Today's movie marathon brought me enjoyment as well as reminded me how far movies have come in the past several decades. Overall, it has been a good birthday despite Janelle being stuck at work for nearly the entire day. Thank you, everyone who sent me well-wishes today (or in advance of today).
We had one small hitch when both dogs escaped during the confusion when our guests (and my two sons who had spent the night at their house) arrived. Thankfully, the escape took place near the very end of the first movie, and despite the dogs running far afield, we were able to catch them within about fifteen minutes. After that, everything fell back on schedule.
We had (and have) plenty of food. I always overestimate our needs for my marathons in both how many people are going to come and how much even I am willing to consume. On the bright side, we have plenty for any gatherings we might have over break.
Our guests stayed for the middle trilogy (II, III, and IV), and Trevor watched the entire run with me. Connor saw bits of II and IV (which he liked the best), V (which he liked a little), and VI (which he kind of liked). Rowen saw less than that, but said he liked the last movie.
As for the movies themselves, I was certainly reminded about the rule that evens were good while odds were lacking.
The Motion Picture, the first and longest movie in the series, is one of the dullest movies I can remember seeing. The entire plot and dialogue could fit in about 30 minutes, but the movie drags for nearly two hours longer than that. Most of it was made up of long model shots. There were hints of character development that just never went anywhere. Honestly, I'm surprised they ever made a second movie (let alone a series). At least they had the wonderful music that would become the theme of The Next Generation.
The Wrath of Kahn is simply one of the best science fiction movies ever made. The action, direction, humor, character development, music, and effects (some a little dated) all combine for an amazing experience. I'm especially impressed by references to two of my favorite classics (Moby Dick and A Tale of Two Cities) while never even mentioning the titles of the books, let alone explaining the significance of the quotes. They simply let good writing stand for itself.
The Search for Spock was not as bad as I remembered. In fact, I think this viewing is the most that I ever enjoyed watching it. Sure, the story is a bit ham-fisted, but there are some great scenes. However, I kept wondering what happened to Carol Marcus.
The Voyage Home is just a lot of fun. It was entertaining enough to draw the kids back to the movies and to keep them from asking how much longer the movies were going to take. That it predicted the development of transparent aluminum still shocks me.
The Final Frontier could be a case study in the concept of the anti-climax. There was a lot of potential in this film, all of which gets sucked out in the last half hour. Trivia on the movie indicates that strikes by teamsters and writers cut a lot of production and post-production short. It shows.
The Undiscovered Country is one of my favorites. It's a sci-fi murder mystery with clues scattered throughout that lead to a believable conclusion. It is also the only one of the films that starts with the Enterprise both in good shape and with an experienced crew.
In short, I enjoyed my birthday.
We had one small hitch when both dogs escaped during the confusion when our guests (and my two sons who had spent the night at their house) arrived. Thankfully, the escape took place near the very end of the first movie, and despite the dogs running far afield, we were able to catch them within about fifteen minutes. After that, everything fell back on schedule.
We had (and have) plenty of food. I always overestimate our needs for my marathons in both how many people are going to come and how much even I am willing to consume. On the bright side, we have plenty for any gatherings we might have over break.
Our guests stayed for the middle trilogy (II, III, and IV), and Trevor watched the entire run with me. Connor saw bits of II and IV (which he liked the best), V (which he liked a little), and VI (which he kind of liked). Rowen saw less than that, but said he liked the last movie.
As for the movies themselves, I was certainly reminded about the rule that evens were good while odds were lacking.
The Motion Picture, the first and longest movie in the series, is one of the dullest movies I can remember seeing. The entire plot and dialogue could fit in about 30 minutes, but the movie drags for nearly two hours longer than that. Most of it was made up of long model shots. There were hints of character development that just never went anywhere. Honestly, I'm surprised they ever made a second movie (let alone a series). At least they had the wonderful music that would become the theme of The Next Generation.
The Wrath of Kahn is simply one of the best science fiction movies ever made. The action, direction, humor, character development, music, and effects (some a little dated) all combine for an amazing experience. I'm especially impressed by references to two of my favorite classics (Moby Dick and A Tale of Two Cities) while never even mentioning the titles of the books, let alone explaining the significance of the quotes. They simply let good writing stand for itself.
The Search for Spock was not as bad as I remembered. In fact, I think this viewing is the most that I ever enjoyed watching it. Sure, the story is a bit ham-fisted, but there are some great scenes. However, I kept wondering what happened to Carol Marcus.
The Voyage Home is just a lot of fun. It was entertaining enough to draw the kids back to the movies and to keep them from asking how much longer the movies were going to take. That it predicted the development of transparent aluminum still shocks me.
The Final Frontier could be a case study in the concept of the anti-climax. There was a lot of potential in this film, all of which gets sucked out in the last half hour. Trivia on the movie indicates that strikes by teamsters and writers cut a lot of production and post-production short. It shows.
The Undiscovered Country is one of my favorites. It's a sci-fi murder mystery with clues scattered throughout that lead to a believable conclusion. It is also the only one of the films that starts with the Enterprise both in good shape and with an experienced crew.
In short, I enjoyed my birthday.
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