SCIFIHISTORY.NET
  • MAINPAGE
  • About
  • Reviews
  • December
  • November
  • October
  • September
  • August
  • July
  • June
  • May
  • April
  • March
  • February
  • January

Stardate 10.31.2016.A: Happy Halloween!

10/31/2016

 
Picture
Happy Monday, dear readers, and -- much more importantly -- Happy Halloween!

Seriously, am I the only one who thinks it's a downright dirty shame that this holiday only comes once a year?  I love it when people play dress-up: the young, the old, the in-between.  Personally, I think it's the kind of thing that we could easily swing at least twice a year if not making it a quarterly event.  Yes, I realize that it might do horrible things to our blood sugar, and of course Hallmark and other companies (not to mention the candy manufacturers) would make a mint off such a predicament ... but wouldn't it give us a better world?

I spent several hours over the past week decorating the yard, so I'm ready for the kids to come a'knocking this evening.  I hope you and yours are prepared as well.

Wherever you are, have yourselves a wonderful day!  (And try not to eat too much.)

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

Stardate 10.26.2016.b: Space Probe Taurus (1965) Has Monsters, Meteors, and More

10/26/2016

 
Picture
Picture
In the year 2000, the Earth spaceship “Hope One” sets off to explore strange new worlds for the purposes of colonization ... well, that's according to the 81 minute Canadian produced little pot boiler Space Probe Taurus released in 1965. 

The start of the film is actually very enjoyable: it has a nice bit of what appears to be a Mercury Atlas launch, followed by star field imagery which is very 'Star Treky' (new word), and some narration that really could easily have been read by Captain Kirk. 

The next part of the film sees the only survivor of Faith One requesting a “destruct” command from some very stoic U.S. military types back on Earth; and then the story moves on again with some rather nice NASA stock footage of rocket launches and orbital images. 

There is a great plot setting piece from a General being interviewed by a typical 1960s television reporter, about the specifications of the next exploratory mission and its ship (Hope One) including the “artificial gravity” system (more money saved on special effects).  There's a bit of friction between the commander and the only female crewmember in the four “person” crew, making it obvious from his "women don’t belong on a job like this” speech that he’s not keen on her being there. 

As you may have guessed, things do not go well. Let’s face it; if they did it would be a pretty boring little movie.  As it is, an alien encounter and then a swarm of meteorites propel the ship dramatically off course into a sea on an previously uncharted world where they encounter sea monsters.

I have to say the control room of the “Hope One” is very nice, with lots of dials, switches and lights that look like they would be fun to play with. The ship does have a bit of a closed-in feeling, but not in the same way as the “old” Apollo moon shots did.  It did remind me of the now-defunct space shuttle interiors. It’s not a bad little film; it does have a good story line and the usual square jawed types.  If you want to see it have a look on YouTube, it’s there. 

So, put on your fish bowel helmet and head to … infinity and beyond.

Stardate 10.26.2016.a: 12 Monkeys season 2 Coming To Home Video

10/26/2016

 
Picture
This morning, I noticed that Bluray.com is running the public service announcement heralding the future release of Syfy's hit drama 12 Monkeys is slated for home video release on January 17, 2017 (just in time for the new year!).  (NOTE: The DVD slipcase art featured above is for a different region, and that's because there was no accompanying artwork for the US release that I could find online.)

I don't know if you've been following the show, but I thought the second season was a marked improvement over the first, which wasn't all that bad when it found good pacing.  The second expanded on the mythology and brought in a few more smilers to the fold, so much so that I'm not sure how they're going to resolve all of the various plotlines amicably in the near future.

You can follow the link right here to check out Bluray.com's citation.

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

Stardate 10.25.2016.a: Time After Time - New Release On Home Video

10/25/2016

 
Picture
I've always had a fondness for Time After Time (1979).  In my youth, it was one of the first movies to get released on a fledgling home pay cable network in my area, and I can remember watching this flick every single time it came on the channel.  I love it, and -- even today -- I think it boasts one of the best time travel yarns of its type: H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper into what was then the present day in an attempt to stop the serial killer from continuing his handiwork in the modern era.

In any event, I noticed yesterday that Bluray.com is reporting that there's a new Blu-ray release of the title coming from the Warner Archive Collection.  (The link to the article is right here.)  That's great news for folks who haven't yet had to see the film, as its been out of production for some time.

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

Stardate 10.20.2016.b: NBC's Timeless - Haven't We Been Here Before?

10/20/2016

 
Picture
​As a people, we sure do love our time travel yarns.
 
Star Trek.  The Twilight Zone.  Planet of the Apes.  Quantum Leap.  You name it, and practically every Science Fiction franchise has dabbled in some way, shape, or form in traveling through time (with a few notable exceptions).  And … why not?  Isn’t there something that’s happened in our own lives that we’d love to go back and correct or – at the very least – change the outcome?  That alone is probably one of the reasons why even non-SciFi fans enjoy the occasional time trip, and it’s certainly one of the driving reason television executives are thrilled to put another commodity up for view on the ‘Boob Tube.’  This season has a few new entries into this unique sub-genre, but perhaps the most lauded is NBC’s Timeless.
 
Coming from Eric Kripke (The CW’s long-running Supernatural) and Shawn Ryan (FX Network’s explosive crooked cop drama, The Shield), Timeless is an action adventure focusing on an unlikely team of heroes – history professor Lucy Preston (the comely Abigail Spencer), Special Forces soldier Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter), and resident science nerd and timepod pilot Rufus Carlin (the always likeable Malcolm Barrett given a character name that’s CLEARLY a nod to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure).  They’re conscripted to a secret government agency and sent through time to stop a criminal mastermind – Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic) – who is curiously bent on destroying the past for reasons not quite clearly spelled out (thus far).
 
As of today’s date, I’ve seen the first three episodes (sadly, I’m not on any media moguls’ emailing list wherein I could receive complimentary advance streaming), and I wanted to sound-off briefly on the show’s prospects … which, at this point, I’d say aren’t all that grand.
​
Picture
Where to begin?

Well, the pilot was good, certainly on par with most of what one can find on any television dial these days, but – given both Kripke and Ryan’s participation – I guess I expected something a bit more filling or a little different than what's evolved.  Chasing bad guys through time can only go on for so long until audiences start to question where it all can end given the fact that 'anywhere, any time' is an awfully daunting playing field.
 
Chiefly, the performances of the principles were more than a bit flat.

​Spencer’s a curious choice for a series lead: she’s certainly looks the part of a primetime starlet, but her delivery and timing have been inconsistent, some of which could be owed to predictable writing.  Lanter – as a leading man – really brings little to the role of Logan; he’s understandably committed like a good soldier to carrying out “the mission” (which kinda/sorta fluctuates a bit with each hour), but the premise has also saddled him with memories of a dead wife, and this gives him good reason to stray from the course.  Barrett is the program’s bright spot; he’s a bit of a comic genius -- one who cut his chops on ABC’s Better Off Ted, a sitcom which deserved better treatment from that network -- but he’s spent an awful lot of screen time either reminding us he’s black or maligning history’s overall treatment of “people of color” far too quickly and far too often.  Still, his is the only character I care about, so his being a third wheel to two other clunky leads with little to no chemistry opposite one another tests my patience.
 
In the pilot hour, the team don’t so much save history as they rewrite it to fit the purposes of the adventure (I’m guessing this will somehow be addressed as the program’s greater mythology develops -- there appear to be two agencies with conflicting agendas, but it's too early to tell): Visjnic’s Flynn villainously wants the Hindenburg to crash – just on a different day (relates to its passengers, the audience is led to believe) – but the team successfully gets the airship evacuated.  Still, that first hour concluded with a solid hook, the kind of thing audiences look for with smart writing: somehow, Lucy’s present has come undone, removing her kid sister entirely from existence.  No doubt, this fuels the woman’s fire to stay committed to putting things back the way they were.
 
The second hour – the group finds itself in Washington DC the day before President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated – was an improvement though much of the writing still dabbled in areas way too predictable for long term success: Preston stepped up her efforts to be a leader, Logan starts to grasp the bigger possibilities of time travel, and Carlin (sigh) finds himself a somewhat disgraced black Union soldier/imposter.  Once again (and perhaps way too soon), Flynn’s intent was to increase history’s body count, but the team thwarts every assassination attempt except that of the 16th President’s death.

The third hour?

​Meh.  It was a wildly convoluted trip to the early 1960’s involving President Kennedy’s mistress which also involved the theft of plutonium (a sad staple to too many time travel stories) with an open cliffhanger only promising more destruction needing to be averted.
​
Picture
Because the existential ‘do over’ offers extremely personal appeal, these stories need to be strongly tied in with characters who’s very being mean something.

Audiences have to not only care about these people but they have to want to care about them for it's that "connection" that allows them to willingly suspend disbelief on even trivial matters.  They'll accept time travel as a storytelling device if (and only if) they see things improved somehow as a consequence, and that's what's missing from Timeless.  For these fortunate few, things aren't improving; granted, they may not be getting progressively worse, but they're still not improving.

It isn't Lucy Preston so much as it is caring about Lucy's plight that's missing.

It isn't Wyatt Logan so much as it is caring about the man willing to do anything to turn back time and save his wife.

Similarly, it isn't so much listening to Rufus Carlin's incessant reminders about race and history as it is caring about how his world improves as a consequence of what he sees, learns, and does.

As I said, the only one I care about at this juncture is Rufus.  But as his circumstances aren't changing or improving, what really has been changed?  Where is the improvement?  What has been gained in taking this great adventure?  Removing the cause and effect relationship from storytelling on a personal level makes Timeless less of a time travel show and more of a conventional drama, albeit with still disappointing returns.

None of this is meant as a slight to the talents of Spencer or Lanter.  In fact, I'd say that they're doing just "fine" with what they've been provided.  It's just that their characters just aren’t as compelling as their narrative circumstances … so I’m hoping the writers have a bit more up their sleeves or this is going to get old real fast.

That's certainly no admirable position for a show dealing with time travel!

Stardate 10.20.2016.a: Logan Looks Good For His Age

10/20/2016

 
Picture
By my own admission, I'm not much of a Marvel guy.  Part of this is owed to the fact that I grew up reading far more DC Comics' titles than I ever did Marvel, and part of it ties to the fact I was never as much drawn in by Marvel's stories as I were with the characters.  Still, I have nothing but respect for Wolverine, and I think Hugh Jackman has done an incredible job bringing that particular mutant to life in each of the films he's appeared.

​Logan looks to be yet one more good outing for Wolvie, and even this DC guy is sad it'll be Jackman's last go'round.  Here's the trailer which dropped recently; enjoy it for what it is.
​
This one looks solid, though I also try not to get all that wrapped up in quality trailers.  After all, their purpose is to get butts in the seats, not necessarily to tell a grand story.

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

Stardate 10.18.2016.c: The Angels Have Taken The DVD!

10/18/2016

 
Picture
Oh, my dear!  The Angels are creepy as anything!  Seriously, they creep me out.  The wifey, too.

In any event, I used to have a pretty great relationship with BBC Home Video, and occasionally they'd get in touch with me to offer complimentary discs for me to review.  Sadly, that's kinda/sorta fallen by the wayside (most outlets are now offering streaming links to review content, and I just don't have time to screen everything that gets offered my way), so I've let it lapse.  Still, I saw this title available today via The Digital Bits, and I immediately ordered me a copy from Amazon.com.  I generally love these Doctor Who 'theme collections' because they'll throw in classic episodes alongside the newer ones for fans of all Who.  No idea yet as to what's on here specifically (Amazon.com's citation is curiously empty of details), but I'll update once I receive my copy in the mail.

Here's the link to Amazon.com in case you're interested.

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


Stardate 10.18.2016.B: A Match Made In Heaven ... not!

10/18/2016

 
Picture
Yes, yes, yes, I know how some readers feel about my covering certain releases which they feel are more "horror" than legitimate Science Fiction, but the Re-Animator series is very near and dear to so much of what SciFi "of a certain era" looked like ... so any time one of the features of that franchise gets this kind of treatment then it deserves some attention, even modest plugs.

Arrow Video's latest home video release hits retailers today, and -- for those of you unaware -- Arrow does a MASSIVELY impressive job packing their discs with special features, something truly rewarding to fans of the films the company can squeeze into their fantastic catalogue.  And -- for the record -- not all of what they release gets "All Regions" exposure, so this one is probably worth a look for die-hard fans of the property if not fans of SciFi/Horror in general.

For those interested, here's the link to Amazon.com.  Check it out for all of the details.

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

Stardate 10.18.2016.a: The Aliens Are Back ... Today On Home Video!

10/18/2016

 
Picture
For those who missed Independence Day: Resurgence when it ran theatrically, the DVD arrives on home video today.

Meh.  I don't recall anything all that specific about my review (link).  It honestly "felt" like one of those flicks that audiences never asked for but producers felt was a good idea.  The performances were a bit tired and perhaps even a bit more predictable than the first feature, but I do recall that the ending has some nice action sequences and tied everything up in a bow (much in the same way its predecessor did).

If you interested in ordering from Amazon.com, then here you go!  (Reminder: no, unlike other sites, I have no relationship with the online retailing giant ... I simply do announcements of this nature as a Public Service Announcement for readers.)

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

Stardate 10.17.2016.c: Classic Film Review - The Phantom Planet (1961)

10/17/2016

 
Picture
Picture
Having had a bit of spare “me time” recently, I had a chance to watch some “classic” science fiction B movies on the internet; and a thing I did notice was that they were not all that classic.  Another thing I noticed was that one of the most commonly used phrases was “Turn on the artificial gravity,” thus saving an absolute fortune in special effects.

However, I have to say some of them have been thoroughly entertaining.  The acting may not be Oscar-winning material and the special effects were somewhat less than special, but the enthusiasm of the predominately US-centric “star voyagers” for the tales being told is overwhelming.

If you are after some good old-fashioned square-jawed heroic space-faring, I recommend the following:

Running to about 90 minutes, The Phantom Planet  is set in the far distant future of 1980(!).  (Yeah, well, this was made in 1961 when it was hoped that space exploration would be common place by then.)

​The United States Air Force's Space Exploration Wing has a base on the moon and is ready to send a mission to the mysterious red planet, Mars. They have a mishap and lose another of their Pegasus spacecraft with two more crew members disappearing, leading to rumours of "space monsters" and "phantom planets", as people did back then (mostly whitecoat-wearing scientists and hard-nosed military types with grey flecking in their hair). 


A decision is made to send mission pilot Captain Frank Chapman and his navigator Lt. Ray Makonnen, both of whom are slated for the Mars mission to investigate in their own Pegasus craft. To be honest, you would think that the U.S. Air Force's Space Exploration Wing might find less important and highly-trained people to carry out a mission as dangerous as this. And if I were them I would certainly use another type of spacecraft; after all, this make and model does seem to have a bit of a dodgy track record.

Anyway, as they carry out the search their ship receives minor damage (see, these Pegasus ships are jinxed!) from a meteor shower, and both men go outside to carry out repairs. Unfortunately for Chapman his spacesuit is pierced, and he is sent into unconsciousness. Makonnen is able to repair Chapman's suit but as he opens the door to push Chapman inside he himself is fatally struck by a similar particle ... but before he is propelled into deep space, he closes the door with Chapman safely inside the ship.

Chapman awakes much later to find his crew mate gone.  He also finds he cannot communicate with the moon base, so he creates a log of the events stating that he's going to land on an asteroid that is somehow pulling his ship towards it...

Want to know what happens next?

Then ... look up the movie on the internet. This blog post is definitetly spoiler-free.


I will me making more entries on other "classics" soon but that will have to do you for now. 

So until the next time.... "tttttthat's all folks!"
<<Previous

    Reviews
    ​Archive
    ​

    Reviews

    birthdays
    Archive
    ​

    January
    February
    March
    April
    May
    June
    July
    August
    September
    October
    November
    December

    mainpage
    ​ posts

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly