I’m on record as being a fan of low-budget if not damn near no-budget Horror, and I stand by that reputation.
 
Why?
 
Well, that’s because – as I’ve long championed – just about anyone with a video camera and a flexible and willing cast and crew can throw together something that has the chance of (A) being worthwhile, (B) being scary, and (C) being profitable.  Hollywood studios, in fact, have long profited from the simple conceit of throwing together whatever gruesome concoction they can and putting it out for a theatrical run; and that’s mostly because – for reasons we’ll probably always debate – we just love being scared silly.  And because not everything that scares you necessarily scares me these storytellers are able to keep at that the business of frightening viewers until we can’t utter another scream.  It’s the oldest, truest form of entertainment; and I couldn’t be any fonder than am I of it and the efforts to make things go bump in the night.
 
Now, that doesn’t mean I love everything I see; and I’m kinda/sorta split on my opinion of Gangnam Zombie (2023).  On one level, it has about anything one should expect from a modestly produced thriller/chiller.  Still – on another level completely – there’s just nothing new here.  But … it has zombies … not the slow, lumbering, method-acting type but the rapid, jerk-infested, bloody-mouthed, and teeth gnashing variety.  Still … it has zombies … and haven’t we been here before?  And – even if we have been here before – is there nothing wrong with second helpings?  Well, when you’re short a full meal, then have you honestly had enough to eat?
 
See what I mean?
 
(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:
“Citizens from upscale Gangnam in Seoul start experiencing unusual and terrifying symptoms, devolving into inhuman creatures, leaving only a few survivors with the possibility to make it out alive.”
 
I know, I know, I know: some of you will find this nitpicking, but it’s just how I’m wired – there’s really zero explanation for where this whole incarnation of the plague originates, and that’s a weakness.
 
Now, that is and isn’t perfectly accurate (but I stand by it).  The folks behind Gangnam Zombie apparently decided fairly early on in its conception to both tap into as well as utilize some of the common knowledge and/or internet theories regarding the recent COVID explosion that changed – for better and for worse – life as we know it.  For example, there are those ‘in the know’ who allege that COVID began by someone eating a bat in a food market; and the screenwriter here (uncredited on IMDB.com) merely substituted the origin as having it evolve from a cat bite.  Where did the cat obtain the original virus?  Well, we don’t know, but you get the point.
​

Also, the script is peppered in its early moments with discussion of COVID and its general effects on the population, so much so that it’s pretty clear all involved with this affair wanted that fresh association in the minds of the audience.  While I can both understand and appreciate how doing so may’ve enabled the storytellers to apply some shortcuts in crafting this otherwise very conventional Horror/Thriller, I’m one of those rare souls in the crowd that prefers greater specificity.  I like flicks that have a clearly compelling origin story, but Gangnam is far more interested in exploiting fears than it is in authentically ratcheting them up. 
 
In fact, about the time that these zombies started growing cat-like fangs, I realized that absolutely none of this was to be taken even remotely seriously.
 
Indeed, Gangnam’s central cast of mostly young adults – many of which are employed in the field of social media – are hyper-obsessed with looks and ‘likes,’ those positive thumbs up that fuel so much of today’s internet activity.  Having the leads constantly on the lookout for the next web craze makes for a few laughs, but this script really reaches for the low-hanging fruit as even movie soundtrack cues can’t miss detection.  Granted, once the bloodletting gets under way, the jokes do get dialed back here and there; but that doesn’t escape the sad fact that our heroic lead Hyeon-seok (played by Il-Joo Ji) and his hero’s journey ultimately winds down as the punchline to a bad joke about being bitten/unbitten by a zombie with dentures.
 
True story.
 
Still, because I appreciate Horror that both sets its expectations and delivers on those assumptions, Gangnam isn’t a total loss.  It manages to utilize its ‘locked room’ approach to storytelling – George A. Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead (1978) was rather famously staged in a shopping mall while Gangnam uses a similar construct with a retail corporate building – and does so fairly efficiently, minimizing both how far our heroes can run as well as how much chasing there might be.  There’s certainly nothing grand and/or noble about any of this proceeding, but it still functionally sets some parameters and sticks to its minimalist world-building the way any story should.  Everyone behaves as they should in this environment, and a bloody time is had by all.
 
However, I’d also be remiss if I failed to cite that Gangnam is barely – and I do mean barely – a feature.  While it’s credited as having an 80-minute run-time, the narrative is constructed with an opening set-up that is also a flashback, meaning that you see this five-minute sequence twice.  Given that it has about six minutes of credits at the end – along with a few minutes at the front – there’s hardly 60-minutes of story in here … and it feels like that.  This would’ve worked better as a stand-alone episode of a horror anthology than it does an independent feature film.  About the time the action’s truly starting, it’s all said and done … and that was a let-down.
 
Gangnam Zombie (2023) was produced by Lee Film and Joy N Cinema.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the reliable folks at Well Go USA Entertainment.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I found the sights-and-sounds to the feature to be very, very good.  There’s some occasionally in-camera trickery – red lighting overlay and some curious fast-cutting – that helps set the mood, but it’s small potatoes in the whole affair.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Alas, there isn’t a single one … well, except for the theatrical trailer.  Sigh.
 
Only mildly recommended … and – even then – probably only for Horror purists.
 
Unfortunately, there’s not all that much new under the South Korean sun if Gangnam Zombie is any indication.  I don’t mind riffs on popular themes, and that’s about the best one can say about this quick and forgettable experience.  While the leads show up and turn in some respectable screen fighting against the undead and there’s the added hints about this being not all that unlike a COVID outbreak, Gangnam still suffers from a heavy ‘been there done that’ predictability, along with some remarkably unfunny attempts to spice it up with laughs.  Sometimes, better off dead is, truly, better off dead.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Gangnam Zombie 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

The devil – as they say – is always in the details.
 
Life – or what services as one – ain’t easy.  Though we don’t like to think or speak about it, many of us have had to make compromises and/or circumvent our values in order to not so much ‘get by’ as it has been to make ends meet.  While I certainly hope that all of us have stopped short of taking innocent lives, some days it’s sadly not all that hard to see folks who’ve been pushed beyond the limits of conscience into committing some of history’s most unforgivable acts.  Though I personally agree with those who suggest we don’t necessarily need more conversations about evil so much as we need to once more make punishment truly fit the crime, there’s still value in presenting stories that give us more to think about … and that’s likely why films like Condition Of Return will always get made.
 
Part morality play and part melodrama, Condition tries to paint a portrait of a life in disarray, quietly suggesting at times that God never so much lifts one up as he puts one down to a point wherein the Devil’s all-too-willing to open his door for bartered salvation.  (Never forget: it comes at a price, my friend.)  Though it dabbles circumstantially in ideas of faith, belief, and spirituality, Condition is never heavy on such substance, always choosing to portray human matters in lieu of any significant soul-searching.  In the end, it kinda/sorta devolves a bit heavily and darkly into irony and satire – tones never even suggested in its first half – and this unevenness hampers what could’ve been a vastly more entertaining and nuanced character study.
 
(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 provided promotional materials:
“Eve Sullivan is arrested for committing a heinous crime.  Shackled in a police station breakroom, she is questioned by psychoanalyst Dr. Donald Thomas, who is tasked with determining her fitness to stand trial.  In a contentious interview, Dr. Thomas persuades Eve to recount her troubling past as she slowly turns the tables, coaxing him into revealing secrets of his own and showing him they may be more alike than he thinks.”
​

The germ of true inspiration at the core of Condition Of Return, frankly, remains hidden for far too long into its 90-minute run-time.  While I won’t spoil it specifically for readers, let’s just say that those who believe that there are often cosmic motivations at play that are well beyond human abilities to detect will likely point to the feature and boast a resounding “See, I told you so!” at the big reveal.  As effective as such cinematic trickery may be, methinks it could’ve been handled far better in this only mildly crafty thriller as directed by Tommy Stovall and scripted by John Spare.
 
Much like life, spinning yarns – especially those that conceal some big secret – is a game of juggling many balls.
 
The artist must keep an eye on all of them, knowing exactly when to catch and/or release in order to make the performance a true work of art.  When the juggler is required to throw in a fourth on top of the already moving three – an attempt to both ‘up his game’ as well as startle the audience – there’s a certain deftness to the showmanship that must be considered.  Doing it too soon really only creates an audience wanting more, while doing it too late might have them looking away as they grew tired with far too much sameness.  Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan – for all his positives and weaknesses – has built an entire career around knowing just when to divulge some dark secret; and I can’t help but point out that Stovall’s and Spare’s efforts here come up a bit underwhelming perhaps because they’ve so little experience in doing the same.
 
Despite some good efforts here by the cast, there’s just very little shock and awe – setting aside the flick’s dire opening sequence that could be pulled from any newspaper headlines – that establishes and elevates the stakes at play.
 
AnnaLynne McCord plays Eve Sullivan – our kinda/sorta villain whose lost her way – a bit unevenly: there are moments when I felt as if she were playing on the audience’s sympathies even though the script never has her implicitly asking for them.  The life that evolves over the course of these 90-minutes needed a delivery with a bit more backwoods rawness – not unlike what Julia Garner did over the course of her evolution aboard Netflix’s stellar Ozark series – and then it might’ve been a tad more believable for this reviewer.  She strives and reaches for it in a few spots, but the fact that far too much of Condition feels underplayed holds the thriller back from what could’ve been bigger and more effective ‘thrills.’
 
The great Natasha Henstridge – as the mysterious Liza – ends up doing what she can with the picture’s surprise twist.  The actress has always oozed a kind of palpable screen sexiness, especially since her turn in SciFi’s quieter Species franchise, and I’m frankly confused as to why she hasn’t enjoyed more work in notable projects.  Sadly, Spare’s script feels spare on utilizing this development – again, I’m treading lightly in spoiler territory here and trying to respect the rules – and that weakness in this story told as is will likely keep folks from appreciating the flick more.  Let’s just say that I would’ve loved to see more of her much earlier in it, and the project may’ve resonated more strongly with such additions.
 
Lastly, Dean Cain shoulders the bulk of the everyman perspective here.  His Dr. Donald Thomas is trying to do the best he can in life – for himself, for his career, for society, and for his family – and his commitment to his work ethic has apparently tied his hands with ‘getting ahead’ in his career.  His role in this demonstrates what may very well be a ‘last chance’ to show the universe-at-large that he’s willing to ‘play nice to get nice,’ even though he may have to compromise an ethical consideration here or there to smooth out some professional wrinkles.  What works – so far as I’m concerned – is the fact that Cain embodies his character; he’s almost effortlessly attached to being a ‘good guy trying to do good work.’  It may not show much range, but it works very well and gives his scenes the focus needed.
​

Frankly, Condition reminds me – to a small degree – of similar fare from earlier this year: Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon’s Nefarious created a bit of controversy at the box office with its run.  Both films are centered around a kinda/sorta psychiatric evaluation conducted between the professional and the culprit, and both engage in discussions of good and evil – and the lengths some folks willingly travel in pursuit of noble and ignoble objectives.  However, Nefarious is far more engaging because it both establishes and maintains a consistent theme from start-to-finish; and it never relents from exposing the darkness in both good and lesser souls as they make their way through this thing called ‘life.’ 
 
Condition could’ve used a sharper pair of eyes – and a savvier script – and it could’ve done equally as well.
 
Lastly, I’d be remiss in my duties of cataloguing All Things Genre is I failed to mention that actress McCord was honored with the title of ‘Best Lead Actress’ for her work in the film when the project was screened at 2023’s Sedona International Film Festival.  Congratulations are certainly in order.
 
Condition Of Return (2023) was produced by Pasidg Productions, Inc.  A quick Google.com search indicates that the film is presently available for streaming or purchase on Vudu.com.  As for the technical specifications?  Though I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were all very, very good.  As for the special features?  As I viewed this viewing a streaming portal, there were no special features for consideration.
 
Recommended.
 
Despite some wild tonal inconsistencies, I suspect there’s an audience out there for Condition Of Return, even though the production has a relative ‘made-for-TV’ feel a bit too frequently.  My reservations with going ‘all-in’ with it is the fact that the script wanders and meanders its narrative all too often, never truly centering in on what develops supernaturally in its second half; an earlier investment and/or more blatant suggestion may’ve given viewers the chance to be both aware of the true nature of Good vs Evil as well as watch the signs more closely.  (Yes, I think that may’ve enhanced the entertainment value, but I rarely get into the weeds.)  Good performances – nothing spectacular – but its players display a measure of confidence that lifts and shapes in small yet effective ways.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Stonecutter Media provided me with complimentary streaming access to Condition Of Return (2023) by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.  This contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

​-- EZ

Savvy readers -- of which I'm proud to say that SciFiHistory.Net's audience are some of the web's savviest!!! -- have been quick to remind me that in the days of Kickstarter's infancy I wasn't exactly one of crowd-funding's biggest supporters.

Being an old dog in the wide, wide world of following entertainment, I was somewhat put back by the idea of putting my money where my mouth -- or creators' mouths -- is or was.  Harkening back ot those days and what I saw from those early projects, however, I can tell you exactly why I had that position: those early projects were far more fledgling works of art that were more about a storyteller telling a story he or she wanted to tell and not so much something fandom was clamoring for.  As such, I necessarily questioned why I or anyone should commit money to something that some brash young filmmaker wanted to do simply to get his or her feet off the ground when it didn't authentically add anything fresh, new, and/or vibrant to places where devotees hung out and talked about the things that made their worlds go 'round.  I think some of those early projects failed for that reason ... or they survived in whatever fashion society deemed fit.

But what happened over a few years was that some true enthusiastic innovators realized the true potential behind authentic crowdfunding was tapping into precisely what fandom wanted -- not the vanity projects of George Lucas wannabes or storytellers believing they were the next Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, or Michael Bay.  Instead, the focus shifted dramatically into cracking open the intellectual properties already out there -- albeit from new perspectives -- and delivering more content to fuel these journeys into the Final Frontier.  From what I could see, fandom responded favorably ... incredibly favorably, in many ways ... opening their wallets when it was crystal clear that something was going to be not only gained but also enriching their lives, their knowledge, and their beloved mania for a franchise.

With this new direction, crowdfunding exploded ... and rightly so.  These new projects -- and their project directors -- made a believer even out of me ... one of the web's oldest and proudest cynics ... and that's sayin' something!

Well, it just so happens that another project was come down the pike that I think deserves our attention, and I wanted to pass along news of this effort to any interested participants.  This one definitely falls square into the realms of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and I firmly believe it's efforts like this which deserve our attention.

Gerry Anderson's Space:1999 is one of SciFi's many red-headed franchises.  It's never quite gotten mainstream attention -- certainly not like other properties of its day -- and that's always befuddled me just a bit.  The saga of Moonbase Alpha and its crew -- occupying our moon as it was savagely ripped from its orbit and thrown into deep space -- certainly has built and maintained a solid cult audience over the years, but no major studio has ever seriously knocked on the door for a reboot much less a continuation.  (Yes, yes, and yes: I'm aware that there have been a comic book or two, along with some fiction and non-fiction collections, but I'm talking about either theatrical and/or broadcast television prospects, folks.)  For what it's worth, the IP is rich in storytelling prospects; its characters are certainly drawn from the well of inspiration; and the tapestry upon which to draw new adventures is damn near endless so far as this fan is concerned.  It's high time someone brought Space:1999 into our collective consciousness ... and maybe that's a little 'something something' Jeffrey Morris intends to do.
​
Morris is an innovator in the world of entertainment.  His FutureDude Entertainment (link) has been spinning yarns since its inception, and it has such adventures under its belt as Persephone, Saturn 5, and Neptune One, with several others well on the way.  But one of Morris' other inspirations in life has been one small part of the Anderson show, namely the Eagle spacecraft featured prominently in all of Space:1999's stories.  In fact, those of us who've seen the show can assure you that this wonderful little spaceship was as central to that show as the USS Enterprise was to Star Trek, so kudos to Morris for not only recognizing this but also opting to give 'the little engine that could' the attention it so strongly deserves.
​

From Morris' Kickstarter campaign:

"The Eagle Has Landed explores a passionate and ongoing nostalgia for a future that never happened. This intriguing feature-length documentary follows Jeffrey Morris—a Minnesota-based filmmaker and lifelong science-fiction aficionado—as he examines the fascinating connections between art, science, culture, and the iconic Eagle spacecraft."

In my humble opinion, there are a good many reasons why the Eagle -- and the show -- deserves a bit of extra attention.

First, Space:1999 represents one of the last and biggest franchises to be on the scene right before George Lucas' Star Wars truly altered the entertainment landscape, and -- to a small degree -- I've long believed it kinda/sorta escaped society's radar because it was eclipsed by something few programs could compete with.  Such an associated practically begs for some kind of academic comparison, and maybe that alone is long overdue.

​Second, the Eagle itself has -- quite possibly -- somehow surpassed the show in terms of relative popularity.  Though folks may never have seen a single episode, the ship is often recognized as being from it to a surprising degree.  It's often cited in Science Fiction circles as being one of the genre's most credible creations, meaning that there's just something about it that bridges that gap between 'what could be' and 'what is' in ways that warrant an extra examination.

Lastly -- and this one comes almost entirely from what I've read -- the Eagle has somehow built a following amongst modelmakers and spaceship collectors of being one of the most sought after ships.  There's apparently a rather impressive membership of Eagle aficionados out there in the wide, wide world ... and an examination of such an exalted club and its membership might tell us something more about a show that has somehow escaped the limelight to live on in surprising cultural ways.
​

Important links:
The Eagle Has Landed - A SciFi Documentary (Kickstarter)
The Eagle Has Landed - website (link)
An article about the campaign on Space.com (link)
​

Interested readers are encouraged to check out Morris' work as well as the Kickerstarter campaign.  There are a handful of contributor levels that make this one entirely accessible for all of fandom, and the future of crowdsharing looks bright, indeed, when projects such as this add something to fan culture in exciting and informative ways.

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

I’ve been on record of stating that the works of Dave Filoni – at least so far as I’m concerned – do take a bit of time to ‘get going.’
 
For whatever reason, the storyteller tends to creatively play his cards very close to his chest, often taking far too much time to make even a simple point.  As a consequence, his characters and their motivations tend to remain a bit too nebulous, and this perhaps inadvertently has the audience “filling in the gaps” as the stories go on their merry way.  As an example, former Jedi Baylan Skoll has taken the better part of five episodes to remain otherwise downright mysterious as to what his true intentions are, and they’ve now been laid bare (well, to a degree) in Ahsoka’s sixth installment, titled “Far, Far Away.”  Apparently if I’m understanding him correctly – and I make no guarantees – Skoll has hitched his existential wagon to Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Nightsisters, and whatever forces of evil exist in the galaxy for the sole purpose of (cough cough) ending the cycle of violence resulting in the ever-changing political regimes of the Outer Rim.
 
So … his big plan to bring an end to galactic bloodshed is to do … what?  Stage one huge, huge, huge Star War to – presumably – end all Star Wars?
 
Huh.
 
Well, good for him.
 
It would seem that he’s missed the memo that wars tend to breed fanatics.  These fanatics can then serve both good and/or evil objectives.  In fact, there are many ‘in the know’ who’d cite that war is the single greatest cause leading inevitably to only more war.  So … short of disarming this galaxy’s resident population of every conceivable weapon of choice, legislating peace with the enforcement of the death penalty for violating it, and re-educating each and every member of society to think about cause and effect radically opposite to any possible natural survival instinct … how is he truly going to accomplish this laudable goal?  Frankly, I doubt even he knows that answer.
 
This single argument demonstrates the central flaw upon which Filoni’s house of cards has its foundation: there’s just not enough logic.  However noble Baylan’s or Shin’s or Thrawn’s or Ahsoka’s or Sabine’s intentions may be, there remains an undercurrent of naivety – call it ‘blissful ignorance,’ if you will – that dooms every character.  And this doesn’t seem to be improving.  That may be growing clearer – as certainly this sixth episode finally shed light (as I said) on Baylan’s possible end game or strategy – but that doesn’t have it making any more sense.
​
Furthermore, I’ve stressed that since this show’s beginning I don’t understand the ‘Rebels’ insistence that only Ezra Bridger can fix this situation.  Yes, yes, and yes: I ask this question knowing full well that it was Bridger who sent Thrawn and his ship and crew into this distant quarter of space.  Following that train of thought, am I to assume that once the blue intellect returns to known space, is it their intention to have Ezra simply do it again?  Send the enemy back into the black void?  Where’s the logic in that?  Won’t he just return again, making us as the audience have to endure yet one more ‘cycle of violence’ when Thrawn returns yet a second time?  A third time?  A fourth time? 
 
Why not just get there to Peridea and kill the bastard?
​

Is there no one else in the galaxy who can combat Thrawn?  Luke Skywalker is known to have brought about the end of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine’s symbiotic, ruthless grip on it, so why not give him a call?  Why not consult with Princess Leia and what remains of the Rebel Alliance?  By now, hasn’t Mon Mothma proven that she can lead these worlds into whatever future awaits, or is she, too, just a storyteller’s pawn in this confusing ball of yarn?  The specificity about why and how only Ezra Bridger can be this saga’s ‘Chosen One’ has yet to be spelled out, and it’s high time someone addressed that elephant in the figurative room.
 
Look, I’m all for more Star Wars instead of less Star Wars, folks.  All one need do is take a gander at my site – SciFiHistory.Net – to grasp just how fully I’m committed to the galaxy far, far away.  Yes, I’ve had problems with the Sequel Trilogy and the subsequent TV adventures, but – to varying degrees – each has offered me something of value.  It might be a trait as negligible as being ‘entertaining,’ but I’ve often written about some of the best experiences in all of entertainment history have no greater impact than being e-n-t-e-r-t-a-i-n-i-n-g.  Some of my favorite shows and movies and books and radio programs are entertaining.  They’re not necessarily smart.  They’re not necessarily good.  Yet, I’m entertained by them.  But, at some cosmic level, it still has to make sense … and Ahsoka doesn’t.
 
I’ve also often pointed out that I find difficult in reviewing episodic yarns.  As I demonstrated above, some characters’ motivations and true purpose in the expanding tale aren’t known until later in the piece; this often produces the unintended consequence of having me dislike small moments that don’t appear legitimate in the time and place that we originally see them, and it isn’t until some fact is uncovered later in the series’ run that delivers the required epiphany.  Given Filoni’s propensity for playing those cards the way he does, I’m willing to hold out hope that this tactic may be spoiling a good deal of my time with Ahsoka in real time.  Who knows?  By Episode 8, all of us may be convinced that he’s the Second Coming that the media is trying to convince us he is.
 
As to the rest of “Far, Far Away?”
 
Thankfully, the central villains appear to have finally emerged from the chaos.  Without question, the Nightsisters are behind a great deal of the shenanigans; and Thrawn – long promised – has finally shown his blue face.
 
Back in junior high school, I had the misfortune of being cast to play the villain in a rather popular stage play adaptation of something making the rounds through the education system.  Initially, I was gobsmacked.  A villain?  Me?  Why, I’m the nicest guy around!  Everyone loves me!  How can I play someone that produces boos and hisses from the audience?  In fact, it wasn’t until the director – one of my favorite teachers from my youth – explained to me that good stories need not just any villain but a grand, convincing performance from a key player in order to function.  Because I was a bit of a class clown, he thought I had the chops to do the role justice.  And he was right, I must say.
 
Consequently, it goes without saying that seeing Thrawn should arguably be this series’ selling point.
 
Though the sentiment across the Information Superhighway seems to be very positive with his reveal, I was a bit underwhelmed, in all honesty.  I won’t go into the physical aspects of a somewhat portly and pasty make-up job because, again, this might eventually be explained by a turn of phrase or development yet forthcoming.  But seeing him in the flesh only reminded me of the immense difficulty of translating a mostly cerebral villain onto the silver screen: what works in print may suffer dramatic ‘shifting in flight’ with the shadows, light, and fog.  No.  Most definitely no.  He wasn’t big enough.  He wasn’t bold enough.  He wasn’t brash enough to be the Grand Admiral I’ve know in literature, nor did he exhibit the presence of one who could bend the knee of the Nightsisters.  Without knowing more of the struggle he’s endured in the years since being forced to this galaxy (which could very well have accounted for his loss of luster), I seriously don’t know what to make of this Thrawn … but he’s less than I expected.
​

And what’s up with his stormtroopers?  Are they real – are any of them – or are they little more than that smoke monster magic already seen with Marrok?  That one commander – Enoch – kinda/sorta reminds me of Klytus from 1980’s Flash Gordon.  That may or may not be a good thing.
 
Again, I understand perfectly well that he and his were essentially jettisoned to Peridea against their collective will, but have they been doing nothing but hanging out and repairing their armor with red duct tape since their arrival?  Why, Ezra Bridger was hiding on the same damn planet below, and they’ve never been able to find him in a decade … and yet Sabine Wren just practically stumbles across him in only a matter of hours?  Erm … exactly how potent (or not) is that Nightsister magic?  Why couldn’t they locate him but can otherwise seemingly communicate vast, cosmological distances supernaturally?
 
This is the problem with magic, of which the Force is not included.
 
Magic can be used to prop up whatever good or bad elements are already there in the plot when it’s conceived.  Because magic knows no logical end, the downside to introducing it is that it’ll have smart viewers constantly rethinking not only what’s happening but also what’s come before and why (or why not) it wasn’t able to make things right baring any rational explanation.  For example, the Nightsisters were apparently offended by a Jedi stench coming off Sabine; well, why not the same for Skoll and his apprentice, Shin?  Since midichlorians can be practically in any living being, why not anyone else?  Shouldn’t everyone stink?  Clearly, the magic has limitations.  It hasn’t harnessed any space whales to return Thrawn to his home galaxy.  It hasn’t revealed the secret hiding place of Ezra Bridger.  But, boy, it can sure sniff out a Jedi!
 
Now, this isn’t to suggest that “Far, Far Away” lacked some nice elements.
 
Peridea – a new world within the wider Star Wars mythology – was well designed.  Its ‘space whales’ graveyard’ set of rings around the planet was a nifty touch, but it did leave me wondering exactly why the purgill do this.  (This naturally assumes that Filoni has some explanation, and that it isn’t magic.)  The horse/wolf creature that Sabine rides around trying to find Ezra was clever; while I didn’t quite understand why she thought it would blindly follow her wherever she wanted to go (horses don’t work that way, Dave) was a bit off to me, but that’s small potatoes.  And the intelligent crab species of hermits that Bridger has taken to hiding out with produced a few chuckles here and there, even though I couldn’t quite understand why some were simply lying in wait for Sabine to discover them … other than a screenwriter’s convenience.
 
Therein lies the biggest problem with far too much of Ahsoka: events are transpiring far too conveniently and not organically.  We’re an astonishing six episodes in, and – to some degree – we’re still asking questions.  Answers had better be coming soon, as there are only two installments left.
 
Last but not least: is it weird that Ahsoka – as a show – works better when Ahsoka herself is not in it?
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one to provide a review of Star Wars: Ahsoka streaming series as I’m presently a subscriber to Disney+ … which might be changing in the future as their programming has really gotten a bit stale.

​-- EZ

Good morning and Happy Thursday, gentle readers!  Here's hoping that the latter half of this week will bring you nothing but happiness and joy!

Ahhhhh ... what is there to talk about this morning, you ask?  Well, there's always something around the SciFiHistory.Net desk, and I'll try to be as succinct as possible.

First up: yes, I finallly watched Ahsoka last night, and I'm working on a review.  There were some developments, and I think the show changed a bit in tone.  I won't trouble you with an quick notes because a lot of it is still ruminating in my brain right now.  The short skinny is, yes, there were signs of 'a new hope' (snicker snicker) but I'll stop short of proclaiming it 'the bestest ever' as have so many.

Second on the agenda: re: Daryl Dixon?  I think I'm gonna wait and do a review of the full season.  That could change, and -- if it does -- then watch this space.  Part of the issue is that I have very little substantively to say about it.  I like it -- probably for reasons some online have offered it some praise -- but that's really about it.  They've finally come up with something that feels like an authentic spin-off, and that bodes well.
​

Well, well, well ... what have we here?

There are an awful lot of folks in intelligentsia who will tell you -- if asked -- that the great scribe H.G. Wells should be credited with the title of 'the Father of Science Fiction,' and I suppose they're entitled to their opinions.  (Not that I'd argue with them, but ...)  He certainly is one of the very first who popularized the genre for the masses-at-large as well as our cultural betters, giving society some serious tomes to spend hours contemplating the questions of existence from different positions.  A good deal of his writing has served as inspiration for radio plays, theatrical adaptations, silver screen outings, and TV shows, and those facts alone suggest that he's owed a good portion of praise for putting his fertile imagination through some serious journeys so that those of us out here may take 'baby steps' with him through life.

Having read a few of his tomes, I can only say that I found his prose a bit dry.  (Yes, yes, and yes: I know I'm flawed!)  But the ideas resonated feverishly -- as they have with countless others -- and this is why he's perhaps earned that fatherhood title ten if not twenty times over.

The Invisible Man.  The Island Of Doctor Moreau.  The First Men In The Moon.  The Time Machine.  The War Of The Worlds.

Does it get any better than that?
​

Argh.  Dark Skies.  Alas, you were a show I wanted to love, but ... it wasn't meant to be.

I think my issues with Dark Skies is that in too many ways it really only floundered with its core idea -- that of trying to explore our planet's real history instead of the sanitized copy provided by mainstream news against the backdrop of extraterrestrial manipulation -- and never committed strongly enough to weaving that through the full narrative.  Though this one was incredibly popular with a niche audience and has gone on to build an impressive cult following, I think me and wifey tuned out reasonably early.  It was well written.  It had a solid cast.  I guess that -- what with The X-Files already doing such an incredible job with similar material -- we just weren't all that enamored with a deeper attempt ... unless it really did a deep dive.  For my take, it didn't, but -- wow -- it had some great, great, great ideas.

Still, you have to be doing something right when the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror films recognizes the show and its leading man and leading lady (Eric Close and Megan Ward) in its awards show with nominations.  Though they didn't take home any trophies, that fact alone signifies that the truth may not be so 'out there' and some have professed.  It could be right here in front of our eyes -- on a television show -- all ripe for the taking.
​

I'll likely be doing some minor updates to the day's trivia page, and I might even be working in a few of these additions as MainPage announcements.  We'll see.  It just depends upon their reputation and prominence.  But keep your eyes peeled.

Here's the real reason that you're here ...
​

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

Forgive me for sounding my age, faithful readers, but the truth is that films like The Giant Gila Monster at one time had a vigorous shelf life.
 
Back in the days well before video-on-demand, fare like this was played almost routinely across small market television stations around the country.  Hundreds of prints of like-minded, forgettable, and low-budgeted productions would be bundled and sold into these secondary markets; and they’d get reasonably good airtimes as part of local movie programming, monster marathons, and/or ‘Creature Feature’ events on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights.  Yes, yes, and yes: for those of you wondering, a great deal of these efforts was suitably lampooned by those merry yucksters at Mystery Science Theater 3000, but kids like me had seen them (and probably laughed at them) long before Joel, Mike, and the robots put their signature satire in motion.
 
So I can assure you that I went into this newly-restored pressing of The Giant Gila Monster: Special Edition knowing full well what the stakes were.  In fact … wow.  I’d probably watched this thing a half-dozen times in my youth, and I remember that maybe even with a bit of pride.  Where I grew up, we mostly only had access to these small market TV stations; so I’ve chuckled at this attempt years ago and just again today.  And – succinctly – there’s nothing wrong with that, though I do find it rather sad that such formative experiences are disappearing from our cultural lexicon.  The explosion of point-and-click availability likely means this Monster may have finally met its match … and that’s a low-down dirty shame.
 
(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 giant lizard terrorizes a rural Texas community, and a heroic teenager attempts to destroy the creature.”
 
Anyone viewer who’s had the good (or bad) fortune of watching The Giant Gila Monster more than once probably knows full well that this is the kind of picture only occasionally made these days.  The people at Troma Entertainment are still in this business, though their efforts might involve far more blood, bruising, and blondes.  The folks still shucking their wares under the label of The Asylum are also guilty-as-charged: their mockbuster line-up tends to only be visible to audiences who partake of the occasional Syfy Saturday Night movie, and – despite what you think – there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.  And the occasional indie feature might try to give it a whirl, but – if and when they do – they more often than not spin it for laughs as opposed to telling a legitimate coming-of-age-with-monsters yarn.  As for the big studios?  Those tentpole outlets?  Those Hollywood executives?  Well, they’ve mostly left this stuff behind, considering it best left in the trash bin of history.
​

The horrifically kind-hearted Chase Winstead (played by Don Sullivan) couldn’t be more perfect if he tried.  The script (credited to director Ray Kellogg and screenwriter Jay Simms) paints our lead as a young male with a heart of gold who, apparently, never had so much as a cross thought in that old-fashioned American head of his.  He’s the apple of the eye to everyone around him.  His mother (Gay McLendon) practically worships the ground he walks on, probably because he’s seemingly the only man of the house, a daring proposition for the late 1950’s indeed.  His younger sister Missy (Janice Stone) practically swoons when her older brother walks into the room, a task she has extreme difficulty with as she’s outfitted with leg braces.  His foreign exchange girlfriend Lisa (Lisa Simone) will stop at nothing to aid him in whatever quest he’s committed to, be that aiding Sheriff Jeff (Fred Graham) in searching for missing teenagers to even paying for Missy’s braces so that Chase doesn’t have to work so hard.
 
With all that’s going right in his world, what could possibly go wrong?
 
Well, that’s where the monster of The Giant Gila Monster comes in!
 
While this oversized species of venomous lizard is seen amply enough onscreen, we’re never quite provided the particulars necessary to grasp literal complexity, nor are we offered any suitable explanation for how and why it grew so big.  Instead, the script largely glosses those facts over, instead hoping the small budget effects of pairing this impressive reptile against an array of miniatures (mostly landscapes) provide the context.  Though at one point its described as being “as big as a bus,” a later sequence set against the backdrop of a derailed train suggests it’s a bit larger, so don’t be alarmed if such data appears lost in the shuffle.  It’s merely unimportant as director Kellogg was far more impressed with what’s accomplished here at not quite ‘top dollar.’
 
Now, none of that is meant to imply that the effort isn’t appreciated because Gila works surprisingly well.  Whereas other ‘giant monster’ pictures of the era attacked their … erm … monstrosities with greater optical trickery, Kellogg’s project stuck to old school efficiency most likely because its proven track record.  Besides, it isn’t as if the lizard was going to be up for any Academy Awards for its work here, so whatever poking and/or prodding was necessary to get it to hiss, glare, and crawl is good enough to evoke some meager spectacle.  Suffice it to say, no living person ever shares the screen with this lumbering behemoth; and I could argue that that fact alone makes Gila one of the weaker entries into sub-genre of Science Fiction and Horror films.  Why, even one shot would’ve been nice.
 
Perhaps the greater truth here is that Gila remains less an authentic ‘monster movie’ and more an exhibit for how such ‘drive-in’ fare of a generation went about the business of enticing its audience.
​

Its cast isn’t exclusively young people in the prime of their lives, but it most definitely leans toward that demographic.  Chase and his friends are likely considered the jet-set or the popular, trend-setters of their mostly rural community.  There’s no town truly even seen anywhere in the picture, and the shooting locations give off an almost backwoods kind of setting; even Sheriff Jeff remarks at one point in the script that he’s the only police officer assigned to this country area.  Unless I miss my guess, the only hint of a local economy – besides the garage that Chase toils away on car after car – is whatever operation is headed by Mr. Wheeler (Bob Thompson).  (Was there a mention of oil drilling?  I believe so.)  Lastly, there’s a Top 40-ish radio station not all that far from the action as the curiously named Horatio Alger ‘Steamroller’ Smith (Ken Knox) makes a few appearances as part of the action.
 
So it’s also safe to suggest that wherever all of Gila takes place it clearly isn’t somewhere wherein the military would come marching in to save the day, and the script instead opts to leave most of its significant developments in Chase’s ever-capable hands.  Part-mechanic, part-crooner, part-lover, and part-hotrodder, he’ll stop at nothing to fix every auto, sing every song, romance that French foreign exchange student (ooh-la-la), race his rig, and deliver that crawling menace up into the hands of the Lord before all is said-and-done.  It’s fitting that such a formula – pitting young whippersnappers against the usual voices of authority and winning the day – was behind so many great genre entries from the 1950’s; and it isn’t hard to see why they supported such cinematic adventures.
 
The Giant Gila Monster (1959) was produced by Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II).  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Film Masters.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert … wow.  I once spoke with a film historian who told me, “It’s a crime when such shlock looks this good,” and I’d have to echo those sentiments here: Monster has an incredible crispness never seen before (in the days of TV), and it sounds equally tempting.  As for the special features?  The disc boasts two different aspect ratios for your viewing pleasure along with the original restored 35MM trailer, an archival interview with star Sullivan, and a solid audio commentary coordinated by The Monster Party Podcast.  (FYI: I listened to the commentary yesterday evening; it’s quite good, loaded with facts and trivia related more to the cast and crew, not very much information that specifically applies to this production.)  Also, the collection includes a second disk with an exclusive companion flick – 1959’s The Killer Shrews – which I’ll be reviewing separately.
 
Mildly recommended, but …
 
As I tried to explain above, I think that the audiences welcoming such a bit of good-hearted shlock like The Giant Gila Monster is shrinking (and shrinking fast!); and that’s sad.  This is the kind of feature that used to enjoy some harmless notoriety, and this type of storytelling and filmmaking has really fallen into disarray.  (Yes, yes, and yes: I realize some might find that a positive development!)  Beyond the low-budget execution and hammy acting there’s still an adventure in here some might enjoy, and there’s definitely an attempt made by all involved to tailor this story of a boy, his car, and a giant gila lizard into the bigger-than-life escapade audiences of its day would’ve welcomed.  Hopefully, that will always count for something.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Film Masters provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Giant Gila Monster 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

Hey there, kiddies!  Good morning and welcome to Wednesday -- that irascible Hump Day, as it's known in some parts of the Blogosphere!

​For what's it's worth, I'm usually quiet around this space on Wednesdays.  I try to reserve this day for watching the projects that get sent to me, maybe puttering away on reviews and the like that I need to get done for the business end of maintaining SciFiHistory.Net.  Today will likely be no different, so if you see no new content (other than this) on the MainPage don't panic.  It just means that I'm off engaged in other activities that need to go down first before I can get up new reviews and the like.  Just sharing that so's you understand a bit of inside baseball.

Also, I've watched the second installment of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and it's quite good.  Rest assured: I still haven't decided if I'm gonna review it, but -- if I do -- I'll likely get the reviews up in truncated fashion.  They probably won't be anything in depth at all and just cursory thoughts.  The show is produced well enough that I'm not sure of how much I have to say.  It's far more interesting than was Dead City, and -- of course -- some of that is owed to it's a vastly more complex change of location than was the Maggie/Negan spinoff.  Such is life ... or as is the case with that property, "Such is death."
​
As for today's heavy hitters in genre entertainment?
​

On this day in all the way back in 1979, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century -- one of the seminal TV experiences on my high school days -- first took flight on the Boob Tube.  (It actually had some relative exposure prior to this with a theatrical run, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.)  Gil Gerard played the Air Force pilot / astronaut who woke up centuries into our planet's future only to find Earth had been largely decimated from wars and such.  He's pulled out of his cryosleep by enemies of our world but eventually finds his way to home ... and the adventures begin.  Naturally, pairing the leading man with the lovely Erin Gray certainly did things to the hormones of teenage boys across the fruited plain, and the two made for a great pair whose epic exploits were large and campy enough to make for some great TV viewing.

​Weirdly, the Buck Rogers property is one that has kinda/sorta all but vanished from our cosmic consciousness, and I think that's sad.  Like Flash Gordon, Buck was a force to be reckoned with -- in books, serials, and the like -- and I, for one, would love to see it dusted off and delivered in a more contemporary format to viewers of today.  I know that it has surfaced in reboot discussions from time-to-time, but I haven't read anything of substance on that front in quite awhile.  Maybe I'll do some digging on the Information Superhighway to see if any rumors persist today.

Yes, yes, and yes: I'm well aware that many in fandom think the show kinda/sorta went off the rails in Season 2.  All I can say in that respect is "to each his own."  Producers were clearly taking the program in a different direction in that truncated season, and I thought the scripts and stories felt a bit more like the classic Star Trek than did anything else on television at the time.  Perhaps it just never quite ironed out a clear tone between camp and crusade, leaving audiences a bit confused with the change-up.  I realize that those showing up for more of the same (from Season 1) were likely disappointed with what they found ... but it is what it is.
​

When it comes to television that got away before it could've turned into something great, The Event was one of those big ticket items to emerge on the entertainment landscape that was probably a bit too smart for audiences to keep up with it.  Having a big and talented cast arguably gave it the potential to be more than the sum of its parts, but -- in all honesty -- it had a pretty complicated storyline that definitely required both active watching and staying committed.  This was the kind of programming wherein you couldn't miss an episode ... unless you wanted to be a bit confused when you came back to it next week.

​The show had a vastness to it that its writers tried to keep anchored (to a degree) in one of the franchise's leads: Jason Ritter -- as 'Sean Walker' -- was only trying to find his missing girlfriend from a luxurious cruise when all of a sudden he finds himself wrapped up in the middle of a global conspiracy involving aliens embedded into our world along with a complicit U.S. government trying to keep a lid on an impending 'event' (as well as smaller ones signalling a change of season).  Smartly written and expertly produced, The Event was about as engaging as great TV can be; but -- as I implied -- it may've been a bit too meaty for those who want to tune in for the ultimate purpose of tuning out.

Though I could be wrong, I thought at one time -- in the wake of its cancellation -- there was some talk of it continuing perhaps in another format -- a tie-up movie, a comic book, or something else.  It's a shame that it perhaps didn't come along in today's climate wherein dumping and binging whole seasons have become a bit more normal.  I think it likely may've survived in such a venue as audiences would've been given the chance to take it exactly as much as they could absorb, alleviating some of the confusion resulting from the usual start-and-stop serial approach of traditional broadcasts.  Whatever the case may be, it's a shame this one didn't succeed.
​

And twenty-one years ago today, the now somewhat disgraced predator Joss Whedon delivered his space saga Firefly to the masses-at-large, and an all-new phenomenon was born.

I won't belabor the point, and I don't really discuss the show to any lengths on SciFiHistory.Net, mostly because its fans are just far too destructive for my calmer sensibilities.  Frankly, it's a show that just didn't do anything for me, feeling a bit too similar to other programs I'd already watched, and that's it.  I wished it well.  I think it had a terrific cast.  It was, arguably, very well produced.  But for no particular reason it just never rung a bell for me.  It's another one of those properties that gets tossed around for rebooting from time-to-time, but ... really?  Reboot?  Why not a continuation of some sort?  Yes, yes, and yes: I know it had a movie, but that was more for closure than anything else.  The vast percentage of its original cast is still active and about, so why not let them take it further as opposed to starting over.  That seems like a mistake to me.
​

Oh, well ...

There's a great amount of additional material on the September 20th page, folks, so this is one of the cases where I strongly encourage you to head on over to that location.  I dare you to find something that tickles your fancy because this date in SciFi History has an astonishing assortment of birthdays, films, and TV launches to consider.  It's an incredible, incredible, incredible meal worthy of your digestion ... so get eating ...
​

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

Editor's Note:
Folks, I've mentioned that in the not-too-distant past I was one of those (cough cough) famous and beloved Amazon.com Top 1,000 Reviewers, a rank that lasted all the way up until Amazon pulled the rug out from under the feet of many of us who had helped make their site into one of the world's premiere web destinations.  Without notice, the juggernaut essentially dumped countless scribes such as myself, never even giving us the chance to take note of all of contributions so that we could save them for posterity's sake or have them reprinted elsewhere.  So one of the things I do from time-to-time is dust off an old review and deliver it here on SciFiHistory.Net.  2013's An Irish Exorcism is one such effort I watched and critiqued sometime back in 2015; I've tightened up the prose for its placement in this space.  Enjoy!  -- EZ
​

As I’ve said before, I enjoy found footage films.
 
So if you’re someone who either hates them or hates reading the review of someone who enjoys them and is perfectly willing to talk about them a little bit, then I’d encourage you to scurry off somewhere else.  Why?  Well, that’s exactly (and only) what An Irish Exorcism (2013) is – it’s found footage.  It’s a flick assembled with all its relative visual rawness for the viewer to behold.  While it may not offer up anything revelatory on that front or for the wider realm of Horror, it still possesses a workmanship common to the genre that deserves even modest admiration … but, alas, maybe not a lot else.
 
(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 three paragraphs for my final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the product packaging:
“In her final year at school, Anthropology student Lorraine decides to film her final project – the subject of exorcism within the Catholic Church.  Recording interviews with priests from the local diocese, she stumbles upon Fr. Byrne, an older priest who is currently helping a young mother whose daughter is apparently possessed by a demonic force.”
 
Now, you know that this is a found footage film.  I’ve clarified that above, and even the provided synopsis makes it clear what you’re getting with this journey.  If that isn’t your preferred lot in life, then I again encourage you to go elsewhere.  Here endeth the lesson.
 
Still, a reader who scans the premise can probably determine without viewing it whether or not An Irish Exorcism is even “in your wheelhouse,” as they say.  Exorcism films – by themselves – can be largely hit or miss – so coupling it with the found footage prospect likely didn’t earn this production many favors.  As the guy who’s already seen it and is willing to tell you a little bit about it, let me assure you of a few things: (A) as found footage flicks go, it’s reasonably efficient; (B) you can expect all of the same traits of any other found footage films – good and bad – on full display; and (C) so far as the performances are concerned everyone hits their marks affably.
 
But honestly?  That’s about it.
​

​With a subject matter as interesting as Exorcism, I really thought I’d be in for more of a wild ride here, yet screenwriter Martin Robinson’s story is really far too tame.  Nothing which capitalizes or exploits the found footage format really even happens until around fifty minutes in, and – given the fact this feature clocks in at only 81 minutes – that’s far too long to keep the audience calm in their seats.  Horror, by its very nature, is meant to disturb, and this one keeps the pace far too leisurely for this viewer.  Granted, once it becomes clear that something here is amiss, the flick gets vastly more interesting, but director Eric Courtney really should’ve asked for a rewrite that would’ve given him the chance to “work with something” earlier in the runtime.
 
Essentially, what the audience has here is yet one more examination of young protagonists (a couple of college-aged students with conflicting opinions on the occult) coming together to document the efforts of priests trying to save a young child.  There’s a total lack of anything fresh and/or inventive added to the mix, so all one might react to critically is how well is the story told.  As I’ve said … well, it’s perfectly fine.  It functions and does so affably even though there’s not much tension and/or suspense built into too much of the piece.  The natural highlight of the whole affair similarly works; but, alas, that comes so late in the effort that I couldn’t help but look at my watch in a few places wondering what all the fuss was about.  Most of the scares are implied, appearing offscreen most likely because this is a rather obvious low-budget chiller.  Some might find that unique; I found it tiresome.
 
One thing I’d suggest for anyone interested?
 
Next time, try to tell this story without the found footage.  Actually craft this tale in a far more conventional fashion.  Who knows?  It may’ve been more compelling.  It certainly could’ve given these characters more to do than wait around for the frights to begin.
 
An Irish Exorcism (2013) (aka The Exorcism Diary) is produced by Frame It Films.  DVD distribution is being handled by the reliable Virgil Films.  As for the technical specifications?  For an independent feature, this was actually fairly well assembled: I could quibble with the sound mix (some of the actors weren’t miked as well as they could’ve been) but it’d really be nitpicky.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features, there aren’t any; in fact, I couldn’t even find a master menu on this disc.
 
Only mildly recommended.
 
If you’re a fan of the found footage film, well, then here’s another one you can put on your viewing schedule or Bucket List.  Sadly, An Irish Exorcism doesn’t add anything new to the genre; in fact, I’d argue it embraces the roots a bit too firmly to even be more than a one-time viewing.  While there isn’t anything wrong with that, it certainly won’t add to any project’s shelf life in this day and age.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Virgil Films provided me with a DVD copy of An Irish Exorcism (2013) by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

​-- EZ

Good morning and Happy Tuesday, gentle readers!  Here's hoping that your week is off to an incredible, incredible start!

Not an awful lot to report from the SciFiHistory.Net news desk this morning.  If you haven't heard, then there's this writers and actors strike going on right now in the entertainment industry.  The end result is -- rather obviously -- that the news of new and/or upcoming projects has pretty much cratered ... one of those unintentional consequences of a business gone quiet.  Who knows?  There are signs out there in cyberspace that these strikes might end reasonably soon, but I've also read some commentary online that suggests it might actually last until after the holiday season.  That would be unfortunate, but it is what it is, I guess.

I did get an inquiry as to whether or not I'm watching The Walking Dead spin-off, Daryl Dixon.  The short answer is 'yes,' and the longer answer is 'well, I'm thinking about writing reviews for the individual episodes but I just haven't decided as of yet.'  The premiere was pretty good, but I haven't watched the second installment yet (from just this past Sunday).  If I do get around to a review, then it'll be up on the MainPage this week.

Otherwise, that's all the chump change stuff I can muster this morning.  Here's a few tidbits with greater detail.
​

Happy anniversary, The Pretender!

This was a very solid SciFi-lite show that aired as part of what NBC TV was calling its 'Saturday Night Thrillogy' in the mid-to-late 1990's.  In fact, if I remember correctly, I said to my wife that the writing and acting was far too good for a TV serial and that it might not last for that reason alone.  Thankfully, I was wrong (I'm wrong a lot), and the show persisted and even built a solid following.  The chimera that was Jared could basically absorb an incredible amount of facts, so much so he had this uncanny ability to assume any identity needed for the purposes of -- well -- about an entire episode.  He'd show up to correct something that was obviously being done wrong.  In the meantime, the nefarious people of The Center were always trying to recapture their science experiment gone awry (namely Jared), and the Andrea Parker made for a wonderful 'girl power' villain.

After the show's cancellation, it was popular enough to warrant some continuation or two.  I think it had a few telefilms (again, could be wrong), and -- from what I've read -- the creators went to some lengths to tie up the overall story.  That made it one of those rare occasions in TV history when a property was actually given the chance to sew it all together upon finish, and fans should be forever thankful for that!
​

Look ... up in the sky ... is it a bird?  A plane?  No ... it's Superman!

Happy anniversary to Adventures Of Superman, TV's first incarnation of the seminal Man of Steel.

Yes, yes, and yes: it's clearly a franchise with some (cough cough) very dated effects technology, but producers did what they could to bring a thrilling serial to life for audiences of its day.  From what I've read, the show was very popular with audiences, so much so that the sudden death of two of its biggest names (John Hamilton as 'Perry White' and George Reeves as 'Clark Kent/Superman') were actually looked on by producers as problems they could work around.  Wikipedia.org reports that the studio had scripts for two more seasons already developed, but -- in the end -- they just couldn't figure out the logistics of continuing in a different format.

It goes without saying that this saga exploring the 'strange visitor from another planet' remained very popular in TV syndication for years, so much so that I can remember seeing it as a young'un in the early 70's on different small market channels.  That's the true power of a great character that inspires others, folks.  That's who Superman was, is, and will remain.
​

This might show some of you: as big a fan of Batman that I've always been, I've always hated the camp classic TV series that actor Adam West headlined.

Yes, yes, and yes: I bring this up only because it's Adam West's birthday -- so Happy Birthday, Mr. West, wherever in the universe you may be at this time.  The fact that I hated the show has nothing to do with West, whom I'll always agree performed brilliantly in the show.  I just never cared for the camp of it all.  Yes, yes, and yes: this definitely set me apart from very many of my generation -- Batman was a hugely popular character in the 1980's at a time when I was in college, and my classmates couldn't understand why I didn't worship Batman (the show) the way they did.  My two cents was that I just didn't find it all that funny, nor did I find authentically fighting crime all that much the substance for jokes and merriment.  Again: this doesn't negate in any way the show's impact with audiences.  It just wasn't for me.

Still, I always thought that Adam West was kinda/sorta like the laid back version of William Shatner in the way he handled the role.  His voice just had this 'cool cat' quality to his delivery, and his mannerisms definitely helped fuel the undercurrent of mirth that ran through just about every aspect of the program.  And -- like Shatner -- West's whole theatricality is an aesthetic that's hard to replicate, except for broad parody.
​

That's all I have for now.

Here's the real reason why you're here:
​

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

Dum, dum, duuuuum!  It's Monday, gentle readers, and you know what that means: each of us are back in the battle!

Woop!  Woop!  Woop!

Well, well, well ...

Good morning, folks, and welcome back to the shuffle.  I know, I know, I know.  You'd rather be in bed or at the park or at the movies or anywhere else; but -- as they say -- it is what it is.  And you'll be better off for keeping up the fight than you were rolling over in bed.

I'll tell you what.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  Technically ... technically ... I'm over 100 different trivia citations for the day.  But because of the way I track certain items I'm keeping the headcount at 94 for the day, and I'll update it accordingly the next time around the sun.  That way, next will look like I had a nice big bump.  Plus, I've got a few more new items on tap that I'm intending to add over the course of the day.  Woof!

Otherwise, it was a reasonably quiet weekend around the SciFiHistory.Net studios.  I do try to squeeze in a few hours of blogwork on Saturday and Sunday, but I came up short this weekend.  I'll even normally try to get an announcement on the MainPage, but I just couldn't get to that, either.  Apologies, folks.  Blogging ain't what it used to be.  That and Weebly -- the company where I host the site -- had "issues" with its internal reportage, giving me absolutely zero site traffic reports for the weekend, so maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

Nonetheless, as there's an incredible near-100 different trivia citations awaiting your discover this morning, there's an awful lot that can keep your busy in your downtime.  Please be sure to check it out -- like and share, if you please -- because genre truly has 'something for everyone' these days, and that's just one of the many reasons I try to celebrate it as much as I do on the site.

Here's the Yellow Brick Road you can follow ...
​

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ