(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:
“When He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) is driven from Eternia after Skeletor (Frank Langella) seizes Castle Grayskull, a stolen portal device strands the fight on Earth, where a pair of teenagers become entangled in a war that spans worlds.”
 
Longtime readers to SciFiHistory.Net know all-too-well that there are a handful of 1980’s cartoon franchises which kinda/sorta escaped a great deal of attention from me back in their day.  As I’ve written in this space more times than I can recall, the 80’s was an era of transition for Yours Truly as I was moving from my high school years into my college days and first career; as a consequence, a handful of television fare was sacrificed due to time constraints.  I caught them when I could; but I never developed a real world appreciation for them the way so many of my contemporaries did because they were blowing off classes and the like to take in the latest episodes of genre entertainment.
 
So … He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (1983-1985) was something I only enjoyed occasionally.  Mind you: I saw enough of it to get the basic idea – He-Man vs Skeletor, the basic mechanics of Eternia and its minor world-building, etc. – but I just didn’t have time to fully immerse myself in its goofy glory.  I liked what I saw: I just didn’t have time to enjoy more of it.
 
Regardless, I’ve always been minorly put-off by 1987’s Masters Of The Universe.  I caught it theatrically back in the day, and I was glad to get the opportunity to revisit it with this latest release from Toy Robot.  Honestly, it’s aged a bit better than it probably deserves, feeling in many ways aesthetically similar to what Mike Hodges accomplished better with 1980’s Flash Gordon; and I’d like to think that’s an association that both fans and writer/director Gary Goddard would appreciate.  Both flicks capitalize on the bigger-than-life aspects of their respective worlds, relying heavily on camp(ish) acting to move the plot along; and yet Masters can’t quite keep up the pace after it segues to Earth in a curious development I never quite understood.
 
As I said above, I knew of the TV inspiration; but for the life of me I couldn’t understand why producers would substitute our big blue marble in space as a suitable substitute for Eternia.  Now, the special features on this collection go to great lengths to clarify that this change of setting was largely owed to budgetary considerations – simply put, they couldn’t afford to spend all their time on He-Man’s homeworld given how little they were allowed to spend – and I think this unfortunate development will always make this effort a pale imitation of what the cartoon rather lovingly established.  What’s here works perfectly fine for what it is, but there’s no escaping the fact that Earth isn’t a domain that would lend itself to the muscular efforts required to give He-Man his authentic shot at being a true master of the universe.
 
Emerging Hollywood star Dolph Lundgren suited up in the guise of He-Man; and – for what it’s worth – he rather capably fills out the … well … the costume (which isn’t much).  I’ve read that he was still learning English, and occasionally it looks as if his eyes glaze over while delivering a line or two.  Thankfully, his fighting skills are up to the task even in sequences that could’ve used a bit more creative choreography, so his prowess as the man who ‘has the power’ is never in doubt.  If anything, it would’ve been grand to see him in a sequel – one more centered on his world instead of ours – to guage how well he could’ve grown into a role he arguably looked born to play.
 
As for Skeletor?  Actor Frank Langella unsurprisingly steals the show.  It’s often been said that roles for villains are better written than are the leads, and that definitely seems to be the case here.  Though Skeletor is still buried under a mask that limits any wearer’s ability to truly emote, Langella manages to chew a lot of scenery in a role that’s menacing enough to propel the main plotline – Castle Grayskull falls into his hands, and he know has his sights set on all of Eternia – and he naturally exudes the level of peril that keeps those who would follow him in line.  Even in small scenes, Langella definitely has the chops to make for a capable nemesis, so producers get credit for scoring that casting coup.
 
Still, there’s an awful lot wrong with so much of the film as a completed whole that Masters didn’t quite have a chance to succeed, especially when one learns the limitations Goddard and company were shackled with no long after cameras began to roll.
 
Actor Billy Barty mostly phones in his work as Gwildor, an Eternian wizard whose magic makes travelling across the cosmos possible by way of a mystical synthesizer: it’s this instrument – a fabulous prop that cost producers an arm and a leg – that fuels the lion’s share of the action.  Naturally, Skeletor wants this technology for his own, and once he learns of Gwildor’s prototype has fallen into He-Man’s hands he’ll stop at nothing to see it destroyed.  After the action switches to Earth, the script is also plagued by having to introduce a handful of supporting players far too quickly to give them all that much meaningful to do – other than serving as pawn’s for goodness and light – and this, too, pulls a great deal of focus away from the exploits of He-Man, Teela (Chelsea Field), and Man-at-Arms (the late Jon Cypher).  Eventually, youngsters Julie Winston (Courteney Cox) and Kevin Corrigan – two Marty McFly style characters – take center stage, loosely pulling the rug out from under He-Man and making a good portion of the film about their desire to stay together when Fate threatens to pull them apart.
 
If this sounds like I’m complaining, then you’re reading it properly: a film about He-Man should have given the title character a bit more to do even in the quieter sequences.  My issue with it is that there’s just too much going on with all of these characters – including Skeletor’s henchmen and monsters – so what little heroics emerge feel a bit jumbled and chaotic, never giving the big guy enough heroics.  While it’s occasionally action-packed with middling special effects, Goddard almost pours gasoline over everything to keep the fires burning when a bit of restraint might’ve produced something of mildly greater substance.  Thankfully, the guy did put a great deal of effort into keeping as much practical effects in there as possible (and affordable); and those sets, fights, and pyrotechnics will always warm my heart over post-production rendered gibberish.
 
Masters Of The Universe (1987) was produced by Golan-Globus Productions, Pressman Film, Cannon Films, and The Cannon Group.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Toy Robot.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are quite good throughout: this being a few years before CGI would come to its dominance in the industry, Masters boasts some sequences which might seem pale by today’s standards and yet this was about as good as they came in the days of old. 
 
Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Holy mother of dragons: this is one of Toy Robot’s earliest releases, and if they can keep this up then fans are in for something special.  There are a handful of newly-produced interviews with cast and crew that offer some solid insights into the good and bad of getting this thing into theaters along with a few of what’s best dubbed ‘the usual bits.’  The collection also boasts two commentary tracks – Stout’s is very good, but you can save yourself a great deal of time by watching his interview as he essentially repeats everything he talks about on the track; while director Goddard’s is also pretty interesting, the guy spends an inordinate amount of time discussing his almost macabre fascination with lighting.  Good … but a bit weird.  Also, it’s worth mentioning that there are two cuts of the film included – the theatrical release and a preview cut.  Even though there really isn’t any significant differences between the two, I’d strongly encourage fans to check out the preview cut as it includes slightly longer versions of scenes which serve to better flesh out He-Man and his crew’s struggle and arrival to our world.  It flows better, and that is a small improvement.
 
Recommended … but, admittedly, this one clearly isn’t going to satisfy everyone.
 
On one level, it’s hard to figure out just what audiences producers intended to find with 1987’s Masters Of The Universe.  Certainly, it’s mostly quaint special effects work (I said what I said) is a bit more schlocky than need be; and having the heroes delivering mostly dour if not deadpan performances kept the picture from achieving anything but its revered camp status.  Undoubtedly, Langella understood what was required of him – his Skeletor carries a great deal of the picture – and there’s something to be said for Barty’s vaudevillesque sensibilities keeping the comic relief focused for the kiddies.  More quaint than competent, Masters is still worth a watch as a snapshot of what studios were trying to accomplish in late 80’s toon-to-screen adaptations, but it’s true staying power will likely last only with fans of flicks made for simpler times.  Otherwise, it’s the kind of experience one almost grudgingly enjoys.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Toy Robot provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Masters Of The Universe (1987) 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

Frankly, I don't get to talk about books all that much any more.

Now, some of that is owed to the fact that I just don't have nearly as much time to read these days as I used to have.  I do spend a great deal of time each week whipping SciFiHistory.Net into shape, and I know a great many of you come here every day for that reason alone.  But because I used to read much more than I do today, I occasionally reflect on a book or two when one drops near to the spotlight ... and that's definitely the case today.

From what I've found: it was on this day all the way back in 1937 that J.R.R. Tolkien's incredible story "The Hobbit" was first published in book format.  I believe it's been reported that the first run was somewhere around 1,500 copies; but -- as one might imagine -- some incredibly positive praise from critical reviews would have the publisher rushing very quickly back to the presses.  Indeed, there was a second printing toward the end of the year; and the book would eventually find itself to U.S. shores sometime in early 1938.

​Yes, yes, yes: like many of you've I've read it.  In fact, my first exposure to it was in a junior high school English class wherein the teacher used a textbook that had the chapter -- I believe it was titled 'Riddles In The Dark' -- published as a short story.  So, all of us in the class read it as part of an assignment; and then the teacher recommended the full novel to a few of us who were obviously interested in knowing a bit more about the broader tale.  I'll admit that I found it a bit slow to start -- I struggled with reading as a young'un for a variety of issues, not the least of which is that I found sitting still long enough to do it sometimes unbearable -- but I finished it; and I believe I even did a book report on the novel for the class.  I know I didn't get to The Lord Of The Rings until high school, but The Hobbit definitely is a read I enthusiastically give a 'thumbs up' whenever anyone asks.

In any event ...

Happy anniversary to the book many credit as inspiring them to read more and more Fantasy if not even dabble in the genre with their own works.

It's always a great day to be a Tolkien fan, but it's even better when we're celebrating a true literary first.

​-- EZ

​“Change is the essential process of existence.”

• Mr. Spock

 
Things change.  They evolve.  Everything that began yesterday is different tomorrow.  Some would call this evolution while others -- like me -- would simply describe it to nothing more than being part of life.
 
That said, it was on this day all the way back in 1940 that change definitely came to the wider Mummy franchise with the theatrical release of The Mummy’s Hand from Universal Pictures.  Directed by Christy Cabanne from a story by Griffin Jay and Maxwell Shane (along with a small handful of foundational contributions from others), the film starred Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Wallace Ford, Eduardo Ciannelli, George Zucco, and Tom Tyler – as the Mummy – along with several others.  As with any installment in any franchise, one would expect that this ‘somewhat sequel’ to the 1932 original The Mummy – starring Boris Karloff – is nothing more than a continuation of the story; but the truth here is that Hand largely redefined the working mechanics that make this iteration of the Universal Monsters Universe stand out from the others as well as its predecessor.
 
For example, Karloff’s Mummy was largely a normal man: though he appeared under the ceremonial wrappings briefly, the famed actor spent the bulk of that film as the high priest Imhotep in ceremonial garb.  Yes, his face was adorned under layers of prosthetic wrinkles and the like; but for much of the film he looked no different than an ordinary man.  The mummy – the one audiences eventually come to know under yards and yards of mangled, ashen linen – didn’t quite reach theatrical heights until The Mummy’s Hand when actor Tyler took over the role.
 
This mummy – known as Kharis – effortlessly slipped into our collective consciousness with aid of veteran makeup artist Jack Pierce.  It’s been written that the craftsman and the actor would begin the transformation at the studio each morning at 4 a.m., at which time the process of gluing strips of cotton to Tyler’s face was applied over and over again to create his wrinkled visage.  (Thankfully, the actor was able to utilize a suitable rubber mask for long shots.)  While this served as a cornerstone in bringing the monster to life, it’s also been written that post production trickery wherein effects technicians blacked out Tyler’s eyes and mouth on the actual film negative gave this Universal Pictures staple the level of menace it deserved up in the lights.
 
Granted, Universal wasn’t exactly done with Karloff’s contributions to the mythology at this point.  The studio pulled some original and unused footage from the 1932 original – even scenes involving the legendary actor himself – in order to minimize production costs for the sequel.  (Note: it was reportedly shot on the slim budget of $80,000 compared to the original’s more-than-double that take of $196,000.)  This creative decision – along with the option to utilize sets and music from other Universal productions – helped to keep expenses under control, a choice that ultimately gave the studio a better chance to gain profits upon its theatrical release.
 
Furthermore, Hand took a big step forward in the lore department: instead of relying solely on some ghostly hocus-pocus to justify the reanimation of the central figure, screenwriters Griffin Jay and Maxwell Shane hypothesized into existence the ‘Tana leaves.’  Essentially, what they did was to create a plant – Tana – whose leaves produced a substance that when properly mixed could keep his heart beating, grant him mobility, or even drive him into a mad rage.  Through the use of these pharmaceuticals, the mummy could be resurrected and used for endless uses throughout the ages; and it’s this core mythology that gave Universal Pictures the chance to reopen the tomb again and again and again.

​-- EZ

Without a doubt, 1965's I Dream Of Jeannie -- which premiered on this day (in the U.S.) -- established Barbara Eden as one of the loveliest cosplayers in all of television ... and a funny lady to boot!  Created by Sidney Sheldon, the series starred Eden alongside Larry Hagman, Bill Daily, Hayden Rorke, Barton MacLane, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A United States astronaut finds his life vastly complicated when he stumbles on to a bottle containing a female genie."

-- EZ

The pantheon of television programs that explored a Dystopian tomorrow grew by one more title when -- on this day in 1977 (in the United Kingdom) -- 1990 came to life.  Created by Wilfred Greatorex under the tagline '1984 Plus Six,' the program starred Edward Woodward, Robert Lang, Tony Doyle, Paul Hardwick, Barbara Kellerman, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the series' premise:

"In a dystopian future, Britain is under the grip of the Home Office's Public Control Department (PCD), a tyrannically oppressive bureaucracy riding roughshod over the population's civil liberties."

-- EZ

Sitcoms and genre foundations have always been risky business: when they work successfully, it's generally owed to a cast as good as the ideas ... but when they fail the show generally vanishes without a trace, never to be heard from again.  Such is the case for The People Next Door, an oddity which premiered on this day back in 1989.  Created by Wes Craven, Bud Wiggins, and Bruce Wagner, the Fantasy / Comedy lasted only a handful of episodes, starring such names as Jeffrey Jones, Mary Gross, Jaclyn Bernstein, Chance Quinn, Leslie Jordan, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the series' premise:

"A successful cartoonist is able to physically materialize his wildest fantasies."

-- EZ

From Google.com:

The The People Next Door is a short-lived 1989 fantasy-comedy sitcom created by Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner that aired on CBS. [1, 2, 3]

Premise and Plot

• The Main Character: Set in Covington, Ohio, the show stars Jeffrey Jones as Walter Kellogg, a cartoonist with a very vivid imagination.
• The Twist: Walter's imagination is so powerful that the things he thinks up materialize into reality immediately.
• The Family: His wife Abigail is played by Mary Gross, alongside his children Matthew and Aurora.
• The Supporting Cast: The show also features Christina Pickles as Abigail's sister Cissy and Leslie Jordan as a meddlesome mailman named Truman Fipps. [1, 3]

Cancellation

• Ratings Failure: The show struggled to hold an audience after starting out okay, suffering steep ratings drops each week.
• Quick Exit: It became the very first show cancelled by CBS for the 1989 fall season, airing only 5 of the 10 produced episodes between September 18 and October 16, 1989. [1, 3]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People_Next_Door_(American_TV_series)
[2] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096676/
[3] https://cbs.fandom.com/wiki/The_People_Next_Door

I know a few folks who'd insist that Jonny Quest -- which premiered on this day (in the U.S.) back in 1964 -- is the greatest cartoon program ever created.  I'll respectfully disagree -- which is my right -- but I will concede that it might very well be one of the most influential to ever come to life.  Created by Doug Wildey, the series featured the voice talents of Mike Road, Tim Matheson, Don Messick, Danny Bravo, John Stephenson, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the series' premise:

"The Quest family and their bodyguard investigate strange phenomena and battle villains around the world."

-- EZ

(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:
“After undergoing a procedure to erase his memories, a successful author begins having unexplained recollections relating to a series of unsolved murders.”
 
My first impression after having viewed 2017’s Battle Of Memories is to suggest that it is little more than 2010’s Inception except that it was made for … well … simpler people.  The script from director Leste Chen and Peng Ren sets its SciFi-lite premise in the near future – in some place called T-Nation that unsurprisingly looks Asian – and dabbles only circumstantially with a great deal of similar ideas, namely that memories are both accessible technologically and causal factors for how we behave.  Similarly, both stories would essentially collapse if you removed ‘the science’ from them (this is not to suggest in any way that ‘the science’ as depicted is real), and how their respective characters interact with reality and perceptual reality.  However, where each ends up is vastly different; and that fact alone might always have Battle feeling derivative if not a pale imitation.
 
Still, they do differ significantly in how they approach their central idea.
 
Christopher Nolan’s Inception had its merry band of agents interacting with one man’s subconscious in order to manipulate his conscious behaviors.  In comparison, Jiang Feng (played by Huang Bo) is a writer whose marriage to Zhang Daichen (Jinglei Xu) has been plagued by a string of interpersonal issues that the two seem unable to overcome.  Feeling he has no other course of action and on the cusp of finalizing the divorce, Jiang seeks the services of the ‘Master of Memories’ Medical Center in hopes to have those memories tied to his feelings of love and affection removed, a condition that’ll allow him to live out his life without the emotional baggage of a failed marriage.  The procedure appears to be a success; but when Zhang seemingly has a ‘change of heart,’ she insists the man have the memories re-integrated before she’s willing to explain her reasons.
 
Though it’s never quite clearly explained how (other than being a horrifically convenient mix-up), Jiang finds himself experienced memories – via well rendered flashbacks – that are not his own.  It would seem that somehow the unthinkable has happened, and the man has been implanted with the recollections of someone who – as Fate would have it – is at the very center of a recent homicide still fresh under investigation by the authorities.  When he goes to the police in an attempt to aid them in their search for a suspect, detectives Shen Hanqiang (Yihong Duan) and Lei Zi (Patricio Antonio Liang) naturally see Jiang as a possible collaborator if not the central killer; and it’s this central whodunnit that gives Battle the bulk of its narrative spine.
 
The upside of the film’s use of its science is that both as the memories are removed and are returned to a recipient the patient is understandably plagued by fragments of scenes which might seem familiar but may not make much sense.  It’s into this fugue state that the audience joins Jiang on this curious journey; and director Chen does a fabulous job shepherding our course through images which initially are a bit jarring.  Over the course of the running time, he gradually allows it all to make more sense even though there’s a bitter bill to be swallowed once viewers find out who the murderer is.  Undoubtedly, some are going to feel cheated – yes, it’s a bit too opportune, to say the least, and relies treacherously on human melodrama rather than cold and pure logic – and that’s likely the film’s biggest stumble.
 
No matter how well delivered the solution is, there’s little room to deny that it relies heavily on conveniences that rarely exist outside of the movies.
 
Battle Of Memories (2017) was produced by Golden Cicada Films, Shanghai Universaljoy Pictures, and Wanda Pictures.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are very good throughout.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Alas, there isn’t a single one on here … and that’s always a miss with this critic.
 
Mildly Recommended.
 
While Chen and Ren’s SciFi/Mystery is quite astutely assembled, Battle Of Memories (20217) still can’t quite shake the problem that there’s an incredible series of contrivances required to make its premise and puzzle work here; and I would imagine that some in the audiences might even turn up their nose once they found out who is at the center of this only mildly clever whodunnit.  Performances are solid – their film balances its central trickery on excellent cinematography, so hats off there to all involved – even though motivations remain ambiguous throughout; and yet the film remains the kind of effort that’ll likely earn praise for attempting to accomplish something visionary despite its pieces needing to be forced together in the conclusion.  Thankfully, there’s just enough Science Fiction in there – both textually and aesthetically – to make it work as required otherwise this one would probably find itself relegated to the bargain bin.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Battle Of Memories (2017) 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

​On October 13th, Full Moon Features will release director Danny Draven and producer Charles Band’s Models vs. Werewolves on Blu-ray & DVD.  

In this fast-paced horror/comedy, a group of glamorous models and social media influencers head to an isolated countryside house to take advantage of a rare once-in-500-years full moon event, hoping the striking setting will add some extra spice to their online content. 

Away from the city lights, the sisterly bonding doesn’t last long as the self-absorbed group begins competing to capture the perfect selfies for their followers. But the models aren’t the only ones showing their claws. The rare full moon brings out a pack of bloodthirsty shape-shifting werewolves eager to make the models their next meal. Will the women survive this once-in-a-lifetime night?  

Blending creature-feature thrills with camp humor, practical horror effects, and satirical jabs at influencer culture, the film delivers an energetic mix of action, comedy, and werewolf carnage. Genre icon Dee Wallace, beloved for her roles in The Howling and E.T., adds another memorable performance to this playful tribute to werewolf cinema. 

Director Danny Draven (Bad CGI Gator) amps up the creature-feature thrills in his collaboration with legendary indie producer Charles Band (The Gingerdead Man). The cast includes Bella Mraz (Death Knight), Rebecca Stoughton (The Virgin and the Billionaire), Sophie Swiszcz (The Puppet Mistress), and Alexa Reddy (One Night Stand with My Gynecologist). 

Special features include a director’s commentary with Danny Draven, the original trailer, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and Charles Band’s introduction from the cast screening.
​