Not quite a Dominicon review but...

[deannawol]

Every year, they run a retro room and show some old tv series and films. This morning, Battlestar Galactica (1978) was put on and I, like the good little fangirl I am, wandered in to watch it. For the first half hour or so, this was fine.

We were watching the first episode (aka the movie, the pilot or that wonderful show with Dirk Benedict in). Everything was going well. Enjoyment of the cheese was ongoing when someone else decided to come in and hover behind my chair while watching the movie. I have no problems with this afterall it wasn't like it was my sitting room or anything. He asked what we were watching and was promptly told that we were watching the original Battlestar Galactica.

And so started a hellish hour. His immediate comment was "The new one is better!" I don't mind that he had an opinion. Afterall, the new one is the only one that he has ever been exposed to seeing as he's fresh outta diapers. However, I informed him that I preferred the old one and so the ridiculing started. He gave me a pretty much blow by blow account of how the new one was better. Of course, he started with the "Starbuck is a girl!" argument which completely sets the tone of the argument.

At every scene change, I was told that X element was better in the new one. Apollo was more real. Adama was a real man and didn't cry when his son died. (Aside: Come on! Lorne Greene is a real man. He was in Bonanza ffs!) The cyclons were prettier. The science made more sense. The ships were better. They used the name of such and such but it didn't look like it was made from toilet tubes. Now it's all very well to have an opinion. But to keep expressing it loudly while people are watching and enjoying the show is a bit much. I got that he liked the new show after the first comment.

My personal opinion on the new BSG is that it's a pretty sci-fi show which took character names, setting information and a basic outline of the starting point and reused the name. I don't consider it to be the same show. I don't consider it to be a proper Battlestar Galactica remake mainly because it throws out all elements that made Battlestar Battlestar. The new show may be edgier and updated for the modern audiences who only expect cheese with their burgers but it loses the humour and effect of the seventies show.

Some actual quotes from this guy:
Him: "So what's Starbucks actual name in this?"
Me: "Starbuck. It's a name not a callsign in this."
Him: "Who'd name a character Starbuck? It's a callsign!"
Me: "Herman Melville."
Him: "Huh?"
Me: "Moby Dick?"
Him: "No... Starbucks real name is Kara Thrace!"
Me: "Only in the new one!"

Him: "Dirk Benedict is useless!"
Me: {restrains self from punching him}

Him: "Only good actor in this is {Apollo} cause he's appeared in the new one!"

Him: "Starbuck has backstory in the new one. He doesn't have one here!"
Me: "He has backstory. Hell, Fred Astaire is his dad!"
Him: "Who?"

I don't mind that he likes the new one more. I do mind that he bases it entirely on visual effects, production budgets and the femaleness of the characters. I realise that the old one is pure cheese, but in fairness, it's a Glen A Larson production from the late seventies. But there is a quality about it that is good. Hell, it must be alright if they decided that it was still popular enough to remake. I like the cheese. That cheese is my childhood. I have every episode of all three series on VHS and enjoy sitting down to watch them. The new one is darker, depressing and downright evil at times. They have some good concepts but I'll stick to classic Galactica (including 1980).

Comments

[dragonsinger.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad he's enjoying the new one, but he didn't have to trample over the original. There's a time and a place for him to assert his opinion. This was not it. (((HUGS)))

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

*hugs back hon* I restrained myself from doing something I'd regret. I'm proud. It's unfortunately a very common attitude. You like one or the other and whichever you don't like gets p***ed on. I think that there are good elements in both but if I'm going to sit down for a nice relaxing hour of tv watching, I'm going to choose the old one mainly because of the darkness of the new one.

[aramuin.livejournal.com]

Uh, if he is so convinced of the obvious superiority of the new series, whyyyy did he stay in the room to watch (and bitch) at the old one?

...girls really don't go for guys that clueless.

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

Because it was obviously annoying me... And so he could show is intellectual inferiority. I did point out several times that he didn't have to stay, but would he fuck off? No

[hauntedreality.livejournal.com]

Seems similar to the which Star Trek are you a fan of kind of thing. I've never seen the old Battlestar. I saw an episode of the new one and it seemed okay.

Anyway, I would keel someone for talking while I was watching something. KEEL. I have very strict rules about such things. And they are punishable by death.

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

I dunno. I mean, once you say Voyager, people just stop talking to you and wander off so they don't catch what you have.

[hauntedreality.livejournal.com]

LOL! Of course, I'd say TNG, so I don't really have that problem. But I think we can all gang up on both Enterprise fans and mock them as a united front.

[captainlucy.livejournal.com]

DS9 for the win!
TNG/TOS for the score draw!
:D

[nwhyte]

What an idiot. I have absolutely no views on BSG - I don't think I've seen a single minute of it, old, new or movie - but that is no way to behave. He probably thought he was trying to seduce you.

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

*grin* Best way to go about it is to not insult Dirk Benedict or Starbuck! *grin*

[captainlucy.livejournal.com]

What an arse!

I love both versions, for very different reasons! The '70s Galactica is cheesier than the basement of a Dutch dairy, and it knows it! It was marketed as a family entertainment show, to appeal primarily to children and young teenagers but with sufficient glamour content (Athena, Starbuck etc) and action to keep the parents entertained as well.

The modern one is aimed at a more late-teen/adult audience, and is thus a lot darker and sombre in tone. There is still humour in the new series, but it is largely a humour born of desparation, as the Galactica and its' fleet run from the seemingly omnipresent Cylon threat.

Personally, I do prefer the modern version, as I think it's one of the finest TV Science Fiction drama series ever made, but that doesn't mean that I can't also thoroughly enjoy the old series as excellent pulp sci-fi entertainment. Both are products of their time, and both are equally enjoyable when viewed that way.

---

"Adama was a real man and didn't cry when his son died."
Ummm, the Adama in the modern version has had virtually all of his emotions torn away from him by losing his son, then the virtual destruction of humanity and the constant flight from the Cylons. I'm not sure, but last time I checked "Emotional Cripple" wasn't on the checklist for "Real Man".

Him: "Only good actor in this is {Apollo} cause he's appeared in the new one!"
Sorry, at that point I would have gone Bonanza on his ass! Wilfred Hyde-Whyte not a good actor? Lorne Greene not a good actor? John Colicos not a good actor? Patrick Macnee not a good actor? Lloyd Fuxxing Bridges, not a good actor??? Away and pish!!! Firstly, just because someone has appeared in a show he likes does NOT automatically make them good actors. Secondly, just because someone has appeared in a show he DOESN'T like does NOT make them bad actors!

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

And you're entitled to you opinion and I'll even sit down and discuss it with you at some point, but not during an episode of either show ^_^ TV is for watching, not talking over.

I have to agree on the Adama front. Adama in the original was much more of a real character, struggling with the fate of the caravan of ships, more of a politician forced into the role of military leader than a hardcore career military character. Lorne Greene was a fantastic actor in his day - in film and tv series.

Every single one of the 'named' actors who appeared in it were well known beforehand and well liked which was the reason they were hired. Just because he doesn't know them, doesn't mean he can dismiss them. It just annoys me.

[elahrairah.livejournal.com]

What an absolute arse-head!

It doesn't fracking matter which BSG anybody likes. I liked the old one when I was 11 or whatever. I like the new one now. So what?

This is a person who needs to strike out (through his own perverted sense of intellectual superiority) at people to build himself up. As if intricate knowledge of Tolkein/StarTrek/InsertSubSectorofGeekdomHere was an indicator of intellect. It's an indicator they need a life. What do they prove--that they are a better fan than you? Please. Alamo Draft House begins every movie with a warning accompanied by a short clip of a sniper in the projection booth: "Talk during the movie, and we'll take your ass out."

[brilyn.livejournal.com]

My usual response to anyone insisting on talking over a show I'm trying to watch (especially when they're just talking crap) is to respond to *everything* they say with "Trying to watch the show" in a bored tone of voice.

They usually bugger off when they're not engaged.

Any chance we can find this other person's LJ so we can drop a link to this in there? /angelic

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

Tried the not talking to him, trying to ignore him, restraining myself from hitting him approach but it didn't matter. Thank everything that he finally disappeared to watch the twilight imperium game - which he probably heckled as well.

And to be honest, I really don't even want to think of him on LJ! And I didn't bother to find out his name anyway. Somehow, it didn't factor on my list of things to do! ^_^

[brilyn.livejournal.com]

I find that a lot of 'those people' consider non-attention to be a secret signal for 'talk louder and more often', as not *explicitly* being told to go away means that people *do* want to hear their noise.

Thus with the verbal 'you bore me' approach. ;)


Then again, I periodically get told that I'm mean, rude, and a bully. /shrug