What was the goofiest act break?

[Cyke101]

Unfortunately, I have very little trouble believing that was the rationale discussed in a board room meeting.

"And since we're not going to allow Enterprise to have an episode longer than 39 minutes, EVER, we might as well cut time out of every segment."

John Billingsley told a convention audience about the 39 minute mandate at his first visit there, in answer to a question about why the episodes seemed so short, and had no B stories.

Thing is, Enterprise was the same length as every other TV show airing in one hour time slots back then. They all managed to make their teasers count, even the ones which still did opening credits.

As true and correct as that may be, I'm still pretty furious about that 39 min. mandate for shows across the board. In the middle of the episode for some shows, there's a 3 minute stretch of actual show between commercial breaks (timed via DVR). But then that's a complaint for a different thread altogetehr.

They should make TV a fully interactive experience, with shaking chairs and other physical sensations, and water to simulate rain, odor sprays (smell-o-vision?), etc.

Kor

The first time I watched John Carpenter's THE THING in a theater, the bottom of my large soda cup tore open, spilling cold ice and Coke into my lap.

Never has horror been more chilling . . . .

Did you get so scared that you squeezed your large soda cup? Seeing as how it's THE THING, that is a completely, totally justified and wholly natural response!

 

[Greg Cox]

They should make TV a fully interactive experience, with shaking chairs and other physical sensations, and water to simulate rain, odor sprays (smell-o-vision?), etc.

Kor

The first time I watched John Carpenter's THE THING in a theater, the bottom of my large soda cup tore open, spilling cold ice and Coke into my lap.

Never has horror been more chilling . . . .

Did you get so scared that you squeezed your large soda cup? Seeing as how it's THE THING, that is a completely, totally justified and wholly natural response!

That's entirely possible.

I gasped and shuddered for more reasons than one . . ..

 

[martok2112]

I do remember when I watched "Air Force One" on the big screen, the scene where the F-15's from Rammstein are racing to AF1's aid, I felt this ... fury... the fury of Air Force pilots rushing to the aid of the Commander in Chief... and I crushed a perfectly good box of Raisinets in my hand. I can't remember ever having had that kind of reaction before or since.

 

[Nebusj]

Hmm . . . life imitating art? "We bring you the suspenseful air of a sudden power cut to the Enterprise--all in the comfort of your very own home."

So, this happened when I was watching the campus screening of Apollo 13, back in the 90s. They had got to the re-entry scene, the Command Module hurtling through fire and flame, no character certain that there wasn't a crack that might doom the whole crew to burn up, seconds away from home. The capsule is shaken harder and harder, the flames around the Command Module greater and more intense. And then ...

The film snapped [1]. The screen was a perfect, unbroken white, to silence. It almost looked as if they had just burned up. It couldn't have been timed better. If there were Academy Awards for Accidental Editing By Snapping Film this would have won. After a couple seconds the audience giggled nervously and the projectionist [2] got things back together.


[1] If your parents won't explain: this was like when your browser crashes mid-video, only without the digital squeal and screen full of random pixels.

[2] Kind of like a board moderator, but in a tiny room in back where it's impossible to hear people yelling that the movie is out of focus.

 

[martok2112]

Hmm . . . life imitating art? "We bring you the suspenseful air of a sudden power cut to the Enterprise--all in the comfort of your very own home."

So, this happened when I was watching the campus screening of Apollo 13, back in the 90s. They had got to the re-entry scene, the Command Module hurtling through fire and flame, no character certain that there wasn't a crack that might doom the whole crew to burn up, seconds away from home. The capsule is shaken harder and harder, the flames around the Command Module greater and more intense. And then ...

The film snapped [1]. The screen was a perfect, unbroken white, to silence. It almost looked as if they had just burned up. It couldn't have been timed better. If there were Academy Awards for Accidental Editing By Snapping Film this would have won. After a couple seconds the audience giggled nervously and the projectionist [2] got things back together.


[1] If your parents won't explain: this was like when your browser crashes mid-video, only without the digital squeal and screen full of random pixels.

[2] Kind of like a board moderator, but in a tiny room in back where it's impossible to hear people yelling that the movie is out of focus.

I would've loved to have been there for that!

 

[Drone]

I would humbly suggest the opening to Warlord. It has the added benefit of seeming incredibly ludicrous to whatever the plot would turn out to be, but for some viewers it added the horror element by fading out on the image of Neelix's dancing feet.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I was not aware of many of these, as I only watched VOY and ENT sporadically.

 

[Drone]

I do remember when I watched "Air Force One" on the big screen, the scene where the F-15's from Rammstein are racing to AF1's aid, I felt this ... fury... the fury of Air Force pilots rushing to the aid of the Commander in Chief... and I crushed a perfectly good box of Raisinets in my hand. I can't remember ever having had that kind of reaction before or since.

I would expand that feeling to the sequence, just a little later, when one of F-15 pilots moves in to prevent AF1 taking a hit, like Eastwood in In The Line of Fire. That unquestioned selflessness and conviction of mission was very bracing and moving.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

I do remember when I watched "Air Force One" on the big screen, the scene where the F-15's from Rammstein are racing to AF1's aid, I felt this ... fury... the fury of Air Force pilots rushing to the aid of the Commander in Chief... and I crushed a perfectly good box of Raisinets in my hand. I can't remember ever having had that kind of reaction before or since.

I would expand that feeling to the sequence, just a little later, when one of F-15 pilots moves in to prevent AF1 taking a hit, like Eastwood in In The Line of Fire. That unquestioned selflessness and conviction of mission was very bracing and moving.

Bracing, Drone? How so?

I'm thinking you should see this if you haven't already:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/plane

It moved me to tears, and yes, there is a Trek connection, and no, I'm not going to spoil it.

 

[drt]

The very first time I saw TOS "Tomorrow is Yesterday" in the early 70's. I mistook the teaser as a commercial for the US Air Force. there's klaxons blaring while pilots rush to their planes. Followed by fighters taking off loaded with missiles. Only to end with a picture of the USS Enterprise climbing through the clouds.

Heh, I had a similar experience, raced home after school to catch my favorite show and was disappointed/angry to find what appeared to be a war movie was on instead.