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Sci-Fi Star Wars Prequels NASA Space

Virtual Comic-Con Includes Trailers For 'Blade Runner' Series, 'Dune' Movie - and NASA Panels (space.com) 71

Comic-Con went virtual again in 2020. (San Diego businesses will miss the chance to profit from the 100,000 visitors the convention usually attracted.) And NPR reports the convention has gotten smaller in other ways: Both Marvel Studios and DC are staying away; as it did last year, DC is again directing its resources towards its own event, DC FanDome, set for mid-October. But fans of shows like Doctor Who, Dexter and Comic-Con stalwart The Walking Dead will have lots to look forward to.
Rotten Tomatoes and The Verge have gathered up the trailers that did premier. Some of the highlights:

But interestingly, one of the more visibile presenters was: NASA. Current and former NASA officials made appearances on several different panels, according to Space.com, including one on modern space law, U.N. treaty-making, and how it all stacks up against the portrayal we get in our various future-space franchises. And a former NASA astronaut was also part of a panel touting a virtual simulation platform, "where students can have access to the same tools that professionals use and in the case of space are given the opportunity to solve real problems related to missions to our Moon, Mars, and beyond... from piloting to terra-forming to creating habitats and spacecraft."

There was also a panel of four NASA engineers titled "No Tow Trucks Beyond Mars," on "how we go boldly where there's no one around to fix it. Hear stories from the trenches of the heartbreaks, close calls, and adventures of real-life landing (and flying!) on Mars and our round-table discussion of what Netflix got right in their movie Stowaway."

Sunday's panels will include an astronomer, an astrobiologist, and a geologist/paleontologist discussing "The Science of Star Wars" with the concept designer for Star Wars episodes 7-9, Rogue One, and Solo.


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Virtual Comic-Con Includes Trailers For 'Blade Runner' Series, 'Dune' Movie - and NASA Panels

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  • by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @06:55AM (#61618151)

    It really doesn't make me want to watch it. It's clearly another boring action movie with too much background music and ultra-predictable plot lines. The original Lynch movie wasn't much to write home about, but at least it had something different and original, and wasn't yet another Marvel-esque bromide set in another franchise universe.

    I really wish Jodorowski had gotten around to making his own [wikipedia.org] Dune movie. Now *that* would have been something spectacular...

    • by SkonkersBeDonkers ( 6780818 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @08:01AM (#61618259)

      Dune is too big for a movie, it needs a prestige TV series.

      And/or series that are set in the Dune universe but not actual adaptations of the books, that could be awesome too.

      • "Dune is too big for a movie, it needs a prestige TV series."

        it was also too big for a pocket.

      • Dune does not work in a movie format. A lot of it is told in inner monologue and character reactions to events rather than watching events happen. That is really, really hard to do in a movie.

        Can you imagine the 5th book as a movie?

    • It really doesn't make me want to watch it. It's clearly another boring action movie with too much background music and ultra-predictable plot lines.

      Thank you. Happened to see the trailer the other day and thought what they showed was shit. Flat acting, over-cgied scenes, too much music (too many notes to use the vernacular).

      A movie for Dune (having never read the books) needs to be like Blade Runner 2049. If you saw that movie you'll understand how little dialog (and music) can be so powerful. You do no

      • Dune has the problem of needing to make the audience sympathize with Paul and hate his family's enemies, while understanding that the entire human species would be much better off if he just died immediately instead of persevering. It's a hard problem, and it needs to really hit you emotionally at the appropriate points.
        • I know people harp on the Kyle McLaughlin/Sting/Patrick Stewart version for not getting the flying vehicles right and some other tidbits, but compared to the later William Hurt version, it was like watching a well produced Hollywood movie compared to something someone produced in their basement with their neighbor's help.

          This current version doesn't look any better. Not that I would see it anyway. I can't think of a single movie I wanted to see in the last decade or so. It's all crap (in my opinion).

          • That's the film which ends with the happy ending where the greatest tyrant ever takes the thrown and begins his species-wide crusade. It's not a happy ending. The book can include Paul's thoughts as he tries to find a way to both get what he wants, and not unleash too much death and terror on the universe, and gets colder in his calculations as he gets older. A film has to invoke these feeling with music, lighting, scene composition. They have to get you to realize that the bad guys you're rooting against
          • by Jeremi ( 14640 )

            I can't think of a single movie I wanted to see in the last decade or so. It's all crap (in my opinion).

            Heh -- "tell us you're old without telling us you're old"

            Not that I disagree, being old and cynical myself -- but I think half of the problem is that by the time you've seen several decades' worth of movies, you're already familiar with all the tropes, so what would seem new and imaginative to fresh eyes looks like Yet Another Tedious Rehash of [earlier movies X, Y, and Z] to yours (and mine).

        • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

          They all have the exact same problem, too much nepotism and too many crappy writers. Then there is trying to make the content appealing to males and females at the same time, to testosterone and oestrogen at the same time, competition (action) and cooperation (drama) at the same time. The delusion of one content fits all, take it or leave, it (the greedy little dream, half as much content to appeal to twice as many people, yes, we just have to warp the minds to be like our crazy fuck head delusions), in the

        • by arctor ( 411306 )

          And in book two, Paul and his revolution is responsible for 60 billion deaths. (But actually in Frank's story, without Paul - or actually, his son, 'cos Paul chickens out, we go extinct.)

          What kills me is that Herbert's notes for book seven were never released. Instead, we got his son's absolute crap writing. And none of the final questions properly answered (such as where did the spice come from, Arrakis was once a water planet before the worms). IMHO, Frank's universe building trumps Tolkien's black and wh

        • Dune has the problem of needing to make the audience sympathize with Paul and hate his family's enemies, while understanding that the entire human species would be much better off if he just died immediately instead of persevering.

          You must have read different Dune books than I did. Paul's universe was a crucible that removed some of the dross on the way to making a better human.

          • That's what Paul & Son believe. The hubris is coming from the same man (well, boy) that initially just saw that him living any longer would bring untold misery and kept going anyway, also thinking that now that his vision aligns with his family's rule, he sees the inevitable future this time. In a story that's ostensibly about the danger of heroes and great men, we accept that untold billions of humans had to be stifled for millennia because some great men with awesome powers insist it was necessary th
      • by arctor ( 411306 )

        That's the problem there...In Frank's universe, there's a lot of talking...so much blah, blah, blah. Everyone always needs to be giving a speech.

      • A movie for Dune (having never read the books) needs to be like Blade Runner 2049.

        If you've never read Dune then how can you say what it needs to be like? Blader Runner 2049 is a much different story than Dune.

        If you saw that movie you'll understand how little dialog (and music) can be so powerful.

        Officer K in Blade Runner 2049 is a replicant detective that does not need to speak much to do his job which is mainly "retiring" other replicants. Paul Atreides is the son of the Duke who has been since birth trained to take his father's place someday as leader of House Atreides. These are very different characters. I would imagine leading a royal family would require speaking a l

    • by mykepredko ( 40154 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @08:50AM (#61618349) Homepage

      The approach taken for both the Dune movies seems to be take a bunch of popular actors at the time of filming and just put them in a bunch of scenes with sand (and maybe a sandworm).

      In the new movie, there maybe some inspired choices (like Kenneth McMillian, Brad Douriff and Sting in the 1984 version), but I suspect there will be equally bad choices (I still cringe at Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck and Jose Ferrer as the emperor) - I like Dave Bautista but as the Beast Rabban or Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho? I guess the "woke" crowd will be happy with Sharon Duncan-Brewster but Liet Kynes is clearly not a woman in the book. Josh Brolin *might* be good as Gurney Halleck. But no Feyd Rautha (I guess nobody can overshadow Bautista as the big evil of the Harkonnen clan) is enough to keep me away.

      Of course "Dune" will be a big hit internationally and with people who would never consider opening a book so that means sequels down the road - just like "Starship Troopers", only worse.

      I never think of 1984's "Dune" as a David Lynch movie - I've always associated it with Dino De Laurentiis. I guess because at the time it was hyped as his movie.

      • "seems to be take a bunch of popular actors "

        It would be much cheaper to fake those too.

      • by skam240 ( 789197 )

        I guess the "woke" crowd will be happy with Sharon Duncan-Brewster but Liet Kynes is clearly not a woman in the book.

        Switching a few characters over to female isn't necessarily a "woke" move, it's likely just trying to make the film more appealing to ladies. Most old Sci Fi takes place in what is very much a mans world and the few female characters of prominence they might feature often arent written very well.

        In other words, I think it's likely that they switch genders on that character to make the flick more appealing to 50% of the population as opposed to any "woke" ideals. It's just good marketing.

        • by djinn6 ( 1868030 )

          Why would switching to female characters appeal to women specifically? Since when did men stopped wanting to look at beautiful women?

        • I guess you haven't read the book - it really isn't lacking for strong female characters (ie Jessica, Chani, the Reverend Mother, Princess Irulan, Harah even Shadout Mapes and I would include Paul's sister Alia even though... read the book).

        • > Most old Sci Fi takes place in what is very much a
          > mans world

          Yeah, but that's not the case in the Dune universe. Fremen women fought alongside, and just as well, as the men. While the Fremen might not have allowed a women to become a Naib, you can't claim that the Sayyadina were not extremely powerful and influential. Then, of course, there's the Bene Gesserit and the Fish Speakers. It's made quite clear that Jessica could easily bend Leto or even Hawat to her will with little effort, should sh

        • by arctor ( 411306 )

          Most old Sci Fi takes place in what is very much a mans world

          Then maybe it's time to retire some of the old sci-fi. I would much prefer to see Seven Eves made into a movie.

      • With the fun bit being that if there has ever been source material for a halfway decent "woke" film, it's this. Remember the premise? Some desert dwelling people sitting on top of the most sought after substance in the universe, with two sides vying for control of it, one of them very willing to just wipe out the desert people, one of them at least wanting to work with them?

        With Hollywood hellbent on making everything woke, how about finally making it a woke movie AND turning it into one that can actually b

        • With Hollywood hellbent on making everything woke, how about finally making it a woke movie AND turning it into one that can actually be made? I.e. tell the story from the Fremen point of view.

          I'd be okay with that, but remember that the Fremen were based on Arab/Islamic peoples and their culture. Do a search on "dune fremen arab" to see what I mean.

          I'm sure such a movie would be a big hit in some parts of the globe, but in the Western world? Probably not so much.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I wouldn't read too much into the trailer, they are often unrepresentative of the actual product.

        Like the He-Man teaser that was awesome but the show is a bit meh.

    • You might be right but I am optimistic about it since this is a passion project for Denis Villeneuve, apparently he has wanted to make an adaptation for a long time. He's also producing it and got it split into two parts which is probably still a bit crammed but tis isn't entirely a jaded Hollywood cash grab.

      I personally really enjoyed Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 was really quite well done, one of those films that was really much better than it had any right to be considering it's a sequel 30 years late

      • by arctor ( 411306 )

        one of those films that was really much better than it had any right to be considering it's a sequel 30 years late

        no, no, no, it was actually better than the original.

    • https://www.youtube.com/channe... [youtube.com] amazing, i really enjoyed. Tons of love to yall
  • by arglebargle_xiv ( 2212710 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @06:57AM (#61618153)
    Yeah, we already knew that, but what's it doing this year?
  • by arglebargle_xiv ( 2212710 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @07:00AM (#61618155)
    Gawd, ever since Jodorowski made the definitive version of this nothing else has even come close. What with H.R.Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Pink Floyd, Salvador Dali, Orson Welles, Mick Jagger, and more involved, nothing else can even come close to what he achieved.
    • Does Dune really need to be remade?

      • by arglebargle_xiv ( 2212710 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @07:50AM (#61618243)
        Hollywood thinks so. If they didn't keep either remaking existing movies or endlessly stringing along worn-out franchises, they'd actually have to come up with ideas for new ones.
      • If you look back on the past couple reboots, relaunches, refurbishing and rewhatever, can you honestly say that ANY movie really needed to be remade?

        Name one that was better than the original they cribbed from.

    • by Osgeld ( 1900440 )

      What with H.R.Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Pink Floyd, Salvador Dali, Orson Welles, Mick Jagger,

      I think I just threw up a little

  • by doconnor ( 134648 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @08:17AM (#61618277) Homepage

    Last season Lower Decks had a joke about ignorant people assuming all Starfleet ships are the Enterprise.

    The ship in Prodigy is called the USS Protostar.

  • by fudgefactor7 ( 581449 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @09:36AM (#61618401)
    Anime ruins everything it touches, so this will be crap.
    • by nagora ( 177841 )

      Anime ruins everything it touches, so this will be crap.

      Bladerunner 2049 wasn't anime, but it was crap.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Animated versions of live action shows are sometimes okay. The Real Ghostbusters was great.

      Tron Uprising was decent. Star Trek The Animated Series had it's moments.

    • by djinn6 ( 1868030 )

      This is not anime. It's 3D rendered crap, made by the same group of people who made that shitty 3D Ghost in the Shell series. Let's see if having Shinichirou Watanabe as creative director makes it any better, but I doubt it.

  • by groobly ( 6155920 ) on Sunday July 25, 2021 @11:21AM (#61618703)

    Can't these geniuses ever come up with anything new, and not just keep retreading stuff from the 60s?

    • by Anonymous Coward

      That would require intelligence and creativity, something Hollywood lacks.

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