(mingle log, OTA) returning to our silver screens

[alan_1]

Who: Alan and any other cinema-lovers/curious onlookers
When: The evenings of October 20th and 21st
Where: The Hall of Music’s theater
What: Alan got his hands on a bunch of classic sci-fi movies and a DVD projector. Public movie marathons ensue.
Warnings: None!


[The theater in the Hall of Music was clearly not built with movies in mind. There’s no screen, no projector room, just an empty stage and a few rows of seats.

Alan has made due. At the front of the stage, a jury-rigged screen made of a few stitched-together sheets is hung in front of a propped up DVD projector. It’s not exactly IMAX, but once the lights go down, it serves its purpose well enough.

On the evening of October 20th, The Day The Earth Stood Still, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and The War of the Worlds are being shown.

On the evening of October 21st, It Came from Outer Space, Forbidden Planet, The Time Machine, and 2001: A Space Odyssey are being shown.

Maybe you’re here for a night of nostalgia, watching movies from the home planet you left behind. Maybe these films are all alien to you. Maybe these are the first movies you’ve seen in your life. Whatever the case, there are no theater ushers here, which means you can discuss, heckle, or smuggle in beverages, food, and pillows to your heart’s content. Or just watch quietly and respectfully like a bunch of squares. The choice is yours!]

(OOC: This is a mingle log! Feel free to put up your own top-levels and respond to others!)

Comments

agent maine | ota

[bloodbathing]

the day the earth stood still

[ This is not at all how first contact happened.

[ The space marine squints at the makeshift screen, looking somewhere between puzzled and amused. He's a quiet moviegoer, at least. And he's even wearing civilian clothes: cargo pants, combat boots, and a t-shirt that looks a size or three too small. So, there's no reflective golden helmet to distract from the show. Courteous as fuck.

[ Just ignore the fact that the seven-foot-tall wall of muscle and his assault rifle have taken a seat right up front.

[ Fuck you, people behind him. Maine was here first. ]


2001: a space odyssey

[ The next night, Maine doesn't look so relaxed. In fact, he looks downright suspicious.

[ He can hardly be blamed, can he? After all the shit he's learned about A.I., HAL is fucking creepy.

[ As the camera lingers on the ominous red light, anyone sitting nearby may hear low growling.... ]

the day the earth stood still

[whosthemonsternow]

[South is. Less curious. She's quiet as she comes in, sure, half tempted to try sneaking up on Maine but deciding springing out at him while it's a nice calm moment might not be a good idea. No need to get him on edge or anything.

Her silent approach is broken after she gets up closer to his seat, giving a curious him at the screen before grinning and, yep, taking a seat on him more than the spot next to him. His leg was begging for her butt, okay, not her fault.]

You're in luck babe, I found a pack of cookies lost at the bottom of my bag.

[bloodbathing]

[ Luckily, South's decision to not sneak up on him means that Maine can move his assault rifle in time for her to sit on his leg. Which he is not objecting to. At all. He's just going to loop an arm around her waist, okay? Okay.

[ He pulls his eyes from the screen to give her a curious look. ]

Bottom?

[ ... Does that mean they're almost out of sweets? ]

[whosthemonsternow]

Yeah, I had to dump the whole thing to find chocolate- and there they were. Just waiting for you.

[She did too. They weren't low on sweets, but they had a lot of snack cakes and candies, she was in the mood for chocolate and had to dump the bag to find it.]

And before you ask, I picked it all back up.

[South adds with a kiss to his cheek, nestling in against him and squinting at the screen]

[bloodbathing]

[ He smiles at that. He knows that she doesn't mind clutter; he knows that she's only keeping the floor of their room clean for his sake. He appreciates it.

[ It also doesn't hurt that the reminder of a clean floor brings back other (very good) memories.

[ So, he kisses her cheek in turn and hums a little appreciative note against her ear. Then he, too, looks back to the screen. ]

[whosthemonsternow]

Do I even wanna ask what's happening in the movie?

[She asks after a second, as she's not-too-quietly opening the wrapper and holding out the cookie for him to bite. Because, okay, she really, really likes giving him cookies, okay. She doesn't get why, but she likes it.]

[bloodbathing]

[ Whatever the reason, he likes eating them. And he's not about to object to being hand-fed. It's nice. ]

First contact. Fictional.

[ He rolls his eyes a little at how very off they were, then takes a bite of cookie. ]

2001

[lavelly]

[By now, Lavellan has... somewhat processed the concept of movies and is now spending every bit of energy trying to take in as much about them as he can. Everything is new and exciting.

Including special effects! Holy shit! So he doesn't really approve of Maine making noise, which is a bit hypocritical considering he himself had been a chatterbox just the night prior, but whatever.]

Is there a problem? [SHUSH, DUDE.]

[bloodbathing]

[ Oh, there's a problem, all right. There's a big problem. And it's name is— ]

HAL.

[lavelly]

The computer?

[Lavellan casts a dubious look at the movie before returning his gaze to Maine. (Everything electronic is a computer.)

Maybe he's reading the situation wrong, but considering how clueless he'd been about this not a day ago, maybe he should have more sympathy for the confusion of others.]

It's not real, you know. [He's... trying to sound reassuring.]

[bloodbathing]

[ The look that Maine sends Lavellan's way is downright ominous. ]

Exist.

[ Not HAL, but others. Artificial intelligence is a real fucking problem in his life, okay. ]

[lavelly]

No, no.

[Clearly, Maine just doesn't understand movies. Lavellan can help!]

It's fictional. These are actors. It's theater, except it's a record, like a painting that moves.

[At least he sounds one hundred percent sincere. Honestly, movies are the coolest thin he's ever experienced.]

this is a treasure

[bloodbathing]

[ Maine squints. He would wonder if Lavellan is fucking with him, but the other man seems ... completely sincere.

[ Slowly: ]

Movie.

[ He knows what they are. ]

Alan Bradley | OTA

[alan_1]

the day the earth stood still
Klaatu gives his speech. The spaceship rises into the air. Dozens of onlookers below can only watch on in astonishment at his extraordinary message. Roll credits.

Alan has seen the movie plenty of times, enough to know the ending like the back of his hand. Still, it makes him more wistful than usual this time. It’s almost funny. The movie presented an image of space as a realm of far more advanced, far more civilized peoples who had long since come up with a solution for living in harmony with one another.

Watching the movie after two years of space travel? Alan will give them more advanced. Everything else is a stretch.

“You know, I always have two thoughts when I watch this movie. One, that the visual effects weren’t what I remember. And two, that the speech at the end still gives me chills.”

Showing his age? Maybe. But Alan’s never going to be ashamed at how much he loves this movie.

explain-a-plot
[Since Alan is the organizer of this little event, he’ll be on-hand during every movie. And if anyone needs something explained to them, well, he’s seen all of them at least once.

Why did it take so long for the evil martians to die? Why doesn’t Robby the Robot kill the monster? Why is there a giant baby floating next to Earth? All these and more, Alan would be happy to (try and) explain to any confused viewers who ask.]

eli5

[lavelly]

[Lavellan has seen theater. Extremely weird, unpleasant theater. He's borne witness to things beyond mortal comprehension and come out the other side. But nothing could have prepared him for movies.

He can't even begin to express his confusion, only matched in scope by his awe.]

So these are programs?

[You know. Performing theater. On a sheet somehow.

It is maybe five minutes after the movie has started.]

omg that's precious

[alan_1]

[Given that Lavellan had admitted to not knowing what a computer was the last time they spoke, Alan supposes he shouldn’t be all that surprised by this turn of events. Alan’s far from bothered, though. In fact, he’s pretty delighted that Lavellan’s first movie is going to be The Day The Earth Stood Still.]

Not exactly, [Alan says, quiet enough so as to not disturb the other movie-goers.] What we’re seeing now is a recording of human actors performing a few decades ago. [Well, a few decades before Alan left Earth, anyway.] Programs helped turn those images into something we can watch now, but they aren’t the ones acting. [A beat.] Does that make sense?

[He doesn't know. He’s never had to explain movies before.]

[lavelly]

Decades ago. [What the fuck. How.]

So this is like... a painting. But it moves? Or... is it more like a portal?

[Can he go into the movie world Alan.]

[alan_1]

A moving painting is a good way to think about it. Unlike a painting, it can tell a complete story, though. Like this one is about—well, you’re about to see.

[On-screen, tense strings play as a door materializes on the UFO. There are a few quick reaction shots showing the assembled crowd and nervous soldiers surrounding the craft. Suddenly, a tall figure appears in the aperture, dressed in strange, shiny garb and a featureless helmet. The figure raises a hand and calls out, “We have come to visit you in peace, and with good will.”

Alan smiles, remembering how captivating the scene had been the first time he watched this movie.]

It’s not really a portal. It doesn’t take you anywhere. But it sure feels like it sometimes.

[lavelly]

[Portal or not, Lavellan is certainly engrossed. He's never seen anything like this.]

I thought that there were only humans and programs in your world.

[...Apparently he doesn't understand that it's a costume.]

[alan_1]

[It takes Alan a moment to follow Lavellan’s logic. When he does, he has to suppress a chuckle.]

There are, as far as I know. That’s a human actor in a costume. He's only playing the part of an alien. See? [The figure on screen removes his helmet, revealing a very clearly human face beneath. Moments later, another figure emerges from the UFO, this one robotic—if you squint, at least. To Alan, it looks like nothing more than a man in an awkward rubber suit and helmet. That doesn’t stop the fictional onlookers from fleeing in terror.]

That’s also a costume, [Alan says, in case Lavellan hasn’t figured it out for himself.]

explain-a-plot

[bloodbathing]

[ When Maine approaches, it's not because he has questions about the plot. ]

Years.

[ He wants to know when the movies were made. ]

just saw this as i was doing AC, sorry for late!

[alan_1]

[Over the past couple of years, Alan has gotten pretty used to communicating with uncommunicative sorts. And he still isn’t sure what the stranger is asking.]

Sorry?

no worries!

[bloodbathing]

[ Maine nods at the makeshift screen, then adds: ]

Movies.

[ Which he considers to be clarification enough. ]

[alan_1]

Ah. [Alan glances back at the screen for a moment, trying to remember.]

I’m not too sure about all of them, but 2001 is the most recent one and it came out in 1968. The earliest was… maybe 1951?

[He smiles.] So, they’re not exactly at the cutting edge of special effects anymore.

[bloodbathing]

[ That's an understatement. The movies are more than antiques: they're artifacts.

[ Maine nods his understanding, then taps his chest and explains, ]

2547.

[ That's the year he's from. ]