Longevity Redux

I talked about longevity on Friday in the context of the Star Trek movie that had just come out. More on that in a minute. I got another smack in the head yesterday afternoon when i was flipping through channels on TV. I came across the Blues Brothers movie, the scene where they are being chased through the shopping mall. At one point they crash into a car dealership and you see a sign for the '80 Oldsmobiles.

Then it hit me, this movie is almost 30 years old. For some reason I found that depressing and turned off the TV. I actually read a chapter in a book that was not assigned as part of a seminary class for the first time in months, that felt good. But before I did, I came to the realization that my legitimacy through longevity thoughts of last Friday can also be tied in with nostalgia.

When things from the past seem legitimate to me, it is probably because I am somewhat nostalgic for the old days, when I wore a younger man's clothes (my apologies to Billy Joel and The Piano Man). Our yearnings probably legitimize the past to some extent. The good old days were not necessarily better, they may just seem that way.

So now I look ahead and look forward to what the Lord has for me. I would rather be nostalgic about the future.

As a side note, I thoroughly enjoyed the Star Trek movie. I thought it was the best Star Trek movie to date. it honored the past, but brought in some novel stuff that did not take away from the original TV series. I found it entertaining and creative. All in all, worth the watch. That's it for a review. You want more go to Truth on Cinema. Dan does a much better job at reviewing movies than I ever will. I think he will like it and he is not even a Star Trek fan, not even close from the sound of it.

Longevity

So I am going this afternoon to see the new Star Trek movie. Picked up the tickets last night for a late afternoon show (For retirees a 4pm showing is the new midnight movie).

I am amazed at the stamina of the Star Trek franchise, birthed from a not too successful TV series canceled in the third season for low ratings. Watched most of the episodes first run during the original airings. The original series, as low tech as it was compared to the TV sequel series and the movies was always my favorite. Even suffered through the early syndication efforts with those butchered commercials inserted at what seemed to be 15 seconds too soon or too late in the plot. I mean they had the natural commercial break points from when it ran the first time, how hard was it to do?

It will be interesting to see this look back into the lives of the two main characters from the original in this movie. I am wondering what memories will it trigger. I was not one of those Trekkies who got upset if any bit of minutia was not followed to the letter, although I was never happy that the first movie seemed to be just a rehash of the Nomad plot line from The Changeling episode of September 1967. At least I think it was. But they did wait 12 years to rerun it.

There is something to be said for longevity. if you are around long enough, you take on an air of legitimacy, no matter how you were received at your inception. Here's to an over 40 year run for a concept that started as a TV series greeted with mediorce enthusuasm by popular audiences, although always well received by Sci-fi fans (here's to their passion and stamina as well).

Makes me wonder when I take on an air of legitimacy. I am starting to have been around long enough myself. I think it may even be time for me to be a sequel.

Where No One Has Washed Before

As a big fan of the original series (even though I dropped "man" for "one" in the title) this one caught my eye. I just cannot decide if the sink being on is the phaser or the photon torpedo.