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Buck rogers' Screencaps for "Return Of The
Fighting 69th" Added!
One of the little side projects I engage in from time to time is I gather screencaps from some of the television episodes of my younger days, and a personal favorite of mine has always been the Gil Gerard Buck Rogers in the 25th century program from NBC. For those who've missed it, Buck Rogers had just a terrific mix of charm and moxie, and -- for what it's worth -- I thought it did a pretty fabulous job balancing space drama with some modest camp that tended to go hand-in-hand with several properties of its generation.
In any event, I finished capturing nearly three hundred different pictures this afternoon from the first season outing "Return Of The Fighting 69th,", and I've posted them here for those who are as interested in this sort of thing as I am. This was the sixth episode of the show's first season, and it was an hour that gave some very talented screen greats of a slightly previous era to join the action alongside Buck and Wilma in a battle to save Earth from space terrorists. Take a gander back into the days of yesteryear, folks!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
In any event, I finished capturing nearly three hundred different pictures this afternoon from the first season outing "Return Of The Fighting 69th,", and I've posted them here for those who are as interested in this sort of thing as I am. This was the sixth episode of the show's first season, and it was an hour that gave some very talented screen greats of a slightly previous era to join the action alongside Buck and Wilma in a battle to save Earth from space terrorists. Take a gander back into the days of yesteryear, folks!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Thor: Ragnarok Trailer Promises Teamwork
As one might expect, Marvel Studios maintained a major presence at San Diego's 2017 Comic-Con as the company continues to march forward with one motion picture after another. While I'm not a huge fan of most of the properties, I do enjoy the Fantasy-themed Thor franchise probably more than I should, and I was pleased to see another trailer appeared online after the film's panel discussion released it first for attendees.
Check it out below as it continues to look more and more like it borrowed heavily from Marvel's Planet Hulk storyline.
Check it out below as it continues to look more and more like it borrowed heavily from Marvel's Planet Hulk storyline.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Steven moffat Looks Forward And Back
As you can imagine, the BBC's Doctor Who garnered a fair portion of San Diego's 2017 Comic-Con coverage, what with the popular program's longevity and the upcoming transition from one creative team to another as well as the departure of Peter Capaldi from the central role. And -- in case you missed it -- for the first time in the franchise's fifty-plus years the Doctor will be regenerating into a female (not that there's anything wrong with it) as actress Jodie Whittaker picks up the sonic screwdriver where she finds it.
Longtime showrunner Steven Moffat participated in an interview with Deadline.com, and I found some of what he had to say about where the show has been as well as where it's heading to be of interest. Those wishing to know a bit more can head over right here to check it out.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
Longtime showrunner Steven Moffat participated in an interview with Deadline.com, and I found some of what he had to say about where the show has been as well as where it's heading to be of interest. Those wishing to know a bit more can head over right here to check it out.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Doctor Who Holiday Special Trailer Drops
At San Diego Comic-Con
As has become the norm, there's a wealth of new material which was released to the general public after appearing at San Diego's 2017 Comic-Con events, and I'm spending some time this morning going through a few of the posts I've stumbled upon for posterity's sake. Naturally, I'll try to get up a few of the 'larger' info dumps in order to keep readers of SciFiHistory.Net 'in the know.'
The first that caught my eye was a kinda/sorta teaser-trailer for the upcoming finale of Peter Capaldi's run on Doctor Who. I'll post the YouTube.com video below, and I encourage all interested folks to check it out.
The first that caught my eye was a kinda/sorta teaser-trailer for the upcoming finale of Peter Capaldi's run on Doctor Who. I'll post the YouTube.com video below, and I encourage all interested folks to check it out.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Doctor Who Companion Deborah Watling Passes
For the record, Deborah Watling was not my first companion. I've mentioned before that I fully embraced the era of Doctor Who in the days of Tom Baker. I'd seen episodes of the previous incarnation, but the show's central ideas escaped me somewhat; once Baker came aboard, there was a freshness I appreciated as a somewhat new Whovian, and that was that.
However, the lovely Deborah Watling had caught my eye, as do many foreign-accented cuties. (No sexism intended there, folks, just being honest about what it was like to be a young'un falling in love with SciFi ladies.) In some ways, I'll blame Patrick Troughton for my never experiencing more of her talents on Who as he just rubbed me the wrong way in the guise of the time traveler. She was paired up with him up him during the 1967-68 run of the program.
In any event, I just saw on Twitter this morning the news of her passing (here's a link to the article from the UK Telegraph), and I wanted to post this notice in memoriam of her and her work.
However, the lovely Deborah Watling had caught my eye, as do many foreign-accented cuties. (No sexism intended there, folks, just being honest about what it was like to be a young'un falling in love with SciFi ladies.) In some ways, I'll blame Patrick Troughton for my never experiencing more of her talents on Who as he just rubbed me the wrong way in the guise of the time traveler. She was paired up with him up him during the 1967-68 run of the program.
In any event, I just saw on Twitter this morning the news of her passing (here's a link to the article from the UK Telegraph), and I wanted to post this notice in memoriam of her and her work.
- Published on
The Apes Come Full Circle In War
As a general rule of thumb, I rarely get to theatrical releases as quickly as do most Science Fiction bloggers. It isn’t that the box office flicks don’t interest me; it’s just that I’m honestly a bit older than most folks online, and I’m far more inclined to wait for a motion picture to be available on home video than I am to rush out and take it in at one of the area cineplexes. However, there are some releases I just can’t wait for, and the latest entry into the Apes franchise – namely, War For The Planet Of The Apes – is one such occasion wherein the wifey and I were first in line this past Saturday morning.
So much has already been written by vastly more learned folks than I, but I wanted to sound off briefly on the film for regular readers.
Yes: it’s as good as all critics have proclaimed it to be.
In fact, I’d argue it’s possibly a bit better.
Narratively, it’s a huge leap forward for the Apes franchise, which makes it sad to also remind readers that – at present – it’s said to be the end of a trilogy. (Like everyone else fascinated with all things SciFi, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Matt Reeves and 20th Century Fox aren’t making this the last installment for the long-running property.) Unlike Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War is truly the apes’ story this go’round: they’re carrying the full weight of the story here and not paired up with some humans to tell this chapter. This film focuses on Caesar’s plight to overcome a personal tragedy without sacrificing his personal ‘humanity’ or losing his soul to a war which looks to have no end in sight.
My chief complaint over the past decade or two about the increasing inclusion of CGI in films has been that the computer graphics aren’t just good enough to pair alongside real actors without risking the loss of illusion: all one need do is check out the animated Grand Moff Tarkin or Princess Leia in Lucasfilm’s recent Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) to understand from where I’m coming. For my tastes, Tarkin wasn’t real enough (and Leia was thankfully limited to only a few seconds of screen time) to carry as much of the feature as the creation was given, and that led to some disappointment with the presented storyline. (Don’t get me wrong: I was gaga for the flick, but – as a viewer – there are some things I just can’t yet ‘get around’ for art’s sake.)
The Planet of the Apes franchise, by comparison, has done a masterful job (much in the same way The Lord of the Rings trilogy did with Gollum) by sticking with creating as photographically authentic-looking apes as they could, and it worked. Caesar and his followers have seamlessly come to life on the silver screen, and those efforts elevated the stories as opposed to suspending the big budget magic attempted by other films. For that reason alone, War is worth seeing; the fact that the story is (mostly) epic ends up being a welcome side benefit.
And it is epic, perhaps even downright operatic at times.
The entire Apes story has always been about tragedy – the fall of man, the rise of apes, and the conflict trapped between those seminal events. War shows us a world wherein even dark moment of our deepest failure can still offer a glimmer of hope, though that optimism ends up being reserved for the animals more than for us. The film shows us how thin the line between sanity and insanity truly is, and it reminds us that perhaps we’re all just one step away from being pushed into the darkness, even if that gloom is of our own creation.
While Caesar’s story might be over, I hope there’s more to come. Whatever shape it may take, it’s still a world worth visiting.
So much has already been written by vastly more learned folks than I, but I wanted to sound off briefly on the film for regular readers.
Yes: it’s as good as all critics have proclaimed it to be.
In fact, I’d argue it’s possibly a bit better.
Narratively, it’s a huge leap forward for the Apes franchise, which makes it sad to also remind readers that – at present – it’s said to be the end of a trilogy. (Like everyone else fascinated with all things SciFi, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Matt Reeves and 20th Century Fox aren’t making this the last installment for the long-running property.) Unlike Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War is truly the apes’ story this go’round: they’re carrying the full weight of the story here and not paired up with some humans to tell this chapter. This film focuses on Caesar’s plight to overcome a personal tragedy without sacrificing his personal ‘humanity’ or losing his soul to a war which looks to have no end in sight.
My chief complaint over the past decade or two about the increasing inclusion of CGI in films has been that the computer graphics aren’t just good enough to pair alongside real actors without risking the loss of illusion: all one need do is check out the animated Grand Moff Tarkin or Princess Leia in Lucasfilm’s recent Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) to understand from where I’m coming. For my tastes, Tarkin wasn’t real enough (and Leia was thankfully limited to only a few seconds of screen time) to carry as much of the feature as the creation was given, and that led to some disappointment with the presented storyline. (Don’t get me wrong: I was gaga for the flick, but – as a viewer – there are some things I just can’t yet ‘get around’ for art’s sake.)
The Planet of the Apes franchise, by comparison, has done a masterful job (much in the same way The Lord of the Rings trilogy did with Gollum) by sticking with creating as photographically authentic-looking apes as they could, and it worked. Caesar and his followers have seamlessly come to life on the silver screen, and those efforts elevated the stories as opposed to suspending the big budget magic attempted by other films. For that reason alone, War is worth seeing; the fact that the story is (mostly) epic ends up being a welcome side benefit.
And it is epic, perhaps even downright operatic at times.
The entire Apes story has always been about tragedy – the fall of man, the rise of apes, and the conflict trapped between those seminal events. War shows us a world wherein even dark moment of our deepest failure can still offer a glimmer of hope, though that optimism ends up being reserved for the animals more than for us. The film shows us how thin the line between sanity and insanity truly is, and it reminds us that perhaps we’re all just one step away from being pushed into the darkness, even if that gloom is of our own creation.
While Caesar’s story might be over, I hope there’s more to come. Whatever shape it may take, it’s still a world worth visiting.
- Published on
Anakin And His Angel Offers A Uniquely Female
Perspective On Star Wars Fandom
As a consequence of being a blogger, I do stumble across a fairly huge contingent of like-minded knuckleheads on the World Wide Web; and -- from time to time -- I see something a bit different that I believe deserves one of our SciFi ShoutOuts.
Over the weekend as I was preparing my own updates for the coming week, I happened across the Anakin And His Angel blogsite which is maintained by the lovely Jenmarie. At first blush, I simply thought it was a look at the Star Wars universe from a fashion perspective; but upon closer inspection it's certainly much, much more. Certainly, she includes photos regarding the latest in Star Wars fashion; still, there's an awful lot out there regarding collecting, the films, and relating merchandise. While, sure, I could argue much of it's is intended for the female persuasion, there was still plenty for my watchful eye to take in as well. Check it out when you have the chance, and I'm sure you'll think the same.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You! Always!
Over the weekend as I was preparing my own updates for the coming week, I happened across the Anakin And His Angel blogsite which is maintained by the lovely Jenmarie. At first blush, I simply thought it was a look at the Star Wars universe from a fashion perspective; but upon closer inspection it's certainly much, much more. Certainly, she includes photos regarding the latest in Star Wars fashion; still, there's an awful lot out there regarding collecting, the films, and relating merchandise. While, sure, I could argue much of it's is intended for the female persuasion, there was still plenty for my watchful eye to take in as well. Check it out when you have the chance, and I'm sure you'll think the same.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You! Always!
- Published on
Space:1999's Martin Landau Passes Away
I've mentioned before that Gerry Anderson's Space:1999 is one of those mid-1970's Science Fiction series that -- to be perfectly honest -- I'm still discovering. I grew up in a little town in the middle of nowhere, and all we had for cable back then was antennas. (Kids, you can Google that so as to better appreciate how few choices your parents and grandparents were afforded back then.) Sadly, Space:1999 was one of those imports I could never find routinely on with the few syndication channels available to me, and I've been gradually been working my way through the show's first season on Blu-ray as time permits.
Still, Landau's was a familiar face to me, as I did have a chance to watch his work via Mission:Impossible as well as his other guest appearances on any number of programs. For what it's worth, I thought he always turned in characters worth watching: they were interesting, though occasionally flawed, but gave the viewer something to think about if not root for. I was thrilled that he found work later in his career in The X-Files' first theatrical film as I thought he would be a great addition to that franchise, though that one visit was all writers afforded him.
He's gone now, but -- as I said above -- I still get to see what he had to offer as I'll continue on with the Space:1999 set. Hopefully that second season (though I've heard it's vastly inferior) will eventually see the light of day, and I'll be able to get to know Commander Koenig to the fullest ... as all SciFi fans of a certain generation should.
Still, Landau's was a familiar face to me, as I did have a chance to watch his work via Mission:Impossible as well as his other guest appearances on any number of programs. For what it's worth, I thought he always turned in characters worth watching: they were interesting, though occasionally flawed, but gave the viewer something to think about if not root for. I was thrilled that he found work later in his career in The X-Files' first theatrical film as I thought he would be a great addition to that franchise, though that one visit was all writers afforded him.
He's gone now, but -- as I said above -- I still get to see what he had to offer as I'll continue on with the Space:1999 set. Hopefully that second season (though I've heard it's vastly inferior) will eventually see the light of day, and I'll be able to get to know Commander Koenig to the fullest ... as all SciFi fans of a certain generation should.
- Published on
The Force Is Strong With This ... Parade Float?!
Here, friends, is your "happy share" for the day: Slash/Film.com has a series of great pictures exploring a Star Wars themed float appearing in a Japanese festival. It's quite amazing, especially given the fact that (A) I'm no fan of floats and (B) the detail is nothing short of gobsmacking. You can check it out right here.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May the Force be with you!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May the Force be with you!
- Published on
What's A Jedi To Do?
No 'Rey' Added To Monopoly (As Promised)
Regular readers of SciFiHistory.Net know that I'm no fan of JJ Abrams' big budget attempt at a fanfiction feature better known as Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Now, this isn't to say that I had any particular problem with the characters, per se: in fact, I thought Rey was a stroke of genius -- so much so that I honestly wished JJ and friends would've shelved the story as re-conceived and really went with something a bit more fresh and original for the young adventurer.
In any event, I can appreciate what having a confident young woman in the lead for a new Star Wars trilogy can achieve culturally, and I agree that Walt Disney and its various approved merchandisers really missed the boat in not capitalizing on Rey's addition to the galaxy far, far away with a wealth of new products. After all, who really needs another Snaggletooth figure? Am I right? Why not flood the marketplace (well, maybe not "flood") with dolls, shirts, and the like to promote the newest addition to the Disney princesses?
While promises were assured once the suits were called out on what appeared to be some obvious sexism, Rey still waits to be given her day in the twin suns of Tatooine. If this article from the Chicago Tribune is any indication, then maybe Rey should jump ship and joined Chris Pine in the Star Trek universe: no doubt JJ has a secret script in his collection for a crossover attempt. Blame Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman for that, too.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
In any event, I can appreciate what having a confident young woman in the lead for a new Star Wars trilogy can achieve culturally, and I agree that Walt Disney and its various approved merchandisers really missed the boat in not capitalizing on Rey's addition to the galaxy far, far away with a wealth of new products. After all, who really needs another Snaggletooth figure? Am I right? Why not flood the marketplace (well, maybe not "flood") with dolls, shirts, and the like to promote the newest addition to the Disney princesses?
While promises were assured once the suits were called out on what appeared to be some obvious sexism, Rey still waits to be given her day in the twin suns of Tatooine. If this article from the Chicago Tribune is any indication, then maybe Rey should jump ship and joined Chris Pine in the Star Trek universe: no doubt JJ has a secret script in his collection for a crossover attempt. Blame Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman for that, too.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!