I kid you not: a few weeks back, I said to someone online that, at some point, some smart individual or outlet is going to truly realize that he can take serious advantage, seize up a bunch of these bored under-quarantine viewers, and truly give them something to look at ... and voila!  It's starting to happen!

This morning, I stumbled across this announcement from one of the daily reads I receive in the inbox that none other than actor/director Jonathan Frakes will be conducting a live commentary to the screening of Star Trek: First Contact (1996), arguably the best of the Star Trek: The Next Generation films to hit the silver screen.

How cool is that?

It's being conducted via online provider IGN.com.  Those interested in knowing a bit more about the event can follow the link right here.

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

One of the fringe benefits to doing so much research and/or following so much of the media announcements for SciFiHistory.Net is that, inevitably, I learn a bit about some of these folks who've built some pretty incredible legacies in film, television, and beyond.  Granted, I don't remember all of it -- my brain isn't wired that way -- but it gives me something to marvel at each and every day.  When I do stumble on something that deserves an additional mention, then I use this space to try to inform as well as educate.

Irrfan Khan was some giant in his own right.  How do I reach that conclusion?  No, I haven't seen much of what the actor appeared in, but a cursory scan of his IMDB.com profile shows me that in his short time occupying our plane of existence he appeared in just over one hundred and fifty different projects ... yet amassed some acting accolades that thousands in his profession would probably sell their soul to the devil for.  The guy has an incredible 32 wins (again, hat-tip to IMDB)!  32 wins out of 150 projects!  Dude, that means every filth film this guy did won him some dramatic acclaim.  That's incredible.

Alas, none of us lives forever, but I've no doubt that scholars will continue to study his work in the years ahead.  May he rest in peace.

Boom!  And just like that, SciFiHistory.Net has another cause for celebration!

Yeah, it might be a little benchmark, but it's still a benchmark, if you know what I mean.  Just as of a few minutes ago, our April 28th Page added its fiftieth citation, getting the day closer and closer to covering any and all possible things Science Fiction within my research grasp.

For those interested, you can check it out right here.

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

I've long argued that Science Fiction films are, perhaps, the only universal language across various cultures.

Dramas don't always translate from one country to the next, and this is largely because each nation has its own unique culture: what matters most to a Westerner isn't always the same for Easterners, and vice versa.  Comedy is increasingly driven by cultural norms, so what a Chinese person finds funny undergoes a bit of watering down for an American who must 'get the joke' via reading subtitles as opposed to experiencing the communication naturally.  Horror gets pretty close to being universally embraced and exchanged between two nations; still, even then, some elements of the story might tie in with how one society processes information, leaving some of the visceral thrill to get lost in the translation.

However, SciFi is that wide-eyed inspiration often driven by strong ideas and even stronger visuals, the kind of tale that unites audiences around a concept.  These concepts vary -- an alien invasion with the invading race vying for global domination; a mutated virus that only brings death in its wake; etc. -- but the medium of film requires that key elements are explained visual.  It's this visual linkage that brings audiences together, and SciFi has been doing this since it was first presented in light and shadows.

What's all of this getting at, you wonder?

Well, if you're reading this, then most likely you're a fan of SciFi; and I saw a post this morning that the Concord (Massachusetts) Public Library is sponsoring an online (Zoom) talk about twenty classic Science Fiction films and Why They Are Good For You.  I thought I'd be doing a public service to online mankind to let you in on the event.  It does require registration, so be sure to check out the full article online right here.

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

Times are tough right now, what with this infernal plague trying to wipe out all of mankind (thanks, China), and I suspect SciFiHistory.Net readers could use a little bit of good news, no matter from where it comes.

This morning, I stumbled across this nifty little story from all the way over in Scotland (of all places!).  It seems that a couple of enterprising young ladies who are trying to keep in shape have been taken with outdoor jogging.  Deciding they could do something to lift the spirits of the children in the area, they're been taking their jobs ... in cosplay!

Now, yes, those of us who are into this kind of superhero mythology know that Superman and Spiderman couldn't, wouldn't, and (maybe) shouldn't exist in the same universe (DC vs Marvel), but I thought the story was incredibly cute and inspired.  Something so simple is apparently bringing a little bit of joy to a bunch of youngsters at a time when they could use a little bit of inspiration; and I think that's fantastic.

Plus ... who doesn't love a gal who plays dress-up?

If you're interested, you can check out the story right here.

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

In case you missed Syfy's serial adaptation of 12 Monkeys ... well, is it really accurate to call this an adaptation of the property?

Granted, the Syfy program picked up elements of the Terry Gilliam 1995 silver screen (itself an adaptation and/or revisioning of a 1962 French short film titled La Jetée) but it took all of them, mixed them up, added a healthy mix of new characters, heavily expanded the mythology, and delivered something vastly meatier, something clearly intended for an audience hungry for long-form storytelling.  How do you intelligently compare the properties?  Any match-up is unfair as each has something different to say about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I won't belabor the point ... instead, I'll simply let you know that I noticed a collection of the entire Syfy run is now up for pre-order on Amazon.com.  Those interested in checking it out can simply follow the link right here.

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

I have a love/hate relationship with many HBO series.

Now, I can appreciate the pay cable network's desire to build a brand around series programming because -- at the end of the day -- an audience will only scarf up so many new and/or old movies in a single sitting.  Original content has always been what viewers scramble for  -- be they movies or series -- and given the fact that the showrunners seems to given better budgets to work with than the regular networks I'm all for it.  But like so many, I've struggled with the ways that these storytellers have opted to end their respective programs, and the increasing 'bad taste in my mouth' is starting to turn me off.

I didn't quibble over Game Of Thrones big finish the way so many did.  In fact, I argued online that anyone who couldn't see much of that coming wasn't really watching.  But the cable channel's flirtation with "intelligent SciFi/Drama" that's better known as Westworld has been pretty awful: the narrative doesn't make much sense, the characters haven't been all that interesting, and I'm really not sure if I'll even stick with it for what appears to be a final (fourth) season.

In any event, I read today over at Deadline that the channel is now investing in a Hellraiser reboot, one with a serial focus.  I'm not sure what to make of this -- what I have seen of the Hellraiser films hasn't been all that compelling -- but you can read all about it for yourselves by following the link right here.

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

Occasionally, people drop me a line to ask how many citations might a single day finish, and I've always told them that "the sky's the limit."  Sometime last year, I set myself a personal goal to have at least fifty different citations on every single DayPage within SciFiHistory.Net.  Though I didn't meet that projection, I have come reasonably close; and I continue to build each area of the site as time permits (which is never quite enough, my friends).

In any event, I've begun some tinkering on next month's listings, and I'm pleased to announce that May 2 is now just over 50 citations long!  Woohoo!  Yes, it's a modest benchmark ... but it's also halfway to one hundred strong.

If you're inclined, you can check it out early right here.

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

Alas, none of us last forever, but thank goodness we'll always have the work of Brian Dennehy.

Though 1985's Cocoon certainly wasn't his first professional gig, that's when the talented actor first dropped onto my radar.  The Ron Howard-directed SciFi/Fantasy screened in the summer, and it was clearly a favorite of audiences, much of which was owed to the comic formula of senior citizens discovering a kinda/sorta 'Fountain Of Youth' by way of exposure to alien technology.  Dennehy played the otherworldly mastermind who enlists the services of a young boating captain to recover the artifacts, and he also returned for the 1988 follow-up.

To be perfectly honest, the actor gravitated toward much more mainstream fare, and why not?  He was a talented heavyweight who could also wear his heart on his sleeve when the role demanded it.  He played the authority audiences loved to hate in both First Blood (1982) and Silverado (1985); he played a successful novelist who teams up with a contract killer to help craft his next Best Seller (1987); and the better part of the 1990's and 2000's saw the versatile thespian continuing to explore and create some equally enduring characters in a whole host of projects.

Eventually, the Grim Reaper claims each of us, but -- as I said above -- we'll always have his work in light and shadow to recall the legacy he's left to the arts.