Drive-in delight. I remember going to see “The Devil’s Rain” at a local drive-in sometime in autumn of 1975. A warm breeze (and lots of cheese) was in the air that night. My then-8 year old self took in an unhealthy number of demographically unsuitable movies in those days, but I didn’t care. I loved…
Star Trek: Discovery, S3.2: “Far From Home” returns to tomorrow…
Last time on Star Trek: Discovery. *****SPACE ICEBERG-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD!**** Last week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery, S3.1: “That Hope is You, Part 1,” saw Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery propelled 930 years into a 32nd century where the Federation had fallen over a century earlier due to a galaxy-wide event known as “The…
“Re-Animator” (1985) is still kicking and screaming after 35 years…
Forbidden Treat for Halloween. In the fall of 1985, I remember watching famed TV movie critics Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel reviewing a new horror movie called “Re-Animator” (based very loosely on H.P. Lovecraft’s 1922 serialized story, “Herbert West, Re-Animator”) which was apparently so grisly they could only show a couple of very short, innocuous…
Star Trek: Discovery, S3.1: “That Hope is You, Part 1,” enters a brave new world…
****STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD!**** Last Time On Star Trek: Discovery… In those pre-pandemic days of early 2019, the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Discovery “Such Sweet Sorrow,” part 2 saw the 23rd century Federation starship USS Discovery being led by science officer Michael Burnham, in her time travel suit, through an artificially created wormhole to…
Still going ‘a little mad sometimes’ for 1960’s “Psycho”…
*IF YOU’VE NEVER SEEN “PSYCHO”, READ NO FURTHER! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!* Had to get that out of the way, because it’s pretty much impossible to write a meaningful essay about Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic, “Psycho” without spoilers. I grew up with this movie; probably first saw it sometime before my teen years, but always…
“The Right Stuff” (2020) reboot’s launch has yet to achieve escape velocity…
Tom Wolfe’s Book. I have such vivid memories of author Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book, “The Right Stuff”; primarily because I delivered a book report on it in high school, but didn’t have time to read the book! Fortunately, I was already a space fanatic who knew the names of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts…
2009’s “Daybreakers” is a sci-fi take on vampirism with new relevance today…
Exposure. Just over ten years ago, I went to see an intriguing, low-budget ($20 million) horror/sci-fi flick from two guys I’d never heard of… brothers Michael & Peter Spierig; two young filmmakers who’d crafted an intriguing story of humans being an endangered species in a very near-future (only ten years away) where a plague from…
Strike up the band! Mart Crowley’s classic play/film, “Boys in the Band” is remade for Netflix…
To regular readers; I’m breaking a bit from my usual sci-fi inspired musings to offer a recommendation for what I consider one of the most profound ensemble dramas I’ve ever seen. I first saw the 1970 film of “Boys in the Band” back in my teens (during the early 1980s), and it’s stayed with me…
Netflix’s “Ratched” (2020) flies around the Cuckoo’s Nest…
Nursing Ratched. ***** SPOILERS AHEAD! ***** 1975 saw the release of director Milos Forman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The movie went several Oscars, including Best Picture (beating “JAWS”–blasphemy!) and a well-deserved Best Actress award for Louise Fletcher for her iconic performance as the cold, dominating Nurse Mildred…
Why Mr. Spock truly is the center of the Star Trek universe…
“Spock, Serial number S179-276SP. Verified.” The following is not just the opinion of a huge fan of the character of Mr. Spock (I am, but that’s another story). It is intended to be a quite logical analysis of Mr. Spock’s very central role in the Star Trek universe, and how he has a splay-fingered hand…
“Kolchak: The Night Stalker” (1974-5) was a pulpy mix of Columbo and Scooby Doo…
A very different era. In order to understand and appreciate this series I’m about to get into, modern readers should understand that the 1970s were a very different era; we’re talking nearly a half-century ago. When watching many shows of that time today, there are many casually sexist/racist terms, cultural appropriations and other unwitting offenses…
“ALIENS” (1986) took a lone monster and turned it into an army…
Haunted House In Space. Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece “ALIEN” took a simple, 1950s ‘monster on a spaceship’ B-movie story and wrapped it in glossy, A-movie production design and quality. Its status among fans has since become legendary, on a par with horror films such as “The Exorcist” and “Psycho” as well as sci-fi…
