- Published on
Honestly, I forget where I heard this story, but it's too good not to mention in this space.
I was watching an interview, and -- from what I can recall -- it was with either actors Marc Singer or John Amos. I wish I remembered which it was, but -- as I often remind you kids -- daddy's getting old. In any event, both of these men appeared alongside each other in peak heroic form aboard The Beastmaster (1982), one of the fondly remembered screen Fantasies that created such a memorable decade of the 1980's. In any event, this was apparently they're first day of shooting together on set. Both of them were called out to the set; and -- this being the first time seeing one another fully in costume -- they met onstage ... and, apparently, they took one look at one another and just staring laughing without control.
For those of you who don't quite get it, maybe Google it. Singer is wearing next-to-nothing, and Amos (shown above) might be mistaken for a guy on the way to a BDSM convention.
What can I say? Costuming was what it was back in the day.
I'd seen Amos in a variety of projects over the years, and I recall watching him in a few televised interviews. Though he was never what one might call a marquee name, he certainly held himself up alongside the very best he shared screens big and small with. He was always affable -- had this big laugh -- and just seemed like a real down-to-Earth guy even though he was surrounded by show business wherever he turned.
In glancing over his professional profile on IMDB.com, it's pretty clear he didn't do a great number of hardcore genre projects, but there are some worth mentioning.
His first real foray into Science Fiction was as a series regular aboard Future Cop, a TV serial that had a big city police department enlisting an android to walk the beat opposite a season police veteran.
1983 saw the actor venturing into screen Horror with a big role aboard Dance Of The Dwarfs, a flick that cast him alongside Deborah Raffin and Peter Fonda.
From there, the man also secured opportunities in such enterprises as Beauty And The Beast, Two Evil Eyes (1990), Night Trap (1993), Touched By An Angel, Hologram Man (1995), The Outer Limits, and Voodoo Moon (2006).
Alas, none of us lasts forever ... well, except in film. I saw that word reached the World Wide Web yesterday of the man's passing, and I wanted to get this post up as a quick reflection on the man's lasting legacy.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Amos.
May he rest in peace ...
-- EZ
I was watching an interview, and -- from what I can recall -- it was with either actors Marc Singer or John Amos. I wish I remembered which it was, but -- as I often remind you kids -- daddy's getting old. In any event, both of these men appeared alongside each other in peak heroic form aboard The Beastmaster (1982), one of the fondly remembered screen Fantasies that created such a memorable decade of the 1980's. In any event, this was apparently they're first day of shooting together on set. Both of them were called out to the set; and -- this being the first time seeing one another fully in costume -- they met onstage ... and, apparently, they took one look at one another and just staring laughing without control.
For those of you who don't quite get it, maybe Google it. Singer is wearing next-to-nothing, and Amos (shown above) might be mistaken for a guy on the way to a BDSM convention.
What can I say? Costuming was what it was back in the day.
I'd seen Amos in a variety of projects over the years, and I recall watching him in a few televised interviews. Though he was never what one might call a marquee name, he certainly held himself up alongside the very best he shared screens big and small with. He was always affable -- had this big laugh -- and just seemed like a real down-to-Earth guy even though he was surrounded by show business wherever he turned.
In glancing over his professional profile on IMDB.com, it's pretty clear he didn't do a great number of hardcore genre projects, but there are some worth mentioning.
His first real foray into Science Fiction was as a series regular aboard Future Cop, a TV serial that had a big city police department enlisting an android to walk the beat opposite a season police veteran.
1983 saw the actor venturing into screen Horror with a big role aboard Dance Of The Dwarfs, a flick that cast him alongside Deborah Raffin and Peter Fonda.
From there, the man also secured opportunities in such enterprises as Beauty And The Beast, Two Evil Eyes (1990), Night Trap (1993), Touched By An Angel, Hologram Man (1995), The Outer Limits, and Voodoo Moon (2006).
Alas, none of us lasts forever ... well, except in film. I saw that word reached the World Wide Web yesterday of the man's passing, and I wanted to get this post up as a quick reflection on the man's lasting legacy.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Amos.
May he rest in peace ...
-- EZ
- Published on
To the wide, wide, wide swath of creatives around the world, there’s nothing greater in mythmaking to plumbing the highs and lows of the human soul.
Why we do what we do – why we think the things that enter our mind – has always been of singular fascination to those who have a bit of time on their hands and wish to pursue documenting it for the ages. This has led countless people to pursue the search of self via books, dialogue, counseling, meditation, and any other avenues that might shed even a little bit of light on identity. I, too, have committed my share of ink to the subject – some have told me that my endless writings on films and what they mean to me are part and parcel of the same methodology to understand my place in the cosmos – and, while I accept that may be some burning motivation buried deep in my subconscious, I’ve grown a bit old in the tooth to spend too much time on any psychological wild good chase. Accepting we are what we are and then going about the business of living life is the first step toward wisdom; and I encourage each of you who traffic in SciFiHistory.Net to find peace with those sentiments and go out and seize the day as time permits.
Phenomenologically, history for each of us begins at birth, and I believe it’s this trend that keeps new storytellers from thinking there’s still something to be said on this topic despite the volumes upon volumes upon volumes already created. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a new take or new iteration, I’d argue that it’s still incumbent upon those who go where angels fear to tread to – minimally – bring something new to the table in the process. As the saying goes, why reinvent the wheel when we already have one that works perfectly? If the goal is to just have a shinier one or one with hip and current ‘bling,’ then you run the risk of delivering something that likely won’t get noticed all that much beyond the contemporary bells and whistles … and, yet, maybe that’s good enough for those perfectly accepting of one more trip around the narrative sun because … hey … what else ya got?
So, yes, I’ve seen stories like Me, Myself, & The Void before. (Hint: that isn’t an insult. It’s merely an observation.) By taking a dash of 1946’s It’s A Wonderful Life along with a hint of 1943’s Heaven Can Wait and maybe even sprinkling on a wee smidge of 1990’s Jacob’s Ladder, writer/director Tim Hautekiet (along with contributions from Nik Oldershaw) have crafted a modern era ‘vision quest’ on the part of a fumbling comedian struggling with finding peace of mind in a world that offers little remorse for the worn and weary. The Fantasy/Comedy stars Jack De Sena, Chris W. Smith, Kelly Marie Tran, Akilah Hughs, and James Babson in key roles; and it’s presently available for digital purchase via a variety of internet platforms.
Is it fresh? No. Is it new? Meh. Is it worthwhile? I’d say so, but that’s mainly because I like what it does with its players and its circumstances even though there’s a bit of predictability to its obvious feel-good sentimentality when all is said and done.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
Why we do what we do – why we think the things that enter our mind – has always been of singular fascination to those who have a bit of time on their hands and wish to pursue documenting it for the ages. This has led countless people to pursue the search of self via books, dialogue, counseling, meditation, and any other avenues that might shed even a little bit of light on identity. I, too, have committed my share of ink to the subject – some have told me that my endless writings on films and what they mean to me are part and parcel of the same methodology to understand my place in the cosmos – and, while I accept that may be some burning motivation buried deep in my subconscious, I’ve grown a bit old in the tooth to spend too much time on any psychological wild good chase. Accepting we are what we are and then going about the business of living life is the first step toward wisdom; and I encourage each of you who traffic in SciFiHistory.Net to find peace with those sentiments and go out and seize the day as time permits.
Phenomenologically, history for each of us begins at birth, and I believe it’s this trend that keeps new storytellers from thinking there’s still something to be said on this topic despite the volumes upon volumes upon volumes already created. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a new take or new iteration, I’d argue that it’s still incumbent upon those who go where angels fear to tread to – minimally – bring something new to the table in the process. As the saying goes, why reinvent the wheel when we already have one that works perfectly? If the goal is to just have a shinier one or one with hip and current ‘bling,’ then you run the risk of delivering something that likely won’t get noticed all that much beyond the contemporary bells and whistles … and, yet, maybe that’s good enough for those perfectly accepting of one more trip around the narrative sun because … hey … what else ya got?
So, yes, I’ve seen stories like Me, Myself, & The Void before. (Hint: that isn’t an insult. It’s merely an observation.) By taking a dash of 1946’s It’s A Wonderful Life along with a hint of 1943’s Heaven Can Wait and maybe even sprinkling on a wee smidge of 1990’s Jacob’s Ladder, writer/director Tim Hautekiet (along with contributions from Nik Oldershaw) have crafted a modern era ‘vision quest’ on the part of a fumbling comedian struggling with finding peace of mind in a world that offers little remorse for the worn and weary. The Fantasy/Comedy stars Jack De Sena, Chris W. Smith, Kelly Marie Tran, Akilah Hughs, and James Babson in key roles; and it’s presently available for digital purchase via a variety of internet platforms.
Is it fresh? No. Is it new? Meh. Is it worthwhile? I’d say so, but that’s mainly because I like what it does with its players and its circumstances even though there’s a bit of predictability to its obvious feel-good sentimentality when all is said and done.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Trapped in a mysterious void outside the bounds of time and space, a struggling stand-up comedian must investigate how his body wound up motionless on his bathroom floor and wake himself up before it's too late.”
Some audiences struggle a bit with cinematic Fantasy mostly because their various filters are prone to criticize theatrical sentimentality because “it ain’t the real world.” This is why a film like 1989’s Field Of Dreams might resonate so strongly with a certain percentage of viewers and yet fall flat with realists who point out that there’s no such thing as ghosts much less ghosts that live in an Iowa cornfield. If watchers can’t suspend their disbelief long enough to merely enjoy the merits of a good story, then they’re likely to experience frustration with Me, Myself & The Void for many of the same reasons.
Bluntly, it’s a light-hearted Drama (with fantastical elements) that dabbles in the ether between life and death, between consciousness and unconsciousness. Jack (played by Jack De Sena) is a comedian struggling under the weight of his own world and his own choices in ways a bit too thick to count. While he can’t seem to keep the various women in his life happy – Mia (Kelly Marie Tran), Anna (Akilah Hughes), Tanya (Sophia Esperanza), and mother Amanda (Kristin Carey) – he’s willing to make only superficial attempts to please them all, a strategy that only lengthens the divide between him and them. Like many comedians, Jack is really only using laughter to conceal the pain he sees in himself and the world around him, never giving these troubles anything more than lip service in the process. And he’s struggling to maintain his only authentic relationship with his best bud Jack (Chris W. Smith), eventually even inadvertently pushing him away while careening under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Rather than explore this trauma from legitimate rock bottom, director Hautekiet instead has Jack waking up in a dark and endless otherworld we’ll call ‘the Void.’ In here, Jack can be onstage seemingly bombing to hit any good punchlines while he’s simultaneously back in his apartment, peering down at his injured body lying motionless on the bathroom floor. The mirror is cracked. His head is bleeding. Clearly, he’s in need of some medical assistance – or is he? – and he can’t quite remember exactly where either of him are, exactly how either of them got here, and what it all might mean for the nature of his existence. In this Void, Hautekiet allows Jack and the various people of his life to reconnect, walking through moments of recent memory all in hopes of trying to figure out who might be responsible for the version of himself on the bathroom floor and whether or not there’s still time to save himself.
As can happen in Fantasies of this sort, there’s no real hard-and-fast setting of rules. Jack is soon joined by Chris; and, together, they spend a great deal of time conducting their existential investigation, more of it intended for laughs than anything else. As they move through these various scenes, they come to understand that they can interact with the real world from this other side but are always restricted from changing events for the better. Still, it isn’t too long before both of them realize that there are risks in life and laughter – some of which can bring dire consequences – and they’re even joined by an angelic version of Mia who eventually serves as the catalyst to pulling off the band-aid over the many scars left in the wake of Jack’s flawed choices. In the end, all of this evolves into a journey of discovery – albeit with some magical elements – leaving our main character with a shot at redemption in exactly the way that happens in heartwarming movies.
“Trapped in a mysterious void outside the bounds of time and space, a struggling stand-up comedian must investigate how his body wound up motionless on his bathroom floor and wake himself up before it's too late.”
Some audiences struggle a bit with cinematic Fantasy mostly because their various filters are prone to criticize theatrical sentimentality because “it ain’t the real world.” This is why a film like 1989’s Field Of Dreams might resonate so strongly with a certain percentage of viewers and yet fall flat with realists who point out that there’s no such thing as ghosts much less ghosts that live in an Iowa cornfield. If watchers can’t suspend their disbelief long enough to merely enjoy the merits of a good story, then they’re likely to experience frustration with Me, Myself & The Void for many of the same reasons.
Bluntly, it’s a light-hearted Drama (with fantastical elements) that dabbles in the ether between life and death, between consciousness and unconsciousness. Jack (played by Jack De Sena) is a comedian struggling under the weight of his own world and his own choices in ways a bit too thick to count. While he can’t seem to keep the various women in his life happy – Mia (Kelly Marie Tran), Anna (Akilah Hughes), Tanya (Sophia Esperanza), and mother Amanda (Kristin Carey) – he’s willing to make only superficial attempts to please them all, a strategy that only lengthens the divide between him and them. Like many comedians, Jack is really only using laughter to conceal the pain he sees in himself and the world around him, never giving these troubles anything more than lip service in the process. And he’s struggling to maintain his only authentic relationship with his best bud Jack (Chris W. Smith), eventually even inadvertently pushing him away while careening under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Rather than explore this trauma from legitimate rock bottom, director Hautekiet instead has Jack waking up in a dark and endless otherworld we’ll call ‘the Void.’ In here, Jack can be onstage seemingly bombing to hit any good punchlines while he’s simultaneously back in his apartment, peering down at his injured body lying motionless on the bathroom floor. The mirror is cracked. His head is bleeding. Clearly, he’s in need of some medical assistance – or is he? – and he can’t quite remember exactly where either of him are, exactly how either of them got here, and what it all might mean for the nature of his existence. In this Void, Hautekiet allows Jack and the various people of his life to reconnect, walking through moments of recent memory all in hopes of trying to figure out who might be responsible for the version of himself on the bathroom floor and whether or not there’s still time to save himself.
As can happen in Fantasies of this sort, there’s no real hard-and-fast setting of rules. Jack is soon joined by Chris; and, together, they spend a great deal of time conducting their existential investigation, more of it intended for laughs than anything else. As they move through these various scenes, they come to understand that they can interact with the real world from this other side but are always restricted from changing events for the better. Still, it isn’t too long before both of them realize that there are risks in life and laughter – some of which can bring dire consequences – and they’re even joined by an angelic version of Mia who eventually serves as the catalyst to pulling off the band-aid over the many scars left in the wake of Jack’s flawed choices. In the end, all of this evolves into a journey of discovery – albeit with some magical elements – leaving our main character with a shot at redemption in exactly the way that happens in heartwarming movies.
Back in my college days (many moons ago, folks), I acted in a good number of stage plays; and there’s a great portion of Me, Myself & The Void that feels as if it may’ve been derived from such a project. People and places are rather simply defined – several sequences are shot in what looks to be an open black soundstage decorated with only the essentials the cast of characters required – and it isn’t difficult to imagine how some of this might’ve worked in front of a live audience. I bring this up because, frankly, there’s nothing quite like live theater for emotionally connecting with those watching: there’s a closeness – an intimacy – that makes all of it work on another level, something that gets sacrificed a bit when converting stories to film. Still, the picture solidly hits enough strong notes that I suspect many who stumble upon this undertaking will enjoy it for what it is, not looking necessarily for any deeper meaning and, instead, admiring the house that Jack built.
Me, Myself & The Void was produced by Echobend Pictures, Extraordinary Alien Films, and TimH. Based on a quick Google.com search, the production shows as presently available via a handful of streaming platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that the film both looks and sounds exceptional from start-to-finish. There are a few small sequences that use some in-camera trickery as well as what looks like some minor special effects, but it’s all supportive of the entire experience and doesn’t distract in the slightest. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Highly Recommended.
At times, Me, Myself & The Void (2023) feels like it may’ve evolved from an experimental live theater piece (again, not an insult as I love that vibe) while there are other scenes that could only have worked as a motion picture. Because this might be the blending of two genres, I’d strongly suggest that it makes advantage of being the best of both worlds. Performances are solid – Tran underplays a lot of her moments (in my opinion), and maybe she was trying to give her character some motivation owed to other circumstances or cut scenes – and I’d still advise audiences to be accepting of creative staging. This is cinematic Fantasy – maybe not of the highest order but still evident – and it helps to immerse yourself in its charm even when there are hints of potential doom. That’s just how it all works best.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Echobend Pictures provided me with complimentary streaming access to Me, Myself & The Void (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Me, Myself & The Void was produced by Echobend Pictures, Extraordinary Alien Films, and TimH. Based on a quick Google.com search, the production shows as presently available via a handful of streaming platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that the film both looks and sounds exceptional from start-to-finish. There are a few small sequences that use some in-camera trickery as well as what looks like some minor special effects, but it’s all supportive of the entire experience and doesn’t distract in the slightest. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Highly Recommended.
At times, Me, Myself & The Void (2023) feels like it may’ve evolved from an experimental live theater piece (again, not an insult as I love that vibe) while there are other scenes that could only have worked as a motion picture. Because this might be the blending of two genres, I’d strongly suggest that it makes advantage of being the best of both worlds. Performances are solid – Tran underplays a lot of her moments (in my opinion), and maybe she was trying to give her character some motivation owed to other circumstances or cut scenes – and I’d still advise audiences to be accepting of creative staging. This is cinematic Fantasy – maybe not of the highest order but still evident – and it helps to immerse yourself in its charm even when there are hints of potential doom. That’s just how it all works best.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Echobend Pictures provided me with complimentary streaming access to Me, Myself & The Void (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Is there an art to making a bad movie?
I’ve often expounded on the fact that I’ve always believed that there’s an art to both watching and appreciating bad movies, but I’ve forever pushed back against that mindset that any cast and crew gets together with the sole intent of making one bad. There are just too many moving pieces already invested in a positive outcome that each project lingers under a kinda/sorta failsafe: someone at or near the head of the process strongly believes in the project. It may not be for the sake of money. It may not be for the sake of art. But I’d guess that there is some driving motivation – some deep-rooted undercurrent – that keeps the gears turning up until the point that the finished product is in the can. It’s only then that anyone can truly assess what he’s got; and – despite what you might think – there can always be reshoots.
Still, I’ll stumble upon the occasional flick that somehow defies my chief argument. There will be this film that looks inferior, sounds inferior, spools out inferior; and I’m left wondering how it possibly was that all involved couldn’t quite see the egg on their collective faces. That doesn’t mean it won’t have a saving grace or two – I’ve often insisted that even bad pictures can have good ideas – and it’s rare that I find myself throwing up my arms in frustration over how so many missteps weren’t recognized while folks were in front of the camera. That’s my initial assessment of 1969’s The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals.
Directed by Oliver Drake from a story by William Edwards, this Mummy is a rather obvious monster movie that pairs up myth and madness in the city that never sleeps … Las Vegas! (I know, I know … Seriously?!?!) The production stars Anthony Eisley, John Carradine, Robert Alan Browne, Maurine Dawson, and Marliza Pons in big roles. It isn’t unusual for such monster folly to present itself as a cautionary tale about science going too far or the scientist wishing for too much power; and I suppose it’s safe to suggest that those elements are present in negligible degrees in this one. But the problems are also too many to mention in a single paragraph, and the fact that there’s no consistency to these shortcomings leaves me in the unique position of concluding that this screen match-up quite probably should’ve never meant to be made.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A mummy battles a jackal-man in Las Vegas.”
As a professed fan of traditional monster movies, I really wanted to enjoy much more of The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals than I did … or maybe even ever could. Traditionally, the sympathy of viewers gets evoked because monsters never really wanted to be horrific, right? They get transformed against their wishes, or they suffer the wrath of some curse issued centuries before and wind up as creatures. While we might not feel pity for everything these behemoths do, we recognize that they’re still subject to cravings and appetites they may not understand, so our hearts break just a little bit when they eventually fall under the heels of man.
Well …
This Mummy never quite finds any significant reason for the audience to empathize with the plights of these carious characters. Archaeologist David Barrie (played by Anthony Eisley) rescues two sarcophagi from obscurity, both bearing the markings of some ancient curse which just so happens to be dated to this very week. (Will these damned archaeologists never learn?) Despite the protests of his friend Bob (Robert Alan Browne), dear Dave insists on being locked in this rural homestead overnight for the purpose of disproving said curse. (Seriously: will these damned archaeologists never learn? Have they seen no Horror movies ever?) A thinking man might suspect that maybe David just wanted nothing more to spend some quality time ogling the sealed body of the ravishing Princess Akana (Marliza Pons) in her sleep – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but before you know it the moon is high in the sky, the scientist has turned into a man-jackal (think ‘werewolf’), and he’s found a way outside to terrorize a few beat cops who catch the beast running down a dark country road.
I’ve often expounded on the fact that I’ve always believed that there’s an art to both watching and appreciating bad movies, but I’ve forever pushed back against that mindset that any cast and crew gets together with the sole intent of making one bad. There are just too many moving pieces already invested in a positive outcome that each project lingers under a kinda/sorta failsafe: someone at or near the head of the process strongly believes in the project. It may not be for the sake of money. It may not be for the sake of art. But I’d guess that there is some driving motivation – some deep-rooted undercurrent – that keeps the gears turning up until the point that the finished product is in the can. It’s only then that anyone can truly assess what he’s got; and – despite what you might think – there can always be reshoots.
Still, I’ll stumble upon the occasional flick that somehow defies my chief argument. There will be this film that looks inferior, sounds inferior, spools out inferior; and I’m left wondering how it possibly was that all involved couldn’t quite see the egg on their collective faces. That doesn’t mean it won’t have a saving grace or two – I’ve often insisted that even bad pictures can have good ideas – and it’s rare that I find myself throwing up my arms in frustration over how so many missteps weren’t recognized while folks were in front of the camera. That’s my initial assessment of 1969’s The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals.
Directed by Oliver Drake from a story by William Edwards, this Mummy is a rather obvious monster movie that pairs up myth and madness in the city that never sleeps … Las Vegas! (I know, I know … Seriously?!?!) The production stars Anthony Eisley, John Carradine, Robert Alan Browne, Maurine Dawson, and Marliza Pons in big roles. It isn’t unusual for such monster folly to present itself as a cautionary tale about science going too far or the scientist wishing for too much power; and I suppose it’s safe to suggest that those elements are present in negligible degrees in this one. But the problems are also too many to mention in a single paragraph, and the fact that there’s no consistency to these shortcomings leaves me in the unique position of concluding that this screen match-up quite probably should’ve never meant to be made.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A mummy battles a jackal-man in Las Vegas.”
As a professed fan of traditional monster movies, I really wanted to enjoy much more of The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals than I did … or maybe even ever could. Traditionally, the sympathy of viewers gets evoked because monsters never really wanted to be horrific, right? They get transformed against their wishes, or they suffer the wrath of some curse issued centuries before and wind up as creatures. While we might not feel pity for everything these behemoths do, we recognize that they’re still subject to cravings and appetites they may not understand, so our hearts break just a little bit when they eventually fall under the heels of man.
Well …
This Mummy never quite finds any significant reason for the audience to empathize with the plights of these carious characters. Archaeologist David Barrie (played by Anthony Eisley) rescues two sarcophagi from obscurity, both bearing the markings of some ancient curse which just so happens to be dated to this very week. (Will these damned archaeologists never learn?) Despite the protests of his friend Bob (Robert Alan Browne), dear Dave insists on being locked in this rural homestead overnight for the purpose of disproving said curse. (Seriously: will these damned archaeologists never learn? Have they seen no Horror movies ever?) A thinking man might suspect that maybe David just wanted nothing more to spend some quality time ogling the sealed body of the ravishing Princess Akana (Marliza Pons) in her sleep – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but before you know it the moon is high in the sky, the scientist has turned into a man-jackal (think ‘werewolf’), and he’s found a way outside to terrorize a few beat cops who catch the beast running down a dark country road.
Oy vey …
Thankfully, the transformation doesn’t last all that long, and our man of science returns to the house to change back, catch a few zzzz’s, and finish his nap. Yet, a second night of living the life of a jackal leads to a bit of a dustup with a traveling hobo – yes, you read that right – and their eventual throwdown results in cracking open Akana’s sealed coffin. Once she’s awakened and David back in human form, the story shifts into a different gear, once complete with flashbacks that detail just how she found herself in such dire straits and what it means for that mummy waiting in the casket next to her. Viewers find out that not only is the curse real but also the now fully awakened Egyptian princess has her sights set on taking over the modern world. First stop: Las Vegas!
Truly … oy vey …
Now, I don’t feel the spirit to go into any greater detail on the plot. Essentially, Akana is a bit of a royal shrew who’ll stop at nothing including turning David and Bob against one another in her bid to find a suitor (even though the now awakened mummy wants her all for his own), and the second half of the picture exists solely to give some screen time to the two creatures finally going mano a mano. Bob gets a scene or two as does Professor Cummings (John Carradine) who essentially shows up to deliver some exposition about what a good man David was back before all of this started. It’s banal, really, and director Drake supplies an awful lot of bloated, unnecessary footage of his monsters roaming some dark streets and even showing up on the Las Vegas strip. I suppose that’s the highlight to the entire affair – it is a weird juxtaposition of beasts against the flashing neon lights – and maybe that was what the filmmaker hoped would tickle the fancy of whatever audience eventually saw his wares.
Sadly, it feels like no one actually penned a conclusion – much less a story involving any investment – to this insanity: our Mummy and the Jackal-man simply kinda/sorta vanish magically in the last reel, much in the same way ticket buyers must’ve felt about their admission dollars once the credits rolled. Any goodwill earned from the title – one that promised a mash-up of screen creatures – gets wasted by the fact that these characters never quite learn anything from their various misdeeds and still get to dissolve into the ether of the finale. While the Jackal creature effects are serviceable, the Mummy is downright laughable at times as he looks more like Ghostbusters’ Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man than he does a heavily shrouded corpse.
As bad films go, this one probably deserves some recognition. It’s certainly harmless enough and produces laughs when it was reaching for tension. The flashbacks are, honestly, probably a bit more interesting than anything else in here; but even they never quite reach the feel of being something greater than what your local community theater group might produce on an insignificant budget. At a slim eighty-minutes, it isn’t the worst thing I’ve seen … but it arguably put in the effort at being just plain bad.
The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals (1969) was produced by Vega International. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were respectable given the age and quality of the source material. In fact, this might be about as good as this thing has ever possibly looked, based on what I’ve read and seen online. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There are a few shorts (20-minutes) which explore the film’s history along with the production company, and they’re surprisingly informative given the fact that I assumed not much was known about either. There’s also an Adult film – Angelica, The Young Vixen – and a commentary for those interested in exploring things a bit more carnal in nature.
Alas … it’s hard to Recommend this one except for those who truly relish the ‘bad movie’ experience.
Having never made a film on my own, I do try to still respectfully talk about the results from any storytelling experience … and still I’m finding it hard to point to anything charming emerging from The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals (1969). At times, I found myself wondering what director Drake may possibly have been thinking as scenes and sequences stretch on far longer than necessary. It isn’t as if anyone thought they were delivering Shakespeare in here, and yet no actor seems all that invested in making it work beyond merely speaking their lines, hitting their marks, and smiling on cue. In the pantheon of bad pictures, this one has a reputation all of its own, and yet is it bad of me for thinking that it didn’t have to?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Mummy And The Curse Of the Jackals (1969) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Thankfully, the transformation doesn’t last all that long, and our man of science returns to the house to change back, catch a few zzzz’s, and finish his nap. Yet, a second night of living the life of a jackal leads to a bit of a dustup with a traveling hobo – yes, you read that right – and their eventual throwdown results in cracking open Akana’s sealed coffin. Once she’s awakened and David back in human form, the story shifts into a different gear, once complete with flashbacks that detail just how she found herself in such dire straits and what it means for that mummy waiting in the casket next to her. Viewers find out that not only is the curse real but also the now fully awakened Egyptian princess has her sights set on taking over the modern world. First stop: Las Vegas!
Truly … oy vey …
Now, I don’t feel the spirit to go into any greater detail on the plot. Essentially, Akana is a bit of a royal shrew who’ll stop at nothing including turning David and Bob against one another in her bid to find a suitor (even though the now awakened mummy wants her all for his own), and the second half of the picture exists solely to give some screen time to the two creatures finally going mano a mano. Bob gets a scene or two as does Professor Cummings (John Carradine) who essentially shows up to deliver some exposition about what a good man David was back before all of this started. It’s banal, really, and director Drake supplies an awful lot of bloated, unnecessary footage of his monsters roaming some dark streets and even showing up on the Las Vegas strip. I suppose that’s the highlight to the entire affair – it is a weird juxtaposition of beasts against the flashing neon lights – and maybe that was what the filmmaker hoped would tickle the fancy of whatever audience eventually saw his wares.
Sadly, it feels like no one actually penned a conclusion – much less a story involving any investment – to this insanity: our Mummy and the Jackal-man simply kinda/sorta vanish magically in the last reel, much in the same way ticket buyers must’ve felt about their admission dollars once the credits rolled. Any goodwill earned from the title – one that promised a mash-up of screen creatures – gets wasted by the fact that these characters never quite learn anything from their various misdeeds and still get to dissolve into the ether of the finale. While the Jackal creature effects are serviceable, the Mummy is downright laughable at times as he looks more like Ghostbusters’ Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man than he does a heavily shrouded corpse.
As bad films go, this one probably deserves some recognition. It’s certainly harmless enough and produces laughs when it was reaching for tension. The flashbacks are, honestly, probably a bit more interesting than anything else in here; but even they never quite reach the feel of being something greater than what your local community theater group might produce on an insignificant budget. At a slim eighty-minutes, it isn’t the worst thing I’ve seen … but it arguably put in the effort at being just plain bad.
The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals (1969) was produced by Vega International. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were respectable given the age and quality of the source material. In fact, this might be about as good as this thing has ever possibly looked, based on what I’ve read and seen online. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There are a few shorts (20-minutes) which explore the film’s history along with the production company, and they’re surprisingly informative given the fact that I assumed not much was known about either. There’s also an Adult film – Angelica, The Young Vixen – and a commentary for those interested in exploring things a bit more carnal in nature.
Alas … it’s hard to Recommend this one except for those who truly relish the ‘bad movie’ experience.
Having never made a film on my own, I do try to still respectfully talk about the results from any storytelling experience … and still I’m finding it hard to point to anything charming emerging from The Mummy And The Curse Of The Jackals (1969). At times, I found myself wondering what director Drake may possibly have been thinking as scenes and sequences stretch on far longer than necessary. It isn’t as if anyone thought they were delivering Shakespeare in here, and yet no actor seems all that invested in making it work beyond merely speaking their lines, hitting their marks, and smiling on cue. In the pantheon of bad pictures, this one has a reputation all of its own, and yet is it bad of me for thinking that it didn’t have to?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Mummy And The Curse Of the Jackals (1969) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
While I was a bit too young to actually grow up with the original live-action Star Trek series (1966-1969), I did happen to catch a few episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series when it was in first run on television.
Though I don’t quite remember any specific reactions to any specific episodes (I would’ve been roughly in the second and third grade at the time, so cut me some slack, folks), I know that I was intrigued by a good deal of what I saw. Having enjoyed a few episodes of its predecessor in TV syndication, I was certainly hooked on the greater adventures of the Starship Enterprise, its captain, and his crew, so much so that my parents had given me a few action figures and a makeshift bridge set when they were released in toy format. While the cartoon stuff didn’t quite hold my interest as well (I’ve struggled off-and-on throughout the years with embracing animation as much as my contemporaries), I still hung with it despite some highs and lows and even though the stories didn’t quite reach the level of greatness that William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley were given ‘in the flesh.’
Still, I’m a purist – meaning that I do very much love what I dub ‘Old School Trek’ – and I’ve wanted for a long time to go back and revisit these adventures when time permitted. Thankfully, even my wifey has come to embrace these original adventures, so we picked up (via Amazon.com) the latest and greatest Blu-ray release of The Animated Series and gave the first disc a whirl. Now that I’m older (not wiser), I still see some of the storytelling blemishes that kept me from enjoying this iteration as much as those three seasons of pure storytelling magic, but that won’t stop me from completing this rarely celebrated ‘fourth year’ of boldly going where no man had gone before …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The Enterprise finds an ancient, abandoned starship with a malevolent entity aboard, eager to take over the Starfleet ship.”
There is always a risk when going boldly in a different direction, especially when it comes to balancing the needs of the many against the needs of the few … or the one.
For example, I can tell you that as a serious Star Trek enthusiast I’ve also picked up many of the novels that have been published over the years and read them to varying degrees of appreciation. Though I’ve found a great number of them entertaining, there have still been a few that I’ve kinda/sorta dismissed on the grounds that the worldbuilding didn’t quite match the philosophies of the original program. Sometimes, the characterizations have been amiss. Other times, the dialogue and situations didn’t quite feel authentic to what I’d already come to know as Star Trek, so the adventure just didn’t leave me with the same level of identification.
The dirty little secret therein is that whenever a mythmaker ventures into another format – i.e. publishing – then the canvas upon which they can paint gets vastly bigger. These scriptwriters aren’t restricted by what’s filmable on the typical budget for a television show; and – as such – they often tread into spaces bigger than life itself. As a result, the novels do occasionally push the boundaries of what’s uniquely possible in Trek; and this, too, might end up confusing the franchise’s most ardent fans because it’s just too big, too vast, too different than what’s come before. While it might be refreshing to raise the stakes in ways TV production couldn’t, there will always be a risk to ‘coloring outside the lines.’
What Star Trek: The Animated Series’ first episode showed me very clearly is that this dynamic also comes into play when transitioning from live action filming to animation. “Beyond The Farthest Star” arguably feels like Trek as much as it doesn’t, and there’s never what I’d call a comfortable bridging of these two worlds into a seamless continuation of where audiences were when they last saw Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew. Mind you: this isn’t a complaint. It’s just an acknowledgement that things were not quite going to be the same.
Though I don’t quite remember any specific reactions to any specific episodes (I would’ve been roughly in the second and third grade at the time, so cut me some slack, folks), I know that I was intrigued by a good deal of what I saw. Having enjoyed a few episodes of its predecessor in TV syndication, I was certainly hooked on the greater adventures of the Starship Enterprise, its captain, and his crew, so much so that my parents had given me a few action figures and a makeshift bridge set when they were released in toy format. While the cartoon stuff didn’t quite hold my interest as well (I’ve struggled off-and-on throughout the years with embracing animation as much as my contemporaries), I still hung with it despite some highs and lows and even though the stories didn’t quite reach the level of greatness that William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley were given ‘in the flesh.’
Still, I’m a purist – meaning that I do very much love what I dub ‘Old School Trek’ – and I’ve wanted for a long time to go back and revisit these adventures when time permitted. Thankfully, even my wifey has come to embrace these original adventures, so we picked up (via Amazon.com) the latest and greatest Blu-ray release of The Animated Series and gave the first disc a whirl. Now that I’m older (not wiser), I still see some of the storytelling blemishes that kept me from enjoying this iteration as much as those three seasons of pure storytelling magic, but that won’t stop me from completing this rarely celebrated ‘fourth year’ of boldly going where no man had gone before …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The Enterprise finds an ancient, abandoned starship with a malevolent entity aboard, eager to take over the Starfleet ship.”
There is always a risk when going boldly in a different direction, especially when it comes to balancing the needs of the many against the needs of the few … or the one.
For example, I can tell you that as a serious Star Trek enthusiast I’ve also picked up many of the novels that have been published over the years and read them to varying degrees of appreciation. Though I’ve found a great number of them entertaining, there have still been a few that I’ve kinda/sorta dismissed on the grounds that the worldbuilding didn’t quite match the philosophies of the original program. Sometimes, the characterizations have been amiss. Other times, the dialogue and situations didn’t quite feel authentic to what I’d already come to know as Star Trek, so the adventure just didn’t leave me with the same level of identification.
The dirty little secret therein is that whenever a mythmaker ventures into another format – i.e. publishing – then the canvas upon which they can paint gets vastly bigger. These scriptwriters aren’t restricted by what’s filmable on the typical budget for a television show; and – as such – they often tread into spaces bigger than life itself. As a result, the novels do occasionally push the boundaries of what’s uniquely possible in Trek; and this, too, might end up confusing the franchise’s most ardent fans because it’s just too big, too vast, too different than what’s come before. While it might be refreshing to raise the stakes in ways TV production couldn’t, there will always be a risk to ‘coloring outside the lines.’
What Star Trek: The Animated Series’ first episode showed me very clearly is that this dynamic also comes into play when transitioning from live action filming to animation. “Beyond The Farthest Star” arguably feels like Trek as much as it doesn’t, and there’s never what I’d call a comfortable bridging of these two worlds into a seamless continuation of where audiences were when they last saw Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew. Mind you: this isn’t a complaint. It’s just an acknowledgement that things were not quite going to be the same.
When the USS Enterprise is nearly pulled catastrophically into a dead star, Captain Kirk and his valiant crew save the day by achieving orbit around the celestial body only to find that there’s a derelict spacecraft that’s been trapped similarly for what appears to be an astonishing 300,000,000 years. Venturing aboard the alien ship, they find that the vehicle had been taken over by an evil, intelligent entity that wished to use the vehicle for its own purposes (though precisely what never gets explored). Kirk and company’s presence has fully awakened the dangerous entity; and it isn’t long before the intelligence seizes control of the Starfleet flagship. Only the use of a suicide run is enough to scare this fog-like creature into a state wherein the Federation’s best and brightest can outsmart it, ultimately saving the day but ensnaring the entity for another eternity of isolation.
So …
The script is credited to Samuel A. Peebles, the same screenwriter who penned Star Trek’s “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the episode that ultimately served as the program’s pilot episode. Having the storyteller’s gravitas on board for this pilot was a good idea even though he gives both this alien spacecraft and this nebulous entity a bit more substance and narrative weight than audiences had seen in franchise previously. The derelict ship, in particular, is really vast, harkening visually in some ways to what had accomplished in 1972’s Silent Running but a bit more organic-looking. The aesthetics between the TV show and what’s possible in animation is a bit jarring right out of the gate; and perhaps in retrospect it might’ve been a poor choice as a first episode … but, as they say, to each his own.
Furthermore, the adventure ends on a curious note of hopelessness. Once the entity has been properly expelled from the Enterprise, it still manages to send out a plea through the ship’s communications systems. Much in the same way that the insect version of Andre Delambre pitifully cries “Help me” in the climax to The Fly (1958), this creature openly weeps about the infinite loneliness it both has endured and will now enjoy for the remainder of its days; and gone is the usual optimism that fueled so much of Star Trek’s better installments. While I’m not saying that Kirk and crew should’ve changed their course of action, “Beyond The Farthest Star” still closes on a dreadful and decidedly downbeat tone, a definite shift from the days of the original series.
Star Trek: The Animated Series’ “Beyond The Farthest Star” was produced by Filmation Associates and Norway Productions. The episode is currently available for physical or digital purchase via a variety of platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There were no special features under consideration.
Recommended.
Although the last scene of “Beyond The Farthest Star” didn’t quite achieve the effect other Trek’s have, it was still pretty grand to see the crew of the Starship Enterprise back on active duty. Almost everyone showed up – Walter Koenig is noticeably absent – and a good portion of this chapter has the same intellectual grounding fans had come to expect from the franchise. If anything, the episode might push a bit too far in exploring new life and new civilizations as viewers were given a new insectoid-species and their bizarre-looking technology to embrace; but that’s still chump change knowing that the voyages of this crew were finally continuing almost as if the Federation had never incurred the wrath of network executives a few years earlier.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Star Trek: The Animated Series’ “Beyond The Farthest Star” (S01E01) as I watched it on a Blu-ray set entirely of my own purchase.
-- EZ
So …
The script is credited to Samuel A. Peebles, the same screenwriter who penned Star Trek’s “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the episode that ultimately served as the program’s pilot episode. Having the storyteller’s gravitas on board for this pilot was a good idea even though he gives both this alien spacecraft and this nebulous entity a bit more substance and narrative weight than audiences had seen in franchise previously. The derelict ship, in particular, is really vast, harkening visually in some ways to what had accomplished in 1972’s Silent Running but a bit more organic-looking. The aesthetics between the TV show and what’s possible in animation is a bit jarring right out of the gate; and perhaps in retrospect it might’ve been a poor choice as a first episode … but, as they say, to each his own.
Furthermore, the adventure ends on a curious note of hopelessness. Once the entity has been properly expelled from the Enterprise, it still manages to send out a plea through the ship’s communications systems. Much in the same way that the insect version of Andre Delambre pitifully cries “Help me” in the climax to The Fly (1958), this creature openly weeps about the infinite loneliness it both has endured and will now enjoy for the remainder of its days; and gone is the usual optimism that fueled so much of Star Trek’s better installments. While I’m not saying that Kirk and crew should’ve changed their course of action, “Beyond The Farthest Star” still closes on a dreadful and decidedly downbeat tone, a definite shift from the days of the original series.
Star Trek: The Animated Series’ “Beyond The Farthest Star” was produced by Filmation Associates and Norway Productions. The episode is currently available for physical or digital purchase via a variety of platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There were no special features under consideration.
Recommended.
Although the last scene of “Beyond The Farthest Star” didn’t quite achieve the effect other Trek’s have, it was still pretty grand to see the crew of the Starship Enterprise back on active duty. Almost everyone showed up – Walter Koenig is noticeably absent – and a good portion of this chapter has the same intellectual grounding fans had come to expect from the franchise. If anything, the episode might push a bit too far in exploring new life and new civilizations as viewers were given a new insectoid-species and their bizarre-looking technology to embrace; but that’s still chump change knowing that the voyages of this crew were finally continuing almost as if the Federation had never incurred the wrath of network executives a few years earlier.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Star Trek: The Animated Series’ “Beyond The Farthest Star” (S01E01) as I watched it on a Blu-ray set entirely of my own purchase.
-- EZ
- Published on
The films of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are homes to a great many unlikely heroes.
By that, I mean that these motion pictures often create cinematic folk heroes from the unlikeliest actors and actresses. Why, in what other genre would the reasonably petite Fay Wray take a stand against none other than the gigantic King Kong (1933) himself? How is it that utter doufuses (sp?) like Bill and Ted could emerge as the future saviors of the planet itself in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)? And how else do you explain young Alex Rogan being the only hope for an entire galaxy in The Last Starfighter (1984)? With no disrespect intended, none of these players are of the big and imposing muscular variety -- here's looking at you, Mr. Schwarzenegger -- and yet they indubitably had 'the right stuff' to rise to whatever occasion presented itself and answer the call not for fame and fortune but because Fate pointed at them and said, "It's your turn."
Just as unlikely a hero in genre was Kris Kristofferson. In fact, when he first started appearing in projects for screens big and small, I could've never imagined him in anything that came out in the realms of the Fantastic. His somewhat weathered visage was perfect for Westerns -- that quintessentially American genre -- but SciFi? Fantasy? Or anything else? Nah. You couldn't convince me otherwise, in fact. He just didn't look the part.
And yet ... in a few short years, the actor proved himself more than capable in standing up for all of mankind. While the projects I'm specifically referring to might not be remembered for all of the ages -- 1987's Alternative History mini-series Amerika, 1989's time travel yarn Millennium, and 1998's still disrespected Marvel flick Blade -- each of them delivers a grand story peopled by real characters, among which Kristofferson shone his light. There are a few more to his resume, and -- with respect to the news breaking this weekend of the man's passing -- I encourage everyone to head on over to IMDB.com and check out the legacy he leaves behind.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Kris Kristofferson.
May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
By that, I mean that these motion pictures often create cinematic folk heroes from the unlikeliest actors and actresses. Why, in what other genre would the reasonably petite Fay Wray take a stand against none other than the gigantic King Kong (1933) himself? How is it that utter doufuses (sp?) like Bill and Ted could emerge as the future saviors of the planet itself in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)? And how else do you explain young Alex Rogan being the only hope for an entire galaxy in The Last Starfighter (1984)? With no disrespect intended, none of these players are of the big and imposing muscular variety -- here's looking at you, Mr. Schwarzenegger -- and yet they indubitably had 'the right stuff' to rise to whatever occasion presented itself and answer the call not for fame and fortune but because Fate pointed at them and said, "It's your turn."
Just as unlikely a hero in genre was Kris Kristofferson. In fact, when he first started appearing in projects for screens big and small, I could've never imagined him in anything that came out in the realms of the Fantastic. His somewhat weathered visage was perfect for Westerns -- that quintessentially American genre -- but SciFi? Fantasy? Or anything else? Nah. You couldn't convince me otherwise, in fact. He just didn't look the part.
And yet ... in a few short years, the actor proved himself more than capable in standing up for all of mankind. While the projects I'm specifically referring to might not be remembered for all of the ages -- 1987's Alternative History mini-series Amerika, 1989's time travel yarn Millennium, and 1998's still disrespected Marvel flick Blade -- each of them delivers a grand story peopled by real characters, among which Kristofferson shone his light. There are a few more to his resume, and -- with respect to the news breaking this weekend of the man's passing -- I encourage everyone to head on over to IMDB.com and check out the legacy he leaves behind.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Kris Kristofferson.
May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
Any child of the 1980's -- or thereabouts -- will tell you that 1984's Beverly Hills Cop was a surprise Comedy sensation that deserves all of the praise it's ever earned.
Yes, it's arguably one of the formative screen experiences for so many; and it's fueled by so many great performances. Eddie Murphy hits one of his earliest film roles out of the park. Judge Reinhold plays a lovable knucklehead of a cop. And the great John Ashton shines as a grizzled law enforcement veteran whose hard ways get a makeover compliments of a brash, unorthodox detective from Detroit.
Like so many I feature in these In Memoriam segments, Ashton wasn't exactly a player in the realms of the Fantastic. Though he may've dabbled in Horrors and Fantasies on a few occasions, he gravitated more toward conventional stuff (not that there's anything wrong with that); and that's probably what he felt and understood best. Still, major kudos are extended to career choices that founded out his experiences, including stops to such projects as So Evil My Sister (1974), Wonder Woman, Oh God! (1977), The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension (1984), The Twilight Zone, King Kong Lives (1986), The Tommyknockers, Fantasy Island, Reign Of The Gargoyles (2007), and My Little Baby (2019).
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of John Ashton.
May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
Yes, it's arguably one of the formative screen experiences for so many; and it's fueled by so many great performances. Eddie Murphy hits one of his earliest film roles out of the park. Judge Reinhold plays a lovable knucklehead of a cop. And the great John Ashton shines as a grizzled law enforcement veteran whose hard ways get a makeover compliments of a brash, unorthodox detective from Detroit.
Like so many I feature in these In Memoriam segments, Ashton wasn't exactly a player in the realms of the Fantastic. Though he may've dabbled in Horrors and Fantasies on a few occasions, he gravitated more toward conventional stuff (not that there's anything wrong with that); and that's probably what he felt and understood best. Still, major kudos are extended to career choices that founded out his experiences, including stops to such projects as So Evil My Sister (1974), Wonder Woman, Oh God! (1977), The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension (1984), The Twilight Zone, King Kong Lives (1986), The Tommyknockers, Fantasy Island, Reign Of The Gargoyles (2007), and My Little Baby (2019).
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of John Ashton.
May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
It's been said that the addition of Horror icon Boris Karloff to any cast made even the most insane premise watchable ... and it kinda/sorta sounds like that may've been the case with The Ape.
Released on this day in the United States back in 1940, The Ape was directed by William Nigh. As for Nigh's record, I'm familiar with it mostly because he was involved in the Mr. Wong film series of which Karloff also starred as the chief detective solving crimes wherever bad deeds were committed. Nigh's name is also attached to such other genre entries as 1942's The Strange Case Of Doctor Rx and 1943's The Ghost And The Guest. He may not have anything else of significant note except for the fact that I believe he had a handful of pictures wherein he directed his cast alongside a man in an ape costume ... convenient indeed since this flick was centered around one of those dangerous creatures.
As for the story?
According to information on IMDB.com, the script is tied to a stage play written by Adam Shirk. (Shirk's name brings up a few items on the movie website but nothing quite like The Ape.) The play shows adapted for the screen by Curt Siodmak and Richard Carroll. While I'm not as familiar with Carroll's name, I do recognize Siodmak's. In fact, he's got some fabulous genre credentials, including work on such projects as F.P.1 Doesn't Answer (1932), Transatlantic Tunnel (1935), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), Black Friday (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), The Wolf Man (1941), Invisible Agent (1942), Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943), I Walked With A Zombie (1943), Son Of Dracula (1943), The Lady And The Monster (1944), House Of Frankenstein (1944), The Beast With Five Fingers (1946), Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949), Bride Of The Gorilla (1951), The Magnetic Monster (1953), Riders To The Stars (1954), Creature With The Atom Brain (1955), Captain Fathom (1955), Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956), Curucu - Beast Of The Amazon (1956), Tales Of Frankenstein (1958), 13 Demon Street, The Brain (1962), The Devil's Messenger (1962), Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace (1962), and Hauser's Memory (1970). See what I mean? An inspection of the writer's illustrious record should alone encourage folks that The Ape might be worth a passing look.
Here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Dr. Bernard Adrian is a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman's polio. He needs spinal fluid from a human to complete the formula for his experimental serum. Meanwhile, a vicious circus ape has broken out of its cage, and is terrorizing towns people."
As for the screen talent, The Ape stars Boris Karloff's along with such others as Maris Wrixon, Gene O'Donnell, Dorothy Vaughan, Gertrude Hoffman, and Henry Hall in prominent roles.
Sadly, I don't see a great deal of information available on the project, and the overall critical assessment of it is a bit low. On IMDB.com, the feature presently scores below 5.0 (on its 10.0 scale) with one user suggesting that Karloff's participation might be the only saving grace to the whole monkey business.
-- EZ
Editor's Note:
I did a quick search over on the Information Superhighway, and it does appear that The Ape has been more fondly remembered by customers of Amazon.com; in fact, the picture has a few pretty solid user reviews. The project did apparently have a fairly recent release from Kino Lorber (2020) -- one that includes two commentary tracks -- so I'm posting a link below should anyone be interested in heading over there and picking up a copy. As always: buyer beware. This isn't an endorsement ... just think of it as helpful information for those inclined.
Released on this day in the United States back in 1940, The Ape was directed by William Nigh. As for Nigh's record, I'm familiar with it mostly because he was involved in the Mr. Wong film series of which Karloff also starred as the chief detective solving crimes wherever bad deeds were committed. Nigh's name is also attached to such other genre entries as 1942's The Strange Case Of Doctor Rx and 1943's The Ghost And The Guest. He may not have anything else of significant note except for the fact that I believe he had a handful of pictures wherein he directed his cast alongside a man in an ape costume ... convenient indeed since this flick was centered around one of those dangerous creatures.
As for the story?
According to information on IMDB.com, the script is tied to a stage play written by Adam Shirk. (Shirk's name brings up a few items on the movie website but nothing quite like The Ape.) The play shows adapted for the screen by Curt Siodmak and Richard Carroll. While I'm not as familiar with Carroll's name, I do recognize Siodmak's. In fact, he's got some fabulous genre credentials, including work on such projects as F.P.1 Doesn't Answer (1932), Transatlantic Tunnel (1935), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), Black Friday (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), The Wolf Man (1941), Invisible Agent (1942), Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943), I Walked With A Zombie (1943), Son Of Dracula (1943), The Lady And The Monster (1944), House Of Frankenstein (1944), The Beast With Five Fingers (1946), Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949), Bride Of The Gorilla (1951), The Magnetic Monster (1953), Riders To The Stars (1954), Creature With The Atom Brain (1955), Captain Fathom (1955), Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956), Curucu - Beast Of The Amazon (1956), Tales Of Frankenstein (1958), 13 Demon Street, The Brain (1962), The Devil's Messenger (1962), Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace (1962), and Hauser's Memory (1970). See what I mean? An inspection of the writer's illustrious record should alone encourage folks that The Ape might be worth a passing look.
Here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Dr. Bernard Adrian is a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman's polio. He needs spinal fluid from a human to complete the formula for his experimental serum. Meanwhile, a vicious circus ape has broken out of its cage, and is terrorizing towns people."
As for the screen talent, The Ape stars Boris Karloff's along with such others as Maris Wrixon, Gene O'Donnell, Dorothy Vaughan, Gertrude Hoffman, and Henry Hall in prominent roles.
Sadly, I don't see a great deal of information available on the project, and the overall critical assessment of it is a bit low. On IMDB.com, the feature presently scores below 5.0 (on its 10.0 scale) with one user suggesting that Karloff's participation might be the only saving grace to the whole monkey business.
-- EZ
Editor's Note:
I did a quick search over on the Information Superhighway, and it does appear that The Ape has been more fondly remembered by customers of Amazon.com; in fact, the picture has a few pretty solid user reviews. The project did apparently have a fairly recent release from Kino Lorber (2020) -- one that includes two commentary tracks -- so I'm posting a link below should anyone be interested in heading over there and picking up a copy. As always: buyer beware. This isn't an endorsement ... just think of it as helpful information for those inclined.
- Published on
(NEW YORK) September 26, 2024 — The Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival has announced the full lineup for its upcoming season honoring novelist Philip K. Dick. The event will be held on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26 in Lille, France, and on Wednesday, October 30 in Cologne, Germany.
“Lille and Cologne are vibrant centers of artistic and cultural exploration,” said Daniel Abella, the founder and director of the festival. “Since science fiction is becoming science fact, our lineup encourages a free exchange of ideas, and offers ways to deal with the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead.” The event celebrates its namesake by examining the concepts of his work. “More than any other author past or present, PKD represents the tip of the spear regarding technological developments and how they impact our connection with ourselves and nature. In his stories, he remained optimistic about the possibility of striking a balance between humanity and technological growth.”
For more information, please visit https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com/europeanpkd.
“Lille and Cologne are vibrant centers of artistic and cultural exploration,” said Daniel Abella, the founder and director of the festival. “Since science fiction is becoming science fact, our lineup encourages a free exchange of ideas, and offers ways to deal with the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead.” The event celebrates its namesake by examining the concepts of his work. “More than any other author past or present, PKD represents the tip of the spear regarding technological developments and how they impact our connection with ourselves and nature. In his stories, he remained optimistic about the possibility of striking a balance between humanity and technological growth.”
For more information, please visit https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com/europeanpkd.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2024
L’Hybride Theater
(18 Rue Gosselet, 59000, Lille, France)
Block 1:
Accelerate the Singularity
8:00PM - 9:30PM
Burner Face (2023)
Director: John Gauntt
US, 2 min
Composed by a team of 3 creatives + Midjourney AI, this trailer tells a story in less than 2 minutes. It is not a tech demo but a taste of what's possible when Culture & Code come together.
Director: John Gauntt
US, 2 min
Composed by a team of 3 creatives + Midjourney AI, this trailer tells a story in less than 2 minutes. It is not a tech demo but a taste of what's possible when Culture & Code come together.
Set a Date (2022)
Director: Elías Balda, Cosme Mañero
Spain, 11 minutes
Thanks to a new technology, Andrés, a young policeman, discovers that he will die in 20 minutes.
Director: Elías Balda, Cosme Mañero
Spain, 11 minutes
Thanks to a new technology, Andrés, a young policeman, discovers that he will die in 20 minutes.
Skinjob (2017)
Director: Steve Simons
UK, 15 min
A group of slave Androids steal a space shuttle and journey back to earth to find their maker.
Director: Steve Simons
UK, 15 min
A group of slave Androids steal a space shuttle and journey back to earth to find their maker.
AlgoDreams (2023)
Director: Vladimir Todorovic
Australia, 11 min
Algodreams are made by prompting AI systems to imagine the future of life on planet Earth. They dreamt of time machines, memory machines, flamingos that can save the oceans, the AI civilization that destroys humans to protect the plane.
Director: Vladimir Todorovic
Australia, 11 min
Algodreams are made by prompting AI systems to imagine the future of life on planet Earth. They dreamt of time machines, memory machines, flamingos that can save the oceans, the AI civilization that destroys humans to protect the plane.
Source Code (2022)
Director: Mark Kiefer
US, 17 min
The year is 2065. Captain John Galatin's loss of focus cost lives on a remote-controlled battlefield. He has been ordered to see the compound's psychiatrist who will assess his continued fitness for duty.
Director: Mark Kiefer
US, 17 min
The year is 2065. Captain John Galatin's loss of focus cost lives on a remote-controlled battlefield. He has been ordered to see the compound's psychiatrist who will assess his continued fitness for duty.
I Am Not a Robot (2023)
Director: Victoria Warmerdam
Netherlands, 22 min
After several unsuccessful attempts to complete a Captcha, feminist Lara sets out to answer the disturbing question of whether she's a robot.
Director: Victoria Warmerdam
Netherlands, 22 min
After several unsuccessful attempts to complete a Captcha, feminist Lara sets out to answer the disturbing question of whether she's a robot.
Block 2:
Humanity at the Crossroads
10:00PM - 11:30PM
Purgy’s (2022)
Director: Robbie Ryan
US, 16 min
At a magical bar, spirits from the other side are able to take the form of another human and interact with those in their past who need closure and re-connection.
Director: Robbie Ryan
US, 16 min
At a magical bar, spirits from the other side are able to take the form of another human and interact with those in their past who need closure and re-connection.
Meditations (2023)
Director: Adolfo Ruiz
Canada, 10 minutes
Meditations is an animated film that revolves around a psychotherapy session set in a dystopian future. By probing the inner psyche, a novel form of technology produces a therapist in the image of a lost family member.
Director: Adolfo Ruiz
Canada, 10 minutes
Meditations is an animated film that revolves around a psychotherapy session set in a dystopian future. By probing the inner psyche, a novel form of technology produces a therapist in the image of a lost family member.
Dandelion (2023)
Director: Gillian Simpson
UK, 12 min
Alice lives alone in the middle of a field of wind turbines, the constant thump thump her only companion. She is haunted by the memories of the day her daughter Grace and her partner, Jamie died.
Director: Gillian Simpson
UK, 12 min
Alice lives alone in the middle of a field of wind turbines, the constant thump thump her only companion. She is haunted by the memories of the day her daughter Grace and her partner, Jamie died.
Black Dragon (2022)
Director: Alexander Thompson
US, 15 min
Vietnam, 1968. A feared American colonel nicknamed “the Black Dragon” by Vietnamese locals must face his inner shadow when his platoon presents him with a captured Vietcong girl who harbors some very unusual power.
Director: Alexander Thompson
US, 15 min
Vietnam, 1968. A feared American colonel nicknamed “the Black Dragon” by Vietnamese locals must face his inner shadow when his platoon presents him with a captured Vietcong girl who harbors some very unusual power.
Soulmate (2023)
Director: Richard Fenwick
UK, 15 min
Ana, a lonely computer coder, has been nurturing an illegal romance with an AI in a computer simulation for the past six months. When her company uncovers the affair, she’s forced into a desperate battle to save her precious relationship.
Director: Richard Fenwick
UK, 15 min
Ana, a lonely computer coder, has been nurturing an illegal romance with an AI in a computer simulation for the past six months. When her company uncovers the affair, she’s forced into a desperate battle to save her precious relationship.
Echoes of Juno (2023)
Director: Reza Sam Mosadegh
Germany, 14 min
Juno is dead. She hasn't been around for two years now, but her mother Hanna still spends every day with her. There is an AI-controlled device, the "Echoehub", in Juno's nursery. This is able to calculate possible scenarios that the deceased could have experienced in the future from information fed into it about the dead. Is Hanna prepared to sacrifice everything for the illusion of a perfect family.
Director: Reza Sam Mosadegh
Germany, 14 min
Juno is dead. She hasn't been around for two years now, but her mother Hanna still spends every day with her. There is an AI-controlled device, the "Echoehub", in Juno's nursery. This is able to calculate possible scenarios that the deceased could have experienced in the future from information fed into it about the dead. Is Hanna prepared to sacrifice everything for the illusion of a perfect family.
Greed (2024)
Director: Mike Hay
UK, 5 min
A lone battle-scared woman navigates the streets of a city in the future, where the populace is enslaved by the tyrannical GovCorp. As she moves further into the heart of darkness, Vita is determined to break the cycle of greed and repression.
Director: Mike Hay
UK, 5 min
A lone battle-scared woman navigates the streets of a city in the future, where the populace is enslaved by the tyrannical GovCorp. As she moves further into the heart of darkness, Vita is determined to break the cycle of greed and repression.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2024
L’Hybride Theater
(18 Rue Gosselet, 59000, Lille, France)
Block 1:
A Parallax View
8:00PM - 9:30PM
I Am What You Imagine (2023)
Director: Matthew Modine
US, 7 min
Featuring the voice talents of Ruby Modine and long-time Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali (in his final performance), the short uses sound, music, and expressionistic imagery to take viewers on a journey of the heart and mind.
Director: Matthew Modine
US, 7 min
Featuring the voice talents of Ruby Modine and long-time Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali (in his final performance), the short uses sound, music, and expressionistic imagery to take viewers on a journey of the heart and mind.
Bisected (2023)
Director: Danny Pineros
US, 8 min
A couple witnesses a paranormal event that separates them into two distinct dimensions.
Director: Danny Pineros
US, 8 min
A couple witnesses a paranormal event that separates them into two distinct dimensions.
Berdyansk (2023)
Director: Tom Hopkins, Kateryna PaidaIreland, Ukraine, 15 min
Lera, a young Ukrainian refugee who has recently reached Ireland, who, fearing the worst, uses dark-web séance software (The Orb) to discover that her sister Maryna has died in the conflict back home. Through The Orb she makes contact - and discovers that her sister Maryna is disoriented and stuck in an after-death limbo.
Director: Tom Hopkins, Kateryna PaidaIreland, Ukraine, 15 min
Lera, a young Ukrainian refugee who has recently reached Ireland, who, fearing the worst, uses dark-web séance software (The Orb) to discover that her sister Maryna has died in the conflict back home. Through The Orb she makes contact - and discovers that her sister Maryna is disoriented and stuck in an after-death limbo.
Ada (2023)
Director: Anaïs Vachez
France, 16 min
Ada, an eight-year-old girl, witnesses the ongoing tensions between her parents.One evening, a particularly heated argument breaks out.
Director: Anaïs Vachez
France, 16 min
Ada, an eight-year-old girl, witnesses the ongoing tensions between her parents.One evening, a particularly heated argument breaks out.
Night Feeding (2023)
Director: Sarah K. Reimers
US, 6 min
Exhaustion and sleep deprivation begin to take their toll on a new mother, who struggles through the strange, dark stillness of the 4am feeding.
Director: Sarah K. Reimers
US, 6 min
Exhaustion and sleep deprivation begin to take their toll on a new mother, who struggles through the strange, dark stillness of the 4am feeding.
Antares (2023)
Director: Maxence Schlenck
France, 22 min
Undertaking a mission to an uncharted planet, an astronaut finds his psyche unraveling, gripped by a mysterious affliction that intensifies the closer he gets to his destination.
Director: Maxence Schlenck
France, 22 min
Undertaking a mission to an uncharted planet, an astronaut finds his psyche unraveling, gripped by a mysterious affliction that intensifies the closer he gets to his destination.
Demon Box (2022)
Director: Sean Wainsteim
Canada, 14 min
After festival rejections, a director revises his intensely personal short film about trauma, suicide, and the Holocaust, and transforms it into a painful, blunt and funny dissection of the film and his life.
Director: Sean Wainsteim
Canada, 14 min
After festival rejections, a director revises his intensely personal short film about trauma, suicide, and the Holocaust, and transforms it into a painful, blunt and funny dissection of the film and his life.
The Unquiet Dead (2022)
Director: John Gray
US, 12 min
A therapist treats an unstable young woman who claims to be harassed by an assortment of malevolent spirits - who are demanding something from her.
Director: John Gray
US, 12 min
A therapist treats an unstable young woman who claims to be harassed by an assortment of malevolent spirits - who are demanding something from her.
Block 2:
Cracks in the Cosmic Wall
10:00PM - 11:30PM
A Pasage (2023)
Director: A.P. Bergeron
Canada, 6 min
A researcher uncovers an ancient entity in the High Arctic and is compelled into twisted servitude.
Director: A.P. Bergeron
Canada, 6 min
A researcher uncovers an ancient entity in the High Arctic and is compelled into twisted servitude.
Half Samurai (2022)
Director: Rashad Haughton
Japan, 11 min
A mysterious drifter wanders into a bar owned by a psychopathic yakuza gang on Halloween night.
Director: Rashad Haughton
Japan, 11 min
A mysterious drifter wanders into a bar owned by a psychopathic yakuza gang on Halloween night.
The Name (2023)
Director: Renato Paone, Francesco Eramo Puoti
Italy, 20 min
The Dominican order has requested a special computer from an engineering laboratory capable of solving a complex algorithm, but only the monks know its real purpose.
Director: Renato Paone, Francesco Eramo Puoti
Italy, 20 min
The Dominican order has requested a special computer from an engineering laboratory capable of solving a complex algorithm, but only the monks know its real purpose.
First Time Machine (2024)
Director: Jay Woelfl
US, 17 min
African American scientist, Dr. Grainger gathers his closest friends to show them his invention: the world’s first-timemachine. However, one of his friends has hidden and dangerous intentions for traveling back in time. An adaptation of the classic sci-fi short story by Fredric Brown.
Director: Jay Woelfl
US, 17 min
African American scientist, Dr. Grainger gathers his closest friends to show them his invention: the world’s first-timemachine. However, one of his friends has hidden and dangerous intentions for traveling back in time. An adaptation of the classic sci-fi short story by Fredric Brown.
Suppressus (2024)
Director: Grant Jones
US, 19 min
Two neuroscientists work to develop a device that regenerates memories blocked out by dissociative amnesia.
Director: Grant Jones
US, 19 min
Two neuroscientists work to develop a device that regenerates memories blocked out by dissociative amnesia.
It's Not Up To Us (2024)
Director: Anthony Werhun
US, 13 min
Legendary visual artist Nancy Burson sparked a technological revolution by using computer morphing techniques to blend art and science but claims she didn’t do it alone. The complex truth behind Nancy's beliefs and how they shaped her career evokes questions about the nature of creation and of reality itself.
Director: Anthony Werhun
US, 13 min
Legendary visual artist Nancy Burson sparked a technological revolution by using computer morphing techniques to blend art and science but claims she didn’t do it alone. The complex truth behind Nancy's beliefs and how they shaped her career evokes questions about the nature of creation and of reality itself.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2024
Film Club 813 e.V.
(Hahnenstraße 6 50667, Cologne, Germany)
Block 1:
Accelerate the Singularity
8:00PM - 9:30PM
Burner Face (2023)
Director: John Gauntt
US, 2 min
Composed by a team of 3 creatives + Midjourney AI, this trailer tells a story in less than 2 minutes. It is not a tech demo but a taste of what's possible when Culture & Code come together.
Director: John Gauntt
US, 2 min
Composed by a team of 3 creatives + Midjourney AI, this trailer tells a story in less than 2 minutes. It is not a tech demo but a taste of what's possible when Culture & Code come together.
Skinjob (2017)
Director: Steve Simons
UK, 15 min
A group of slave Androids steal a space shuttle and journey back to earth to find their maker.
Director: Steve Simons
UK, 15 min
A group of slave Androids steal a space shuttle and journey back to earth to find their maker.
I Am Not a Robot (2023)
Director: Victoria Warmerdam
Netherlands, 22 min
After several unsuccessful attempts to complete a Captcha, feminist Lara sets out to answer the disturbing question of whether she's a robot.
Director: Victoria Warmerdam
Netherlands, 22 min
After several unsuccessful attempts to complete a Captcha, feminist Lara sets out to answer the disturbing question of whether she's a robot.
Purgy’s (2022)
Director: Robbie Ryan
US, 16 min
At a magical bar, spirits from the other side are able to take the form of another human and interact with those in their past who need closure and re-connection.
Director: Robbie Ryan
US, 16 min
At a magical bar, spirits from the other side are able to take the form of another human and interact with those in their past who need closure and re-connection.
Black Dragon (2022)
Director: Alexander Thompson
US, 15 min
Vietnam, 1968. A feared American colonel nicknamed “the Black Dragon” by Vietnamese locals must face his inner shadow when his platoon presents him with a captured Vietcong girl who harbors some very unusual power.
Director: Alexander Thompson
US, 15 min
Vietnam, 1968. A feared American colonel nicknamed “the Black Dragon” by Vietnamese locals must face his inner shadow when his platoon presents him with a captured Vietcong girl who harbors some very unusual power.
Soulmate (2023)
Director: Richard Fenwick
UK, 15 min
Ana, a lonely computer coder, has been nurturing an illegal romance with an AI in a computer simulation for the past six months. When her company uncovers the affair, she’s forced into a desperate battle to save her precious relationship.
Director: Richard Fenwick
UK, 15 min
Ana, a lonely computer coder, has been nurturing an illegal romance with an AI in a computer simulation for the past six months. When her company uncovers the affair, she’s forced into a desperate battle to save her precious relationship.
Echoes of Juno (2023)
Director; Reza Sam Mosadegh
Germany, 14 min
Juno is dead. She hasn't been around for two years now, but her mother Hanna still spends every day with her. There is an AI-controlled device, the "Echoehub", in Juno's nursery. This is able to calculate possible scenarios that the deceased could have experienced in the future from information fed into it about the dead. Is Hanna prepared to sacrifice everything for the illusion of a perfect family.
Director; Reza Sam Mosadegh
Germany, 14 min
Juno is dead. She hasn't been around for two years now, but her mother Hanna still spends every day with her. There is an AI-controlled device, the "Echoehub", in Juno's nursery. This is able to calculate possible scenarios that the deceased could have experienced in the future from information fed into it about the dead. Is Hanna prepared to sacrifice everything for the illusion of a perfect family.
Block 2:
A Parallax View
10:00PM - 11:30PM
I Am What You Imagine (2023)
Director: Matthew Modine
US, 7 min
Featuring the voice talents of Ruby Modine and long-time Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali (in his final performance), the short uses sound, music, and expressionistic imagery to take viewers on a journey of the heart and mind.
Director: Matthew Modine
US, 7 min
Featuring the voice talents of Ruby Modine and long-time Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali (in his final performance), the short uses sound, music, and expressionistic imagery to take viewers on a journey of the heart and mind.
SOURCE CODE (2021)
Director: Mark Kiefer
US, 17 min
The year is 2065. Captain John Galatin's loss of focus cost lives on a remote-controlled battlefield. He has been ordered to see the compound's psychiatrist who will assess his continued fitness for duty.
Director: Mark Kiefer
US, 17 min
The year is 2065. Captain John Galatin's loss of focus cost lives on a remote-controlled battlefield. He has been ordered to see the compound's psychiatrist who will assess his continued fitness for duty.
Berdyansk (2023)
Director: Tom Hopkins, Kateryna PaidaIreland, Ukraine, 15 minutes
Lera, a young Ukrainian refugee who has recently reached Ireland, who, fearing the worst, uses dark-web séance software (The Orb) to discover that her sister Maryna has died in the conflict back home. Through The Orb she makes contact - and discovers that her sister Maryna is disoriented and stuck in an after-death limbo.
Director: Tom Hopkins, Kateryna PaidaIreland, Ukraine, 15 minutes
Lera, a young Ukrainian refugee who has recently reached Ireland, who, fearing the worst, uses dark-web séance software (The Orb) to discover that her sister Maryna has died in the conflict back home. Through The Orb she makes contact - and discovers that her sister Maryna is disoriented and stuck in an after-death limbo.
Demon Box (2022)
Director: Sean Wainsteim
Canada, 14 min
After festival rejections, a director revises his intensely personal short film about trauma, suicide, and the Holocaust, and transforms it into a painful, blunt and funny dissection of the film and his life.
Director: Sean Wainsteim
Canada, 14 min
After festival rejections, a director revises his intensely personal short film about trauma, suicide, and the Holocaust, and transforms it into a painful, blunt and funny dissection of the film and his life.
A Pasage (2023)
Director: A.P. Bergeron
Canada, 6 min
A researcher uncovers an ancient entity in the High Arctic and is compelled into twisted servitude.
Director: A.P. Bergeron
Canada, 6 min
A researcher uncovers an ancient entity in the High Arctic and is compelled into twisted servitude.
Half Samurai (2022)
Director: Rashad Haughton
Japan, 11 min
A mysterious drifter wanders into a bar owned by a psychopathic yakuza gang on Halloween night.
Director: Rashad Haughton
Japan, 11 min
A mysterious drifter wanders into a bar owned by a psychopathic yakuza gang on Halloween night.
First Time Machine (2023)
Director: Jay Woelfl
US, 17 min
African American scientist, Dr. Grainger gathers his closest friends to show them his invention: the world’s first-time machine. However, one of his friends has hidden and dangerous intentions for traveling back in time. An adaptation of the classic sci-fi short story by Fredric Brown.
Director: Jay Woelfl
US, 17 min
African American scientist, Dr. Grainger gathers his closest friends to show them his invention: the world’s first-time machine. However, one of his friends has hidden and dangerous intentions for traveling back in time. An adaptation of the classic sci-fi short story by Fredric Brown.
It's Not Up To Us (2023)
Director: Anthony Werhun
US, 13 min
Legendary visual artist Nancy Burson sparked a technological revolution by using computer morphing techniques to blend art and science but claims she didn’t do it alone. The complex truth I hope you are doing well.
Director: Anthony Werhun
US, 13 min
Legendary visual artist Nancy Burson sparked a technological revolution by using computer morphing techniques to blend art and science but claims she didn’t do it alone. The complex truth I hope you are doing well.
Greed (2024)
Director: Mike Hay
UK, 5 min
A lone battle-scared woman navigates the streets of a city in the future, where the populace is enslaved by the tyrannical GovCorp. As she moves further into the heart of darkness, Vita is determined to break the cycle of greed and repression.
Director: Mike Hay
UK, 5 min
A lone battle-scared woman navigates the streets of a city in the future, where the populace is enslaved by the tyrannical GovCorp. As she moves further into the heart of darkness, Vita is determined to break the cycle of greed and repression.
Festival Passes:
If you would like more information on the event, available passes and the highlighted films, visit https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com/europeanpkd. Discussions with filmmakers will follow all screenings. Schedule subject to change.
About The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
The Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival launched in October 2013 and has held events in Lille, France, Cologne, Germany and Łódź, Poland. Organized by those who understand the challenges and rewards of telling a unique story in an independent environment, the festival represents the deep analyses and philosophical views of internationally renowned novelist Philip K. Dick, whose work has inspired generations of writers, filmmakers and fans around the world.
Event Contact:
Jonathan Carsten, PR Manager
PressReleased1@gmail.com
Connect with The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
Website: https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com/europeanpkd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival
X: https://www.x.com/philipkdickfest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipkdickfest
- Published on
It's often been said that you never really appreciate a person until they're gone.
Now, I'm not entirely certain that's true in all cases. In fact, when it comes to screen talent, I think that we -- culturally -- go to great lengths to embrace the faces that have left some indelible impressions on us. There are endless awards ceremonies, every single one of which has been crafted to highlight works and performances that not only inspired us in those moments but also continue to inspire us in the years ahead. Acting might be the only institution that, perhaps, we go a bit overboard. I don't say that as a complaint or an insult in any way: these artists have a profound gift to lifting us up when we need it most, with entertaining us in what could be our darkest hours, and encouraging us indirectly to live on another day. This is why we honor them.
Maggie Smith's record is impressive, indeed. Though her IMDB.com profile cites less than 100 different screen projects (that's astonishing but we've definitely seen men and women do more), her catalogue of work boasts a mind-blowing 108 different awards nominations alongside 50 big wins. I don't need to tell you to "do the math" to realize that without a doubt such a ratio indicates that what she's been able to accomplish by inhabiting the bodies of so, so, so many vivid characters deserves a respectful nod today. Granted, there may not have been a massive amount of stops in the realms of the Fantastic; but hers remains a resume that -- as I said above -- will continue to inspire us in perpetuity.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and I've seen this morning that word has reached the Information Superhighway of the lady's passing.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Maggie Smith.
May she rest in peace.
-- EZ
Now, I'm not entirely certain that's true in all cases. In fact, when it comes to screen talent, I think that we -- culturally -- go to great lengths to embrace the faces that have left some indelible impressions on us. There are endless awards ceremonies, every single one of which has been crafted to highlight works and performances that not only inspired us in those moments but also continue to inspire us in the years ahead. Acting might be the only institution that, perhaps, we go a bit overboard. I don't say that as a complaint or an insult in any way: these artists have a profound gift to lifting us up when we need it most, with entertaining us in what could be our darkest hours, and encouraging us indirectly to live on another day. This is why we honor them.
Maggie Smith's record is impressive, indeed. Though her IMDB.com profile cites less than 100 different screen projects (that's astonishing but we've definitely seen men and women do more), her catalogue of work boasts a mind-blowing 108 different awards nominations alongside 50 big wins. I don't need to tell you to "do the math" to realize that without a doubt such a ratio indicates that what she's been able to accomplish by inhabiting the bodies of so, so, so many vivid characters deserves a respectful nod today. Granted, there may not have been a massive amount of stops in the realms of the Fantastic; but hers remains a resume that -- as I said above -- will continue to inspire us in perpetuity.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and I've seen this morning that word has reached the Information Superhighway of the lady's passing.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Maggie Smith.
May she rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
Because I’m one who isn’t necessarily frightened off by a little bit of controversy, today I’m bringing up the name of author, poet, and screenwriter Roald Dahl.
Yes, I realize that modern times ain’t all that they’re cracked up to be, and some of you may have been a bit aghast when not all that long ago there was a cultural movement underway – albeit reasonably briefly – to see the written texts of the author edited. Without going into the entire social debacle, 2023 saw one publisher hiring a team of ‘sensitivity experts’ to wade through their tomes within the Dahl catalogue and change the writer’s words in order to – ahem – reflect what they felt were better, more contemporary, and socially accepted words. Eventually, the publisher relented, offering up ‘classic editions’ which would include the author’s original text; but – let me say – we live in dark times, indeed, when a producer might think nothing of essentially rewriting some of the greatest written words in all of the English language just to make a few complainers feel better. If Dahl’s stuff offends you, how about going elsewhere? Why must we reengineer timeless masterpieces to reflect an era in which they weren’t even imagined?
In any event, I’d long known that Dahl’s imprimatur had been attached to the long-running British television anthology Tales Of The Unexpected (1979-1988), and I’d wanted to check it out. Of course, I was aware that while its various episodes weren’t always the stuff that I’d normally cover for SciFiHistory.Net; still, many of you know that I’ll apt to do what I want anyway, so there. In many ways, I’ve surmised that Dahl’s work was close to Horror in much the same way that many of Alfred Hitchcock’s yarns are considered such; so I can live with that ‘close enough’ association.
Today’s excursion: “Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat” first aired on March 31, 1979 in the United Kingdom. Simon Langton directed the episode which was adapted from the original Dahl short story by Ronald Harwood. Actress Julie Harris takes center stage in the work, and she’s joined by Michael Hordern, Richard Greene, Sandra Payne, and Frederick Farley in key roles. It’s a tale that explores love with more than a little bit of deceit, and it reminds us that just because we want something – and are willing to go to great lengths to get it – doesn’t mean that such a thing was forever destined to be our own.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Unable to show her dentist husband Cyril the fur coat her lover has given her Mrs. Bixby pawns it and pretends that she found the ticket. She gives it to Cyril to redeem on her behalf but is taught that two can play at her game when he comes home with rather less than she expected, and she sees that his dental assistant will be warm for the winter.”
The heart wants what the heart wants … but what if the heart wants a fabulous mink coat?
Yes, I realize that modern times ain’t all that they’re cracked up to be, and some of you may have been a bit aghast when not all that long ago there was a cultural movement underway – albeit reasonably briefly – to see the written texts of the author edited. Without going into the entire social debacle, 2023 saw one publisher hiring a team of ‘sensitivity experts’ to wade through their tomes within the Dahl catalogue and change the writer’s words in order to – ahem – reflect what they felt were better, more contemporary, and socially accepted words. Eventually, the publisher relented, offering up ‘classic editions’ which would include the author’s original text; but – let me say – we live in dark times, indeed, when a producer might think nothing of essentially rewriting some of the greatest written words in all of the English language just to make a few complainers feel better. If Dahl’s stuff offends you, how about going elsewhere? Why must we reengineer timeless masterpieces to reflect an era in which they weren’t even imagined?
In any event, I’d long known that Dahl’s imprimatur had been attached to the long-running British television anthology Tales Of The Unexpected (1979-1988), and I’d wanted to check it out. Of course, I was aware that while its various episodes weren’t always the stuff that I’d normally cover for SciFiHistory.Net; still, many of you know that I’ll apt to do what I want anyway, so there. In many ways, I’ve surmised that Dahl’s work was close to Horror in much the same way that many of Alfred Hitchcock’s yarns are considered such; so I can live with that ‘close enough’ association.
Today’s excursion: “Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat” first aired on March 31, 1979 in the United Kingdom. Simon Langton directed the episode which was adapted from the original Dahl short story by Ronald Harwood. Actress Julie Harris takes center stage in the work, and she’s joined by Michael Hordern, Richard Greene, Sandra Payne, and Frederick Farley in key roles. It’s a tale that explores love with more than a little bit of deceit, and it reminds us that just because we want something – and are willing to go to great lengths to get it – doesn’t mean that such a thing was forever destined to be our own.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Unable to show her dentist husband Cyril the fur coat her lover has given her Mrs. Bixby pawns it and pretends that she found the ticket. She gives it to Cyril to redeem on her behalf but is taught that two can play at her game when he comes home with rather less than she expected, and she sees that his dental assistant will be warm for the winter.”
The heart wants what the heart wants … but what if the heart wants a fabulous mink coat?
Again, I find the subject of coveting – though with a few more layers – front and center in this more conventional installment of Tales Of The Unexpected. Trapped in a somewhat loveless marriage, Mrs. Bixby (played by Julie Harris) has found that her more carnal needs can be met by a lothario who goes simply by the name of ‘The Colonel’ (Richard Greene) in lieu of her rather stodgy husband, the village dentist Cyril Bixby (Michael Hordern). After all, when the hubby spends so much time away in the mouths of so many penurious patients, what’s a woman to do to score a bit of ‘me time?’ Oblivious to the fact that The Colonel has his own growing base of female clientele, the lady faithfully travels far from home on what she leads Cyril to believe are nursing visits to an ailing and penniless auntie.
Lo and behold, it would seem that Mrs. Bixby might not be the big sexual catch she thinks she is. The Colonel has privately decided to part ways with the woman; and – to soften the blow – he gifts her a lavish mink fur coat. Forever smitten with the man’s charms in the bedroom, she now falls head over heels in love with the garment, but how can she ever come home with such an expensive commodity? Why, she’s convinced Cyril that her fictitious aunt is destitute, so it couldn’t possibly be from her as a means of recompense for all of the services she’s supplied. In the taxi on the way home, lady Bixby hatches a means to an end: she’ll place the coat ‘in hock’ at a local pawnshop but tell her husband that she found the claim ticket in the cab itself. Believing it was merely lost, she can then return to the pawnshop, retrieve the fur, and no one need ever know about The Colonel.
As tends to happen in melodramas studying infidelity, Coat has not one but two more surprises in store for Mrs. Bixby before it reaches its conclusion. Without divulging anything further, I’ll leave it simply by saying that there are always hidden agendas at play in life and love. Believing you’re the only one who has done something worthy of concealing usually is a charlatan’s first mistake; having to come to terms with the stark reality that what you perceive as being your ‘normal life’ might be far from it is the real gift that keeps on giving.
Tales Of The Unexpected’s “Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat” was produced by Anglia Television. The episode shows available via physical or digital purchase (or rental) via a variety of platforms and vendors. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the episode’s provided sights and sounds to be good from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Meh. “Mrs. Bixby’s & The Colonel’s Coat” doesn’t quite deliver anything new to the world of spousal faithlessness. It never really says anything overt about its featured disloyalty, never quite judging any of its key players as having done anything indecent. Because stories of this type really do leave it up to the eyes of the beholders, I think they’re easily forgotten – especially for anthology programs – because they just don’t make a significant statement or show the men and women seriously struggling with regret over an inappropriate relationship. In fact, it ends in such a way that – at best – mind leave viewers smirking over Mrs. Bixby’s discomfit … and that’s the easy way out.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Tales Of The Unexpected’s “Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat” (S01E02). I viewed this via my very own subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
-- EZ
Lo and behold, it would seem that Mrs. Bixby might not be the big sexual catch she thinks she is. The Colonel has privately decided to part ways with the woman; and – to soften the blow – he gifts her a lavish mink fur coat. Forever smitten with the man’s charms in the bedroom, she now falls head over heels in love with the garment, but how can she ever come home with such an expensive commodity? Why, she’s convinced Cyril that her fictitious aunt is destitute, so it couldn’t possibly be from her as a means of recompense for all of the services she’s supplied. In the taxi on the way home, lady Bixby hatches a means to an end: she’ll place the coat ‘in hock’ at a local pawnshop but tell her husband that she found the claim ticket in the cab itself. Believing it was merely lost, she can then return to the pawnshop, retrieve the fur, and no one need ever know about The Colonel.
As tends to happen in melodramas studying infidelity, Coat has not one but two more surprises in store for Mrs. Bixby before it reaches its conclusion. Without divulging anything further, I’ll leave it simply by saying that there are always hidden agendas at play in life and love. Believing you’re the only one who has done something worthy of concealing usually is a charlatan’s first mistake; having to come to terms with the stark reality that what you perceive as being your ‘normal life’ might be far from it is the real gift that keeps on giving.
Tales Of The Unexpected’s “Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat” was produced by Anglia Television. The episode shows available via physical or digital purchase (or rental) via a variety of platforms and vendors. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the episode’s provided sights and sounds to be good from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Meh. “Mrs. Bixby’s & The Colonel’s Coat” doesn’t quite deliver anything new to the world of spousal faithlessness. It never really says anything overt about its featured disloyalty, never quite judging any of its key players as having done anything indecent. Because stories of this type really do leave it up to the eyes of the beholders, I think they’re easily forgotten – especially for anthology programs – because they just don’t make a significant statement or show the men and women seriously struggling with regret over an inappropriate relationship. In fact, it ends in such a way that – at best – mind leave viewers smirking over Mrs. Bixby’s discomfit … and that’s the easy way out.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Tales Of The Unexpected’s “Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat” (S01E02). I viewed this via my very own subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
-- EZ