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Post by primsong on Jan 31, 2012 3:43:37 GMT
I looked around for a thread for the Silurian/ Sea Devil variety and noted they didn't have one, so it seemed a good thing to fix. Besides, we just re-watched The Sea Devils last night and I was reminded all over again how much fun the original ones were with their bulbous fish-eyes and crocheted gowns, as well as how much I disliked the NuWho version, especially the 'sexy' one. This led to a discussion by Starflower and I about how ridiculous it was to have a Sexy Silurian... if they are reptiles, we both pointed out almost simultaneously, there is no need for mammary bodily parts as they would be egg-layers. This led to the conclusion that the only reason there was a 'figure' on the Sexy Silurians was because they were, in fact, about to lay two eggs. Now I totally want someone braver than I to write that in a fic... All that said, let's hear if for the Sea Devils in all their various labels, but especially for the kind that are distinctly non-human, inspire terrible musical scores and shoot people with flashing cds.
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Post by jjpor on Jan 31, 2012 20:45:44 GMT
That is an oversight on our part, isn't it? I think The Sea Devils is a great, entertaining story. It's one of those middle-period Three stories where objectively they might not actually be that good, but with Jo and the Master and (not in this instance, but usually) the UNIT gang, they're just enormous fun. And you know, Three-Master swordfights with added sandwich eating - worth the price of admission alone. ;D And then of course there's the original ...and The Silurians, with its serious Season 7 stylings and the Brig showing his ruthless streak and most of all the Silurians themselves, who are great creations. I completely agree re the NuWho versions, btw - not only did I not think the story they were in was much cop, but I think a lot was lost by trying to make them more expressive and human-like and, as you say, "sexy". But yes, the fact that the original Silurians were so inhuman in appearance and yet managed to be people too was greatly to the old series's credit. Not so much in the case of the newer effort... And "Homo reptilia"?! I know the Doctor just makes stuff up (cf. the original Silurians/Eocenes dodginess) as he goes along, but that's scientifically illiterate! Shame on you, Chibnall. I now have an unfortunate mental image of Team Torchwood conducting some sort of impromptu autopsy on an unfortunate new-series Silurian: Owen: "And these appear to be twin subcutaneous egg sacs..." Jack: "(insert leering double entendre here)". Urrgh...!
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Post by primsong on Feb 3, 2012 1:38:35 GMT
Oh gag...please, noooo....!
I'm finding I really like it when the writers and designers of the show take the trouble to make good NON-human races. It's too easy to just stick pieces of foam on someone's head ala Klingons et al, or just make someone green. Not that I'm condoning the use of badly made giant bees flying in on visible stage wires, but at least it was imaginative. (Hey, did I just say something nice about Web Planet? Wonders never cease.)
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Post by aquabluejay on Feb 3, 2012 3:05:11 GMT
I really think the show could use more amorphous tentacle monsters. What else is all that CGI good for if not that? XD
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Post by jjpor on Feb 8, 2012 20:58:57 GMT
Can't post this directly on DbyA without breaking the 50 most recent posts due to the image size, but today was a slow day and I felt moved to pay homage to everybody's favourite "sort-of turtles in string vests": jjpor.livejournal.com/91717.html
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Post by magnusgreel on Feb 12, 2012 0:10:32 GMT
I think what we all miss is DW done as science fiction. Now, I think the prevalent attitude is that it's all just passing, diverting entertainment, sense is irrelevant because it will all be over in an hour... and also that things should be "normalized" and sexualized (I'm using lots and lots of non-words, I realize), in the name of mass-entertainment. What, make aliens look as if they might really be aliens? Only "geeks" would want that supposedly... Shapely reptiles, that's what the public wants. And aliens in 20th/21st century Earth clothes even though they might never have heard of Earth, so they look "normal"... I LOLed at the twin egg sac idea, primrose.
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Post by jjpor on Feb 12, 2012 20:22:26 GMT
I think you're right, Magnus. There's a deep reluctance in the new series since it's beginning actually to challenge the audience with the new or the strange (beyond gee-whiz special effects etc). And as you say, a tendency to frame even supposedly far-future or extraterrestrial settings in terms of present-day pop culture, fashions, social attitudes etc. I think that's one of the noteworthy things about old Who, the way they were always trying to push those sorts of boundaries within the limits of their budgets, leading to some really interesting and, as you say, logical and scientifically rigorous design choices. I mean, there are exceptions. I like the design of the Ood, for instance, even if they are kind of rehashed Sensorites. But "sexy" Silurians...
I don't suppose it's a tendency limited to new Who, though - witness the film Avatar, where you had a whole planet full of extremely outlandish and, dare I say, evolutionarily consistent life forms...and the suspiciously humanoid sapient inhabitants, who stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the other products of their biosphere, but presumably deliberately so because it was deemed the popcorn-buying public wouldn't be able to "identify" with too-alien aliens (even with a "Mighty Whitey" human character helping them out)...
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Post by Maggadin on Feb 13, 2012 1:32:08 GMT
and also that things should be "normalized" and sexualized YEP. Pretty much one of the gists of this essay I wrote!
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Post by jjpor on Feb 13, 2012 21:55:57 GMT
and also that things should be "normalized" and sexualized YEP. Pretty much one of the gists of this essay I wrote! Which I will read, I promise.
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Post by Maggadin on Feb 17, 2012 11:28:38 GMT
Heh, I wasn't trying to pimp it. ;D
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Post by magnusgreel on Feb 17, 2012 20:43:59 GMT
Heh, I wasn't trying to pimp it. ;D Nevertheless Maggadin, you succeeded admirably. Where might I find this article?
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Post by Maggadin on Feb 17, 2012 21:12:07 GMT
Not an article, Magnus, but an essay I did for a module of mine. I basically wrote it in three days, so it's a bit messy and far from as good as I'd like it to be. If you want to, however, I can send it to you?
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Post by magnusgreel on Feb 18, 2012 0:41:30 GMT
Not an article, Magnus, but an essay I did for a module of mine. I basically wrote it in three days, so it's a bit messy and far from as good as I'd like it to be. If you want to, however, I can send it to you? You bet your Cluster you can. You did it for a module of yours? Oh you kids and your lingo, you have a language all your own. I'm in an odd mood, clearly. E-mail addr coming, thanks.
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