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ASSOCIATION DISCUSSIONS
...Star Wars Phantom Menace Panel
...Worth Reading Overview
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: June 12, 1999.
Meeting Site: Borders Books, Garden State Plaza.
Official Attendance: 41.
Meeting Program: Panel and Audience Participation Discussions.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 1999 Philip J De Parto:
The June 12, 1999 meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held at Borders Books & Music in Paramus, New Jersey. The group was minus a guest speaker as Director Philip De Parto neglected to send a letter of confirmation to our proposed guest so that she would mark the date on her calendar.
Roy Greenberg led a discussion of various aspects of STAR TREK (books, TV, movies) at the meeting of the Bergen County Chapter of The Final Frontier at 7:00 PM. Much of the discussion revolved around the series finale of STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9.
The general meeting started around 8:00 PM. After the usual announcements and such, Philip De Parto announced the substitute program. Each person in the audience would be asked to stand, one at a time, state their name, and suggest a book, story, movie or other work which they had recently read or seen which they could recommend to the group. The following paragraphs are a partial recap of those recommendations.
Pauline Alama said that she had recently become acquainted with the work of 19th century fantasy writer William Morris, who dabbled in a number of the arts, and was prolific enough that she doubted that he found much time to sleep. She particularly enjoyed THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END and felt that Tolkien had to have been aware of the author.
Bobbi Bauer recommended a science book, THE MISSING NEUTRINOS AND OTHER MYSTERIES (I didn't catch the author). Thomas Bauer recommended anything by Terry Pratchett.
Steve Brunskill said he had come across an old series, "The Others," by Margaret Bonanno.
Paul Dellechiaie plugged A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY by Vernor Vinge. This is a big, hard science prequel to A FIRE UPON THE DEEP.
David Harding had both a cheer and a jeer. He deplored the movies THE AVENGERS and VAMPIRES, considering them among the worst movies ever made. He hen inquired if anyone had heard of a 60's humor writer named Jack Douglass, whose books include THE NEIGHBORS ARE SCARING MY WOLF. He was astonished when Paul Dellechiaie was aware of the author, as Dave had not come across anyone who had heard of him in twenty years.
William Molendyk recommended STAR POWER, a comic written by J Michael Straczynski. There was some question about the title of this magazine, with others insisting that RISING STAR is the correct name.
THE 13TH FLOOR was suggested by Robert Pinkus, who said that the movie was based on one of his favorite books, SIMALCRUM 3.
Jim Spinosa revealed that he had been researching the novelization of INDEPENDENCE DAY. He said that he had ferreted out every factual inaccuracy--"it's amazingly stupid"--and that if you come to the Media Tie-In Book Group in Livingston, New Jersey (which he co-moderates) on July 2, 1999, you can get all the bloody details.
Barry Weinberger recommended the comic book, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN. The comic is written by Allan Moore of THE WATCHMEN fame and features a turn of the century team of adventurers which includes Captain Nemo and the Invisible Man. Several others in the club are also fans of this comic.
We concluded the meeting with a half hour panel discussion of STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE. Those disappointed in the film were Pauline Alama and Pamela Webber. Those giving a hearty thumbs up were Robert Pinkus and Alan Polyniak.
There were a number of interesting points made on both sides of the issue from both the panelists and the audience. Aspects discussed included pacing, characterization, mythology, and comparisons to other movies in the STAR WARS series. The most interesting comments concerned the plot and were made by Bob Pinkus.
Bob felt that the movie was a very subversive bit of filmmaking. The audience's attention is focused on the robot invasion of the planet and the menace of Darth Mal. They are defeated, but in reality, the bad guys are the winners because Senator Palpatine gains the power that will ultimately allow him to overthrow the Republic and set himself up as the evil Emperor in the later movies. This is the title's "Phantom Menace." Bob also pointed out that real life politicians are capable of starting wars to camouflage their own agendas.
After the meeting, a number of us continued the evening at the Suburban Diner. The last three to leave were James La Barre, William Wagner, and Barry Weinberger at 3:30 AM.