I love love love sci-fi events. A big part of what I love is the conversation that takes place before & after the events. The only thing that compares to it in my mind could be tech events & the conversations they create, & that is a pale shadow as far as I'm concerned.
When the second round of Star Wars movies came out a few years back it provided hours of conversation in the computer shop/ISP I was working at. Folks made their plans to go see the movie weeks ahead of time--there was much anticipation beforehand & much celebrating afterwards. It didn't matter so much whether they liked it or not--either way was cause for conversations.
A good sci-fi movie will have minds engaged for weeks at a time, full of "what-if's" & "why did they" & "why didn't they". Instead of focusing on the economy or politics or other current events, the minds (& mouths) will open to ideas of space travel, society without prejudice, new technology that allows people to transport anywhere instantly, big adventures, doing the right thing, & the like. And it wouldn't be accurate to talk about what makes sci-fi fun without mentioning the "cool factor", which is basically anything somebody likes.
I still haven't quite put my finger on what I love so much about it. Maybe it's this--sci-fi makes us all 11 years old again. We don't care what other people think about our shameless optimism, our enthusiasm for weird costumes, or outdated beliefs in right & wrong. We're just having fun--laughing shamelessly, whooping it up when the good guy wins (by the way, the good guy could easily be a gal in a sci-fi movie), & rooting for the underdog.
I love watching my friends & I love being an old school sci-fi geek.
Here's a contest for you. Below is an image. The first one of you from Hendersonville or Asheville that I know who can email me & tell me what it is will get a free ticket to see the new Star Trek movie at Hollywood Theaters. Put the phrase "Star Trek Movie" in the subject line please. Send it to me at: wncwebgrl@gmail.com
Good luck!
