Good morning, gentle readers, and welcome to Monday, April 15th, 2024 ... the start of another whole new week ... and here's your 'On This Day In Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror History' for this great day!
Well, well, well ... how was everyone's weekend?
Mine was a little wacky. I was on the tail end of another sinus bug or something. Just kinda/sorta knocked me for a loop. Affects my energy level, mostly, but I'm well on-the-mend as of this morning. A bit scratchy in the throat, and it's drippy, too ... but well over the hump and on the road to wellness once more.
So it was a reasonably low-key weekend, as a result. We did manage to squeeze in a viewing of 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me at the local bargain theater. They're in the midst of a James Bond series, showing a few of the older ones. I think next up in Goldeneye -- which we'll likely also take in -- but I believe that's the last one. They're also alternating them with (ugh) the Austin Powers flicks for some reason. I only cared for the first one of those, so I'll not likely be seeing any of them on the silver screen again. Just not my stuff.
We also had the good fortune of discovering an all-new craft-style store in our area. It's one of those big spaces that's set-up for individual vendors to display their various wares; and -- wowza -- it's pretty amazing. So many folks these days have so many great talents that it's honestly just fabulous to kinda/sorta walk and look at what they can do. Granted -- and I don't mean this to sound sexist at all, folks -- a good deal of what's up there on display is far more for the ladies (or self-identifying ladies); and yet every now and then some merchant realizes that the men in their lives also need a bit of pampering. I did come across some interesting Star Wars items -- clearly not authorized, as these are c-r-a-f-t-s, like I said -- but they look just incredible, all the same.
Well, well, well ... how was everyone's weekend?
Mine was a little wacky. I was on the tail end of another sinus bug or something. Just kinda/sorta knocked me for a loop. Affects my energy level, mostly, but I'm well on-the-mend as of this morning. A bit scratchy in the throat, and it's drippy, too ... but well over the hump and on the road to wellness once more.
So it was a reasonably low-key weekend, as a result. We did manage to squeeze in a viewing of 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me at the local bargain theater. They're in the midst of a James Bond series, showing a few of the older ones. I think next up in Goldeneye -- which we'll likely also take in -- but I believe that's the last one. They're also alternating them with (ugh) the Austin Powers flicks for some reason. I only cared for the first one of those, so I'll not likely be seeing any of them on the silver screen again. Just not my stuff.
We also had the good fortune of discovering an all-new craft-style store in our area. It's one of those big spaces that's set-up for individual vendors to display their various wares; and -- wowza -- it's pretty amazing. So many folks these days have so many great talents that it's honestly just fabulous to kinda/sorta walk and look at what they can do. Granted -- and I don't mean this to sound sexist at all, folks -- a good deal of what's up there on display is far more for the ladies (or self-identifying ladies); and yet every now and then some merchant realizes that the men in their lives also need a bit of pampering. I did come across some interesting Star Wars items -- clearly not authorized, as these are c-r-a-f-t-s, like I said -- but they look just incredible, all the same.
Both are -- obviously -- very, very cool artwork inspired by the classic space saga. They're carved on slate. The R2D2 is essentially a coaster, but the other one is reasonably larger, and it's definitely meant as an item more to be displayed (like artwork). Again, these were damn lovely; and who knows? Maybe I'll pick one or both up at some point now that the store is open for business. It is fairly rare to stumbled across stuff like this made for genre fans such as myself, so I do love to call a bit of attention to it when I see it as it just tickles my fancy.
But let's get down to business, shall we? Let's take a look at a few of the highlights involving genre history today, and maybe this will inspire each of us to engage in our own little craftwork, eh?
But let's get down to business, shall we? Let's take a look at a few of the highlights involving genre history today, and maybe this will inspire each of us to engage in our own little craftwork, eh?
I've always been a big fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy shows that spend time exploring what life on our world could be like following an invasion or conflict of some sort, and on this day back in 2013 an all-new one tried to give that whole idea a different spin. Defiance lasted for three seasons; and -- if I'm being honest -- I only stuck with it through its first season as it just didn't do much for me.
I loved setting it in kinda/sorta middle America -- a place that doesn't get a whole lot of coverage in genre works -- and it definitely had a good cast ... but like so many shows I think this one settled a bit too soon into plotlines a tad wee too domestic to really challenge folks to hang along with it. I've heard from some that it developed a bit more in seasons two and three, and that's great to hear. But time is precious, and if you don't hook me pretty much right out of the gate then I'm inclined to begin shifting my attentions elsewhere. Though I thought it had solid promise (as I said, I did give it a whole season), it just didn't look like it was going to to anything fresh ... so I tuned out.
Still, kudos for it being around. Fans might wanna look this one up and invest some time in it as a streaming/binging choice. I have found that the episodic nature of some programs don't serve it well -- we have to wait seven days between helpings, and sometimes that delay works against the momentum -- and who knows? Maybe being able to digest multiple hours in a single sitting might do wonders for it.
I loved setting it in kinda/sorta middle America -- a place that doesn't get a whole lot of coverage in genre works -- and it definitely had a good cast ... but like so many shows I think this one settled a bit too soon into plotlines a tad wee too domestic to really challenge folks to hang along with it. I've heard from some that it developed a bit more in seasons two and three, and that's great to hear. But time is precious, and if you don't hook me pretty much right out of the gate then I'm inclined to begin shifting my attentions elsewhere. Though I thought it had solid promise (as I said, I did give it a whole season), it just didn't look like it was going to to anything fresh ... so I tuned out.
Still, kudos for it being around. Fans might wanna look this one up and invest some time in it as a streaming/binging choice. I have found that the episodic nature of some programs don't serve it well -- we have to wait seven days between helpings, and sometimes that delay works against the momentum -- and who knows? Maybe being able to digest multiple hours in a single sitting might do wonders for it.
Back in the days when you could seriously count on genre programming to have some quality guest stars, Michael Ansara was definitely one to watch.
Like so many of his generation, the guy seemed like a work-horse: he'd show up for whatever project he booked, and he'd pretty much chew scenery the way a true talent could no matter how much screen time he was given. Some discerning viewers might dismiss such an approach as cheap and/or superficial, but there's something to the skills of morphing into an authoritative bad-ass 'on the fly' (as so many had to do years before), and Ansara was one of the small screen's great villains, especially in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Thankfully, he was around long enough to dabble in multiple incarnations of Star Trek, and his was a face I noticed in other properties whenever he turned in. His is the kind of work audiences used to rely on, but -- alas -- Hollywood's need to push 'beta males' to the forefront means we might not see his likes again ... or, at least, any time soon.
Though he's no longer with us, Ansara was born on this day in 1922.
Like so many of his generation, the guy seemed like a work-horse: he'd show up for whatever project he booked, and he'd pretty much chew scenery the way a true talent could no matter how much screen time he was given. Some discerning viewers might dismiss such an approach as cheap and/or superficial, but there's something to the skills of morphing into an authoritative bad-ass 'on the fly' (as so many had to do years before), and Ansara was one of the small screen's great villains, especially in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Thankfully, he was around long enough to dabble in multiple incarnations of Star Trek, and his was a face I noticed in other properties whenever he turned in. His is the kind of work audiences used to rely on, but -- alas -- Hollywood's need to push 'beta males' to the forefront means we might not see his likes again ... or, at least, any time soon.
Though he's no longer with us, Ansara was born on this day in 1922.
Folks as always, there's more ... and with a mind-blowing 82 different genre trivia citations for this day alone I suspect that there's something there for everyone. This is the point wherein I enourage all of you to head on over and begin your own deep dive into the realms of the Fantastic because adventure awaits ...
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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