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blakes7-d Digest Volume 00 : Issue 130
Today's Topics:
RE: [B7L] Recruitment Tactics
Re: [B7L] Recruitment Tactics
Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
[B7L] I'm Back (Cue Organ Music)
Re: [B7L] I'm Back (Cue Organ Music)
Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
[B7L] Project Avalaon list
Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
[B7L] B7 and Shakespeare and Stuff
[B7L] First Impressions: Actually Deliverance.( Was Redemption)
Re: [B7L] B7 and Shakespeare and Stuff
[B7L] FINALACT
RE: Coser and snobbery [was RE: [B7L] On Dayna and Evolution]
Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Re: [B7L] Food, Folks & Fun
[B7L] BBC 2 Repeats Finished !
Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Re: [B7L] B7 and Shakespeare and Stuff
Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Re: [B7L] FINALACT
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 19:36:00 -0500
From: "Reuben Herfindahl" <reuben@reuben.net>
To: "b7" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>, <freedom-city@blakes-7.org>
Subject: RE: [B7L] Recruitment Tactics
Message-ID: <NEBBKOLHHJOEBPKJMIMCGEMLCAAA.reuben@reuben.net>
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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I have only sucessfully converted one fan, my girlfriend. I sat down with
her and watched "The Way Back". The great thing about the episode is it
blows up so many preconcieved notions about 70's Sci-Fi. Most people have
seen at least one episode of Baker's Dr. Who. When you start talking Brit.
Sci-Fi, they automatically start thinking Dr. Who, curly hair and big teeth,
cheesy effects. With "The Way Back", it goes the other way. Handsome
charecters who's life goes to sh*t. The ending is so bleak, it leaves the
potential fan thinking, "gee, this guy is really hurting, it has to get
better...."
Well, that and it also helped that she had the summer off and very little to
do. She actually made it through alll 52 episodes with me only watching 4
or 5 out of the total with her. (Paul Darrow, probably helped her stick
with it a bit more than I care to admit)
As for getting her into online fandom, she was just never interested. B7
got her into B5, which I might someday get her online with (she prefers it).
But, only time will tell.
Reuben
http://www.reuben.net/blake/
P.S. Onelist is a free listserver.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dana Shilling [mailto:dshilling@worldnet.att.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 7:13 PM
To: b7; freedom-city@blakes-7.org
Subject: [B7L] Recruitment Tactics
Well, I have already ruled out "pretend to be a bounty hunter" as a way of
recruiting new fans, but what are other list members' experiences with the
most and least effective ways of turning otherwise sane and productive
individuals into B7 fans?
In the US, the series is not being broadcast anywhere that I know about, so
initiation has to be via VHS. Which tapes would you recommend as a "short
course" for potential fans, who might then go back and watch everything in
sequence? At what point do you introduce list membership, online fanfic
archives, and paper zines? Should one's friends' inclinations toward fanfic
production be nurtured or stamped out?
-(Y)
PS--in case the friends I am trying to entice should ask me for a
definition, what is a "OneList?" What is an "APA"? I have seen references to
such but don't know what they are.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 19:22:43 -0700
From: Nick Moffitt <nick@zork.net>
To: b7 <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Recruitment Tactics
Message-ID: <20000507192243.G28423@zork.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
begin Dana Shilling quotation:
> In the US, the series is not being broadcast anywhere that I know
> about, so initiation has to be via VHS.
KTEH in San Jose used to play them at 1am on Sundays.
> PS--in case the friends I am trying to entice should ask me for a
> definition, what is a "OneList?" What is an "APA"? I have seen
> references to such but don't know what they are.
OneList is an on-line mailing list host. It's pretty lame,
and folks should really just subscribe to this list.
APAs were precursors to newsgroups and mailing lists. It
stands for Amateur Press Association, and they were usually >blech<
mimeographed. APAs were mostly slop, but then again we must keep
Sturgeon's law in mind.
The idea was that each subscriber sent in membership fees and
had a certain number of pages allowed. Each month/week/whatever, the
manager would coallate and copy little zines made from everyone's
pages.
--
CrackMonkey.Org - Non-sequitur arguments and ad-hominem personal attacks
LinuxCabal.Org - Co-location facilities and meeting space
Pigdog.Org - The Online Handbook for Bad People of the Future
You are not entitled to your opinions.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 14:47:33 EST
From: "J MacQueen" <j_macqueen@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
Message-ID: <20000508044733.30996.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>From: Nick Moffitt <nick@zork.net>
> Relish the next episode well, as it is the last one with the
>non-boufante Travis. I'd say Travis's sense of style peaks in Avalon,
>when he wears that grim-reaper furry cloak. Future Travis will not
>wear leather, and his eyepatch will shrink considerably. Also, his
>hair will become a sandy pompador, and he will snivel a lot.
>
> I'm not joking. Future Travis is a weasly geek.
Ah. Do not meddle in the affairs of FINALACT, for it is quick to anger and
*extremely* unsubtle. If I were you, I'd find an uncomfy chair... to hide
behind!
Regards
Joanne
(sibling to someone who thinks Travis I is better)
________________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 May 2000 23:39:12 -0600
From: Penny Dreadful <pennydreadful@powersurfr.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] I'm Back (Cue Organ Music)
Message-Id: <4.1.20000507232339.009b47a0@mail.powersurfr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
...yes, you heard me right, it must be Spring, for Penny has returned to
Lysator. Not only that, but I'm new and improved -- bigger hair, shinier
boots, and twice, nay, *thrice* the attitude! Yes indeed, I'm ready to kick
ass and chew scenery, and guess what: I'm all out of scenery.
Now, where's that sassy young upstart who said (as quoted to me by a
reliable source), "Future Travis is a weasly geek"? I admire his spunk, I
really do, but I feel he needs to have his horizons broadened.
--Penny "Queen Of The Weasel People" D.
--
For A Dread Time, Call Penny:
http://members.tripod.com/~Penny_Dreadful/
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 15:51:32 EST
From: "J MacQueen" <j_macqueen@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] I'm Back (Cue Organ Music)
Message-ID: <20000508055132.18200.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>From: Penny Dreadful <pennydreadful@powersurfr.com>
>Not only that, but I'm new and improved -- bigger hair, shinier
>boots,
Welcome back, and all that, Penny, but shouldn't that be the other way
around? Considering what the latter might just be used for, hmm?
Regards
Joanne
(slightly irritated that her Tuesday night Bill fix, Glynis Barber or no
Glynis Barber, is being shoved around the evening schedule by the Federal
Budget coverage, especially as Peter Costello's smirk is worse than any B7
special effect you'd care to name...Yes, I do have my priorities worked out,
don't I?)
________________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 23:34:30 -0700
From: Nick Moffitt <nick@zork.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
Message-ID: <20000507233430.A3369@zork.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
begin J MacQueen quotation:
> > I'm not joking. Future Travis is a weasly geek.
>
> Ah. Do not meddle in the affairs of FINALACT, for it is quick to
> anger and *extremely* unsubtle. If I were you, I'd find an uncomfy
> chair... to hide behind!
I fear nothing. Bring on the flames! RAM THE THIRD SHIP!
THAT'S THE ONE WITH TRAVIS ON IT!
--
CrackMonkey.Org - Non-sequitur arguments and ad-hominem personal attacks
LinuxCabal.Org - Co-location facilities and meeting space
Pigdog.Org - The Online Handbook for Bad People of the Future
You are not entitled to your opinions.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 07:44:19 +0100
From: "Ariana" <ariana@ndirect.co.uk>
To: "b7" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
Message-ID: <004c01bfb8b9$213d76c0$a5e407c3@ariana>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
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You can tell I was in a hurry when I wrote the review - the episode was of
course "Deliverance", not "Redemption" (where the flip did that come from?).
Thank you all for not flooding me with corrections! Judith, can you replace
"Redemption" with "Deliverence" throughout?
----- Original Message -----
From: Ariana <ariana@ndirect.co.uk>
To: b7 <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>; Judith Proctor <Judith@blakes-7.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 9:11 PM
Subject: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 16:57:19 EST
From: "J MacQueen" <j_macqueen@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] First Impressions: "Redemption"
Message-ID: <20000508065719.93990.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>From: Nick Moffitt <nick@zork.net>
> I fear nothing. Bring on the flames! RAM THE THIRD SHIP!
>THAT'S THE ONE WITH TRAVIS ON IT!
But Penny's just said she's got her big, shiny boots on. And they are so
very shiny that you can see your face in them. That is your face, isn't it?
<points to picture of Nick pasted to each toe>
Think I should go back to doing some work, before I remember any other
episodes of The Goodies...
Regards
Joanne
(I don't believe it, I'm egging FINALACT on. What happened?)
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 08:21:42 +0100
From: Steve Rogerson <steve.rogerson@mcr1.poptel.org.uk>
To: Lysator <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Project Avalaon list
Message-ID: <39166AEA.B9AFF16E@mcr1.poptel.org.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hi, I've received an email asking me to join a list called projectavalon
on Egroup. I've accepted to see what it is about, but does anyone know
who's behind it? I am also curious that with two existing groups on
Egroup, this list and Freedom City, why someone thinks we need another
one. Though Michael Bailey's Egroup list has gone very quiet lately with
no posts since 19 April, which makes me think either the list has gone
or I've been dropped off somehow.
--
cheers
Steve Rogerson
http://homepages.poptel.org.uk/steve.rogerson
Redemption: The Blake's 7 and Babylon 5 convention
23-25 February 2001, Ashford, Kent
http://www.smof.com/redemption
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 09:06:09 +0100
From: "David A McIntee" <Master@allisurvey.freeserve.co.uk>
To: "b7" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Message-Id: <E12oia5-0003hG-00.2000-05-08-09-07-57@mail1.svr.pol.co.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
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> For an example of the BBC failing to put in incidentals, check
> out Resurrection of the Daleks.
>
Only the version accidentally shown abroad, which had no music or sound
effects. The UK and video version did.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 03:24:08 PDT
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] B7 and Shakespeare and Stuff
Message-ID: <20000508102408.46821.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Ellyne wrote:
<Just mentioning a few things they had in common (can't let Blake and
Avon hog all the glory).>
<totally blank look> We can't? Why ever not? Seems a perfectly reasonable
way to look at the whole series to me...
________________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 03:30:09 PDT
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] First Impressions: Actually Deliverance.( Was Redemption)
Message-ID: <20000508103009.37684.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Probably my fault for burbling how good Redemption was *going* to be.
Not that Deliverance isn't fun. 'Tisn't a great episode - definitely
Avon-centric (thinks: and this is a bad thing exactly how??) and
lacking in 1st class crew interaction. But there's quite a bit of fun
in the 'Lord Avon' nonsense. Like with Cally's not-quite-pass in The
Web, he's quite taken aback by Meegat's open worship - when she flings
herself at his feet he nearly jumps out of his skin with a hasty
"let's not start that again". His combination of entranced and
embarrassed is rather sweet (I love the way he holds her hand all
through the episode).
<One thing that struck me is how gentle Avon was with Meegat; it isn't
a trait that has been associated with him so far. He was clearly
uncomfortable with her adoration, avoiding eye-contact when she was on
her knees and trying to minimise the adulation.>
He does a lovely stunned mullet look every time she goes down on her
knees...poor angel. Much as *he* may think he's that wonderful, he
does have enough of a sense of the ridiculous to squirm a little when
someone else insists on saying it.
At this stage, Avon is considerably less aware of his own appeal than he
becomes later (one of the reasons I wish they'd avoided the Avon/Servalan
rubbish. He's actually cuter IMO before he realises that he is.)
And yes, of course, Vila loves this :-) an almost God-given chance to
tease Avon to death (how long do you think he kept it up afterwards?).
Coming after Bounty, this is where Avon-Vila really clicks into place
for me, and it's enormous fun to watch. I also love the way Gan nobly
resists the urge to tease (yes, I *do* think from a couple of the
looks he gives that he's tempted).
A small point - as said before, at the start of Bounty, Jenna was
clearly second-in-command (something that was hinted at in both Avalon
and Breakdown as well). Here, Blake not only deliberately gives Avon
the place, but emphasises it by putting Jenna in the team instead of
Cally - making her subordinate to Avon. Interesting though that, on
first hearing about the radiation danger , Blake does give Avon the chance
to back out (and I'm reasonably sure he didn't ask them all, or Vila *would
not* have been down there :-)).
Pity about that breath-takingly obnoxious little dig at Blake at the
start - Avon was simply *begging* for something to go wrong, which it
promptly does.
This is the only episode where I actually loathe Servalan (as apart
from just finding her a waste of space) but for all the *right* reasons.
Her bright "aren't I clever" attitude to what she's done to Marryatt
is almost more horrifying than what she's actually done - this is the
sparkly, hollow monster I'd have liked to see more of (I *hate* it
when they try and humanise her later). Travis' odd moment of humanity
is OTOH well done - breif, reluctant, believable, and quickly covered.
________________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 20:44:09 +0930
From: "Minnie" <minnie@picknowl.com.au>
To: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>, <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] B7 and Shakespeare and Stuff
Message-ID: <000c01bfb8de$88c62240$6c4c18cb@marina>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>Ellyne wrote:
><Just mentioning a few things they had in common (can't let Blake and
>Avon hog all the glory).>
>
><totally blank look> We can't? Why ever not? Seems a perfectly reasonable
>way to look at the whole series to me...
>
>__
>>> LOL!!!!!!!!
Min xxx I totally
agree!!!!___________________________________________________________________
___
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 08:18:28 EDT
From: RCalla6725@aol.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] FINALACT
Message-ID: <84.4f37104.26480a94@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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In a message dated 08/05/00 07:59:11 GMT Daylight Time,
j_macqueen@hotmail.com writes:
<< FINALACT >>
Sorry, I'm lost. Could someone please tell me what this stands for? I gather
it's some sort of debate over the new/old Travis.
I've yet to see the new Travis, but an RSC actor vs. Brian Croucher? No
contest, surely?
Richard
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 14:25:41 +0200
From: Jacqueline Thijsen <jacqueline.thijsen@cmg.nl>
To: Lysator <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: RE: Coser and snobbery [was RE: [B7L] On Dayna and Evolution]
Message-ID: <39DCDDFD014ED21185C300104BB3F99FEF6FA8@NL-ARN-MAIL01>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Harriet wrote:
>
> Jacqueline wrote:
> >The way Avon talked about Coser (not bad
> > for a beta grade), led me to suspect that he
> >himself must be a higher (alpha?) grade. After
> >all, he'd hardly sneer like that at his own grade.
>
> Actually, when does Avon say this? Although I belong to the school which
> thinks the grades aren't nearly as important as people think, I was about
> to sugges that, if he were Beta, one could interpret it as a sneer at the
> grading system. But when I decided to look at the script to see if there
> were any clues, I couldn't find Avon commenting on Coser. Blake says
> "Coser's only a Beta class weapons technician, so he's not important
enough
> to have caused all this fuss." Later, Coser compliments himself : "Not
> bad, Coser, not bad. For a Beta grade, not bad", which is clearly a sneer
> at the system. But I couldn't find any relevant remarks by Avon - have I
> missed something by lazily omitting to sit through the screening?
Nope, I misquoted by lazily omitting to sit through the screening. Now that
I've rectified that omission (I didn't have time for that until now, so
that's why the two weeks delay in answering) I must admit that you're right.
Avon doesn't mention Coser at all and seems only concerned with Imipak.
Somehow I only remembered the sneer and my mind connected it with Avon.
Can't imagine why. After all, he's always so nice to everyone....
I still think Avon's an alpha grade, though. Or at least, I think that Blake
thinks so. He says quite offhandedly that Coser's not important enough to
have caused much of a fuss when all he knows about him is his grade. I very
much doubt that he'd ever think about Avon that way. As for the grade
system: Vila claimed that he bought his grade, and that didn't cause much
comment. That means that people are graded when they are old enough to have
at least some idea of what the grades mean. So I think that it has more to
do with a very competitive schooling system, where your academic
achievements determine your place in society for the rest of your life. I
do, however, think that other things, such as family, play an important
part, too. After all, Kasabi couldn't boot Servalan out of the army because
she was connected. I imagine that such connections could help with your
grade, too. I think the grades are mostly important if you want to work for
some government body. Which may be rather difficult to avoid when you're
living close to Earth and Central Command.
Another thing struck me when watching Weapon: Rashel mentions that
disobedient slaves are often modified. Sounds to me like a direct reference
to mutoids.
Cheers,
Jacqueline
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 17:47:56 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Kai V Karmanheimo <karmanhe@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.4.20.0005081735520.27149-100000@kruuna.Helsinki.FI>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
[Warning: this post contains quasi-technical rambling about things related
to production values and methods. If you find this offensive, stop
reading right now. Thank you.]
Nick wrote:
< One of the things I loved about the episode _Duel_ was the
avant-garde screeching soundtrack during the space battle. It added a
frantic atmosphere to the whole scene. What bothered me is that
subsequent episodes in that season suffered from a deficit of
incidental music. Was the BBC radiophonics group on strike or
something?>
I agree with your assessment on "Duel". That battle scene is as a whole
one of the best in the series, as it does so much with very little (and
entirely without pyrotechnics). I think the whole first half of season one
had more music than the rest (seems to be more obvious at least). No idea
why, though.
< I think the show would have really benefited from a better
soundtrack. Too many moments of suspense were ruined because they
were shown in complete silence.>
Incidental music is of course central to establishing the feel of a scene
(just compare Babylon 5 and Crusade to see how different a feel the same
imagery can have when juxtaposed with different soundscapes), but having
more of it isn't always better. For example, Jenna's fight with one of the
alien Guardians in the teleport section in "Time Squad": the music creates
some sense of danger and helps to mask the lack of sound effects, but it
also amplifies the clumsiness of the fight (especially as it's slightly
out of sync at times), underlining the jerky,
wait-for-your-cue-before-kicking-her-teeth-in quality of the
staging. Sometimes the minimalism of the soundtrack is positive, leaving
it free from too much clutter and emphasis (I do like the reverb-drenched
shaker or whatever it is in the same episode). But sometimes things can
sound a bit "naked" without the soundtrack to back up the illusion.
Then again I think "Shadow" (I'm always using this episode as an example
of successful use of audio-visual techniques, aren't I?) and
"Sarcophagus" benefit greatly from a tasteful use of music and sound
effects, often in a way that blurs the boundary between the two, e.g. the
flanged rhythm loop of "run" and the oscillator dive on Cally's scream in
the former, the various use of alternatively tonal and atonal synthesizer
cues in the latter. Though B7's score was still basically traditionally
orchestral, it did use synthesizer quite extensively for music at the time
when even the big-budget sci-fi spectaculars where still mostly using it
for warp drives and random bleeps and relying entirely on traditional
orchestration for music. With the old analogue synthesizers fashionable
once more, Blake's 7 actually now sounds more up-to-date than it did, say
ten years ago (though probably no more "futuristic" than it did
originally). It also confirms that Dayna's instrument in "Sarcophagus" is
ancient and probably priceless because it seems to have a Prophet-5 or
something similar as a sound source.
I don't know which choices were made for artistic reasons and which for
those old standbys, time and money, but at least the score generally goes
well together with the style of the series. Even if they could have had a
sweeping orchestral score with two symphony orchestras and a choir, I
think it might have sound ridiculous with the pedestrian production values
we saw on the screen. A lot could have been improved and I certainly could
have done without some cues (the elevator-to-the-groundfloor teleport cue
is one of them), but like with so many other areas of the show, a great
deal was achieved with measly resources.
One thing I can't understand is why they had to remix the theme for fourth
season closing credits. I like the original (the good old fanfare-feel),
but the ham-fisted layering of additional orchestration, including the
loungey drums, muddies the sound and clashes with the original
material. Perhaps they were trying to imitate the feel of the original
Alexander Courage theme for Star Trek...
Having said that, I wonder if they had started making Blake's 7 a bit
later, say just a year, after Star Wars had premiered in the UK, would the
music have been different? The heroic, anthemic main score became such a
cliche with all the Star Wars imitations of the next few years, so perhaps
they would have had to follow suit. As it is now, the main score has the
bombast of those scores but not their romantic major-key euphoria. Again,
the basis is in space-opera but the palette is darker and things less
certain.
Kai
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 11:17:12 -0600
From: "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Food, Folks & Fun
Message-ID: <20000508.111716.-76051.0.rilliara@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
On Sat, 6 May 2000 19:46:00 -0400 "Dana Shilling"
<dshilling@worldnet.att.net> writes:
> Now that I've made my way through all the tapes for the first time,
> some
> patterns emerge that I haven't seen discussed:
> 1. I don't think
> there is any
> canon view or reference of anybody reading anything for pleasure.
It's a stretch, but in "Sarcophagus," I thought the big thing Cally
lugged up to the bridge was called a "reader." Going by that and its
appearance, it could have been meant as some kind of microfilm reader.
Since everyone seems to have time on their hands in this ep, I assume, if
any microfilm texts being read, they were being read recreationally (two
big assumptions, I know).
Rather than suppose microfilm is a general reading material in the B7
universe (such a 60's/70/s idea, I'm _sure_ the writers never thought any
such thing), I would guess some texts the Federation tried to destroy
survived in this format. Cally has some bootleg copies and is either
letting Dayna borrow them along with the reader or else Dayna inherited a
few copies from her father that she brought along with her to Liberator.
> 2. Although there are several board games, I don't think there were
> any
> views of anybody playing cards, even in the "Gambit" casino.
Perhaps there are too many high tech ways to cheat at cards in their era?
After all, although particular types of cards might fall out of favor
because of symbolism attached to them (the monarchs on regular face cards
are remnants of an entirely different political system, but the value of
cards [once people are brought into it] is similar to the Federation's
citizen grading system. Even if they didn't mind the reminder that
different governments were possible, the comparison between them and a
way of life they brand primitive might not sit well. Then there are the
symbolic hands [dead man's hand, etc] and the meanings fortune telling
gives cards which can be used to send messages via the cards [or to put
you in the difficult position of being accused of sending a message]).
But this wouldn't stop other types of card games or using Rook cards
instead (although, if you could be accused of treason based on a bad
hand's supposed meaning, I can see why you might avoid cards altogether.
Once the trend got going, card games might fall out of favor on all sorts
of 'safe' worlds.).
> 3. [big snip] I
> don't think there is any canonical instance of a proper meal. Nor is
> it at
> all clear where the food comes from, who cooks it, etc.
They never worry about food supplies and Horizon suggested Avon would
have had _all_ the necessary supplies to last for years. I'd guess the
ship either had some kind of replicators (capable of producing raw food
stuffs still in need of at least minor preparation) or else there were
some fully automated hydroponics, etc, run by Zen. Since, when Vila tries
to talk them into taking a vacation, he puts a lot of fancy food in front
of everyone, that couldn't be the kind of thing Zen created at a moment's
notice or it wouldn't really add much to Vila's sale's pitch.
> 4. However, food--including "tropical fruit" and "coffee from real
> beans" is
> associated with the Federation, where the worse the bad guy, the
> more
> elaborate the meal
That's our heroes, living on stale macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles,
while everyone else stuffs their face. And people say the B7 crew is
short on nobility and self-sacrifice.
Hey, maybe they went after the kairopan because it was _edible_, the
Federation equivilant of truffles or something.
> 5. The Federation seems to provide more real job satisfaction to its
> members
> than the Rebellion, doesn't it? It's hard to recall many instances
> of crew
> members enjoying ANYTHING, of any kind, in any of the 52 episodes.
> -(Y)
>
Well, for three seasons, they got to explore the limitless clothes
supplies on Liberator. Funny how everyone fell apart once that little
joy in life was gone (new insight on what pushed everyone over the edge.
Avon just couldn't cope without the mummy suit [hey, we know he only wore
it to see what kind of reaction he'd get, it was all part of annoying
people to give his life meaning (don't know why the others did it)])
except for Soolin, who had endless hair supplies to keep her happy.
Ellynne
________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 19:55:40 +0100
From: "Andy Hopkinson" <andyrh@netcomuk.co.uk>
To: "Lysator" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Cc: "Judith Proctor" <Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
Subject: [B7L] BBC 2 Repeats Finished !
Message-ID: <000001bfb91f$01f32560$92e72ac2@andyrh>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
According to BBC Duty Officer, Blake's 7 has now finished it's repeat run,
inspite of the fact that the Radio Times has stated that Deliverance is part
1 of a two part story.
When this was pointed out to the BBC schedulers by us this morning they were
at a loss as to what was going on.
They appeared to be under the impression that season 1 was only 12 episodes
long.
As for the hoped for repeat of season 2, the Duty officer said that although
they were committed to showing all of season 1 (!?) there are no plans to
repeat the rest, due to poor ratings caused by the programme being moved up
an down schedules.
I really think (again) it would be a good idea if we ring up the BBC and
complain about the way the show has been treated, and insist that they keep
to their word by showing the last episode of season 1.
Make sure you give your name and ask that your complaint be sent to the
correct dept.
It's not just the film project that would be at stake, it also puts a little
money in the actors/writers pockets, as well as publicizing the show to much
wider audience.
08700 10022 ask for the Duty Officer.
Andy/Alan.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 16:33:47 -0400
From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Message-ID: <200005081634_MC2-A43A-AE7E@compuserve.com>
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charset=ISO-8859-1
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Nick Moffitt wrote:
>I think the show would have really benefited
>from a better soundtrack. Too many moments
>of suspense were ruined because they were
>shown in complete silence.
And I'm always complaining that TV/films wreck moments of suspense/tension
by drowning them in music when they'd be much more effective in silence.
It's not invariable - some music works - but you can't please all the
people all the time.
Harriet
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 16:33:37 -0400
From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] B7 and Shakespeare and Stuff
Message-ID: <200005081633_MC2-A43A-AE7C@compuserve.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Alison wrote:
>Surely Dayna is supposed to be Miranda, with Hal as
>Prospero, and the entire Sarran population as Caliban.
Though in some ways she's much more like Nausicaa, who finds Odysseus
washed up on the beach, rather fancies him though eventually nothing comes
of it (whereas Miranda and Ferdinand get married), and takes him home to
her father Alcinous, who is a _lot_ friendlier than Prospero. Oh yes, and
bad things happen to Alcinous's people as a result of helping Odysseus.
Then the Andromedan War could be the Trojan War, except that Odysseus gets
to wander for ten years in between.
Harriet
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 14:11:12 -0700
From: Nick Moffitt <nick@zork.net>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Duel soundtrack
Message-ID: <20000508141111.J3369@zork.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
begin Harriet Monkhouse quotation:
> And I'm always complaining that TV/films wreck moments of
> suspense/tension by drowning them in music when they'd be much more
> effective in silence. It's not invariable - some music works - but
> you can't please all the people all the time.
I agree that both hitchcock and serling knew how to use
silence well. However, I would have preferred more scenes like that
in Duel.
--
CrackMonkey.Org - Non-sequitur arguments and ad-hominem personal attacks
LinuxCabal.Org - Co-location facilities and meeting space
Pigdog.Org - The Online Handbook for Bad People of the Future
You are not entitled to your opinions.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 May 2000 00:42:47 -0600
From: Penny Dreadful <pennydreadful@powersurfr.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] FINALACT
Message-Id: <4.1.20000508151133.00931a70@mail.powersurfr.com>
Message-Id: <4.1.20000508151133.00931a70@mail.powersurfr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 08:18 AM 08/05/00 -0400, RCalla6725@aol.com wrote:
><< FINALACT >>
>
>Sorry, I'm lost. Could someone please tell me what this stands for? I gather
>it's some sort of debate over the new/old Travis.
"Foundation Invalidating Numerous Accusations Levelled Against Croucher's
Travis". We have God and Karaoke on our side.
>I've yet to see the new Travis, but an RSC actor vs. Brian Croucher? No
>contest, surely?
Indeed, no contest at all. Right, Jacqueline?
--
For A Dread Time, Call Penny:
http://members.tripod.com/~Penny_Dreadful/
--------------------------------
End of blakes7-d Digest V00 Issue #130
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