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Friday, October 22, 2004
Testament to geekiness
 
I've always enjoyed hard science fiction (the names are made up but the science is real), but every once in a while something a bit spacier catches my interest. Many years ago, when I had just graduated from the kids book section in B & N, I had gotten a significant gift certificate to there from my step mom's father. So off my dad and I went, and although I picked a wide variety of books out that day, a number of them were by Alan Dead Foster, a fairly prolific sci fi writer who did many of the 80's novelizations of movies in his genre. It wasn't that day, but several months down the line when I discovered a book of his in a used book store, The Last Starfighter. It was an enjoyable read, earth boy gets kidnapped/cooerced into space to save the universe, but despite the cover proclaiming 'now a major motion picture', I never thought abotu seeing it. Fast forward about 10-12 years and it's a Saturday morning where I've woken up decently early, say around 9ish. I'm at my dad's house, on break from college, and make myself a bit of breakfast and turn on the TV, not expecting much. I flip around, and find the movies starting soon. One title catches my eye, 'The Last Starfighter'. Those back of the head electrical connections are sparking as I realize that it must be the same one I'd read many years ago. And it was, low budget and classic mid 80's style gave it a good luck and it was fun to watch.

That might seem like the end of the story, cause where else could a book like this go? The last place I (and I'm sure all of you) would expect would be to Broadway. And yet, it has been remade into a musical, 'The Last Starfighter, the Musical'. Apparently remaining pretty true to the original story, it's playing at the Storm Theatre from now till the end of October. Sadly, I will be missing this spectacular event, but I would encourage anyone out there to go try it out. Tickets are only $19, and if anyone does get there and they happen to have a cd of the show pressed, I wouldn't mind checking it out.


Comments:

Commenting on your title for the day rather than the last starfighter which I remember seeing first time round:
"Testament to Geekiness"
Flicking around the radio stations on the way to uni this morning when JJJ (who's breakfast presenter is pure mathematician) was celebrating Geek Week and were searching for the geekiest listener. Claims for the title included:

Singing the periodic table to the tune of 'Modern Major
General from Pirates of Penzance'

Reciting pi to 15 decimal places in morse code
...---...!!! (I hope I got that right)

Andrew #1
 
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