Conference noted::sf

820.0. "Millenium (the movie)" by RICKS::REDFORD () Mon Aug 28 1989 22:43

    Fans of John Varley are going to be really disappointed by this 
    movie.  It's derived from his novella "Air Raid", which he later 
    expanded into a novel, "Millenium".  The novel came out quite a 
    while ago and is similar in plot but not detail to this.  As one 
    can gather from the movie poster, time-travellers from the future 
    are interfering with airplane crashes in the present.   Much of 
    the story is about an affair between the crash investigator
    (played by Kris Kristofferson) and a time-traveller (Cheryl Ladd).
    
    The acting and the production in the movie aren't bad.  Most of 
    its problems are in the script, and Varley wrote it.  Even if it
    was substantially modified after he left it, he still kept his
    name  on it.  For once we can't blame an SF movie's failures on
    the ignorance of Hollywood.  
    
    The problems are basic.  For instance, the middle third of the 
    movie is a replay of earlier scenes, but with more knowledge on 
    the viewer's part.  You're supposed to interpret these 
    differently now that you know where the Ladd character comes from.
    However, it was obvious who she was the first time.  The replays 
    are just boring.
    
    A large part of the movie is also devoted to explaining the 
    grandfather paradox.  Since this has come up in just about every 
    time-travel story for literally the last century, it's an insult to the 
    viewer's intelligence to go over it again in such detail.

    The effect of a change in the past is called a "timequake" and
    seems to jostle things around like an earthquake.  Why?  It gives
    the FX guys an excuse for explosions, but doesn't make any sense
    otherwise.
    
    The reason given for arranging a meeting between Ladd and Kristofferson 
    is poor.  If they wanted to prevent Kristofferson from being somewhere, 
    there are much more direct ways to do it, like hitting him over 
    the head.  
    
    "Air Raid" was a nice story, and the premise here isn't bad.   But
    somehow between the page and the screen the story went from being
    a  Nebula winner to a movie that will sink without a trace.
    
    /jlr

    I just finished reading "Millenium" and enjoyed the *story* but
    Varley's style of prose irritated me immensely, so I have mixed
    feelings about the whole experience.  The style of the book seems
    to be echoed in the style of the movie --- choppy.  Varley is fond
    of one sentence paragraphs/comment lines by the characters that
    come off as being the character's little quips on situations.  He
    also jumps back and forth and back and forth (much the way time
    travel happens in the story) but like the last note, it really is
    a waste of time.
    
    I haven't seen the movie or any press-releases.  Was it at the theaters
    or on the tube?
    
    Sue

    re:.1
    
    It's in the theaters. Even as we speak...er, type.
    
    --- jerry