Like so many Science Fiction and Fantasy fanatics, I grew up fascinated by many related topics, such as UFOs, alien abduction, spontaneous human combustion, the occult, conspiracies, and practically anything else that escaped a conventional explanation.

Back in the days of my distant youth, it was hard to come by quality media that explored such topics.  Most programs gave high strangeness a sugar-coating as TV outlets and production companies of the times still feared a mom-and-pop culture that might rise up against them at any given opportunity and take their business elsewhere if the children were frightened.  As a consequence, I found many shows unnecessarily 'dumbed down' of the facts and instead glossed up so as to avoid confronting a potentially dark reality.  Were ghosts real?  Well, John Q. Television Executive didn't know, but in creating a show to explore the subject he'd inject the scripts with plenty of doubt and humor.  That would distract audiences of the day, and I found much of it a very unsophisticated way of breaching a sophisticated topic.

In fact, I didn't think that it was Fox TV invested so heavily in Chris Carter's The X-Files that Science Fiction and Fantasy embraced the prospect of going mainstream in pursuit of the truth that was out there.  The program's shows never shied away from controversies near and far; and while it occasionally stopped short of proclaiming aliens had visited us both in the near and distant past, the writing staff clearly left the door open to those possibilities and much, much more.  Thankfully, a lot of the programming that followed in X's wake also embraced the wild and weird -- high TV ratings and awards recognition has a way of bursting dams and shattering glass ceilings -- and we've culturally been the beneficiaries of smart and dynamic alternatives ever since.

Which brings me to today's topic ...

This morning, I received a notice regarding 2021's Broadcast Signal Intrusion, a kinda/sorta paranormal-themed drama hatched by Queensbury Pictures and due for distribution via the reliable Dark Sky Films.  (I've had some quality relations with them in the past, so maybe I'll receive a screener to review.  Watch this space, peeps.)  Directed by Jacob Gentry, the film was scripted by Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall ... and -- if I'm reading this properly -- its narrative was inspired by real events.  Gentry is no stranger to genre projects: I see from IMDB.com he was responsible (in part) for The Signal (2007) and Synchronicity (2015) -- a time travel yarn with a side of romance.  It does appear that this is Drinkwater and Woodall's first full-length feature, and one never knows what to make of that until the final product is seen.

Also, I'd be remiss if I failed to point out that the flick stars Glee alum Harry Shum Jr.  He's dabbled in genre, as well, with some work aboard the Fantasy-themed Shadowhunters during its three-season run on the Boob Tube.

Details below are provided by the distributor.  As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
​

My favorite screen detective?
 
That would be Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 screen adaptation of The Maltese Falcon.  It’s a perfect film – certainly a near-perfect adaptation of the source novel – and deserves the top spot on my list.  My second best?  Hmm.  Well, I guess I’d have to give props to Ralph Meeker’s work as Mike Hammer in 1955’s underrated Kiss Me Deadly.  If you pressed me to name a third, then I’d tell you that Dick Powell does a great Philip Marlowe in 1944’s Murder, My Sweet: though the picture varies somewhat from the Raymond Chandler novel, it’s still an interesting interpretation that delivers some wry humor in just the right package.
 
I guess the point I’m trying to make here is that I’ve always considered myself a connoisseur of detective fiction and films.  While I’d never try to pass myself off as any expert on the subject (or any subject, for that matter), I do know a bit more than the average Joe.  I’d hope my knowledge could be put to the challenge of deciphering what makes a good crime noir tick when it should’ve tocked.  You can’t watch these films as often and as many times as I have and learn nothing … or, at least, that’s what my film teachers told me.
 
In any event, there’s a subset of Science Fiction films that dabbles with the private eye, and even a master like Isaac Asimov saw the creative potential as far back as 1953 when he paired up a detective with a robot in The Caves Of Steel.  Purists will tell you that the novel is considered part of the author’s Robot Series; and, in 2004, the book was nominated for a retroactive Hugo Award For Best Novel (1954).  So if Asimov’s in your court regarding the crime procedural, then you know you’re in good company!
 
2021’s Reminiscence tries very hard to capitalize on these possibilities.  It takes the tired-but-true ‘knight in shining armor’ of the past, covers him in the requisite emotional baggage, and transports him into a world of tomorrow that doesn’t function all that different from the 1940’s or 1950’s … well, except for some of the usual set trappings that go hand-in-hand with what Hollywood thinks looks like good Science Fiction … or, at least, good enough to pass it off as SciFi on an unsuspecting audience.
 
Instead of taking us forward, it reminisced a bit too much about today, sending us backward … a bit of a miss, if you ask this guy.
​

(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 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 product packaging: “Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind, navigates the past by helping his clients access lost memories.  His life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae.  As Bannister fights to find the truth about her disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy and must answer the question: How far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?”
 
There’s an inherent risk to telling stories about fractured reality: once the science behind how the past gets explored has been clearly established, viewers watching closely start to peel back the layers of the narrative.  Most likely, they’ll start challenging the story as presented, and this has the film falling like a house of cards.
 
In some ways, flashbacks are very much akin to playing a film within a film: eventually, what’s real and what’s imagined lose the substance that makes them separate and identifiable.  Reminiscence – as good as it is when it’s good – avoids the trappings of its Science Fiction idea, instead bringing into focus Bannister (played by Hugh Jackman), his rocky partnership with Mae (Thandiwe Newton), and his real-world investigation into Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) and her illicit past.  Though the construct of trafficking in memories is interesting and occasionally handled well in writer/director Lisa Joy’s film, it just never rose beyond the level of visual trickery to be more than just … well … nifty.
 
Alas, Joy herself has burned through much shoe leather in the realm of manufacturing ‘gotcha’ fiction: I’m somewhat notorious in these parts for separating HBO’s Westworld (for which she serves as producer and writer) from its bloated reputation for “great” storytelling.  What others have found “incisive” and “revelatory” I’ve called “predictable” and even “incoherent.”  This isn’t to discount any of the series’ ideas because I do so very much love tales that focus on the challenges of not only developing Artificial Intelligence but also living with it; rather it’s just to suggest that the award-winning program isn’t nearly as competent nor interesting as AMC’s Humans, a program that accomplished vastly more (with much less) than Westworld likely ever will.  Why?  Because it’s about people and robots not so much in contest with one another but surviving the fact that they will have to share the same space.
 
Westworld is about the fight for dominance; Humans is about acceptance.

​Big narrative difference.
​

​Joy does much with Reminiscence that she’s already shown capable of in Westworld, namely taking several SciFi ideas, mashing them together, casting some pretty faces, and then spinning some yarn.  She’s even brought aboard a handful of Westworld’s regulars to populate this tale; though they play different characters here, it’s almost as if she’s suggesting that these worlds could co-exist in some wider cinematic universe.  Truth be told, the HBO series has rather heavily already tinkered extensively with memory in ways not all that different from this film; and I’m a bit surprised that perhaps no one counseled the woman against too similar subject matter? Others might see this as a strength, but I see it as a weakness.  Separate products should be able to stand on their own; if they can’t, then are they really worth it?
 
Setting those complaints aside, Reminiscence is good though a bit wet at times.  Jackman delivers a disarmingly good world-weary detective, and Newton clearly understands the responsibilities of serving as his partner in Joy’s story.  They’re two halves of one whole – she’s the ‘Watts’ (aka Watson) to his Sherlock – and her skepticism is a perfect foil to his professional sarcasm.  Ferguson is good as the damsel with a secret, but I didn’t buy her character’s somewhat nefarious past: it just wasn’t written nor delivered with much conviction, at least not to the level required for me to suspend my disbelief.  The script is peppered with enough hard-boiled sentiment to make dime novel author Mickey Spillane proud, though he probably would’ve liked a few more fisticuffs thrown in here and there for good measure.  Cliff Curtis turns in a mixed performance as a crooked cop, and Daniel Wu is utterly wasted in a role so stereotypical it’s quite possibly a hate crime.
 
As for the world as depicted?  Meh.  Joy again represses anything original and instead resorts to popular convention, showing a U.S. coastline succumbing to Global Climate Something-Or-Other, a development that turns Miami into the kinder, gentler version of Kevin Costner’s Waterworld.  Bannister walks everywhere with his nice, leather shoes parading in ankle-deep water (are they ignorant in the future about the damage to good shoes or did Jackman himself nix the galoshes?).  Taxis are handily replaced by boats.  Honestly, I was watching closely for gill people to turn up somewhere along the way, but thankfully there was some restraint in pilfering what had been done before.
 
You’ve heard of Chinatown?  This was a bit … Tunatown.  Good, but undeniably fishy.
 
Plus, can you imagine the deafening outcry from Feminists if a man had written a script wherein the female/victim of the story has to go to the male/hero of the story to ask for help finding her keys?  Why, womens’ groups would’ve picketed this film into the Stone Age!  Oh, the misogyny!
 
And that’s a crying shame because in its core Reminiscence has a few good ideas, most of them limited to single lines here and there.  (FYI: the best detective novels are written much the same.)  Memories fade, and perhaps they fade for a reason, the audience is told.  If they didn’t, then we’d spend our days living inside our minds where are best moments have already taken place, leaving us ignorant to seeking out and exploring even better ones.  That’s the sentiment that propels the film when it’s working with material worthy of being explored.  Somewhere submerged under all that water are some moments not so waterlogged; I just wish Joy and her cast and crew spent more time bringing those to the surface and letting them dry in the sun.
​

Reminiscence (2021) is produced by FilmNation Entertainment, Kilter Films, and Michael De Luca Productions.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being handled via Warner Bros.  As for the technical specifications?  Wow.  So much of the film looks and sounds very, very good; lines are sharp, scenes are vivid, and the audio tracks are key in bringing this particular ‘science’ to life.  Very well done.  As for the special features?  Argh.  As tends to happen all-too-often these days, these produced shorts fell far more ‘promotional’ than ‘educational’ in nature, and that’s the case here.  There is a modest amount of dialogue about the challenges of the production; it’s nice but being the kind of ‘insider’ I am I wish there were more.
 
Recommended.

​Love a good Science Fiction story?  Great.  Love a good detective story?  Even better.  Reminiscence is a serviceable blend of the two unique genres, but in all honesty it really only flirts with the conventions of both.  The science depicted here could’ve easily been removed and replaced with traditional detective work, and the same results could’ve been achieved.  Though Jackman fills the shoes respectfully of, say, a contemporary Humphrey Bogart, a few of his discoveries were a bit too contrived to be authentically ‘gumshoe.’  (How does he find one single, solitary earring in the veritable sea outside his office building?)  It’s best to think of this film as the clone of better ones – you lose a bit of quality with each subsequent copy – in order to quell any major disappointment.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Bros. provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray disc of Reminiscence (2021) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it. 

​-- EZ

​Have I ever told you of my love for Escape From New York (1981)?
 
I know, I know, I know.  You think I’m gonna wax on about legendary Horror director John Carpenter, but I’m not … well, suffice it to say that – contrary to the opinions of so many others – I’ve always argued that this nifty little SciFi/Thriller is the director’s best film.  (Sorry, folks, just being honest, and I’ve always said I’ll be honest to a fault.)  It’s the perfect bottle-story set-up – a captured criminal is promised his freedom in exchange for rescuing a U.S. President whose plane has crashed deep inside America’s only remaining maximum security prison – and it’s executed flawlessly from start-to-finish.  Snake Plissken (played by Kurt Russell) is the quintessential anti-hero who’ll stop at nothing to save his skin but will never sacrifice his soul in the risky proposition.
 
Escape’s audience has always shuffled between mainstream and cult – probably owed to both Carpenter and Russell’s appeal – and Hollywood has several times attempted to remake the feature.  (Thankfully, all legitimate efforts have failed to this point in cinematic history.)  Me?  Well, I prefer that they’d all leave well enough alone – a classic remains a classic – but every now-and-then someone comes along, picks up the central premise, and gives it a whirl.  You know what most folks groan about Tinseltown?  Originality is dead.
 
Well, Prisoners Of The Ghostland seems to have given it another whack.  Though I can’t say for sure anyone involved with the production truly intended to channel the Carpenter film, the similarities are undeniably there.  One-time critical darling Nicolas Cage fills the shoes of the role once played by Russell (a good choice), and the viewers are given the lovely Bernice (Sofia Boutella) in lieu of the President.  Whereas Plissken’s body was injected with explosives set to detonate in twenty-two hours, Cage’s Hero had five days to complete his mission (inflation?), but I trust you get the point.
 
Was it all worth the effort?
 
That’s not so simple an answer.
​

(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 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 product packaging: “In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber is sprung from jail by a wealthy warlord, The Governor, whose adopted granddaughter, Bernice, has run away.  Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within five days if he doesn’t find the missing girl, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman – and his own path to redemption.”
 
To be fair, I’m not sure any advertising executive worth his weight in gold could pen a better plot synopsis for a feature like Ghostland.  Though its premise is straightforward, how the Sion Sono-directed motion picture gets from Point A to B is more than a bit chaotic and probably defies convention.
 
For example, the first thought I had upon finishing my screening of it was: “Does Ghostland actually exist?”
 
Clearly within the constructs of the narrative here, it does, but there’s an obvious nebulousness to just where and how one gets to it, almost as if to say only the truly fractured can enter its boundaries.  (It’ll make more sense if you’ve seen it … I hope.)  Because of the ethereal quality of it all, I couldn’t help but wonder precisely how much I am to make of this shared journey.  Did it happen, or is life but a dream?  Storytellers have been known to tweak their various presentations of reality, and I suspect that’s the case here: look no further than the title, am I right?  Ghost-land?
 
Still, positioning Ghostland as a kind of hyper-reality fairy tale doesn’t help it make any more sense.  Yes, yes, yes, I get its vibe – perhaps were all trapped within a dream – but at some point even the deepest sleeper wakes up and tries to make sense of the visions, and that’s where I think the film just went overboard only for the sake of going overboard.  I want my equations to add up to the sum of their parts; instead, I thought Ghostland left us with ghosts.  Alas, there’s nothing real as its central message.
 
Oh, there are plenty of interesting images and clever ditties to distract along the way.  Samurai Town – its residents and its neon-lit corners – is a Vegas-like attraction, standing as a stark, commercial alternative to the bleak and desolate Ghostland, so it’s entirely understandably why we, culturally, are more drawn to it.  Life takes many shapes and sizes on the outside, but inside?  Why, Ghostland’s carnival attraction of women is little more than female victims adorned with the pieces remaining of supposedly prettier mannequins.  Sono’s clever bit of symbolism poses many questions, perhaps the biggest of which is “Why do we bury true beauty under an exterior of falseness?”
​

​Honestly, I’d ask him the same question, as far too much of his film is shackled with endless symbolism without any understandable context.
 
The people of Ghostland spend the bulk of their days fighting back the ticking of a massive clock in the town square.  Why?  Is that supposed to represent how we live our days pushing back against an inevitable ending?  Should we, instead, embrace time, treat it not as an enemy but as a friend, and while away our days living in the moment?  It’s a reasonable supposition … but is that the film’s message?  I’ve no way to know, but were that the case then what am I to make of Hero?  He’s tortured by the memory of a bank heist gone horribly wrong – not by his actions – and it eventually inspires him to make different choices as a character.  He’s not living in the moment … so why should I?
 
I’ve written this before, and now I’ll write it again: symbolism without context is visual gibberish.
 
If there’s no clear anchor to the images, then I’m free to make of it what I will.  While some might find such freedom honorable, I’ve always been confused by it.  Hero’s story isn’t my story, and without the proper barometer supplied so that I can measure his experiences I have no choice but to substitute what I deduce instead of that which was intended by either the director or screenwriter.  I’d rather walk away from a film knowing what I was to make of it as designed by those telling the story.  Director Tim Burton does a mostly masterful job of matching up his imagery with his messages, and Sono could use a tutorial.  In the end, I’ve no idea of what to make of it all … but it sure was pretty to look at!
 
Ghostland contains a fabulous sequence in its big finale.  Hero and Samurai Town’s top enforcer – Yasujiro (Tak Sakaguchi) – face-off in a no-holds-barred deathmatch in the village square.  As Fate would have it, they’ve found themselves not only at odds with each other but also with members of a rival gang who have a bone to pick with the revered samurai.  Sono stages this contest with our two warriors battling one another while also assisting each other in fighting off those who would do them shared harm.  And it’s cinematic brilliance!  First, they’re enemies … then they’re allies … then they’re rivals again!
 
In retrospect, I think that’s how I felt about Sono’s film and whatever message he may’ve wanted me to take away from the effort.  At times, I felt like we were in sync, but in the end we were opponents.
 
Sad.  And here I thought we were supposed to be friends?
​

Prisoners Of The Ghostland (2021) is produced by Patriot Pictures, Eleven Arts, Baked Studios, and a few others.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being handled via RLJE Films.  As for the technical specifications?  It all looks and sounds solid from start-to-finish, and the flick is loaded with striking visuals and an effective soundtrack.  As for the special features?  Meh.  The making-of short is far too short and offers (honestly) a bare bones approach to documentary polish, feeling a bit too much like a bloated commercial than it did an honest behind-the-scenes.  With something this interesting, I would’ve liked a bit more … but that’s how my momma raised me, I guess.  Disappointed.
 
Recommended but I’m gonna be honest: you have to appreciate something truly bizarre in order to embrace all of Prisoners Of The Ghostland’s lunacy.  It has only a mild character arc for star Cage, and I could argue even what there is makes very little sense.  Too much of the story and characters are bizarre simply for the sake of being bizarre.  The viewer has no choice but to make of it what he will, and that’s a dangerous precipice to rest this gonzo celebration of the truly weird upon if you ask me.  I prefer my insanity make more sense.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at RLJE Films provided me with a Blu-ray disc of Prisoners Of The Ghostland (2021) 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

Our faithful steward of ‘all things literary’ is back this morning with another installment of Claire Interviews!
​

​​It’s been said that those who don’t know their history are destined to repeat it, but author Raven Kamali likes to take a different approach: as a student of ancient history, she mines the past for inspirations to use in her tales, and her desire to transport readers to different times and places even forced her to rethink her education while studying at the university.
 
“I wanted to be an ancient historian,” she says about her original career choice.  “I went to university to study ancient history and the classical Latin and Greek languages.  It was not until the start of my PhD that I changed my mind and instead chose writing as a career.  And the reason was that I wanted to bring to life major historical events that took place in Judea and Rome between 7BC-AD9 …”
 
Writing is a personal passion for her, and she’s not committed to a single format.  Since embarking on her career as a self-published author, she’s penned historical essays, poetry, short stories, and more; and she admits to varying her particular style based on the needs of the individual work.
 
“My favourite moment is when I begin to write a book,” she adds.  “The proudest moment is when I see the print copy in my hand.”

Indeed, Kamali's latest -- I Am Chaos -- is available at Amazon.com, along with other works.

Important links:

Claire on Twitter
Claire's website

Raven Kamali on Twitter 
Raven's website

​We here at SciFiHistory.Net are huge supporters of creative voices, and we encourage interested readers to check out both what Claire has to offer as well as the talent she interviews.
 
As always, thanks for reading … and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

​Yes, yes, and yes: I could go on all day about a film I enjoyed.
 
Isn’t that the way we all are?  Aren’t we secretly looking for something that tickles our fancy in such a way that we’re either (A) willing to talk it up or (B) willing to forget it all happened and try for something else?  As much as I do realize film is an art form all of its own, I’ll admit that I still think it was created to transport us away from the cares of ordinary life into a place where dreams come true, good triumphs over evil, and monsters are made only to be dispatched by heroes emerging from the light and shadows.  While documentaries or life-altering dramas might be the cup of tea for our cultural betters, don’t they even – from time-to-time – just want to lean back, put their feet up, and escape into some mindless drivel?
 
Though they’d never admit it, I suspect they do.
 
Blue Monkey (1987) is exactly the kind of thing I prefer when I’m in the mood for something different and I really don’t want to have think all that much about it before, during, or after.  Yes – as I said above – I could go on about it, but that’s only if I choose to do so.  If I don’t, then a film like this – part action, part Horror, part SciFi – goes in one ear and out the other.  I might laugh as it does.  It’s mental bubble gum.  It’s cotton candy for the eyes.  It shouldn’t offend you, and it carries little political message, if any.  Likely, it ain’t gonna change anyone’s worldview, nor was it ever intended to.  Instead, it distracts you from that weight on your shoulders just long enough for you to appreciate its value.
 
I’d like to think there’s something noble in that, even if other critics disagree.
 
(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 product packaging: “Steve Railsback turns in a great performance as Detective Jim Bishop, who must find a way to stop a giant monstrous insect that’s eating people in a quarantined hospital before it procreates and spreads a deadly infection it’s carrying.”
 
Ahhhh, I do so love a good B-Movie.
 
Blue Monkey – it’s possibly better known under its alternate title, Insect – is a solid B effort.  To director William Fruet’s credit, he somehow managed to pack this Canadian-made Horror/SciFi with some respectable talent, including award-winning actor Steve Railsback, award-winning actress Gwynyth Walsh, and award-nominated actress Susan Anspach.  Granted, some of these folks may not be as revered much less household-names as they are today, but this was the 1980’s … and think what you may of the finished product but it takes some true magic to woo true talent to what ends up being little more than a monster movie on a slim budget.
 
Of course, much of the film’s appeal is owed to Fruet, whose IMDB.com profile shows that he’s not only been a director in his career but also a screenwriter and producer.  He definitely ‘cut his teeth’ on genre projects and exploitation features, having played a hand in such movies as Funeral Home (1980), Spasms (1983), and Killer Party (1986) before this one; and his credentials grow even stronger afterwards with work aboard Friday The 13th: The Series, War Of The Worlds, Mysterious Island, The Outer Limits, and more.  The long and short of it is that he’s clearly comfortable in these murky waters, and I can only hope he had a lot of fun bringing this one to life when he did.
 
As giant killer bug movies go?
​

​Well, yes, I’ve seen better, but I daresay I haven’t seen one with as many unintended laughs as I enjoyed here.  This small hospital somehow has the – ahem – global reputation to have been blessed with a cutting-edge laser research facility in its confines, one that looks like it was perhaps plucked out of a James Bond movie.  There is this pack of kids – a foursome led by an abandoned young boy suffering from leukemia – who use this particular medical establishment as their personal playground; and Fruet often has them running off down the halls to go explore some hidden corners of the building.  Then there’s this sequence wherein an elderly patient we were just told was recovering suffers a heart attack: the effort to resuscitate him with shock paddles results in a veritable blood spray across the ward that plays more like a bad water balloon prank than anything else.  And if this laser-lab kiddie-playground bloodfest wasn’t enough, well how about the fact that this reconditioned lunatic asylum turned miracle hospital has subterranean passages that apparently stretch on for miles?  Much of this makes very little narrative sense, but it all still manages to come together with a big finish as well as the hint that they were thinking of a sequel.
 
Oh, yes!  As I said, I do so love my B-Movies!
 
Interestingly enough, George Goldsmith is credited on the screenplay.  The writer’s other notable credit from the 80’s was the adaptation of Stephen King’s Children Of The Corn (1984) for New World Pictures.  His work there didn’t have as many speedbumps as this one did, but that could largely have come from the fact that he was adapting King’s ideas to the screen and not having to craft much of his own, though I suspect some could argue with my characterization.  (Having read the Children story years ago, I don’t remember it well enough to dissect the differences, but the film seemed reasonable authentic.)  Screenwriter Chris Koseluk is also attached to Monkey as a contributor; his career shows only this and one other film, so I’ve no way to know what kind of collaboration took place between these two minds.
 
All of that aside, what I’m essentially left with is the completed film, and – as I said – it kept my interest (and then some).  I’m on record as being a fan of B projects, and I’ll go to my grave loving some bits and pieces of probably every creature feature I’ve ever seen.  Lastly, I do so love practical effects – when the monster is brought to life as a practical creation and not CGI.  So maybe – just maybe – I’m overstating my admiration because this one checked a lot of my boxes.  While there may not have been any singular performance to call out, the players showed up, hit the marks, and bled or screamed just the way they were written … and for that I’ll be forever thankful.
 
Pop some corn.  Turn off your brain.  Dim the lights.  Put the kids to bed.  Let this throwback to a time when story wasn’t as important as being cheaply entertained for the next 90 minutes, and maybe you’ll feel like I did.  If not, it’s only an hour-and-one-half of your life … and I suspect you’ve seen far worse than this.
 
For me?  It isn’t every day I get something this inspired.
 
Blue Monkey (1987) is produced by Mithras.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being handled by Code Red.  As for the technical specifications?  Well, if I’m to take the product packaging at its word, it would seem that the powers that be went to some great behind-the-scenes work at pressing this from the original uncut 35mm negatives … and I thought this looked (mostly) fabulous.  Honestly, while I’m no tech wizard, this looked very good, almost so much so that I wouldn’t have guessed it to be as old as it is.  Well done to the artisans!  As for the special features?  Wowza, talk about your disappointment!  There’s only a theatrical trailer, and that’s a big miss in this era of “give your audience what they want” or else.  Even an interview or two with a star or three would’ve been nice.
 
Highly Recommended.  With as widely read as I am on films – and though I’m certainly no expert on the 1980’s I have seen quite a few genre releases – I was dumbfounded that I’ve heard so little about this one.  Others have pretty much dismissed it as passable, but I enjoyed the Hell out of this!  Yes, it’s a B-Movie.  Yes, it’s filled with some loopy logic.  Yes, this might be a flick several of these actors and actresses would like to have stricken from their resumes.  But there’s enough unintended laughs in here – as well as some pretty fabulous practical effects work – that I was smitten (after a perfunctory set-up).  It’s exactly the kind of feature MST3K lampoons – mostly because of the obvious mental plot holes – but there’s still a blue-collar charm that won me over.  It may not be perfect, but I was perfectly entertained.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Code Red provided me with a Blu-ray disc of Blue Monkey (1987) 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

Sigh.

Once time, I drew the ire of some diehard Quantum Leap enthusiasts when I made the observation that I thought Sam and Al were the best modern day version of Abbott & Costello.  I believe they thought I was insulting the favorite duo, trying to discount all of their good deeds -- jumping through time to put right what once went wrong -- and saw it as a disrespectful comparison.

That couldn't have been further from the truth.

Sam and Al were the consumate modern day TV incarnation of Abbott & Costello from their classic comedy films.  Yes, one was a straight man -- that would be Al -- and one was there for a bit more laughter -- and that would be Sam.  And the point of any Abbott & Costello film was that these two opposites would come together before the feature's big finish to somehow against all odds set things right.  To save the die.  To divert the tragedy.  But, yes, there were some very good natured laughs along the way at both of their expenses.

Was my comparison a stroke of genius?  Of course not.  But it was never intended as any insult, either, as I think fondly of Quantum Leap, so much so that I'd easily count it among the very best TV has had to offer in the way of Science Fiction and Fantasy.  Much of this is owed to the work of its two incredible leads, Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.

Alas, a certain end awaits us all, and word reached me this morning that Mr. Stockwell has left us.

With over two hundred different screen credits to his name -- as well as four nominations for 'Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series' from the Primetime Emmys for his work aboard Leap -- Stockwell was an incredibly versatile talent who could handle both heavy and light moments with some amazing grace.  Though genre fans will likely remember him best for his incredible contribution to the time travel program, we mustn't forget that he showed us a darker side of his craft aboard Syfy's reincarnated Battlestar Galactica program where he played a singular Cylon, 'John Cavil.'

However, those weren't his only contributions to genre entertainment.  A review of his IMDB.com shows that the actor enjoyed screen time in such entries as The Twilight Zone, The Werewolf Of Washington (1973), Tales Of The Unexpected, Dune (1984), Once Bitten (1985), The Time Guardian (1987), Captain Planet And The Planeteers, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman, Sinbad: The Battle Of The Dark Knights (1998), Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (2000), Star Trek: Enterprise, and Stargate: SG-1.

And as for those who hated by Abbott & Costello comparison?

Did you know that Stockwell actually worked with them?  One of his earliest roles -- obviously a small one -- was aboard the 1945 comedy Bud Abbott And Lou Costello In Hollywood.  So maybe he gleaned a bit of what I imagined in his earliest days exploring the craft.

Prayers and warmest wishes to the Stockwell family and friends in their time of need.

​-- EZ

In case you're looking for proof that I don't see every movie in theaters that I want to, then look no further than Werewolves Within.  I specifically remember the wifey and I lying in bed one Saturday morning trying to figure out what we were going to do for the day.  We scrolled down the choices for the local cinema, and I think I even recommended this flick to her, made her check out the preview ... but something else must've come up because we didn't get to it.  Life happens ...

Still, Werewolves Within stayed on my radar.  I read a few complimentary reviews -- it currently scores a solid 6.0 on IMDB.com and a respectable 66 on Metacritic's scale of 100 -- and it definitely had some energy going for it.  As tends to happen with smaller releases which don't benefit from major studio advertising budgets, this little monster Comedy came and went reasonably quickly.  That's a crying shame as it boasts a talented cast, and I suspect even a little advert in prime time television hours could've pushed this one to be a contender ... though it's hard to say for certain in the days of COVID.

Word reached me just this morning that the film will be released just in time for the holidays, and I ask you: which of you doesn't want to spend the silly season with a werewolf?  Why, it's a match made in Heaven!

Details are below.  Interested parties are encouraged to pre-order now.

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

-- EZ
​

RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, will release the critically acclaimed horror-comedy whodunit Werewolves Within on DVD and Blu-ray on December 7, 2021. IFC Films released Werewolves Within in theaters on June 25, 2021 and on Digital Rental & VOD on July 2, 2021.
 
Werewolves Within is directed by Josh Ruben (Scare Me) from a script by Mishna Wolff (I’m Down), and stars Sam Richardson (“Veep”, “Detroiters”), Milana Vayntrub (“This Is Us”), George Basil (“Crashing”), Sarah Burns (“Barry”), Michael Chernus (“Tommy/CBS”), Catherine Curtin (“Orange Is the New Black”), Wayne Duvall (“The Hunt”), Harvey Guillen (“What We Do In The Shadows”), Rebecca Henderson (“Russian Doll”), Cheyenne Jackson (“30 Rock”), Michaela Watkins (“The Unicorn,” Brittany Runs A Marathon), and Glenn Fleshler (“True Detective”).  RLJE Films will release Werewolves Within on DVD for an SRP of $27.97, and on Blu-ray for an SRP of $28.96.
 
After a proposed pipeline creates divisions within the small town of Beaverfield, and a snowstorm traps its residents together inside the local inn, newly arrived forest ranger FINN (Sam Richardson) and postal worker CECILY (Milana Vayntrub) must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature that has begun terrorizing the community.

​ABOUT AMC NETWORKS
AMC Networks is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically-acclaimed content. Its portfolio of brands includes AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, IFC Films, and a number of fast-growing streaming services, including the AMC+ premium streaming bundle, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and ALLBLK. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind award-winning owned series and franchises, including The Walking Dead, the highest-rated series in cable history. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.


ABOUT IFC FILMS
Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of independent film. Its unique distribution model makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on cable’s Video On Demand (VOD) and digital platforms.

Within much of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror features, the greatest genre overlap tends to be surrounding the traditional monster movie.
 
These monsters are typically created by science gone awry, which helps to firmly plant their feet – even the clawed or hooved ones – in the realm of SciFi.  Occasionally, they end up getting superhuman strength or some kind of ominous power or superpower, which shifts the focus closer to cinematic Fantasy.  Lastly, the resulting reign of terror – for which many a monster wages or he wouldn’t really be able to call himself a monster – practically tramples into the world of Horror.  Naturally, it’s easy to see how this intersection might confuse viewers as to what genre of film they’re actually watching, and that’s why I offer this cursory explanation.  They’re truly hybrids in the best definition of the word.
 
Still, what unifies all of the best monster movies is the fact that the audience – more often than not – feels a measure of sympathy for the beast.  This usually doesn’t take place at the outset but rather it’s a revelation viewers come to as a response to these evolving circumstances.  Rarely does the monster wish to become that which is feared by so many, but now that he is few people can see past his gruesome outer shell into the tortured soul that lies deep within.  Cut off from even the most benign support systems, he grows more and more despondent with each passing development, and his eventual lashing out becomes the only means for him to express the rage of his isolation.  The audience wouldn’t want to be him – they wouldn’t trade places with him for all the money in the world – and this typically bolsters pity to displace their disgust.
 
In the crème de la crème of the creature features, he who is most vile even typically sacrifices himself in the last reel.  Sometimes this is to save himself but more often it’s to save those around him who then suffer an epiphany, only realizing in that moment that he – that abomination of nature – was truly “the better man.”  Although these scenes tend to feel a bit formulaic, they’re necessary to preserve the moral of the story … that being to never judge a book by its cover … even if that book threatens to eat you alive.
 
Many great B-Movies flirt with ‘monstery’ greatness.  Sting Of Death (1966) may not be a great film – by practically any estimation – but it does have a finish deserving some attention.
  
(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 product packaging:
“… a boatload of bikini babes partying on the edge of the Everglades are menaced by a vengeful half-man half-jellyfish in Sting Of Death – the only film to feature hip young teens twisting to a tune by the name of ‘The Jellyfish Song!’”
 
B-Movies have an almost Sisyphean challenge to overcome every time they’re attempted.
 
Their producers rarely have the kind of money, patience, and talent required to winningly bring their particular vision to award-winning life, and often times what they lack in resources they make up with the right narrative sentiment.  This may be only a handful of moments delivered with just the right aplomb – as is arguably the case with Sting Of Death, a somewhat laughably entry into the whole half-man-half-beast subset of Fantasy films – and I suppose the hope is audiences might see past what obviously ails the picture to find a nugget not so much of gold as it is common sense.
​

Grindhouse and exploitation auteur William Grefe does the best he can with the material here.  This isolated Florida paradise looks more like your uncle’s winter home; this dirty waterway filled with hungry jellyfish looks more like a Mississippi tributary polluted with discarded Glad bags; and this lumbering creature who’s part-man part-fish looks like a man in an ugly wetsuit with a trashcan liner over his head!  When the best Grefe can do is pepper the screen with a bevy of lovely damsels-in-distress – each one a bit more delicious to look at than the last, though there’s no real skin on display – you learn to be thankful for small miracles.
 
Otherwise, Sting is – ahem – a lot of stink.
 
It’s filled with overlong and overwrought takes of these young’uns dancing to some groovy 1960’s music, unusually extended takes of airboats racing across the Florida wetlands, and some of the most laughably delivered moments of tension this side of an Ed Wood production.  It’s surprisingly bereft of tension – legitimate horror practically requires there be some sequences of true peril, but the best that’s delivered is probably in the last reel when man and beast have no choice but to trade blows more because they’re in a cramped underwater cavern with no respective elbow room than because they’re thrust into mortal combat.
 
Sigh.
 
As B-Movies go, there’s really very little to celebrate here, so I won’t belabor the review, but since I do so love monster stories I have to give props to Sting’s finale: once he’s down for the count, the fallen brute does order his human adversary to save the woman he loves.   There’s that ‘pure of heart’ moment fans expect from the noble, misunderstood creature, and Grefe (at least) gets that right in this otherwise 80-minute waterlogged melodrama set to go-go music.
 
Sting Of Death (1966) is produced by Essen Productions, Inc.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being handled by the reliable Arrow Video.  As for the technical specifications?  Well, this one looks and sounds probably as good as it did back in its day, so I really can’t complain there.  As for the special features?  There’s a nice audio commentary and a few documentary-style extras you can spend a little with … if you’re truly interested.  Nothing all that revelatory was learned, but it’s still nice to have ‘em.
 
(Mildly) Recommended.  I know, I know, I know.  Anyone who’s seen this film know that it’s a stinker, but I’m a sucker for good monster moments, and the ending – as flawed as the rest of the film may be – actually musters up a fairly decent creature feature ending.  But, yes, at even a slim 80 minutes this effort is entirely too long.  It could be better served as a 30-minute episode of an anthology series like The Twilight Zone, but as a standalone it’s bloated beyond belief in order to get to a serviceable run time.  Silly.  Too silly.  Painfully so.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Video provided me with a Blu-ray Disc of Sting Of Death 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

Ahhh, the great William Lucking.

I do watch television shows outside of Science Fiction and Fantasy; and one of those that I enjoyed very much (up until its last season) was FX's stellar crime drama Sons Of Anarchy.  The program rather deftly explored the behind-the-scenes political-style machinations of the modern era motorcycle gang, giving almost Greek tragedy depth to what might otherwise be a relatively conventional yarn -- though bloody -- about love, loss, and respect.  Though I suspect it could be easy to dismantle some of its plotlines as a bit too fanciful to be authentic, it was really much more about these friendships and the struggles to keep order amongst the obvious chaos than anything else.  Lastly, it had one of the best ensembles of any drama in the past few decades ... of which the great William Lucking played a part.

I can leave Sons right there, at this juncture, as this great actor has some quality genre appearances in his wide resume.  With over one hundred and fifty different credits to his name, he managed to dip time-and-again into our favored realms with roles in such properties as Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979), The Incredible Hulk, The Greatest American Hero, Voyagers!, Tales Of The Gold Monkey, Knight Rider, Duplicates (1992), The X-Files, The Pretender, Millennium, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, K-PAX (2001), and Star Trek: Enterprise.  He was a big fellow -- clocking in at an impressive six foot four inches -- and as such was often cast as a mild heavy or person of authority in everything I can recall, but I thought there was a nice current of humanity that rang through in practically everything he played.

He will be missed.

Prayers and salutations go out to Lucking's family and friends in their time of need.

​-- EZ

I've often said that the beauty of maintaining a site like SciFiHistory.Net is that I can customize it to practically accomplish any job ... well, any job that I have time to complete, that is.  And one of my biggest wishes is that I use this space to promote new and emerging genre projects -- film and print -- as well as the voices behind them.

(Seriously, authors: it costs you nothing to pen a quick press release and send it my way, and it costs me equally nothing to give it the proper SciFi ShoutOut in this space.  Keep it in mind for future prospects, as I'm always willing to throw up a quick post.)

That said, might I draw your attention to the name Katherine Franklin?

Franklin's crafted an ambitious world for her debut novel, The Empyrean.  (Kickstarter promotion page can be found right here.)  In a universe where having emotions can be a crime, Franklin has developed warring factions, both intent on either controlling the other or seeing them destroyed.  And how these governing principles affect the later generations is the stuff of magic that she plans to explore in this forthcoming book.

Important links:

Franklin's website
Franklin's Twitter

We here at SciFiHistory.Net are huge supporters of creative voices, and we encourage interested readers to check out Katherine Franklin has in process.
 
As always, thanks for reading … and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ