HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: troly@redwood.math.ucla.edu (Bret Jolly)
Subject: "Saifai"
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 03:26:58 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.192012.3595@radian.uucp> 
markbr%radian@natinst.com (markbr) writes:

>I knew there was some reason that I don't read these news groups too often.
>Anyone who uses "sci-fi", while purporting to talk about what makes "real"
>hard sf, has handed us a dead give-away. For the clueless, I've *never*
>heard a fan, in 20-(very)-odd years of going to cons, and being in clubs,
>use "sci-fi" in a serious discussion.

   So why the hell should the rest of us follow the practice of you
con-going and club-going fans, who have excrable taste?  (Just look at
most of the recent Hugo awards.)  I say "saifai," and I'm very happy
that that excludes me from your cacophrenic organizations.

    The term "saifai," spelled thus, has many advantages over
other designations:

1) It is readily understandable by anyone who tries to pronounce it
(unlike "sf," which is comprehensible only to an in-crowd of
self-appointed adepts).

2) It looks appropriately exotic, whereas the more common spelling
"sci-fi" is admittedly ugly.

3) It does not break down into misleading components.  The term
"science fiction" is false advertising 95% of the time.

4) Nor does it encourage other genres to group together under
its banner.  "Speculative fiction" is often extended in meaning
to include raw fantasy.

5) It doesn't gratuitously insult other literature.  The term
"imaginative literature," besides suffering from the disadvantage of
being fuzzy in application, says "nyah, nyah, nyah" to anyone who
thinks other literature also involves imagination.

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.fandom,alt.music.filk
From: pciszek@nyx.cs.du.edu (Paul Ciszek)
Subject: Words to "The Eagle Has Landed" by Fish?
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 07:09:12 GMT

Does anyone out there by any chance have the words to "The Eagle Has
Landed" by Leslie Fish already in ASCII form?  Someone is going to loan
me a tape, and I can try to transcribe the song, but if someone has
already done it I would appreciate the help.  Please respond in E-mail,
as I'm not subscribed to alt.music.filk or rec.arts.sf.fandom.

Paul Ciszek pciszek@nyx.cs.du.edu | When planning for posterity, we ought to
                                  | remember that virtue is not hereditary.
                                  |     --Thomas Paine
From: rmr@acsu.buffalo.edu (Richard M. Romanowski)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: help! I lost your letter
Date: 23 Nov 92 21:58:55 GMT
Organization: UB


	Thanks to the correspondent who replied to my posts on diamond-
hard SF and suggested two authors. I lost the letter before I could 
hardcopy it -- could you send me their names again?  Thanks!
Luck
Rick
From: walters@mills.edu (Timothy Walters)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: Diamond-Hard sf
Date: 24 Nov 1992 03:18:08 GMT
Organization: Mills College, Oakland CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: ella.mills.edu

In article <By6vns.Lz7@acsu.buffalo.edu> rmr@acsu.buffalo.edu (Richard M. Romanowski) writes:

>	If you want to wallow in stories without plot or character, try 
>Kosinski, who wised up to what a waste of space he was and committed 
>suicide. Good riddance.

It's interesting that you should say this.  I've read several of Kozinski's
books, and all of them had both plot and characters.  Which works of his
are lacking in this area?

Tim


Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: caruso@socrates.umd.edu (John Caruso)
Subject: Re: Deckard WAS a replica
Organization: University of Maryland University College
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 15:18:19 GMT

In article <6133@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at> Markus Stumptner writes:
>> 2: He dreamt of the Unicorn - and EJ Olmos KNEW about that dream. That's
>> why he left the unicorn on the doorstep.
>
>We've had other explanations for that.  Unicorns are a symbol for
>purity, and that might have been what Gaff wanted to say about Rachel.

This is a weak argument.  The coincidence of Deckard's dream and Gaff's
origami is too suggestive to be dismissed this lightly, especially when
it's compared to Deckard's beforehand knowledge of Rachel's childhood
memories.  None of these "other explanations" you're invoking has ever
accounted for this in a satisfactory way.

- John
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies,rec.arts.sf.written
From: oscar@Lise.Unit.NO (Rune Aasgaard)
Subject: Re: What is Deckard (was Re: Are *YOU* Human?)
Keywords: Bladerunner, Philip K. Dick, Replicants
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 19:10:01 GMT

In article <1ea0g0INN9er@gap.caltech.edu>, ojvind@chagall.cns.caltech.edu (Ojvind Bernander) writes:
> In article <1992Nov16.192643.8619@ugle.unit.no> oscar@Lise.Unit.NO (Rune Aasgaard) writes:
>>
>> Question : Was Deckard a replicant or not?
>>
> 
> Hej Rune,
> 
> There was a big fight among the powers that be at the studio as
> to whether Deckard was to be made out a replicant or not.
> 
> In the original (broad-release, video) version of Bladerunner,
> Deckard was not a replicant.  Though parallels are drawn between
> D and the replicants, there is no evidence.  This is the way
> Harrison Ford and many others preferred it.
> 
> Spoiler below:
> 
> In the recent (last month) release of the "director's cut"
> director Ridley Scott got it his way:  D is a replicant.
> The evidence for this was an added scene where D dreams of
> a unicorn.  In the end, D finds an origami (paper) unicorn
> on his floor, suggesting not only that the cop had been there
> and allowed Rachel to live, but also that he knows what
> D is dreaming, just like D knew about Rachel's dreams.
> 
> I totally agree with you, Rune, that this it's not that interesting
> whether D is a replicant or not.  (In fact, I thought it a bit cheap
> to make him a replicant).  What makes someone/something human?
> I personally side with the replicants.

I believe I have gained support from a fellow countryman. At least his name
is a strong indication of this. Can't be sure, though, having previously
encountered Americans with very Norwegian-sounding names. :)

I hadn't heard about the director's cut until now. It seems I won't be missing
anything if I don't hear any more about it either. Like Ojvind I feel that it
was a bit cheap to turn him into a replicant. Not necessarily cheap to *imply*
that he's one, but very cheap to spell it out like that. Unfortunately,
several american movies tend to be that way, spelling every single little clue
out in capital letters, just to make sure that the message has come through....

Rune

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|     Rune Aasgaard      | " Can't you see?                                   |
|   oscar@lise.unit.no   |   It all makes perfect sense                       |
|------------------------|   Expressed in dollars and cents                   |
|    Computer Science    |   Pounds, shillings and pence     "                |
| Norwegian Institute of |                                                    |
|       Technology       |                - Roger Waters , Amused to Death -  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jcblair@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Jennifer C. Blair)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: WAX Or the discovery of televison among the bees
Date: 18 Nov 92 20:05:01 GMT
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.

HI.  Great new film coming to town (MPLS)  WAX or the discovery of television
among the bees.  It starts Friday November 20th at the Bell Museum, Nicholson
Auditorium.  The show runs for one week at 9:20 nightly.  It has extended for
one week this summer at the Public Theater in New York, where it opened to
rave reviews in The Village Voice, The New York Times, The New York Post
Variety and Newsday.  It's won allkinds of  awards internationally at film and
video art festivals and is being hailed as a cult classic in the Cyberpunk
contiuum.  If you want to know more write jcblair at pnet or call the Bell at
627-4430.  It's a great piece of work.  HOnest.

UUCP: {crash, tcnet, petrus, quest}!orbit!pnet51!jcblair
ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!jcblair@nosc.mil
INET: jcblair@pnet51.orb.mn.org
From: spongebo@cithara.login.qc.ca (THE EYE-BALL KID)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Re: 2001 question
Date: 22 Nov 92 02:42:51 GMT
Organization: Organ Grinders Monkeys Union With Penguins As Mascots

rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes:

> 
> In 2001, why is there normal gravity in the moon bus?
> I thought you could only make gravity by centrifugal force.
> The moon bus is the one that carried Floyd and his friends to
> see the monolith.

Actually there is only ONE SIXTH gravidy on the MOON-BUS. The moon has 
aprox. one sixth the gravity of the Earth. That's why they were able to 
walk about on the moon's surface! (::::;-)

> By the way, when Floyd earlier eats on the earth-to-moon ship, there
> are little illustrations on his tray. One picture is of a brown thing
> with all these red squares coming out. What was that supposed to mean?
> -- 
> Robert Chao
> Oakland, California

Couldn't help you there. But you might have noticed (in the same scene) 
there IS gravity in space! When Flloyd drinks from the tray, the liquid 
falls back down the tube. In space this wouldn't happen!

For this and more, read jerome Agel's "THE MAKING OF 2001 A SPACE 
ODDYSEY" available in most second-hand book-shops!

Spongebo - THE EYE-BALL KID (:::::-)

spongebo@cithara.login.qc.ca
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: u906789@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Mark Julian Turner)
Subject: Re: Alien biology
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 04:57:00 GMT

mt90dac@brunel.ac.uk (Del Cotter) writes:

>In article <alien.00zg@acheron.amigans.gen.nz> Ross Smith writes:
>>(2) Don't go outside the bounds of scientific plausibility (see below).
>>
>>[snip]
>>
>>The acid blood and (short term) vacuum survival aren't too outrageous, IMHO.
>     ^^^^^^^^^^
>     Oh, come on, I can't let that pass!  Do you you know what pH is?  Do you
>know what it means?  Do you know the concentration of protons required to burn
						       ^^^^^^^
                                                       Hydronium ions you mean...:-)

>through *two decks* of the Nostromo in as many minutes?  If you want to talk
>about Alien biology, let's start with the composition of Alien blood.

The "molecular acid" doesn't have to be something currently existing, it can be
anything the writers wanted it to be. It's just an invention ...like the aliens
themselves...

>I don't know about *biological* facts, but I think the physical and chemical
>absurdities in A3 (eg. Aliens jumping out of vats of molten lead) were 
>allowed precisely *because* the director knew from the first two films that 
>practically nothing is too outrageous for Alien fans to swallow.

What's wrong with this? The alien is supposed to be pretty strong you know....

mark.

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: urf@icl.se (Urban F)
Subject: Re: sound in space
Organization: None. On USENET I speak only for myself.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 08:41:37 GMT

rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes:

>How many SF films are realistic enough that they show there is no sound
>in space? All I can think of is 2001.

Didn't Silent Running have silent A-bomb explosions (which also looked
like they should, and not fireworks), or am I thinking of another movie?

BTW, when I first saw Star Wars, I figured out that what we heard wasn't
"objective" sound in space, but rather what would be heard there, if one
wore a set of head phones -- gravitonic radiation interference induced
sound from the engines, for example.
--
 Urban Fredriksson   urf@icl.se  (n.g.u.fredriksson.swe2001@oasis.icl.co.uk)
 "Failure requires effort. That's why some people never fail." -Bengt Anderberg
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: antunes@astro.psu.edu (Sandy Antunes)
Subject: Re: sound in space
Organization: Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 04:35:25 GMT

shoham@ll.mit.edu writes:
>There is also - aptly named - "Silent Run". A politically correct movie about
>a space gardner who kills his co-workers to save his plants.

Hmmm... interesting, I didn't know homicide was politically correct these
days.  Have to remember that.
Oh, and the movie was called "Silent Running", and starred a young Bruce Dern,
and is a classic movie in most senses of the word.

Sandy
alex@astro.isas.ac.jp
etc.etc
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: beede@sctc.com (Mike Beede)
Subject: Re: Deckard WAS a replica
Organization: SCTC
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 00:22:38 GMT

Geeze -- just when I had my kill file all organized, someone decides
to use ``replica'' instead of ``replicant.''  I suppose in twenty
years all the alien (1, s, ^3, 4, V, six, 7, Vii, etc) threads will
have titles like ``A'' and the the Blade Runner ones will be ``D'' or
``R'' or something else no one can reasonably filter out.

Why doesn't someone collect all the Alien and Bladerunner posts from
the last three years (and maybe the Terminator and Predator ones, too)
and publish them?  We could mail a copy to each new netter and save
a lake.

Argh.  I feel better now.  BTW -- Deckard _wasn't_ a replicant in the
first release.  In the second, they didn't make up their mind.

Much better the second time around -- no sappy voiceovers and no sappy
happy ending driving through Eden . . . .

	Mike

-- 
Mike Beede         Secure Computing
beede@sctc.com     1210 W. County Rd E, Suite 100           
------------------ Arden Hills, MN  55112
                    (612) 482-7420
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: "robert winkler" <robert.winkler@canrem.com>
Subject: sound in space
Reply-To: "robert winkler" <robert.winkler@canrem.com>
Organization: Canada Remote Systems
Distribution: rec
Date: 23 Nov 92 12:48:16 EST

    Well, sorry for butting in, but... I've been reading quite a lot
about the "unrealistic" sets, computers, sounds, etc. in this group.

    I think it should be pointed out that all these are to make a movie
realistic - even if it seems a bit contradictory at first. That is,
average people, but even well-informed SF buffs start out from their own
experience when trying to grasp something unusual, something futuristic
that has never been experienced before. In other words, when we meet
something entirely new & alien, we seek familiar patterns to which we
can relate to. The first Alien may have had "ancient" computers compared
to our modern day technology, but that was absolutely futuristic in
those days. In 2001 I did miss the sound - its lack somehow made the
picture look "distant", far from human reach. What I find unique in the
SF movies from the '70's on is that they try to incorporate such
familiar - if unscientific - patterns while creating a very detailed,
complex vision, making it thus "consumable" for the average mind.

    It certainly means a lower standard of science, but in return we get
a more complex product, a more complex vision.

    Take care

    Robert
--
Canada Remote Systems  - Toronto, Ontario
World's Largest PCBOARD System - 416-629-7000/629-7044
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: barry@netcom.com (Kenn Barry)
Subject: Re: Dracula (No Spoilers)
Organization: QQQCLC
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 22:18:24 GMT

In article <1eb15uINNc8i@transfer.stratus.com> jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com writes:
>Are you sure you saw the correct movie?  Whatever its faults
>(and I think Dracula had several), its production values were
>incredible.  The movie is worth watching for its lavish
>sets, lighting, costumes, etc.

	I sometimes play "spot the matte" with myself at movies. With
DRACULA it was too easy to be fun. It's pretty in parts, I grant, but I
was not impressed by the production values (or much else).

	Wait for the video, folks.

						Kayembee
From: dsanders@alexandria.lib.utah.edu (David Sanderson)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Re: Dracula (No Spoilers)
Date: 18 Nov 92 15:55:27 GMT
Organization: Marriott Library, University of Utah

In article <1992Nov17.221824.13683@netcom.com> barry@netcom.com (Kenn Barry) writes:
>From: barry@netcom.com (Kenn Barry)
>Subject: Re: Dracula (No Spoilers)
>Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 22:18:24 GMT
>In article <1eb15uINNc8i@transfer.stratus.com> jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com writes:
>>Are you sure you saw the correct movie?  Whatever its faults
>>(and I think Dracula had several), its production values were
>>incredible.  The movie is worth watching for its lavish
>>sets, lighting, costumes, etc.
>
>	I sometimes play "spot the matte" with myself at movies. With
>DRACULA it was too easy to be fun. It's pretty in parts, I grant, but I
>was not impressed by the production values (or much else).
>
>	Wait for the video, folks.
>
>						Kayembee

     Dracula was a low budget, relatively speaking, movie.  A lot of 
stage magician tricks were used during the filming.  So, instead of lots of 
post production hocus pocus we have simple but, in my opinion, very 
effective visual trickery.  The way this movie was made gave it a feel much 
like the older monster movies.  Since most viewers have grown up 
being terrified (at least when you were young) by these old monster flicks I 
think recreating that feel works very effectively.

     However, the special effects and scenery are not what this movie is 
about, it merely helps to provide the mood.  The story of Dracula is a very 
powerful tale.  It's too bad you spent the whole movie playing "spot the 
matte" instead letting this wonderful story wrap itself around you.

     Dracula is highly recommended.  DO NOT wait for the video!

          Dave
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: 4224_5201@uwovax.uwo.ca (John LaRocque)
Subject: Re: George Pal: complete movies
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 00:34:46 GMT

In article <Bxx9E6.Ax7@fc.hp.com>, rjn@FC.HP.COM (Bob Niland) writes:
>> What I need is a complete list of movies that Pal was responsible for or 
>> in anyway worked on. Also ANY info about him, his movies etc. is welcome. 
>> Does someone know if there is a book, encyclopedia or whatever that I can 
>> consult for additional information. Does he still live??

     George Pal was born on Feb.1 1908 in Cegled Hungary. He died in 1980.
He began his film career in Budapest, and designed sets for UFA in Berlin and
went to Holland, where he directed puppet shorts for the Phillips company.
In Hollywood since 1940 he produced the Puppetoons puppet/cartoon series for 
Paramount. utilising a new technique for which he recieved a special Academy
Award in 1943. He turned to feature films early in the 50's as a producer, then
became a producer/director. He has won five Oscars for special effects.

1941-1943 Madcap Madness shorts
1942-1946 Jasper shorts
1943-1947 Puppetoons all from Paramount

1949- The Great Rupert
1950- Destination Moon (Oscar)
1951- When Worlds Collide (Oscar)
1953- The Naked Jungle
1953- Houdini
1953- War of the Worlds (Oscar)
1955- The Conquest of Space
1958- "tom thumb" (Oscar) (also dir.)
1960- The Time Machine (Oscar) (also dir.)
1961- Atlantis, The Lost Continent
1962- The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (co. dir.)
1964- Seven Faces of Dr Lao (also dir.)
1968- The Power
1975- Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (also co.sc.)

     All the movies were produced and had special effects from Pal.
 -- 

John P. LaRocque
vader@uwo.ca
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario


"Urk..urk..."
"Apologies accepted, Captian Nida", Darth Vader
From: an_ind21@oswego.oswego.edu (Edward G. Farrell )
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Re: New Frankenstein movie(s)
Date: 20 Nov 92 13:53:23 GMT
Organization: oswego state
 
   There is also a Universal production being scripted by Anne Rice.

This is sopposed to be a remake of THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Rice
is also supposed to write a new novel based on the script.

                                                  - Ed
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: robinson@odie.ee.wits.ac.za (Michael Robinson)
Subject: Re: Blade runner..... (what are replicants)
Organization: Wits Electrical Engineering (Novell Users).
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 06:55:20 GMT

In article <6123@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at> mst@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at (Markus Stumptner) writes:

>From article <RATINOX.92Nov11232358@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu>, by ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri):
>> Replicants are, for all intent and purposes, robots built from
>> engineered human genetic material force-grown to "adulthood."

>While the description is correct, I've never seen or heard the term
>"robot" applied to anything that was not predominantly artificial
>(electronic/mechanical/whatever, but not made out of living tissue).
>Thus, a Terminator is a robot, but a replicant is not.

Possibly "android" would be a better term to use.

Cheers,
Michael
From: mst@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at (Markus Stumptner)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Re: I Liked Alien 3
Date: 16 Nov 92 19:18:12 GMT
Organization: DB and ES Subdivision, TU Vienna

From article <lg319mINNjnv@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM>, by fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (steve hix):
>>So, if mammy disappears, the eggs stay alone.  And if you have the
>>right species, the eggs will hatch without her.

> female alligators get downright testy
> if anyone gets too close to the nest.

Ah.  So you would call alligators hive creatures?  Very interesting.
Just accept it, there are egg-laying species which do not need queens.
-- 
Markus Stumptner                                mst@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at
University of Technology Vienna                 vexpert!mst@relay.eu.net
Paniglg. 16, A-1040 Vienna, Austria             ...mcsun!vexpert!mst
From: chelius@studsys.mscs.mu.edu (thomas chelius      )
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Re: 2001 : What does it mean!!!
Date: 24 Nov 1992 02:34:53 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Department MSCS
NNTP-Posting-Host: studsys.mscs.mu.edu



I always felt that the monolith was a tool of evolution.  When it first
shows up (at least in the time of "man"), the time was the "Dawn of Man."
Man suddenly learned how to *think* instead of relying on instinct.  I think
that Bowman evolved to the next stage (or perhaps final) of intelligence.
The ending always confused me, but I'm pretty content with this as an
ending :-)  The book does offer a lot more than the movie provides.  I do
suggest it.  BTW, my opinion about the movie was formulated before I read
the book.  Also, the term "man" is not meant to be sexist in any way :-)

-Shags
-- 
============================================================================
Thomas Chelius                        |        "BITE ME...IT'S FUN!"
Marquette University                  |                  -MST 3000
Milwaukee, WI                         |
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
From: pisherwo@wm.estec.esa.nl (Phil Isherwood)
Subject: T3
Keywords: 
 I had heard from a friend of a friend that James Cameron has employed a
 small team of UK graphics experts to develop new and improved movie effects.
 IF new effects of a sufficiently high standard are developed, then a T3
 film will be considered. (NOTE: Only considered !)
Reply-To: pisherwo@wm.estec.esa.nl
Organization: ESA/Estec/WMS, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 09:10:05 GMT

Well, that's what I heard. As to the validity of the above statement, who can say ?

Phil Isherwood
pisherwo@wm.estec.esa.nl