Mail: 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

Outer Reach

There will certainly be a big black hole in this Trekkie’s universe when Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s run is over (#205, Jan. 14). All the show’s sci-fi TV clones may find that it’s a very big hole to fill. That includes Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; I have never been able to warm up to it. The Next Generation, on the other hand, has one of the best ensemble casts in the history of television, with the incomparable Patrick Stewart at its heart. Any newcomer will find this a very tough act to follow. The Next Generation has taken its fans on one fantastic trip. I, for one, have thoroughly enjoyed the ride. As for the future, this Enterprised Trekkie will wait for the movie.
Chris Adkins
Ashland, Ky.

I looked over your article ”Space Race” on the various science fiction programs that are on or coming to TV soon. To sum it all up: I hate that science fiction garbage!
Richard Souto
Rockville Centre, N.Y.

I prefer Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s special effects, story lines, and characters, but I like Babylon 5‘s makeup. The aliens on Babylon 5 look like something more than ordinary people with bumps and grooves attached to various parts of their faces. (I remember one Star Trek character that looked exactly like one of the Buttmans from In Living Color.)
Willie Holmes
Chicago

Stone Turns

Thank you for your recent interview with Oliver Stone. He constantly bombards his audiences with the kind of chaotic introspection that is necessary to accomplish a true connection between artist and audience. Because there are not enough commercial filmmakers working with this sort of daring bravery today, the effect of Oliver Stone’s presence is much more amplified.
Matt J. Johnson
Spokane, Wash.

Planet of the Apes was one of the best films of the 1960s. Only a contemporary hack, not a ’60s idealist, would remake the picture. No wonder Oliver Stone thinks that there’s ”a perverse attitude that equates success with fraud.”
Mike Sakara
Lehighton, Pa.

Buttah Ball

Thank you for excellent coverage on the Barbra Streisand concerts. Gene Siskel made this Streisand fan feel like he was in Las Vegas, front row center.
Kenneth Christensen
Quaker Hill, Conn.

Correction: The review of Barbra Streisand’s performances incorrectly identified Gene Siskel as the film critic for the Chicago Tribune. Michael Wilmington is that newspaper’s film critic, while Siskel is a movie columnist.

Harvest Moon

Who needs Deal-A-Meal when a person can have a copy of your 8 x 10 glossy of a naked (but strategically garnished) Richard Simmons? I may never eat again.
Jill Safro
Jersey City