In a decade long ago and far, far away...

STAR WARS... isn't it about time somebody put a stake through the heart of this movie franchise and stuffed it with garlic so that it will never rise again? I confess I'm prejudiced. I saw the first STAR WARS film ("Episode 4," as it's cheekily referred to now) in the theater when it was released in 1977, and absolutely loathed it. Car chases in space, with swipes from the Lord of the Rings and Jack Kirby's Fourth World. In fact, parts of it bored me so much that I nearly fell asleep. This may come as a shock to STAR WARS true believers, but at that time Kubrick's 2001 was the gold standard for cinematic science fiction as far as I was concerned. (And yes, I know, other people claim to have fallen asleep during THAT.) But my first thought when I left the theater was a clever ad that used to run in the old GALAXY magazine. It presented passages from two different stories:

First Story

Jets blasting, Bat Durston came screeching down through the atmosphere of Bbllzznaj, a tiny planet seven billion light years from Sol. He cut out his super-hyper-drive for the landing…and at that point, a tall, lean spaceman stepped out of the tail assembly, proton gun-blaster in a space-tanned hand.

"Get back from those controls, Bat Durston," the tall stranger lipped thinly. "You don't know it, but this is your last space trip."

Second Story

Hoofs drumming, Bat Durston came galloping down through the narrow pass at Eagle Gulch, a tiny gold colony 400 miles north of Tombstone. He spurred hard for a low overhang of rimrock…and at that point a tall, lean wranger stepped out from behind a high boulder, six-shooter in a sun-tanned hand.

"Rear back and dismount, Bat Durston," the tall stranger lipped thinly. "You don't know it, but this is your last saddle-jaunt through these here parts."

The ad then somewhat redundantly made the obvious point:

Sound alike? They should—one is merely a western transplanted to some alien and impossible planet. If this is your idea of science fiction, you're welcome to it! YOU'LL NEVER FIND IT IN GALAXY!

Well, I found it in STAR WARS, in abundance. No doubt some will claim that there's nothing wrong with good old-fashioned space opera, filled with lots of adventure and excitement. But at the time it bothered me when the ending showed our heroes being honored at a ceremony that looked for all the world like a scene out of Leni Riefenstahl TRIUMPH OF THE WILL. Yeah, that fascist aesthetic grabs people every time. And it's bothered me over the years when people who know little about sf continued to confuse it with all that STAR WARS stuff. It's useless trying to explain to them that Star Wars is not representative of the best of SF, or even mediocre SF. Some people -- MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski, for example -- admit they can tell the difference between STAR WARS and STAR TREK. After all, it's just more of that "crazy Buck Rogers stuff." right? Except that these folks don't even remember Buck Rogers.

I'm happy for all the people who are going to enjoy the new Star Wars movies and its various merchandise and tie-ins, and I'm happy for the lucky few who will be getting rich or richer off the proceeds. But count me out. I'll be spending this weekend reading a Barry Malzberg sf novel.

Cartoon by Brian Fairrington

Orson Welles Redux

Today's edition of The Weekly Standard carries my review of the new book by A. Brad Schwartz, Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News.  It's far and away the definitive history of Welles's infamous 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds.  Schwartz's meticulous research has uncovered some surprises that challenge much of the received wisdom about the broadcast and the national "panic" it supposedly caused.  To read the online version of my review, click on "When Earthlings Panic."

Kasich Rising

Keep your eyes on Ohio Governor John Kasich.  I've been observing him for many years and been fairly impressed by his record as a congressman and governor.  Now he's beginning to show up in some presidential polls in fourth and third place.  This week I saw him on C-SPAN speaking at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, and I was again impressed -- he really knows how to connect with people, answer questions thoughtfully, and disagree with civility.  He's the son of a mailman.  Kasich may be too real to make it in the crazy-quilt world of a presidential campaign, but who knows?  I think he'll shine in the upcoming debate, if he manages to be one of the Chosen Ten.  He's a man to watch.

Il Duce, Il Donald?

Cartoon by Mike Luckovich.

Lately some political pundits have been asserting that it's not Donald Trump the man but Trump's message that is appealing to Republican voters, at least as reflected in the polls.  They're only partially right.  It's the message but also the man. 

Trump presents himself as a super dealmaker who can make America great again by making great deals with China, Mexico, and other rising competitors.  He's not unlike Mussolini in the way he holds himself out as a strong man who can face down the rest of the world.  His approach is grounded in a politics of personal charisma very different from Ronald Reagan's appeal.  Reagan avowed the essential goodness of Americans and the American system and campaigned on a promise to get government out of people's way.  By contrast, Trump sees the American people as dupes of greedy and incompetent politicians and offers himself as a strong leader with no need to enrich himself finacially from holding public office, someone who possesses the business skills to negotiate tough trade deals with tough foreign adversaries.

Of course, much of this rhetoric is Trump making extravagant promises without acknowledging -- or appreciating -- that making deals with foreign companies is not the same as making decisions as a president.  Yet a certain percentage of likely voters think the two roles are identical and that a President Trump can save us. Far too many people underestimate the importance of political skills, which are not the same as those of a businessman. They may overlap, but there is still a distinctive difference. It may be why America has never elected a businessman who never held political office to the presidency.  

(Victorious generals are another story -- it would appear that military command bears some resemblance to political leadership.  But anyone who makes the quick but facile connection between military leaders-turned politician and fascism should bear in mind that American presidents who were previously generals have a record of being more hesitant to rely on the military than presidents with little or no military experience.)

A conservative politician must always cut the Gordian knot which requires him or her to espouse limited government while at the same time presenting him or herself as strong and competent, someone who can inspire yet does not encourage a cult of personal charisma.

Trump is certainly no fascist.  But his own rather unique politics of personal charisma ought to concern us as his poll numbers continue to rise and his proposals for solving problems still bear closer scrutiny.


UPDATE -- 3/8/16:

On February 28th, candidate Trump quoted Mussolini in one of his early-morning tweets:

"It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep."

According to the New York Times, Trump was not aware that the quotation comes from Il Duce, but said he likes it anyway.

"Alfred Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much"

On June 28th, The Wall Street Journal published my review of Michael Wood's new book, "Alfred Hitchcock:  The Man Who Knew Too Much."  You think you already know everything about Hitchcock?  Read "The Fine Art of Fear," by clicking here.  And my apologies to the late, great Joseph Cotten for spelling his last name incorrectly. 

Orson Welles at 100

May 6th would have been Orson Welles's 100th birthday.  The great actor, director, writer, producer, magician, and world-class raconteur died 30 years ago but is still a vivid presence to those of us who cherish his films.  The Wall Street Journal has published my tribute to him a day early, so we'll all have more time to celebrate, just as Orson would have wanted us to.  My piece is a rather unusual take on the kid from Kenosha, and I'm sure it will inspire as many brickbats as hosannas, if not more.  Join the argument:  "On His 100th Birthday, Rethinking Orson Welles."

Remembering Budd Schulberg

        (Photo: New York Times / File 1972)

Novelist, screenwriter, playwright, journalist, and memoirist Budd Schulberg would have turned 100 this year.  Here's my look at the life of the controversial writer from his childhood in Hollywood to his final years in Quogue, New York.  It's in this month's issue of Commentary, and you can read the online version here.  I expect -- in fact, I hope -- it will provoke some lively debate among the devoted readers of this blog.

Meanwhile, enjoy this clip from the 1959 TV adaptation of Schulberg's novel What Makes Sammy Run?