Barbara Baldwin

It is a snowed-in night. We decided to watch something new. I went to "Sci Fi," and selected THE BEYOND. Although inventive, I could never get used to those trying to get men into space, acting as though they were in a real time documentary,could never get past that conceit. I hated they thought to USE the Disabled to put into new bodies, which looked human, but were not. And? The first volunteer in a wheelchair, who "coded" in the first trial? Barely mourned--- Just a Disabled person. These sorts of movies ALWAYS assume The Alien represents malign intent. Every time: "War of the Worlds," "Contact," "E,T" etc. Guns and machine guns out, every time. We go to an alien planet, of beautiful purple beings, it's assumed they are nothing. The writing not only assumed evil, but assumed:" inferior..." The ship to the planet already had crews speaking of the aliens as "savages!" ----------They hadn't even been there , yet. In the Beyond, you don't feel pity for any of the wooden characters. None of them is well drawn out. Do they have fears for their homes, childen? Nope They're just ciphers, reading stiff dialogue."One can no longer.." etc. "One? Humans don't talk like that! We were happy not to have spent hard-earned cash, on this plodding, boring film. Also, if we wreck this planet, kind planetary "parents ,"shouldn't give us an extra.Huge waste. Well, I got the vacuuming done. Sorry. D minus ( that is being Kind!)