Battlestar Galactica remake: Time to weep openly (1 Viewer)

[nolesrule]

All will be revealed in time.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Originally Posted by Vaughan Odendaal

I can't imagine Michael Hogan as anyone other than 'Saul Tigh'. He was Saul and practically made the character. Who else would you have chosen to fill the role ?

I don't have anyone in mind and I find him ok in the role, but everyone else I find to be very good.

 

[Tony J Case]

I cant say that the music was something I had any problems with - just that it was very pedestrian and generic. The opening credits, with this kind of sad weepy tinkling piano theme, has the same problem that the Voyager opening credits had - it was dull as dishwater. It doesn't say "Hold onto your hats, this shit is gonna be EPIC!" and get in your face. It just kind of drifts along, lulling you to sleep.


As for the score during the show - I cant clearly recall any memorable moments. It was just kind of there, not really adding anything to the proceedings. So I guess while it didn't offend me, it wasn't exactly inspiring me either.

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Vaughan Odendaal

The opening credits, with this kind of sad weepy tinkling piano theme, has the same problem that the Voyager opening credits had - it was dull as dishwater. It doesn't say "Hold onto your hats, this shit is gonna be EPIC!" and get in your face. It just kind of drifts along, lulling you to sleep.

That music you are referring to isn't the credit music--it's the short intro before the "previously on..." clips. The actual opening music is the mournful sanskrit vocals leading into the pre-cap music. In my opinion, that lone male voice saying "Ho!" leading into the taiko drumming and rapid flashing of the preview scenes is the very defition of "hold on your your hats, this shit is gonna be EPIC!" Everything--the music and the visuals--almost literally are in your face!

 

[Vaughan Odendaal]

As for the score during the show - I cant clearly recall any memorable moments. It was just kind of there, not really adding anything to the proceedings

I think you are the only person I've come across on any forum who disliked the music or had any negative comments made towards it.


You say there were no memorable moments ? Are you for real ? Watch the season 1 finale, the opera theme 'the shape of things to come' and tell me that doesn't add anything to the proceedings. It is a major theme in the series and is reserved for only the most dramatic events in the series. It's also possibly the most beautifully composed piece of music you'll ever find.


You have 'along the watchtower'. Common theme. Tell me again, how that piece of music does not add anything to the proceedings. I'm waiting. You have the Roslin/Adama theme which was the emotional core of the show. How on earth did that not add anything to the proceedings ? You have the Lee/Bill Adama theme. Again, common theme throughout the series. All these themes were significant. How could anyone claim otherwise ? Seriously. The soundtrack was praised from all over, even by those who weren't fans of the show.


You know, just to be perfectly clear, there were many things about this show that I personally disliked. I disliked the way the show handled Starbucks fate. That's a big one. Call it ambiguous, call it a cop-out, who knows and who cares really, but I didn't like it. I also was not too thrilled with the idea of a supernatural, divine power influencing the events in the show. There were many things that I simply did not like, but the positives far outweighed the negative...for me and for many others.


That being said, how anyone could fault the music (of all things to criticize), which to be honest, was pure genius, is beyond me and perhaps is more a case of someone intentionally going out of their way to dislike something than anything else.

 

[Tony J Case]

And see - THIS, above everything else, is what really pisses me off about the show. "You don't see how wonderful and amazing and breathtaking and groundbreaking and astounding and life-changing it is, therefore you MUST be a hater." If I don't fall to my goddamned knees and worship the very ground the show walks upon, I must be an blithering idiot. I hear this from EVERY SINGLE turn, every conversation that I've ever had with fans eventually turns into "If you don't get it, then clearly you are dumb!"


No, I get it, I dont want it. I gave it way more than a fair shake and the show - in my opinion (and last I checked, I was still allowed to have them) was shit. I stated my reasons - reasons well above and beyond "They changed Starbuck into a chick and now it sucks" - and yet fans can only come back with "Well, you must be a troll then!"


Fuck that - I gave it a shot, the show sucks.


That said, it was better than the V remake. I guess that's saying something.


***EDIT***

Sorry - that was way harsher than intended, but I do get so tired of fanatics of the show coming down on me for an opinion. I like Doctor Who, I think it's a billion times better than this. I also realize that some people dont like it - and I'm okay with that. I also happen to like Star Wars 1, 2 and 3, and I know there's a LOT of nerd rage for them - but I'm okay with that too. But for some reason Galactica Nerds seem unable to accept that different people have different tastes and not everyone is going to toe the party line no matter how much you think the program came from Gods mouth to the producer's pen and your television screen.


Now Firefly - now THERE is a show that well and truly sucks ass.

 

[Will_B]

The one thing I didn't like about the score was the few moments when it went all Gaelic. That would happen once and awhile, and was totally out of place. Aside from that, very cool.


The opening credit music was also thought by the SyFy Channel to be too subdued, so they replaced it for the first season, didn't they? They didn't appreciate that having your world destroyed might inspire some somber music.

 

[Vaughan Odendaal]

And see - THIS, above everything else, is what really pisses me off about the show. "You don't see how wonderful and amazing and breathtaking and groundbreaking and astounding and life-changing it is, therefore you MUST be a hater." If I don't fall to my goddamned knees and worship the very ground the show walks upon, I must be an blithering idiot. I hear this from EVERY SINGLE turn, every conversation that I've ever had with fans eventually turns into "If you don't get it, then clearly you are dumb!"

You have gone out of your way to demonstrate how much you dislike the characters, the story, the depressing mood, just about everything. You even squabbled over silly things like dialect and clothing choices for goodness sake. Then you proceed to tell me that the music is void of any substance. It isn't hard to reach the conclusion that you simply are finding fault for the sake of finding fault.


That doesn't mean that I consider you to be intellectually challenged but man, some of the things you've said just don't make any goddamn sense. Claiming that the music doesn't add anything to the show is just too ridiculous. The one thing which is universally praised is the soundtrack and the meaning and/or significance of it's various musical pieces in the show. You then write that off too as if it were an afterthought and you never even offered legitimate reasons either. What kind of impression do you think that leaves ?


No one is saying you are stupid or dumb but even an autistic child would categorize you're posts as leaning on the side of hate-filled. Remember, the first step is to admit when there is a problem.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angell

I have just started watching BSG (the remake) for the first time. I was not a fan of the original, so I don't have strong memories of it. I'm watching on netflix blurays and have made it to episode 10 (The Hand of God).


[edited for brevity]

Johnny -


You've hit on some of the fundamental questions of the series. Is Six real or in Baltar's head? Is Baltar good, bad or something else? In 50 or 60 hours, it will all become plain to see. Or not.


Also, I remember not liking Tigh in the beginning. His character becomes very central and deepens substantially. I grew to really respect Hogan in that role. You may as well.

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Will_B

For me, Bear McCreary's BSG music stands as one of the few really memorable TV scores in the last two decades (along with amazing work like Michael Giacchino's Lost score or Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks score).

Whew. I thought maybe I was terribly askew in my my love of BSG's music. The intro, especially the long version used in the pilot mini-series is one of the most gripping, exciting TV openers. It's not hummable: it will never be whistled out by college kids like The Adamm's Family. The scoring does have pop-radio hooks like a Ke$ha song. But I always found it did exactly what a soundtrack should do, fully support the show's story. Maybe it's the question of whether a soundtrack is only great if it stands on its own as an independent album or if has to be heard in context.


I've got no complain if PhillipG doesn't like it; everyone's music taste varies. He may not be into vocals and taiko drums


But now I'm thinking maybe I should buy the BSG soundtracks

 

[Simon Massey]

I dont think anyone on here is claiming the new BSG is flawless or the greatest thing ever made. In fact, the show was not perfect and did have problems and even as a fan of the show I was certainly not saying it is the best thing ever produced. I was a fan and loved it but I still had some problems with it.


The reason this thread makes for interesting reasons is the COMPARISON to the original show and that is what fans like myself find ridiculous when claims are made that the original is somehow better than the new version. Aside from the opening theme to Battlestar which I remember and the design of the ships and Cylcons, I struggle to remember anything remotely interesting about the original myself.

 

[Will_B]

Originally Posted by Simon Massey Aside from the opening theme to Battlestar which I remember and the design of the ships and Cylcons, I struggle to remember anything remotely interesting about the original myself.

I remember that it was the first show I saw in which a guy was two-timing two different women -- Athena and Cassiopia as I recall. You didn't see that sort of misogyny on Little House on the Prairie! Starbuck on the old show was real scum. Or at least deeply flawed. You only knew that he was good because he was friends with the glittery-eyed Captain Apollo, and Apollo wouldn't be friends with Starbuck if Starbuck was really bad at heart.


The production design was great. The sets, the costumes, the model ships, it was all very well done.

There were more cheesy episodes than non-cheesy, that I recall. An episode where Starbuck found his father was alive and was a gambler/swindler, an episode where a malfunctioning Cylon became an evil cowboy named "Red Eye" on an Old West planet, too many episodes where that over-actor who played Baltar swished around being evil... But I also recall a couple solid dramatic episodes involving a planet called Terra and the ships of light, and some actual drama with the daughter of Admiral Caine (though I don't recall the details). If you deleted all the silly episodes, there might be a solid drama there in what was left.


I liked both shows. I think the original had a clearer vision, albeit a simple Chariot of the Gods one, whereas the new Galactica aimed higher but kind of got lost by the last season. The new series had better (more complicated) characters, and a much more frank treatment of the worlds being destroyed -- more serious in general.