Comments | my_daroga: [Article rec] Minimalist Magic: The Star Trek Look

my_daroga

[Article rec] Minimalist Magic: The Star Trek Look

Jul 06, 2010 09:59

Minimalist Magic
The Star Trek Look
By Mervyn Nicholson (thanks to zainin666 for the link)

"By treating the style of the original series as integral to the show - and not as a kind of regrettable defect - we can get a better grasp on the Star Trek phenomenon itself."

This article covers a lot of territory under the umbrella of discussing Star Trek as ( Read more... )

star trek, television: star trek: tos, william shatner

Comments 13

thundercrap July 6 2010, 22:15:38 UTC

This same method was utilized by Paul Darrow in Blake's 7. Season 3 especially ended up drawing a lot of people in as fans (including me), and that's because Darrow's drama was much more compelling than Blake's somber, flat, brooding angst. Whereas Darrow looked like he wanted to confront everything that came his way with a high heeled swagger.

Despite the exaggerating people do when they make fun of Shatner, he talks the way I've noticed many midwesterners to talk. So I think for where he grew up, compared to Data's family being Chinese and Picard being French, he was pretty accurate.

my_daroga July 6 2010, 22:23:28 UTC

I have never seen Blake's 7! I should. But yes. There is a certain comfort, I think, in sometimes having that heroic figure out front. Given, I love anti-heroes. I love movies about serial killers. I mean, I'm not all sunshine and puppies. But Kirk makes me happy.

I don't think he's that bizarre, frankly. And I think most impressions of him are just very exaggerated. There are some unnecessary pauses, but I've seen the same in Shakespeare.

Wait. How is Data's family Chinese? I haven't seen the show since it was on. I am going to re-watch, but... yeah.

thundercrap July 6 2010, 22:31:31 UTC

Soong is a Chinese name and Noonien Soong in semi-canonical works is acknowledged to be of Chinese descent. Which, okay, I guess it's a fun political statement.

Blake's 7 is pretty fantastic. Dayna Mellanby is one of my favorite female characters ever (I put up a few of her scenes here) and Kerr Avon has some good lines.

my_daroga July 6 2010, 22:35:57 UTC

I guess I just assumed the name was... something they liked, rather than a statement of actual ethnicity. Which is interesting in its own way. Like Simon and River Tam. Were they supposed to be Chinese?

I'll have to watch when I get home, but I did see archery and some bralessness, so that is pretty much enough to count her a-ok in my book.

Thread 11

tilly_stratford July 7 2010, 11:00:11 UTC

My God I wish I could come with precise metafandom commentary like you, in contrast to my usual OMG HE TOOK HIS SHIRT OF AGAIN :DDDD-blathering.

Lately I have been thinking why Kirk is my favourite captain - brought on by me watching DS9 (it's quite gear shift going from Kirk to Sisko), and I've been trying to formulate it based on how I love Kirk's larger-than-life-ness. And then you write this:

He projects spontaneity and even a delight in expressing emotion.

- and it's such a perfect observation! Shatner's not just any actor who's been told to do an emotion - he delights in it. Perfect.

my_daroga July 7 2010, 13:35:28 UTC

Oh god, now I feel bad--I didn't write this. I mean, I wrote the post, but not the bit under the cut. I wish!

But yes, it's why I think I love him most. I think we've talked about this, but I was "taught" that Picard was the thinking-person's captain, and that's probably still true, but it doesn't by any means mean he's the only intelligent choice for favorite. Kirk embodies so much.