Good morning, gentle readers, and welcome to On This Day In Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror History for Monday, March 18, 2024!
And ... while I'm at it ... let me be one of the first to say "Happy Monday!"
How was everyone's weekend? I know, I know, I know ... you'd rather not talk about that. It's Monday, after all, and that's generally the source of a lot of frustration and dismay. But, folks, you've gotta buck up and carry on, you know. That's what is best for all of us, after all, and it's what I expect from you.
Me?
Well, the weekend was pretty good. Nothing too crazy. We had a few errands to run, and we had Chinese at one of our favorite buffets in the Valley, so that was definitely good. Otherwise, it was a mostly lazy weekend, which we all need from time-to-time in order to properly rejuvenate. So there's that.
We also binged a non-SciFi show called Berlin. It's a kinda/sorta sequel to Netflix's Money Heist. The sequel was good, a bit different than its original inspiration, so that's nice, though. Interesting and fast-paced, for the most part. A good caper series. Some of you might wanna check it out.
But ... now? Let's get down to business.
And ... while I'm at it ... let me be one of the first to say "Happy Monday!"
How was everyone's weekend? I know, I know, I know ... you'd rather not talk about that. It's Monday, after all, and that's generally the source of a lot of frustration and dismay. But, folks, you've gotta buck up and carry on, you know. That's what is best for all of us, after all, and it's what I expect from you.
Me?
Well, the weekend was pretty good. Nothing too crazy. We had a few errands to run, and we had Chinese at one of our favorite buffets in the Valley, so that was definitely good. Otherwise, it was a mostly lazy weekend, which we all need from time-to-time in order to properly rejuvenate. So there's that.
We also binged a non-SciFi show called Berlin. It's a kinda/sorta sequel to Netflix's Money Heist. The sequel was good, a bit different than its original inspiration, so that's nice, though. Interesting and fast-paced, for the most part. A good caper series. Some of you might wanna check it out.
But ... now? Let's get down to business.
We often define our existence by the goodness or badness of our memories, and my high school years had a bit of both, probably not all that unlike everyone's. Still, I have nothing but fond memories for some of the shows I sat through, and one of the finer ones -- even with all of its blemishes -- was TV's The Greatest American Hero.
This Superhero/Comedy premiered on this day all the way back in 1981, and it told the story of High School teacher Ralph Hinckley who -- by a twist of Fate -- gets gifted with a suit that grants him a whole host of superpowers. He gets paired up with an aging FBI agent Bill Maxwell -- a guy who really has his own set of problems already -- and the two of them go about putting the suit to the best use they can in the pursuit of whatever justice shows up in a weekly procedural. Some of it was big, and some of it was small, but it was all done with a great deal of 'heart,' something the Mouse House and Marvel seem to have lost sight of these days.
Now, the show experienced a bit of controversy at one point: real-life baddie John Hinckley tried to impress actress Jodie Foster with his attempt at assassinating U.S. President Ronald Reagan ... so -- for a time -- producers of the show thought it best to change Ralph Hinckley's name to Ralph Hanley, a move that may've confused folks in the audience watching closely. If I remember correctly, the change didn't last all that long -- I believe they eventually changed it back -- and history was made, influenced by reality.
Again, I'm not going to even try convincing readers that this was a great show by any estimation. It was, however, a fun show ... and that's something in short supply on the Boob Tube these days. Check it out, if you're so inclined.
This Superhero/Comedy premiered on this day all the way back in 1981, and it told the story of High School teacher Ralph Hinckley who -- by a twist of Fate -- gets gifted with a suit that grants him a whole host of superpowers. He gets paired up with an aging FBI agent Bill Maxwell -- a guy who really has his own set of problems already -- and the two of them go about putting the suit to the best use they can in the pursuit of whatever justice shows up in a weekly procedural. Some of it was big, and some of it was small, but it was all done with a great deal of 'heart,' something the Mouse House and Marvel seem to have lost sight of these days.
Now, the show experienced a bit of controversy at one point: real-life baddie John Hinckley tried to impress actress Jodie Foster with his attempt at assassinating U.S. President Ronald Reagan ... so -- for a time -- producers of the show thought it best to change Ralph Hinckley's name to Ralph Hanley, a move that may've confused folks in the audience watching closely. If I remember correctly, the change didn't last all that long -- I believe they eventually changed it back -- and history was made, influenced by reality.
Again, I'm not going to even try convincing readers that this was a great show by any estimation. It was, however, a fun show ... and that's something in short supply on the Boob Tube these days. Check it out, if you're so inclined.
Unlike so many others who worship various storytellers these days, I tend to just try to be honest about what I like and/or dislike. Even the very best directors and screenwriters can let fans down -- especially when they get a bit too up close and personal with their respective vanity projects -- so I try to keep creatives at an arm's length, allowing them to simply be who they are and then sound off on their efforts. It just helps keep me grounded.
That said, I'm not of the contingent who thinks everything writer/director Luc Besson has done is "the best ever." In fact, I'm really hard-pressed to think of anything I've seen of his twice. Usually, I find it visually interesting, but the chacacters just don't do all that much for me. I realize that there's a cult built up around his 1997 effort -- The Fifth Element -- but, again, I'm off the mind that it's more hype than it is hard true. Sure, it's fun ... I just don't think it's all that great. But to each his own.
I think it was his 2012 flick Lockout -- an effort which saw him largely kinda/sorta disgraced for basically stealing the idea behind 1981's Escape From New York but setting it on a space station -- and I'm not certain he's ever really recovered. (I know, I know, I know: I don't know what I'm talking about.) But stylish visuals just can't overcome the flat ideas he runs with so much of the time, so I take him in small doses.
Now, I will admit that I love his stylish crime thrillers. His command of dialogue along with characters and situations in those efforts have been pretty top notch though occasionally a bit repetitive. He pretty much re-invigorated action flicks for a time with the Taken franchise, so I can still give credit where credit is due ... as should all of us. So say we all ... am I right?
Happy Birthday, Mr. Besson. Here's hoping you've got many years in the business still ahead of you.
That said, I'm not of the contingent who thinks everything writer/director Luc Besson has done is "the best ever." In fact, I'm really hard-pressed to think of anything I've seen of his twice. Usually, I find it visually interesting, but the chacacters just don't do all that much for me. I realize that there's a cult built up around his 1997 effort -- The Fifth Element -- but, again, I'm off the mind that it's more hype than it is hard true. Sure, it's fun ... I just don't think it's all that great. But to each his own.
I think it was his 2012 flick Lockout -- an effort which saw him largely kinda/sorta disgraced for basically stealing the idea behind 1981's Escape From New York but setting it on a space station -- and I'm not certain he's ever really recovered. (I know, I know, I know: I don't know what I'm talking about.) But stylish visuals just can't overcome the flat ideas he runs with so much of the time, so I take him in small doses.
Now, I will admit that I love his stylish crime thrillers. His command of dialogue along with characters and situations in those efforts have been pretty top notch though occasionally a bit repetitive. He pretty much re-invigorated action flicks for a time with the Taken franchise, so I can still give credit where credit is due ... as should all of us. So say we all ... am I right?
Happy Birthday, Mr. Besson. Here's hoping you've got many years in the business still ahead of you.
Well, holy mother of dragons!
It was on this day all the way back in the year 1910 that the immortal character of Frankenstein -- that singular Mary Shelley creation -- was first brought to the silver screen by no less that inventor Thomas Edison. This incarnation of ol' Frank was actually believed to have been lost for decades: I think I read that a copy for finally discovered in the mid-1970's, so it's good that it's been available for study along with celebration.
But ... wow. The original theatrical adaptation of Frankenstein turns an incredible 114 years young today ... and that's saying something, indeed.
It was on this day all the way back in the year 1910 that the immortal character of Frankenstein -- that singular Mary Shelley creation -- was first brought to the silver screen by no less that inventor Thomas Edison. This incarnation of ol' Frank was actually believed to have been lost for decades: I think I read that a copy for finally discovered in the mid-1970's, so it's good that it's been available for study along with celebration.
But ... wow. The original theatrical adaptation of Frankenstein turns an incredible 114 years young today ... and that's saying something, indeed.
With an astonishing 67 different genre trivia bits and blurbs for you to celebrate, it's pretty clear that there's an awful lot more waiting for you to ponder; and this is the point wherein I encourage you to head on over and check out the deets. Here's the helpful link:
As always, thank you for reading ... thank you for sharing ... thank you for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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