Star Wars or Star Trek?

[injest]

Ok fess up! I know there are some geeks up in here!!

[Meryl]

God, is it really 40 years since "Star Trek" was first on TV?    

At any rate, it's a part of me.  Lines from that show will never ever leave my head, I'm sure.  Those actors are like family. 

"Star Wars," not so much.  Can take it or leave it. 

[delalluvia]

Both!!   

And it's Trek-er, not Trek-kie, thank you very much.

You can't compare the two.  Star Trek is a series of morality tales told in a future setting.  Star Wars is a classic space western/samurai tale of a hero's journey.

[injest]

Both!!   

And it's Trek-er, not Trek-kie, thank you very much.

You can't compare the two.  Star Trek is a series of morality tales told in a future setting.  Star Wars is a classic space western/samurai tale of a hero's journey.

yes, I saw a special documentary on Star Wars where they were discussing the themes in the original Star Wars...

I loved Star Trek The Next Generation....liked the original series...hated all the ones that came after. I think Rick Berman made it too dark....to me it seemed he wanted to do Star WARS instead of Star Trek...

[delalluvia]

yes, I saw a special documentary on Star Wars where they were discussing the themes in the original Star Wars...

I loved Star Trek The Next Generation....liked the original series...hated all the ones that came after. I think Rick Berman made it too dark....to me it seemed he wanted to do Star WARS instead of Star Trek...

I liked the original Star Trek series, Next Generation and Enterprise.  I tried but was never able to get into Deep Space 9.  I actually got bored when I watched the premiere which pretty much set my attitude about the series..  Voyager was too gimmicky.

Star Wars...yeah, it sounds cheesy, but this movie/series has always meant a lot to me.  Even now, I'll be listening to Dubya or Cheney and turn to a friend and say, "He's Chancellor Palpatine..." or I'll be talking to my teacher friend about some very abusive troubled students she's met and I'll say "He's Anakin Skywalker."

But, Star Trek isn't neglected in my life, I can also read a book or watch TV/movie and say of a character, "He's a red shirt."

 

[opinionista]

Both!!   

And it's Trek-er, not Trek-kie, thank you very much.

You can't compare the two.  Star Trek is a series of morality tales told in a future setting.  Star Wars is a classic space western/samurai tale of a hero's journey.

That's a good description of Star Wars Del. However, i think it's more samurai than western. I don't see cowboys saying May the force be with you. A samurai is more likely to talk like that.  And also there's the lightsabers.

[David]

Definately STAR TREK.   

Yes,  Star Wars was impressive when it first came out.  The special effects were so much better than the original Star Trek series.

But then Star Trek came back.   The motion pictures first, then StarTrek: The Next Generation.  That was GREAT!     I never liked Deep Space Nice, it felt too much like Star wars.     I did like Voyagers once I got comfortable with the crew.      I just couldn't get into "Enterprise"  Sorry.

With each new Star Wars movie it just felt like it was an excuse to sell more merchandise to kids and collectors.   

[southendmd]

I was too young to really get into Star Trek.  I remember watching it as a kid, possibly in reruns, and thinking it was too serious.  I didn't connect with it.

Star Wars came out when I was in high school, so it had a greater impact.  I had a high school friend who was completely  obsessed (sound familiar?).  He bought anything and everything related to the film, got into the symbolism, even signed letters, "Yours in the force." 

In college, I remember learning about Oedipal conflicts and how this related to Star Wars, and thought that was pretty cool.  My HS friend certainly had father issues.

I'll bet his collection is worth a fortune today. 

Star Wars (the original three, anyway) were part of my youth, and a lot of fun.  I recall when they were re-released in the 90s, and that brought the excitement back.  I could forgive the cheesy dialogue and overacting and just enjoy a great epic.  (Certainly disappointed with the last three, though.)

As an aside, has anyone ever seen "Red Dwarf"?  It's a popular British comedy that's a smart spoof of all things Star- Trek/Wars/whatever.

[injest]

Why ya'll hating on the new Star Wars movies?? Huh?

Qui Gonn Jinn is hot!! maybe I should say was....since they knocked him off!

Of course I may have been prejudiced since I had seen Rob Roy right before I saw the Phantom Menace...

[southendmd]

Why ya'll hating on the new Star Wars movies?? Huh?

Disappointed, not hated.  I didn't connect with the story too much.
Sure, Liam was fine.  Hayden Christensen is cute, but his acting makes me think he would have made a good "disappearing log" in BBM.

I saw each of the new ones once.  Honestly, I don't remember much.  Except......dare I say.......Jar Jar Binks.  Not a happy memory.

[opinionista]

I like Star Wars, especially the first three movies. I don't care much for the three newest ones. I was put off by Hayden Christensen's performance. He's pretty bad at acting.

[delalluvia]

That's a good description of Star Wars Del. However, i think it's more samurai than western. I don't see cowboys saying May the force be with you. A samurai is more likely to talk like that.  And also there's the lightsabers.

True, but it also has frontier towns (planets), dangerous native tribes wandering in the wilderness, a gun-slinger anti-hero, shootouts and bounty hunters. 

[delalluvia]

I like Star Wars, especially the first three movies. I don't care much for the three newest ones. I was put off by Hayden Christensen's performance. He's pretty bad at acting.

I loved the prequels as well as the original Star Wars trilogy.  The OT is a lot more fun to watch, but of course, watching the good guys win is a lot more enjoyable than watching the good guys turn on each other, get exterminated and lose big time to a political coup.  [shrug]  They're two different animals movie-wise.

Heh, don't worry, Star Wars fans knew Hayden and Natalie stunk in the prequel trilogy.  Fans even made fun of their acting.  Here's my favorite part of an excerpt of "Return of the Sith - the Alternate Script" (spoilers for those who don't already know the guy in the black mask):


EXT. MUSTAFAR

NATALIE'S SHIP lands and she runs to HAYDEN.

NATALIE PORTMAN
Hayden! I heard you've gone toward the dark side! It's
not true, is it?
Why are your eyes all red?

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
(furrowing his brow)
You brought Ewan, didn't you? To actually act well and
make me look
wooden and awful!

NATALIE PORTMAN
Of course not! I'm even worse than you in this movie,
why would I bring
someone capable of acting well here?

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
(comically)
Liar!

He chokes her.

NATALIE PORTMAN
(collapsing)
Urk!

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
Oh baby, I'm sorry. I only force choke you because I
love you. Come back
to me baby.

EWAN MCGREGOR
Hayden! I know you're not really evil - you try to
look evil by
glowering everywhere, but you really just wind up
looking confused all
the time! Come back to the Jedi order!

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
From my point of view, the Jedi are stupid! I mean,
really stupid! They
didn't know I was married to Natalie, which Ian
figured out in seconds.
They didn't know Ian was a Sith. They asked me to get
close to him,
knowing full well I am confused
and that he's manipulative. God, the assassin from
Attack of the Clones
allegedly couldn't be sent by Christopher Lee because
"it's not in his
character." Face it, it's a miracle the Jedi survived
this long.

EWAN MCGREGOR
Anti-Jedite!

They DUEL. Then they DUEL some more. Afterwards, they
do some more
DUELLING. Then there's another DUEL, a little
DUELLING, and finally a
DUEL.

EWAN MCGREGOR
It's over, Hayden. If you jump over to me, I will cut
your shit off.

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
You underestimate my power to decide not to jump to
the low ground in
front of you where I will be able to safely continue
duelling, but to
instead try to jump all the way over you and get my
shit cut off!

He JUMPS and gets SLICED AND DICED. Then COMPLETELY
BURNED.

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
Motherf!

EWAN MCGREGOR
I'm leaving, Hayden! Even though you are writhing in
agony, I won't do
the humane thing and put you out of your misery.
You're the dick,
though.

He leaves. IAN arrives shortly after.

IAN MCDIARMID
Take him back to Coruscant so we can put him in the
big black life
support suit that I just so happen to have laying
around for just such
an occasion.

They DO.

[opinionista]

True, but it also has frontier towns (planets), dangerous native tribes wandering in the wilderness, a gun-slinger anti-hero, shootouts and bounty hunters. 

Well, yes in that case is pretty western as well, LOL

[HerrKaiser]

Interestingly, it was Lucille Ball who, having taken over the reins of Desilu Productions, made the decision to produce Star Trek when no one else was touching it.

[Lynne]

I chose Star Trek because I really love the premise - that we're not alone in the universe - that mankind on earth will unite and explore the rest of the universe bringing principles of peace and goodness.  Corny corny corny, I know.

Still....I agree that it's not really fair to compare Star Trek and Star Wars - different genres really.  Another interesting comparison would be Star Wars vs Lord of the Rings.  I saw and appreciated both, albeit at different times of my life

The absolute funniest thing I saw in the movie theatre last year was an argument between a 19-ish kid and a 29-ish kid over which was better (Clerks II).  I laughed until my side hurt.  See it.  And if anybody's interested, I'll start that poll.

 

[delalluvia]

The absolute funniest thing I saw in the movie theatre last year was an argument between a 19-ish kid and a 29-ish kid over which was better (Clerks II).  I laughed until my side hurt.  See it.  And if anybody's interested, I'll start that poll.

I never saw Clerks II, but I definitely believe that scene was funny!  You can still find arguments between adults and children on Star Wars boards.

One heated argument went back and forth between two parties for several pages until a 3rd party stepped in and said,

3rd party:  Hey Darthauditor how old are you?
DA:  35 why?
3rd party:  You're arguing with (the other party) a 13 year old.

The argument ended there.

[moremojo]

Though I'm no Trekkie, I do enjoy and admire Star Trek (both original and later series, with a sentimental spot for the former), and vastly prefer the Star Trek enterprise (pun intended  ) to the overhyped Star Wars franchise.

[moremojo]

As an aside, has anyone ever seen "Red Dwarf"?  It's a popular British comedy that's a smart spoof of all things Star- Trek/Wars/whatever.

Oh yes...it's been a while since I've seen the show, but it was a whole lot of fun (again, vastly preferable to, to my mind, the absurdly overrated concoction that is the Star Wars franchise). My sister was even more of a fan than I, and was responsible for introducing me to this charming British parody.

[Kelda]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSxN1souf2U[/youtube]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W3CagFk-VY[/youtube]

Ah red dwarf.....I now have the them tune stuck in my head.....

[David In Indy]

Mom was a die hard Star Trek fan. I watched the episodes with her when I was young. But I loved Star Wars and it ended up becoming my favorite! 

[mvansand76]

Star wars... definitely... I am a HUGE fan. We used to sit for hours watching the movies, we had them all on VHS and my mom is a Harrison Ford fan so every time it rained on a Sunday we would either watch Star Wars or Indiana Jones!

I love Red Dwarf too!

[loneleeb3]

Never really got in to Star Trek.
I liked the earlier Star Wars movies. The later ones were great as far as effects but the movies were not as good.

It just hit me, We Brokies are the redneck version of Trekkies! LOL

[David In Indy]

Never really got in to Star Trek.
I liked the earlier Star Wars movies. The later ones were great as far as effects but the movies were not as good.

It just hit me, We Brokies are the redneck version of Trekkies! LOL

You mean you didn't like Jar Jar, Lee?

How wude!!

  

[ednbarby]

I have a certain fondness for the original Star Trek series.  My parents used to watch it every Saturday night.  I can still hear:  "Space: The Final Frontier.  These are the missions of the starship Enterprise.  To seek out new life and new civilizations - to boldly go where no man (gah) has gone before..." and then the "music" going wah wah... wah wah wah wah wah...  I also can still hear that sound effect whenever the cabin doors opened, and that background sound that was always going (that was really just the same sound effect).  It comforts me to think of such things.  My dad and stepmom kind of saved me from a life of hell.  Thinking about sitting in their living room on a Saturday night after dinner and dessert and laughing about how the guy on the "away" team that we'd never seen before was definitely a goner makes me feel safe even now.

Star Wars?  Couldn't give a crap.  I really didn't discover movies until after the first one.  I remember really liking "The Empire Strikes Back" because that came out after the time that I really first got into seeing movies at the theater, but not thinking much of any of the others.  I haven't even seen the last/first two because Episode I was so hatefully bad.

I loved what Dalton Ross, I think it was, said in Entertainment Weekly about Star Wars in general:  "Didn't care then.  Don't now.  Sue me."

[mvansand76]

I loved what Dalton Ross, I think it was, said in Entertainment Weekly about Star Wars in general:  "Didn't care then.  Don't now.  Sue me."

LOL! That's hilarious...

[moremojo]

I remember really liking "The Empire Strikes Back" because that came out after the time that I really first got into seeing movies at the theater, but not thinking much of any of the others.

The Empire Strikes Back is certainly the best of the original three films, and is my favorite installment of the franchise.

I believe that in an early version of the BBM screenplay, Ennis and Cassie are shown attending a screening of The Empire Strikes Back (placing the scene in 1980), I suppose as another kind of bookend for the scene depicting Ennis and Alma at the drive-in (you know that Jack and Ennis never saw a movie together ).

[injest]

The Empire Strikes Back is certainly the best of the original three films, and is my favorite installment of the franchise.

I believe that in an early version of the BBM screenplay, Ennis and Cassie are shown attending a screening of The Empire Strikes Back (placing the scene in 1980), I suppose as another kind of bookend for the scene depicting Ennis and Alma at the drive-in (you know that Jack and Ennis never saw a movie together ).

You mean Don Roe didn't have no VCR and TV in that cabin they borrowed??

 

Dang DON! Get with the twentieth century!!

[loneleeb3]

(you know that Jack and Ennis never saw a movie together ).

Never enough time, never enough.

[moremojo]

You mean Don Roe didn't have no VCR and TV in that cabin they borrowed??

You know, I never thought about that! A VCR seems unlikely, but a TV might have been in the realm of possibility (though I'm inclined to think that a cabin used for hunting and general getting-away-from-it-all would most likely not have a TV; a radio would be a better bet).

But who knows...maybe Jack and Ennis did have a little TV time together (which is, incidentally, one of my favorite romantic scenarios).

[injest]

You know, I never thought about that! A VCR seems unlikely, but a TV might have been in the realm of possibility (though I'm inclined to think that a cabin used for hunting and general getting-away-from-it-all would most likely not have a TV; a radio would be a better bet).

But who knows...maybe Jack and Ennis did have a little TV time together (which is, incidentally, one of my favorite romantic scenarios).

yep, the two of them stretched out on the couch, Jack leaning back against Ennis's shoulder....their free hands holding beers, a soft, warm cover over their bodies...dark cabin, flickering TV..drowsy from lovemaking..Ennis's cheek leaning against Jack's hair...

That is romantic!

[delalluvia]

Star Trek always gave me a sense of longing, of wanting to live in their universe.

Star Wars...well, look at the title.  The Galaxy Far Far Away is a dangerous place.  Wars, political coups taking place, invasions, the collapse of a republic, rebellion, threat of planetary annihilation being what keeps the Empire together...despite their advanced technology and thousand year existence, they were no more immune to the things that bring down governments than we are.

Star Trek is utopia, the dream to be something better than we are.  Star Wars is the story of every government that ever existed.  They are us.

[David In Indy]

yep, the two of them stretched out on the couch, Jack leaning back against Ennis's shoulder....their free hands holding beers, a soft, warm cover over their bodies...dark cabin, flickering TV..drowsy from lovemaking..Ennis's cheek leaning against Jack's hair...

That is romantic!

Now Jess, what you go and do that for? 

[injest]

Now Jess, what you go and do that for? 

what? what'd I do??

didn't even mention the cigarette they are sharing...or the way the heat and weight of Jack along Ennis's side makes his heart ache...

[David In Indy]

what? what'd I do??
didn't even mention the cigarette they are sharing...or the way the heat and weight of Jack along Ennis's side makes his heart ache...

Talking about Jack and Ennis like that. It got me all hot and bothered.

And now you just made it worse!!

  

  

[injest]

Talking about Jack and Ennis like that. It got me all hot and bothered.

And now you just made it worse!!

  

  

soooo....you DON"T want to hear what they were doing a half hour before that MADE them so drowsy and thirsty??

ok I won't tell you!

 

[David In Indy]

soooo....you DON"T want to hear what they were doing a half hour before that MADE them so drowsy and thirsty??

ok I won't tell you!

 

I doubt if I can take too much more of it Jess.