Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek remains one of Science Fiction's richest commodities.  Arguably, it's one of the few franchises that remains as relevant today as it was when it was first launched onto the broadcast dial: granted, it's shape and delivery may have changed ... but would you believe that, perhaps, it's richest behind-the-scenes tale involves one of entertainment's greatest comediennes?

I've known this story for quite some time, and I think it's definitely made the rounds certainly in many quarters which have covered Trek to even to a passing degree.  Still, I happened across this article (link) over the weekend which once more gave credit where credit is due -- Trek's biggest fan in its earliest days was none other than comedy legend Lucille Ball, whose Desilu Studios produced the show.

For those who've never heard it, I won't spoil all of the details (I encourage you to follow the link and read it for yourselves), but -- suffice it to say -- it involves the actress greenlighting both the original pilot as well as its second chance ("The Cage" was found much too cerebral for television executives), and lovely lady even ponied up some of her own money to make that happen.  The rest -- as they say -- is history ... but when our modern era is so replete with focusing on what's wrong in our collective world I thought it worth sharing a bit of positive news when this funny lady did something that, truly, changed the world, even if it was just believing in a little ol' television program.

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

Fans of the 1972 SciFi/Drama Silent Running from visionary director and special effects guru Douglas Trumbull have plenty to be excited about as Arrow Video recently announced they'd be pressing a new release of the groundbreaking film for distribution this upcoming November 17th.  I was alerted to the release via an email from one of the company's marketing reps, but the alert contained no specific details -- a must when I'm seeking to publish the product on the MainPage.  This morning, however, I found some of the specs on the web, and I'm doing the requisite copy-and-paste thing below.  Check it out if interested!

​
In 1968, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) contributed to the ground-breaking special photographic effects of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Four years later, he stamped his own indelible mark on the science fiction genre with his mesmerising directorial debut – Silent Running.

In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and fauna, with what remains of the planet’s former ecosystems preserved aboard a fleet of greenhouses orbiting in space. When the crews are ordered to destroy the remaining specimens, one botanist, Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern, The ’Burbs), rebels and flees towards Saturn in a desperate bid to preserve his own little piece of Earth that was, accompanied only by the ship’s three service robots.

Featuring a captivating central performance by Dern, visual effects that rival anything in 2001 and a powerful ecological message, Silent Running is a haunting and prescient sci-fi classic that resonates even more strongly today than it did at the time of its original release.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
–        Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative, approved by director Douglas Trumbull and produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release 
–        High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentation
–        Original lossless mono audio
–        Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
–        Brand new audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw
–        Original audio commentary by Douglas Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern
–        Isolated music and effects track
–        No Turning Back, a new interview with film music historian Jeff Bond on the film’s score
–        First Run, a new visual essay by writer and filmmaker Jon Spira exploring the evolution of Silent Running’s screenplay
–        The Making of Silent Running, an archival 1972 on-set documentary
–        Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now, two archival interviews with the film’s director
–        A Conversation with Bruce Dern, an archival interview with the film’s lead actor
–        Theatrical trailer
–        Extensive behind-the-scenes gallery
–        Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
GUARANTEED THROUGH PREORDERS FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Peter Tonguette”

Ah, the Gods!  They can be so cruel.  As if any of us needed yet one more reason to hate 2020, word has come to the Information Superhighway this morning that the lovely Diana Rigg has left us.

The talented actress became 'all the rage' (as it were) for her work aboard the popular Spy/Drama television program of the late 1960's The Avengers, a runaway hit definitely for its time and place.  And perhaps defying the odds over what they say about aging women being able to find little work, Rigg certainly kept busy, though her opportunities definitely turned to more conventional fare.  Still, late in her life, she returned to the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy with a top guest spot aboard HBO's stellar Game Of Thrones, introducing her to a whole new generation of fans.  Those who came to know the lady late in the game?  Do yourself a favor and check out The Avengers, and you'll find something worthy of your undivided attention.  Sure, it may be a bit dated: this can happen to programs which define the era of the conception ... and The Avengers did it stunningly well.

Alas, none of us last forever, though milady certainly gave it an admirable try ...

​May she rest in peace.

​Zombie films have been – and probably always will be – all the rage.
 
I’ve often wondered why.  After all, why would we – as a society – be so obsessed with seeing one cinematic version of our inevitable doom?  It isn’t as if we’re unaware that ‘the big sleep’ is coming for every single one of us, but what is it, specifically, that interests us about plague films?  Could it be that there’s this fear deep down inside of everyone that – as crazy as it sounds – unites all of us, regardless of color or creed?  Is there some latent behavior somehow genetically stitched into the very core of our DNA that makes audiences crave for yet one more glimpse into the darkest fate that awaits us all?
 
Truth: much has been written about this collective fascination with ‘zombiedom’ since George A. Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead reanimated the dead in such a way.  In fact, I’d argue that so much has been said about them that – unlike life itself – the business of plague films has become a vicious circle: a motion picture sparks the public’s interest, which leads to more films, which only leads to more discussion, which only leads to even more films, etc. upon etc. all the way until the undead are practically everywhere.
 
Given the breadth of such interest, I’d imagine it’s very difficult to bring something new to the whole zombie genre … but writer/director Jeff Barnaby and his cast and crew swing away with the release of Blood Quantum, now available on VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray (just in time to inspire you for Halloween).  Having seen the film, I wanted to offer a few thoughts about what makes it different than the usual run-of-the-mill ‘living dead’ release.
 
[NOTE: the following review will contain minor spoilers necessarily solely for the discussion of plot and characters.  If you’re the type of person who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the end for the final assessment.  If, however, you are accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …]
 
From the promotional materials: “The indigenous people in the isolated reserve of Red Crow are immune to the zombie plague that has taken over the nation, but that doesn’t mean their lives aren’t at risk.  It’s up to Traylor, the tribal sheriff, to protect the families residing on the reserve and a flood of desperate refugees from the hordes of bloodthirsty, walking white corpses that are closing in.”
​

​I shouldn’t have to recount the sad but true history of what the ‘white man’ has done to the various tribes of Native American Indians throughout the years (rest assured, this review will not devolve into a political commentary as I’m fully capable of separating story from storytelling): Barnaby’s script doesn’t shirk that reality either, and he uses that background largely as ‘beats’ for his various characters.  From what I’ve read, “Blood Quantum” is a controversial and dated method by which government genealogical records determined (theoretically) how much Indian blood a person has.  Simply put, it’s the amount of Native blood in the person, and despite the evidence of its ‘bean-counting’ flaws some tribes still use it to establish citizenship within their ranks.
 
How does this political commentary contribute to the film?
 
As fate would have it, the indigenous people of the Red Crow reservation are immune to this particular strain of the zombie virus.  Where other storytellers might have gotten lost in the obvious political ramifications of that reality, Barnaby really only uses it as a springboard to explore his characters.  Traylor (played by Michael Greyeyes) is the reservation sheriff who has grown hardened over the years having to navigate both sides of the social coin – his own people and the neighboring ‘white folk.’  Joseph (Forrest Goodluck) – one of Traylor’s two sons – is disillusioned the way most normal teenagers are but has found love with Charlie, a white girl who is carrying his unborn child; he acts out his frustration in ways that typical amount to little more than juvenile vandalism.  Lysol (Kiowa Gordon) – Traylor’s other boy – is equally disillusioned but chooses to vent his frustration in potentially more destructive way; it’s clear that he’s the story’s ‘ticking time bomb,’ and he can’t wait to drag his two worlds into confrontation.
 
Still, setting aside Quantum’s social context isn’t all that hard: the core of any good zombie flick is – you guessed it – the thrill ride, and director Barnaby performs masterfully once the end of the world as we know it finally arrives.  Be warned: there’s a bit of a time jump – you can’t fashion all of mankind’s expiration in ninety minutes of film – but the story’s set-up is delivered with an almost Hitchcockian elegance – one most audiences probably aren’t expecting given the rules of the zombie genre.  Quantum is grim, indeed, when and where it needs to be; and that’s all the average viewer truly cares about with quality horror.
 
Now, I’m not above pointing out that Quantum has a few flaws.  Pacing is off just a bit in the second half, and – as characters are stereotypically prone to do in horror films – Barnaby’s make their own share of boneheaded decisions.  Still, as carnival thrill rides go, the film is about as effective as it can be while still relying on its political subtext right up until its last frame.  Don’t let those messages intrude upon your entertainment; don’t ask questions about just where a Native American samurai might come from; and you’re likely to be satisfied with this smaller, quieter, gentler (not) depiction of mankind’s inevitable doom.
 
The verdict?

​Recommended.  Blood Quantum might be one of the more interesting indie-style zombie films I’ve seen to come down the pike: though it moves along at a leisurely pace (unlike its plague-infected undead), it’s exceedingly well made and boasts solid performances from all of its players.  True, it’s a bit uneven at times, neglecting ‘the science’ about where/when the affliction comes from and why it affects only those it does, but – in the end – zombie outbreaks are all about ‘endings’ anyway … and, on that count, it delivers mankind’s finale much better than most.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at RLJE Films provided me with a screener copy of Blood Quantum by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

Ahem.

I've never understood all of the hate supposed comic books fans have for DC Comics films and/or Zack Snyder in particular.  Rest assured that hate is rampant.  While some of it has been fueled on by offhand comments carelessly made by creative folks before and behind the camera, much more of it seems purely organic, ranging from 'I hate Batman because he's just an insufferably dark character' to 'I hate Superman because he's just an insufferably upbeat character.'  Granted, the caped and cowled men and women within the wider DC Universe don't have the usual snarkyness and/or cynicism commonly associated to comic book characters from other publishers -- attitudes which tend to align with the expectations of comicdom's audience of predominantly younger readers -- but at the end of day aren't they all fictional to begin with and can't we all just get along?

For those who are unclear on the history, Zack Snyder bowed out of production on Justice League (2017) due to a family tragedy, so producers were quick to sign Joss Whedon to climb aboard and finish the feature.  Not happy with what was being done, Whedon crafted his own story and engaged in reshoots in order to meet the deadline ... and the end result was the theatrical release that didn't quite feel organic to some, felt rushed to others, or seemed like a middling effort granted a higher effects budget in order to give it the look and feel the new director wished.  At the time, DC enthusiasts (from what I recall) argued that the film treated too many principles as secondary characters (not necessarily unfounded, but, hey, the script essentially introduced three main players as well as the villain in less than three hours of screentime); and it didn't take long for fans to hypothesize how Justice League would've looked had Snyder been able to complete his version.

For me, Justice League was a good film, flawed in small yet important ways which ended up hampering some of my ability to appreciate it as an introduction to a greater world, the wider universe of DC Comics' characters.  But being a dog older than most, I was thrilled to finally get to see this particular band of heroes up on the silver screen, even if that meant having to accept something that didn't quite feel like it needed all of them around to save the day (my chief complaint with the big finish).  Not every superhero played a part custom fit to his or her speciality -- in fact, I'd argue practically any in the DC pantheon could've been fit into the climax and not a beat would've been missed.  Was it too easy?  Well, yes and no ... it certainly wasn't easy ... it just didn't feel like it needed to be this six instead of any other six ... and I hope you get my point.

Well, prayers have been answered, and fandom is getting what it wanted as Warner Bros., DC, and HBO have teamed up to give Zack Snyder an almost unheard of opportunity: he's completed his version of Justice League, and it'll be streaming for HBO's latest portal -- HBO Max -- in 2021.  As I understand, it'll be released in a miniseries-style format with four one-hour episodes, though I've also read that they're naturally considering other venues to deliver a stand-alone feature worldwide.

Part of me is glad this is happening.

Snyder's Man Of Steel was particular good as it re-introduced Superman to the silver screen in such a way that it didn't quite dismiss the greatness of Superman (The Movie).  Yes, it was a cinematic reboot -- much in the same way any newcomer to the role of Big Blue is -- but it did so in a way that colored within the lines thematically with what had come before.  It didn't escape controversy -- Superman killed Zod in the feature, an action many felt disqualified Snyder's interpretation of the character -- and still I looked on it much like I did Supes' changing of the timeline in the 1978 film, meaning, "Buddy, you're going to pay a price for this that you're not going to like."  Superman II (1980) tweaked that price to be paid, and that Man Of Steel learned he couldn't have his cake and eat it too if he wanted to be mankind's savior.

Likewise, Snyder's Batman V Superman performed in much the same way that late 1970's one-two punch did: Zod's death led to the creation of Doomsday, which inevitably led to the death of our hero, closing the loop in the same way ... actions -- even those of the all-powerful -- come with a heavy, heavy price ... thus making Kal-El sacrifice his own life to save those he loved.

It's this arch I'm curious to see continued with Snyder's new version.

Will it be?

Well ... only time will tell ...

In any event, here's the trailer.  Enjoy!
​

In our ongoing attempt to promote literacy, I found a fabulously-veiled 'think piece' on Screen Rant from the other day which seeks to highlight the very best books available to readers interested in further exploring the genre.

Now as I've often said I'm really not a huge fan of lists, but anything that promotes Science Fiction?  Well, that I'm pretty damn fond of!  I do try to be one of SciFi's biggest advocates on the World Wide Web, even though I, myself, read it sparingly.  (Again, this is not because I don't like it; rather it's because I have about a billion books in my present backlog, and I'm trying to get through as many of them before I shake off the ol' mortal coil as I can.)

Still, lists are useful for comparison's sake.  I'd encourage readers to scan through Screen Rant's accounting if for no other reason than to see how many of them you've either read, are planning to read, or (as is often my case) tried to read but gave up on because the prose either didn't work for you or it was just too darn meaty.  (Be honest: it happens.)

Oh, yeah!  You can access the article right here.

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

Yes, I'm one of the merry few who still considers Zombie flicks part-and-parcel of Science Fiction.  Sure, I realize that many of them share far more qualities with traditional Horror films than anything else; yet still I'm hung up on the fact that a virus (or other medical condition) which can reanimate the dead means something to serious aficionados of SciFi, so I'll continue to cover them in my corner of the Information Superhighway.

And based entirely on the prerelease materials Blood Quantum certainly looks like it might be a winner!

I'm happily posting the associated trailer and the prerelease materials provided to me by RLJE Films below.  Those interested should be checking this one out as it looks like the Apocalypse is going to be bloodier than usual.

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

Well, you know what grandma used to say: "Lists are arbitrary and capricious."

Now, I was always given a paddling for asking how it was that grandma knew such words as 'arbitrary' and 'capricious' given that -- by her own account -- she spent so much of her childhood walking uphill both ways to school for miles and miles, and still I remembered what she meant: lists, in the end, don't truly have any merit unless they're balanced against something more than a single person's opinion.  All of this really boils down to grandma being a pretentious fuddyduddy, but I've avoided lists much of my life for that very reason: seeking out 'the best' based on such a limited sourcing generally means that you're missing so much else that might have greater meaning, greater impact to me, as a consumer ... so I tend to leave the A, B, and C's to other websites.

Occasionally, though, I do come up with some of my own (when the mood strikes) or I'll stumble across something I find worth sharing ... and such is the case today with Screen Rant's Worst 10 Episodes Of Star Trek: Voyager, a show I always found middling at best.

As always, let me clarify: "No, I never hated Star Trek: Voyager."

What I did find is that Voyager was a missed opportunity.  It's pretty spiffy two-hour set-up -- "Caretaker" -- ended being followed up by showing the program wasn't so much going where no one had gone before but instead slipped comfortably into the usual 'menace of the week' format with the equally heavy dose of Starfleet proselytizing we'd already grown used to with Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a reasonable portion of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Here, I went into Voyager thinking that viewers were going to see how Trek's morality tales were going to play out against a vastly different fabric of space/time when all the writers truly ended up giving us were yet even more different noses, foreheads, and fabrics in the same formulaic process.

I guess what I wanted was Voyager to end up being like Syfy's much better fish-out-of-water scenario Farscape, a show that forced its human lead to 'fit in' with a vastly different universe in order to find his own way, bringing his compatriots kicking and screaming (if need be) to the proper course of action, even if that meant threatening the entire universe with eradication (as astronaut John Crichton eventually had to do in The Peacekeeper Wars) if they couldn't behave politely.  Starfleet principles are all well and good, but even Commander-then-Captain Ben Sisko compromised them against the greater good if and when his circumstances required it: Voyager just kinda/sorta felt cut-and-paste too often, with Janeway forging ahead on whatever path she found culturally relevant for that particular 41 minutes.

But I digress ...

Best and worst episode lists are always interesting when they're compiled with greater input involved, as obviously is the case when viewing them from IMDB.com's portal.  Check out the article, see how many of these stinkers you've seen, find comfort in knowing mankind agrees with you (well, at least those with a PC and an IMDB profile), and go about your day.

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

Regular readers here know that I've always tried to use SciFiHistory.Net to promote practically anything SciFi or Fantasy related, including films, television programs, specialty websites, products, and books.  When I stumble across something I find of import, then I'll provide what I call a SciFi ShoutOut on the MainPage for those paying attention ...

... and today's SciFi ShoutOut goes to Liminal Fiction, an inclusive website that seeks to bring readers and writers together by promoting like-minded tales of wit and whimsy with publication announcements, book reviews, and even a searchable database with filters for interested readers to find recommendations for what tickles your fancy most.  Liminal's database allows patrons to browse via genre headings -- Fantasy, Paranormal, Science Fiction, etc. -- and even maintains further filtering via sub-groups, popular tropes, and even further tags like nationality of the author and format.  It's a means to bring a reader suggestions for perhaps exactly what he or she is looking for.

Reader memberships are free.  If you're an author looking to promote your works to Liminal's growing audience the site has a variety of subscription choices and pay levels to match your  current promotional needs.  It looks like those pay relationships are annually renewable, which I would assume gives writers the luxury to add future works to the portal as they become available, certainly a nice plus when you're needing the update.

I strongly encourage interested readers to check it out at the above-highlighted link.

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

Sorry, folks, but I don't read near as much as I used to; and -- if I'm being perfectly honest -- I've never been a huge reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy.  Mostly, I've given books a read that have been strongly recommended to me by friends and/or family; and I've honestly rarely found anything that I'd read a second time or give an enthusiastic thumbs up.  Those few books that I have I've sung praises for in various spaces across all of SciFiHistory.Net, and that's largely what I see as my great contribution to literature.

Make no mistake: I'm a H-U-G-E fan of folks being literate.  I think being well-read -- whatever the genre -- is an important part of keeping one's brain fresh.  Reading challenges our perspective, and the intellectual exercise helps one figure out how the various pieces of life go together.  Sure, reading is also great for pure escapism; and I even have a franchise or two I've recommended for that as well.

In any event, I'm on a mailing list from Tor.com -- a major publisher of Science Fiction and Fantasy -- and they recently put together a great piece on the approaching Hugo Awards, which I though definitely worth sharing to my own readership.  You can access it right here, and be prepared to spend more than a few minutes with the read.

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!