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From: edward@ukecc.UUCP (Edward C. Bennett)
Newsgroups: net.tv,net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: AMAZING STORIES 11/3: The Mission
Message-ID: <315@ukecc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Nov-85 19:46:06 EST
Article-I.D.: ukecc.315
Posted: Thu Nov  7 19:46:06 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 22:13:41 EST
References: <1384@mtgzz.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Ky. Engineering Computing Center
Lines: 69
Xref: watmath net.tv:3510 net.sf-lovers:11048
Summary: Try a different viewpoint

In article <1384@mtgzz.UUCP>, ecl@mtgzz.UUCP (e.c.leeper) writes:
> 
> [ Summary of a short story deleted ] 
> 
> The point of all this is that life's a bitch (as they say) and sometimes there
> will be situations that can't have happy endings.  You can't spend all the
> money in your bank account and have more magically appear.  You can't keep
> dumping toxic waste and in your backyard and then wish it away.  YOU CAN'T
> LAND A BOMBER ON WISHES!!!  Godwin realized this and wrote a classic short
> story; Spielberg either doesn't realize this or (more likely) realizes that
> the public doesn't want to hear the unpleasant truth that sometimes there's
> no happy ending.  So he coddles them, tells them, "There, there, whatever
> you do, there will be some way to fix it up.  Just wish hard enough and
> everything bad will go away."
> 					Evelyn C. Leeper

	Lighten up Evelyn! You're attacking the story as you expect it to
be scientifically accurate. This isn't NOVA, this is fantasy. You seem to
be well read in science fiction and fantasy. Do you write angry letters
to the authors complaining that their ficticious worlds are scientifically
unfounded? Of course not! Remember reading fairy tales when you were younger?
Do little pigs really build houses out of straw? Of course not!

	This brings me to my next point, but read this first...

Alexander G. Burchell writes:
> Summary: One needs a willing suspension of disbelief.
> 
> You are missing the point.  The whole episode led up to that climax, and
> although I cannot claim that I guessed how it was going to end, after
> watching the ending I thought back to how this had been foreshadowed.  The
> ball-turret gunner (I forget his name unfortunately) had been depicted as
> one who has "got that old imagination".  He even said that he wanted to be a
> cartoonist for Disney.  And while it may have been a "cartoon ending", that
> again was the idea.  What was *the last thing* you would have expected?
> I'll bet that it's just what happened.

	I think we have all been missing the point. Amazing Stories isn't
supposed to be high-intellect science fiction. It's on TV, remember? It
has to be understandable by John Q. Public. More importantly, television
shows such as this must be understandable by, and entertaining to, *children*.
And what director has made his name largely on movies for/about children?
Steven Spielburg. Also, children aren't interested in 'drama'. They don't want
to hear about the world's problems, they want a happy ending. (If you want a
depressing ending, watch a Made-for-TV-tragedy-of-the-week. Gag!)
	What if you told "The Mission" (up to the climax) to a child, and then
asked them to suggest an ending? You might get something like..."Jonathan
could wish reeeal hard and make two great big wheels appear and the plane
could land and he would be alright". (Try saying that the way a 5 year old
would and you'll get my drift)
	That's what this show is all about. Imagination. Sure it's been
a bit dumb a times, but who said imagination was supposed to make sense?
I haven't asked any little kids what they thought about "The Mission",
but I would think (hope), remembering that they tend to have more free
imaginations, that they loved it.
	My point is this: I think that as we become more educated we lose
some of our sense of imagination. We become constrained by our knowledge
of what is, and more importantly what isn't possible. We've been looking
at Amazing Stories with the wrong eyes. Quit using the technology set
and use the imanginative pair and the stories are much more enjoyable.

-- 
Edward C. Bennett

UUCP: ihnp4!cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!edward

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