When I first heard about the new Star Trek coming out, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait. But then I heard it was a reboot with a whole new cast. This bothered me a little, but eventually I swallowed my pride. The first news I heard on casting was that they chose Simon Peg as Scotty. Personally I thought that was a perfect choice. If anyone could play Scotty, he could. As time went on I heard more news on casting, some unknowns to me, some great choices. In all on cast, I feel that they couldn’t have chosen better on the cast. Chris Pine as Kirk was great, Zachary Quinto as the present day Spock was just about perfect, but the best casting I for any character in Star Trek was Karl Urban as “Bones”. He was able to truly portray that character.

You can tell they all had a lot of fun making Star Trek. It really showed through with the final product. The sets and effects were great. I found out that J.J. Abrams wanted to do as much as possible with practical special effects, and as little as possible with CGI. I believe this really showed through with the final product. I am a fan of practical effects though, so I might be a little bias.

Over all I have to give J.J. Abrams Star Trek a 9 out of 10. It shows drama, witty dialogue, great action sequences, and great film-making all in one package. If you haven’t seen it yet I suggest checking it out.

Image via Wikipedia

Journey to the Center of the Earth lobby card set image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Director Henry Levin and Twentieth Century-Fox delivered the Jules Verne classic Journey to the Center of the Earth to movie theaters in 1959. James Mason plays the academic adventurer, with Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl and Peter Ronson along for the subterranean descent.

Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth is based on the novel of the same name by noted science fiction writer Jules Verne (1828-1905). Titled Voyage au centre de la Terre in France, the book was first published by Pierre-Jules Hetzel in 1864.

Verne’s other works, many of which were also made into motion pictures, include such fantastic fare as Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) and The Mysterious Island (1875).

Henry Levin Directs Journey to the Center of the Earth

Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett wrote the screenplay for Cooga Mooga, Joseph L. Schenck Enterprises and Twentieth Century-Fox. Henry Levin (Cry of the Werewolf, Jolson Sings Again, April Love) directed. Bernard Hermann created the fabulous music score, with Leo Tover serving as cinematographer.

James Mason (Professor Oliver S. Lindendbrook), Pat Boone (Alec McEwen) and Arlene Dahl (Carla Goteborg) head the cast. Other players include Diane Baker (Jenny Lindenbrook), Thayer David (Count Saknussemm), Peter Ronson (Hans Belker), Robert Adler (Groom), Alan Napier (Dean), Alan Caillou (Rector), Mary Brady (Kirsty), Frederick Halliday (Chancellor), Alex Finlayson (Professor Bayle), Ben Wright (Paisley) and Red West (Bearded Man at Newspaper Stand).

Originally tapped to play Professor Lindenbrook and Count Saknussemm were Clifton Webb and Alexander Scourby, respectively. The ailing Webb, who never made it before the cameras, was replaced by James Mason. Scourby was deemed ineffective in the role of the evil Count and was let go in favor of the more sinister-looking Thayer David.

Pop music sensation Pat “White Bucks” Boone originally wasn’t interested in doing the picture. But after a talk with his agent, Boone signed on as the young Scot. It proved to be a good move, as Journey to the Center of the Earth became a hit and provided Boone with residual income for years to come.

Journey to the Center of the Earth Filmed at Carlsbad Caverns

Journey to the Center of the Earth was filmed primarily at New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Other locations used were Edinburgh University in Scotland and Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu, California. Little Lake and Fossil Falls in Lone Pine, California, served as the setting for Iceland.

L.B. Abbott, James B. Gordon and Emil Kosa Jr. were in charge of special effects, delivering an array of prehistoric monsters, giant mushrooms, a violent subterranean storm and other fantastic scenes in giant CinemaScope.

The Lindenbrook Expedition Discovers Atlantis

Journey to the Center of the Earth opens in 19th century Scotland, where Professor Oliver S. Lindenbrook discovers a cryptic inscription inside a piece of volcanic rock. Lindenbrook believes it’s a message from Arnie Saknussemm, the legendary explorer who descended into the bowels of the earth alone some 300 years ago and was never heard from again.

With young student Alec McEwen in tow, Professor Lindenbrook heads to Iceland where he hopes to duplicate Arnie Saknussemm’s journey. In Reykjavik, he finds that a rival, Professor Goteberg of Stockholm University, has been murdered in his hotel room. The leading suspect is Count Saknussemm, a descendant of the famous explorer who is planning a journey below as well.

Professor Goteborg’s widow, Carla, agrees to supply the Lindenbrook Expedition with all the necessary equipment from her late husband’s estate, with one stipulation: that she be allowed to accompany Lindenbrook on his journey. Reluctantly, Lindenbrook agrees, with Carla, Alec and a big, strapping Icelander named Hans Belker (along with his duck Gertrude) rounding out the team.

Following markers left by Arnie Saknussemm, the Lindenbrook party make their trek to the center of the earth. Along the way they encounter giant mushrooms, glowing rock formations, underground waterfalls, giant lizards, a vast subterranean ocean and the remnants of the lost continent of Atlantis.

Journey to the Center of the Earth Premieres in New York City

Journey to the Center of the Earth opened at New York City’s Paramount Theater on December 16, 1959.

“The true-blue sci-fi fan may find aspects of the picture ludicrous, but if one is willing to accept the film as one big spoof, it can turn out to be a fairly amusing entry,” observed Variety (12/9/59).

“Its main success is as a children’s film, one of the best to come along in some time…” opined Paul V. Beckley of The New York Herald Tribune (12/17/59).

“Good, clean, gaudy fun without a brain or a message in its pretty little head, which should be enough for anyone,” offered John P. Case in Films in Review (1/60).

Journey to the Center of the Earth Box Office, Trivia, DVD

• Journey to the Center of the Earth grossed $4.777 million, earning the #17 position on the list of the top moneymaking films of 1959.
• The film garnered three Oscar nominations: Best Color Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Special Effects and Best Sound.
• Pat Boone performs four songs: “The Faithful Heart,” “Twice as Tall,” “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose” and “My Heart’s in the Highlands.”
• On DVD: Journey to the Center of the Earth (Twentieth Century-Fox, 2003).

“I don’t sleep. I hate those little slices of death,” Count Saknussemm declares.

Giants lizards, a quacking duck, Pat Boone singing – no one else will sleep through this movie either…

First Men in the Moon lobby card set image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Director Nathan Juran and Columbia Pictures delivered the fantastic First Men in the Moon to movie theaters in 1964. Lionel Jeffries plays the eccentric scientist, with Edward Judd and Martha Hyer along for the moon trek.

H.G. Wells’ First Men in the Moon

First Men in the Moon is based on the novel of the same name by British author H.G. (Herbert George) Wells (1866-1946). First published in 1901 by George Newnes Ltd. of London, First Men in the Moon told the story of a businessman and scientist who undertake a journey to the moon using the latter’s invention, an anti-gravity compound called Cavorite.

First Men in the Moon was adapted for the silent screen 18 years later. Directed by Bruce Gordon and J.L.V. Leigh for Gaumont British Picture Corporation, this crude 1919 film featured Bruce Gordon, Heather Thatcher, Hector Abbas, Lionel d’Aragon and Cecil Morton York in the lead roles.

Nathan Juran Directs First Men in the Moon

Nigel Kneale and Jan Read penned the 1964 screenplay for Ameran Films and Columbia Pictures. Directing the action was Nathan Juran, whose previous science fiction credits included The Deadly Mantis (1957), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958).

Producer Charles H. Schneer employed Wilkie Cooper as cinematographer and Laurie Johnson as music director. The legendary Ray Harryhausen (It Came from Beneath the Sea, Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans) created the film’s dazzling special effects, with assistance from Les Bowie, Kit West and Bob Cuff.

First Men in the Moon Cast

Edward Judd (Arnold Bedford), Martha Hyer (Katherine “Kate” Callender) and Lionel Jeffries (Joseph Cavor) head the fine cast. Other players are Miles Malleson (Dymchurch Registrar), Norman Bird (Stuart), Gladys Henson (Nursing Home Matron), Hugh McDermott (Richard Challis), Betty McDowall (Margaret Hoy), Paul Carpenter (Express Reporter), Erik Chitty (Gibbs), Laurence Herder (Glushkov), Sean Kelly (Col. Rice), Marne Maitland (Dr. Tok), Gordon Robinson (Andrew Martin), John Murray Scott (Cosmonaut Nevsky) and Huw Thomas (Announcer).

Peter Finch makes an uncredited cameo appearance in the role of Bailiff’s Man. The visiting Finch was commandeered for the part when the assigned actor failed to show.

Filmed in the United Kingdom

First Men in the Moon was filmed in Chertsey and New Haw, United Kingdom. Shepperton Studios in the UK served as the film’s in-house production facility.

The movie was shot using Ray Harryhausen’s Dynamation Process, a filming technique that effectively combined live action with stop-motion in the same frame. Harryhausen had pioneered Dynamation while working on The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).

British Moon Landing in 1899

First Men in the Moon opens in 1964, where a United Nations expedition lands on the moon amidst great fanfare back on Earth. Exiting their spacecraft, the international team of explorers soon discover an old British Union Jack and a makeshift letter of proclamation claiming the moon for Queen Victoria.

The letter is eventually tracked down to one of its authors, Arnold Bedford, who is currently residing in a retirement home in England. Descended upon by the media, Bedford begins to relate his fantastic tale of 65 years ago.

In flashback form, the aged Bedford tells of his meeting with Professor Joseph Cavor, an eccentric genius who creates an anti-gravity compound called Cavorite. After applying the substance to a special sphere constructed in the laboratory, Cavor, Bedford and Bedford’s fiancee Kate Callender embark on a trip to the moon in 1899.

Donning special spacesuits, Bedford and Cavor exit the sphere, eventually descending into the moon’s interior where they discover an entire civilization populated by the insect-like Selenites. Back in the present day, Bedford issues a warning to the UN team as they began their underground descent.

First Men in the Moon Premieres in England

First Men in the Moon opened in England on August 16, 1964. It later came to American movie theaters on November 20, 1964.  

“Ray Harryhausen and his special effects men have another high old time in this piece of science-fiction hokum filmed in Dynamation,” reported Variety (8/5/64).

“At least First Men in the Moon is clean. And just as dull. Only the most indulgent youngsters should derive much stimulation – yet alone fun – from the tedious, heavy-handed science-fiction vehicle that arrived yesterday from England…” observed Howard Thompson of The New York Times (11/26/64).

First Men in the Moon Movie Memorabilia, DVD

• Auction results for original First Men in the Moon movie material courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries, Dallas, Texas: one sheet poster ($36), insert poster ($62), complete set of eight lobby cards ($69), six sheet poster ($131.45), half sheet poster ($83.65), French Grande poster ($191.20), Gold Key 1965 tie-in comic book very fine/near mint condition ($29).
• On DVD: H.G. Wells’ First Men in the Moon (Columbia, 2002).

“Poor Cavor! He did have such a terrible cold,” Edward Judd declares.

Remember that line…

Image of Alien Czech movie poster courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

“In space no one can hear you scream.” So promised the promotional material for Alien, Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi box-office hit starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver and Harry Dean Stanton.

Ridley Scott Directs Alien

Dan O’Bannon and  Ronald Shusett wrote Alien for Brandywine Productions and Twentieth Century-Fox. Originally tapped to direct the film was Arthur Hill, who was replaced by Ridley Scott. Three years later, Scott would also direct another science fiction classic, Blade Runner (1982).

Alien Cast

The lean cast is comprised of Tom Skerritt (Captain Dallas), Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash), Yaphet Kotto (Parker), Bolaji Badejo (Alien) and Helen Horton (Voice of Mother).  

Veronica Cartwright – light years away from her days as little Violet Rutherford on TV’s Leave It To Beaver (1957-63) – was originally slated to play Ripley. Jon Finch was first cast as Kane, but was replaced by John Hurt after Finch’s diabetes raged out of control.

Alien Filmed in England

Budgeted at $11 million, Alien was filmed from July to December 1978 at Shepperton and Bray Studios in England. Employed as atmospheric interior scenery for the spaceship Nostromo were shots from airplane graveyards.

As befitting a sci-fi movie of Alien’s stature, an array of props and special effects were used with deadly efficiency. Aside from the big seven-ton Nostromo, which was constructed as one piece, the next largest props were the adult alien and the accompanying alien architecture, designed by artist/sculptor H.R. Giger.

Other props employed included various models, movie-made extraterrestrial slime, two alien costumes (one worn by a stunt man and the other by a seven-foot tall Masia tribesman), colored water simulating blood, and 130 Hollywood-generated alien eggs.

In Space No One Can Hear You Scream

Alien opens in serene quiet, with the seven-man crew of the Nostromo making their way from Thedus to Earth in the year 2037. In suspended animation, the crew is awakened by MU-TH-R 182 – or “Mother – the ship’s computer, which has detected an unidentified SOS transmission.

As part of their contract, the Nostromo crew must investigate any intelligent communication in space. Disengaging from the spacecraft via the shuttle, Captain Dallas, Lambert and Kane head down to the source of the transmission, a foreboding planet called LV-426, which is characterized by extreme cold and howling winds.

Donning spacesuits, the three explorers encounter a petrified alien life form which they believe to be long extinct. Suddenly, Kane, the ship’s executive officer, is attacked by a creature, who attaches itself to his helmet visor.

Making their way back to the Nostromo, Dallas and company are initially denied entry by Ripley, who cites the 24-hour quarantine procedure. Ash, the science officer, overrides that order, and later attempts to remove the thing attached to Kane’s face with a laser scalpel. His effort produces an acid-like substance that spills onto the floor and begins eating its way through the ship.

The alien creature eventually detaches itself from Kane’s face, but it has left a little calling card inside. Mother, the ship’s all-knowing computer, had earlier determined that the transmission was not an SOS call as originally believed, but a dire warning to all space travelers.

Alien Release, Reviews

Alien was released on May 25, 1979.

“Plainly put, Alien is an old-fashioned scary movie set in a highly realistic sci-fi future…” reported Variety (5/23/79).

“Ridley Scott’s 1979 movie is a great original,” observed Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times (10/26/03).

Alien Box Office, Awards, Sequels, TV Guide Honors, DVD

• Alien grossed $40.3 million at the box office, good for the #5 position on the list of the top moneymaking films of 1979.
• Alien was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Effects/Visual Effects (won).
• Alien spawned three sequels: Aliens (1986), Alien3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997)
• Alien placed #3 on TV Guide’s list of the “20 Scariest Movies” of all time (10/17/98).
• Alien’s famous “Gut Buster” scene, in which a face-hugging space critter rips its way out of John Hurt’s belly at the dinner table, placed #41 on TV Guide’s list of “The Greatest Movie Moments of All Time” (3/24/01).
• On DVD: Alien Quadrilogy (20th Century Fox, 2003).

“Final report, the commercial starship Nostromo, third officer reporting,” Ripley intones at the end of the film.

Don’t forget to include Special Order 937 in that log…

Loosely based on the concept of Star Trek, and Star Trek conventions, the film begins at a convention for a fictional sci-fi television show called Galaxy Quest. The scenes at the convention manages to both make fun of science fiction uber-fans and treat that particular sub-culture with warmth and respect. There is even a nod to the idea that Star Trek had shaped some of our modern technology, and is therefore not as laughable as it might seem to some. Though not a Trekkie myself, geeks are my people, so I appreciated the warm-hearted take that this film has toward our ilk.

In the Kirk/Shatner role is Tim Allen, who does a brilliant job of taking the stereotypical impressions that Trek-lore has given about the actor and character and fleshing it out, creating a character that is whole and believable, even with the gonzo plot. Sigourney Weaver, who, in spite of her role in the infamous Ghostbusters movies is not known for her comedic acting is also surprisingly funny. Alan Rickman is sheer genius in the Spock/Nemoy role. Tony Shaloub’s laid back, stoner persona of the Scottie-esque character is all his own and works really well in this film. Sam Rockwell plays an “extra” cast member – an infamous red-shirt who is just along for the ride. (A “red-shirt” is one of those characters who appears once, does not have a last name, and typically dies within the first ten minutes of an episode of Star Trek, and in the fictional series of Galaxy Quest, this apparently also holds true.)

The plot is that the cast of Galaxy Quest makes an appearance at a convention – their acting careers reduced to public appearances at conventions and store openings – when Tim Allen’s character is approached by a group of aliens requesting his help. Believing the aliens to be another group of fans with their own take on aliens from the show, Allen agrees to help them negotiate with an enemy, assuming also that the negotiation is simply a way of discussing the terms of his personal appearance. It turns out that the aliens are real and have been watching Galaxy Quest, believing the television show to be historical documents rather than a fictional television program. From there, the entire cast of Galaxy Quest is taken to literally fill the roles that the show had created for them, with lots of space age hi-jinks. What is great about this movie is that while it uses gags that Star Trek fans will recognize as inside jokes, it manages to keep people who have never seen a single episode of Star Trek completely entertained.

One of the things that strikes me about this film as easily overlooked but remarkable is how the technical aspects came together. Think about it, with a plot like this, the director, cinematographer, props, costumes and special effects teams have to work together to give fake episodes of Galaxy Quest that retro sci-fi look, then they have to apply those visuals to the modern day earth world in a sci-fi convention setting, and then they have to make it look real when the characters are thrown into an actual space. The level of detail and expertise to basically create three entirely different fictional settings is mind-boggling, but it is done seamlessly – and the film itself is still laugh out loud funny. I definitely recommend this one for family viewing, and with a PG rating, its one of those to keep on the back-burner as holidays approach for when everyone gets sick of Jimmy Stewart and Bing Crosby.

Image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Director Roy Ward Baker and 20th Century-Fox brought Five Million Years to Earth to American movie theaters in 1968. James Donald and Andrew Keir play scientists trying to unravel the alien mystery, with beautiful Barbara Shelley as Donald’s redheaded assistant.

Nigel Kneale Writes Five Million Years to Earth

Nigel Kneale penned the screenplay based on his original 1958 BBC Television script, Quatermass and the Pit. That British serial had previously spawned two feature movies from Hammer Films: The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and Quatermass 2 (1957). The latter two pictures were subsequently released in the United States under the titles The Creeping Unknown (1956) and Enemy from Space (1957), respectively.

Roy Ward Baker (A Night to Remember, Scars of Dracula) directed. Tristram Cary created the eerie music score.

Five Million Years to Earth Cast

James Donald (Dr. Mathew Roney), Andrew Keir (Professor Bernard Quatermass) and Barbara Shelley (Barbara Judd) head the cast. Other players include Julian Glover (Colonel Breen), Duncan Lamont (Sladden), Bryan Marshall (Captain Potter), Peter Copley (Howell), Edwin Richfield (Minister), Grant Taylor (Police Sergeant Ellis), Maurice Good (Sergeant Cleghorn), Robert Morris (Jerry Watson) and Sheila Steafel (Journalist).

Filmed in England

Five Million Years to Earth was filmed on location in London. MGM British Studios in Borehamwood served as the film’s in-house production facility.

The movie’s fine special effects were done at minimal cost, with hordes of dead locust serving as the decaying Martians.

Alien Remains Uncovered in London

While building an extension to the London subway, workmen begin to uncover assorted bones and skeletons. Immediately called in are archaeologist Mathew Roney and his assistant Miss Judd from the Natural History Research Institute.

In addition to the skeletal remains, a strange missile is also unearthed. Professor Bernard Quatermass and military expert Colonel Breen initially believe that the missile may be some type of Nazi wonder weapon from World War II.

In time, Dr. Roney and company discover that the “missile” is in fact an ancient Martian spaceship. And although the original alien astronauts have long since passed into history, a demonic, extraterrestrial force remains in the buried pit.

Five Million Years to Earth Release, Reviews

Five Million Years to Earth was originally released in the United Kingdom as Quatermass and the Pit on November 9, 1967. It later opened in the United States on February 16, 1968.

“A long-dormant tribe from Mars, accidentally liberated by a London excavation, forms a good story peg but routine, somewhat distended development blunts impact of this British-made programmer,” reported Variety.

Film Analysis 

Five Million Years to Earth is a wild sci-fi film, one combining elements of Alien (1979) and The Exorcist (1973). This is not your standard monster invasion picture, but a slickly executed effort from the scary blokes at British-based Hammer Films.

The storyline is downright creepy, with subway construction workers uncovering old bones dating back some five million years ago. But the real treasure is the ancient spaceship, whose intact hull holds the preserved remains of the insect-like Martians.

James Donald (The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Great Escape) is excellent as the hero archaeologist. Also turning in a good performance is the fetching Barbara Shelley, whose upturned skirt provided the sex appeal for the film’s promotional material.

Five Million Years to Earth remains a darned good science fiction movie. One of the best scenes takes place near the end, where an alien apparition comes to life and psychically takes control of the onlookers’ minds.

Five Million Years to Earth DVD, Movie Memorabilia

• Five Million Years to Earth – under its original British title Quatermass and the Pit – is available on DVD (Anchor Bay, 1998).
• Auction results for original Five Million Years to Earth movie memorabilia, courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries, Dallas, Texas: one sheet poster ($60.95), lobby card set of eight ($191.20), insert poster ($25), window card ($15), French Grande poster ($35).

Image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

The terrifying technological future came in 1970 via Colossus: The Forbin Project. Eric Braeden plays the creator of an American supercomputer, with Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent and William Schallert in mainframe support.

D.F. Jones’ Colossus Novel

Colossus: The Forbin Project is based on the 1966 novel Colossus by British author D.F. Jones (1915-1981). It was the first book in his Colossus trilogy, followed by The Fall of Colossus (1974) and Colossus and the Crab (1977).

Joseph Sargent Directs Colossus

James Bridges wrote the screenplay for producer Stanley Chase and Universal Pictures. Joseph Sargent – who had worked primarily in television up to this point – directed. Michel Colombier created the movie’s techie music score.

Colossus: The Forbin Project Cast

Eric Braeden (Dr. Charles Forbin) and Susan Clark (Dr. Cleo Markham) head the cast. Other players include Gordon Pinsent (The President), William Schallert (CIA Director Grauber), Leonid Rostoff (Russian Chairman), Georg Stanford Brown (Dr. John F. Fisher), Willard Sage (Dr. Blake), Alex Rodine (Dr. Kuprin), Martin Brooks (Dr. Jefferson J. Johnson), Marion Ross (Angela Fields) and the venerable Paul Frees (Voice of Colossus).

Colossus Filmed at University of California – Berkeley 

A low-budget production, Colossus: The Forbin Project was filmed at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California - Berkeley; Tiber Island in Rome, Italy; and the California desert near Palmdale.

The main prop – mighty Colossus – was actually “played” by Universal Pictures’ payroll computer. Providing some $4.8 million worth of computer equipment along with the technicians to operate it was Control Data Corporation, who viewed the movie as an opportunity to showcase their hardware via the prominent CDC logo.

Colossus: Science Fiction Thriller

Dr. Charles Forbin and his team have created a new supercomputer called “Colossus.” The President announces that Colossus, housed in a Rocky Mountains fortress and powered by its own nuclear reactor, will now control all American and Allied atomic weapons, thus ushering in a new kind of military deterrence.

But the Americans are not alone in their technological endeavors, as the Soviet Union has also created its own supercomputer. The two machines begin communicating with each other, eventually becoming one. In time, the new, improved Colossus becomes the master, dictating terms to its now-humbled human inventors.

Premieres in New York City

Colossus: The Forbin Project premiered in New York City on April 8, 1970.

“It’s full of surprising moments of humor and intelligence, a practically perfect movie to see when you want to go to a movie and have nothing special in mind,” observed Vincent Canby of The New York Times (5/5/70).

Colossus Film Review

One has to admire Eric Braeden and Susan Clark. They play second banana to a bossy, conceited bag of bolts and carry it off with nary a snicker.

Colossus: The Forbin Project is one of those engaging sci-fi flicks warning against man’s dependence on machines. The first jolt in the movie comes early – right after the JFK-like President’s announcement – where Colossus declares: “There is another system.”

The “other system” is Guardian, the USSR’s own supercomputer which finds a soulmate  in Colossus. The two machines begin to “chatter,” eventually communicating in a form of mathematics previously unknown to their creators.

Director Joseph Sargent keeps the proceedings intense, as scientists Braeden and Clark – posing as man and wife – try to outsmart Colossus, which definitely means business when it detonates two nuclear missiles in their silos.

Colossus DVD, Stanley Chase Papers

• Colossus, which had a poor showing at the box office in 1970, is available on DVD (Universal, 2004).
• Producer Stanley Chase’s Colossus papers are housed at UCLA’s Charles E. Young Research Library.

“This is the voice of world control. I bring you peace. It may be the peace of plenty and content or the peace of unburied dead. The choice is yours. Obey me and live, or disobey and die,” Colossus declares.

Well, if you put it that way…

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes lobby card set image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

B-movie director Roger Corman and American International Pictures released X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes in 1963. Ray Milland has the title role, with Harold J. Stone and Don Rickles also along for the eye-popping ride.

Roger Corman Directs X

The venerable Roger Corman produced and directed X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes for Alta Vista Productions. Robert Dillon and Ray Russell penned the screenplay and Les Baxter created the eerie music score.

Ray Milland, who had won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend (1945), heads the cast as Dr. James Xavier. Other cast members include Diana Van der Vlis (Dr. Diane Fairfax), Harold J. Stone (Dr. Sam Brant), John Hoyt (Dr. Willard Benson), Don Rickles (Crane, Carnival Barker), Morris Ankrum (Mr. Bowhead) and John Dierkes (Preacher).

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes was a low-budget production, filmed in a scant three weeks for an estimated $250,000-300,000. The movie was shot in two locales: Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Ray Milland Sports X-Ray Vision

Dr. James Xavier is a scientist who invents special eye drops that enable humans to see beyond the normal scope of vision. Unable to secure continued funding for his trials, an impatient Xavier uses himself to road test his invention.

The doctor’s eye drops prove to be a real eye-opener, as he discovers that he can see through walls and people’s clothing. The drops also prove to be medically beneficial, with Xavier gazing into the body of a young girl and accurately diagnosing her condition.

Increased usage of the drops leads to complications, as Dr. Xavier can no longer see the world in normal terms. Fearing for his sanity, Xavier eventually wanders into a religious revival, where he is told by an evangelist, “If thine eye offends thee…pluck it out!”

X Release, Reviews

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes was released to movie theaters on September 18, 1963.

“Director Roger Corman keeps this moving and Ray Milland is competent as the doomed man. Special effects…are good if sometimes repetitive,” reported Variety.

X Movie Review

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is a fun, campy science fiction film with serious overtones. Like Them!(1954), The Fly (1958) and other sci-fi entries before it, X is also a cautionary tale, warning man that scientific dalliances into the unknown can have dire consequences.

Straitlaced Ray Milland has fun with the title role, using his X-ray vision for a variety of purposes: ogling “naked” female guests at a swinging party, working as a mind reader at a carnival, and hitting the smug casino stiffs for big bucks in Las Vegas.

X’s special effects, achieved through a process called Spectarama, are excellent, granting the viewer a good sense as to what the altered Milland is seeing. After experiencing a few of these mind-blowing visions, however, one wonders whether Milland’s character used eye drops or LSD.

X on DVD

• X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is available on DVD (MGM/UA Video, 2001).

“I’ve come to tell you what I see. There are great darknesses…And beyond the darkness, a light that glows, changes…and in the center of the universe…the eye that sees us all,” Ray Milland tells a preacher in the desert.

Heavy, but didn’t those old comic book ads for X-ray glasses pretty much promise the same thing?

This is a preview for the movie ‘2012′. On the surface, this looks like a doozy of a blockbuster; one of those movies that hits on Jurassic Park or Titanic proportions. One of those huge movies that looks like a bunch of blockbusters reproduced. It will undoubtedly produce billions of worldwide dollars.

But this movie will do well not only due to special effects (although, judging by the previews, it will sure help) but will do so because the subject hits home. Weather or not you actually believe the world will end in September of 2012, you have heard the reference. It’s reminiscent of Y2K. We may not believe it, but I suspect the world will be a very interesting place the second week of December that year. So is there really cause for concern? Is there any rational thought behind the thought of the apocalypse arriving in 2012? Let’s take a look.

Essentially, the Mayan indian tribe created a calender called the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. It is a calender that operates under the premise that time ‘began’ on August 11, 3114 b.c. This calender states that ‘time’ will last for 5,125 years, and as such ‘end’ the end of December, 2012. The Mayans, it should be noted, ceased to exist well over a thousand years ago.

Or so it would seem, anyway…

What we gather from these clips, I think, is that the Mayans were remarkable astronomers. And that like most ancient civilizations, highly superstitious. And as such, they filled in the blanks of knowledge with superstition. Since then, and especially as the date grows nearer, there will undoubtedly be a litany of scientists and prognosticators who will attempt to attach their name to this right up until the date itself. Then, just as we did with Y2K, we will chuckle to ourselves, breathe a sigh of relief, and convince ourselves that we knew all along. And relax… until the next time.

Drama queens that we are, we will wonder. We will wonder if the Earthquake and Tsunami from the other day are indicators. We will, perhaps, fill our gas tank on the 20th, pick up some extra things from the store and make sure we are with family that evening. Phone lines will be busy. And this, too, shall pass. It has before. It will again.

As you have seen the opening crawl of Star Wars: A New Hope (located at the bottom of this article), you might ask, why does every single Star Wars movie start like that. Well it’s because it summarizes the main conflict. Basically, today, I am going to make a “crawl” for all of you who have never watched Star Wars.

Lets start out with Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace. Put in three topics this movie is about understanding, courage, and what it means to be a Jedi. What is a Jedi? This is a definition according to http://starwars.wikia.com/ AJedi was a member of the Jedi Order, which studied, served and used the mystical energies of the Force; more specifically, the light side of the Force. The Jedi fought for peace and justice in the Galatic Republic, often against their mortal enemies, the Sith, who studied the dark side of the Force. Although the Order was twice almost destroyed, first by the Sith Empire of Darth Revan and 4,000 years later by the Great Jedi Purge of Darth Sidious , the Order lived on due in large part to the efforts of Luke Skywalker, who forged a New Jedi Order to defend first the New Republic, and later its successor, the Galatic Federation of Free Alliances. (All credit goes to Wookieepedia for providing this imformation for this article, for exact link visit http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi)

Now for the actual topic tracking of Episode One, Topic #1 Understanding. In this episode Anakin Skywalker (Later to be known as Darth Vader)understands that he has a special power, this power, of course, is the ability to bind the Force to his will. He then leaves with Jedi companions Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi after they sense with the Force this boys particular powers in the Force. Anakin then understands later on (actually much later on) what it is to be a Jedi, by following the discipline of Qui-Gon and the power of Obi-Wan.

Courage topic tracking for Episode One. Courage comes through both what Anakin and Obi-Wan accomplish within this movie. First for the courage of Anakin, after watching the movie (which, by the way, can usually be watched in segments on youtube) you learn that Anakin is very strong with the Force. His courage is shown when he flys the fighter craft, and pretty much blasts out the droids. This is courageous because, only being a child, he can take this aircraft and basically win the battle for the Gungans against the Droids. This takes real courage because he could have died and perhaps even killed the wrong people. Secondly, the courage of Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan shows physical and mental courage when he is practically beaten by Darth Maul, but when he calls upon his master’s lightsaber, he shows his courage by fighting a battle he might not even win, just to avenge Qui-Gon’s death. This takes much courage.

What does it mean to be a Jedi? To be a Jedi you must defend what is right, good, and just, not for selfish needs. To be a Jedi you must have discipline, focus, and mental toughness. To be a Jedi you must devote yourself, control yourself, and commit yourself. Anakin learns the first statement, but he really doesen’t quite grasp the selfishness, discipline, focus, mental toughness, commitment, devotion, and controlling parts. This ultimately leads to his downfall to the Dark Side. Just by watching Episode One you understand the underlined theme of all six movies, that being selfish, not mentally prepared can lead to evil, wrath, and pain. In the end Anakin has to pay the only thing no one could take from him, his very life. By doing this Anakin falls back to the Lightside of the Force, eternally.

(Three old friends finally make ends meet.)