• NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK (film review by Mark R. Leeper)

    From Mark Leeper@21:1/5 to All on Sun Oct 24 07:25:06 2021
    NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK is based on a story by popular science
    fiction author Robert Silverberg. Though he has been a prolific
    author for the last seventy years(!), little of his work has been
    filmed. The only major exception is THE BICENTENNIAL MAN (based on
    "The Positronic Man").

    This film has a jazzy score and a diverse cast (and a touch of food
    porn), and is divided into three sections, representing three
    timelines, centering on Nick, Janine, and Tom. Each starts in the
    boardroom of a wealthy corporation with somebody is giving a talk
    that sounds like double-talk. In the middle, a "time shift" (or
    "phase"--they seem to use the terms interchangeably) makes reality
    change. Apparently changing timelines is "time crime" but that
    seems to happen anyway. Nick thinks someone is trying to change
    his timeline in specific.

    Throughout the film people's lives get screwed up just the same way
    they have been with time shifts. Things get entangled, and one
    character says, "We can't change the past; we can just clean up the
    future a little bit." (It sounds a bit like relationship
    counseling.) Also, people tend to speak in aphorisms (like that
    one, or "Happiness is the only thing more fleeting than time.")

    Nick signs up for a service called "Past Protect" which presumably
    saves your memories from this timeline in case a time shift changes
    something. Oddly, memories from one timeline last for a few hours
    when the timelines shift, but gradually fade. Past Protect has
    somehow lost most of his memories but he can remember Janine for a
    while. The idea in general creates situations similar to those in
    TOTAL RECALL, though in this film Nick is looking for someone to be with him forever in love rather than trying to have an adventure.

    The mechanism for the time travel is not clear, though the body (or
    a body) does go back in time (rather than just inhabit the person's
    earlier body). Not surprisingly, Nick's attempts to "fix" things
    have a somewhat different effect. (One nice touch is a close-up of
    Nick's hand in each segment, revealing his different marital
    statuses.)

    Released in theaters 10/15/21. Rating: high +1 (-4 to +4), or
    6/10.

    Film Credits:
    <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7099280/reference>

    What others are saying: <https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/needle_in_a_timestack>

    --
    Mark R. Leeper

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  • From Paul S Person@21:1/5 to mleeper@optonline.net on Sun Oct 24 09:34:48 2021
    On Sun, 24 Oct 2021 07:25:06 -0700 (PDT), Mark Leeper
    <mleeper@optonline.net> wrote:

    NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK is based on a story by popular science
    fiction author Robert Silverberg. Though he has been a prolific
    author for the last seventy years(!), little of his work has been
    filmed. The only major exception is THE BICENTENNIAL MAN (based on
    "The Positronic Man").

    This film has a jazzy score and a diverse cast (and a touch of food
    porn), and is divided into three sections, representing three
    timelines, centering on Nick, Janine, and Tom. Each starts in the
    boardroom of a wealthy corporation with somebody is giving a talk
    that sounds like double-talk. In the middle, a "time shift" (or >"phase"--they seem to use the terms interchangeably) makes reality
    change. Apparently changing timelines is "time crime" but that
    seems to happen anyway. Nick thinks someone is trying to change
    his timeline in specific.

    Throughout the film people's lives get screwed up just the same way
    they have been with time shifts. Things get entangled, and one
    character says, "We can't change the past; we can just clean up the
    future a little bit." (It sounds a bit like relationship
    counseling.) Also, people tend to speak in aphorisms (like that
    one, or "Happiness is the only thing more fleeting than time.")

    Nick signs up for a service called "Past Protect" which presumably
    saves your memories from this timeline in case a time shift changes >something. Oddly, memories from one timeline last for a few hours
    when the timelines shift, but gradually fade. Past Protect has
    somehow lost most of his memories but he can remember Janine for a
    while. The idea in general creates situations similar to those in
    TOTAL RECALL, though in this film Nick is looking for someone to be with him forever in love rather than trying to have an adventure.

    The mechanism for the time travel is not clear, though the body (or
    a body) does go back in time (rather than just inhabit the person's
    earlier body). Not surprisingly, Nick's attempts to "fix" things
    have a somewhat different effect. (One nice touch is a close-up of
    Nick's hand in each segment, revealing his different marital
    statuses.)

    Released in theaters 10/15/21. Rating: high +1 (-4 to +4), or
    6/10.

    Film Credits:
    <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7099280/reference>

    What others are saying: ><https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/needle_in_a_timestack>

    Well, I added it to my list, I'll see if the situation improves by the
    time it comes up for possible rental.

    The "situation" is a Tomatometer reading of 37% and an IMDb rating of
    3.8. But the latter is from 298 people, which isn't very many and,
    indeed, could be mostly people who don't like the director or are
    jealous that /his/ film made it into theaters and /theirs/ didn't.

    Or, as one review suggested, because they are evaluating it as a love
    story instead of a sci-fi thriller.

    Whether I'll actually see it or not is, at the moment ... up in the
    air. Bad films based on SF stories are not uncommon, but I do take an
    interest in them. And sometimes find them better than expected.
    --
    "I begin to envy Petronius."
    "I have envied him long since."

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  • From Bice@21:1/5 to mleeper@optonline.net on Mon Oct 25 11:15:09 2021
    On Sun, 24 Oct 2021 07:25:06 -0700 (PDT), Mark Leeper
    <mleeper@optonline.net> wrote:

    NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK is based on a story by popular science
    fiction author Robert Silverberg. Though he has been a prolific
    author for the last seventy years(!), little of his work has been
    filmed. The only major exception is THE BICENTENNIAL MAN (based on
    "The Positronic Man").

    I think you're confusing Silverberg with Isaac Asimov.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicentennial_Man_(film)

    -- Bob

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  • From Ninapenda Jibini@21:1/5 to Bice on Mon Oct 25 12:20:33 2021
    eichler2@comcastsucks.net (Bice) wrote in news:61769168.859584156@news.eternal-september.org:

    On Sun, 24 Oct 2021 07:25:06 -0700 (PDT), Mark Leeper
    <mleeper@optonline.net> wrote:

    NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK is based on a story by popular science
    fiction author Robert Silverberg. Though he has been a prolific
    author for the last seventy years(!), little of his work has
    been filmed. The only major exception is THE BICENTENNIAL MAN
    (based on "The Positronic Man").

    I think you're confusing Silverberg with Isaac Asimov.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicentennial_Man_(film)

    Your own source credits the 1992 novel to both Asimov and
    Silvergerg, based on Asimov's 1972 novelette.

    IMDB (which I could consider more likely correct) give the
    following credit:

    Writers
    Isaac Asimov(short story "The Bicentennial Man") Robert Silverberg
    (novel "The Positronic Man") Nicholas Kazan(screenplay)

    So there's some confusion, but it's not Mark's.

    (Silverberg has 7 other credits on IMBD as a writer, 3 of which are
    television. Only two of the television credits are movie length.
    Interestingly, he also has an acting credit in one of them.)

    --
    Terry Austin

    Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
    Lynn:
    https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration


    "Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
    -- David Bilek

    Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

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  • From Bice@21:1/5 to taustinca@gmail.com on Mon Oct 25 19:15:59 2021
    On Mon, 25 Oct 2021 12:20:33 GMT, Ninapenda Jibini
    <taustinca@gmail.com> wrote:

    eichler2@comcastsucks.net (Bice) wrote in >news:61769168.859584156@news.eternal-september.org:

    On Sun, 24 Oct 2021 07:25:06 -0700 (PDT), Mark Leeper
    <mleeper@optonline.net> wrote:

    NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK is based on a story by popular science
    fiction author Robert Silverberg. Though he has been a prolific
    author for the last seventy years(!), little of his work has
    been filmed. The only major exception is THE BICENTENNIAL MAN
    (based on "The Positronic Man").

    I think you're confusing Silverberg with Isaac Asimov.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicentennial_Man_(film)

    Your own source credits the 1992 novel to both Asimov and
    Silvergerg, based on Asimov's 1972 novelette.


    Huh, you're absolutely right. I could swear when I read that this
    morning, it didn't mention Silverberg. Are you sure you didn't edit
    the Wikipedia page?

    Just kidding - I was in a rush this morning so I probably only read as
    far as "Based on the 1992 novel The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov"
    and that confirmed my pre-conceived notion.

    Still though, the original post implied that the Bicentennial Man
    movie was based entirely on a story by Silverberg, which isn't
    particularly accurate either.

    -- Bob

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