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Ahem.
The most recent edition of the UK's stellar Starburst Magazine (for those of you who don't know, it's the longest-running magazine to cover SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and general genre-based entertainment across the world ... and it's quite spiffy) did a terrific retrospective on the entire Terminator franchise. And I do mean "terrific retrospective" because the writers did a super impressive job, taking a largely better-than-casual look at the films, the books, the comics, and even the lone television entry into the property: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Now, I bring this up because it's Brian Austin Green's birthday. (Happy BDay to you, BAG, if you're listening.) He was one of the show's regulars, and -- to his credit -- he actually turned in a solid performance in what I thought was an otherwise middling entry into the franchise. Don't get me wrong: I wanted Chronicles to succeed probably as much as the next SciFi TV junkie, but we have to be able to 'call a spade a spade' as they say when we have the opportunity.
By contrast, Starburst's writing team christened Chronicles practically a God-send entry. In fact, they put it in the exalted position of -- dare I even mention this? -- HBO's The Sopranos in terms of quality and execution.
Ahem.
Maybe they had a different cut of it available to them on their side of the pond, but Chronicles was not by any stretch of the imagination on par with The Sopranos ... and I say that being not the biggest fan of HBO's stylish mod drama. At best, perhaps one out of every three or four episodes were even good. Yes, I think it had "good" writing and, yes, I'd argue it probably had one of the strongest ensembles in recent memory ... but it was unquestionably not anything all that impressive or Earth-shaking or mesmerizing.
Definitely, the program ended when it was getting far more interesting than much of its run (I found it all too consumed with the Connor family angst instead of really showing the angst, why it persisted, and what toll it really extracts from a family caught in the crosshairs of history) ... but The Sopranos? Really, Starburst?
In any event, Happy BDay again to Mr. Green, and make sure you check out the rest of today's wonderful entries.
The most recent edition of the UK's stellar Starburst Magazine (for those of you who don't know, it's the longest-running magazine to cover SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and general genre-based entertainment across the world ... and it's quite spiffy) did a terrific retrospective on the entire Terminator franchise. And I do mean "terrific retrospective" because the writers did a super impressive job, taking a largely better-than-casual look at the films, the books, the comics, and even the lone television entry into the property: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Now, I bring this up because it's Brian Austin Green's birthday. (Happy BDay to you, BAG, if you're listening.) He was one of the show's regulars, and -- to his credit -- he actually turned in a solid performance in what I thought was an otherwise middling entry into the franchise. Don't get me wrong: I wanted Chronicles to succeed probably as much as the next SciFi TV junkie, but we have to be able to 'call a spade a spade' as they say when we have the opportunity.
By contrast, Starburst's writing team christened Chronicles practically a God-send entry. In fact, they put it in the exalted position of -- dare I even mention this? -- HBO's The Sopranos in terms of quality and execution.
Ahem.
Maybe they had a different cut of it available to them on their side of the pond, but Chronicles was not by any stretch of the imagination on par with The Sopranos ... and I say that being not the biggest fan of HBO's stylish mod drama. At best, perhaps one out of every three or four episodes were even good. Yes, I think it had "good" writing and, yes, I'd argue it probably had one of the strongest ensembles in recent memory ... but it was unquestionably not anything all that impressive or Earth-shaking or mesmerizing.
Definitely, the program ended when it was getting far more interesting than much of its run (I found it all too consumed with the Connor family angst instead of really showing the angst, why it persisted, and what toll it really extracts from a family caught in the crosshairs of history) ... but The Sopranos? Really, Starburst?
In any event, Happy BDay again to Mr. Green, and make sure you check out the rest of today's wonderful entries.
- Published on
Believe it or not, I grew up in a wee small town in Nowhere, Illinois that's only legitimate claim to fame tied in loosely with astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, the kind gentleman who was responsible for introducing Pluto into the lexicon; so I tend to have a soft spot for the Planet Formerly Known As Pluto. Curse you, Neil Tyson Degrasse, cause you'll never be forgiven by scores of aging fanboys who grew up wondering if you'd destroyed what we thought would be our star system's Hoth.
In any event, I saw this on my Twitter feed this morning, and I'm still chuckling about it right now. Thought I'd share with the lot of you.
In any event, I saw this on my Twitter feed this morning, and I'm still chuckling about it right now. Thought I'd share with the lot of you.
- Published on
Happy Monday, all of you SciFi smilers, and welcome to a new week to celebrate SciFi.
I've had a look at today's birthdays, and let me tell you: leadership rules! Not only do we celebrate the birth of the ultimate action hero (SciFi and beyond) today with Harrison Ford turning another year young, but also we've got Star Trek: The Next Generation's Patrick Stewart growing wiser beyond his years and The Black Hole's Capt. Dan Holland, the venerable Robert Forster. All three have captained ships. All three have turned in great performances at the box office.
Be sure to check out today's highlights when you get the chance:
July 13th
Today's citation updates:
Added Laurel Goodwin (August 11th)
Added Embeth Davidtz (August 11th)
Added Chris Hemsworth (August 11th)
Added Sam J. Jones (August 12th)
Added Dominique Swain (August 12th)
Added Debi Mazur (August 13th)
Added Sebastian Stan (August 13th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
I've had a look at today's birthdays, and let me tell you: leadership rules! Not only do we celebrate the birth of the ultimate action hero (SciFi and beyond) today with Harrison Ford turning another year young, but also we've got Star Trek: The Next Generation's Patrick Stewart growing wiser beyond his years and The Black Hole's Capt. Dan Holland, the venerable Robert Forster. All three have captained ships. All three have turned in great performances at the box office.
Be sure to check out today's highlights when you get the chance:
July 13th
Today's citation updates:
Added Laurel Goodwin (August 11th)
Added Embeth Davidtz (August 11th)
Added Chris Hemsworth (August 11th)
Added Sam J. Jones (August 12th)
Added Dominique Swain (August 12th)
Added Debi Mazur (August 13th)
Added Sebastian Stan (August 13th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
It's always been true that series come and go, but I'd honestly never even heard of Lifetime's 2014 entry into the SciFi field: The Lottery. The premise sounds vaguely reminiscent of the motion picture Children of Men, wherein mankind has suddenly lost the ability to procreate, and perhaps that's why The Lottery failed to ignite any media fires. Still, let's hope that the show will eventually find the light of day on home video (I've done a quick search, and I've not found it anywhere) as it sounds interesting enough for a single view.
Today's citation updates:
Added The Lottery's Pilot episode (July 20th)
Added The Lottery's "Rules of the Game" (July 27th)
Added The Lottery's "The Greater Good" (August 3rd)
Added The Lottery's "Genie" (August 10th)
Added The Lottery's "Crystal City" (August 17th)
Added The Lottery's "Sleep Deprived" (August 24th)
Added The Lottery's "St. Michael" (September 7th)
Added The Lottery's "Truth Be Told" (September 14th)
Added The Lottery's "Mr. Torino" (September 21st)
Added The Lottery's "In Extremis" (September 28th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
Today's citation updates:
Added The Lottery's Pilot episode (July 20th)
Added The Lottery's "Rules of the Game" (July 27th)
Added The Lottery's "The Greater Good" (August 3rd)
Added The Lottery's "Genie" (August 10th)
Added The Lottery's "Crystal City" (August 17th)
Added The Lottery's "Sleep Deprived" (August 24th)
Added The Lottery's "St. Michael" (September 7th)
Added The Lottery's "Truth Be Told" (September 14th)
Added The Lottery's "Mr. Torino" (September 21st)
Added The Lottery's "In Extremis" (September 28th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Happy Wednesday all of you SciFi smilers, and -- as I'm prone to do -- let me remind you that Wednesdays are formally known as 'New Comic Book Day' in parts unknown (and known). So I expect everyone to head on down to your local comic book store -- assuming you can find it -- and purchase an issue or two if for no other reason than to keep one of the best storytelling industries alive and kicking in these hard times. Plus, you get the added benefit of enjoying a few great tales from some of the most creative minds alive today.
Otherwise, it's all brass tacks around here. I've been busy making some minor modifications behind-the-scenes (that's largely why I've been slow on updates the past few days), but I have managed to squeak out a few additions for your viewing pleasure.
Today's citation updates:
Added Alien Nation's "The Takeover" (October 16th)
Added Andromeda's "To Loose The Fateful Lightning" (October 16th)
Added Batman Beyond's "Hidden Agenda" (October 16th)
Added The Twilight Zone's "Mr. Denton On Doomsday" (October 16th)
Added Ascension's "Part 1" (December 15th)
Added Automan pilot episode (December 15th)
Added The Princess Blade (December 15th)
Added Ascension's "Part 2" (December 16th)
Added Ascension's "Part 3" (December 17th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
Otherwise, it's all brass tacks around here. I've been busy making some minor modifications behind-the-scenes (that's largely why I've been slow on updates the past few days), but I have managed to squeak out a few additions for your viewing pleasure.
Today's citation updates:
Added Alien Nation's "The Takeover" (October 16th)
Added Andromeda's "To Loose The Fateful Lightning" (October 16th)
Added Batman Beyond's "Hidden Agenda" (October 16th)
Added The Twilight Zone's "Mr. Denton On Doomsday" (October 16th)
Added Ascension's "Part 1" (December 15th)
Added Automan pilot episode (December 15th)
Added The Princess Blade (December 15th)
Added Ascension's "Part 2" (December 16th)
Added Ascension's "Part 3" (December 17th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Happy Thursday, all of you SciFi smilers! Why not take a break from the world of dire news and circumstance and lose yourself in SciFiHistory.Net's pages today? It might do your mind good.
Today's citation updates:
Added Dark Skies' "The Enemy Within" (January 11th)
Added Time Trax's "A Close Encounter" (January 14th)
Added Time Trax's "Return of the Yakuza" (January 28th)
Added Dark Skies' "White Rabbit" (February 1st)
Added Time Trax's "Missing" (February 7th)
Added Dark Skies' "Shades of Gray" (February 9th)
Added Time Trax's "To Live And Die In Docker Flats" (February 14th)
Added Time Trax's "The Gravity of It All" (February 21st)
Added Dark Skies' "Burn, Baby, Burn" (March 1st)
Added Time Trax's "Happy Valley" (March 4th)
Added Dark Skies' "Both Sides Now" (March 8th)
Added Time Trax's "Lethal Weapons" (March 11th)
Added Dark Skies' "To Prey In Darkness" (March 15th)
Added Time Trax's "The Cure" (March 18th)
Added Time Trax's "Perfect Pair" (April 18th)
Added Time Trax's "Catch Me If You Can" (April 25th)
Added Time Trax's "Dream Team" (May 2nd)
Added Time Trax's "Almost Human" (May 9th)
Added Time Trax's "Mother" (May 16th)
Added Time Trax's "The Last M.I.A." (May 23rd)
Added Dark Skies' "Stranger In The Night" (May 24th)
Added Dark Skies' "Bloodlines" (May 31st)
Added Time Trax's "Split Image' (October 14th)
Added Time Trax's "Cool Hand Darien" (October 21st)
Added Time Trax's "The Lottery" (October 28th)
Added Time Trax's "Out for Blood" (October 31st)
Added Time Trax's "The Scarlet Koala" (November 11th)
Added Time Trax's "Optic Nerve" (November 18th)
Added Time Trax's "The Crash" (November 25th)
Added Time Trax's "Forgotten Tomorrows" (December 5th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
Today's citation updates:
Added Dark Skies' "The Enemy Within" (January 11th)
Added Time Trax's "A Close Encounter" (January 14th)
Added Time Trax's "Return of the Yakuza" (January 28th)
Added Dark Skies' "White Rabbit" (February 1st)
Added Time Trax's "Missing" (February 7th)
Added Dark Skies' "Shades of Gray" (February 9th)
Added Time Trax's "To Live And Die In Docker Flats" (February 14th)
Added Time Trax's "The Gravity of It All" (February 21st)
Added Dark Skies' "Burn, Baby, Burn" (March 1st)
Added Time Trax's "Happy Valley" (March 4th)
Added Dark Skies' "Both Sides Now" (March 8th)
Added Time Trax's "Lethal Weapons" (March 11th)
Added Dark Skies' "To Prey In Darkness" (March 15th)
Added Time Trax's "The Cure" (March 18th)
Added Time Trax's "Perfect Pair" (April 18th)
Added Time Trax's "Catch Me If You Can" (April 25th)
Added Time Trax's "Dream Team" (May 2nd)
Added Time Trax's "Almost Human" (May 9th)
Added Time Trax's "Mother" (May 16th)
Added Time Trax's "The Last M.I.A." (May 23rd)
Added Dark Skies' "Stranger In The Night" (May 24th)
Added Dark Skies' "Bloodlines" (May 31st)
Added Time Trax's "Split Image' (October 14th)
Added Time Trax's "Cool Hand Darien" (October 21st)
Added Time Trax's "The Lottery" (October 28th)
Added Time Trax's "Out for Blood" (October 31st)
Added Time Trax's "The Scarlet Koala" (November 11th)
Added Time Trax's "Optic Nerve" (November 18th)
Added Time Trax's "The Crash" (November 25th)
Added Time Trax's "Forgotten Tomorrows" (December 5th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Happiest of Wednesday 'hump day' wishes to all of you SciFi smilers!
As I'm wont to do on Wednesdays, here's your friendly reminder that it's new comic book day. Woohoo for such a thing as graphic goodness in all of the known universe! I read my first comic book back in 1970, and I've loved them ever since. So it's in that spirit that I encourage each and every one of you to go out to your local comic book store today and purchase something. Purchase anything. Good or bad, it'll do your soul some good.
Otherwise, here's what I've been up to in the last twenty-four hours so far as SciFiHistory.Net is concerned. Feel free to check it out as time permits.
Today's citation updates:
Added Dark Skies' The Last Waves (January 4th)
Added The Greatest American Hero's pilot episode (March 18th)
Added The Greatest American Hero's "The Hit Car" (March 25th)
Added Dark Skies' "The Awakening" (September 21st)
Added Dark Skies' "Moving Targets" (September 28th)
Added Dark Skies' "Mercury Rising" (October 19th)
Added Jason of Star Command's "Marooned In Time" (October 21st)
Added Dark Skies' "Dark Days Night" (October 26th)
Added Jason of Star Command's "Attack of the Dragons" (October 28th)
Added Doctor Who's "Planet of Giants" (October 31st)
Added Dark Skies' "Dreamland" (November 2nd)
Added Doctor Who's "Dangerous Journey" (November 7th)
Added Dark Skies' "Inhuman Nature" (November 9th)
Added Dark Skies' "Ancient Future" (November 16th)
Added Dark Skies' "Hostile Convergence" (December 7th)
Added Dark Skies' "We Shall Overcome" (December 14th)
As always, many thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
As I'm wont to do on Wednesdays, here's your friendly reminder that it's new comic book day. Woohoo for such a thing as graphic goodness in all of the known universe! I read my first comic book back in 1970, and I've loved them ever since. So it's in that spirit that I encourage each and every one of you to go out to your local comic book store today and purchase something. Purchase anything. Good or bad, it'll do your soul some good.
Otherwise, here's what I've been up to in the last twenty-four hours so far as SciFiHistory.Net is concerned. Feel free to check it out as time permits.
Today's citation updates:
Added Dark Skies' The Last Waves (January 4th)
Added The Greatest American Hero's pilot episode (March 18th)
Added The Greatest American Hero's "The Hit Car" (March 25th)
Added Dark Skies' "The Awakening" (September 21st)
Added Dark Skies' "Moving Targets" (September 28th)
Added Dark Skies' "Mercury Rising" (October 19th)
Added Jason of Star Command's "Marooned In Time" (October 21st)
Added Dark Skies' "Dark Days Night" (October 26th)
Added Jason of Star Command's "Attack of the Dragons" (October 28th)
Added Doctor Who's "Planet of Giants" (October 31st)
Added Dark Skies' "Dreamland" (November 2nd)
Added Doctor Who's "Dangerous Journey" (November 7th)
Added Dark Skies' "Inhuman Nature" (November 9th)
Added Dark Skies' "Ancient Future" (November 16th)
Added Dark Skies' "Hostile Convergence" (December 7th)
Added Dark Skies' "We Shall Overcome" (December 14th)
As always, many thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Happy Tuesday for all of you SciFi smilers ... or anyone else keeping score, for that matter. This morning, I found a few June 16th birthdays that had somehow passed me by, but rest assured that they're now boldly listed for all to see.
And would you believe that today marks the 25th anniversary for the first airing of Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1"? Why it only seems like it was yesterday ...
Today's citation updates:
Added Carole Ann Ford (June 16th)
Added Arnold Vosloo (June 16th)
Added Enid-Raye Adams (June 16th)
Added Missy Peregrym (June 16th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
And would you believe that today marks the 25th anniversary for the first airing of Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1"? Why it only seems like it was yesterday ...
Today's citation updates:
Added Carole Ann Ford (June 16th)
Added Arnold Vosloo (June 16th)
Added Enid-Raye Adams (June 16th)
Added Missy Peregrym (June 16th)
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
For those who don't know it, I grew up in the sticks (so to speak) in a little town in the middle of nowhere. This was back in the days when you were lucky to have maybe ten or twelve channels (on a good day with good weather). These local stations would import programming from all over the world -- meaning that you didn't see as many syndicated shows as the big cities got while instead you suffered through Japanese cartoons or European fare that didn't get picked up elsewhere -- and, as a kid, you made do watching this instead of US shows targeted at children.
When I went to college and -- as college folks do -- you'd talk to one another about what you watched growing up, I couldn't find anyone who'd seen much less heard of Gerry Anderson's epic Thunderbirds. Seriously. People thought I was always making it up. A TV show? An action-based TV show? With super-charged vehicles? Starring puppets? No, not puppets. You mean: muppets? No, not muppets. You mean ... marionettes?
As far fetched as the idea seemed, Thunderbirds was a real thing, and it became a legitimate phenomenon for those wayward souls who managed to find the program on their TV dial. Most who did fell in love with it right away. Those who didn't? Well, maybe they were aware of the adventures and tried to block out their memories of it.
In any event, ITV has resurrected the adventures of the Tracy family, bringing Scott, Virgil, Alan, John, and Gordon back to the small screen where they belong and with absolutely no recollection of that awful big screen attempt from a few years back. Thank goodness for small favors. So far, it isn't available in any U.S. markets, but I've read some conflicting reports about Cartoon Network acquiring the broadcast rights, and I for one will be there when Thunderbirds catch their second wind.
Today's citation updates:
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Ring of Fire" (April 4)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Space Race" (April 11)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Crosscut (April 18)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Fireflash" (April 25)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Unplugged" (May 2)
When I went to college and -- as college folks do -- you'd talk to one another about what you watched growing up, I couldn't find anyone who'd seen much less heard of Gerry Anderson's epic Thunderbirds. Seriously. People thought I was always making it up. A TV show? An action-based TV show? With super-charged vehicles? Starring puppets? No, not puppets. You mean: muppets? No, not muppets. You mean ... marionettes?
As far fetched as the idea seemed, Thunderbirds was a real thing, and it became a legitimate phenomenon for those wayward souls who managed to find the program on their TV dial. Most who did fell in love with it right away. Those who didn't? Well, maybe they were aware of the adventures and tried to block out their memories of it.
In any event, ITV has resurrected the adventures of the Tracy family, bringing Scott, Virgil, Alan, John, and Gordon back to the small screen where they belong and with absolutely no recollection of that awful big screen attempt from a few years back. Thank goodness for small favors. So far, it isn't available in any U.S. markets, but I've read some conflicting reports about Cartoon Network acquiring the broadcast rights, and I for one will be there when Thunderbirds catch their second wind.
Today's citation updates:
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Ring of Fire" (April 4)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Space Race" (April 11)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Crosscut (April 18)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Fireflash" (April 25)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Unplugged" (May 2)
- Published on
The entertainment industry lost an icon today as various media outlets have already reported the passing of Christopher Lee. While younger audience members probably know the actor best from his work in Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth films as well as George Lucas’s Star Wars Prequels, those of us who’ve been around a few years know just how deeply Lee’s legacy is.
If you have a minute, just take a gander at his IMDB.com profile. Even a casual glance might have you doing a double take. Born in 1922, Lee boasts his first professional gig at age 24 (two episodes in a program titled Kaleidoscope) … and then continued building his portfolio for the next seven decades! That in and of itself is amazing; couple with that reality how many thousands upon thousands upon thousands of other actors and viewers the man inspired, and methinks you’d be suitably gobsmacked.
Like the majority of us, I never met the man, but I’ve always had cause to know his work.
Back in my youth – during that formative period known as junior high school of the late 1970’s – I can remember the entire student body being called to the gymnasium for a Halloween event. We had no idea of what we were getting into, but the principal opened the whole affair by saying that we would be treated to one of the scariest films ever made. Of course, some of us immediately started speculating about what we’d see when the lights dimmed, and shades of every fright imaginable brought titters of delight to the minds of so many twelve- and thirteen-year-olds.
Though I can’t be absolutely certain, my research leads me to believe that we were shown Hammer’s Dracula: Prince of Darkness. It’s hard to tell because – as I said – it’s been more than a few years, and the mind’s a fickle thing. I remember some delirious flashes of blood on the screen, but what I remember best is Lee’s menacing, brooding silence in the moments leading up to his next cinematic attack.
Lo and behold, just last night I was working my way through my first season Blu ray DVDs of Space:1999. It wasn’t twenty-four hours ago that I enjoyed the master thespian playing the staunchly reserved Captain Zandor in an hour titled “Earthbound.” Lee brought great poise and patience to the delivery of even what others would’ve found a throwaway line, and I think that’s probably something that will be appreciated when those who tally just what his measure of a man has been.
The lights have finally dimmed for Saruman, and perhaps the least-understood Sith better known as Darth Tyranus has found a semblance of peace or whatever functions as such in an evil tyrant’s afterlife. That fabled Transylvanian count who fed on the blood of the living has closed his eyes one last time. Few have ever approached Christopher Lee’s theatrical greatness, but now perhaps even more will be drawn to its deserved study.
If you have a minute, just take a gander at his IMDB.com profile. Even a casual glance might have you doing a double take. Born in 1922, Lee boasts his first professional gig at age 24 (two episodes in a program titled Kaleidoscope) … and then continued building his portfolio for the next seven decades! That in and of itself is amazing; couple with that reality how many thousands upon thousands upon thousands of other actors and viewers the man inspired, and methinks you’d be suitably gobsmacked.
Like the majority of us, I never met the man, but I’ve always had cause to know his work.
Back in my youth – during that formative period known as junior high school of the late 1970’s – I can remember the entire student body being called to the gymnasium for a Halloween event. We had no idea of what we were getting into, but the principal opened the whole affair by saying that we would be treated to one of the scariest films ever made. Of course, some of us immediately started speculating about what we’d see when the lights dimmed, and shades of every fright imaginable brought titters of delight to the minds of so many twelve- and thirteen-year-olds.
Though I can’t be absolutely certain, my research leads me to believe that we were shown Hammer’s Dracula: Prince of Darkness. It’s hard to tell because – as I said – it’s been more than a few years, and the mind’s a fickle thing. I remember some delirious flashes of blood on the screen, but what I remember best is Lee’s menacing, brooding silence in the moments leading up to his next cinematic attack.
Lo and behold, just last night I was working my way through my first season Blu ray DVDs of Space:1999. It wasn’t twenty-four hours ago that I enjoyed the master thespian playing the staunchly reserved Captain Zandor in an hour titled “Earthbound.” Lee brought great poise and patience to the delivery of even what others would’ve found a throwaway line, and I think that’s probably something that will be appreciated when those who tally just what his measure of a man has been.
The lights have finally dimmed for Saruman, and perhaps the least-understood Sith better known as Darth Tyranus has found a semblance of peace or whatever functions as such in an evil tyrant’s afterlife. That fabled Transylvanian count who fed on the blood of the living has closed his eyes one last time. Few have ever approached Christopher Lee’s theatrical greatness, but now perhaps even more will be drawn to its deserved study.