The Trouble with Quibbles

[urbandk]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture:
If you love something, they will remake it.
But if you really love it, you will set it free, and let them.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

But if you really love it, you will set it free, and let them.

That's true with most things.

 

[Carpe Occasio]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture

That's why most didn't like (or at leat they claim they didn't like) Enterprise. I liked it and still watch it in reruns.

 

[miraclefan]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture

That's why most didn't like (or at leat they claim they didn't like) Enterprise. I liked it and still watch it in reruns.

I still watch it too, and wish we had more episodes. DAMN YOU TREKKIES!!!!

 

[Brent]

I'm ok with change. Trek has been very good for the last 40 years. I'm willing to let it evolve and continue being even more awesome.

 

[Carpe Occasio]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

That's why most didn't like (or at leat they claim they didn't like) Enterprise. I liked it and still watch it in reruns.

I still watch it too, and wish we had more episodes. DAMN YOU TREKKIES!!!!

Despite its flaws it had some good "canon" episodes dealing with the prime directive, etc, and it had good character interaction. And I've said many times on other forums, new Enterprise episodes was better than no new Star Trek.

 

[Jeri]

The sheer amount of verbage being written about this movie is amazing. All kinds of people are seriously thinking about it. My home town paper even had an editorial.

 

[Small White Car]

First off, I love the Post essay. Agreed with the whole thing.

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture

That's why most didn't like (or at leat they claim they didn't like) Enterprise. I liked it and still watch it in reruns.

No, I didn't like Enterprise because the creators talked SO much about being faithful, and then they went out of their way to show us they were lying again and again and again.

That sucked.

The new film, on the other hand, actually comes right out and says we're changing everything right in the darned movie! That's honest. That's bold. And that's what allowed me to love this film while I disliked Enterprise.

 

[iconoclast]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture

That's why most didn't like (or at leat they claim they didn't like) Enterprise. I liked it and still watch it in reruns.

Actually, horrible writing and wooden acting is reason I and many others didn't like Enterprise. But I really enjoyed Star Trek XI

 

[Amaris]

I gained three favorite characters from ENT. Phlox, Shran and Trip. Love them.
If there was nothing else I gleaned from ENT, at least I found them.

J.

 

[Eddie Roth]

All the church words and metaphors people come up with to describe blockbusters and devoted fandom apply: Is it faithful? Will I feel betrayed? Is it canon? Will I still believe? Summertime filmmaking is church now. Pity the producers, directors, screenwriters and actors who take on a science-fiction or fantasy project and must first make an appearance at Comic-Con or some such convention-center cathedral gathering, so as to genuflect before fans of the older version, the classic comic or the original TV show.

Oh so true. A great analogy.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture:
If you love something, they will remake it.
But if you really love it, you will set it free, and let them.

But one is then free to judge the re-make on its merits, as one would judge any entertainment on its merits. I happen to like this movie a lot but I plainly see the many things (and they are hardly quibbles) that will keep many people who love TOS from liking this.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Finally read this article. It's fucking brilliant. I wish I had the detachment (and, uh, skill) to have written it.

 

[El Chupacabra]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture:
If you love something, they will remake it.
But if you really love it, you will set it free, and let them.

But one is then free to judge the re-make on its merits, as one would judge any entertainment on its merits. I happen to like this movie a lot but I plainly see the many things (and they are hardly quibbles) that will keep many people who love TOS from liking this.

At least someone can respect those of us with lukewarm feelings...

...good on you sir.

 

[Garth Rockett]

Article in the Washington Post on fans.

Quibblers would have kept "Star Trek" more like its old self. Quibblers inhibit revolution. Quibblers would deny the basic law of forward motion in pop culture:
If you love something, they will remake it.
But if you really love it, you will set it free, and let them.

But one is then free to judge the re-make on its merits, as one would judge any entertainment on its merits. I happen to like this movie a lot but I plainly see the many things (and they are hardly quibbles) that will keep many people who love TOS from liking this.

I agree. I liked the movie and have recommended to many non-fans, but it's not a perfect film, and just because someone was a fan of the old Trek doesn't disqualify them from stating what they didn't like about the new movie. Some of us were willing to let go, and just because I give the film a B+ instead of an A doesn't mean I'm against forward motion.

The article does make a good point on filmmakers trying to appease the fans before completing a new project. I think it's fine to listen to fan input on the chance it might yield a good idea or two, but they shouldn't be beholden to it. The bottom line is they're professional filmmakers and we aren't, so they should follow their own instincts. The producers of Star Trek listened to their own instincts, and I'm pleased with the results.

 

[Overgeeked]

That is a good article.

One thing I would point out though, is that if the creative types were really interested in forward motion, they'd simply create something new instead of rehashing the old.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Now that I've read the piece, the salient bits seem more about our society's need to re-make/re-model every piece of pop culture detritus until Doomsday. Star Trek finally got the Dukes of Hazard, Starsky & Hutch, I Spy, Bewitched, Get Smart, Charlie's Angels (ad infinitum, ad nauseam) treatment that the strict continuation of the previous movies had precluded (the alternate time-line stuff and Spocktimus Prime are fig leaves--this is a reboot) and I think it's... fascinating.

Anyway, my Star Trek's really not dead as long as I remember it. When I came out of that theatre, I felt... young.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

That is a good article.

One thing I would point out though, is that if the creative types were really interested in forward motion, they'd simply create something new instead of rehashing the old.

This old stuff is quite a bit newer than the last two or three bits of new Trek, which was all too old.