of a speeding car for the TJ Hooker fans out there!)
But if you don’t get these references, does the film hold up? Probably not so much. Several of the non-trekkies in our group were less than impressed. One called it "Star Trek 90210" for the sheer volume of too-young, too-pretty people who miraculously make it big in the adult world with seemingly little effort. The special effects are ok, though it's tough to judge properly on the drive in screen. There are shiny surfaces everywhere that reflect continuous, glaring lens flares (anyone living in this Trek universe would have a constant headache.) And almost no effort was made to make things look like early, crude versions of the ships or technologies that would supposedly "advance" to the late-1960's version of the future. So it's tough to see how you could think of this as a "prequel." It's more like of a "reboot" - from a punch-card-reading computer to the latest Pentium processor backed by massive quantities of RAM.
As to the acting… well, you didn't watch any incarnation of Star Trek for its acting, did you? The guy that plays a young Spock does a fine job, but young Kirk is very Star Trek 90210, all petulance and boiling over anger without a simmer setting - pretty much like Shatner.
As to the plot… well, you can't be a trekkie and care too much about things like believability or continuity, can you? There's time travel through black holes and multiple versions of Spock running around and a bit too much sampling of the Wraith of Khan revenge plot. Nobody, even the trekkies, found the villain very compelling. The Romulans look like Vulcans who've spent too much time at a goth club, a look that is consistent across most Trek baddies. Apparently black rubber and/or frayed overcoats are the goatee of the Trek universe.
Complaints aside, I enjoyed the film and expect there will be sequels but I'm not sure I'll care. The Trek films have been consistent with good, followed by horrible, followed by a refresh to good, followed by horrible again. Let's see if they can break the cycle.
PROPHESY
May 15, Friday
The MST3K guys are doing their shtick live at Woodruff Arts Center tonight and Saturday, a different movie featured each night. But tickets are $30 and $40, so if you have been regretting getting Degenerate Press a swell gift now is the time.
The Liverhearts, Allnightdrugprowlingwolves, Dan Sartain, Two Tears at The Earl.
A night of Rolling Stones covers with a mess o' local bands like Young Antiques, Pardner, Tom Cheshire, Bret Busch & Andy Hopkins, Antic Clay and more.
May 16, Saturday
The MST3K guys are doing their shtick live at Woodruff Arts Center tonight, but tickets are $30 and $40, so if you have been regretting getting Degenerate Press a swell gift now is the time.
Moog Gallery is hosting an opening featuring photos of L5P and the denizens that frequent the neighborhood, 7-11, free booze n snacks. 1653 McLendon Ave
Art show at Danneman’s and other locations in the Edgewood/Boulevard area.
Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause at Highland Inn Ballroom
Cadillac Jones CD release show, with East Ponce Soul Faction at The Earl.
May 22, Friday
Bubbapalooza at The Star Bar. Things usually kick off early tonight, like 7. Ghostrider Car Club, Blacktop Rockets, Caroline & The Ramblers, Sonoramic Commando, Cletis & His Cousins, Redneck Greese Deluxe, Slim Chance & The Convicts.
May 23, Saturday
Bubbapalooza at The Star Bar. Things usually kick off early tonight, like 6. The Belmont Playboys, Rocket 350, Psychodevilles, Raad Hamdallah & The Rusty Rebels, Jimmy & The Teasers, Billy Joe Winghead, Hornet, Bully, BBQ by Slopes and more.
This month’s Silver Scream Spookshow brings The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D back for those what missed it the first time. Don’t miss it this time! Kiddie matinee at 1PM (young’uns free), late night show at 10PM, with pre-movie musical theater meets mad science, burlesque, etc.
Clarkston Surf Fest, 1-10 at the Clarkston Community Center. www.clarkstonsurffest.com
May 28, Thursday
The Star Bar has The Black Diamond Heavies, Ocha La Rocha, Attractive 80's Women.
May 29, Friday
Unknown Hinson at The Earl.
May 30, Saturday
East Atlanta Village Beer Fest.
The Selmanaires, The Coathangers at 529.
Young Antiques, The Golest, Stovall at The Earl.
June 2, Tuesday
PJ Harvey & John Parish at Center Stage.
June 5, Friday
Reverend Andy's 2nd Annual Psychobilly Freakout Revival featuring: Junior Dolan and Cash, The King Daddy Polecats, the return of The Cogburns, and Willie Heath Neal.
June 6, Saturday
Detroit Cobras, Dexter Romwebber Duo at The Ear.
June 7, Sunday
Monster Bash at Starlight Drive In. Bands all day, horror movies until late. The original Tales from the Crypt, and The Howling.
June 12, Friday
Here We Go Magic, The Selmanaires, Carnivores at The Earl.
June 13, Saturday
X returns to Variety Playhouse. You ever go to a show thinking, “Wow, never thought I’d get the chance to see ______. This is a once in a lifetime chance and I’d better jump on it!” then the band keeps coming back over and over and you wonder if maybe you should go again because THIS might be the last time?
New York Dolls at Center Stage.
If, for some depressing reason, you're in Augusta tonight you can console yourself by seeing Gargantua at 1102 Downtown.
June 20, Saturday
Noot d’Noot record release show at The Earl, with Ile’ Tambor and a bunch of DJ’s.
June 27-28
Corndogorama. Rumor has it they're moving back to EAV.
July 1, Wednesday
Rumor has it The Fuzztones/Forty-Fives show at The Earl has been postponed or cancelled.
July 3-12
Camp Drunkalot.
August 15, Saturday
Kingsized does the usual Elvis memorial show tonight at Variety Playhouse.
September, 11-13
the First Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival, the only festival devoted to classic burlesque, at Harrah's Casino.
2014
World Cup Soccer in Brazil.
>Electric Degeneration has been brought to you by Degenerate Press:
www.degeneratepress.com
Also on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Livejournal.
