tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post4720059836286458710..comments2024-03-28T14:49:36.133-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: Lost in Space 50th Anniversary Blogging: The Girl from the Green Dimension" (January 4, 1967)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-54447753873206522352015-12-09T16:49:43.805-05:002015-12-09T16:49:43.805-05:00My tuppence, from the point of view of someone who...My tuppence, from the point of view of someone who has never seen Lost in Space before but now watching it approximately one episode per week (sometimes slower, never faster) -- and now more or less concurrent (coaeval?) with John's reviews.<br /><br />I share John's – and his readers' – frustration: the first episodes had me pleasantly surprised, and I thought: "A-cha! Now I understand why this is cult material! It's pretty good, isn't it?" Well, it quickly took a different path, but you know what? A lot of 1960s TV was silly and Lost in Space seemed to have upped it to thirteen and I find myself looking forward to seeing new episodes: there is definitely a no-holds-barred vibe to it, even a kind of a monkeys-with-typewriters feel.<br /><br />As to this week's episode: Good science fiction? Heavens, no. Was I bored? No, I wasn't, even though by now I know from the start that it's going to be inconsequential, to say the least.<br /><br />So, my point is: by now the series is reaching such a grandeur in silliness that parody becomes superfluous, and I'm almost beginning to wish that something of this sort would appear on my TV screen today. Anything goes, monkeys-with-typewriters, something-will-eventually-stick... Self-importance be hanged! :)Charles Izemienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-72776751227185173052015-12-09T10:28:37.905-05:002015-12-09T10:28:37.905-05:00I often wonder how painful it must've been to ...I often wonder how painful it must've been to be a teenage fantasy/science fiction fan during that dismal TV season of 1966/67. All the shows (with the exception of Star Trek) were so intent on mimicking the camp style of Batman, everything suffered. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Man from UNCLE, Girl from UNCLE, Lost in Space...almost all of their episodes from this season are a painful slog. At least we have other viewing options; people back then had three networks and maybe a local channel showing Dick Powell movies.Neal Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17053148427058126745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-19755640980346495232015-12-08T20:29:14.955-05:002015-12-08T20:29:14.955-05:00Season two low brow. I remember watching this epis...Season two low brow. I remember watching this episode as a boy in reruns in the '70s and thinking why would they make Will take a bath outside in a makeshift tub instead of in privacy in the Jupiter 2 lower deck bathroom shower.<br /><br />SGBSGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07137406272001346149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-18936364114969542062015-12-08T19:53:17.256-05:002015-12-08T19:53:17.256-05:00John,
We've come a long way from "The Rel...John,<br />We've come a long way from "The Reluctant Stowaway," haven't we? Sigh.<br />I have little to add here, but I concur with Monc. Before this is said and done, we're gonna owe you several beverages of your choice.<br />At least Vitina Marcus seems to be having a great deal of fun as Athena. She is also excellent as Lani in the Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea episode "Return of the Phantom." Her performance literally gives me chills, and it's clear that she always brought her "A" game to Irwin Allen's shows.<br />SteveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13101722769411384962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-72539491271419468582015-12-08T14:16:56.781-05:002015-12-08T14:16:56.781-05:00A case of good beer at least. Or possibly vodka sp...A case of good beer at least. Or possibly vodka spiked with morphine - this show got pretty painful at times.<br /><br />I'm having trouble seeing how the episode could have worked well as a commentary on race relations. The family is generally open minded and rational so wouldn't the natural reaction to Will be green be simply "Hey, it's Will. And he's green."? Mind you, the writing was so inconsistent at this point that it wouldn't surprise me if they had just had his parents chase him away throwing rocks at him just because of the change in shade.<br /><br />The bit about the green lady falling for Smith is probably the least unlikely part of the plot though. My best friend is a stunningly beautiful, elegantly goth-looking artist. She tends to really go for pudgy, middle aged engineers who are at least ten years older than her! nowherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12125582590094636085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-36012351848870062322015-12-08T13:31:06.503-05:002015-12-08T13:31:06.503-05:00I commend you for wading through all these "L...I commend you for wading through all these "Lost in Space" episodes.<br /><br />For that, we (your readers) collectively owe you a beer.Monchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14132341373842481242noreply@blogger.com