kicking puppies is bad

I occasionally like Sci-Fi.  This isn’t something I discuss often, because I realize it places me solidly in the “loser” category.   I grew up with a family membership to the Rochester Chess Center, so I am used to being solidly in the “loser” category.  And I have learned to minimize the “loser” aspects of my personality so that random strangers can’t always tell (which means not admitting that I occasionally enjoy sci-fi).  But right now I’m admitting that I like some Sci-Fi (like Red Dwarf).  But I’m not a Star Trek fan.  

Star Trek always seemed like “The Brady Bunch” of science fiction.  It was too idealistic, hopeful and cheesy.  Each episode tried too hard to make a “social commentary” on an important issue like racism, sexism, militarism or race relations.  I hate things that preach to me.  And the geeks that liked Star Trek weren’t the intelligent, sarcastic geeks that I enjoy.  They were the stinky (wanna-be smart) role-playing geeks.   They were the barnacles on the smart boat.  So I was mildly horrified when my husband wanted to see Star Trek.  Because Star Trek is preachy and stinky and icky and makes me want to curl up in a fetal position and eat paste. 

But we are living with my in-laws (hopefully for a very short time).  And I will use almost any excuse to get out of the house.  Maintaining what is left of my sanity depends on it.  So yesterday, as we were driving home from REI, I said, “I don’t want to go home”.  And we ended up at Star Trek.  And I’m totally embarrassed that I found the movie entertaining.  

But Star also exemplified one of my major problems with the current “movie star” system.  For some reason, people want to see “big stars” when they go to a movie.  They are significantly more likely to go see a movie involving Natalie Portman than one that doesn’t.  And I don’t get it.  Because I find the “big stars” distracting.  And it detracts from my ability to lose myself in a movie. 

I spent the whole Star Trek movie expecting to see Spock (Zachary Quinto) go evil-Sylar and start slicing people’s heads open and stealing their powers while Sulu (John Cho) smoked up with his friend Kumar.  And no matter how non-evil Quinto managed to be, every time he raised his eyebrow, all I saw was evil-Sylar-Spock.  And I kept thinking “and then they all die a horrible fiery death”.    I was unable to lose myself in the movie and was ultimately relieved when he attacked Kirk (Chris Pine).  I wish they had picked “nobody” actors (like Chris Pine, who may of played lots of other roles, but none of them were entertaining enough to “stick” in my head).   I would have enjoyed the movie more if I hadn’t spent the whole time waiting for Spock to slice people’s heads open.  Or maybe not.  Maybe that is the only reason I enjoyed myself.