Re: Oliver Stone’s Prescient SFnal Scientology Critique

Joanne McNeil — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:54:14 -0000

Yeah, it's mostly unintentionally funny and it's about as "cyberpunk" as Hackers, but I think most viewers today can look past its TV miniseries-ness and marvel that so many people could come together, find funding and a major network to air it, while so blatantly tearing L. Ron Hubbard apart

Re: Oliver Stone’s Prescient SFnal Scientology Critique

Jesse Walker — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:22:47 -0000

I liked Bigelow's episode (by my recollection, she only directed one), but otherwise I considered the series a failure. Watching it when it came out, the whole thing felt like someone in Hollywood felt the need to "do" cyberpunk but wasn't quite sure what that would entail. There were all these vague references to a place called the "Wilderzone" (or something like that) -- sort of an ungovernable autonomous area. Except when they finally showed it, it was basically a nightclub.

William Gibson's cameo was enjoyable, but not in the way the producers intended. He was there basically to bestow a little hip credibility on the project. But most viewers would have no idea who William Gibson was, so his appearance essentially consisted of this small piece of dialogue (quoted from memory):

GIBSON: Hi, I'm William Gibson.

OTHER PERSON: Oh, right -- *Neuromancer*.

At first I felt a little sorry for William Gibson: There it was, the year 2007, and he was still best known for something he had written in the early '80s. On further reflection, though, I decided he had it pretty good: There it was, the year 2007, and he hadn't aged a year since 1993.

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Re: Oliver Stone’s Prescient SFnal Scientology Critique

Re: Oliver Stone’s Prescient SFnal Scientology Critique