Quality of Acting

[A beaker full of death]

When I was watching the show for the first time, I was surprised by how balanced the pacing of the show is (at least in the first season and part of the second season). Sometimes camera would linger for a lengthy period of time on an object while our protagonists stare intensively and silently (The Cobomite Maneurver for example) for minutes! Today many TV shows and movies are filled with loud explosions, non-stop actions and deafening soundtracks! Now I have nothing against big loud action films that are better than average such as Star Trek the new movie. I just hope more people can have the patience to sit through those silent scenes when nothing seems to happen, but tension gets built up little by little.

Hitchcock famously gave as an example of suspense a card game with a bomb under the table. You know the bomb is there... but not when it will go off. Watch some of his movies, and you'll often see someone on the run or hiding something, and the discomfort grows to sheer terror as he simply goes about his business, knowing that at any moment he could get caught. Have a look at the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode One More Mile to Go, if you get a chance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2uwXyKyegk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0-OFr1zQg&feature=related

After all, what is a plot without a buildup, an ultimate climax, and a denouement?

For example, Balance of Terror is one of my favorite episodes, not only because its war games remind me of one of my all time fave movie Das Boot (but hey, the movie came into existence after Star Trek)

It's widely thought to be based on The Enemy Below.

 

[jk82]

Hitchcock famously gave as an example of suspense a card game with a bomb under the table. Watch some of his movies, and you'll often see someone on the run or hiding something, and the discomfort grows to sheer terror as he simply goes about his business, knowing that at any moment he could get caught. Have a look at the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode One More Mile to Go, if you get a chance.

Hitchcock the master of suspense. Now you mentioned it, I saw two episodes from that series starring Mr. Shatner! I think more episodes are available on Hulu as well. Will definitely check out the episode you recommended.

After all, what is a plot without a buildup, an ultimate climax, and a denouement?

I thought it is fashion now to make a movie without any of these?

It's widely thought to be based on The Enemy Below.

Thank you. I didn't know that. I wonder if Enemy Below is as good as Das Boot.

 

[EEE]

I recently watched the entire original Star Trek series for the first time after it became available on Netflix in July. Previously I only sporadically watched a few DS9 episodes, and I did see the 2009 Star Trek movie, which I liked quite a bit.

As an original Star Trek viewer, I have to say that I personally think that DS9 is closest to the original, spiritually.
(Let's put it this way... if nothing else, the original and DS9 are the only two that I think I know the characters by the end of each series.)

Honestly I am not a trekkie

Oh, but now you officially are a Trekkie! You watched and appreciated the show and you posted on a Star Trek BBS! (You don't need to walk around with plastic pointed ears to be a "Trekkie")

But having finished watching the TOS, I must admit that this old TV series (to me it does not feel dated at all) is much much better and far more interesting than the recent movie

I cannot say how much this part means to me. I was starting to feel really old and dated (and yet I'm one of the youngest original viewing trekkies). I say the show holds up very well after more than two score years. And then my wife, kids and grandkids give "that" look. It seems that superior/higher intellects are not that common anymore, but still do crop up! *grin*

I got a big smile in Generations during the riding scene where Shatner delivered his lines while dancing his horse around Stewart, who stood perfectly still on his own horse. Symbolic of acting circles around the other guy.

Literally "ROFL!" (actually, I think Stewart is easily the best and most competent actor on the TNG cast)

I tend to agree with the idea that the puffing up of the "Gang of Four" as being stars of the show really comes from the convention circuit on. Granted they, including Nurse Chapel

Anybody who thinks Nurse Chapel was the fourth, has serious problems... but then again, I still maintain The Enterprise herself, was the fourth!

It's Balance of Terror) widely thought to be based on The Enemy Below.

Thank you. I didn't know that. I wonder if Enemy Below is as good as Das Boot.

You will not appreciate it after Das Boot... unless you can erase Das Boot from your mind, and pretend to watch it as if it was still 1957. ...the u-boat sets are literally a joke (even for 1957).

 

[Keith1701]

Hi all,
the quality of acting is just very good and amazing guys,
so keep posting and sharing about it guys.....

I agree with you.....

 

[A beaker full of death]

It's Balance of Terror) widely thought to be based on The Enemy Below.

Thank you. I didn't know that. I wonder if Enemy Below is as good as Das Boot.

You will not appreciate it after Das Boot... unless you can erase Das Boot from your mind, and pretend to watch it as if it was still 1957. ...the u-boat sets are literally a joke (even for 1957).

Since our friend seems to value what really matters in movies... I think he will appreciate it more than most.

 

[plynch]

To me, Voyager seems closest to TOS, because of the verve, and more tension among the characters than TNG (aside from the aberration that was Pulaski). Can't remember who posted above about TOS and DS9 being similar spiritually. I'm interested in your thoughts. Off to watch some TOS season one, now, however. Be well.

 

[Forbin]

To me, Voyager seems closest to TOS...

I... I...



I... my head...

 

[plynch]

TNG has a totally dif. feel: preachy '90s hotel in space. DS9 is shipboard soap opera (which I like fine btw). So it's between VOY and ENT which is more similar. VOY has strong b-a captain, so it wins in my head for most like TOS. Hence my query why somebody felt otherwise.

To quote Picard,
"You see, Data, we humans have this quality called curiosity, bla bla bla . . ."

 

[jk82]

Since our friend seems to value what really matters in movies... I think he will appreciate it more than most.

I hope you are right, other than the "he" part.

I cannot say how much this part means to me. I was starting to feel really old and dated (and yet I'm one of the youngest original viewing trekkies). I say the show holds up very well after more than two score years. And then my wife, kids and grandkids give "that" look. It seems that superior/higher intellects are not that common anymore, but still do crop up! *grin*

Many of Star Trek themes are still relevant today, so the series is not going to get old any time soon. The only problem it has is people’s perception of it being old (without ever seeing much of the show of course). I actually believe kids today are very smart, and they can absorb knowledge very fast. It’s just that they have so many distractions that it is hard for them to find time for certain things. In fact I had an interesting conversation with a 13-year-old today.

Me : Watching any good TV shows or movies recently?

Kid: Yeah! Glee!

Me: Gee.

Kid: Everybody watches it! (Turns to an innocent 11-year-old) Do you watch it?

Innocent 11-year-old: Yes! I love it!

Me: OK…I guess everybody indeed watches it. What else do you like then?

Kid: Twilight!

Me: Wait a minute. Twilight? Remember you talked to me about it for 2 hours once. I saw the movies afterwards. They are absolutely horrible.

(Since I am a lot older I might as well act like I am wiser. I want to instill great wisdom into the kid’s mind. Even though I myself just watched Star Trek like a month ago…)

Me: Want to watch something really great? How about Star Trek?

Kid: Ewww…Isn’t it like 14000 years old? The special effects are so bad (At least the kid has heard about Star Trek! )

Me : Well, it’s not dated at all. It’s a very good show. Believe me, it will teach you kids a lot of things that you don’t know about the world…

Kid: But we know A LOT MORE about the MODERN WORLD than you do!

Me: Huh? Like what?!

Kid: You don’t know much about Pokemon, right? We do!

(Shocked and awed, I had to gather myself to try another angle…)

Me: See the sushi I brought here? If you watch Star Trek, you can eat all of them!

Kid: Isn’t this like bribing? Bribing is BAD!

I was soundly defeated.

 

[EEE]

Me: See the sushi I brought here? If you watch Star Trek, you can eat all of them!

Kid: Isn’t this like bribing? Bribing is BAD!

I was soundly defeated.

Now I feel old again. In my day, that wouldn't be a bribe...

It would be a threat!

 

[jk82]

Now I feel old again. In my day, that wouldn't be a bribe...

It would be a threat!

LOL. Being around kids ranging from 10-months to 15-year-old sure can make one feel old. Then on the other hand, being around happy kids and happy dogs a lot can also make one feel young. So...

I am going through the ST movies now. I haven't seen any overacting from Mr. Shatner in the first two. Even the infamous "Khan...." shall not be considered as overacting, since he is obviously faking it to Khan. Sometimes people take things out of context too much. I am tired of seeing clips such as "worst fight ever"(the Gorn fight), "best acting from Mr. Shatner" (evil Captain Kirk, Khan shout etc.) that have gone viral on youtube. The fight against Gorn is not bad at all, since Kirk clearly acknowledges that despite Gorn’s lack of agility, there is still no way for him to beat Gorn without help due to Gorn’s superior strength. Why it became the "worst fight ever" remains a mystery to me. And how could evil Captain Kirk acting evil be presented as the best example of Mr. Shatner's acting ability? I mean of course we don’t have to take everything seriously, and we can poke fun at actors and contents of a show, but come on, please don’t make stuff up and then claim it’s true. It's very annoying.