Good afternoon, gentle readers, and welcome to 'On This Day In Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror History' for Friday, April 5, 2024!
You read that right ... it's F-R-I-D-A-Y!!! (cue the music and merriment)
Oh, yeah, it's great to know that we're kinda/sorta through another week. While those of us who are a bit older might not exactly relish that fact, we can certainly understand and appreciate the mindset of so, so, so many who really work for the weekend. There's nothing wrong with it, either. It's just that ... well ... when you young skulls are a bit older, then you'll understand full well what I mean.
Have I mentioned how much I hate the word 'diverse?'
No, no, and no: don't call the PC police on me. (That's happened, you know, and I fought the law, for the record, and the law didn't win.) My point is that the stewards of what is perceived to be 'politically correct' have truly ruined that word for me, what with diversity initiatives, diversity quotas, and diversity superheroes. Regular readers here know that I'm all in favor of 'diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks,' but what I irrepressibly loath are the presumed cultural betters showing that garbage all up in our faces, down our throats, and anywhere else they can. (I'll tell them where they can stick it.) But when it gets to the point wherein we turn our dissatisfaction to the language -- hating individual words for what they've become -- I do think we've taken it a bridge too far.
Again: feel free to disagree. SciFiHistory.Net isn't always about "our" opinions. As the sole proprietor to this donut shop, I'm (largely) free to do what I wish, and many letter writers have sounded off to me in private. That's fine. I don't do this entirely for the sake of mankind -- certainly, not the stuff on this MainPage -- but I do hope all of mankind can see the value in celebrating that which came before us in the realms of the Fantastic. That's my chief goal, but -- as I said -- any and all are free to disagree with me on any cultural issue that they will. That's your right. And you can always ask for your money back. (snicker snicker snicker)
But ... let's set that aside, shall we? Let's get down to bid'ness, and let's see what the Gods of Entertainment have delivered to the world-at-large on this day.
You read that right ... it's F-R-I-D-A-Y!!! (cue the music and merriment)
Oh, yeah, it's great to know that we're kinda/sorta through another week. While those of us who are a bit older might not exactly relish that fact, we can certainly understand and appreciate the mindset of so, so, so many who really work for the weekend. There's nothing wrong with it, either. It's just that ... well ... when you young skulls are a bit older, then you'll understand full well what I mean.
Have I mentioned how much I hate the word 'diverse?'
No, no, and no: don't call the PC police on me. (That's happened, you know, and I fought the law, for the record, and the law didn't win.) My point is that the stewards of what is perceived to be 'politically correct' have truly ruined that word for me, what with diversity initiatives, diversity quotas, and diversity superheroes. Regular readers here know that I'm all in favor of 'diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks,' but what I irrepressibly loath are the presumed cultural betters showing that garbage all up in our faces, down our throats, and anywhere else they can. (I'll tell them where they can stick it.) But when it gets to the point wherein we turn our dissatisfaction to the language -- hating individual words for what they've become -- I do think we've taken it a bridge too far.
Again: feel free to disagree. SciFiHistory.Net isn't always about "our" opinions. As the sole proprietor to this donut shop, I'm (largely) free to do what I wish, and many letter writers have sounded off to me in private. That's fine. I don't do this entirely for the sake of mankind -- certainly, not the stuff on this MainPage -- but I do hope all of mankind can see the value in celebrating that which came before us in the realms of the Fantastic. That's my chief goal, but -- as I said -- any and all are free to disagree with me on any cultural issue that they will. That's your right. And you can always ask for your money back. (snicker snicker snicker)
But ... let's set that aside, shall we? Let's get down to bid'ness, and let's see what the Gods of Entertainment have delivered to the world-at-large on this day.
Well, well, well ...
Why, it was just the other day that I sounded off on the wider works of 'the Horror Master' himself -- John Carpenter -- when I reminded my audience that his incarnation of The Thing (1982) fell short (in my opinion) of being the storyteller's greatest work of fiction. (For the record, that will always be 1981's Escape From New York.) And what have we here just a few days later? Why, that would be the original The Thing From Another World, the 1951 original directed (in part) by Howard Hawks that ultimately served as inspiration to Carpenter to go in a marginally different and vastly more bloody direction.
Wow: you read that right, that The Thing From Another World is an astonishing 73 years young today!
Because I'm not opposed to the controversy, can I just say that, yes, I prefer the original over Carpenter's version? Now, I don't dislike what the Horror Master did with it; in fact, his production remains revolutionary in its own right. Still, the original had that old movie charm wherein great actors stood around and talked a bit more, giving me -- as an audience member -- a bit more to chew on. I'm renowned for liking great dialogue, and -- to my surprise when I first saw it -- The Thing From Another World is downright chatty in the first half. It's a great back-and-forth between the whole ensemble; and I strongly encourage those of you who haven't seen it to take it in at some point. Maybe put it on your bucket list. Yes, I think it's that good.
A year or two back, I convinced the local theater chain mogul to showcase 1956's Forbidden Planet as part of its weekly Classic film line-up. (For those unaware, Harkins has this Tuesday Night Classics series that's good and bad.) While I can say that Planet didn't exactly play to standing room only crowds, there was a respectable turnout. And why not? Which of us in fandom wouldn't want to see it on the big screen. Well, I bring that up because now I think I'll make it my life's mission to see The Thing From Another World given the same big screen screening. I'd truly love to see it there.
Why, it was just the other day that I sounded off on the wider works of 'the Horror Master' himself -- John Carpenter -- when I reminded my audience that his incarnation of The Thing (1982) fell short (in my opinion) of being the storyteller's greatest work of fiction. (For the record, that will always be 1981's Escape From New York.) And what have we here just a few days later? Why, that would be the original The Thing From Another World, the 1951 original directed (in part) by Howard Hawks that ultimately served as inspiration to Carpenter to go in a marginally different and vastly more bloody direction.
Wow: you read that right, that The Thing From Another World is an astonishing 73 years young today!
Because I'm not opposed to the controversy, can I just say that, yes, I prefer the original over Carpenter's version? Now, I don't dislike what the Horror Master did with it; in fact, his production remains revolutionary in its own right. Still, the original had that old movie charm wherein great actors stood around and talked a bit more, giving me -- as an audience member -- a bit more to chew on. I'm renowned for liking great dialogue, and -- to my surprise when I first saw it -- The Thing From Another World is downright chatty in the first half. It's a great back-and-forth between the whole ensemble; and I strongly encourage those of you who haven't seen it to take it in at some point. Maybe put it on your bucket list. Yes, I think it's that good.
A year or two back, I convinced the local theater chain mogul to showcase 1956's Forbidden Planet as part of its weekly Classic film line-up. (For those unaware, Harkins has this Tuesday Night Classics series that's good and bad.) While I can say that Planet didn't exactly play to standing room only crowds, there was a respectable turnout. And why not? Which of us in fandom wouldn't want to see it on the big screen. Well, I bring that up because now I think I'll make it my life's mission to see The Thing From Another World given the same big screen screening. I'd truly love to see it there.
It probably goes without saying that each of us would like to be remembered for something. Some of us spend our lives in pursuits of excellence in any number of disciplines, but when we reach our final destination I think it's natural to look back and ask, "What did I do that might last beyond my days?"
Well ...
How would you like to be the guy remembered for delivering one of the world's biggest, boldest, and baddest franchises to worldwide audiences?
That's what the name Albert R. Broccoli means to me, anyway. The guy apparently knew a good thing when he saw it, and that good thing turned out to be the spy books of Ian Fleming. He paired up with Harry Saltzman -- the gentleman who secured the rights to any film adaptations -- and Eon Productions Ltd. formed as a result. They cast Sean Connery to headline their first outing as Agent 007 James Bond of Her Majesty's Secret Service ... and film history was made.
Where are they now?
Decades later, the Bond franchise (according to the latest Google.com information) has a legacy of twenty-five different productions, and that catalog of titles has amassed just short of an incredible $8 billion in box office receipts.
How do you like them apples?
Or do you prefer martinis? Shaken? Not stired?
Though he's no longer with us, Broccoli was born on this day in 1909.
Well ...
How would you like to be the guy remembered for delivering one of the world's biggest, boldest, and baddest franchises to worldwide audiences?
That's what the name Albert R. Broccoli means to me, anyway. The guy apparently knew a good thing when he saw it, and that good thing turned out to be the spy books of Ian Fleming. He paired up with Harry Saltzman -- the gentleman who secured the rights to any film adaptations -- and Eon Productions Ltd. formed as a result. They cast Sean Connery to headline their first outing as Agent 007 James Bond of Her Majesty's Secret Service ... and film history was made.
Where are they now?
Decades later, the Bond franchise (according to the latest Google.com information) has a legacy of twenty-five different productions, and that catalog of titles has amassed just short of an incredible $8 billion in box office receipts.
How do you like them apples?
Or do you prefer martinis? Shaken? Not stired?
Though he's no longer with us, Broccoli was born on this day in 1909.
Ohh, I'll bet there's not a one of you young pups out there in Readerland right now who've even heard the name of Robert Bloch. Hell, I'd even wager good money (not great money) that a fair number of my contemporaries have never heard it, and that's a damn dirty shame, indeed.
Well, Bloch got his creative start toiling away as a protege of genre master H.P. Lovecraft who discovered the young man's skill at slinging words on the page and encouraged him to buckle down and make a writer of himself. And a career was made with Bloch's time in the limelight stretching a mind-blowing 60 years in the publishing business. Chiefly known for stories in Fantasy and Horror, he was also known to dabble just a wee bit outside the lines in Science Fiction and Mystery ... and, yet, I'll still bet you've heard little of his exploits.
Well, let me name a few, shall I?
Not long after breaking ground in Science Fiction Radio dramas of the 1950's (such as Dimension X and X Minus One), Bloch's impressive sixth novel -- a little something-something called Psycho -- ended up being adapted for the silver screen by Hollywood heavyweight Alfred Hitchcock. (Ohhh! Now you've heard of him, eh?)
In 1962, Bloch delivered a screenplay for the flick The Cabinet Of Caligari for Associated Producers.
In 1965, the silver screen release of The Skull was adapted from one of the author's short stories.
On top of crafting three episodes for the 1960's television phenomenon Star Trek ("What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "Catspaw," and "Wolf In The Fold"), the man also turned in scripts for such genre entries as The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Journey To The Unknown, Night Gallery, Gemini Man, Tales From the Unexpected, and Tales From The Darkside.
Heard of him now?
Though he's no longer with us, Bloch was born on this day in 1917.
Well, Bloch got his creative start toiling away as a protege of genre master H.P. Lovecraft who discovered the young man's skill at slinging words on the page and encouraged him to buckle down and make a writer of himself. And a career was made with Bloch's time in the limelight stretching a mind-blowing 60 years in the publishing business. Chiefly known for stories in Fantasy and Horror, he was also known to dabble just a wee bit outside the lines in Science Fiction and Mystery ... and, yet, I'll still bet you've heard little of his exploits.
Well, let me name a few, shall I?
Not long after breaking ground in Science Fiction Radio dramas of the 1950's (such as Dimension X and X Minus One), Bloch's impressive sixth novel -- a little something-something called Psycho -- ended up being adapted for the silver screen by Hollywood heavyweight Alfred Hitchcock. (Ohhh! Now you've heard of him, eh?)
In 1962, Bloch delivered a screenplay for the flick The Cabinet Of Caligari for Associated Producers.
In 1965, the silver screen release of The Skull was adapted from one of the author's short stories.
On top of crafting three episodes for the 1960's television phenomenon Star Trek ("What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "Catspaw," and "Wolf In The Fold"), the man also turned in scripts for such genre entries as The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Journey To The Unknown, Night Gallery, Gemini Man, Tales From the Unexpected, and Tales From The Darkside.
Heard of him now?
Though he's no longer with us, Bloch was born on this day in 1917.
Once again, gentle readers, we've reached that part of the Daily Genre Affirmation wherein its my scholarly duty to remind you that there's more -- and at a mind-bending 69 different citations there's a lot more -- over on the page for April 5th. As is my custom, I'll always encourage you to head on over to that space to check it all out and perform your own deep dive into the minutae as it's what our founding fathers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror would expect from each of you. Don't delay!
As always, thank you for reading ... thank you for sharing ... thank you for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
RSS Feed