MT VOID, 08/23/24 -- Vol. 43, No. 8, Whole Number 2342

THE MT VOID
08/23/24 -- Vol. 43, No. 8, Whole Number 2342
Co-Editor: Mark Leeper, mleeper@optonline.net
Co-Editor: Evelyn Leeper, eleeper@optonline.net
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Topics:
         Mini Reviews, Part 4 (GETTYSBURG; WESTWORLD (1974);
                 I, TARZAN) (film reviews by Mark R. Leeper
                 and Evelyn C. Leeper)
         THE SIRENS OF MARS by Sarah Stewart Johnson (book review
                 by Gregory Frederick)
         Hugo Awards (letters of comment by Dale L. Skran
                 and Richie Bielak)
         ARRIVAL (letter of comment by Norman Salt)
         This Week's Reading (ORIENTATIONS and other W. Somerset
                 Maugham) (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
===================================================================
TOPIC: Mini Reviews, Part 4 (film reviews by Mark R. Leeper and
Evelyn C. Leeper)
This is the fourth batch of mini-reviews:
GETTYSBURG (1994): I have just watched the Director's Cut of
GETTYSBURG.  The bottom line is that it is seventeen minutes
longer than the theatrical cut, but there seem to be no additional
scenes of any length, but rather just longer scenes.  There is a
bit more of Buford holding the high ground.  The scene near the
beginning where Lee and his adjutant are discussing why to invade
Pennsylvania adds the comment that there is a cache of shoes
there.  The scene of General Stewart's return has a few more
preliminary lines.  There may be a couple of inserted scenes of
thirty seconds or so, but on the whole this restores what was
originally intended but cut for reasons of length.  (I know that
hard to believe when the theatrical cut was four hours and
fourteen minutes.)
There is a lot that is the same: the commentary and two of the
featurettes.  "On Location" is new.
The Director's Cut came on a Bluray as part of a two-disc set.
The second disc is not a Bluray, but a DVD with the extras, and
there is also a 48-page booklet, all in a "hardback" folder.
If you already have the DVD theatrical version, this may still be
worth it to you for the extended scenes and the one new extra
(plus booklet), plus the fact that is is a Bluray.  Two
additional "sweeteners": This is all on one side of one disc--no
need to get up to flip the disc in the middle.  And you can get
rid of the snapper case the DVD version came in (at least
originally) that is so hard to shelve with regular DVD cases.
[-ecl]
Released theatrically 09 October 1993 [theatrical cut].  Rating:
+3 (-4 to +4), or 9/10.
Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007/reference>
What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046038-gettysburg>
WESTWORLD (1974): In WESTWORLD, Delos is clearly patterned after
Disney's Magic Kingdom: the former is partitioned into
Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland; the
latter is partitioned into Medievalworld, Romanworld, and
Westworld (and later Futureland).
How can there be no way to get hurt?  What if another guest thinks
you are a robot and punches you?
Just as with A.I. today, Delos's robots can be detected by the
fact that the manufacturing process doesn't do the hands perfectly.
The technicians say that the malfunctions are spreading like a
disease; management seems skeptical of a disease of machinery.
The year before the movie came out, a paper was published that
postulated that a Von Neumann (self-replicating) computer program
could spread just like a biological virus.  Even before that, in
1970, Gregory Benford wrote "The Scarred Man" about just such a
computer program named VIRUS, and that was quickly followed by
WHEN HARLIE WAS ONE by David Gerrold, and THE TERMINAL MAN
by Michael Crichton.  [-ecl]
Released theatrically 21 November 1973.
Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070909/reference>
What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/westworld>
I, TARZAN (2017): I, TARZAN (a.k.a. "I, TARZAN": A TRUE STORY,
a.k.a. I, TARZAN: WHAT IF IT WERE TRUE?) is an hour-long
"mockumentary" which starts with the assumption that Tarzan was
real.  (This is not an original approach; Sherlock Holmes fans
have been doing this for decades.)  Various Tarzan scholars and
fans  show off their collections and talk about Tarzan's origins
and life.  For example, Philip Jose Farmer says that Edgar Rice
Burroughs purposely concealed the true location of Tarzan's home.
Burroughs says it is 1500 miles north of Capetown, but there are
no gorillas that far south.  Farmer somehow determines where the
actual location was.
Through it all, though, the film also covers Tarzan's appearances
in print and film (including clips from various movies), so there
is a factual element as well.  Still, probably of interest only to
Burroughs fans.
I can find very little information on this film; neither the IMDb
nor Rotten Tomatoes includes it.  I find out what year it is from
only by enlarging the PJEG of the DVD cover on one of the sites
below.  It is currently running on Kanopy.  [-ecl]
What others are saying:
<https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/documentary/i-tarzan/>
<https://letterboxd.com/film/i-tarzan-what-if-it-were-true/>
===================================================================
TOPIC: THE SIRENS OF MARS by Sarah Stewart Johnson (book review by
Gregory Frederick)
In THE SIRENS OF MARS, Sarah Stewart Johnson takes readers on an
enthralling journey through the enigmatic landscapes of the Red
Planet, blending science, history, and personal narrative into a
compelling exploration of our fascination with Mars.  Johnson, a
planetary scientist and astro-biologist, brings her expertise to
the forefront, crafting a narrative that is both informative and
deeply reflective.
The book is structured around the dual themes of exploration and
the human spirit's relentless quest for knowledge.  Johnson weaves
together the stories of past missions to Mars, the scientists
behind them, and her own experiences in the field.  This personal
touch adds a layer of intimacy to the narrative, allowing readers
to connect with the author on a human level as she grapples with
the mysteries of the universe.
One of the standout features of THE SIRENS OF MARS is Johnson's
ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible to a
general audience.  She skillfully explains the intricacies of
planetary science, the challenges of space exploration, and the
potential for life beyond Earth without overwhelming the reader
with jargon.  The author for example, states that searching the
hardened and imperious mud stones at a past delta of an ancient
river on Mars is a good way to find ancient remains of life or
molecules that could indicate the past presence of life.
Johnson also delves into the philosophical implications of our
quest to understand Mars.  She raises thought-provoking questions
about what it means to explore, the ethical considerations of
colonization, and the impact of our discoveries on our
understanding of life itself.  These reflections elevate the book
beyond a mere scientific account, inviting readers to ponder their
place in the cosmos.
The prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid images of the
Martian landscape and the awe-inspiring nature of space.
Johnson's storytelling is interspersed with historical anecdotes
and insights from notable figures in the field, enriching the
narrative and providing context for the ongoing exploration of
Mars.
Overall, THE SIRENS OF MARS is a captivating read that appeals to
both science enthusiasts and casual readers alike.  Johnson's
blend of personal narrative, scientific exploration, and
philosophical inquiry creates a multifaceted portrait of Mars that
is as inspiring as it is informative.  This book is a must-read
for anyone curious about the Red Planet and the human spirit's
unyielding desire to explore the unknown.  [-gf]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Hugo Awards (letters of comment by Dale L. Skran and Richie
Bielak)
In response to the list of Hugo Award winners in the 08/16/24
issue of the MT VOID, Dale L. Skran writes:
Wow!  Looking at the 2024 nominees, this seems like a terribly
weak set of nominees.  HONOR AMONG THIEVES was fun, but I am
shocked to see it actually win.  More shocked that it may well be
the best of the nominees.  I looked at a couple of "Best SF films
of 2023" lists and was hard put to find even one I might want to
watch.  Some of this can be blamed on covid.  Some on the decline
of Marvel.  But it seems like something else is going on--perhaps
a shift of talent and creativity away from movies toward the
series format.  Or audiences tiring of the 1.5-2 hour movie
format.  Personally I am finding it harder and harder to watch
movies due to their inconvenient length.  Additionally, a good
series can be so much deeper and better developed.
     DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
     BARBIE
     NIMONA
     POOR THINGS
     SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
     THE WANDERING EARTH II
[-dls]
Richie Bielak writes:
Just listened to the "Better Living Through Algorithm" story--what
a lovely story!  [-rb]
===================================================================
TOPIC: ARRIVAL (letter of comment by Norman Salt)
In response to Evelyn's comments on ARRIVAL in the 08/16/24 issue
of the MT VOID, Norman Salt writes:
Did you read Andy Weir's PROJECT HAIL MARY?  There is an
interesting part where he figures out how to communicate with an
intelligent turtle-like creature from a different star system.
[-ns]
Evelyn responds:
Yes, I have.  But the acquisition of language is way too easy in
PROJECT HAIL MARY.  It's probably too easy in ARRIVAL as well, but
at least Dr. Banks went through the problems with the many
assumptions that a simple question makes (like whether the alien
even understands what a question is).  See
<https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/05/andy-weirs-project-hail-
mary-and-the-soft-squishy-science-of-language/> for a discussion
of this.  [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
ORIENTATIONS by W. Somerset Maugham (Project Gutenberg and other
publishers) is Maugham's first book of short stories.  I mentioned
a couple of weeks ago that I had been binging Somerset Maugham,
and I that I had previously reviewed the four-volume Penguin
edition of Maugham's "Collected Stories", which was the American
reprint of the three-volume 1951 Heinemann edition, and was
implied to be complete (and explicitly described as such on at
least one web site).  But it turns out that this did not include
twenty-one stories that were not reprinted until after Maugham's
death in 1965.  Seventeen, including those from ORIENTATIONS, were
reprinted in SEVENTEEN LOST STORIES (1969) and four in TRAVELLER
IN ROMANCE (1984).  These, added to the ninety-one stories in the
COLLECTED STORIES, form the complete set of Maugham's short
fiction.
The six short stories in ORIENTATIONS are:
     "The Punctiliousness of Don Sebastian": a story of a wife's
         infidelity and a husband's revenge
     "A Bad Example": a somewhat obvious parable
     "De Amicitia": a tale of a female English art student and a
         male American poet who decide to travel as just friends
         one summer
     "Faith": Maugham examines how exactly faith works
     "The Choice of Amyntas": it's all in a name
     "Daisy": a look at Victorian attitudes towards sex, and
         towards women
SEVENTEEN LOST STORIES and TRAVELLER IN ROMANCE are available
cheaply from various used booksellers, being relatively modern
editions.  (And I suppose I will have to do so.)   SEVENTEEN LOST
STORIES is also available from archive.org, but only for on-line
reading, and check-outs of one hour (apparently renewable).
Frankly, that's not my preferred way to read a book.  ORIENTATIONS
(contained in SEVENTEEN LOST STORIES) is old enough to be in the
public domain, so you can read those stories free.  There are also
cheap copies available, but one problem with those is that it's
the Wild West out there in public-domain-land: this is described
by one publisher as "W. Somerset Maugham's Reflections on Life and
Art", but the fuller description has every appearance of being
written by an A.I., and the book is *not* "Reflections on Life and
Art".  [-ecl]
===================================================================
                      Mark Leeper
                      mleeper@optonline.net
           It's tempting to believe that computers will be neutral
           and objective, but algorithms are nothing more than
           opinions embedded in mathematics.
            --Cathy O'Neil