Tuesday 23 February 2010

Flare

I just got back home after finally watching the new Star Trek movie. OK, I know it's not new anymore, it was released ages ago, but I've never been a big fan of science fiction. True, many astronomers watched the original Star Trek series as kids, as did I, and I enjoyed it in those days. Hey, I was eight or nine years old then! I've never really enjoyed the whole premise of science fiction though, especially Star Trek, because more often than not the stories show the crew ending up in some predicament which is solved by fictional techno-babble. Let alone the fact that they only got into trouble in the first place by some inconceivable violation of the laws of physics.

But it doesn't matter, it was just a TV show after all.

I have to admit, though, that Star Trek, the latest movie that is, is brilliant! You can put away all that trekkie stuff, the utopia Roddenberry envisioned, and just enjoy it as a wonderfully entertaining movie! OK, the story is a little mystifying, especially to an astrophysicist, but I watched it all the way to the end and is something I rarely do with any movie - science fiction or not!

My only complaint? Why so much lens flare? It detracts from the movie quite badly in my opinion. It's very distracting.

So, my answer is to show a little lens flare myself. It's tourists just outside UKIRT last Tuesday night who took up my usual photo spot. Sometimes I wish I had a photon torpedo or two but we keep those locked up for emergencies.

5 comments:

Zuzana said...

I have not seen the newest yet, but I love all the other ones. Although I never really knew much about the original Star Trek, I was an avid *Star Trek: The Next Generation* series fan when I relocated to the US in the nineties.;)
xo
Zuzana

Keera Ann Fox said...

'Twas explained on the DVD: The flare is actually an artifact of analog cameras and they added it in post-production because they liked the "organic" effect. I felt it was a bit overdone in some scenes, but loved the movie.

Also, I now own the entire original series on DVD. Much to watch ahead!

Keera Ann Fox said...

PS: I liked your flare! Good picture!

Larry O'Brien said...

In the screenwriter's "Bible" Star Trek: The Next Generation, they instructed screenwriters that when you got to a part where you needed there to be a technical discussion, you just wrote in: [TEK]. Ever since, I've watched SF and medical shows and imagined the script:

"Captain! We can't take another hit! Their [TEK] is causing our [TEK]!"

"What if we [TEK]?"

"It's barely possible, but I'd have to [TEK] the [TEK] and that will require days!"

"What if you [TEK]?"

"It's theoretically possible, but it's never been tried!"

Tom said...

Protege - I don't mind Next Generation, it had some interesting stories but still used some fantasy physics to get through certain story lines. That's why I've never felt that comfortable with sci fi - it does encourage people to get into the sciences but also encourages the UFO and chemtrail freaks (among others).

Keera - thanks for that, I didn't realise the flares were deliberately added in. IT's a shame I think, it was very distracting but I really enjoyed the movie nevertheless! The last half was almost James Bond meets Star Trek (although I hated the last James Bond movie!).

Larry - thank you for that, I had a little giggle! I wonder if they played techword bingo like people played buzzword bingo in the corporate world?

Tom