Good morning, gentle readers, and welcome to February 6th!
How's everyone's day going this morning? Yes, yes, and yes: I realize it's early, and your day might really just be starting out, so it may be somewhat difficult to measure exactly how it's 'going,' but do try to make it one for the record books. That's something I try to do more and more in this space, highlighting everything I believe deserves highlighting, all in hopes of showing the level of appreciation I think Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror deserve. It's a tough job ... but somebody's gotta do it!
Let's get down to the business of it, though, shall we?
I spent a good portion of yesterday with a few of those home video releases I mentioned I had on tap. Two Horrors, and an old Film Noir. The straight skinny without any of the goodness (I'll reserve that for the individual reviews) is that ... well ... meh. Not a real winner in the bunch, if you're familiar with that phrase. I think each of them had something solid to offer -- all were very well made and dealt with some interesting character stuff -- but ... nah ... still no winner in the bunch. Watch this space, and you'll see what I mean with the full reviews. Otherwise, I also had to go out and get a shot -- a vaccination -- so I'm a little weary today. Kinda/sorta a bit sluggish. Nothing bad, but it'll probably keep me stuck in first gear for a few more hours. Shots and general illnesses do that to me, so I don't think it's anything to be alarmed about. It is what it is.
So ... what else have I got? Well, well, well ... I'm glad you asked.
How's everyone's day going this morning? Yes, yes, and yes: I realize it's early, and your day might really just be starting out, so it may be somewhat difficult to measure exactly how it's 'going,' but do try to make it one for the record books. That's something I try to do more and more in this space, highlighting everything I believe deserves highlighting, all in hopes of showing the level of appreciation I think Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror deserve. It's a tough job ... but somebody's gotta do it!
Let's get down to the business of it, though, shall we?
I spent a good portion of yesterday with a few of those home video releases I mentioned I had on tap. Two Horrors, and an old Film Noir. The straight skinny without any of the goodness (I'll reserve that for the individual reviews) is that ... well ... meh. Not a real winner in the bunch, if you're familiar with that phrase. I think each of them had something solid to offer -- all were very well made and dealt with some interesting character stuff -- but ... nah ... still no winner in the bunch. Watch this space, and you'll see what I mean with the full reviews. Otherwise, I also had to go out and get a shot -- a vaccination -- so I'm a little weary today. Kinda/sorta a bit sluggish. Nothing bad, but it'll probably keep me stuck in first gear for a few more hours. Shots and general illnesses do that to me, so I don't think it's anything to be alarmed about. It is what it is.
So ... what else have I got? Well, well, well ... I'm glad you asked.
The warmest and the fuzziest birthday wishes are extended to actress Alice Eve, the lady who rather famously appears in the God-awful sequel -- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) -- but also does so in her skivvies ... for absolutely no reason at all!
Now, I have read that the actress doesn't understand why this scene was controversial in the slightest. In an interview, she stated that she went to an incredible amount of work getting in shape for this appearance; and to me that indicates fully that she was on-board with baring a goodly portion of what the Good Lord gave her thinking this was -- cough cough -- pitch perfect for the Star Trek Cinematic Universe under the stewardship of -- cough cough -- wunkderkind and puzzle box fanatacist JJ Abrams. Don't get me wrong: I'm all in favor of women showing up as scantilly clad as they like, but -- when it comes to storytelling -- there really ought to be some authentic reason for such an unveiling to be there in the script. For my take, there just wasn't here -- she's clothed, and then the next minute she's not, and she's chastising James T. Kirk for taking a second to ogle her (as did many in the audience) -- and, sorry to say, it's just tonally flat and ... well ... stupid.
At the end of the day, I think anyone with a decent brain understands just how awful Into Darkness was, especially incoherent in that it tried to upend a whole bucket of established Trek mythology; but -- ahem -- this is what accounts for good storytelling in the mind of -- you guessed it -- JJ and his ilk. They're currently decimated a good deal of the franchise on Paramount+, and I think many of us older fans suggested the Intellectual Property was, indeed, heading down dark corridors if Into Darkness was any indication.
Look: I don't fault Alice here for this in the slightest. As I said, she's on record as thinking this scene was a necessary component of the story as written. While that does tell me something about -- cough cough -- Alice's intellect, she's still an actress hired to do and say certain things, so more power to her. I also listened to her at a convention kinda/sorta imply that Trek fandom was a bit racist for not embracing Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Khan Noonien Singh, but I won't even begin to 'go there' as each of us are entitled to our opinions on such matters. Let's just wish her our best -- especially on her birthday -- and hope she has one of the grandest days of human record.
Now, I have read that the actress doesn't understand why this scene was controversial in the slightest. In an interview, she stated that she went to an incredible amount of work getting in shape for this appearance; and to me that indicates fully that she was on-board with baring a goodly portion of what the Good Lord gave her thinking this was -- cough cough -- pitch perfect for the Star Trek Cinematic Universe under the stewardship of -- cough cough -- wunkderkind and puzzle box fanatacist JJ Abrams. Don't get me wrong: I'm all in favor of women showing up as scantilly clad as they like, but -- when it comes to storytelling -- there really ought to be some authentic reason for such an unveiling to be there in the script. For my take, there just wasn't here -- she's clothed, and then the next minute she's not, and she's chastising James T. Kirk for taking a second to ogle her (as did many in the audience) -- and, sorry to say, it's just tonally flat and ... well ... stupid.
At the end of the day, I think anyone with a decent brain understands just how awful Into Darkness was, especially incoherent in that it tried to upend a whole bucket of established Trek mythology; but -- ahem -- this is what accounts for good storytelling in the mind of -- you guessed it -- JJ and his ilk. They're currently decimated a good deal of the franchise on Paramount+, and I think many of us older fans suggested the Intellectual Property was, indeed, heading down dark corridors if Into Darkness was any indication.
Look: I don't fault Alice here for this in the slightest. As I said, she's on record as thinking this scene was a necessary component of the story as written. While that does tell me something about -- cough cough -- Alice's intellect, she's still an actress hired to do and say certain things, so more power to her. I also listened to her at a convention kinda/sorta imply that Trek fandom was a bit racist for not embracing Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Khan Noonien Singh, but I won't even begin to 'go there' as each of us are entitled to our opinions on such matters. Let's just wish her our best -- especially on her birthday -- and hope she has one of the grandest days of human record.
On this day all the way back in 1998, Stargate: SG-1 aired "Solitudes," a rather solid entry into the growing mythology of that Intellectual Property.
I know, I know, I know: those of you who are regular readers might be thinking right now, "What a minute! Isn't this guy who runs SciFiHistory.Net on record as saying he's not all that fond of the whole Stargate thing?" Yes, yes, and yes: that's true. I'd never argue otherwise. But -- as I always caution -- that doesn't mean I haven't watched it and found some of it quite good. In fact, of everything I experienced in the show's first season, this hour was really one of my favorites.
Officially, this was the seventeenth episode in the long-running program's first season; and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Following a Stargate technical defect, O'Neill and Carter are stranded next to a Stargate in a cave on an icy wasteland. O'Neill is severely wounded and both are freezing. Will the SGC find and rescue them in time?"
In case you're wondering, I liked the adventure because it really finally gave Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping the chance to show us their respective acting chops in the franchise. This wasn't a yarn about running around, shooting, or any kind of high stakes action set pieces. This was a story of human survival against the elements; and -- at the same time -- Brad Wright's script really tried to expand the playing field surrounding the whole mystery of these stargates. While others might dismiss it as being a bit too routine a procedural, I found it stirring and brilliant at the same time.
Well done, Stargate! Well done!
I know, I know, I know: those of you who are regular readers might be thinking right now, "What a minute! Isn't this guy who runs SciFiHistory.Net on record as saying he's not all that fond of the whole Stargate thing?" Yes, yes, and yes: that's true. I'd never argue otherwise. But -- as I always caution -- that doesn't mean I haven't watched it and found some of it quite good. In fact, of everything I experienced in the show's first season, this hour was really one of my favorites.
Officially, this was the seventeenth episode in the long-running program's first season; and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Following a Stargate technical defect, O'Neill and Carter are stranded next to a Stargate in a cave on an icy wasteland. O'Neill is severely wounded and both are freezing. Will the SGC find and rescue them in time?"
In case you're wondering, I liked the adventure because it really finally gave Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping the chance to show us their respective acting chops in the franchise. This wasn't a yarn about running around, shooting, or any kind of high stakes action set pieces. This was a story of human survival against the elements; and -- at the same time -- Brad Wright's script really tried to expand the playing field surrounding the whole mystery of these stargates. While others might dismiss it as being a bit too routine a procedural, I found it stirring and brilliant at the same time.
Well done, Stargate! Well done!
When I think about Zardoz -- a Science Fiction and Fantasy film with a heavy dose of social commentary that was first released fifty years ago today -- I stumble across that immortal snippet of dialogue (not from this film) that kinda/sorta encapsulates everyone's take on it: "I saw your film, man, and I loved it. What was it about?"
I say this because I'm not sure anyone has ever really made perfect sense of the world as depicted on the silver screen by John Boorman. Clearly, I'd insist that he was trying to say something about the world-at-large in here -- something about the human necessity to rise about against our oppressors and throw off the chains they've used to bind us for so long -- but the message gets truly lost along the way through more theatrical malarkey that you can throw a stick at. At times, it just seems like an endless parade of images all loosely connected with a light premise; and whatever lesson I'm supposed to glean from its madness just falls into chaos.
Still, the 1975 Hugo Awards recognized the motion picture with a nomination in their category of 'Best Dramatic Presentation' ... so what do I know?
I say this because I'm not sure anyone has ever really made perfect sense of the world as depicted on the silver screen by John Boorman. Clearly, I'd insist that he was trying to say something about the world-at-large in here -- something about the human necessity to rise about against our oppressors and throw off the chains they've used to bind us for so long -- but the message gets truly lost along the way through more theatrical malarkey that you can throw a stick at. At times, it just seems like an endless parade of images all loosely connected with a light premise; and whatever lesson I'm supposed to glean from its madness just falls into chaos.
Still, the 1975 Hugo Awards recognized the motion picture with a nomination in their category of 'Best Dramatic Presentation' ... so what do I know?
Naturally, there's more -- a pretty solid amount more -- over on February 6th's Daily Citation Page; and this is the point in our exchange wherein I encourage you folks to head on over there to check out all of the madness -- just plain madness -- for the sake of bringing you up to speed on the day. Here's the happy link ...
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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