On this day in all the way back in the year 1976 (in the United Kingdom), Star Maidens blasted off on its television voyage into the unknown.  Created by Eric Paice (though credited as an original concept from Jost Graf von Hardenberg and Countess von Hardenberg), the serial starred Lisa Harrow, Christian Quadflieg, Christiane Krüger, Judy Geeson, Gareth Thomas, Pierre Brice, Derek Farr, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the series' premise:

"A planet from another solar system drifts into Earth's system and is detected by some Earth scientists who investigate."

Of course, there's always a bit more than a few sentences can provide, and Star Maidens -- from what I've read online -- was somewhat pioneering in that the series focused on a future society where gender roles were reversed ... meaning the women were in charge!  While I've only seen snippets on this one online sparingly, I'm quite certain there was a bit more to the story than that; but I'll also concede that -- what with Science Fiction always seeking to score some cultural points with the storytelling -- the gender-swap probably made for a great deal of solid and interesting drama. 
​

From what I know, Star Maidens lasted only a single season, one ripe with thirteen individual episodes that explored the bounds of this fictional universe.  I can also say that I've often heard it compared to Space:1999 with fans insisting that, thematically, it covered similar territory -- perhaps a bit too safely -- and even borrowed the whole aesthetic look of that previous show when producers hired several behind-the-scenes folk to develop the sets.
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So happy fiftieth anniversary wishes go out today to the fans of Star Maidens!

Who knows if it'll endure another 50?

​-- EZ

Historically, Science Fiction and Fantasy and Horror films have almost always been looked on by studios as somewhat 'lesser works.'

Of course, don't misunderstand me when I say this: these studios and their corporate executives are certain happy to cash the check that roll in over and over and over again from box office receipts for the latest and greatest visual spectacle that won over the masses.  Everything in Hollywood is profit driven; and -- to a surprising degree -- genre films hold the titles of being the biggest earners throughout the decades.  The point, though, is that these fussyhats don't think highly -- generally speaking -- of such fare; and there are a great many of them who think such subject matter is beneath them.  This is why we don't get a vast number of accomplished auteurs helming some of these incredible visions.  Yes, we get a few, but there are far more who'd pretty much stick to their character driven dramas, their period pieces, or perhaps even a psychological melodrama to tide them over.  It's just the way things are.

This isn't always the case, and that's why I'm taking a few inches of column space this morning to celebrate the memory of director Nathan Juran on his birthday.  Born on this day all the way back in 1907, this Oscar-winning storyteller leaves behind a somewhat curious legacy.  When many Oscar-nominated directors wouldn't think about dabbling in the realms of the Fantastic, Juran did and, apparently, never thought ill of it.  Mostly, this was owed to his personal philosophy of making feature films, and I think it's a rare perspective -- especially as it relates to genre storytelling -- that deserves a nod on his special day.

From what I've read, he approached the art chiefly as if he were little more than a technician hired to translate a story from script to screen.  To him, filmmaking was a job -- a trade -- not unlike one that you or I would work; and it's this clinical separation of the industry reputation from the end results that quite probably kept him from worrying too deeply about assuming the mantle over some ... well ... otherwise secondary stories.  Arguably, not every Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror feature of the 1950's and 1960's were the kind of stuff remembered for raising the bar; and, yet, Juran's sensibilities of staying true to his craft was likely the focus that helped him stay sane ... or as sane as any filmmaker can be.

Naturally, no single picture should ever define a creator's body of work, and the same should be said of Juran.  While a few of these listed entries are a bit ... well ... half-baked, there's no denying the craftsmanship that went into completing them.  One might even suggest that there's a bit of genius -- albeit mad genius -- in them as well, as a few listed above have gone on to amass solid cult status.  I've read online that even Juran was surprised to learn that he'd somehow assembled something of a legacy; and that sounds exactly like a man who was more concerned with getting the work done than he necessarily was with producing art for the ages.

Here's what I wrote about him on the Daily Citation Page for September 1:

​Nathan Juran was an Oscar-winning director who leaves behind an incredible resume in the world of genre entertainment.  In his lifetime, he helped bring some amazing properties to the big and small screen, including 20 Million Miles To Earth (1957), The Brain From Planet Arous (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), and First Men In The Moon (1964) as well as episodes of Land of Giants, Men Into Space, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Time Tunnel, Lost In Space, and Land Of The Giants.  Though he's no longer with us, Juran was born on this day in 1907.  

​[Source: IMDB.com]

ExtraExtra Alert:

• In 2016, I caught a cable broadcast airing of First Men In The Moon (1964) on a channel to which I subscribe.  Interested readers can find my review right here.
• In 2022, I received an all-new home video release fo The Brain From Planet Arous (1957) from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net.  Interested readers can find my review right here.
• In 2025, I received an all-new home video release of Attack Of The 50 Ft. Woman (1958) from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net.  Interested readers can find my review right here.
• In 2026, I received an all-new home video release of The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958) from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net.  Interested readers can find my review right here.

​-- EZ

On this day in 1981 (in the U.S.), the big city of Phoenix, Arizona served as host for an exclusive theatrical preview engagement of Death Valley.  Directed by Dick Richards from a story by Richard Rothstein, the film starred Paul Le Mat, Catherine Hicks, Stephen McHattie, and others. 

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

"A divorced mother, her young son and her new boyfriend set out on a road trip through Death Valley and run afoul of a local serial killer."

-- EZ

On this day in 2002 (in the United Kingdom), audiences in attendance of the Festival Of Fantastic Films were treated to the big screen debut of Dark Heaven.  Written and directed for the screen by Douglas Schulze, the film starred Jon Bennett, Christina Sheldon, Jeff Boerger, and others. 

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

"Officer Gabe Goodman may be the last man on earth and must confront deadly dark angels."

-- EZ
​

On this day in 1966 (in the U.S.), the big city of Kannapolis, North Carolina played host for the exclusive theatrical premiere engagement of Chamber Of Horrors.  Directed by Hy Averback from a story by Stephen Kandel and Ray Russell, the film starred Patrick O'Neal, Cesare Danova, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and others. 

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

"A one-handed madman uses various detachable devices as murder weapons to gain revenge on those he believes have wronged him."

-- EZ

On this day in 2020 -- in a rare turn of events -- The Block Island Sound enjoyed two theatrical releases.  First up -- in Brazil -- it received its general theatrical release.  Secondly (in Canada), audiences in attendance of the Fantasia Film Festival were treated to a special 'premiere' presentation.  Written and directed by the team of Kevin and Matthew McManus, the film starred Michaela McManus, Chris Sheffield, Niville Archambault, and others. 

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

"Something lurks off the coast of Block Island, silently influencing the behavior of fisherman, Tom Lynch. After suffering a series of violent outbursts, he unknowingly puts his family in grave danger."

ExtraExtra Alert:
In 2024, I received an all-new home video release of The Block Island Sound from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net.  Interested readers can find my review right here.

-- EZ
​

There are just five days left until the sixth issue of The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine becomes available! What does that mean for you? Three things:

1. Issue 6 will be available for purchase on our website ifs-mag.com just after midnight on the 1st of September.
2. If you are not yet a monthly or annual subscriber, there are less than 5 days left for you to sign up and receive the August issue immediately as well as the September issue the moment it comes out on the 1st. After the 1st, the August issue will be individual purchase only (at a higher price than a subscription)! Click HERE to browse our subscription options.
3. It's time for your monthly sneak preview of what's inside the upcoming issue! Follow this link HERE to read What's the Call by Neil Pullen for free!

Finally, here's a bit of a breakdown of the short stories contained in issue 6 of The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine:

• What's the Call, by Neil Pullen. Investigative sci-fi
• The Other Kind of Pork, by Kofi Akan Brown. Sci-fi/horror
• Slice of Life, by Sea Emce. Urban fantasy
• Hard as a Mirror of Cast Bronze, by Lily Lachance. Sci-fi
• Dr. Findley and the Flutterbys, by Deryn Pittar. Urban fantasy
• Children of the Boundary, by D.A. D'Amico. Fantasy
• Laugh, O Bones and Skulls, by Saša Robnik. Fantasy
• The Undecided, by Chad Gayle. Fantasy/sci-fi
• The Word-Storm, by Malina Douglas. Fantasy
• Thunderbird, by Kray Van Kirk. Urban fantasy

A huge issue for fantasy! Normally we get overwhelmingly sci-fi stories in our inbox, as seems to be the case for a number of other publishers, but there must be something fantastical in the August air!

The independent authors featured above come from a wide range of backgrounds and writing experience and each has produced excellent work for this issue of the magazine. Subscribing to The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine puts money directly into their pockets and helps us to spread the word about them and all of our future authors even further! Another great way you can support them is by looking them up online, following their social media accounts, joining their mailing lists, and buying their work.

Thank you, as always, for supporting independent authors, and for taking an interest in our little magazine.

Bring on September!
​
Pro auctores, pro lectoribus,
The Editors

The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi MagazineClayton
Australia

On this day in 1963 (in Italy), audiences in attendance of the Venice Film Festival were treated to the big screen premiere of Il Demonio (aka The Demon).  Written (in part) and directed by Brunello Rondi, the Italian-language Folk Horror starred Daliah Lavi, Frank Wolff, Anna María Aveta, and others. 

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

"A lonely, sexually-uninhibited young peasant is subjected to an exorcism after she hexes a man who rejects her advances."

-- EZ

Those who know me best know of the deep affinity I hold for voice actors.

I grew up literally in the middle of nowhere in a small town whose biggest access to the outside world was really radio.  (Yes, we had TV, you knuckleheads, but it was a different time; and -- on a good day -- we may've had six channels so button up.)  So much of what was communicated with respect to real time was done over the radio; so when I discovered a local outlet that played old time radio dramas I couldn't help myself but fall in love with programming that had entertained so many folks decades before my birth.  Radio -- and radio dramas -- will remain my first love; and it's those talented actors who use nothing more than their powerful voices to bring characters to life that still manage to send a chill through me ... a chill of admiration.

So while I didn't quite join in the bandwagon that was the phenomenon of Transformers I appreciated it all the same.  Though I didn't watch it nearly as often as did my contemporaries (at the fraternity house), I was still drawn to it whenever it was on and I had nothing else to occupy myself with.  Naturally, the leader that was Optimus Prime -- voiced by the great Peter Cullen -- inspired those of us who lacked such inspiration in our lives; and the show continues to resonate with children and adults who discover it today, whether it be in revisitation, the newer stuff, or even the big screen adventures.  Transformers is something that brings out the kid in each of us, and a great deal of that is owed to Cullen and his fellow castmates.

And the guy continued to be a vocal force to be reckoned with.  There's no way I can possibly do justice to his resume -- what with it reaching over two hundred projects along with various award nominations and wins -- so I'll simply encourage readers to head on over to IMDB.com and scroll through it.  It's an incredible portfolio, and -- because of it -- the guy's voice will continue to ring true for years to come.

Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Peter Cullen.

May he rest in eternal peace ...

​-- EZ