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story
Silas writes
"According to CNN, twenty years after NBC's hit sci-fi miniseries "V" invaded the small screen, the network is bringing the aliens back with "V: The Second Generation," a three-hour TV movie from the original creator Kenneth Johnson."
synopsis (Score:5, Informative)
Kenneth Johnson's brilliant 1983 mini-series takes Nazi Germany to a global scale. A group of aliens calling themselves "The Visitors" have come to Earth asking for aid for what they say is a peaceful mission. It doesn't take long for some humans to discover that they're really a race of lizard creatures intent on taking our water and using humans for food. After gaining public trust, the Visitors begin to seize control by manufacturing a conspiracy involving scientists who, like the Jews a half-century before, find themselves ostracized by the public and hunted.
Re:synopsis (Score:5, Interesting)
My wife and I have been joking about it forever.
I think this flash of the original would allow people to get "caught-up" on the story enough to enjoy the new story...
Otherwise, the first third of the new series is just going to have to introduce the viewers to the concept.
Bring back the original!
Davak
Re:synopsis (Score:5, Informative)
Re:synopsis (Score:3, Informative)
V the second generation? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:V the second generation? (Score:5, Funny)
Why has this not been modded up? (Score:3, Funny)
And for your list...
9. VD (The creeping crud)
Re:Why has this not been modded up? (Score:3, Funny)
... and to continue, when it comes out on disc, it'll be DVD - the "boxed" set! the Digital Venereal Disease...
I don't even what to think about what the bittorent SVCD / VCD will stand for :-)
Re:synopsis (Score:5, Funny)
How depressing is THAT ?
Re:synopsis (Score:3, Funny)
Re:synopsis recollections (Score:5, Insightful)
Timely and realistic (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyone notice how many "nazi" films are showing up on TV lately? Gee, you don't think that could have anything at all to do
V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:5, Interesting)
I was really interested when they had this news on Saturday. I remember that being a family event for my house.
I did quite a bit of googling and apparently the script will be set 20 years afterwards the last movie, BUT a new ally will come to help us. Rumors on several sites that claimed to be close to Johnson said another alien race that defeated the "lizards" will come to save us. Sort of like an "operation iRaqi Freedom" effort on a planetary scale. The "new aliens" will be like a United States of the Universe that everyone is jealous of for their immense technology and "morality" - I could see how it would make a good commentary, just as the original was good commentary about WWII.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:5, Funny)
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:2, Funny)
Daniel
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:5, Funny)
But after they "liberate" the Earth, will they have a hard time finding these so called "weapons of mass water depletion" and "bio-human McNugget processing" equipment that their leaders told the other planets in the federatoin? Will it turn out that the lizard race were simply a bunch of petty power hungry lamers who used their position to simply "live the good life" ignoring the well being of those they oppressed? Will they then speak harshly of the "bird race" that aided the lizard leaders and who themselves are suspected of harboring these water depletion devices?
Can't wait to find out (or not).
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:5, Insightful)
Hmm...didn't humans come up with some chemical compound that would kill the lizards? I thought we had already won.
That said, I'm really looking forward to it. I loved V...I just hope they don't spoil it.
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:4, Informative)
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:2)
I guess it never occured to the resistance to re-seed the southern regions...
Re:V: Operation Earth Freedom (Score:5, Funny)
I remember it being a big family event at my house too. I was watching it with my mom and two brothers and we were on the final episode. I was in the back of the room, my mom was in a chair in front of me on my left, my younger brother was lying on the couch in front of me on my right, and my older brother was lifting weights in the middle of the room while watching TV (why? I don't know). Well one of the clamps holding the weights had broken because my brother over-tightened it so he took off that clamp and then took off the other so that it was balanced. You can see what's coming.
During an extremely suspenseful moment, my older brother is standing there just holding the weights at chest level, eyes glued to the screen. The bar on the right slowly tips down to the right. My eyes are diverted from the TV screen by the weight which slides off the bar and "Bam!" right onto my younger brothers head.
"Oh, no!", my older brother cried and tilted the bar the other way causing a weight on the left to slide off and hit my mom's leg causing her to scream in pain. My older brother and I rush to my younger brother who has this dazed look on his face and is holding his head. He doesn't realize that his hand is filling up with blood. He looks at my older brother and says, "You dork" very softly. He then realized that his hand was all wet and pandemonium ensued.
As my family is rushing out the door to go to the hospital, I start arguing with my mom over whether I can stay and watch V. The argument didn't last long. I never did find out what happened.
Sigh!
I have been wanting to rent the whole series for the past 10 years to find out what I missed and if it's as enjoyable as I remember it, but it is too much of a commitment.
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Already overdone (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Already overdone (Score:2)
The strongest parts of the story (IMHO) involved the humans who helped the visitors in exchange for positions of power.
Re:Already overdone (Score:2, Informative)
However, as I understand it, the original creator was barely involved with the second series with the "superbaby" junk and pretty much disowned it, so there may be hope for a decent show.
What about the Red Dust? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What about the Red Dust? (Score:5, Informative)
So I doubt the red dust issue will even be a factor.
I guess I'm more of a geed than I thought...
Re:What about the Red Dust? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What about the Red Dust? (Score:3, Informative)
About the Red Dust (Score:3, Interesting)
Sad, huh. To be doomed to live a life in the tropics...
Re:What about the Red Dust? (Score:2, Interesting)
The Visitors probably will have learned how to synthesize the antidote the humans gave to the traitors.
Effects... (Score:3, Insightful)
Honestly, though, I think they'd do better to bring in John Doe or Firefly (hell, or even bab5) instead of redo'ing this old flick.
Re:Effects... Firefly (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Effects... Firefly (Score:2)
Sounds familiar... (Score:4, Funny)
Sounds suspiciously like V could have been predicting Microsoft's rise to power...I think I may go live in a cave
Let's see here... (Score:5, Funny)
V? Check
Next up: Man from Atlantis
Re:Let's see here... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Let's see here... (Score:2)
Right on! It's not like Patrick Duffy's got anything better to do.
What about Jason of Star Academy?
Superheroes are big - why not revive the Flash? Or Mantis? Or, better yet, Manimal!
Maybe a revival of an even older one - Space: 1999. Hmmm, there's a problem with the title of that one, though. Maybe Space: 2099? Probably not far enough off for a Moon base, though, considering our progress of late.
Have to agree about ... (Score:3, Funny)
Bring back "Quark"! What's been happening to the garbage scow Quark and it's captain Adam Quark all these years? What about Betty I and Betty II, Andy the Android and The Head? The people want to know!
Re:Quark (Score:2)
Then there's the 90's crap - Viper, Street Hawk, etc. I sure liked that motorcycle.
Honestly, I'll be happy if the re-up Black Sash. Hot young babes doing martial arts - what more could you ask for?
Re:Let's see here... (Score:4, Informative)
Plot? (Score:2, Funny)
I just wonder if, in this sequel, the humans will be looking for some Weapons of Mass Destruction.....
Re:Plot? (Score:2)
IIRC, in the sequel "V-The Final Battle" humans defeated the Visitors with biological weapons.
It was good at the time (Score:2)
But IMO the show really jumped the shark when the writer/producers started exploring the "magical child" plotline. Heh--seems as if many a show has already passed its peak with the introduction of an infant.
Oh man (Score:2)
Daniel
Will Michael Ironside be available? (Score:2)
After seeing a great deal of his work, ... (Score:2)
Re:Will Michael Ironside be available? (Score:2)
Working title... (Score:3, Funny)
Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom (Score:5, Informative)
That was Blair Tefkin [imdb.com], not Molly Ringwald. And that magical visitor kid ending ruined the entire series for me. I'd prefer that they leave it alone.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom (Score:5, Funny)
Why, a nice Chianti, of course!
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom (Score:3, Funny)
Something like that I think.
Though there probably wasn't enough of him to save leftovers.
Re:Bring back Molly Ringwald as the V-mom (Score:3, Funny)
IIRC, Chianti, with a side of fava beans...
Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever? (Score:4, Interesting)
The plot: Aliens come to the earth to steal our water
This is incredibly silly: if they want water, they could simply get it from Europa, or no doubt many places in their own solar system: hydrogen and oxygen aren't exactly rare elements, and if oxygen was rare there, life wouldn't have evolved there anyway.
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever? (Score:2)
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever? (Score:2)
And don't forget, the Visitors were carnivores. Any carnivore intelligence is going to think of solutions to food problems differently than omnivores like us would. We see "not enough food" and think "grow more", they see "not enough food" and think "catch more."
It wasn't just the water, dummy! (Score:5, Funny)
C'mon. Visitors need their morning venti latte goodness too. Selfish human!
Re:Is this the worst TV skiffy program ever? (Score:3, Interesting)
. . .and if oxygen was rare there, life wouldn't have evolved there anyway.
Animal life evolved on earth despite the presence of an oxygen atmosphere, not because of it. Prior to that, oxygen was just a corrosive by-product of photosynthesis. Even now, there're far more anoxic lifeforms on Earth than there are lifeforms that require molecular oxygen to live. . . probably by about 10:1 or so.
Re:Nope! - Is this the worst TV skiffy program eve (Score:2)
Thanks for bringing that back. I had worked hard to blank it out.
History Repeats itself (Score:4, Funny)
Who's with me? (Score:2, Informative)
IIRC, the book made for excellent 14 year old boy reading...
Decisions, Decisions. (Score:2)
The quality of entertainment coming out of Hollywood never ceases to amaze me.
Dolemite
___________________
If they are smart... (Score:2)
Actually, this has the potential to be the kickass knock down drag out fight to save
Me at 10 yrs old: (Score:2)
I was about 10 years old when the first series aired, and by today's standards it's pretty tame, but the 'alien eats a live mouse' scene is still pretty vivid in my mind. (It was also the focus of many a playground discussion. I don't remember if "radical" was the hip lingo at the time, though.) I'm hoping the new version keeps the mouse-eating around.
TV - Series that never happened (Score:3, Informative)
Of course a whole new batch of hotties are going to have to be brought in since the old hotties are pushing 50. And of course the good thing is it also means costume redesigns
Did "V" rip-off "Childhood's End"? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Did "V" rip-off "Childhood's End"? (Score:3, Informative)
I suppose you could call it apocalyptic... but I wouldn't really.
And while it's been a long time since I read CE, I don't think they were reptilian.
Saying more gives away far too much to anyone who hasn't read it... and it's a very worthwhile read.
"Childhood's End" - Early Singularity Fable (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually I think the wonderful and majestic Childhood's End was one of the early modern-form Singularity eschataological-themed science fiction books.
Current technological eschatology extensively uses the fictional device of runaway information technology leading to computerised transcendence. In Childhood's End, the theme was that all advanced dominant planetary species throughout the galaxy (except t
British miners strike (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:British miners strike (Score:2, Informative)
Re:British miners strike (Score:5, Interesting)
oopsie.
I wonder if there'll be more mouse-eating... (Score:2, Interesting)
V2? (Score:2, Funny)
The lizard baby birth scene (Score:2, Funny)
I recently saw that episode again with my wife and could not stop laughing at how funny the little doll looked when that little plastic tongue popped out and wiggled back and forth.
I can't wait to check this out.
Are there really no new ideas? (Score:2)
At the time there were three TV channels, and two of which were showing the olympics, it was the only safe refuge for anyone who really didn't give a shit about gold medals!
20 years ago? (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know . . . a lot has changed . . . (Score:2)
Wow V.. now I feel old (Score:5, Insightful)
Malice
No, it was from 'They Live' (Score:3, Informative)
I think that was from the movie 'They Live', not 'V'. 'They Live' (a John Carpenter film) was a much better alien invasion movie IMHO.
Mousey (Score:2)
Never trust your memory (Score:3, Insightful)
I plan to just enjoy the memory.
Oh, my lunch! (Score:5, Insightful)
Okay, V was an 'okay' show - just okay. I have a fundamental problem with their story premise that I just can't muster enough suspension of disbelief [everything2.com] to swallow.
They come to Earth for two reasons:
Kinda reminds me of the pong gag on the Simpson's halloween special a few years back. "All species who have mastered inter-galactic travel raise their tentacles."
You be overlookin' the obvious (Score:4, Funny)
Y'all's overlookin' the obvious. "They" don't come here for our resources. They come for our women.
However, if we geeks were to defend the Earth against a large gaggle of female-snatching aliens from the planet Zod, the Zodders would make off with them before we knew what hit us.
Worse, the women would take one look at us (or at the back our Slashdot-reading heads) and go willingly for a little Zodomy.
(I don't know what got into me on that post. I really don't.)
Cheers,
Ethelred
Hope they don't "teen-a-cize" it (Score:2)
If they handle it like the Alien Nation movies, then I'll be happy, since those stayed true to what had been setup in the series.
-David
Worst Thomas Pynchon Adaptation Ever! (Score:4, Funny)
the humans are terrorists! (Score:5, Insightful)
now, everyone together: "no blood for water!"
So... (Score:5, Funny)
Watching her slowly eat that mouse, just wishing that some part of me were...
Sorry, I'll be right back.
-Goran
Re:Great Series - NOT (Score:3, Insightful)
Guess that's why so many people watched it -
Re:Great Series - NOT (Score:2, Insightful)
Um. Dude, you do know that "V" was originally written as the story of the German invasion of Austria, right? The bit about space aliens was only changed in the next-to-the-last draft of the screenplay or something.
And as for the opening premise being "ripped off," Clarke has himself said that he took the opening image of Childhood's End from any number of "ear
Re:Great Series - NOT (Score:2)
Re:Great Series - NOT (Score:2)
Re:childhood's end? (Score:2)
Someone please do Roger Zelazny's "Creatures Of Light And Darkness". Now that would be a trippy miniseries, although the religious types would not be very pleased with the ending.
naming conventions (Score:2)
Either that or V++.
Now, between this sequel and catching the other half of that Buck Rogers 2-parter I missed when it first aired things are looking up in the esoteric 80's sci-fi TV department. Now I just need Automan [tvtome.com], Manimal, and The Phoenix [tvtome.com], and I'm all set.
Re:naming conventions (Score:3, Funny)
Re:PC or not PC (Score:2)
Heh, good one. Its coming out of Hollywood, you know. Not much chance of it being anything but politically correct.
Software glitches of the future (Score:5, Funny)
You mean "BIDI-BIDI-BIDI <obvious comment>, Buck!".
By the 25th century, medical knowledge will have advanced so much that humans will no longer have speech impediments. OTOH, comp sci advances will make robots so humanlike they'll start developing them.
How does a bug like that get out of QA without being caught? Should the vendor be sued? Can a patch be issued? Is Twiki running windows 2491?
Re:Heh. (Score:2, Funny)
Does Erin Grey count? I know she's not technically an alien, but I don't think any human woman could have squeezed into those outfits, either.
Re:Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it... (Score:4, Informative)
They fabricated a conspiracy in the scientific community, making those in power treat scientists (and later on, anyone related to or in contact with scientist) as criminals, paralelling the way the Nazi's made the german society mistrust the Jews.
They also made sure to control the mass media early on, telling their version of events (paralelling Goebbels quote "If you tell a big enough Lie, and keep on repeating it, in the end people will come to believe it")
Later on, scientists and other visitor enemies were placed in labour camps, which was in reality genocide camps, another paralell.
The visitor friends program was an obvious Hitlerjugend paralell.
In other aspect (such as the human informants), it more resembled East europe communism.
Re:Nazis? Huh? I just don't see it... (Score:4, Informative)
The parallels are so blatant and in your face that it at some points it really disturbs the story, but I guess that's the point.
Yes, you are right, the lizards wanted humans for food, while the Nazis wanted racial purity and power, but it both amounts to a fundamental disrespect for other sentient beings - all of humanity in the case of the lizards, and "just" all non-germanic people and all in political opposition or anyone who for any other reason didn't fit into the Nazi ideal in the case of the Nazis.
Without some twists, there would have been no point making it as a sci fi series instead of making yet another series about the war.