Well thought out. My spin.....

Posted by Michaelson from em12-686.utsi.edu on February 24, 1999 at 11:15:03:

In Reply to: MacGregor or McCoy? NO QUESTION. posted by Dietrich on February 23, 1999 at 21:02:38:

:
I guess I'll admit that anything Indiana Jones goes a long ways in satisfying the hole that's left between the movies, regardless of how well or sorry they're written. I have no personal favorites in terms of these authors, as they are neither good writers, nor bad, just inconsistant. Every one of them leaves a lot to be desired. My biggest concern regarding these writers is the apparent "need" to close the loop regarding Indiana Jones past, to understand the reasons for his decisions, his thoughts, his actions. Criminy, after all the questions are answered, there's nothing left except to introduce the sneaky villian, or the whiney so and so's that appear in the books. To me it's a mixed bag, without the books we have nothing to keep things interesting until the next round....with the books, we have interesting stories, but the push to answer these type questions push the franchise closer to the brink of closure. If there's nothing more to question, for me, a lot is lost in terms of interest of the character. We don't NEED to know everything. That was the impact of Raiders, we learned just enough about the man to say, "Wow, now THAT'S how it should be done!" The mystic of the man is being removed, and so goes a lot of the interest. James Bond keeps getting pushed into this forum discussion, well, one more time....that franchise just keeps going because we don't know very much about this character. Why? Because Fleming doled out just enough information to keep things on edge. It still works to this day through the movies and books as well. Perry Mason's mysteries were this way through the books to the screen, and still works. This should have been done for Indy, but the cat's out of the bag. Kind of a shame too. Well, enough for now. Regards. Michaelson

First off, let me say that I've read them all - and I enjoyed them

: all. McCoy and MacGregor put forth some really great Indy

: adventures. They were all fun. Were some better than others? Of

: course, but which author was better? Well now it gets a bit hairy.

: McCoy was good. His adventures were fun and aimed at getting as

: close to a movie'style adventure as possible. Some of his vilians

: were cool. Hell, I even liked "Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs,"

: in spite of its insipid title. But there's always been something

: about his books that bugs me, long after i've finished reading

: them. They fall short. Waaaaay short. The biggest problem is the

: women. McCoy has inexplicably managed - in light of the fact that

: judging by the 3 films Indy is something of a womanizer - to cast

: all female characters in a position preventing them from accepting Indy's advances. Let's look at the list. Faye Maskelyne - a married

: woman searching for her long-lost husband. Alecia Dunstin - cursed

: by a crystal skull to be unble to consumate any sort of a relationship

: with Indy. "Sister" Angela Starbuck (no relation to the coffee) -

: posing as a woman of the cloth, she's hardly the available type.

: And lastly, let's not forget Ulla Tornaes - as cold as the Arctic

: wastes "The Hollow Earth" takes place in. What gives? When has

: Indy ever appeared as melodramatic and sullen and depressed as

: he has in McCoy's novels? I know McCoy's something of a fan

: favorite here in the Forum so I'm sure to be stirring up some

: trouble here. I just don't get why he's praised so highly over

: MacGregor. MacGregor may have presented us with a slightly younger

: Indy, but he also gave us great adventures worthy of carrying the

: Jones name. Not to mention two wonderful supporting characters:

: Jack Shanoon and Diedre Campbell. Yeah, that's right, he invented

: interesting foils for Indy - he didn't just bring Sallah back in

: the last third of the novel to fill the void. Jack Shannon is

: an interesting character for Indy to play off of. With no stake

: in archaeology and a slew of problems all of his own, his prescence

: never seems forced. Diedre Campbell as well, is the single best

: thing to happen to the Indiana Jones mythos, since they rode off

: into the sunset at the end of Last Crusade. She's fiesty, determined

: and intelligent, the perfect match for Indy. Their relationship

: was a joy to watch (read!) unfold. She was quite possibly, the

: perfect woman for Indiana Jones. Their marriage was utterly

: beleivable, making her death all the more tragic. It makes perfect

: sense for Indy to be a widower and explains his tendency towards

: fast, short-lived relationships (Marion, Willie, Elsa). Bravo Mr.

: MacGregor.

: On the other end of the scale, it seems to me that the biggest thing

: McCoy will be remembered for is continuing an over-depoendance on

: the Nazis as villians, portraying Belloq as a whiny, French (excuse

: the term) pussy, and turning Marcus into a sappy, overly-worried

: surrogate father-figure for an unsure, beleagured Indiana Jones.

: Is it just me, or does Marcus only appear to bail Indy out of trouble

: and give him a shoulder to cry on? "It's good to hear your voice

: again, Marcus." Whatever. Why don't you just send him a dozen roses

: and thank him for always being there?

: Bottom line: MacGregor all the way.

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: :
: I guess I'll admit that anything Indiana Jones goes a long ways in satisfying the hole that's left between the movies, regardless of how well or sorry they're written. I have no personal favorites in terms of these authors, as they are neither good writers, nor bad, just inconsistant. Every one of them leaves a lot to be desired. My biggest concern regarding these writers is the apparent "need" to close the loop regarding Indiana Jones past, to understand the reasons for his decisions, his thoughts, his actions. Criminy, after all the questions are answered, there's nothing left except to introduce the sneaky villian, or the whiney so and so's that appear in the books. To me it's a mixed bag, without the books we have nothing to keep things interesting until the next round....with the books, we have interesting stories, but the push to answer these type questions push the franchise closer to the brink of closure. If there's nothing more to question, for me, a lot is lost in terms of interest of the character. We don't NEED to know everything. That was the impact of Raiders, we learned just enough about the man to say, "Wow, now THAT'S how it should be done!" The mystic of the man is being removed, and so goes a lot of the interest. James Bond keeps getting pushed into this forum discussion, well, one more time....that franchise just keeps going because we don't know very much about this character. Why? Because Fleming doled out just enough information to keep things on edge. It still works to this day through the movies and books as well. Perry Mason's mysteries were this way through the books to the screen, and still works. This should have been done for Indy, but the cat's out of the bag. Kind of a shame too. Well, enough for now. Regards. Michaelson

:  First off, let me say that I've read them all - and I enjoyed them

: : all.  McCoy and MacGregor put forth some really great Indy

: : adventures.  They were all fun.  Were some better than others?  Of

: : course, but which author was better?  Well now it gets a bit hairy.

: 
: : McCoy was good.  His adventures were fun and aimed at getting as

: : close to a movie'style adventure as possible. Some of his vilians

: : were cool.  Hell, I even liked "Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs,"

: : in spite of its insipid title.  But there's always been something

: : about his books that bugs me, long after i've finished reading

: : them.  They fall short.  Waaaaay short.   The biggest problem is the

: : women.  McCoy has inexplicably managed - in light of the fact that

: : judging by the 3 films Indy is something of a womanizer - to cast

: : all female characters in a position preventing them from accepting Indy's advances. Let's look at the list.  Faye Maskelyne - a married

: : woman searching for her long-lost husband.  Alecia Dunstin - cursed

: : by a crystal skull to be unble to consumate any sort of a relationship

: : with Indy.  "Sister" Angela Starbuck (no relation to the coffee) -

: : posing as a woman of the cloth, she's hardly the available type.

: : And lastly, let's not forget Ulla Tornaes - as cold as the Arctic

: : wastes "The Hollow Earth" takes place in.  What gives?  When has

: : Indy ever appeared as melodramatic and sullen and depressed as

: : he has in McCoy's novels?  I know McCoy's something of a fan

: : favorite here in the Forum so I'm sure to be stirring up some

: : trouble here.  I just don't get why he's praised so highly over

: : MacGregor.  MacGregor may have presented us with a slightly younger

: : Indy, but he also gave us great adventures worthy of carrying the

: : Jones name.  Not to mention two wonderful supporting characters:

: : Jack Shanoon and Diedre Campbell.  Yeah, that's right, he invented

: : interesting foils for Indy - he didn't just bring Sallah back in

: : the last third of the novel to fill the void.  Jack Shannon is

: : an interesting character for Indy to play off of.  With no stake

: : in archaeology and a slew of problems all of his own, his prescence

: : never seems forced.  Diedre Campbell as well, is the single best

: : thing to happen to the Indiana Jones mythos, since they rode off

: : into the sunset at the end of Last Crusade.  She's fiesty, determined

: : and intelligent, the perfect match for Indy.  Their relationship

: : was a joy to watch (read!) unfold.  She was quite possibly, the

: : perfect woman for Indiana Jones.  Their marriage was utterly

: : beleivable, making her death all the more tragic.  It makes perfect

: : sense for Indy to be a widower and explains his tendency towards

: : fast, short-lived relationships (Marion, Willie, Elsa).  Bravo Mr.

: : MacGregor.

: 
: : On the other end of the scale, it seems to me that the biggest thing

: : McCoy will be remembered for is continuing an over-depoendance on

: : the Nazis as villians, portraying Belloq as a whiny, French (excuse

: : the term) pussy, and turning Marcus into a sappy, overly-worried

: : surrogate father-figure for an unsure, beleagured Indiana Jones.

: : Is it just me, or does Marcus only appear to bail Indy out of trouble

: : and give him a shoulder to cry on?  "It's good to hear your voice

: : again, Marcus." Whatever. Why don't you just send him a dozen roses

: : and thank him for always being there?

: 
: : Bottom line: MacGregor all the way.

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