Page Created: 09/16/10. Last Updated: 11/01/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 03/04/09.
VIDEO PROGRAM:
Weird Al Yankovic: The Saga Begins
Weird Al Yankovic: Jurassic Park
Quark: Goodbye, Polumbus
Doctor Who: Christmas 2008 - The Next Doctor
Star Trek, New Frontiers: World Enough and Time
Red Dwarf: Quarantine
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MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: February 14, 2009
Meeting Site: Saddle River Valley Cultural Center, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Official Attendance: 16.
Meeting Program: Screening of Science Fiction Videos.
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Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2009 Philip J De Parto:
The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County met on Saturday, February 14, 2009 at the Saddle River Valley Cultural Center in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Turnout was small, as expected, but those who attended enjoyed the experience immensely.
A light turnout was anticipated because the event was scheduled against two major East Coast science fiction conventions (Boskone and Farpoint), Valentine's Day, and various other items. Rather than present a guest speaker with a small audience, we planned a video program.
Given the size of overall turnout, our Animation Associates did not fare badly with the screening of episodes of THE PHOENIX. Things went less well for the Ice Nine discussion upstairs as the setup of equipment for the screening and side conversations made a coherent discussion a daunting task. Among the topics touched upon at Ice Nine were the debut of DOLL HOUSE, the New York ComicCon, Lunacon, THE WATCHMEN movie, James Bond, the job market, and a variety of comic books.
At the conclusion of the pre meeting events and the usual announcements and previews, Philip De Parto gave Part Two of the State of the Association. This focused on club's website and Google Groups. Tom Schoenborne's AV equipment made it possible to do a short slide show of highlights of both areas.
Technical difficulties made it impossible to show a variety of short YouTube videos dealing with STAR TREK, STAR WARS, and other genre pieces, so we quickly moved on to a pair of Weird Al Yankovic video parodies: "Jurassic Park" (claymation interpretation of the movie to the tune of "Mc Arthur Park") and "The Saga Begins" (STAR WARS: EPISODE ONE to the tune of "American Pie").
After that we showed "Goodbye, Polumbus," an episode of the short lived comedy series, QUARK. QUARK was created by Buck Henry and ran for 8 episodes in 1977. It starred Richard Benjamin as Commander Adam Quark, interstellar garbage collector, and his misfit crew. Although the series took potshots at a number of science fiction staples, it most frequently broadsided STAR TREK, and this episode is a riff on "Shore Leave." Vegeton science officer Ficus nails Mr Spock perfectly. The title is a play on the movie, GOODBYE, COLUMBUS, starring Richard Benjamin.
People had a choice of either of a pair of main features. The 2008 DOCTOR WHO Christmas Special, "The Next Doctor," was shown upstairs. The show is set in Dickensian London under attack by the Cybermen. David Tenant is walking around when he hears a call for help, "Doctor! Doctor!" and finds a different Doctor running in pursuit of an alien. It's impossible to say much more about the episode without giving away plot twists, but everyone enjoyed it.
The STAR TREK New Voyages episode, "World Enough and Time," played in the basement. This is the third in a series of high quality fan productions created with the consent of Paramount. Fan actors play the parts of Kirk, Spock, and Mc Coy, but a number of pros-both before and behind the camera-have had an involvement with the series. This episode focuses on Commander Sulu played by George Takei. It received a standing ovation.
There was a short break to synchronize the endings of the two main features. We then concluded with "Quarantine," an episode of the UK science fiction comedy series, RED DWARF. Hologram Arnold Rimmer contracts a computer virus which gives him psychic powers and drives him mad. He stalks David Lister and the others while dressed in a red gingham dress and talking to a sock puppet, Mr Fribble.
Everyone, including the four newcomers, talked about how much they enjoyed the evening. Our thanks to all who assisted in running things, to newcomer Moshe Yoder for technical assistance, and to Tom Schoenborne in particular for supplying the AV equipment.