Comments on: Pentagon Teaching Scientists to Become Filmmakers

By: Kent

Kent — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:56:35 +0000

Still, one would think it would be easier to encourage established film writers to put out good images of scientists than to teach scientists to put out good films.

Difficult as it is to imagine scientists putting out good films, I find it even more difficult to imagine established film writers changing their views of scientists.

By: Jem

Jem — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:41:49 +0000

None are so blind as those who will not see...given the ideological proclivities of the current crop of screenwriters, I doubt many would respond to efforts to do what James suggests.

Besides, the lack of scientific literacy among most of the Hollywood literati is impervious to education--at least in the near term. If you want science portrayed reasonably, you need someone with a reasonable knowledge of science. Outside of Michael Crichton, it's mighty slim pickin' today....

By: John Thacker

John Thacker — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 15:33:13 +0000

With the exception of the occasional Indiana Jones, it is rare that a scientist is portrayed in the movies or on television as anything other than a clumsy dork. I'd say that another possible problem is that it's rare that advanced science in SF movies is portrayed as anything other than the Frankenstein scenario-- something that is extremely not the case in the SF literature. Look at that travesty of a movie called "I, Robot."