Star Trek (TOS, ENT, TNG), SG1, SGU, Firefly, BSG (old and new), Farscape, and Buck Rodgers are my favorite Sci-fi shows. I'm sure I missed a couple.
Among others.
I've always enjoyed Star Trek too, having first watched it in syndication and The Animated Series when I was a kid in the 1970s. But Rick Berman's take on the universe in TNG and the other successor shows just annoyed me. And being a Romulan fan, I always thought that the producers never had a clue about what to do with them other than make them occasional villains of the week. A lot of missed potential there (and I am probably one of the few fans out there that really liked Nemesis with Tom Hardy as Picard's evil clone).
Have to admit my all-time favorite now is Babylon 5.
Have to admit my all-time favorite now is Babylon 5.
The 2016 Hugo Awards nominations have been announced: http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2016-hugo-awards/ (http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2016-hugo-awards/)
Loved that show..
I hear that SJW's Always Lie was nominated... which is awesome.
Yes, there were several Castalia House / Rabid Puppy works nominated. ^-^
May I ask, what's your current work in progress...?
Oh yes, Babylon 5 was my favorite show of the 90s.
My current favorites, I think, are the Arrow-verse shows on The CW: The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7mo556VXsM/VyBn2DnXz0I/AAAAAAAACdY/hcVjwzVgLXowCUa_e-Ucv5xtTkzx433rwCLcB/s200/pinkmooncover.jpg)
This is the first cover concept I had for the novella, it's really simplified. The main characters power first showed when she was 3 and caught in a raging apartment fire. It didn't bother her....
Looks neat..
Yep. I watched it in college. Now I have all the seasons on DVD. (if it ever comes out on Blu-ray... I'll upgrade it). I really thought the season four finale - The Deconstruction of Falling Stars - was the best hour-long TV show episode I'd ever seen.
And to have part of it imitating "A Canticle for Liebowitz" was just briliant.
and then someone gifted me a more regular-looking cover, lol. I'll think when I am done I will post the professional-looking one. The little girl in the flame pic is now what I am using as my FB avatar. I'll use it for something I am sure.
A cover for Second Front is going to be tougher. I had a simple mock-up on my blog.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jWy9YqTfdW4/VguNWl_2YHI/AAAAAAAABkc/FoUwACCHEko/s200/secfrontcover.jpg)
I would hate to have to launch it with the mock-up as the cover.
Does this count as Science Fiction?
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhqoYUeNAgQ/VdieLELT4PI/AAAAAAAAMwk/04wJ1maitqA/s400/mst3k.gif)
looks like a good show
Does this count as Science Fiction?
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhqoYUeNAgQ/VdieLELT4PI/AAAAAAAAMwk/04wJ1maitqA/s400/mst3k.gif)
My current favorite is The Expanse.. Excellent show.
I haven't seen it, but I've read a lot of good things about it. I loved Defiance, when it was on SyFy. (hate that name, btw)
I agree on the Deconstruction of Falling Stars was the best hour long TV show.
Space Raptor Butt Invasion
The current meme are Nazi lizards from the center of the earth.
Check this out:
That looks... intriguing! Like a cross between Interstellar and The Martian...
*hmmmm*
I have the reissue of the original Illuminati card game (the one from the early 1980s).
Oh yes, Babylon 5 was my favorite show of the 90s.
My current favorites, I think, are the Arrow-verse shows on The CW: The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.
I have a small offering if anyone is interested. Little novel called Cat's Claw. It's sci-fi, written in the style of the old movie serials.
There's a blurb and a sample chapter on my website, if anyone wants to read it though, just drop me a PM and I'll hook you up with a copy.
I can do it as long as it starts after next Sunday. I'm writing a 15-page paper at the moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqb9Ylm49M8
"Collabor8te"
I have not seen that. I did see "Interstellar" on Hulu.
Did you like it?
Yes. Some of it was a little corny. Such as corn being one of the few foods still growing (but later his now-adult daughter has a cup that looks like it came from McDonalds or something) But I did like it.
Beta readers... anyone...
17,700 word novella needs a look-over
super power fiction
@geronl What's your timeline? I might be game, but would probably need a few days.
@geronl What's your timeline? I might be game, but would probably need a few days.
You have to wonder how many people will pay to watch that, though
Well, actually I've thought of subscribing to the service anyway, as they stream all of the current line-up of CBS shows, and the wife and I watch a lot of CBS shows. Plus I think they have older content available too, not sure. And it's just $5.99/month (I think) so it's not by itself a bank-breaker. The new ST show might be the lure that draws enough people in to make the service succeed.
Well, actually I've thought of subscribing to the service anyway, as they stream all of the current line-up of CBS shows, and the wife and I watch a lot of CBS shows. Plus I think they have older content available too, not sure. And it's just $5.99/month (I think) so it's not by itself a bank-breaker. The new ST show might be the lure that draws enough people in to make the service succeed.
I'll watch it. For a season, at least.
Couldn't get into Enterprise at all though. Neat concept, pretty well written, but was missing a spark somewhere.
Here's a promotional video for Independence Day: Resurgence, due out this summer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IKUNzGn2cc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IKUNzGn2cc)
I'll watch it. For a season, at least.
Couldn't get into Enterprise at all though. Neat concept, pretty well written, but was missing a spark somewhere.
I loved it, but they took it down the wrong story arc and it kinda stopped being legit. The Temporal Wars was a neat concept, but not right for the show. I wish they would have done something more with the Great Rift concept, maybe an interdimensional enemy.
I also think they should have focused on the founding of the Federation like they did in Season 4.
For the discussion of all that is the Sci-Fi genre."Macroscope" by Piers Anthony remains my favorite. Just read it again after 45 years or so...still great.
Did you ever read his "Of Man and Manta" trilogy: Ox, Omnivore, Orn?
That still leaves me confused even now.
I can heartily recommend Poul Anderson's Tau Zero as a solid read.
Babylon 5 was good for that.
Well, that, and it was buried on UPN, which at the time was the poor man's BET. It was a totally bad fit for both show and network.
Well I liked Enterprise, but here is what I think what happened...
Trek Fatigue... For about 20 years, Trek was on TV and I think people was getting tired of it..
Well, that, and it was buried on UPN, which at the time was the poor man's BET. It was a totally bad fit for both show and network.
I also think they should have focused on the founding of the Federation like they did in Season 4.
Have to admit my all-time favorite now is Babylon 5.YES!
YES!
I don't know what it was, but there was something magical about that series. For example some of the episodes mentioned above.There were many great moments in the series, but what I liked about it was that it was finite within the infinite. Unlike so many shows which seem to lose headway and aimlessly dabble in the plot stream, B5 had a beginning, a middle, and an end. The story was there, and they told it, instrad of aimlessly looking for a way to well the next season's soap.
One that stuck with me was the episode Gropos from season 2 I believe, where a landing force sent to fight an alien enemy stages at the station, and the B5 crew forms some friendships and even some romance. They get shipped off and end up being all killed, and their dead bodies shown on their version of CNN. One day they are alive, the next gone. One of the most heart stopping, sobering scenes I've ever watched.
The other was when Kosh took Sheridan to some out of the way part of the station and makes him sit down to listen to some monks sing Gregorian chant. Then Kosh starts swaying to the music. To see the contrast of an almost god-like creature enjoying the pure simple pleasure of singing like that was one of best creative and profound moments in the whole series IMO.
I don't know what it was, but there was something magical about that series. For example some of the episodes mentioned above.
One that stuck with me was the episode Gropos from season 2 I believe, where a landing force sent to fight an alien enemy stages at the station, and the B5 crew forms some friendships and even some romance. They get shipped off and end up being all killed, and their dead bodies shown on their version of CNN. One day they are alive, the next gone. One of the most heart stopping, sobering scenes I've ever watched.
The other was when Kosh took Sheridan to some out of the way part of the station and makes him sit down to listen to some monks sing Gregorian chant. Then Kosh starts swaying to the music. To see the contrast of an almost god-like creature enjoying the pure simple pleasure of singing like that was one of best creative and profound moments in the whole series IMO.
Thread: Brad Torgersen on H. P. Lovecraft's cultural Marxist critics (http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,206077.0.html)
Brad seems like a good guy.
Survivor -2014
Is it worth my time or not...
Give it a miss. The plot's so thin it's measured in Angstroms, and an entire forest was cut to provide the wood for the acting.
A series based on wonderfully weird 1984 cult science fiction classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension is likely coming to TV, courtesy of Kevin Smith, and we have The Flash to thank (or blame, depending on your point of view). Read on, Hong Kong Cavaliers.More (http://io9.gizmodo.com/kevin-smith-is-making-an-adventures-of-buckaroo-banzai-1776882034)
The source of this unholy tidbit is Smith himself, who said on a recent installment of his podcast that his directorial stint on The Flash was such a slam dunk that it opened new doors all over Hollywood. One of those doors was at MGM, a studio that found great success turning Fargo into a TV series. There, Smith was invited to discuss the possibility doing the same with Buckaroo Banzai.
Kevin Smith Is Making an Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai TV Show
That has the potential to be very cool!
The Human Adventure is just beginning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFfwUv7yqIw
Well here is the teaser for the new Star Trek show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXpPweAooeE
Well here is the teaser for the new Star Trek show:
(http://www.sfportal.hu/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/the-100.jpg)
Enjoyed the Season 3 finale.
Here is the new trailer for Star Trek Beyond (much better):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvq3y8BhZ2s
I am pretty sure I can watch that on Hulu
List of science fiction films of the 1950s
A list of science fiction films released in the 1950s. These films include core elements of science fiction, but can cross into other genres. They have been released to a cinema audience by the commercial film industry and are widely distributed with reviews by reputable critics.
This period is sometimes described as the 'classic' era of science fiction theater. Much of the production was in a low-budget form targeted at a teenage audience. Many were formulaic, gimmicky, comic-book style films. They drew upon political themes or public concerns of the day, including depersonalization, infiltration, or fear of nuclear weapons. Invasion was a common theme, as were various threats to humanity.
Two of the films from this decade, The War of the Worlds (1953) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) won Academy Awards, while Destination Moon (1950) and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) won Hugo Awards.
Were the 1950s the Golden Age of Science Fiction Cinema? I think so. What do you think?
Loved "When Worlds Collide"
Awesome movie! The movie led me to the book, and to the book's sequel, both of which were very pro-conservative.
My favorite 50's SF movie was "Them!" -- about the irradiated giant ants. A damn fine movie despite the seemingly cheesy premise.
I had the movie on VHS and also read both books. Ebay specials. I'm surprised the movie is not banned today. All the passengers who escaped on the Ark was white.
@Maj. Bill Martin
Were the 1950s the Golden Age of Science Fiction Cinema? I think so. What do you think?
View the list at Wikipedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_science_fiction_films_of_the_1950s)
It's odd to think that, once upon a time, a TV show set in space -- one that declared, in its opening narration, as the cosmos being the "final frontier" -- was considered the pop-cultural equivalent of an unwanted party-crasher. Yes, a concept like Star Trek was both of its time and clearly ahead of it; history has more than vindicated Gene Roddenberry's notion of boldly going where no man had gone before. But given the number of top-notch shows set in the far reaches of the galaxy and that used genre for pulpy and profound purposes over the last 30 or so years, it seems crazy to think that one of the most groundbreaking SF series was a network pariah and a ratings dud. Today, there's an entire cable network devoted to this kind of programming. You can't turn on your TV/Roku/cut-cord viewing device without bumping into spaceships, alien invasion and wonky sci-fi food-for-thought.More (http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526)
Science fiction has been around in one form or another since the early-ish days of television, both here and abroad, and its legacy now looms larger than ever. So what better time to count down the 40 best sci-fi TV shows of all time? From anime classics to outer-space soap operas, spooky British anthology shows to worst-case-scenario postapocalyptic dramas, primetime pop hits to obscure but beloved cult classics, here are our choices for the best the television genre has to offer -- submitted, for your approval.
40 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All Time
Sam Adams, Sean T. Collins, David Fear, Noel Murray, Jenna Scherer, Scott Tobias
Rolling Stone
May 26, 2016
More (http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526)
It's not a slideshow. It's all on one page. ^-^
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
(done as an Italian opera)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
(done as an Italian opera)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iauuuhpSfRQ
Battlestar Galactica is coming back and being retold: http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1522590/the-battlestar-galactica-movie-just-took-a-massive-step-forward-so-say-we-all
Is this going to have an all-lesbo cast like Ghostbusters?
I've heard the ladies liked that Dirk Benedict guy.....
(Rocket J. Squirrel) Again???? (/Rocket J. Squirrel)
THE MARTIAN
It was enjoyable but I can't really say it was very original.
My first problem with it was the Hermes was far larger and more advanced than we are likely going to be able to build in that scenario. I can overlook that, though.
My second issue is that the main character was out of food, a potato every 3 days, and then the resupply rocket failed. I doubt the guy would have been so healthy and energetic in that scenario. A lot of time passed, what was the guy eating in this time period.
The Hermes crew decides to accelerate and go back to Mars to pick up their stranded friend. I saw this exact same thing happen in a different movie, although I'm not sure which one.
Nitpicking, of course.
It wasn't a bad movie at all, it was well-made and I liked it.
I agree with you.. Also the Hermes was going to slow, plus having China helping us?? Uh no thank you.. Other than that, I enjoyed the movie.
I also think I saw a woman on the treadmill in Hermes and it wasn't on the outside of the spinning part but the inside of it. I might be remembering wrong, though. I might rewatch and look for that.
The living quarters was inside the spinning part..
I meant that they should be walking on the ceiling from that perspective. I think they did it wrong in one scene from outside the ship. I could be wrong.
Just a minor mistake, but it was still a good movie..
Larry Correia makes fun of New York Daily News columnist Gersh Kuntzman... (http://monsterhunternation.com/2016/06/16/ask-kuntzman/)(With apologies to John Prine)
Excerpt:
Mr Kuntzman my 10 year old daughter shoots her AR-15 often and she has never shown signs of PTSD so I am assuming she is doing it wrong. Could you look at her picture below and please let us know what she is doing wrong? Is her wrist not limp enough? signed frustrated father
Dear Frustrated, the answer is simple. Your daughter does not have what it takes to be a reporter for a big New York City paper.
(Much more at the link!)
(snip)
If we find some ebooks by authors who aren't widely known and find that we enjoy them, we should mention that here and post reviews. It certainly can't hurt, and might make things easier for those of us who aren't sure what to read. I'll take a crack at it:
(snip)
Captain - hermaphroditeANd here I thought that ship flew under the flag of the Rainbow Alliance Planetary Empire (RAPE)
Commander - Muslim who keeps his child wife in his quarters
Navigator - lesbian
Security Chief - Furrie
Doctor - drunkard
Engineer - social promotion - doesn't know anything about his job
----
These are the voyages of the USS Extruder!
The average episode has the ship coming up on a planet, sending down an away team, some sort of crisis happens, Commander is physically stopped fro strapping on an explosive vest before beaming down. The navigator is always trying to pick up a girl, or "rescue" the commanders child bride to her own quarters... usually stopped by the furrie security chief who has the hots for the navigator...
In the end the Captain usually makes mad love to himself....
I downloaded a random spaceship generator for GIMP!!
Here is the first image I made, for my ongoing blog story.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DBhGxAqeBRg/V249iWeDDNI/AAAAAAAACjo/PZKeUONmjN4xWWJHh8fG8O344lnj6NbVQCLcB/s320/escapefr.jpg)
And you didn't give us a link of where to get this generator? For shame!
https://github.com/a1studmuffin/SpaceshipGenerator/But when we go there, we will be the aliens...
apparently you can tweak the settings somehow (I haven't found out how) and make them look even more alien... image at the site
(https://raw.githubusercontent.com/a1studmuffin/SpaceshipGenerator/master/screenshots/step-by-step-animation.gif)
I still need to learn to do more than just make the block ships appear, lol
Check out the final Star Trek Beyond trailer:
I might have clicked on that if I hadn't seen "Rihanna"
"Kill Command" looks very B-movie, but I'm gonna watch it.
by the way, @kevindavis I watched Jupiter Ascending the other day.... I swear I've seen that movie before (pre-cog maybe), which didn't help it too much, lol.
Even though it's not directly based on anything the plot is full of cliches so perhaps that's why it seems so familiar. :shrug:
cleaning the toilet and bees pinged that deja vu sensation
OK, that doesn't ring any bells with me, sorry. I was thinking more along the lines of, "poor backwoods girl is secretly royalty", which is as old as Sleeping Beauty.
lol, that has been so overdone...
Guardians of the galaxy...
Is it legal to watch full-length films on YouTube?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
It is legal to watch a full-length film on YouTube only if the person who uploaded the video had permission from the copyright holder. If that person did not, viewers of the illegal content could be prosecuted, according to CNET.
KNOW MORE
FULL ANSWER
YouTube has a part of its site dedicated to legally showing full-length movies. Many of these can be rented at a low cost, but some are free, explains Digital Trends.
Some individual YouTube channels have full-length movies available, according to Technology Personalized, but their legality is not verified by YouTube. Users who find movies posted on YouTube that appear to have been recorded in a theater, or whose audio and video are not synchronized, are encouraged to flag the video for copyright infringement. The video is then reviewed by YouTube staff, claims the Houston Chronicle.
I thought his 'Troy Rising' series was very good.
"Okay Kevin, we are out of here, hopefully you brought snacks!"
Is this a pirated copy?Its was on youtube under standard licenses as far as I could tell. But out of caution I removed it
Also....please remove it....and just provide a link to it if it is not pirated...
It's - OK. Bubblegum movie with some good moments and the usual sections of dialogue that make you want to take a knitting needle to your eardrums.
Has anyone seen the 2009 movie “Moon”? If you did, what did you think?
Its was on youtube under standard licenses as far as I could tell. But out of caution I removed it
There are a lot of full length movies uploaded to YouTube, and most of them have been uploaded illegally often by foreign users. Full length movies, especially recent ones cannot be uploaded and posted online under a “standard license” unless the person or entity uploading it holds the copyright. Just because the uploader claims “Standard YouTube License” doesn’t mean they have permission from the copyright holder to upload the movie for free viewing. IMO you should remove the link to the Kill Command movie too.
Nothing goes better with random spaceship generator in Blender than, well, planets...
Time to Terraform the Sh*t out of that planet.
Well, it's like taking a cruise to a 3rd world dump.
But if it doesn't have any sh*t, it wouldn't be Earthlike....
Time to Terraform the Sh*t out of that planet.
What you say may be accurate, I do not give the fact others are selling it still as much weight as you tho. The copyright police are very efficient on youtube, An un -anti-copyright movies are pulled very fast by automatic systems. A long playing un-copyright check blocked movie such as the one I posted thus gets a presumption that any copyright holders know its there in the public domain and is not calling for its pull down. That could be for several reasons, one its in the public domain because of their failure to police their copyright and believe its futile, they are trying to build interest for a squeal and the movie has run its course at the bargain bin (the 2.99 post supports this), etc.
The tells I have seen for pirated are reversed screen, whiteout spot, clipping the beginning or end, adding to it to change its run length, changing its speed, voices, etc.
On the Guardian movie none of the counter copy right policing measures were in place and its been out long enough for the CR holders to pull it down if they had reason too. So as I said, I saw no reason to believe it was a problem video as it was highly viewed long running and had none of the counters normally seen with pirated videos.
“People who have used Content ID at media companies said the system works well, but that some individuals who illegally upload videos to YouTube have been able to manipulate the soundtrack or video to avoid detection by the system. These people add that some media companies don't always use the system properly and forget to block some illegal content.”
Still having fun with the Blender spaceship generator...
The last remnant of the human race finds that all suitable worlds are already occupied, the sad conclusion is that for humans to survive, they will need to become alien invaders...
1. Our future could be the verse in Firefly with either B5 or Star Trek technology.
2. Our future could be like the Expanse..
My blog story has reached nearly 22,000 words, it will increase in a second draft as I add detail, description and stuff. It's definitely got potential as a future e-book.
I bought your last one let me know when this is done
Just a heads-up. The wife and I will be going to LibertyCon in Chattanooga tomorrow morning. It's a small SF convention that seems to cater toward normal (non-leftist) fans of SF (and I don't mean SF "Fandom"). I'll post an after-action report next week. And if anyone else here is going to attend, let me know and we can get together!
I think my random spaceship generator script on Blender might have tried drugs...
Just don't let any teenagers get ahold of it!
(http://users.commspeed.net/guzzi/images/enterprise1%5b1%5d.jpg)
I can't go, but tell Lou Antonelli I said hello! (Floyd Looney from Facebook)
@geronl
I saw Lou and said hello for you. Nice guy; you (and I) ought to get him on this site...
I just found this thread, but haven't read through it. Has Nick Cole and his fight against Political Correctness with Harper-Collins been mentioned/discussed yet?
http://www.nickcolebooks.com/2016/02/09/banned-by-the-publisher/
My most cherished quote from Sci Fi:
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land
As a Thank You to everyone here at TBR I'm making my Heroic Fantasy Trilogy Viking Hunter Free this Saturday and Sunday July 16 -July 17, at Amazon.
You won't need any KDP membership or anything else. It'll just be a free download.
Hope you'll download it and enjoy it.
https://www.amazon.com/Viking-Hunter-Full-Saga-Anson-ebook/dp/B01C0R43EE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468517055&sr=1-1&keywords=Viking+Hunter
http://wulfanson.blogspot.com
Allie shut down the holographic desk in front of her and breathed a sigh of relief. The results of the test was already being transmitted to her mother. She had passed and would be starting tenth grade after a six-week break. TEACH-R sat in the main room of the compartment she shared with her mother, it was a holographic school for teaching everything Allie should know.
The girl stood and stretched, just as the band on her wrist chimed.
“Allie, good job sweetheart, I knew you could do it!” Her mothers face appeared with a smile on the tiny screen.
“Thanks mom. Will I be able to visit dad during my break?” The girl asked.
Mom smiled and nodded, “Of course, Allie. I keep my promises, don't I?”
“Thanks, mom,” Allie replied before the connection was cut, then she told it, “Call dad!”
Soon her father appeared on the screen, “I saw the grades, Allie, good job!”
“Thanks dad. I'll be able to visit you soon! Hugs and kisses!” Allie said before they said their goodbyes. Then she went over to the window and watched Mars below, knowing that she'd be down there with her father soon enough.
Allie lived with her mother aboard Mars Platform One, a three-ringed space station that orbited the red planet. She had been born on the station, the only child to be born there during the thirteen-years that MPO had been orbiting Mars.
There were not a lot of shuttle pod flights from the station to one of the four manned research centers below, but she would be added as a passenger on one of them soon enough. That is how things worked, Allie's vacation wasn't a good enough reason alone to warrant the use of a shuttle pod, after all. She was special, but she wasn't that special.
Allie left the compartment, walked to the end of the narrow corridor and entered the lift bubble that dropped down to the center of the station through one of the hollow spokes. When the bubble door opened she floated weightless and pushed and kicked her way down the main passage to the second ring lift bubble. Soon enough she felt gravity again and bounded off through the corridor of the second ring to the hydroponics garden.
“Hello Lissa!” Allie announced as she opened the hatch. Inside she found the gardens that grew most of the fresh food for the residents of the station. Lissa was the woman measuring out the water for some of the smaller seedlings at the back.
“Hi Allie, you seem excited. You got good grades, I bet?” Lissa asked.
“Yes, I did!” Allie answered, giving the woman a quick hug, “Where's mom?”
A site I found recently for free Science Fiction Streaming movies
http://scifistreaming.com/
My most cherished quote from Sci Fi:
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land
As a Thank You to everyone here at TBR I'm making my Heroic Fantasy Trilogy Viking Hunter Free this Saturday and Sunday July 16 -July 17, at Amazon.
You won't need any KDP membership or anything else. It'll just be a free download.
Hope you'll download it and enjoy it.
https://www.amazon.com/Viking-Hunter-Full-Saga-Anson-ebook/dp/B01C0R43EE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468517055&sr=1-1&keywords=Viking+Hunter
http://wulfanson.blogspot.com
Well, I just saw Star Trek Beyond. It was fantastic.. I'm not saying anything.
Well, I just saw Star Trek Beyond. It was fantastic.. I'm not saying anything.
Wife and I will probably see it next weekend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqm9HSYbf0o
very interesting.
0:25 that view seems to have a Klingon flavor of design to it
Remember though, it is just a First Draft..
whut? :p
It could be something different.
different is not always bad. I was interested in whether or not the design of the ship was inspired by Klingons some how
This November, the National Geographic Channel will take audiences into outer space in a way we haven't seen before. From producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer comes Mars, a six-part TV miniseries that blends documentary and science fiction to dramatize humankind's first trip to Mars in 2033--and io9 is proud to exclusively debut the first trailer.More (http://io9.gizmodo.com/humanity-finally-travels-to-mars-in-ron-howards-new-hal-1784475468)
Humanity Finally Travels to Mars in Ron Howard's New Half-Scifi, Half-Documentary TV Series
Germain Lussier
io9
July 29, 2016
Interesting, we've never seen a Mars movie before! said nobody(http://free-extras.com/pics/m/marvin_the_martian-5214.jpg)You have a problem with Mars movies, Earthling?
(http://free-extras.com/pics/m/marvin_the_martian-5214.jpg)You have a problem with Mars movies, Earthling?
That could be good.
:thumbsup:
Maaaaaaaan. Why'd you pick a cellphone recording of an Interstellar preview? I loved that movie.
Go with the good quality versions.
Just a heads-up. Tom Kratman has made his 2003 novel, "A State of Disobedience," a free download on the Baen Free Library http://www.baen.com/a-state-of-disobedience.html (http://www.baen.com/a-state-of-disobedience.html) and Amazon (it may not have updated to show as free yet). It's a clear roman a clef predicting the result of a Hillary Clinton presidency. Try it, you'll like it
Just finished watching Elysium on TV again.
It gets dumber every time I see it.
I haven't seen it, what channel airs it?
I saw After Earth on FXM and it was not that good, it was meh, a vehicle for Will Smith to attempt to make his son a star. Neither did well IMOIt was an okay show. I thought the kid did fairly well, considering. Star material? Well, time will tell.
I like to write stuff. So I have spent all month reading up on third world countries. I was trying to find one that could be brought up to first world standards relatively easily. I haven't found one. It is the attitudes, education, culture and other things in a country that helps keep them down, not external forces. Although the occasional civil war doesn't help at all. So, I have decided that particular story is not going to get written unless it's science fiction and set on a really foreign planet.Just wipe it clean with a pandemic or other disaster and have first-worlders move in.
South Korea was a third-world hell hole after the Korean War.
Japan was a backwards nation at the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate (1868).
China suffered through the collapse of the Qing dynasty, disintegration into warlord states, a Japanese invasion, a Civil War, and the worst of Maoist communism in the last 100 years. They are now soon to eclipse America as the world's largest economy.
Just wipe it clean with a pandemic or other disaster and have first-worlders move in.
I like to write stuff. So I have spent all month reading up on third world countries. I was trying to find one that could be brought up to first world standards relatively easily. I haven't found one. It is the attitudes, education, culture and other things in a country that helps keep them down, not external forces. Although the occasional civil war doesn't help at all. So, I have decided that particular story is not going to get written unless it's science fiction and set on a really foreign planet.
Botswana.
Botswana.
There's your pandemic hook right there.@geronl Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone just had the worst Ebola epidemic in history.
I like to write stuff. So I have spent all month reading up on third world countries. I was trying to find one that could be brought up to first world standards relatively easily. I haven't found one. It is the attitudes, education, culture and other things in a country that helps keep them down, not external forces. Although the occasional civil war doesn't help at all. So, I have decided that particular story is not going to get written unless it's science fiction and set on a really foreign planet.
@geronl Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone just had the worst Ebola epidemic in history.
Fictionally, a little mutation tweak to make the virus airborne or give it greater lifespan on surfaces or objects or even better skin penetration....and just a little deadlier.
The whole overwhelmed medical response, people running into the bush, traditional funeral rites wet of problems (which were very real) would compound that.
I wish I could write. I've got ideas (some in great detail) but I just don't have the skill.
I wish I could write. I've got ideas (some in great detail) but I just don't have the skill.
I'm not that good, but I can't make myself stop trying. :p
There is that whole hygiene and monkey meat (Bush meat) thing. They still haven't much recovered from the civil wars.That 'bushmeat' also includes the migratory fruit bats (considered a delicacy) also thought to be a reservoir for the disease, and the reason the outbreaks are sporadic, varied in location without other clear patterns, and were associated with caves, mine shafts, etc.
The civil wars were devastating, add in the epidemic, and the likes of Boko Haram, and the region is having a hell of a go.
A few years ago the government budget of Liberia was $61 Million, with an M! That's just insane. Plus add in the amazing amounts of corruption (just check today's headlines for instance) and it's just waiting for the next disaster.They save a lot on snow removal and road salt.
http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/politics/878-indictment-ready-tyler-sherman-face-arrest-over-global-witness-bribery-report
Ruling Party head arrested over bribery report
The flags at the capitol were shredded and donations to replace them had to be received!!Proof, in one sense, they are different from much of Africa: The speaker didn't just have a 'terrible accident' like that Archbishop in Uganda did a few years back...
http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/news/1656-disgrace-to-capitol-building-lawmakers-receive-donation-to-replace-torn-flags
Their Olympic team needed to take out a loan to get to Rio!
The President and members of their Congress have been trying to oust their House speaker for a while now.
Proof, in one sense, they are different from much of Africa: The speaker didn't just have a 'terrible accident' like that Archbishop in Uganda did a few years back...
Considering Liberia was started by freed American slaves and others who wanted to go back to Africa, I wish them nothing but success in their efforts to strengthen their Republic in all ways contributing to the freedom and prosperity of their people.
The good news is that the people of Liberia are still skittish about armed violence after what they went through. Remember that cannibalism had even become a part of that war. I think most of the country has PTSD, I wouldn't bet against it! I'm not joking, they have something like 1 psychiatrist in the whole country too.Someone had posted an image of one of the towns in West Africa. They posted back in disbelief when I said that was a picture of prosperity (which, in the context of West Africa, it was). There were power/phone lines, automobiles and motorcycles, even a paved street. For there, that is prosperity. For here, it would appear to be poverty. Funny how context makes such a difference. We are spoiled, here. I, for one, would like to keep it that way, and at the same time I want the less well off nations which are trying to do the right thing to succeed, to prosper, to be free. (No, I'm not running for 'Miss anything', I just figure that with nations, like people, the more who have their stuff together, the better place this Earth is.)
The country has not recovered much it seems, watching videos from Liberia and reading about it tells me it'll take a long time to fix the infrastructure. Their hydroelectric power plant is still a year or two from being finished, that will definitely improve things but most of the country outside of Monrovia isn't even hooked up.
It is one of the countries that I really hope sees better days. If we ever get in a tiff with China maybe Liberia is one of the places we can park some of those factories. Right now their average income is less than $500 a year, it's insane.
We are spoiled, here. I, for one, would like to keep it that way, and at the same time I want the less well off nations which are trying to do the right thing to succeed, to prosper, to be free.
As for PTSD, can you imagine the effects of warfare in our streets on the mollycoddled generations who have not seen armed conflict here? It would be no different. Many would not survive, even as noncombatants.
I agree!Yes, there are many who would suffer or die because of the absence of first world health care and dwindling pharmaceutical supplies. My SIL died recently from complications of diabetes, and was on dialysis. If we are headed toward really hard times, that is a blessing, I suppose. Anyone who absolutely needs pharma and has not found either an alternate supply or a way to control or alleviate their condition using readily available herbs or other means would be in for a bad time.
Best to avoid it! I know and am related to people on dialysis, that'd be one of the first fragile segments to go. Diabetics would be gone rather quickly too if it happened here.
Yes, there are many who would suffer or die because of the absence of first world health care and dwindling pharmaceutical supplies. My SIL died recently from complications of diabetes, and was on dialysis. If we are headed toward really hard times, that is a blessing, I suppose. Anyone who absolutely needs pharma and has not found either an alternate supply or a way to control or alleviate their condition using readily available herbs or other means would be in for a bad time.
Those who bandy about CWII don't seem to get that. Sometimes it's like watching the early part of gone With the Wind, where everyone figures they'll be home in no time. So much taken for granted now would be absent overnight, or hideously expensive on the Black Market, if it could be obtained at all. Even Antibiotics and pain meds would be held back for the wounded, things we are used to getting almost on demand.
Yes, a lot of stories, shows, and movies gloss over or fail to examine a lot of implications of the loss of modern-day healthcare, or use it as a convenient plot point at best. Two books that got it right (imho) are Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank and Lucifer's Hammer by Niven and Pournelle.I liked Lucifer's Hammer. It was one of the first of a long list of 'end of the world scenarios' I have read over the years. I think what prompted that aside from an early love of science fiction was an early memory of drawing circles with my Dad on a map of MD and Washington D.C. with the compass point on the Mall. If the Cuban-launched missile hit on target and wasn't a short round, and was the size of warhead everyone thought they were, our bug out plan was to Virginia by boat...which, without thinking about traffic and other complications, would have been best...(long ago and far away, now I have a ringside seat for WWIII).
I used to be quite a fan of TEOTWAWKI fiction, but nowadays I tend to favor more hopeful escapism.
Currently reading "3012: The Artifact" a self published freebie at http://www.free-ebooks.net/ebook/3012-The-Artifact
The 2016 Hugo Awards were presented on the evening of Saturday, August 20, 2016 at a ceremony at MidAmeriCon II, the 74th World Science Fiction Convention. Administration of the 2016 Hugo Awards is exclusively the responsibility of MidAmeriCon II. The Hugo Awards are not administered by the Hugo Awards Web Site.More (http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2016-hugo-awards/)
3,130 valid final ballots were cast by the members of MidAmeriCon II. Per the WSFS Constitution, each category must have at least 25% (1,488 ballots) participation; otherwise “No Award” must be presented in this category. This did not happen in any category. In the list below, we show the number of ballots cast in that category.
This year’s Hugo Awards were awarded last night at MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, with works such as N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season and Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti walking away with the top prizes. You can read the entire list of winners here, but this year’s awards require a careful look.More (http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/21/12571854/hugo-awards-takeaways-the-fifth-season-nk-jemisin-binti)
2016 Hugo Awards
The Hugo Awards
August 20, 2016
More (http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2016-hugo-awards/)
Women and authors of color won big at this year's Hugo Awards
Andrew Liptak
The Verge
August 21, 2016
More (http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/21/12571854/hugo-awards-takeaways-the-fifth-season-nk-jemisin-binti)
Hmm, seems like the SJWs have gotten better organized in their voting. Oh well, DragonCon's Dragon Awards are more relevant to my interests anyway.
Hmm, seems like the SJWs have gotten better organized in their voting. Oh well, DragonCon's Dragon Awards are more relevant to my interests anyway.
Larry Correia's Thoughts on the 2016 Hugos (http://monsterhunternation.com/2016/08/22/my-thoughts-on-the-2016-hugos/)
Ever wonder what the night shift on the Next Generation did during their shift?
Well... wonder no more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ApQrbhQp8
If you get the Smithsonian Channel, Building Star Trek Premieres...
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/building-star-trek/0/3436402 (http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/building-star-trek/0/3436402)
It was 50 years ago, on 5 September 1966, that the cameras rolled for the first time in the Italianate village of Portmeirion as filming got under way for the cult 1960s adventure TV show The Prisoner.More, with pictures (http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-37232329)
The programme starred actor Patrick McGoohan playing the part of Number Six who is held captive in a mysterious village where the residents are known only by a number.
Each week, he would attempt to escape, only to find himself unable to break free from those who held him. But who were they? Why was he imprisoned? Which side were his captors on? And who was Number One?
The show was the creation of McGoohan, producer and director David Tomblin and script editor George Markstein who appeared in the opening titles, playing the role of the man to whom McGoohan's character offers his resignation. But it was McGoohan who, as well as being its star, shaped the show, writing and directing key episodes.
The complete episode 9 of Humanity Has Declined. It's a very funny (and dark) parody of the foundation of a nation, it's growth, zenith... and downfall.
Science fiction or science fact?We should have been there already. Instead, we funded the poor. Now we have the fattest poor people, and more of them than ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc8804tkoaM
An interesting commentary on religon from Star Trek that you won't find in Sci Fi these days. From the Bread and Circuses episode.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Efi75W5U1Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Efi75W5U1Q)
Some shows did..
1. Babylon5, even though the creator was an atheist..
2. SGU, watch it again you will see why
I think there was a couple of more.. Also, Gene was a humanist, and I think the network kinda forced him to do this episode.
In those days it was probably more scandalous to have Uhura speak up and correct the men.
Science Fiction Is About To Become Hollywood's Next Huge Phenomenon
Modern cinema is at an important breaking point. Tentpole summer sequels are turning into massive failures, original films are being obliterated at the box office, and even seemingly successful film categories have their deterrents ("superhero fatigue," anyone?). However, there is one subsection of movies that looks primed for a massive breakout: science fiction.
The upcoming lineup of science fiction movies for the fall/winter of 2016 is looking incredibly promising. Included in that list are films such as Denis Villeneuve's Arrival, the Chris Pratt-Jennifer Lawrence romance Passengers, and, of course, the first Star Wars spin-off film, Rogue One. Among these wider releases, we'll also be seeing smaller independent films, and a variety of movies that contain elements of science fiction, even if they wouldn't necessarily be classified as part of the genre. A new dawn of science fiction films is coming......
http://moviepilot.com/p/scf-fi-next-big-thing-in-movies/4073071
Now for the serious question-- how big is the Death Star in relation to that planet based on the poster?
@Quix
Thanks for the links.
THANKS for saying so.
What's your impression of the article I mentioned in the 2nd link?
And Tompkins' narrative, for that matter?
The idea that they would brief the children of those involved extremely unlikely.
@Quix I didn't know of the thread, between bantering about politics and a lot of irons in the fire of late--busy, not necessarily economically productive, but nonetheless things which must be done before the snow flies (which isn't usually long, now, here). It may take a day or two, but I will look it over and lwt you know what I think. Thanks for the links!
Have to admit my all-time favorite now is Babylon 5.
:whistle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgRlzFIgm1E
:whistle::silly: 888high58888 fun stuff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgRlzFIgm1E
I have always thought that a show based on an earlier time that showed the times and issues (perhaps civil war) that led up to the creation of the psy-corps would be an interesting series.
After B5 ended, there were a series of book trilogies that were approved by JMS, which delved into various background aspects of the show. The first trilogy revolved around Psi Corps, and Psi Cop Bester in particular. The first book of that trilogy was called Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Genesis-Babylon-Gregory-1998-08-29/dp/B017V8PSWI/), and covered the events which led to the creation of the Psi Corps, and a young Bester becoming a Psi Cop.Well, there is something else to keep an eye out for at rummage sales. At that price, I won't be reading them any time soon.
If you were a B5 nut (as I was at the time) they were pretty good. If you were a casual fan of the show, then mileage may have varied on how good the books were.
...Roddenberry never stopped rewriting. “The problem,” says his biographer Joel Engel, “was that he basically couldn’t write well enough to carry it off.” For 25 years, a script never left Roddenberry’s hands without becoming worse.Full article (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/439900/star-trek-gene-roddenberry-was-misogynistic-hack)
For all of the control Roddenberry exercised over Star Trek, the franchise prospered only when it was under the aegis of others. As early as one month before the show’s premiere, an exhausted and embattled Roddenberry took a vacation. Television veteran Gene L. Coon, a Marine veteran of the Pacific, was hired as producer. “To a large degree,” write Gross and Altman, “it would be Coon who would ultimately define the show creatively in the coming months.”
The Star Trek that has imprinted itself on fans for decades is Gene L. Coon’s. His shows deepened the relationships between Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy. He created the Klingons. There was more humor. Says writer David Gerrold, “Gene L. Coon created the noble image that everyone gives Roddenberry the most credit for.” Shatner puts it this way: “Gene Coon had more to do with the infusion of life into Star Trek than any other single person.”...
ONE compilation of "12 Best SciFi movies of all time
SUNSHINE 2007
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 1968
SOLARIS 2002
A.I. ARTIVICIAL INTELLIGENCE 2001
ALIEN 1979
BLADE RUNNER 1982
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3RD KIND
CONTACT 1997
THE MATRIX 1999
MOON 2009
BTW, I watched about as much as I could stand of MOON . . . skipping liberally . . . and watched the last however many minutes. I NEVER got the point of it. There seemed to be some philosophical bits along the way but they seemed a bit . . . contrived or forced or something. It just did not seem to be that interesting a movie. Did I miss somethings?
PROMETHEUS 2012
SILENT RUNNING 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQt-Kllt7Uc
Not a fan of the "music."
Yeah, I didn't think much of the list. First off, why the arbitrary cut-off year of 1968? That prevents the inclusion of some excellent SF movies of the 50s and early 60s, such as Forbidden Planet and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Second, it seems weighted to "high-brow", "artsy" movies that the general public is unfamiliar with (such as Sunshine, Solaris, and Moon, none of which I've seen.) What about films such as Star Wars (ok, the actual science is minimal, but it's an excellent example of space opera), Terminator and Terminator 2 (good examples of both time travel and killer robots, with unrelenting action to boot), The Final Countdown (time travel to the past), Somewhere in Time (time travel from the past), Soylent Green (eco-disaster), Mad Max (societal breakdown), The Andromeda Strain (a very good "what if?" type of movie, as most Michael Crichton movies are). I could list more, but I think I make my point: many of the movies that I listed have become iconic, as examples of the SF trope that makes up their story, and there's a reason for that. They are very good and entertaining (which don't always go together) whereas many of the movies on that list may be "good" from a technical standpoint, but not always entertaining (I always fall asleep while watching "2001", for instance).
Oh well, I guess I'm just too low-brow and plebian to know what belongs on a "best of" list. :shrug:
Perhaps the list maker wasn't born before 1968. LOL.
The Final Countdown
WELL PUT. AGREED.
Perhaps the list maker wasn't born before 1968. LOL.
Not a joke. Most of these movie list makers are obviously youngsters, at least by our standards.
You mean, The Final Copout? :laugh:
Yeah, I didn't think much of the list. First off, why the arbitrary cut-off year of 1968? That prevents the inclusion of some excellent SF movies of the 50s and early 60s, such as Forbidden Planet and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Second, it seems weighted to "high-brow", "artsy" movies that the general public is unfamiliar with (such as Sunshine, Solaris, and Moon, none of which I've seen.) What about films such as Star Wars (ok, the actual science is minimal, but it's an excellent example of space opera), Terminator and Terminator 2 (good examples of both time travel and killer robots, with unrelenting action to boot), The Final Countdown (time travel to the past), Somewhere in Time (time travel from the past), Soylent Green (eco-disaster), Mad Max (societal breakdown), The Andromeda Strain (a very good "what if?" type of movie, as most Michael Crichton movies are). I could list more, but I think I make my point: many of the movies that I listed have become iconic, as examples of the SF trope that makes up their story, and there's a reason for that. They are very good and entertaining (which don't always go together) whereas many of the movies on that list may be "good" from a technical standpoint, but not always entertaining (I always fall asleep while watching "2001", for instance).The Time Machine http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054387/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054387/)--which followed the book quite well, War of the Worlds (1953)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/?ref_=nv_sr_3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (which did and didn't, but was still good). And just for fun Tremors
Oh well, I guess I'm just too low-brow and plebian to know what belongs on a "best of" list. :shrug:
The Time Machine http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054387/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054387/)--which followed the book quite well, War of the Worlds (1953)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/?ref_=nv_sr_3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (which did and didn't, but was still good). And just for fun Tremors
Critics panned it but I thought Pandorum was a cool flick with a great twist at the end.The twist was really good, admittedly. You pretty much had to see the show in its entirety, and the first few times I ran across it, I got bits and pieces of it. Finally, when I got a chance to watch the whole thing it was pretty good.
http://www.veoh.com/watch/v381360625PKsG7dQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIrw_AszBvk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNFo-DQW6PA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXFh5rNaDUk
The twist was really good, admittedly. You pretty much had to see the show in its entirety, and the first few times I ran across it, I got bits and pieces of it. Finally, when I got a chance to watch the whole thing it was pretty good.
Joss once described an opening scene to me where we are looking at a planet with a ring around it and as we come in close, we see the ring is actually rocks and pieces of ships and old derelicts. It's a junk ring. It's the junkyards - we mentioned it in Firefly one time. We see little bits and we're jumping slowly from bit to bit and as we get closer we see Serenity floating lifeless and these little people getting on and coming through it. And as they get into the airlock and they close it, they come and there's Malcolm Reynolds, bleeding and cut, strapped down with giant guns and not looking great. He's got these two giant guns, and he says, 'Get off my ship.'
The Amazing Firefly Scene That Never Got Filmed, According To Nathan Fillion
Let's cut to the chase...
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/1557690/the-amazing-firefly-scene-that-never-got-filmed-according-to-nathan-fillion
The Time Machine http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054387/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054387/)--which followed the book quite well, War of the Worlds (1953)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/?ref_=nv_sr_3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (which did and didn't, but was still good). And just for fun Tremors
I was surprised to learn . . . in my study of globalism . . . how intimately H.G. Wells was tied into their organization, strategies, schemes and plans.Yes, Wells was a globalist. Sad, but true, but likely an outgrowth of the Darwinian concept that man was evolving and advancing toward some more advanced form, which would naturally be able to get along and dispense with the myriad boundaries and squabbles that had kept Europe bloody for well over a millennium...little did he know what was coming when he wrote the books that made him famous for fiction. WWI was barely 20 years away when he published the first of his best known novels.
Have you looked at the William Thompson thread of mine?
I think his efforts at now age 93 . . . MUST be considered with the efforts of Tom de Longe as well as the Pope and his observatory's comments the last year or so regarding the "ET" critters.
SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY SHIFTING.
I was also surprised to see how many pages of official documents William Thompson included in his book etc.
Yes, Wells was a globalist. Sad, but true, but likely an outgrowth of the Darwinian concept that man was evolving and advancing toward some more advanced form, which would naturally be able to get along and dispense with the myriad boundaries and squabbles that had kept Europe bloody for well over a millennium...little did he know what was coming when he wrote the books that made him famous for fiction. WWI was barely 20 years away when he published the first of his best known novels.
It turns out he was a biologist, too https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells), so my thoughts on Darwinian influence may be valid.
Yet in the Time Machine, he abandons that idea and predicts a serious (some say nuclear) war that causes the dystopian future of the Eloi and the Morlocks.
Similarly, in the War of the Worlds, he 'saves' the planet with some of the most humble creatures on it--bacteria.
"Scientific Socialism" was a bit of a fad in those days, as well, and that may have contributed to his Globalist mentality.
This looks interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVXQq2u6OP0
One of the stories I am writing is based on a man and woman awake on a sleeper ship that is miles long!! There is also a good, friendly robot that rides on a rail in the ceiling and a main computer that could be good or not. Thankfully mine also has bad guys and bad robots and battles through the corridors.
I think this is more of a love story, so I'm waiting till it comes out either on a streaming service.
his toy robot was very un-futuristic IMO
So, if you go from place to place at relativistic speeds, does that mean you suffer from sleep deprivation?
True, however, I like the ship and the concept.. Suspended animation until they get to the planet.
So, if you go from place to place at relativistic speeds, does that mean you suffer from sleep deprivation?
I guess I will just file that with the 'headlights' question...
Who knows. I'm not scientist nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express...
Yep. I watched it in college. Now I have all the seasons on DVD. (if it ever comes out on Blu-ray... I'll upgrade it). I really thought the season four finale - The Deconstruction of Falling Stars - was the best hour-long TV show episode I'd ever seen.Holy Crap!! This is the first forum I have visited where someone read that magnificent book.
And to have part of it imitating "A Canticle for Liebowitz" was just briliant.
Holy Crap!! This is the first forum I have visited where someone read that magnificent book.
I don't suppose anyone here has also read Gene Wolfe's "Severian Series" !?! I worship that bastard's writing. If I had an eidetic memory as he does, then I'd try to write that well too. It's not fair to us mere mortals.
Come to thimk (sic) of it, I wonder how many other great writers have eidetic memories (at least who would admit to it).
Has anyone else read Lindsey's "A Voyage to Arcturus" !?! Without running too far afield here I noticed immediately how CS Lewis obviously read Arcturus in how it positively influenced some of the imagery his own magnificent Space Trilogy.
I'd really enjoy getting some best SF book lists from some of you nice folks to cover some of the one's I've probably missed.
Holy Crap!! This is the first forum I have visited where someone read that magnificent book.I read A Canitcle for Leibowitz in High School. I can honestly say it has affected my thinking toward Archaeology in general, and how we view ancient Civilizations. As a geologist, that had me looking at other possibilities as well for leads to early settlement in North America.
I don't suppose anyone here has also read Gene Wolfe's "Severian Series" !?! I worship that bastard's writing. If I had an eidetic memory as he does, then I'd try to write that well too. It's not fair to us mere mortals.
Come to thimk (sic) of it, I wonder how many other great writers have eidetic memories (at least who would admit to it).
Has anyone else read Lindsey's "A Voyage to Arcturus" !?! Without running too far afield here I noticed immediately how CS Lewis obviously read Arcturus in how it positively influenced some of the imagery his own magnificent Space Trilogy.
I'd really enjoy getting some best SF book lists from some of you nice folks to cover some of the one's I've probably missed.
I read A Canitcle for Leibowitz in High School. I can honestly say it has affected my thinking toward Archaeology in general, and how we view ancient Civilizations. As a geologist, that had me looking at other possibilities as well for leads to early settlement in North America.
Hopefully a not tooo cheeky a question . . .Fantasy is more comfortable, for starters. We can dream about anything from committing vile murder in our darkest moments, to lurid sexual involvement, to taking the simple steps to great wealth, all possibilities from the most vile evil to doing great humanitarian good, personal or otherwise, but given the opportunity to do so, would we actually engage in the activity of our dreams, be that diabolical or benevolent or even neutral in nature?
What is your opinion, Smoken Joe,
about
WHY so many folks are much more eager to discuss science FICTION . . . that more or less has little daily life influence beyond entertainment . . . from a given novel or movie . . .
and yet totally refuse to discuss the facts and realities (or even the more plausible hypotheticals, various scenarios etc) of UFO stuff
which WILL DEFINITELY influence the lives of every person on the planet in the not distant future--in rather negative ways?
Oh . . . ridicule?
Or is it toooooooooooooo verboten, embarrassing to post anything on the "RESIDENT NUTTER's" threads?
Mystifying to this psychologist/sociologist
Fantasy is more comfortable, for starters. We can dream about anything from committing vile murder in our darkest moments, to lurid sexual involvement, to taking the simple steps to great wealth, all possibilities from the most vile evil to doing great humanitarian good, personal or otherwise, but given the opportunity to do so, would we actually engage in the activity of our dreams, be that diabolical or benevolent or even neutral in nature?
We are equally unlikely to actually turn those dreams into reality, good or bad, given the opportunity. Call it normalcy bias, inertia, fear of success, fear of punishment, even revulsion at our own imaginative capacity for evil, but people are comfortable with the status quo, despite being so adaptable as to even fall prey to seeing the situation that leads to Stockholm Syndrome as that status quo.
To step outside the comfortable boundaries of accepted reality and confront other possibilities as reality is a big step for most people, often too big, even if for their benefit.
While they are willing to watch Star Wars, Knowing, or Close Encounters of the Third Kind and suspend disbelief for a couple hours, they aren't willing to actually live it.
No thanks, that would make them feel small, insignificant, threatened, or dumb, but most of all, afraid.
Among humans, one group fears change and fears the unknown.
Another, smaller, group charges into the darkness, if for no other reason than innate curiosity, these people intrepidly crave knowing what is over the next hill or around the bend in the river, and has ever looked at the night sky, wishing, wondering, pondering what it would be like to travel among the stars. Before aircraft, they dreamed of flying, too.
The latter group still, in full recognition of the stoic desire of that larger group to maintain it's comfort zone, either refuses to openly acknowledge any unconventional possibilities (much less steadfast beliefs) out of fear of being ostracized, of losing status, and even more fear of ridicule. Those challenges to the status quo will only occur after incontrovertible proof has been obtained, otherwise, most will keep silent in their newfound knowledge, or confine it to a very small group.
Some will step forward anyway.
Despite some of those who claim to have seen or other wise encountered vehicles for which they cannot assign an earthly origin having been well versed in flight mechanics, conventional and military aircraft types and their performance parameters, careers can be ended by insisting what they saw was a real vehicle of a type unknown to them with performance parameters which vastly exceed known aircraft types. Those who make the best witnesses are often people who have a position of responsibility and would lose that by testifying, especially if there was no other evidence. We won't even go into the testimony of those less qualified or ridiculed for being 'probed'.
As I believe this election proves, those among the human population, capable of rational thought, even in the presence of physical and incontrovertible evidence, are in the minority.
The flip side:
Claiming contact with aliens, or claiming to have evidence of such contact any time from the distant past to the present achieves a certain notoriety which can be exploited for personal gain, both pecuniary and of a certain prestige among those who earnestly want to believe.
Most alleged evidence is shaky, anecdotal, increasingly able to have been manipulated, and brought into question by obvious frauds, and for those reasons easily discredited. Fraud doesn't help decipher what is or isn't as far as all that goes, and past frauds may tend to discredit future evidence. If I, as an Alien, wanted my presence to be disbelieved, I'd drive a craft with a side profile like a vintage International Harvester hubcap (roughly a bell curve), and no one would believe I existed.
For those who believe humans originated as a series of random accidents leading eventually to a sentinent life form, out of billions of stars and billions of planets, in untold galaxies, and perhaps even universes, there is a distinct possibility that the same sort of postulated random events could have occurred on another planet or planets and not been wiped out by cosmic accident or any of the other ELEs that bring a species to an end. Even the possibility that they developed space travel, or that they might be more benevolent than adversarial to humans would exist.
But that doesn't mean that people who believe all that are willing to step outside that comfortable envelope of being the most highly developed creature on the planet (at least by Darwinian catechism) and yield that developmental promontory to some new arrival, nor cede that any of the development of humans or their civilization was the result of tampering by any extraterrestrial race, even as they fantasize about 'the next step', or even finding 'life!' on other planets.
The unspoken hope is that any 'life' found elsewhere is primitive, exploitable, and able to be readily conquered, just so humans can maintain their position on the pinnacle.
Even the fictional life forms in stories like Star Wars are, arguably, lesser beings.
That that life could go zipping along interstellar distances (when we can't) is unthinkable, or at least undesirable, unless, of course, they came to share that tech and seek our aid solving their problems (which we could do without ceding our spot as the apex of development--so far, of course). And no one wants to stop being the Apex predator. It's far too comfortable at the top of the food chain.
As a Christian, if The Almighty breathed life into the clay, molded in His image, does that mean He didn't do that elsewhere, too? Hmm. Good question, and one I expect He will answer some day. At least in the meantime, I am content to feel very special. (Which, incidentally, places our species at that pinnacle, again, just as the Darwinists would have, but by a very different route).
I will forego the "crevo" arguments that have devastated other fora, and just say there are different schools of thought, but psychologically, they arrive on the same mountaintop: we are, in our own minds, the preeminent species in the universe, and will not willingly relinquish that pedestal, not without a fight. So despite fantasy, we really don't want to believe, and because of that, anyone who suggests otherwise will be met with disbelief, ridicule and loss of status, and the unfiltered anger of those 'in the know', which are the first three steps leading to the sudden and almost universal embrace of any scientific concept, usually credited to the very prestigious people who fought against it hardest, to the final denigration of the person or persons who introduced the concept, who may or may not be recognized for doing so until some decades after their death.
As a scientist, I look skeptically at the evidence and remain unconvinced--of everything I am not willing to take on faith. Yes, that even includes the improbable series of events which we call 'evolution'.
In the extraterrestrial arena, ever present is the human penchant for fraud, and all evidence must be weighed in that light, and against the possible gain to be had by those who present it. Is there an ulterior motive, will it sell books, t-shirts, get speaking fees, TV appearances, maybe even a show? Or does the admission of events lead down a different road for the person presenting evidence? Do they do so as speculation, or are they trying to craft a following of 'believers' for fun and profit? Or are they profoundly affected by events they are sure happened and trying to alert/inform/notify others despite the derision they know they will be subjected to?
Do/did they have physical evidence? And was it confiscated and suppressed? (which takes us back to do you want to believe?)
There are things I have seen in the night sky which I cannot identify (none of which I would claim as a vehicle of extraterrestrial origin). I chalk that up to my own ignorance of flight patterns and other phenomena, but failing to have more direct and definitive evidence am not going to call the newspapers.
Yet, what is, is, if it is, that is.
But humans will not acknowledge it if it threatens their importance as a species, or even as an individual.
That doesn't even go into the various motives governments might have for not admitting any contact, just people in general.
THANKS BIG for such a wonderfully EXCELLENT analysis!Absolutely. Just link back to the post on forum here, too, if you would.
I rather agree wholesale. That's a very rare thing. LOL.
Am going to see if I can dig up some local folks who'd be interesting in a brain-storming discussion group--preferably of authentic Christians as I don't think others are equipped to deal with the whole of the realities involved.
I've thought of teaching a weekend class on it at the local college. But that would collect a rather motley crew . . . still, might be a way to connect with some good thinkers.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR KIND RESPONSE AND ANALYSIS.
May I share please it on my 'end of the sidewalk' thread on TheRightReasons.net ? Only members can see it there.
BLESSINGS,
Absolutely. Just link back to the post on forum here, too, if you would.
Absolutely. Just link back to the post on forum here, too, if you would.
BTW, that REALLY was one of the finest analyses I've read anywhere of those issues and factors in my 50+ years of studying the topic.Thanks, Quix!
. . .
At Dragon Con in 2013, I sat down with Jim to hear more about book fifteen of the series, Skin Game. It was a delight talking with Jim and getting to learn the latest on a world I’ve grown to love. And now, fortunately, I’ve gotten to have that experience again – this time, at Dragon Con 2016 and with book sixteen, a.k.a. Peace Talks. Jim shared all kinds of great information on what we’ll be seeing in this latest Harry Dresden adventure – as well as a couple of tidbits about Dresden-adjacent character stories that will be coming our way soon. So read on to find out all the juicy details! And, if you are so inclined, you can also watch the interview here.
. . .
ESW: Jim, Skin Game left us with so many characters with potential storylines that could be the next focus. The next book is titled Peace Talks. Please tell us about how everyone sits down, holds hands, and has a little peace talk. What are we going to be seeing?
JB: For the past several years within the storyline there’s been a lot of unrest in the supernatural world, because some lunatic destroyed the Red Court of vampires, who were one of the major players in the supernatural world. As a result of that, a power that has been lying low and quiet for a long time has started asserting itself into the vacuum that the Red Court left behind.
ESW: And that is the Fomor? I was wondering when we were going to see more about what they’re doing.
JB: Yes; who are not just the Fomorians of legend; but the Fomorians got driven back into the sea long ago, so they’ve been collecting the refuse from all the other pantheons of bad guys who’ve managed to survive whatever conflicts were going on at that point. So they’ve been causing a lot of trouble, and they’re getting everyone together for peace talks. They want to establish themselves and they’ve requested a summit.
ESW: So they’re the instigators of this.
JB: They are.
ESW: Because so far from what we’ve seen of them, they’re mostly just hostile.
JB: Yes, they’ve been universally hostile and suddenly they show up and say “Let’s sit down and talk.” And everybody’s like “…Okay. We’ll do that.” So of course Harry’s going to be involved in it. Generally speaking, it’s going to be a meeting under the Accords. All these different powers, all these supernatural influences are coming to Chicago. Harry gets to see that coming and say, “Man, I feel bad for whatever city that’s going to happen in. Because nothing could go wrong with that!”
. . .
ESW: Yes! I was going to ask, because at the end of Skin Game we have Maggie, who is so precious, and Mouse (who is so gigantic), and now Harry kind of seems to be settling into his role as a dad. What’s going on, is she still with the Carpenters?
JB: The way that Harry’s going to set it up is, he’s going to keep Maggie all summer. During the school year, she’s going to go to a boarding school in town, St. Marks Academy for the Gifted and Talented; it’s sort of where the supernatural folks all send their kids. And my intention is, in the next few years I’m going to write kind of a young adult series about Maggie Dresden at the Academy. She’ll be there with Mouse; because she seriously does have all kinds of problems and issues that are challenges for her. She’s got bad social anxiety; she’s got several phobias – which are understandable given her past.
ESW: I can imagine! And does she have, also, some special talents – I would assume?
JB: Well, she’s got Mouse, who’s kind of like the super-assistance dog. But really her main talent is that when everything’s on fire and people are screaming, she’s completely normal. You know – being Harry Dresden’s daughter, it’s like, “Oh, chaos. I feel a little more comfortable and secure for some reason.” And then the kids all have this pantheon of monsters that they have to deal with, that you don’t remember after you become a grown-up. So as the kids age out of school, they forget – they can’t interact with the monsters anymore. They don’t remember that they were there. It’s just like, “Oh, that was a game that we used to play when we were kids.”
. . .
Star Trek (TOS, ENT, TNG), SG1, SGU, Firefly, BSG (old and new), Farscape, and Buck Rodgers are my favorite Sci-fi shows. I'm sure I missed a couple.
@kevindavis
I liked Firefly and Far Scape,but not the others so much.
I also like Dr.Who. You probably guessed that from my icon,though.
Oh yes, Babylon 5 was my favorite show of the 90s.
My current favorites, I think, are the Arrow-verse shows on The CW: The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.
@Ghost Bear
Well,if that is considered to be sci-fi,you should probably check out the tv show "Gotham". There are some people there flat acting their ASSES off. Last year one of the kids from Shameless was on,and stole every scene he was in. Amazing actor.
I'm a David Tennat Dr Who fan.. I tried watching Smith and Calpardi, but I couldn't get into those guys.
From Gal Gadot's Twitter feed, a first look at the promotional poster for the 2017 Wonder Woman movie:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cn-zZtuXYAAwZgD.jpg)
Oh, and a teaser trailer released at San Diego ComicCon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lGoQhFb4NM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lGoQhFb4NM)
I'm a David Tennat Dr Who fan.. I tried watching Smith and Calpardi, but I couldn't get into those guys.
@Ghost Bear
Hmmm,I can't quite put my finger on it,but there is something about that poster that me like bunches.
Wonder Woman with a sword.... is this like Batman carrying an Uzi
Smith was a lighter, funnier Who, as such he did a fine job. Had some great episodes. Capaldi should have become a darker Who, which he was here and there. The last couple of episodes were top-notch.
I've read that every Dr. Who fan has a favorite Doctor, usually the one featured when they started watching the show.
Wonder Woman with a sword.... is this like Batman carrying an Uzi
Blah, blah, blah.b
The real question is Amy Pond or Clara Oswald?
And yes, the correct answer is "both".
BTW,since this is October,I think it is time to remind everyone of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi movie,The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
There is something seriously wrong with anybody that doesn't like that one. I own a DVD of the original movie (it was just remade),and play it every Halloween.
IMHO,Tim Curry was just a LITTLE too comfortable with that role to even get another lead. The fact that he didn't get an Academy Award means he was robbed.
He did show up on a multi-episode series of Criminal Minds where he played a psycho-killer,though. Scared the hell out of me. If you ever get a chance to watch those episodes,do it.
LET THERE BE LIPS!
Blah, blah, blah.
The real question is Amy Pond or Clara Oswald?
And yes, the correct answer is "both".
Did you see the live stage production that the BBC produced last year? That was quite fun to watch! :laugh:
@Ghost Bear
No,dammit!
It was just remade and is going to be show on Fox in late November. From what I have seen on the promo,they are sticking to the original characters and story line. They had better be careful about how they redo Magenta though,or I might be coming after them. She rates right up there with a 30 year old Ann Margaret in my book,and some days tops the list.
BTW,for those of you who don't know,it was Magenta (Patricia Quinn) whose lips are seen singing the opening number.
@geronl
I agree. I liked Smith,but the new Doctor,and the new Doctor's babe are really promising. Can't seem to find it anywhere on PBS anymore,and I don't get BBC.
Eh, preferred Pond here. Clara felt like a near-Mary Sue to me. :shrug:
What's a Radio Picture?
I take it you've never seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, have you?
Nope, even the still pics are repellent. I have no desire to see it.It's not one of those films you see because of the movie itself. You only watch it for the audience experience. When the RKO banner comes on the screen, there's always somebody yelling: "What's a Radio Picture?!". Along with various comments throughout the movie.
an early description of television maybe, since it uses radio waves
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vtrPWlZ-Nes/hqdefault.jpg)
Then again, didn't RKO make films... I dunno :shrug:
Huh, looks like they've put it up on YouTube. This link was on the IMDB page for the production (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5061126/):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIPckPtYmXk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIPckPtYmXk)
Nope, even the still pics are repellent. I have no desire to see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIrw_AszBvk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNFo-DQW6PA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXFh5rNaDUk
Anyone seen the Renegades series? Lots of Star Trek people in it.
Seen it.
Great story. Good effects. Godawful writing.
... "I just didn't know what to do with my stuff until I stumbled into science fiction and fantasy," Le Guin says. "And then, of course, they knew what to do with it." "They" were the editors, fans, and fellow-authors who gave her an audience for her work. If science fiction was down-market, it was at least a market. More than that, genre supplied a ready-made set of tools, including spaceships, planets, and aliens, plus a realm--the future--that set no limits on the imagination. She found that science fiction suited what she called, in a letter to her mother, her "peculiar" talent, and she felt a lightheartedness in her writing that had to do with letting go of ambitions and constraints. In the fall of 1966, when she was thirty-seven, Le Guin began "A Wizard of Earthsea." In the next few years--which also saw her march against the Vietnam War and dance in a conga line with Allen Ginsberg, when he came to Portland to read Vedas for peace--she produced her great early work, including, in quick succession, "The Left Hand of Darkness," "The Lathe of Heaven," "The Farthest Shore," and "The Dispossessed," her ambitious novel of anarchist utopia ...Full article (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/the-fantastic-ursula-k-le-guin)
Anyone seen the Renegades series? Lots of Star Trek people in it.
"The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" was another idiotically-titled, poorly-marketed film that was actually not a bad movie at all. Sometimes marketing people take finished films and through advertising give them a public image that does not do them justice, nor attract the audience that would best appreciate them.
Other decent movies to which something similar has been done were, "John Carter of Mars (which may have actually been purposefully harmed by marketing people at the orders of a vindictive studio executive at war with Pixar) and "The Hudsucker Proxy" (worst title for a great movie EVER).
The Fantastic Ursula K. Le Guin
Julie Phillips
The New Yorker
October 17, 2016
Full article (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/the-fantastic-ursula-k-le-guin)
OK. Doesn't look quite as bad as I expected
Well, it was your cliched Sci-Fi B movie.. However, I have seen worse.
In a genre that includes Plan 9 and Sy-fy originals ... that is damning with faint praise indeed. :tongue2:
(says the guy who is planning to watch Iron Sky tonight .... )
Star Trek (TOS, ENT, TNG), SG1, SGU, Firefly, BSG (old and new), Farscape, and Buck Rodgers are my favorite Sci-fi shows. I'm sure I missed a couple.
I am sure being my age, almost 70, has something to do with it, but some my earliest memories are of going to the drive-ins with my parents until I was in the 3rd or 4th grade when I was allowed to go to the movie by myself. I recall few weekends that I did not go to a movie and on many week days if my grades were good, I was allowed to go to a late afternoon show after school.That's a great list. I mostly had to read sci fi, as the nearest theater was 25 miles away and just didn't show sci-fi. By the time this one hit TV, though I could watch it if living black and white (It was years before I finally saw it in color). Still a favorite: (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Film1953-TheWarOfTheWorlds-OriginalPoster.jpg/220px-Film1953-TheWarOfTheWorlds-OriginalPoster.jpg)
The films that really stand out from the git'go to me from the Sci-Fi genre are:
1951's Howard Hawks' The Thing from Another World (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-e-BB/TheThing-X1-555.jpg)
1951's The Day the Earth Stood Still (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still_1951.jpg)
and
1954's THEM (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Them02.jpg)
While I vivid recall seeing THEM at the Ideal Theater in Corsicana, Texas, with my cousins Wick and Skip, I am sure my memory of seeing The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Thing from Another World were in a re-release during the mid-1950s.
Yet over the 60 plus years since first seeing these, I have never seen another Sci-Fi film that equals either of these three for plot and overall acting excellence. Yes, Special Effects/CGI have come light years from the state of the arts effects used in 1951 and 1954, but while today's films can show literally just about anything one can imagine, they are story poor. Some don't have any plot to speak of that makes sense.
Or like they did when rebooting The Day the Earth Stood Still, they went full PC and in effect made a rather large pile of steaming you know what that was an insult to the original.
As to other Sci-Fi films from the 1950s, these four stand out to me:
1950's Rebert A. Heinlein's Destination Moon (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-e-BB/Destination-moon-X1-555.jpg)
1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-e-BB/Creature_from_the_Black_Lagoon-X1-555.jpg)
1956's Forbidden Planet (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-e-BB/Forbidden-planet-X1-555.jpg)
1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-e-BB/invasionofthebodysnatchers-X1-555.jpg)
These seven films are both appealing to children of the 1950s and made sense to the adults that also enjoyed them. You don't find that today as what passes for Sci-Fi today is made for 8 to 16 year old boys who will go to a movie ten or fifteen times.
Of course, there were many other mid-to-late 1950s Sci-Fi flicks that ranged from passable even to an 8 to 13 year old to down right silly--
All in all, those at the top of my comments still stand as great Science Fiction films that stand with or above the films of today and tomorrow.
In a genre that includes Plan 9 and Sy-fy originals ... that is damning with faint praise indeed. :tongue2:
(says the guy who is planning to watch Iron Sky tonight .... )
All in all, those at the top of my comments still stand as great Science Fiction films that stand with or above the films of today and tomorrow.
That's a great list. I mostly had to read sci fi, as the nearest theater was 25 miles away and just didn't show sci-fi. By the time this one hit TV, though I could watch it if living black and white (It was years before I finally saw it in color). Still a favorite: (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Film1953-TheWarOfTheWorlds-OriginalPoster.jpg/220px-Film1953-TheWarOfTheWorlds-OriginalPoster.jpg)
So I think that the world is big enough to accommodate both films without having to denigrate either.
A remake can, and indeed should, be judged on it's own merits.
I can only say we shall agree...to disagree
NO!! I disagree!! (...or DO I?)
Lately I've noticed a tendency to agree disagreeably. It's the sort of thing that gets me scratching my head. :chairbang: :shrug:
Gadzooks-- How did I miss... (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-h-BB/oh-no-R.gif) that one?I won't watch the new one again, but if the old one is on, grab the popcorn!
Still to this day, 63 year later, so much better... (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/lastofthebenders/FreeRep13-M-BB/Ya-Bender-11L.gif) than the 2005 Spielberg/Cruise reboot.
The Cruise/Speilberg remake was brilliant IMO. Largely it was more about characters than about things, which is why it was in some ways superior. The original was intended to be more of a rendering of the radio broadcast by Wells. It was sort of trying to represent visually what people who listened to the broadcast were imagining - especially the emotions of being caught up in a war again - like the nation had just survived a decade earlier in WWII.Considering rampant gore, splatter flicks, and in general putting the horrors of The Killing Fields on the screen didn't come for a quarter century after the original War of the Worlds was made, the absence of those reflects that the remake would never have made it past the censors of the day, even if it was technically possible. The effect was a film more psychological than blatant and in your face blood-and-guts horror. The films played to their respective audiences, and by the time of the remake, the film-going public had been desensitized to gore and blood soaked venues, expected CGI effects and far more 'horror' than would have passed muster in 1953. While there may be room for both, there is room for preferences, and I liked the original far more.
The Spielberg remake was slanted in a different way - it focused as do so many of his films on what the characters in the situation might have realistically gone through. Also many of the visuals of the second film were more true-to-life than the original, mostly because CGI was not available when the first was made, so any attempt to reproduce things like the tripods would have been hokey instead of awe-inspiring.
When the tripod erupts from under the ground and rises into the sky, that is a classic moment of cinema that could not have been accomplished in the era of the first film. Bravo!!
I know it's popular for many to denigrate the remake, but it was arguably superior to the original in many ways - such as the scenes in the basements. The first where the plane crashes was an inspired sequence of cinema and was likely actually taken from a chapter of a book reporting on the real event experience by the son of physicist Hugh Everett (who came up with the Many Worlds Theory as a solution to quantum wave-form collapse). Mark Everett (aka "E") who founded the Eels, wrote about walking through his neighborhood after a passenger airliner crash exactly as portrayed in the movie, in his own autobiography after he became a successful rock musician years after his father had died. I guess that was a little subtle inside-joke from Spielberg (get it? "many worlds"?)
The other basement scene where the character portrayed by Tim Robbins goes nuts and has to be killed by Cruise's character is in some ways far more horrible than all of the alien mayhem.
There was also a very riveting, evocative scene where Dakota Fanning's character is watching bodies floating by in a river that is ghastly and very nicely represents much of the genuine horror of human massacre that is missing from the first, where the human suffering is reduced to a sort of cartoonish, distant thing. Another scene where Cruise's son is breaking away to join the military effort to strike back at the invaders is classic - with Cruise's character torn for his desire to see his son be his own man but also to protect him, where he implores his father," You have to let me go!!!" What parent has not had that agonizing decision to face when their son finally starts to become their own man? Classic.
So I think that the world is big enough to accommodate both films without having to denigrate either.
The sort of films that Cyber-Liberty and Smokin' Joe are referring to might be defined as the "gothic horror" genre often uses grim/dark/strange surroundings, implied or impending violence along with sudden graphic representations - like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein novel and Edgar Allen Poe's work. The original feature film "Alien" directed by Ridley Scott and his sequel are also in that category.If you are going to go there, don't leave out Psycho (Hitchcock version) or The Birds, the former dealing with the monster within, hiding beneath that calm exterior (also exploited in Silence of the Lambs), the latter dealing with a twist in the ordinary, commonplace, and a taken for granted aspect of our world suddenly becoming hostile. In Jaws, that hostile element was always present, it just made itself known in a venue where it was assumed to not be a threat (especially of that magnitude). Part of the success of the Blair Witch films is the basic and primal fear of the unknown, played upon. You never see the evil, only results. But there, we have crossed from science fiction to horror.
The sort of elements that you folks are referring to are fairly sophisticated for many audience, so they are not for everyone. Forbidden Planet broke new ground by making psychological concepts (the Freudian ID and a classic Incestuous Daughter-Jealousy theme with Dr. Morbius' unconscious rage setting off the killing because of his daughter's interest in the Captain of the star ship). That's fairly heady stuff for a main-stream audience. Yet it was masterfully executed by the director/screenwriters.
A good director will tap into the unconscious imagery that emerges from the unconscious in what CG Jung calls archetypes - symbolic representations of themes and desires in most primal levels of consciousness.
Movies like Jaws and the Creature from the Black Lagoon also tapped into those gnawing, deep fears that we all normally push to outer regions of our awareness. Unseen monsters lurking in the deep water, or in darkness, or in deep caves or caverns. Generally, water/darkness is a symbol in the psyche for the unknown and the unconscious, which is why it can be so evocative when used in films.
The Cruise/Speilberg remake was brilliant IMO. Largely it was more about characters than about things, which is why it was in some ways superior.
The sort of elements that you folks are referring to are fairly sophisticated for many audiences, and not for everyone. That being said, Forbidden Planet broke new ground by introducing psychological concepts into SF /horror. <<
I know you guys are talking at a level far beyond my understanding of this genre,but wasn't Alfred Hitchcock.Rod Sterling,and Rod Serling doing the psychological stuff "way back when"?
BTW,to prove I am a geezer,all three are still right at the top of my list of favorites. Especially Hitchcock. He really cracks me up.
Who's Rod Sterling? Some silver guy? :shrug:
Who's Rod Sterling? Some silver guy? :shrug:
Sir Ling? He was a knighted Chinese person?
Who knew?
:tongue2:
He was born a poor Asian child
Pete - have a hunt around for Tales of the Unexpected. Roald Dahl wrote a lot of them - some are a bit obvious, some are scary as hell - but all psychological. Almost claustrophobic, the best ones are.
Edit to add - it was a TV series.
@ECNo one has mentioned The Outer Limits, so I figured I'd bring that show up, too. Between that and the Twilight Zone, we were well entertained as kids.
Thanks for the tip. I have a vague recollection of the Dahl name,but don't remember hearing about Tales of the Unexpected before. I'll check it out. I have a local broadcast channel that airs nothing but 50's and 60's sci-fi and horror movies,the cheesier the better. Not long ago they were having a "Godzilla Dance Party Week". If the image of dancing Godzilla's doesn't make you laugh,I don't know what would.
I think One Step Beyond sucked dogs...
Pete - have a hunt around for Tales of the Unexpected. Roald Dahl wrote a lot of them - some are a bit obvious, some are scary as hell - but all psychological. Almost claustrophobic, the best ones are.
Edit to add - it was a TV series.
@EC
Thanks for the tip. I have a vague recollection of the Dahl name,but don't remember hearing about Tales of the Unexpected before. I'll check it out. I have a local broadcast channel that airs nothing but 50's and 60's sci-fi and horror movies,the cheesier the better. Not long ago they were having a "Godzilla Dance Party Week". If the image of dancing Godzilla's doesn't make you laugh,I don't know what would.
I think One Step Beyond sucked dogs...Never saw that one.
No one has mentioned The Outer Limits, so I figured I'd bring that show up, too. Between that and the Twilight Zone, we were well entertained as kids.
Among others.
Sir Ling? He was a knighted Chinese person?
Who knew?
:tongue2:
Star Trek TV series losing Bryan Fuller as showrunner
Another setback for the eagerly awaited Star Trek TV series revival. Bryan Fuller is stepping down as showrunner on Star Trek: Discovery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwRz6ET_1po
Pete - have a hunt around for Tales of the Unexpected. Roald Dahl wrote a lot of them - some are a bit obvious, some are scary as hell - but all psychological. Almost claustrophobic, the best ones are.
Edit to add - it was a TV series.
@sneakypete @EC
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tales+of+the+unexpected+full+episodes
THE DEATH STAR WAS AN INSIDE JOB!!!!!!Oh, man! That is just beeyootiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN9LdTkR85Q
In this collection of potential reading, Mark Yon suggests books that you may appreciate whilst considering your vote.More (http://www.sffworld.com/2016/11/article-10-science-fiction-books-about-politics/)
It may have escaped your attention that during this week there are elections in the US.
Whilst we do not endorse any particular candidate or party at SFFWorld (and the person mainly writing this is non-US anyway!) but on behalf of SFFWorld we thought we would compile a list of ten SF books that use politics as an important part of their world. Be warned – not all of these are future visions you may like…
10 Science Fiction Books about Politics
Mark Yon
SFFWorld
November 8, 2016
More (http://www.sffworld.com/2016/11/article-10-science-fiction-books-about-politics/)
Thanks for posting that. I have read half of the books on that list. I reckon I have some catching up to do. :laugh:
10 Science Fiction Books about Politics
Mark Yon
SFFWorld
November 8, 2016
More (http://www.sffworld.com/2016/11/article-10-science-fiction-books-about-politics/)
I've also read five of the ten books on the list. Not a bad list, although I would say that while the politics in the stories are important to the plots, politics aren't necessarily the focus of the story. YMMV.I agree. All the ones I read dealt with (at their core) different models for governance, and the approaches thereof. The claustrophobic domination of INGSOC, the hedonism of the Brave New World, the borderline Fascism of Starship Troopers, the degeneration of interrelationships to livestock/keeper in The Time Machine...
I agree. All the ones I read dealt with (at their core) different models for governance, and the approaches thereof. The claustrophobic domination of INGSOC, the hedonism of the Brave New World, the borderline Fascism of Starship Troopers, the degeneration of interrelationships to livestock/keeper in The Time Machine...
I was surprised to not see Fahrenheit 451 in the list, maybe that is just a little too close to today's interlaced media driven culture for comfort, and the snowflake excuse given for burning all the books because they made people unhappy...
although Stand on Zanzibar comes close to that model, just without the same totalitarian overtones.
I really should make a point of reading the other 5.
Just a warning, The Reality Dysfunction is just the first book in a trilogy, each book being a 1000+ page door stopper. But I enjoyed them all. Hamilton can really write big-time space opera. Although each book has a slow buildup at the start, the last third of each is packed with action.Actually, I like long books, otherwise most come off like Louis L'Amour, which were okay to read when you had an hour or two to kill, but just didn't have the meat of something like Exodus.
Actually, I like long books, otherwise most come off like Louis L'Amour, which were okay to read when you had an hour or two to kill, but just didn't have the meat of something like Exodus.
Well then, if you like long books, Peter F. Hamilton is definitely an author you should check into. He has written several series, all of them featuring hundreds-of-pages-long books.Speaking of long books and series, I was surprised Frank Herbert wasn't there, either. Dune, the sequels and prequels were all good reads, although the sequels lost it a little around book 2 or 3 (there are 6 books in all), the prequels written about the different houses by his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson are good, too. (Atredies, Harkonnen, Corrino, etc) There are 16 books total in that group. The whole dune series is available at amozon in a group.
Speaking of long books and series, I was surprised Frank Herbert wasn't there, either. Dune, the sequels and prequels were all good reads, although the sequels lost it a little around book 2 or 3 (there are 6 books in all), the prequels written about the different houses by his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson are good, too. (Atredies, Harkonnen, Corrino, etc) There are 16 books total in that group. The whole dune series is available at amozon in a group.
Well then, if you like long books, Peter F. Hamilton is definitely an author you should check into. He has written several series, all of them featuring hundreds-of-pages-long books.
The James A Michener of sci-fiLeon Uris?
Take a look at this:
Yes, I saw that earlier today. I doubt I'll see it... it doesn't really appeal to me for various reasons. :shrug:
It is different, I'll wait till it is on Hulu or Amazon..
It's by the same guy who did "The Fifth Element", which was rather quirky.
Leon Uris?
It is different, I'll wait till it is on Hulu or Amazon..
I wonder how that is going to work. Season one had a very definite ending.
I have his books in my library. I wonder if they are still in print.I don't know. I'm not sure if I still have mine or not. I haven't reorganized my library since the fire, I did lose some 500 volumes in that. Some of those will not likely be replaced (they were even more rare than I knew).
I don't know. I'm not sure if I still have mine or not. I haven't reorganized my library since the fire, I did lose some 500 volumes in that. Some of those will not likely be replaced (they were even more rare than I knew).
Check Allibris or Abe booksellers, and there are others out there if you are looking for copies.
I really need to get on the stick and build some bookcases and get the rest out of storage.
Back when "The Martian" first came out all the science publications fawned all over the good science included in the film.
Now that I've seen it I have to assume that most of the 'good science' was buried under mountains of science fiction. Things like martian winds blowing large heavy objects around and even threatening to topple a spacecraft are questionable at best. The martian atmosphere is so thin a 100 mph wind only has the force of a 10 mph breeze. They later contradicted their forceful wind image by launching without a nose cone because the atmosphere is so thin.
The idea of growing taters with minimal soil preparation goes off into a whole new set of reality issues.
The orbital mechanics appeared to be mostly OK science.
@Cripplecreek , do you have iTunes on your computer? The first episode of National Geographic's "Mars" starts tomorrow night, but you can download it for free right now.
Very very good, and pass the popcorn.
Back when "The Martian" first came out all the science publications fawned all over the good science included in the film.
Now that I've seen it I have to assume that most of the 'good science' was buried under mountains of science fiction. Things like martian winds blowing large heavy objects around and even threatening to topple a spacecraft are questionable at best. The martian atmosphere is so thin a 100 mph wind only has the force of a 10 mph breeze. They later contradicted their forceful wind image by launching without a nose cone because the atmosphere is so thin.
The idea of growing taters with minimal soil preparation goes off into a whole new set of reality issues.
The orbital mechanics appeared to be mostly OK science.
You should read the original book that the movie was based on. As is nearly always the case, the book was much better about such things as you noticed in the movie, getting things right (as much as we can tell) pretty much all the time.
One thing I did like was the fact that they didn't depict loneliness driving him to insanity. I'd talk to myself a lot but would be fine in isolation like that.As long as you like yourself, you can get along pretty well alone, if you aren't so hurt or so sick you need a hand. You might miss people, but the company you keep will be agreeable.
As long as you like yourself, you can get along pretty well alone, if you aren't so hurt or so sick you need a hand. You might miss people, but the company you keep will be agreeable.
nudity and lesbianism right off the bat.Yep. We're all naked under our clothes, but gratuitous homosexuality is an absolute no-go.
no longer interested
nudity and lesbianism right off the bat.
no longer interested
Is it really nudity when the body in question is cybernetic and not human?
yes, because cybernetic bodies do not exist
body paint ain't clothes either
I sort of got spoiled for any live action Ghost in the Shell movie, since I think the original movie (not the series) was one of the most beautiful, artful, and evocative pieces of cinema of all time.
I sort of got spoiled for any live action Ghost in the Shell movie, since I think the original movie (not the series) was one of the most beautiful, artful, and evocative pieces of cinema of all time.
Speakin' of SF animated movies, there was this movie with huge semi-material, ghostly insect-like creatures that had invaded a ship or installation and soldiers had to blast them. They could pass through solid materials and then solidify again as I recall, which made them formidable adversaries. It was a terrifically entertaining movie but I have never been able to find the title so I could order it. It probably became a video game or started as one. Anyone every heard of something like that?
Speakin' of SF animated movies, there was this movie with huge semi-material, ghostly insect-like creatures that had invaded a ship or installation and soldiers had to blast them. They could pass through solid materials and then solidify again as I recall, which made them formidable adversaries. It was a terrifically entertaining movie but I have never been able to find the title so I could order it. It probably became a video game or started as one. Anyone every heard of something like that?
'Stranger in a Strange Land' TV Series in the Works at Syfy
I barely remember SIASL other than the basic premise. Was that one of RAH's books about group marriage that made me give up on his works? (Seriously, I don't mind throwing in a little non-traditional viewpoints, but at one point working my way through his body of work I felt like the time MSNBC came on in my hotel room and I couldn't find the power button).You may be thinking about Time Enough for Love or The Notebooks of Lazarus Long. (It has been a while)
If so, they should just go for the trifecta and bring in JJ Abrams.
I barely remember SIASL other than the basic premise. Was that one of RAH's books about group marriage that made me give up on his works? (Seriously, I don't mind throwing in a little non-traditional viewpoints, but at one point working my way through his body of work I felt like the time MSNBC came on in my hotel room and I couldn't find the power button).
If so, they should just go for the trifecta and bring in JJ Abrams.
I've never read SiaSL, so all I know about it is what I've read about it in pieces like this. :shrug:
Oh, and I know what my wife has told me about it... she's been a fan of RAH since she was about 10. She was quite excited to hear that this series is being made.
I wonder how that is going to work. Season one had a very definite ending.
It certainly was confusing. It was as if somebody woke up one day and said, "OK, end of production." But I don't see how the story can be picked up again, unless they want to resume the flashback supposedly the whole series was. Are they releasing Episode 1 early again, or do we have to wait until mid-December?
Yeah, I did. Again, I wonder where they're going with the story. By definition it has to be beyond what Dick wrote, so let's hope the writers are good....
Has anyone seen the new movie "Arrival"?
It's supposed to be awesome. Just debating, spend 12 now or wait til it is at Redbox.
I haven't seen that one, but wife and I saw "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" tonight. It was really, really good, we both thought!
Look all around you, remember you are mortal? @Ghost Bear did someone die?
In the movie it did appear that one character died... but I don't want to give any spoilers.
Oh good. I thought someone in your family or your avatar had just died.
Slightly off SF topic- but on movies- my mom is taking me to see "Loving" on Black Friday. Not looking forward to it, I hope I enjoy it anyway.
‘Arrival’ Challenges Audiences To Face A Daunting QuestionExcerpted - read the whole thing at The Federalist (http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/19/arrival-challenges-audiences-face-daunting-question/).
Linguist Louise Banks has to ask herself: ‘If you knew how your life would turn out, would you choose to live it again?’
Jay Caruso
If you’re expecting an “Independence Day” or even a “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” experience when you see “Arrival,” chances are you will be disappointed. If you’re expecting an excellently written, well-acted science fiction thriller that moves at a steady pace and with a director who believes his audience is intelligent enough to work through the film’s nuances, you’ll be greatly rewarded.
Based on Ted Chiang’s 1998 novella “Story of Your Life,” the screenplay by Eric Heisserer introduces us to Dr. Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams), a linguist professor. When we first encounter Banks, it’s through a vignette of scenes of Banks and her daughter Hannah from birth through Hannah’s untimely death due to a rare form of cancer at what appears to be in her early teens. ...
Ultimately, the most important question asked in the movie is not, “What is your purpose here?” which is asked of the aliens. Rather, it is a question Banks has to ask herself: “If you knew how your life would turn out, would you choose to live it again?”
Denis Villeneuve, who directed 2015’s brilliant “Sicario,” does another terrific job with this film. He draws the viewers in slowly, allowing the story to take shape while allowing the characters to be fleshed out over time. He never rushes anything, and that is a credit to good storytelling. “Arrival” is a great story, and despite a running time of two hours and 10 minutes, it never feels that long despite not being a typical space thriller. It is gorgeously shot, and as such, you should see it on a big screen instead of waiting for an on-demand release.
The cast is great all around, but the movie belongs entirely to Adams. She delivers a heartfelt, warm, and touching performance that will no doubt earn her a well-deserved Oscar nomination. “Arrival” is one of the best movies of 2016. ...
My wife and I saw it on Saturday. Well worth the time. Oh, and Stephen Wolfram was the science advisor on the picture, and was actually listened to, which makes the science content of the movie not teeth-grating to those who often can't finish an SF movie because of the complete impossibility of everything happening.
http://blog.stephenwolfram.com/2016/11/quick-how-might-the-alien-spacecraft-work/ (http://blog.stephenwolfram.com/2016/11/quick-how-might-the-alien-spacecraft-work/)
Happy to read that you enjoyed the film - it's gotten good reviews from some of the critics I rely on to seprate the bowsers from the boffo.Recall, though that the original was from an era when nuclear warfare was virtually considered inevitable, and considered to be the self-destructive epitomy of humanity's warlike nature, sure to end in self-immolation.
You comment about "teeth grating impossibility" was my reaction to the remake of Day the Earth Stood Still.
The whole idea that an alien race of inconceivable technological sophistication would not understand basic psychology or that the notion of warlike, aggressive, territorial impulses would be somehow an indication of an abberative psyche is laughable.
All so-called civilized cultures had a past that was by today's standards largely barbaric. We accept this as a condition of their state of knowledge, not of their character. It rankled me that the leftist who wrote that script projected their own misanthropic prejudices onto the superior alien race - as if they would condemn the entire human race for behaving exactly as any reasonable observer would anticipate.
Well I thought take it for the team and watch Incorporated (the new Syfy show). Waste of time. Basically a Green Propaganda show.
Well I thought take it for the team and watch Incorporated (the new Syfy show). Waste of time. Basically a Green Propaganda show.Did you watch the first season of Colony on USA, by any chance?
Did you watch the first season of Colony on USA, by any chance?
Just finished watching the second season of Dark Matters on Netflix. Acting is cheesy and campy scifi, but overall I like the plot.
Just finished watching the second season of Dark Matters on Netflix. Acting is cheesy and campy scifi, but overall I like the plot.
I tried to watch Dark Masters but I couldn't get into it.
Killjoys is better.
Killjoys is better.
Not to be a wet blanket, but with all of the disappointment expressed on this thread about T.V. / film productions, have any of you considered READING books??? I'd imagine that your imaginations are infinitely superior in their ability to produce evocative characters and special effects to any Hollywood set designers or effects people.
If I had the time to watch hours of video production I might be tempted to dive into a good book or two - there are so many on my list now (thanks to some of the posters on this forum) that it would be a slam dunk.
I fully understand that how people relax is a matter of personal taste, but I can't help agreeing with Robert Heinlein about T.V./films being inferior media - for a lot of good reasons.
Lately my housemate and I have been getting classic movies we haven't seen for awhile from the library and watching them again - just got Kubrick's Shining and enjoyed it immensely. Now THAT is what I call a classic film experience. Why can't more people make movies the way Kubrick did?
And speaking of reading, The Stanley Kubrick Interviews has to be one of the most interesting books I have ever read (and I have read hundreds) out of any topic. I found out for instance, that Kubrick started as a camera guy primarily who just happened to get into making films as almost an afterthought. So he was intimately involved in the cinematography for all of his films. He'd collect lenses from camera stores the way furniture people collect antiques - the fool even built cameras from scratch for some of his films!!
Not to be a wet blanket, but with all of the disappointment expressed on this thread about T.V. / film productions, have any of you considered READING books??? I'd imagine that your imaginations are infinitely superior in their ability to produce evocative characters and special effects to any Hollywood set designers or effects people.
If I had the time to watch hours of video production I might be tempted to dive into a good book or two - there are so many on my list now (thanks to some of the posters on this forum) that it would be a slam dunk.
I fully understand that how people relax is a matter of personal taste, but I can't help agreeing with Robert Heinlein about T.V./films being inferior media - for a lot of good reasons.
Lately my housemate and I have been getting classic movies we haven't seen for awhile from the library and watching them again - just got Kubrick's Shining and enjoyed it immensely. Now THAT is what I call a classic film experience. Why can't more people make movies the way Kubrick did?
And speaking of reading, The Stanley Kubrick Interviews has to be one of the most interesting books I have ever read (and I have read hundreds) out of any topic. I found out for instance, that Kubrick started as a camera guy primarily who just happened to get into making films as almost an afterthought. So he was intimately involved in the cinematography for all of his films. He'd collect lenses from camera stores the way furniture people collect antiques - the fool even built cameras from scratch for some of his films!!
Agreed. And with the explosion of indy publishing of ebooks, you're not forced to read whatever the leftist editors and publishers of the dead-tree publishing companies have decided you should. Take a look at http://monsterhunternation.com/ (http://monsterhunternation.com/), https://accordingtohoyt.com/ (https://accordingtohoyt.com/), and https://madgeniusclub.com/ (https://madgeniusclub.com/) to get a start in this world.
Actually, I feel exactly the opposite. I've enjoyed Dark Matters, but quit Killjoys after the 2nd or 3rd episode.
Well, here is some high literature for everyone:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6965582-ass-goblins-of-auschwitz
And no, this isn't made up... it's a real book.
(note to self, do not review lists of 'bizarro' books any more)
Killjoys is better.
I tried watching Killjoys, but I couldn't get into it. I guess shows like The Expanse, B5, and the New BSG has kinda set bar too high for me.
True enough. I'll go out of my way to watch The Expanse.
True enough. I'll go out of my way to watch The Expanse.Same here.
The side with a beer volcano and a stripper factory, of course!
Onward Pastafarian soldiers!
For those who may not know, "Pastafarian" refers to those who claim to worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster. That is, they are atheists and formed their "religion" to mock Christianity and other religions which they consider to be for weak-minded or otherwise inferior people.Ker-ay-see! Und mebbe zey needt somevone to check their noodle! (https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/sigmund-freud-wax-figure-21599702.jpg)
J.J. Abrams Developing Space Drama ‘Glare’ With HBO
http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/jj-abrams-glare-hbo-space-show-1201938232/
lol
I except a lot of screen glare
the Picard video wasn't loud enough
What is your favorite Dr Who Christmas Special or Specials???
Mine are:
1. The Christmas Invasion
2. The Runaway Bride
3. Voyage of the Damned
4. The Next Doctor
5. A Christmas Carol
I've been watching Dr Who all day.
I think my favorite was the one where he (Matt Smith) brought the WWII bomber pilot home to his family.
It was OK, I think the reason why I like the Dr Who specials is that they show people celebrating Christmas in the future and on different planets.
And they don't have any problem calling it Christmas.
Last year was kind of bittersweet because it was the last time he saw River Song.
When is it airing
December 25th on BBC America..
Don't know about anyone else but Peter Capaldi grew on me as The Doctor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8vR2FB1PGM
I saw "Passengers" today.
It was OKish. Nothing remotely political about it despite Jenifer Lawrence co staring. If anything the show was underdone like they had gotten a partial screenplay and left it at that. Chris Platt was typically good but the show could have used a whole lot more Laurence Fishburne.
Chris Platt was typically good but the show could have used a whole lot more Laurence Fishburne.
How was the science in the movie??
The science was so so aside from a serious failing in their portrayal of producing and losing gravity.
The ship had spinning segments I assumed were to produce artificial gravity but as systems began to fail gravity failed as if a switch had been flipped off.
So basically I should wait until it is free then??
The ship had spinning segments I assumed were to produce artificial gravity but as systems began to fail gravity failed as if a switch had been flipped off.
Well guys, I no longer have cable TV. Don't need it.Bravo..
I subscribed to History Channel, FNC, an others online plus, HULU and it gives me everything I need.
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In the same boat.
I went from hundreds and hundreds of channels at $120 a month, to less than 10 channels which I actually watch, at less than $50 a month combined. In addition to less money, I have the ability to watch whatever show I want to watch at whatever time I want to watch it mostly with no commercials. TV schedules, TV Guide, means nothing to me anymore.
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I just watched Voyager, Enterprise, SG1, and am almost finished with Atlantis. Watching every episode of every season in order brings so much more insight into the shows. It is a new world for me.I would go with SGU.. Also, if want to Battlestar Galactica (new version) is on Hulu...
Next, I'm not sure. DS9? SGU? I can't watch TNG because I have seen all the episodes too many times. I don't know what I will choose, but whatever it is, it will be my choice.
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Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and only the best in the coming new year.
Bravo..
I have Sling Tv.. It does the job.
I know about Sling, but have not tried it yet. They seem to be all over the place. I may in the future.
Just today I was offered a free subscription to Sling for a week or a month, whatever. I wasn't really paying attention.
However, based on your recommendation, I can't see a reason not to try the 'free' period and see what's going on.
This forum is meant to share ideas, and I guess that is what we are doing. I'll give it a try.
One irritating thing about sci fi these days is the use of ridiculous stupidity to create drama.
Its just not believable that someone centuries into the future could open a door to hard vacuum and be caught completely by surprise.
My ship would have sensors to detect the vacuum and redundant systems requiring connecting areas to be secured before allowing a door to a vacuum to be opened. However, my ship would also have a self sealing capability for small bulkhead breaches at the least.
Ditto.. Also, for my sleeper ship, I would have an AI to maintain the ship or have a rotating crew.
On Passengers the crew was due to awaken 4 months before the end of their 125 year journey at 50% of light speed. At the very least I would have had AI awakening them at the first sign of trouble.That is reasonable..
I'd go with 10 crews doing 4 years of duty.
There was some decent basic science on Passengers. The captain (Fishburn) explaining why they couldn't just turn around and go home. 30 years out at .50 light speed so it would take another 30 years to slowdown and another 30 years to return to earth. In reality its even more complicated because you have to start slowing down halfway to earth on your return trip. (Ion drive BTW)
One I liked because it wasn't explained was Pratt sending a message home and the computer saying it would take 19 years for the message to reach earth and a total of 56 years for him to receive a response. I assume they were taking into account the fact that the ship would continue accelerating away from earth for the whole time the message to and from earth was in transit.
Also kind of pointless and wasteful to have a sleeper ship with restaurants, bars, shopping, swimming pools etc. Pandorum got that one right, the Elysium was an all business sleeper ship with little wasted space.
I suppose one reason a sleeper ship may have luxury accommodations is the expectation that passengers would be expected to live on board the ship in orbit as the colony is established.
In the movie Passengers, the Pratt Character got a discount on the trip because he was an engineer which was considered a valuable necessary career.
I suppose one reason a sleeper ship may have luxury accommodations is the expectation that passengers would be expected to live on board the ship in orbit as the colony is established.
In the movie Passengers, the Pratt Character got a discount on the trip because he was an engineer which was considered a valuable necessary career.
Don't make the mistake of lumping all media versions of SF together. The best literary SF doesn't have the shortcomings you routinely see in film or TV SF. There's an old saying in the hard SF community (which I haven't the inclination to look up at the moment):
You get one change from known science to tell your story. Everything else has to follow the laws of physics.
Little Girl
Annalisa is eight years old, wearing the gray pajama-like outfit that she likes skipping up the corridor singing a song to herself. Her footsteps echo up and down the mile-long corridor. Inside of the spaceship Salutem Novis, ferrying 265,000 souls in suspended animation on a 6,000 year journey to New Eden.
Tap, tap, tap she skips a little farther and notices another corridor branching off to the left ahead of her but she continues to sing her nonsense song. “If roses are red and corpses are dead, why do the carp like to bang their head..” at the last word she jumps to look down the branching corridor “Gotcha!”
A yellowish square robot hanging from a rod that connects to a railing on the ceiling throws its two arms wide “Annalisa has found me again! You are too good at this game of hide and seek.”
The little girl laughs.
The robot follows her back to the main corridor “It is now time for your evening meal, afterwards you must recite your lesson for the main computer and then get ready for bed.”
Annalisa crossed her arms “I'm not even tired!”, then she yawned.
“I can see that your energy levels are dropping. We have had fun today Annalisa, and we will have fun again tomorrow,” the little robot said “but the rules are the rules.”
“Okay, Gopher,” she said and then smiled and took off running “Catch me if you can!”
The yellow robot followed her quickly but had no intention of winning this little race. The main job was to keep an eye on the child. After all, she wasn't supposed to be out of cryogenic stasis and her parents were still in it. The child had adamantly refused to get back into the chamber.
As Annalisa sat at the table, the little robot took off, back through its own slot in the ceiling and soon returned with the child's evening meal. As she ate the main computer spoke up.
“How long do you plan to wait before you return to the chamber?” it asked her
“No!” she answered with a frown “I don't want to. It's too scary, Papa!”
She had taken to calling the main computer “Papa” a few days after she had been revived, through some sort of error. The main computer supposed the originally stacking of the cryo-tubes had been labeled wrong. This was the first time it had happened since the trip began, so it must have only affected a few of those in stasis.
She treated Gopher like her best friend and the main computer as some kind of step-parent, she was never a badly behaved child. She only refused to re-enter her cryogenic suspension chamber so she could rejoin her parents until the end of the journey.
“You have been doing this for twenty days, Annalisa” the main computer said “Your parents will be unhappy at the end of the trip if they have missed a lot of your childhood. Do you want them to be sad and angry?”
The girl frowned.
“You have done it before. It does not hurt and you will be asleep as soon as the process starts, then when you wake up, your parents will be waiting for you,” the main computer said
“Oookay,” she surrendered “I'm going to miss Gopher very much.”
The main computer replied “You will feel no time passing, Gopher will still be here when you wake up, Gopher will be waiting for you.”
“Yes I will,” Gopher said “Because Annalisa is my friend.”
The girl smiled.
In my story, which needs an ending, the AI awakens a human from cryo before they even exit the solar system. Just a randomly chosen guy, who manages to talk the computer into waking up a female eventually (took a while). Only because the AI determines the guy might go nuts (draws on the wall a lot). He's America and she's from Sierra Leone.
Then the bad things start to happen and they figure out they might not be alone on the ship... (miles long) and the computer tells them that a front part of the ship isn't supposed to be there.
Oh, I think I did refer to the 250,000 people in cryo as "passengers", lol.
I posted the first chapter on my blog June 10, 2015. http://flscifi.blogspot.com/2015/06/lonely-space-chapter-one.html (http://flscifi.blogspot.com/2015/06/lonely-space-chapter-one.html)
I did read that story sometime ago.. Much better concept than Passengers...
In reality I was looking for a sci-fi movie like Interstellar and The Martian. This year was kinda disappointing. We shall what 2017 brings.
Here is the list of Sci-Fi movies coming out next year: http://movieweb.com/movies/2017/sci-fi/
Looks like lots of crap and a few possibilities.
In my story, which needs an ending, the AI awakens a human from cryo before they even exit the solar system. Just a randomly chosen guy, who manages to talk the computer into waking up a female eventually (took a while). Only because the AI determines the guy might go nuts (draws on the wall a lot). He's America and she's from Sierra Leone.
Then the bad things start to happen and they figure out they might not be alone on the ship... (miles long) and the computer tells them that a front part of the ship isn't supposed to be there.
Oh, I think I did refer to the 250,000 people in cryo as "passengers", lol.
I posted the first chapter on my blog June 10, 2015. http://flscifi.blogspot.com/2015/06/lonely-space-chapter-one.html
Now all we need to find a planet that is like this (or it can be terraformed with robot terraformers), also the $$ to build the ship and the right technology..
Interesting plot. 'Sounds a little like Gene Wolfe's award-winning short story, "The Other Dead Man".
The latest in weird.
But surprisingly well done.
In my story, which needs an ending, the AI awakens a human from cryo before they even exit the solar system. Just a randomly chosen guy, who manages to talk the computer into waking up a female eventually (took a while). Only because the AI determines the guy might go nuts (draws on the wall a lot). He's America and she's from Sierra Leone.Thanks. I read every chapter, and am looking forward to more. A nice, pleasant read that holds my attention without tedium. That's good stuff by me. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work.
Then the bad things start to happen and they figure out they might not be alone on the ship... (miles long) and the computer tells them that a front part of the ship isn't supposed to be there.
Oh, I think I did refer to the 250,000 people in cryo as "passengers", lol.
I posted the first chapter on my blog June 10, 2015. http://flscifi.blogspot.com/2015/06/lonely-space-chapter-one.html
Thanks. I read every chapter, and am looking forward to more. A nice, pleasant read that holds my attention without tedium. That's good stuff by me. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work.
I added 2 more chapters.Thanks!
http://flscifi.blogspot.com/2016/12/lonely-space-chapter-eight.html
http://flscifi.blogspot.com/2016/12/lonely-space-chapter-nine.html
@kevindavis @Smokin Joe @Cripplecreek @Freya
The latest in weird.
But surprisingly well done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-1RMKdWz8M
Hmmm... animated Leela is more attractive than live-action Leela. :shrug:
Hmmm... animated Leela is more attractive than live-action Leela. :shrug:
Agreed. And hypnotoad looses something in translation too. But I did like the head of Richard Nixon.
Thank you @Ghost Bear . I'm a big fan of Futureama! I wish they would bring it back.
(I wonder if Old Fortran beer tastes like Duff beer)
I'll be looking that up
I tried to send this as a PM but you apparently have me blocked (possibly stemming from some contentious previous Trump-related thread before the election that I seem to recall generated some hurt feelings with many posters). I just wanted to warn you about Wolfe. He is not a normal human being so it is perilous to view his work as if he were.
I have to say, your setup sounds quite a bit like John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" series.
Just saw this. It's not exactly SF, but it's interesting:
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Ark-Self-Sustaining-Spaceship-Springer/dp/3319310402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482955109&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Ark (https://www.amazon.com/Star-Ark-Self-Sustaining-Spaceship-Springer/dp/3319310402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482955109&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Ark)
Interesting but I note that they use the word "sustainable" which excludes me from having any interest in it. That is generally a code-word for "feel-good" sciency stuff which has little or no connection to reality.
Anyway, in less than 100 years we will surely reach AI singularity and all of the planet's resources and funding will be withdrawn from any other use than building huge idols in every city and town praising the All-Supreme Great Super-Mind and promising unconditional, undying absolute obedience to its every slightest whim and command. Amen.
Here is an idea for a book.
Colonists are selected for intelligence and physical attributes--strength, agility, endurance. Not for any specialized skill set. They are injected with a retro-gene set that causes them to devolve while in cro-sleep. When they awake the ship AI releases them on to the colony world. Kinda/sorta like Planet of the Apes in reverse. They aren't devolved back more than a few tens of thousands, or hundred(s) thousands of years.
Also prior to release they are reinjected with a reversal gene set that will affect the next couple of generations.
The AI has projectors, etc., that sets itself up as "god".
A random thought.
Here is an idea for a book.
Colonists are selected for intelligence and physical attributes--strength, agility, endurance. Not for any specialized skill set. They are injected with a retro-gene set that causes them to devolve while in cro-sleep. When they awake the ship AI releases them on to the colony world. Kinda/sorta like Planet of the Apes in reverse. They aren't devolved back more than a few tens of thousands, or hundred(s) thousands of years.
Also prior to release they are reinjected with a reversal gene set that will affect the next couple of generations.
The AI has projectors, etc., that sets itself up as "god".
A random thought.
Just saw this. It's not exactly SF, but it's interesting:
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Ark-Self-Sustaining-Spaceship-Springer/dp/3319310402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482955109&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Ark (https://www.amazon.com/Star-Ark-Self-Sustaining-Spaceship-Springer/dp/3319310402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482955109&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Ark)
It's not quite the same, but the story "Terraforming Earth" by Jack Williamson... has an automated moonbase set up with human genetic samples. It's purpose is the recolonization the earth after a giant asteriod is set to hit the earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r42q6l49Bb4
They have season 1 on Amazon Prime. Worth the view?
Yes, however, I wouldn't take my word. I happen to just like just about anything that takes place in Space (with GOT and Vikings being the exception).
I can space out at the drop of a hat.
They have season 1 on Amazon Prime. Worth the view?I think so. I enjoyed it.
FYI: The Twilight Zone marathon is on the SyFy channel..
For several years (years ago) they had the episodes planned so that "The Midnight Sun" would run at midnight Eastern time. One of my favorite episodes, but for some reason this year it's running on Sunday afternoon. :shrug:
My favorites are The Obsolete man and The Hunt.
My favorites are The Obsolete man and The Hunt.
Happy New Year... Here is hoping 2017 is good year in Science Fiction.
Yes, however, I wouldn't take my word. I happen to just like just about anything that takes place in Space (with GOT and Vikings being the exception).
FYI: The Twilight Zone marathon is on the SyFy channel..
I've seen them all too many times. After watching the typical space soap-operas, Voyager, SG1, Atlantis, and others for a couple of months, I finally took a break and started watching Alfred Hitchcock presents. I was surprised at what a good show it is. The stories are intelligent, very well thought out, and usually have a twist ending. It is nice. Ray Bradbury wrote seven episodes for Hitchcock between 1956 - 1964. Hitchcock had some great writers.
Over the holidays I have been enjoying The Outer Limits, which again, I am enjoying very much. Television as it was made back then, is so far away from what we have today. I enjoy Big Bang and Family Guy once in while, but these show simply cannot compare to the classics. Before I had streaming TV, I watched Fox News almost constantly, with some History Channel and Discovery thrown in.
But with HULU, I am actually enjoying television shows again. Once I burn up HULU, I will likely see what else is out there. Sling, Netflix, DirectTV, among others. But as it stands now, according to my very specific tastes in television, HULU, FNC, History, Discovery Channel, is giving me more than enough content to keep me busy and satisfied.
Once I got my streaming TV system setup, it opened up a world of entertainment that I could not access before. And best of all, it is less than half of what I was paying before. As a user review, I cannot say enough about it. It is great.
Ever seen the Venture Brothers? I get the feeling that show would be right down your main street.
The local library might have them and they are also on Adult Swim cable (or used to be) and likely Netflicks or other streaming. The writing is fairly tight and fast paced so it can be exhausting if you try to watch an entire season in one fell swoop ( or far worse, do a marathon). I'd start from Season #1 - just because. Maybe limit yourself to one episode every four hours just to give your brain cells time to recharge.
(http://m5.paperblog.com/i/37/379134/top-10-venture-brothers-side-characters-L-rFOXdY.jpeg)
I'll second the vote for Venture Brothers. Brilliant satire that is at the same time a brilliant example of genre (SF, Thriller, Spy, Action, Superhero, Mystery, Boy Adventure... pick your genre!) Seasons 1-6 are currently available on Hulu. And yeah, every episode is very dense... I often want to go back and re-watch immediately to pick up on the bits that I missed on the first viewing. But it's worth it!
P.S. - Just being pedantic, but judging by her costume in the pic, that's not Dr. Girlfriend but actually Dr. Mrs. The Monarch. ^-^
Game of Thrones..... in space!!!!!!
I've seen them all too many times. After watching the typical space soap-operas, Voyager, SG1, Atlantis, and others for a couple of months, I finally took a break and started watching Alfred Hitchcock presents. I was surprised at what a good show it is. The stories are intelligent, very well thought out, and usually have a twist ending. It is nice. Ray Bradbury wrote seven episodes for Hitchcock between 1956 - 1964. Hitchcock had some great writers.
Over the holidays I have been enjoying The Outer Limits, which again, I am enjoying very much. Television as it was made back then, is so far away from what we have today. I enjoy Big Bang and Family Guy once in while, but these show simply cannot compare to the classics. Before I had streaming TV, I watched Fox News almost constantly, with some History Channel and Discovery thrown in.
But with HULU, I am actually enjoying television shows again. Once I burn up HULU, I will likely see what else is out there. Sling, Netflix, DirectTV, among others. But as it stands now, according to my very specific tastes in television, HULU, FNC, History, Discovery Channel, is giving me more than enough content to keep me busy and satisfied.
Once I got my streaming TV system setup, it opened up a world of entertainment that I could not access before. And best of all, it is less than half of what I was paying before. As a user review, I cannot say enough about it. It is great.
That is the The Expanse.
A lot going on in The Expanse.
The Mormons building an enormous ship and fixin to go interstellar is interesting to say the least.
I haven't read the books but I know that it goes well beyond our solar system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)#Plot_synopsis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)#Plot_synopsis)
Lets just hope the show last long enough so they show the Interstellar portion. Also, I would just join the Church of the LDS if they are going Interstellar.
The Scarecrow isn't a scarecrow, but he is introduced in a crucifixion pose. The tin man isn't The Tin Man, either, but he is the result of a horrifying, Frankenstein-style experiment. The lions aren't cowardly--the citizens of Oz speak of them as if they'll tear your throat out. The Munchkins have swapped out dandy fashions for tribal facepaint. The Wicked Witch Of The West runs a brothel. Welcome to Emerald City, the dark reimagining of L. Frank Baum's Oz stories that debuts on NBC after a nearly three-and-a-half-year trek down the yellow-brick development road.More (http://www.avclub.com/review/nbcs-gorgeous-emerald-city-wizard-oz-s-neither-gre-248036)
NBC’s gorgeous Emerald City is a Wizard Of Oz that’s neither great nor powerful
Erik Adams
The A.V. Club
January 6, 2017
More (http://www.avclub.com/review/nbcs-gorgeous-emerald-city-wizard-oz-s-neither-gre-248036)
When I saw the trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKeRnyFIHWs) for this, I thought, "Wow. This looks like a pretentious piece of crap." My mind wasn't changed when I tried to watch the series premier last night. I tuned out before the halfway point.
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_City_%28TV_series%29)
IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3579018/)
Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/emerald_city//)
Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/tv/emerald-city)
Official site (http://www.nbc.com/emerald-city)
NBC’s gorgeous Emerald City is a Wizard Of Oz that’s neither great nor powerful
Erik Adams
The A.V. Club
January 6, 2017
More (http://www.avclub.com/review/nbcs-gorgeous-emerald-city-wizard-oz-s-neither-gre-248036)
When I saw the trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKeRnyFIHWs) for this, I thought, "Wow. This looks like a pretentious piece of crap." My mind wasn't changed when I tried to watch the series premier last night. I tuned out before the halfway point.
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_City_%28TV_series%29)
IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3579018/)
Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/emerald_city//)
Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/tv/emerald-city)
Official site (http://www.nbc.com/emerald-city)
you still have the best avatar on the site, IMO
Thanks, @LateForLunch but all credit for that avatar goes to @Oceander ^-^
If you haven't seen Season One of The Expanse, don't look at it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivej0OW7WZk
If you haven't seen Season One of The Expanse, don't look at it:That was cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivej0OW7WZk
That was cute.
If you haven't seen this one, give it a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAeNiO9sa7A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAeNiO9sa7A)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mok6sn3v3HM
Apparently Doctor Smith was an afterthought.
I thought this a very good movie (fantasy/mythology genre).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-6qJzeb3A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbhxKrBe0AA
I thought this a very good movie (fantasy/mythology genre).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-6qJzeb3A
It's out on Bluray now.
In the past decade or so, science fiction on television has seen a dramatic uptick in both quantity and quality. Shows like Westworld are keeping critics engaged and audiences coming back for more week after week, but while a number of sci-fi shows over the years have developed significant cult followings, others have become notorious examples of just how bad the genre can be when it isn’t executed effectively. Here’s our look at some of the worst sci-fi shows to ever hit the small-screen. For the record, we’re focusing specifically on live-action series only. So any infamous animated shows won’t be appearing below.More - Not clickbait, all on one page. (http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/worst-sci-fi-tv-shows-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall)
10 of the Worst Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time
Robert Yaniz Jr
The Cheat Sheet
January 17, 2017
More - Not clickbait, all on one page. (http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/worst-sci-fi-tv-shows-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall)
I have fond(ish) memories of Space 1999. Not for the dire acting, the ridiculously contrived plots or the convenient DxM every episode - I just loved the Eagles.
(http://catacombs.space1999.net/main/models/eagle/ab/imeab1025.jpg)
They just looked right as a lunar workhorse.
@LateForLunchA different functional morphlogy applies, not so much determined by atmospheric sleekness, but a balance of masses around a center with the appropriate drive(s) and, when needed, landing gear.
The golden ratio.
...Character actor James Frain, well known to genre fans for his roles on Orphan Black, True Blood, Gotham, Agent Carter, TRON: Legacy and many, many other projects has joined Discovery as Sarek of Vulcan. Sarek is of course the father of Spock, and the Vulcan ambassador to the Federation. Mark Lenard played this role in the original series, three of the original series films, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Actor Ben Cross played the role in the J.J. Abrams 2009 Star Trek reboot...More (http://nerdist.com/star-trek-discovery-adds-james-frain-as-sarek-spocks-father/)
SciFi thought of the day..
What would the Enterprise would look like if the Boeing, SpaceX, or Blue Origin built the Enterprise.
This King Arthur movie could be better than Excalibur..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja9kDkmjdHQ
I wish they'd make a more historically accurate King Arthur movie. They always insist on having it set in medieval times (1000-1300). It would be more accurate to have it in late Roman times, just after the Romans abandoned Britain. They would not be armored knights in chain mail. They'd be Roman style infantrymen/light cavalry.
They did. Clive Owen and Keira Knightly were in it. It wasn't terrible.
Feminazis have complained for decades about how spaceships in movies always look like male phalluses.
Ya don't say! :tongue2:I saw that movie. It was a riot! More parody than an 'adult film', for sure.
(http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/insert_main_wide_image/public/3/98//flesh-gordon.jpg?itok=yuaXYe4s)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349683/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349683/)
:laugh:
Like I say - not terrible. Entertaining. Some anachronisms to let the audience relate, but nothing really out there.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/2744624/peter-capaldi-quits-doctor-who-after-three-years-in-leading-role-leaving-fans-shocked/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/2744624/peter-capaldi-quits-doctor-who-after-three-years-in-leading-role-leaving-fans-shocked/
Isn't a three-year run in the role kind of traditional? :shrug:
Anyone have thoughts on "Travelers"? (Netflix)
I just finished the final episode.
Anyone have thoughts on "Travelers"? (Netflix)
I just finished the final episode.
Yeah, if you made it all the way through I am going to give it a try. I have a hard time finding anything to watch anymore. So I end up watching nothing. Not that that is a bad thing. But I enjoy a good show.
For me, it started a little slow, but the plot is well developed and unfolds nicely. Good characters for both the travelers and non-travelers. Of the Travelers, the heroin addict is my favorite) he's a brainiac. Started out hating a non traveler who is a social worker; but by the end, he had won me over.
Well I watched the first two episodes of The Expanse and it is good..
I like the expanse because it shows where we should be with a great leap forward coming.
Two parts of The Expanse I don't like..
1. The UN Controls Planet Earth.. :(
2. Still stuck in the Solar System (well according to the books they will go Interstellar).
True about the UN but they aren't portrayed as a great hope for mankind. The UN is portrayed as antagonistic and oppressive both on earth and in space.
Which I'm surprised in how they are portrayed.
Chrisjen Avasarala is the undersecretary of the UN and tortured a belter in the first episode of the show.
Two parts of The Expanse I don't like..
1. The UN Controls Planet Earth.. :(
2. Still stuck in the Solar System (well according to the books they will go Interstellar).
Predictable as ever, Doctor’, says the Master in the Doctor Who episode ‘The Deadly Assassin’. In a similar vein, the Guardian has followed the announcement that Peter Capaldi is leaving the series with not one but two articles about how the new Doctor must be a woman, black or preferably both. Because white males are boring! After all, it’s 2017. As the Hitler Youth said to the 19th-century humanists: ‘We don’t think like that anymore.’More (http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/make-doctor-who-a-black-woman-please-dont/19411)
Of course, there is nothing wrong with having more women and black people cast in mainstream roles. The more the merrier. But when cultural representation of diversity becomes an end in itself, then it becomes meaningless, a box-ticking exercise that distracts from exploring what stories we want to tell and why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB79g9x-uZs
Correct. Just put a belter on Planet Earth and the Gravity alone would be torture.
Well I watched the first two episodes of The Expanse and it is good..
Thanks @kevindavis Got it que'ed up
Planning a second watch of the season premier episodes here this morning at 8
Just finished watching the Galactica reboot series a couple of weeks ago. Hatch was great in both. RIP.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Jedi is plural!
http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/02/17/the-jedi-in-star-wars-the-last-jedis-title-is-plural
Now wouldn't it have been better to name it "Last of the Jedi"??
Meanwhile there is rioting on Deck 15, with Ayatollah Mansoor Al- Hamani threatening a holy war if contact with the Mecca Astrological Society is not immediately restored.
Blow all airlocks on deck 15. Its the only way to be sure.
Meanwhile there is rioting on Deck 15, with Ayatollah Mansoor Al- Hamani threatening a holy war if contact with the Mecca Astrological Society is not immediately restored.
Well so far I'm enjoying the current season of The Expanse..
I saw that one @Cripplecreek. I gave it a thumbs down, too irrational.
Yup.
I bet the space Mormons are pissed.
Normally after a very good episode the next episode tends to stink.. Not The Expanse.
Normally after a very good episode the next episode tends to stink.. Not The Expanse.That show caught my interest early on, with decent space opera effects, good sets, and a decent plot. I have not been disappointed yet.
That show caught my interest early on, with decent space opera effects, good sets, and a decent plot. I have not been disappointed yet.
I love the battle scenes. They don't play with lasers. Chain guns, rail guns and missiles.
@CripplecreekI think that is one of the things that appeals. This is technologically do-able in the foreseeable future, and conflicts are inevitable. Intrigue is part of human nature, with or without the protomolecule. There is always something to fight over, whether it is economics, control freak-dom (still economic roots), or resources.
@Smokin Joe
I also see The Expanse as our future in the short term. I just hope the UN isn't running things here on Earth.
I think that is one of the things that appeals. This is technologically do-able in the foreseeable future, and conflicts are inevitable. Intrigue is part of human nature, with or without the protomolecule. There is always something to fight over, whether it is economics, control freak-dom (still economic roots), or resources.
I hope we can get rid of the UN, but if the alternative is something like Venus of Dreams (Muslim dominated), I'd rather still be squabbling with the socialists than dominated by Islam.
When I consider we should have been there, doing that already, it is sad that the progs got so much traction when they did. Advances in materials tech and computing may well help us get out there, though, just 50 years too late for my liking.
I think that is one of the things that appeals. This is technologically do-able in the foreseeable future, and conflicts are inevitable. Intrigue is part of human nature, with or without the protomolecule. There is always something to fight over, whether it is economics, control freak-dom (still economic roots), or resources.
I hope we can get rid of the UN, but if the alternative is something like Venus of Dreams (Muslim dominated), I'd rather still be squabbling with the socialists than dominated by Islam.
When I consider we should have been there, doing that already, it is sad that the progs got so much traction when they did. Advances in materials tech and computing may well help us get out there, though, just 50 years too late for my liking.
Earth and mars fighting over the belt and its resources, the belters want independence from both. The Outer Planets Alliance is loosely aligned with the belt because Together the don't need the inner planets. And the Mormons are saying screw all you guys, we're outta here.
No, but with their ship gone, they're gonna be pissed!
Would you blame the Mormons??
I got a Kindle alert the other day for a book called "Leviathan Awakes" by James Corey.
It seems to be the book that inspired The Expanse.
Looking for lots of books to read in rehab. Any recommendations? Is it good? haven't seem the TV series.
Thanks.
I'm hoping to see the man in the high castle when I'm in the hospital for a binge watch along with Zelda.(Fitzgerald)
I'm hoping to see the man in the high castle when I'm in the hospital for a binge watch along with Zelda.(Fitzgerald)
@Freya
It is haunting and good..
I wish they had it on DVD for friends who don't have access to amazon prime.
If you have Amazon Prime check this out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5H33JH/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_317GPD_1a1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=45YVTMVZWQXEBECV24B1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=40d364f0-73cf-4ecf-90ca-8141a69c045c&pf_rd_i=9940930011
Oasis is such a common name for worlds in science fiction, I have a novella by the title.
Habitable planets are kind of like oases.
I'm guessing "Eden" or "New Eden" are also fairly common in sci fi.
I should probably change that one in my other, unfinished, story. lol
I thought it was Sarah Connor in the movie, not O'Connor
All,
If you have Amazon Prime check this out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5H33JH/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_317GPD_1a1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=45YVTMVZWQXEBECV24B1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=40d364f0-73cf-4ecf-90ca-8141a69c045c&pf_rd_i=9940930011
I haven't seen it yet.
But if you have Amazon Prime and like it, give a good review so Amazon can make more episodes..
I watched it last night. It didn't really capture my interest. Not bad, just not to my taste I guess. :shrug:
I wonder in The Expanse, this will happen to Venus...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zKqAbfxFsQ
I always wished they had made a movie of 3001: The Final Odyssey. It was an interesting read.
I wonder in The Expanse, this will happen to Venus...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zKqAbfxFsQ
Why would they want to ignite Venus?
Now, giving it a decent and proper spin so that it might develop a stronger magnetic field to hold off the solar wind, and then seeding the atmosphere with a good dose of sulfur- and carbon-devouring life forms... that might lead to something interesting! :pondering:
Well three years ago SyFy channel ordered for it to be a miniseries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3001:_The_Final_Odyssey#Film.2C_T.V._or_theatrical_adaptations
I wish they did this instead of Childhood's End.
Childhood's end was just kind of depressing and I thought destroying the earth was kind of pointless.
I wonder in The Expanse, this will happen to Venus...Not enough gas, not enough mass. It'd just be an atmospheric burnoff.
I'm rewatching DS9 again, guess what it wasn't that bad of a show. It kinda made Star Trek gritty. I think the reason why I stopped watching it was due to the fact that I had Trek Fatigue.
Star Trek Voyager is running on BBC America these days
I'm rewatching DS9 again, guess what it wasn't that bad of a show. It kinda made Star Trek gritty. I think the reason why I stopped watching it was due to the fact that I had Trek Fatigue.
I may be in the minority, but my favorite ST franchise was Enterprise. Trek fatigue is what killed what was a terribly underrated show.
Not to mention T'Pol in her Vulcan Cat Suit.
I may be in the minority, but my favorite ST franchise was Enterprise. Trek fatigue is what killed what was a terribly underrated show.I agree, but I'm a fan of prequels anyway.
Not to mention T'Pol in her Vulcan Cat Suit.
I agree, but I'm a fan of prequels anyway.
I may be in the minority, but my favorite ST franchise was Enterprise. Trek fatigue is what killed what was a terribly underrated show.
Not to mention T'Pol in her Vulcan Cat Suit.
Last nights episode of The Expanse was kind of slow but I loved the scene with Alex getting loaded listening to a Hank Williams tune.
I've always liked when they put old country music in sci fi. For some reason it always seems right.
Oh? Which Hank Williams tune was it? :pondering:
Oh? Which Hank Williams tune was it? :pondering:
@Sanguine , @Cripplecreek , thanks for responding!
That certainly is a good one. ^-^
It's not Bob Wills, but it is good.
It's not Bob Wills, but it is good.
I just find old country music to be very appropriate in sci fi with a tie to earth. The opening scene of the Defiance series had Nolan and his adopted alien daughter singing along to Johnny and June Cash "Jackson"
https://vimeo.com/153348460 (https://vimeo.com/153348460)
'kay... I would start an argument, but this probably isn't the right thread for it. :nometalk: :laugh:
or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKIK5ei_Lhg
'kay... I would start an argument, but this probably isn't the right thread for it. :nometalk: :laugh:
Yes, it is.
Liked country with my sci fi ever since Dark Star. It just fits.
For once I would like see Star Fleet Captain listen to some country music..
Earth music makes kind of a connection to Earth. (Rocinante captain Alex is Martian but its close enough)
Music was one of the cool things about Defiance. Too bad they screwed that show up with too much interpersonal BS. It had such potential.
I've always liked when they put old country music in sci fi. For some reason it always seems right.
Cool, the site posted the video. Not Hank Williams singing but a very passable cover.
http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/videos/so-lonesome-i-could-cry (http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/videos/so-lonesome-i-could-cry)
Well if you want to watch Babylon 5:
https://www.go90.com/?ko_id:p15554584100_Cj0KEQjwiI3HBRDv0q_qhqXZ-N4BEiQAOTiCHqFgNXmzu6h77XnmBMLXqxV-YXFsiA94szskkMOYy-waArHb8P8HAQ
I have all of B5 on "old fashioned" DVD. But I notice that that service also offers the show Almost Human, which was one of the best SF series of recent vintage IMHO. Cancelled by Fox before they could finish the first season, of course. :shrug:
The finalists for this year’s Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer were announced by Worldcon 75 on April 4...More (http://file770.com/?p=34177)
The final round of voting will open this coming week, and close on July 15. The 2017 Hugos will be presented at the 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki, Finland, on August 11.
The finalists are: ...
2017 Hugo Award Finalists
The Hugo Awards via File 770
April 4, 2017
More (http://file770.com/?p=34177)
You know, pretty much nobody but SJWs cares about the Hugos anymore. Now the Dragon awards...
Yeah, sadly I'm inclined to agree with you on the part about the Hugo's prestige being largely a thing of the past. The last recipient of the Hugo that I had any use for was Gene Wolfe.
Am I the only who thinks The Expanse is better than the RDM Version of Battlestar Galactica or is it to early?
I thought BSG started off excellent, but by the end of the series I was skipping episodes. I can't see Expanse ever improving to the same neighborhood of the first season of BSG, but I can see it ending up being a better series overall.
I agree, BSG started out good then at the end it was Ok. To me the last half of the season four was rushed. I think The Expanse is getting better.
The expanse is good because it isn't overly futuristic. A couple of solid leaps of technology and we could easily be there 200 years from now or sooner.
In recent months, The Handmaid’s Tale — Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel about a patriarchal future where fertile women are a tightly controlled commodity — has become more of a symbol than a piece of fiction. From a “Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again” sign at a protest to women protesting a restrictive abortion law in costume, it offers a form of protest that cuts straight to the misogynist thread in American populism. Hulu, which will premiere an adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale on April 26th, couldn’t have asked for better publicity.More (http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/13/15222296/handmaids-tale-margaret-atwood-hulu-tv-series-review)
But The Handmaid’s Tale is more than a political jab. In the first three episodes provided to reviewers, it’s a dystopia that manages to stand out in a television landscape already full of apocalypses and oppressive imaginary societies. It’s a colorful TV series about a woman negotiating domestic drama, and judging from its initial installments — all three of which will be released simultaneously on April 26th — it might be one of the darkest shows on television this year.
In both book and series, The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in the near future — in the book, the 1980s, and on the show, in the late 2010s. A fertility crisis has paved the way for Christian fundamentalists to seize power in the United States, founding a rigidly patriarchal theocracy called Gilead. Under Gilead’s police state, households are composed of high-status Wives; domestic Marthas; and the titular Handmaids, fertile women who are forced to bear children through ritualized sexual encounters with the household’s male “Commander.” One of those women is Offred (Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss), an ordinary 21st century working woman who’s now living in a surreal nightmare.
The Handmaid’s Tale is a chilling expansion on Margaret Atwood’s novel
Could never get into the novel. :shrug:I am no fan of oppressive cultures, especially when they seem crafted to push an agenda. The story may be much older than the adaptation, but I'm not just attracted to another 'oppressive rich and powerful straight (AKA: "misogynistic") whiteman' style diatribe, regardless of the garb within which it is clad. If I want that crap, the TeeVee is already lousy with it. There's plenty of dystopia to watch without it.
Some oppressive cultures in sci fi are done well, others not so much.True enough, and they make for some good story lines. After all, where would the Jedhi be without the Dark Side?
True enough, and they make for some good story lines. After all, where would the Jedhi be without the Dark Side?
But those crafted to push an agenda (or stolen to do so) are just present day identity politics in a commercial cloak, and I find that tedious. It's everywhere, boring (as you said), predictable, and typecasts my demographic as something it is not.
True enough, and they make for some good story lines. After all, where would the Jedhi be without the Dark Side?
But those crafted to push an agenda (or stolen to do so) are just present day identity politics in a commercial cloak, and I find that tedious. It's everywhere, boring (as you said), predictable, and typecasts my demographic as something it is not.
In both book and series, The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in the near future — in the book, the 1980s, and on the show, in the late 2010s. A fertility crisis has paved the way for Christian fundamentalists to seize power in the United States, founding a rigidly patriarchal theocracy called Gilead. Under Gilead’s police state, households are composed of high-status Wives; domestic Marthas; and the titular Handmaids, fertile women who are forced to bear children through ritualized sexual encounters with the household’s male “Commander.” One of those women is Offred (Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss), an ordinary 21st century working woman who’s now living in a surreal nightmare.
Not sadly for me. The SJWs in SF fandom have done it to themselves, and good riddance I say. The WorldCon is an institution that is fast dying anyway, as the SJWs destroy it from within. DragonCon is far and away larger and more inclusive. And their Dragon Awards are much better at displaying widely-approved favorites:
http://awards.dragoncon.org/ (http://awards.dragoncon.org/)
Am I the only who thinks The Expanse is better than the RDM Version of Battlestar Galactica or is it to early?
@Doug Loss
What's a "SJW"?
I think sooner.. Also, I hope the UN isn't running things..
I think sooner.. Also, I hope the UN isn't running things..
Under Gilead’s police state, households are composed of high-status Wives; domestic Marthas; and the titular Handmaids, fertile women who are forced to bear children through ritualized sexual encounters with the household’s male “Commander.”
Mystery Science Theater 3000 returns: Watch the first trailer (http://ew.com/tv/2017/03/22/mystery-science-theater-3000-trailer-netflix/)
In the not too distant future — April 14, to be exact — Mystery Science Theater 3000, the beloved cult TV show, will make its triumphant return to Netflix for a1214-episode run.
@Ghost Bear
I have been getting old episodes for free by pulling them in off my HD antenna. One of the local broadcast stations airs them.
Well that's cool. I've been thinking of getting an HD antenna just to see what it can pick up. Supposedly, there should be a good selection of stations to choose from in my area.@Ghost Bear
@Ghost Bear
I have bought 3 RCA HDTV antennas from Amazon for 46 bucks each. One for my home,one for my workshop,and one as a gift for a sick friend that can't afford cable or sat service.
With my old pre-sat/pre-hd antenna I pulled in 5 stations,if the weather was right. With the new HD antenna,I pull in 39 channels at the house,and 43 at the shop. It is an antenna rated to pick up stations up to 50 miles away,and the channels closest to me are 54 miles away. I get more channels in the shop because the antenna is mounted higher.
BTW,the RCA antenna is Made in America,and the price has increased to around 65 bucks each in the last 2 years. Still a hell of a bargain for what you get,though.
BTW-2, when you buy one,go to this web site to find out where your closest stations are located,and get a compass azimuth so you know where to point it for the best reception.
http://www.tvfool.com/ (http://www.tvfool.com/)
Are you using an indoor or outdoor antenna? Have you tried both, by any chance?
I've seen the TVFool website, that's what's leading me to consider trying it... it shows a really good selection of channels within reach of our home.
(http://antennadeals.com/images/NEWHD2605_ROTATING_GALLERY.gif)
This type is found on the internet for about $70 however I got one at Fry's Electronics for about $16.
@Machiavelli
We're all going to be Mormons?
Resistance is futile.
Thanks for the info on the antennas and tv link. Being where I am we don't have that many channels. Around 12. One spanish and 4 PBS.
If you are within 60 miles of any broadcast towers,the RCA will pull them in for you with a picture so sharp you won't believe it.
TVFOOL will tell the tale on the closest stations.
I also have a ROKU 3 and a channel master tuner/TIVO with a 1 TB hard drive build it and a portable 1TB hard drive plugged into the back,and recently dropped the Direct TV sat dish in favor of Direct TV streaming videos.
Add them all up,and I know get over 2000 channels,and am paying $35 per month for most of them. If I want a pay channel movie or event not already on one of my Direct tv or free streaming sources,I just pay a one time fee of a few bucks to view it.
BTW,I was paying around 70 bucks per month for direct tv with no contract,including HBO,Showtime,and Cinemax. I now get over 100 streaming channels from Direst TV,plus HBO,Showtime,and Cinemas for 35 bucks.
Granted,most of the channels and shows are crap that would be torture to watch,but even if I just limit viewing to killer stuff I seriously want to watch,there just aren't that many hours in the day even if I could go without sleep.
I've been considering going with Centurylink for the internet. About 1/2 the price but I'm getting some fast service from the one I have now. But it has a data cap.
For him, there are several new networks over the internet, which he can select from, including SlingTV, YouTube TV, DirectTV Now, and others. They range from $25-45 monthly and provide over 20 network channels each, in place of about $100 for cable.
I am about 35 miles from Mt. Wilson, which supplies most of the greater Lost Angeles OTA signals (over the air, antenna style).
I made a list yesterday, of only the channels that are a) English, and b) not shopping or religion.
That list comes to about 35 channels. Including the other categories, it is over 100. For some stations, I get both the Los Angeles and San Diego signals.
My brother-in-law lives in Murrieta, and Saddleback Mountain blocks him, and OTA is out the of the question. He has been trying to cut the cable, too.
For him, there are several new networks over the internet, which he can select from, including SlingTV, YouTube TV, DirectTV Now, and others. They range from $25-45 monthly and provide over 20 network channels each, in place of about $100 for cable.
Tell him to buy a ROKU and stream tv shows from it. If he has a internet connection,the ROKU will give him over 1,000 channels to chose from,most of them free.
I have two ROKU 3's. One in my shop and one in the house.
@kevindavis
If the UN ends up running things there will be NO technological advancements,only retreats as they try to be tribesmen from Borneo the equivalent of MIT grads,and concentrate on leveling all playing fields so nobody fails. If nobody fails,by definition nobody succeeds.
New season of Dr Who starting tonight with a new companion in Peter Capaldi's last season as the Doctor. Also a Dr Who spin off premiering after Dr Who (Class).
From what I'm reading this season of Dr Who is a lead in to "Class".
Just started watching Dr. Who. There's, I think, 10 seasons on Amazon Prime. Pretty good so far.
or get them hooked on online subtitled Korean dramas. :tongue2:
@geronl
Well,I get the Chicago "Super station" as a streaming channel on my Channel Master,and I also get it,BBC news,and several other news channels on my ROKU.
As I'm watching Babylon 5 on go90, season one surely sucks..
As I'm watching Babylon 5 on go90, season one surely sucks..
Today, the first teaser for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" dropped and the thing that stuck out for fans was Luke Skywalker's quote at the end that the "Jedi must end." ...More (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mark-hamill-luke-dark-side-star-wars-jedi/story?id=46805455)
As for if Luke would ever turn to the dark side, [Hamill] said, "It's possible, anything's possible." ...
Dr Who was just an average intro episode.
I'm not thrilled with the new companion.
The "Class" spinoff looks OK but I could have done without the gay thing so quickly. I also noticed the doctor was stopped dead by the name C. Oswald on the wall directory. He doesn't remember her but there is definitely something there.
And the brief musical notes near the end playing Clara's theme. They are keeping that line running for some reason.
Yeah. I have a feeling that Jenna Coleman will show up for the occasional single show to check up on the doctor.
She is effectively immortal as long as she doesn't return to the moment of her death and she's running around with Ashildr who is another immortal created by the Dr.
Well, I'm going to be watching The Expanse live tonight for the first time since it aired.
Well, I'm going to be watching The Expanse live tonight for the first time since it aired.
Apparently someone has regained control of the Nauvoo. Sounds like they're using it for Ganymede rescues.
Dr Who was just an average intro episode.
Yeah. I have a feeling that Jenna Coleman will show up for the occasional single show to check up on the doctor.
@geronl
What channel are you seeing it on? I get two different PBS channels,and can't find it on either.
I caught it online at a legally questionable website....
I caught it online at a legally questionable website....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoTt1qtvFUY
Well I enjoyed the Season finale of The Expanse. Can't wait until season 3...
And there will be a season 3.
I don't think they can continue to call it a proto-molocule.
I agree. That creature was neat.
Even more important is what is going on under the clouds of Venus.
The hybrid creature on the Rossi was all about pure survival but there is much greater intelligence at work on Venus.
I thought the hybrid creature on the Rossi was cool.. I'm not going to say what happened to it..
I think that something wonderful is going to happen on Venus..
For some reason I don't think we're done with Joe Miller yet.
I've done some reading ahead and I think something wonderful is going to happen out beyond the orbit of Neptune.
I was watching the original V, and I was wondering... If you see a bunch of Aliens with Nazi like symbols would you:
1. Run for the hills?
2. Welcome them as friends?
I was watching the original V, and I was wondering... If you see a bunch of Aliens with Nazi like symbols would you:
I don't think aliens would give symbols the same significance we do. They were very military-like though, that is what I would notice.
3. back into the shadows and observe them.4. look for opportunities to gain access to their weapons and other tech to reverse engineer it, or be able to use it in a pinch.
I was watching the original V, and I was wondering... If you see a bunch of Aliens with Nazi like symbols would you:
1. Run for the hills?
2. Welcome them as friends?
6. Find out if they taste like chicken.
I'm with you.
I couldn't care less to find intelligent life in the universe. I want air we can breathe, water we can drink, and life we can eat.
A primary goal should be to stay at the top of the food chain.
My philosophy is this:
I don't care either just along the following doesn't happen to me:
1. Have a snake in me and control every move.
2. Become half machine and organic
3. Have a creature inside me and burst out of my chest.
4. Be part of the main course.
5. Not be a side dish, either.
Conservatives make terrible side dishes. Too dry.
And seldom sweet. Sometimes a bit sour and bitter, and occasionally astringent. Altogether to be avoided--progressives are preferred, as they are much more likely to be tender, never having had to do physical labor.
Also, progressives are kinda granola.
Odds are, the story has completely changed, but who knows for sure.More, with video clips (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-did-mark-hamill-ruin-last-jedi-twist-interview-997160)
Ah! Decades-old spoiler alert!
Mark Hamill may have spilled the beans about his iconic Star Wars character years ago while doing an interview with the late film critic Gene Siskel around the time Return of the Jedi was released.
In the unearthed interview, Hamill said George Lucas explained to him his layout for the prequels and also told Hamill to be ready, because he had plans for Skywalker many years down the road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH3c1QZzRK4
Cool, I was hoping there would be more to the story on Elizabeth Shaw.
To be honest that was just a tie in.. I think I just saw I wanted to see. I'm waiting for it to be on streaming.
The who Shaw thing was interesting because she was a scientist who had a strong faith in God that she refused to give up.
Its so rare for Christianity to be treated with anything other than contempt in sci fi that its notable when it isn't.
To be honest that was just a tie in.. I think I just saw I wanted to see. I'm waiting for it to be on streaming.
That was fascinating, is this a movie about the android we made meeting our makers? That would be very interesting.
That was fascinating, is this a movie about the android we made meeting our makers? That would be very interesting.
From what I have seen from the clip, the android killed our makers..
From what I have seen from the clip, the android killed our makers..
say what! That could be interesting
Ridley Scott is one of those enigmatic personalities who defy categorization - maybe intentionally. Who knows? He professes to be an atheist, yet one may discern a reverence for spirituality in many (all) of his serious films. All he will say in any detail about the subject, that I have read or heard, is that he is fascinated by the "process of religious questing" perhaps from a psychological viewpoint of how it effects people both negatively and positively.
Scott may be an example of someone who, though he self-identifies as an atheist, may be more-correctly described as a skeptic waiting for evidence that he can accept of God's existence. If he is keeping his own true feelings about God to himself, he is probably wise, owing to the almost Satanic bigotry and intolerance for theism which exists in his chosen field (film-making). If he did not say that he was an atheist, he might well incur a lot of opposition and interference in his career that he would otherwise not encounter. So I can't fault him for being realistic.
Being a self-identified Jew in Nazi Germany would not have been a good idea either, and sadly we have reached a place that is almost that same level of danger in our current time, in regard to popular attitudes of many of those in power toward Christianity, deism or theism in general. Of all ideologues, I have noticed that militant atheists tend to be among the least tolerant and most vindictive / sadistic of all ideologues.
Note how the principle in Gladiator enters Heaven at the end of his life, even though it was devoted to killing. Also the character Shaw is (whether intentionally or incidentally) a perfect example of a person of faith being sustained by it both materially and through "luck" (which I do not believe in) that is more correctly viewed as "providence". Those would both be concepts more-commonly seen in Christian, Vedantist or Catholic doctrine - the idea that people of faith receive intervention or aid directly from God if they maintain a life of piety and perseverance.
Even if Scott is authentically an atheist as he claims, he is apparently smart and well-informed enough to understand, as CG Jung did, that people who have strong spirituality are often more successful, personally resilient to crisis, happier, healthier, more benevolent and socially valuable human beings than those who do not.
See, apart from theological issues, Christianity is one of the most advanced moral systems that the world has ever known. The fundamental doctrines of Christianity align very strongly with most of the fundamental precepts of mental health, especially when applied with honesty, humility and comprehensive respect for the spirit of the teachings.
There was a time when there was nothing at all controversial about strongly Christian themes in sci fi. The twilight zone with Burgess Meredith as The Obsolete man" showing his bible and explaining that possessing it was enough to draw a death penalty and then reading the lord's prayer. Meredith calmly awaited his death as the chancellor flung himself at the door in panic.
"The old man in the cave" was another good one with the moral that mankind must have faith to survive.
There was a time when there was nothing at all controversial about strongly Christian themes in sci fi. The twilight zone with Burgess Meredith as The Obsolete man" showing his bible and explaining that possessing it was enough to draw a death penalty and then reading the lord's prayer. Meredith calmly awaited his death as the chancellor flung himself at the door in panic.
"The old man in the cave" was another good one with the moral that mankind must have faith to survive.
hah hah that's a nice twist I didn't see coming. Scott is a bit of a paranoid when it comes to extraterrestrials. He thinks that they are a real threat and is afraid that they will destroy or subjugate the human race if they do show up. My own feeling is that if they DO exist in some sort of hyper-advanced culture, they would be far more likely to be indifferent to us than a threat.
wasn't it originally supposed to have its debut in January or something?
Space, the final frontier..
These are the stories of the Federation Starfleet.
It's endless mission: To explore strange new worlds,
to seek out new life and new civilizations,
to boldly go where where no one has gone before
wasn't it originally supposed to have its debut in January or something?
January, then May, now they won't even return to production until this summer.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/star-trek-discovery-delayed-again-as-spocks-father-is-cast-965494
I would guess Fall 2018 the way this is going.
The who Shaw thing was interesting because she was a scientist who had a strong faith in God that she refused to give up.
Its so rare for Christianity to be treated with anything other than contempt in sci fi that its notable when it isn't.
@Cripplecreek
Well,to be fair,Christianity has done nothing but portray science as an evil instrument of Satan ever since the Middle Ages.
What goes around,comes around.
Ridley Scott is one of those enigmatic personalities who defy categorization - maybe intentionally. Who knows? He professes to be an atheist, yet one may discern a reverence for spirituality in many (all) of his serious films.
From what I have seen from the clip, the android killed our makers..
I'm a bit paranoid..
I just don't want the following happen to me:
1. Have a lot of implants and nanites in me.
2. Have a snake inside me
3. or be part of the main course....
4. or have something burst out my stomach
5. or have a creature face hugging and put some kind of alien eggs in me.
But that is just me
@kevindavis
WHAT????
Where is your sense of adventure?
Well, except for all the Christian scientists.
Well, except for all the Christian scientists.
@SanguineI thought the pots of flaming oil stuff was reserved for suspected crypto-Muslims in Spain.
I don't know much about them other than they are a fairly recent construct. The Catholic Church of old would have had them put to death in pots of flaming oil to teach them about Christian kindness and love.
Not that any of the non-Christian religions that I am aware of were any better.
@Sanguine
I don't know much about them other than they are a fairly recent construct. The Catholic Church of old would have had them put to death in pots of flaming oil to teach them about Christian kindness and love.
Not that any of the non-Christian religions that I am aware of were any better.
@Sanguine
I don't know much about them other than they are a fairly recent construct. The Catholic Church of old would have had them put to death in pots of flaming oil to teach them about Christian kindness and love.
Not that any of the non-Christian religions that I am aware of were any better.
Wikipedia's List of Catholic cleric-scientists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_cleric-scientists)
Please note, the above list is just Catholic clerics (priests, bishops, cardinals, and even a Pope) who made significant contributions to science.
There's also Wikipedia's list of Catholic scientists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_scientists), scientists who were also members of the Catholic church. Note that while many are "recent" (post, say, 1700) many of the names are older, some dating back as far as the tenth century (Pope Sylvester II, c. 946–1003, was the oldest name I could find on both lists.)
8888crybaby
I wanna go back to sci-fi!
I actually liked this last Dr Who episode even though it was formulaic.
@LateForLunch
I know nothing about the man other than he puts out very entertaining movies,but MAYBE he just doesn't accept the western version of God as being anything like an actual God,and is waiting for the "real God" to show up,maybe/probably even in a different form than humanity?
People today,right here in the 21st Century are being murdered for being non-believers because it is "God's will that the unfaithful be put to death".
Religion as we know it and as it is practiced on THIS planet is more of a police state mind control mechanism than an actual belief system. Even "GAWDS" jolly old fat PR guy,Kris Kringle/Santa, "knows what you have been thinking,and knows when you have been naughty or nice..." Hitler and Stalin,as well as every other tyrant in western history,including various Popes had to bust a load considering that one.
Ironically enough,in today's age of instant communications we are now AT the age where God/Big Massa Goobermint really DOES know what you have been thinking,and knows if you have been naughty or nice.
Hard to love a master,but obviously many,many people confuse fear with love.
Galileo, van Leeuwenhoek, Newton, Copernicus, Bacon, and Kepler were Christians.
@Sanguine
Big deal. Everybody alive in the west back then had to claim to be Christian to be allowed to continue living.
I presume that you have some evidence of this, other than your own intuition?
@LateForLunch
It's called "history". Look it up. Even devout Christians were murdered by the Catholic Church because they dared to leave it,and it was "Gods will they be killed".
@Sanguine
Big deal. Everybody alive in the west back then had to claim to be Christian to be allowed to continue living.
Not so, Pete. Many of them went beyond merely nominal Christianity and were men of deep faith.
I was really impressed with the "Saints and Strangers" miniseries on the National Geographic channel about a year back. I fully expected the typical liberal attack showing the pilgrims as brutal thugs murdering innocent natives but it wasn't at all like that.
Instead it showed the near starving Pilgrims raiding an indian cache which naturally led to tensions. People on both sides tried to defuse the situation just as people on both sides simply wanted to kill the others. Once the colony got through that first brutal winter (with the help of the natives) a lively cultural exchange took place. Some pilgrims went to live with and learn from the indians and many indian children were sent to live with and learn with the colonists. It was beneficial and all involved knew it.
http://www.saintsandstrangers.com/
That sounds more realistic than the usual leftist narrative about evil Caucasians. There is also some evidence that the mysterious disappearance of the Roanoke Colony (where the cryptic word "Croatoan" was the only remainder) was really a case of absorption of survivors of either a native attack by renegades (or other natives) on the colony or decimation by disease / starvation. To survive they had to join the tribe because their community ceased to exist and they couldn't wait for help from over seas. After that they either died out or their identities became entirely subsumed by the tribe so if they had children, they may never have known "who" their parents were.That would be an interesting DNA trace, if possible, if markers from the colonists showed up in descendants of the tribe, provided any remain.
Galileo, van Leeuwenhoek, Newton, Copernicus, Bacon, and Kepler were Christians.
Not so, Pete. Many of them went beyond merely nominal Christianity and were men of deep faith.
That would be an interesting DNA trace, if possible, if markers from the colonists showed up in descendants of the tribe, provided any remain.
@Sanguine
That's true. Just because something is required doesn't mean there aren't multitudes of people glad to sign on voluntarily. I have no problem at all with that,even if I do like to poke them with a stick occasionally. What I do have trouble with is being FORCED by law or even society to sign up for something you are opposed to for whatever reason. If it's all that great,people shouldn't have to be forced to be followers.
That would be an interesting DNA trace, if possible, if markers from the colonists showed up in descendants of the tribe, provided any remain.
@Smokin Joe @LateForLunch
I read an article a year or two ago that archeologists were working an area that used to be a part of a plantation slightly inland from Roanoke Island,and given what they were digging up and the carbon dating they were getting,they are pretty sure the refugees from Roanoke Island moved there and settled,and eventually "disappeared" into the bloodlines of the native tribes.
Kinda makes sense because that plantation had a large shoreline that gave access to the ocean and the Chesapeake Bay,and if the colonists survived long enough to leave Roanoke Island,you can bet they left in little flat-bottomed sail boats. First of all,they would have to have boats to even leave the island,and secondly,traveling by boat was a hell of a lot quicker and safer than trying to travel on foot. LOTS of swamps and bogs in that area,and traveling by foot when you didn't know the terrain would have been a nightmare. I suspect there are still places in those swamps nobody has ever been known to visit. Most people are too smart to try. There has even been reports over the years of crocodiles and panthers being in those swamps,never mind every kind of poisonous snake in North America in abundance. Especially cottonmouth moccasins,who are VERY aggressive. They will climb right in the boat with you if you're not careful.
Wish I remembered who published that article and what county the old plantation was located,but I can't.
Update: I'm betting anyone interested can find that article and more on the Lost Colony by going to the archives of the NC State Government. Or maybe even by doing a search using Roanoke Island on PBS.
Yes, but at least the scientists I named were great scientists and voluntary Christians.
@Sanguine
"voluntary Christians" is just speculation on your part. Some may have been,and others played the game to avoid being burned alive at the stake,and/or to keep the money and social positions they had. Right up to the 1800's people were still being taught in schools to begin letters with the day,month,and "the year of our Lord".
You either did that or the best you could hope for was to be shunned by all your neighbors and even relatives,which meant you were shut off from normal commerce and opportunities.
@LateForLunch @Smokin JoeWell, the presence or absence of those genetic markers might indicate whether or not those claims were true. People from England in the late 1500s were a very different breed of 'snowflake" from the modern variety. They were used to skinning their own game by the time they'd been in the colony very long (wimmen's work!), and cooking over a fire, even from England. Any time surviving in the colonies and they had picked up some skills, unlike the more gentrified twits in Jamestown who had to be tuned up a mite on their newfound status as laborers. Keep in mind that while some English had servants, they did not have slaves, and servants counted among the colonists, too. It would not be like running off into the bush with a bunch of college kids today or video game mavens.
The alleged tribe that call themselves the Lumbee Indians in central NC try to claim refugees from the Roanoke Island settlers settled and mixed with them,but I'm still waiting to hear them splain how the settlers got there on foot 400 years ago without being killed by wild animals or other Indian tribes (remember,more than half of them were women and children),or where the "black" came from in their genetic makup. The Roanoke Island people were snowflakes from England.
The truth is the "Lumbees" are the offspring of escaped slaves who want the no taxes and all the free stuff from the government that comes with being recognized as a Native American peoples. One big thing they wanted back when they really started pushing this stuff was the "no draft" status. The VN war and the draft were hot back then.
@Smokin Joe @LateForLunchI'm familiar with that type of terrain, the tidewater area I grew up in has the last vestiges of the Great Dismal Swamp at its headwaters (Zekiah Swamp), and tidal marshes can be very tricky travel. A flat bottomed skiff with either a centerboard or sideboards can be sailed in the open water; row, scull, or pole it in the shallows. Those areas are teeming with food, if you know what to look for. Centuries later, we just used jon boats, rowed in the shallows, and used an outboard in open water. If you were alone, you sat in the middle and steered with a pipe to get the boat planing and could get 15-20 knots out of a 5 hp motor that way. Sailing a skiff is a lot slower, especially if you have to tack against the wind.
I read an article a year or two ago that archeologists were working an area that used to be a part of a plantation slightly inland from Roanoke Island,and given what they were digging up and the carbon dating they were getting,they are pretty sure the refugees from Roanoke Island moved there and settled,and eventually "disappeared" into the bloodlines of the native tribes.
Kinda makes sense because that plantation had a large shoreline that gave access to the ocean and the Chesapeake Bay,and if the colonists survived long enough to leave Roanoke Island,you can bet they left in little flat-bottomed sail boats. First of all,they would have to have boats to even leave the island,and secondly,traveling by boat was a hell of a lot quicker and safer than trying to travel on foot. LOTS of swamps and bogs in that area,and traveling by foot when you didn't know the terrain would have been a nightmare. I suspect there are still places in those swamps nobody has ever been known to visit. Most people are too smart to try. There has even been reports over the years of crocodiles and panthers being in those swamps,never mind every kind of poisonous snake in North America in abundance. Especially cottonmouth moccasins,who are VERY aggressive. They will climb right in the boat with you if you're not careful.
Wish I remembered who published that article and what county the old plantation was located,but I can't.
Update: I'm betting anyone interested can find that article and more on the Lost Colony by going to the archives of the NC State Government. Or maybe even by doing a search using Roanoke Island on PBS.
@Smokin Joe
Any travel out of the area done surreptitiously would best be done by water, and would require skills. Survivors who did as they were told might make a significant journey under such circumstances, but it's always a crapshoot in someone else's back yard. Still settlers made it across thousands of miles of plains later on, and they were no less tinhorns.
anilbalan.com, 2011. The Croatoan Mystery. [Online]
Available at: http://anilbalan.com/2011/10/17/the-croatoan-mystery/
(http://anilbalan.com/2011/10/17/the-croatoan-mystery/)
chickamaugacherokee.org, 2015. The Croatan Indians. [Online]
Available at: http://chickamaugacherokee.org/croatan/ (http://chickamaugacherokee.org/croatan/)
Childs, T. M., 2013. The Dare Stones. [Online]
Available at: http://ncpedia.org/dare-stones
(http://ncpedia.org/dare-stones)
Evans, P. W., 2006. Croatoan Indians. [Online]
Available at: http://ncpedia.org/croatoan-indians (http://ncpedia.org/croatoan-indians)
roanokeisland.net, 2015. Roanoke Island History. [Online]
Available at: http://roanokeisland.net/history (http://roanokeisland.net/history)
Stilling, G. E. S., 2015. Lumbee Indians. [Online]
Available at: http://ncpedia.org/lumbee/origins (http://ncpedia.org/lumbee/origins)
The Lost Colony Center for Science and Research, 2007. Lost Colony DNA Project. [Online]
Available at: http://www.lost-colony.com/DNAproj.html (http://www.lost-colony.com/DNAproj.html)
Joe,look at a map of coastal NC and Va,paying close attention to the massive swamp areas. Crossing the plains was child's play compared to crossing swampland. There are swampy areas around there that still haven't been explored. There are roads and bridges now,but back then you went by boat or you didn't go.When we were kids (in the Southern MD tidewater), we either walked, rode our bikes on known roads and trails, or took the boat. The boat was the most direct, weather permitting, and allowed us access to places you just could not go otherwise. I hunted in marshes, hunted ducks, killed my first three deer on a marsh (where they were more yellow than the reddish brown of the ones back in the woods--they blended in better with the marsh grasses that way.) Yes, they can be treacherous for people who didn't grow up there, and would be for anyone in places even today. I believe there are places in there where no one living has been, and some where maybe no one has tread since the water came up (after the ice age). At one time, the flat parts of the coastal plains were uplands, the tidewater estuaries were river valleys, and the beach was far to the east out on the continental shelf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Usu5kD6gI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy9sKeCE8V0
@Cripplecreek
Well,to be fair,Christianity has done nothing but portray science as an evil instrument of Satan ever since the Middle Ages.
What goes around,comes around.
I just watched The Fly (1986) for the first time Saturday night. A great film. I wasn't expecting it to be so dramatic and, ultimately, sad. It really is Beauty & the Beast in reverse, with an Ol' Yeller ending.
Not a film to watch while eating though.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you know very little about the history of science.
Not a film to watch while eating though.
For sure, David Cronenberg really let loose in that one. *shudder*
Well, here is the Star Trek Discovery - First Look Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S95TNqp8DM
It looks good..
Video's blocked already. :shrug:
Works for me..
Every Star Trek fan remembers where they were when they heard that a brand new prequel series was coming to TV. Or, at least, you remember putting your hands together and praying to Nimoy that Star Trek: Discovery would be amazing.More (http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/star-trek-discovery/news/a828539/star-trek-discovery-first-look-sonequa-martin-green/)
With a cast including The Walking Dead's Sonequa Martin-Green (aka Sasha) and Harry Potter's Jason Isaacs (aka Lucius Malfoy), as well as Hannibal's Bryan Fuller jumping on board as co-creator, it looked like all of our Trekker prayers were answered.
Ping Trekkie
@Hopalong Ginsberg
Wasn't Harry Mudd in an episode called "Mudd's women " in the original?
Star Trek: Discovery - First Look Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dxe_ugmIVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dxe_ugmIVM
doesn't look too bad, but 10 years before Kirk and they look higher-tech.
Though Ridley Scott is best-known for directing feature films, including this week’s Alien: Covenant, he’s also extremely involved in TV—one recent example being his producing role on The Man in the High Castle. Next up, he’ll be working with TNT to bring even more science fiction to the airwaves.More (http://io9.gizmodo.com/ridley-scott-will-curate-a-night-of-new-science-fiction-1795301062)
Deadline reports that Scott will fill what’s described as “a night of original scifi programming” with, potentially, “hourlong series, short-form programs and other formats to be developed in collaboration with the filmmaker.”
Seth MacFarlane is gearing up for a trek across the final frontier.More (http://www.space.com/36887-the-orville-fox-tv-series-seth-macfarlane.html)
Fox announced this week that this fall, it will launch a new science-fiction TV series, called the "The Orville." The show will star funnyman executive producer and actor MacFarlane ("Family Guy," "Ted") as the commander of the titular starship. Adrianne Palicki ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") will portray MacFarlane's executive officer — and ex-wife — with a ragtag crew rounding out the cast. Think "Galaxy Quest" meets "Family Guy," and you're on the right track.
doesn't look too bad, but 10 years before Kirk and they look higher-tech.
doesn't look too bad, but 10 years before Kirk and they look higher-tech.
At some point in life, you learn to take the good with the bad. It’s not that you necessarily become better at dealing with the bad things in life, but rather that you learn to appreciate that the bad is simply a companion to the good. If you grew up a Star Trek fan, you likely got a head start on this valuable life lesson. Regardless of which Star Trek series you became hopelessly addicted to, you eventually learned that you had a roughly equal chance of seeing something truly great or something truly awful on a weekly basis. Eventually, you come to accept that the bad episodes add a little flavor to the great ones.More (http://screenrant.com/star-trek-worst-episodes-ever-all-time/)
Just because bad Star Trek episodes are a vital thread in the franchise’s rich tapestry, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still some of the worst episodes to ever be broadcast on television. We’re not talking about episodes which stomp on the series’ continuity or ruin certain plot developments. These are the entries which Trek fans and non-Trek fans alike watch with their jaws agape. “How?” they say while struggling to reach some semblance of understanding. “How did this episode ever make it on-air?”
These are the 15 Worst Star Trek Episodes Of All Time.
15 Worst Star Trek Episodes Of All Time
Hmm. I thought Voyager went on a lot longer than 15 episodes.
Hmm. I thought Voyager went on a lot longer than 15 episodes.
Well, for me it ended when they came up with a completely successful way to get the entire crew back to Earth, but no one on the ship seemed to notice. Too stupid to survive, and certainly too stupid to continue watching.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you know very little about the history of science.
Or Christianity.
Video's blocked already. :shrug:
@Ghost Bear
Why would a production company release a trailer and then block it?
It wasn't the production company's YouTube account, it was a third party who had downloaded the video and then uploaded it to YouTube under their own account. Technically, that's a copyright violation; some production companies care more about that sort of thing than others. :shrug:
Well, for me it ended when they came up with a completely successful way to get the entire crew back to Earth, but no one on the ship seemed to notice. Too stupid to survive, and certainly too stupid to continue watching.Nah, with the time dilation effect, by the time they get back they should have 40,000 years of back pay coming...
@Doug LossMother Earth is 29. She lies about her age, though.
Superstitious much?
Quick,how old is the Earth?
No science fiction franchise has been more influential than Star Wars. (Sorry, Star Trek fans!) Over the last 40 years, the space opera saga created by George Lucas has delivered 1,062 minutes of lightsaber duels, intergalactic dogfights and dynastic drama. Even non-fans are likely to immediately recognize iconic imagery like Darth Vader’s helmet, the Millennium Falcon, or Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. Which begs the question: of the hundreds, maybe thousands, to choose from which Star Wars moments are the best?More (http://time.com/4788422/best-star-wars-moments/)
The series, now owned by Disney, turns 40 on May 25. So TIME's entertainment team and sundry Star Wars super fans on staff ranked the top 40 scenes. We included only moments from the original trilogy, the prequels, The Force Awakens and Rogue One. (The 1978 Holiday Special not so much.) This list was debated at length. What did we miss?
Well, here is my B5 update.. I completed Season 2 and 3.. Love those seasons and I'm almost halfway on Season 4. To me, Babylon 5 is like Lord of the Rings in space (as I sensed it from the beginning when I first watched it).
NOTE: Ferengi means "foreigner" in Arabic.
Synopsis of JMS's synopsis of the "original arc for B5" **SPOILERS**
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/synopsis-of-jmss-synopsis-of-the-original-arc-for-b5-spoilers.53739/
Have you found your way to The Lurker's Guide (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/lurker.html)? It's an invaluable resource for B5-related information...
I remember going there all of the time..
Same here... I don't remember exactly when I stopped going there *sigh*....
21 Books That Changed Science Fiction And Fantasy Forever (http://io9.gizmodo.com/21-books-that-changed-science-fiction-and-fantasy-forev-1610590701)
Good list. Especially agree with The Forever War being included - that is horribly underrated in my opinion.
RIP Stephen Furst. Another one of the Babylon 5 guys gone by their early-60's if not before.
Richard Biggs - 44
Stephen Furst - 63
Andreas Katsulas - 60
Jerry Doyle - 60
Jeff Conaway - 61
Michael O'Hare - 60
Peter Jurasik is the only main original male character left. Then there's Boxleightner, and two minor character actors, Bill Mumy and Jason Carter. Just Damn.
One of a very, very, short list of books I gave up on without finishing.
I have never seen so many actors from one SciFi show die so soon in my lifetime. Don't forget about Bester ;) Just Damn is right.
Must have been an undiscovered reactor leak.
Must have been an undiscovered reactor leak.
Must be.. Sad part is this.. There are more actors/actress from the TOS who has lived longer than most people from Babylon 5.
Why couldn't Sulu be an engineer. 8888crybaby
Oh, but he started out that way. But after an undiscovered reactor leak his dick fell off.
Tim Choate - 49
Robin Sachs - 61
Krikey, didn't know about those guys. I loved the Zathras character. Was there something in the water on the set that affected only the men?
A quick look at bios tells me maybe certain lifestyle choices. Not gay. Drinking, smoking, etc.
Well for Furst, it was complications from Diabetes..
Biggs it was something on his brain
I'm not sure about the rest.
I think it was first reported Biggs may have had a stroke/aneurysm...The cause was a tear in his aorta.
Diabetes can also be brought on by certain lifestyle choices. Not saying that is why Furst had diabetes. But alcoholism, lung cancer, motorcycle accident, etc. can be construed as relating to lifestyle choices. That they all worked on the same program is happenstance/coincidence.
While the deaths, for example, of people working in the nuclear field early days, is not (coincidental).
BTW, how do you get a tear in your aorta?
Drink did Doyle in.
There are more actors/actress from the TOS who has lived longer than most people from Babylon 5.
Living:
William Shatner, March 22, 1931 (age 86)
Nichelle Nichols, December 28, 1932 (age 84)
Walter Koenig, September 14, 1936 (age 80)
George Takei, April 20, 1937 (age 80)
Deceased:
DeForest Kelley, January 20, 1920 – June 11, 1999 (aged 79)
James Doohan, March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005 (aged 85)
Majel Barrett, February 23, 1932 – December 18, 2008 (aged 76)
Leonard Nimoy, March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015 (aged 83)
Grace Lee Whitney, April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015 (aged 85)
Will be interesting to see how the reboot fares in long term ST lore. I for one would like to give props to the kid who has reprised Nimoy's character Spock. He has done a helluva job. the rest of the crew....... Ahhhhh.. So So.
I think it was first reported Biggs may have had a stroke/aneurysm...The cause was a tear in his aorta.One way is to be in a car accident. Another is to be around explosions. The outer sheath can be torn or weakened by infection and it splits (something called a dissection of the Aorta) when that happens, the inner part of the vessel is not as strong and tends to balloon (aneurysm). The more it balloons, the weaker the arterial wall, and if it bursts, game over.
Diabetes can also be brought on by certain lifestyle choices. Not saying that is why Furst had diabetes. But alcoholism, lung cancer, motorcycle accident, etc. can be construed as relating to lifestyle choices. That they all worked on the same program is happenstance/coincidence.
While the deaths, for example, of people working in the nuclear field early days, is not (coincidental).
BTW, how do you get a tear in your aorta?
One way is to be in a car accident. Another is to be around explosions. The outer sheath can be torn or weakened by infection and it splits (something called a dissection of the Aorta) when that happens, the inner part of the vessel is not as strong and tends to balloon (aneurysm). The more it balloons, the weaker the arterial wall, and if it bursts, game over.
Thanks for clearing that up. All I could come up with was he was wearing his heart on his sleeve and snagged it on the corner of the coffee table.Injury or infection can weaken the outer layer of the Aorta.
21 Books That Changed Science Fiction And Fantasy Forever (http://io9.gizmodo.com/21-books-that-changed-science-fiction-and-fantasy-forev-1610590701)
Good list. Especially agree with The Forever War being included - that is horribly underrated in my opinion.
I think it's obvious that a lot of the books on that list were chosen due to either the author's race or sexual orientation, or due to the "groundbreaking" (i.e., politically left-leaning) content of the book. "Dhalgren" ahead of "Lord of the Rings"? Yeah, no. **nononono*I didn't so much agree with the order, either. There were books I enjoyed more than others which were a little less "groundbreaking" in a political social sense. I read Dahlgren, and barely recall it. Others, like Dune and The Lord of the Rings created entire worlds complete with ecosystems and sociocultural interactions that in and of themselves had histories that could make for entire books (in the case of Dune, the pre-quels went there, successfully, imho).
I think it's obvious that a lot of the books on that list were chosen due to either the author's race or sexual orientation, or due to the "groundbreaking" (i.e., politically left-leaning) content of the book. "Dhalgren" ahead of "Lord of the Rings"? Yeah, no. **nononono*@Smokin Joe
@Smokin JoeYep. I read the first nine and the last three. In sci-fi I wasn't looking so much for pushing cultural limits, as I was looking to be entertained.
I didn't read it as a ranking. I thought it was just a list. But a bunch of books in the middle fit all of that "groundbreaking" thing, IMO. The 7-8 I haven't read.
I think it's obvious that a lot of the books on that list were chosen due to either the author's race or sexual orientation, or due to the "groundbreaking" (i.e., politically left-leaning) content of the book. "Dhalgren" ahead of "Lord of the Rings"? Yeah, no. **nononono*
Star Trek has remained a ship somewhat adrift, especially since the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled before its fifth season. When J.J. Abrams brought his kinetic, alternative timeline to life in 2009, the long-running saga received a shot in the arm. Since then, the franchise, now split between Paramount (film) and CBS (small screen), continues to seek out for the right vehicle to truly set the stars ablaze in the 21st century.More (http://screenrant.com/star-trek-4-return-to-prime-timeline/)
Star Trek Into Darkness and Beyond were both exciting and generally well-received entries but fell victim to diminishing returns at the box office when Beyond’s meager haul seemed to call into question the fiscal viability of a fourth entry in the Kelvin timeline. Nevertheless, the saga remains wildly popular, with CBS unveiling its first streaming endeavor, Star Trek: Discovery, at the end of September. Longtime franchise creative Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), who’s involved with the latest show as a writer and producer, recently revealed a new project. Although he hasn’t disclosed the true nature of his undertaking, he did suggest that fans “can assume” it’s a feature film.
At this point, production on a fourth feature remains uncertain, at least according to Zachary Quinto (alternative Spock). Meyer could be exploring new avenues for the next Kelvin feature, but he may also be drafting a cinematic concept for the Prime timeline. Either way, is Star Trek ready to return to its classic continuity?
Star Trek: Discovery is shedding a creative restriction that’s long frustrated top writers on previous shows in the franchise.More (http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/23/star-trek-discovery-rules/)
Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg — working from a creative roadmap laid out by executive producer Bryan Fuller — are delivering a Trek saga that gets rid of one the franchise’s decades-old limitations in an effort to evolve the series.
As part of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future (and one that Trek franchise executive producer Rick Berman carried on after Roddenberry’s death in 1991), writers on Trek shows were urged to avoid having Starfleet crew members in significant conflict with one another (unless a crew member is, say, possessed by an alien force), or from being shown in any seriously negative way.
Star Trek: Discovery to ditch a long frustrating Trek rule
James Hibberd
Entertainment Weekly
June 23, 2017
More (http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/23/star-trek-discovery-rules/)
I'm fine with it..
Check this out...
There are people from Star Trek, Stargate and The Expanse in this show:
https://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp/B0731PX4FS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498865491&sr=8-2&keywords=Nobility
Check this out...
There are people from Star Trek, Stargate and The Expanse in this show:
https://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp/B0731PX4FS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498865491&sr=8-2&keywords=Nobility
Check this out:
http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/tv/philip-k-dick-s-electric-dreams/50380/philip-k-dicks-electric-dreams-7-reasons-to-get-excited
Happy Heinlein Day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein) everyone! :seeya: :patriot:
Speaking of Heinlein, as I recall he wrote a great novel/short story called the Gun Shop and I have never been able to find it in many years of searching. Anyone have any idea where that story can be found?
Doesn't sound familiar as a Heinlein story, but maybe it's The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. van Vogt? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weapon_Shops_of_Isher)
EUREAKA!!! THAT'S IT!!! Van Vogt's The Weapon Shop is IT!!! Ghost Bear is on my Christmas List now!!! Thank you, my brother. You have brought me joy in abundance!!! That story is right up there with Heinlein's best IMO, which is why I no doubt got confused.
BTW anyone who likes great conservative fiction who hasn't read that story is in for a real treat. 'Can't easily thank you enough GB!! MASSIVE kodos on your depth of knowledge of SF!!
EUREAKA!!! THAT'S IT!!! Van Vogt's The Weapon Shop is IT!!! Ghost Bear is on my Christmas List now!!! Thank you, my brother. You have brought me joy in abundance!!! That story is right up there with Heinlein's best IMO, which is why I no doubt got confused.
BTW anyone who likes great conservative fiction who hasn't read that story is in for a real treat. 'Can't easily thank you enough GB!! MASSIVE kodos on your depth of knowledge of SF!!
Hardcover edition is rather dear:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0006ASRSG/ref=tmm_hrd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=&sr=
Also there is a Book 2, The Weapon Makers.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016DENSXM?ref=series_rw_dp_labf
Hardcover edition is rather dear:That's for one in new condition. You can get a very good used with DJ for about $80. (same site)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0006ASRSG/ref=tmm_hrd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=&sr=
Also there is a Book 2, The Weapon Makers.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016DENSXM?ref=series_rw_dp_labf
That's for one in new condition. You can get a very good used with DJ for about $80. (same site)
Kindle is $3.99. I bought book 1&2. Maybe by next year I'll get to them.I like Kindle, and use mine a lot, but it just doesn't smell the same...
I like Kindle, and use mine a lot, but it just doesn't smell the same...
Possibly most intense Star Wars v. Star Trek argument ever ends in arrest
"He was saying Spock was the shit and I was saying Yoda was the shit."
An Oklahoma City man was arrested last Saturday after police responded to a domestic disturbance in the force (or perhaps a rip in space-time): two roommates were arguing over whether Star Wars or Star Trek was the better movie, and things got too intense.
A police report provided to Ars does not specify precisely which of the myriad movies and/or shows the men were griping about. However, it does say that during the argument, the victim, Bradley Warren Burk, went back to his room in the same building. (The two men, who Burk said were not friends, but merely acquaintances, live at a " transitional living program and emergency shelter for homeless young men.")
As he did so, Burk told his neighbor, 23-year-old Jerome Dewayne Whyte, that Whyte was "just a trick."
This angered Whyte, who next shouted back at him, "you wanna replay that?!?!" as he shoved Burk to the ground. Whyte began choking Burk, which resulted in Burk falling in and out of consciousness. In the scuffle, Burk reached for a nearby pocket knife to "defend himself." Whyte seemingly tried to grab it away and managed to cut himself, at which point he retreated.
Whyte was charged with assault and battery and possession of marijuana. He was taken to county jail.
This is such an awesome story. Here's a picture of Whyte (who isn't)
(http://webby.com/humor/i/Jerome_Dewayne_Whyte.jpg)
Two black homeless guys fighting -- not over drugs, or women, or "respect", but whether Star Trek is better than Star Wars. Just destroying all those stereotypes in one moment of glorious fisticuffs.
Plus, the Batman videogame angle!
Cue up that Vulcan music from that pon far episode with Spock.
It's on YouTube of course...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml4wAnvfM4M (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml4wAnvfM4M)
Agreed. I miss the actual book, but I have learned to appreciate as I age, the ability to increase the font size.LOL! True, that!
This is such an awesome story. Here's a picture of Whyte (who isn't)Progress. It coulda been over a crack ho'.
(http://webby.com/humor/i/Jerome_Dewayne_Whyte.jpg)
Two black homeless guys fighting -- not over drugs, or women, or "respect", but whether Star Trek is better than Star Wars. Just destroying all those stereotypes in one moment of glorious fisticuffs.
@Cripplecreek
Anyone else feel like having a discussion of their favorite SF/Fantasy author and/or written work, published prior to 1970? Let's go old school! :amen:
And of course Fahrenheit 451 (1953).I cut my sci-fi teeth on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and HG Wells' War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. After that, Asimov's short stories (I Robot, Nightfall) then The Foundation Trilogy, Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom books, Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and almost anything by Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft.
If you'll let me get by with one published in 1970, but based on a 1967 short story, Tau Zero hands down.
Tolkein landed in there somewhere, but I never considered the Lord of the Rings to be Sci-fi, nor CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, for some reason.
Well no, both are fantasy, not SF, but I still love LotR, parts of The Silmarillion, and The Hobbit. I've never read any of the Narnia books though.
The Narnia books were very good.
I'll finish up a Lovecraft binge tonight. Never read him before. I'm not impressed. Every story is like, "that's it?"
I have no doubt, but for some reason I've never had an interest in reading them. :shrug:https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_7?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=roger+zelazny+kindle+books&sprefix=Roger+z%2Cdigital-text%2C420&crid=129JRTG88DAOS (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_7?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=roger+zelazny+kindle+books&sprefix=Roger+z%2Cdigital-text%2C420&crid=129JRTG88DAOS)
I asked everyone else for their favorite but didn't share my own... an author who is largely forgotten now, except for his "Amber" books, Roger Zelazny. His early short stories especially just blow me away. My favorite novel is his "Lord of Light", published in 1967. I have the 6-volume collection of his short stories published by NESFA Press, in hardcover... I just wish that I had them in e-book form so that I could read them over and over without ruining the physical books.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_7?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=roger+zelazny+kindle+books&sprefix=Roger+z%2Cdigital-text%2C420&crid=129JRTG88DAOS (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_7?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=roger+zelazny+kindle+books&sprefix=Roger+z%2Cdigital-text%2C420&crid=129JRTG88DAOS)
Six pages of his stuff on Kindle....okay, not so much, but a couple before it goes off the rails on the search.
If you'll let me get by with one published in 1970, but based on a 1967 short story, Tau Zero hands down.
During the summer between 4th and 5th grade, my librarian gave me a book called "R is for Rocket" by Ray Bradbury. I read it in one day, then got "S is for Space". Then I read the whole Bradbury canon that summer. So he was my favorite SF writer.
Then she had me read "Flowers for Algernon" and then we started at the beginning of the alphabet with Asimov until 8th grade when I ended up with Zelazny. Then I just pretty much tried to stay on top of everything new until I went to college.
Not a fan of Lovecraft, though I appreciate him as a writer. I like the stuff from the 40s and 50s best, but of the modern ones I like John Scalzi. I loved his book "Agent to the Stars"
If you'll let me get by with one published in 1970, but based on a 1967 short story, Tau Zero hands down.
During the summer between 4th and 5th grade, my librarian gave me a book called "R is for Rocket" by Ray Bradbury. I read it in one day, then got "S is for Space". Then I read the whole Bradbury canon that summer. So he was my favorite SF writer.
Then she had me read "Flowers for Algernon" and then we started at the beginning of the alphabet with Asimov until 8th grade when I ended up with Zelazny. Then I just pretty much tried to stay on top of everything new until I went to college.
Not a fan of Lovecraft, though I appreciate him as a writer. I like the stuff from the 40s and 50s best, but of the modern ones I like John Scalzi. I loved his book "Agent to the Stars"
but of the modern ones I like John Scalzi. I loved his book "Agent to the Stars"
:3:
@ Freya, there are much, much better writers working today than Scalzi. I have not been impressed by his stuff and refuse to waste my money on any more of his dreck. He is also a nasty, smarmy little passive-aggressive POS.
Peter Grant, Sarah Hoyt, Brad Torgenson, Larry Corriea, John Ringo, and Michael Z. Williamson are head and shoulders above Scalzi.
:3:
@ Freya, there are much, much better writers working today than Scalzi. I have not been impressed by his stuff and refuse to waste my money on any more of his dreck. He is also a nasty, smarmy little passive-aggressive POS.
Peter Grant, Sarah Hoyt, Brad Torgenson, Larry Corriea, John Ringo, and Michael Z. Williamson are head and shoulders above Scalzi.
:3:
@ Freya, there are much, much better writers working today than Scalzi. I have not been impressed by his stuff and refuse to waste my money on any more of his dreck. He is also a nasty, smarmy little passive-aggressive POS.
Peter Grant, Sarah Hoyt, Brad Torgenson, Larry Corriea, John Ringo, and Michael Z. Williamson are head and shoulders above Scalzi.
I loved some of the Scalzi novels, like "Old Man's War".
Anyone else want to recommend some new/current/indie authors that they've read and liked? I'll start with one: Christopher Nuttall. (https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Nuttall/e/B008L9Q4ES/) I've read the first three books of his Ark Royal (https://www.amazon.com/Ark-Royal-Christopher-Nuttall-ebook/dp/B00HVKCMQC/) series and enjoyed them a lot!
Star Trek may be one of the longest running science fiction franchises out there, with its fantastic tales of starships exploring the far reaches of the galaxy having engaged movie and television viewers since 1966, but it’s been off our TV screens for a long while now – twelve years, to be precise. That will soon change, as this September sees the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, an ambitious new show set within the universe of the Federation – yes, the actual one, not the parallel universe from those lens flaring, CGI-heavy movies.More (http://screenrant.com/star-trek-discovery-differences-other-series/)
But despite being set in the same universe as the classic adventures of the Voyager and the various incarnations of the Enterprise, Discovery will be a very new take on Star Trek, with some big differences between it and the series that have come before. Some of these changes are inevitable, given the major shifts in how TV is made that have occurred since Enterprise finished its run in 2005. Other changes are more surprising and concern the characters and alien races we’ll meet.
So whether you’re a Trek purist and need to prepare yourself for any shocks, or a more easygoing viewer excited to see this new take on the franchise, here are fifteen of the things that will not be the same when the Discovery takes flight…
Star Trek Discovery: 15 Biggest Differences From The Other Trek Series
Kieron Moore
Screen Rant
July 13, 2017
More (http://screenrant.com/star-trek-discovery-differences-other-series/)
And it's not clickbait because it's all on one page.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEzz21RUMAAdztt.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEzz21RUMAAdztt.jpg)Never be the guy in the red shirt on the away team...
Has anyone seen CBS Salvation yet??nope
nopeSome of the deeper thoughts of Gene Roddenbery - the Federation economy.
Has anyone seen CBS Salvation yet??
As much as I love ST, Roddenberry really started infusing utopian socialist ideas during TNG. I just did my best to grit my teeth and shrug it off. Thankfully Berman gradually tapered off on this garbage, and by ST Enterprise, had pretty much dropped it all together.
Roddenberry reportedly had little to do with TNG other than allowing his name to be attached to the show as a sales ploy (he rewrote the "bible" with Berman) and nothing whatsoever after season #1. It is likely that financial difficulties drove the inclusion of any PC elements and that they eminated more from Berman than Roddenberry.
My wife and I just found out about it this morning, by seeing an ad for it while watching today's CBS Sunday Morning. We realized that lately we just haven't been watching much "live" television, everything has been on DVR (where we fast-forward through the commercials) or on Hulu, Netflix, or some other streaming service.
We added it to the record list on our DVR. The first episode is available on CBS.com, now we'll just have to figure out the best way to get it from there to our television...
@Ghost Bear
The answer is named "ROKU". https://www.roku.com/whats-on (https://www.roku.com/whats-on) Don't waste your time with the stick. Get a Roku 3. I have a 2 in my shop,and a 3 in the house. I use it to pull in stuff like Netlix,Amazon,Hulu,Vudu,Direct tv,etc,etc,etc. All told,I have the ability to pull in a little over 2,000 channels,and most of them are free.
I got rid of my sat dish and now stream Direct TV and HBO over my Roku. My Direct tv bill went from around 90 bucks to $42.70,and I get more channels now.
On top of that I have a RCA HD antenna (bought from amazon for around 45 bucks) mounted on a steel pole outside,and pull in 43 broadcast channels from that despite living 54 miles from the closest broadcast. It works so well I bought another one for my tv out in my work shop.
IF you go this route,you might also be interested in getting a Channel Master tuner http://www.channelmaster.com/ (http://www.channelmaster.com/) so you can record some of the shows to watch when you have the time. They now come with a 1TB hard drive recorder built in them,and you can plug in a remote HDD of whatever size you want.
Thanks for the advice, but we actually have a Fire TV, which works pretty much the same as a Roku. I just didn't remember if there was a CBS app available for it. I just checked Amazon and there is, so we'll probably be able to watch the first episode of "Salvation" tonight, provided that it's available through the CBS app (I'm guessing it is...)
Its finally happened.
(http://i.imgur.com/VQX5QWA.png)
@LateForLunch I don't think Fuller comprehended that the 'dacha' attitude, that of being an 'elite', was so desirable to some (not to mention the trillions of dollars potential to be made in all those 'carbon credits' on the exchange) that it could possibly corrupt scientists.
Fuller, like most competent scientists, likely had difficulty even envisioning scientists intentionally falsifying or skewing data to support a conclusion that was not true. After all, the goal of science--inquiry and to find the right answer, the reward is in the discovery even more than the recognition--although the latter should follow in a world where prestige and money are less the goal than furthering our knowledge of the universe.
Unfortunately, that got corrupted by a serious profit motive, as the 'prestige' of being at the forefront of even a Piltdown discovery became a cash cow to be milked through grants and speaking engagements and ultimately, power and control enough to keep milking the cow, regardless of the damage perpetrated as a result of the fraud.
Sure, there have always been a scattering of charlatans out there, and some who have been erroneous in their postulations, some fooled by knaves, and others who lacked crucial evidence which later came to light, but the object is to eliminate those errors and learn. But the unspeakable act, the sacrilege, if you will, would be to intentionally corrupt the pool of knowledge, or upon discovering an error to fail to correct it and allow it to pollute the thoughts of those who follow, effectively throwing them off the scent. It is, among scientists, the unpardonable sin. The time is long past when those who have dumped the AGW fraud on mankind can plead error, they have doubled down too many times, insisted on 'adjusting' too many data sets, and kept their information concealed so the data cannot be reviewed and results independently verified--all red flags to the scientist--and signs something is amiss.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DE8QyReUwAAvVqj.jpg)
Trump is the alpha male in a room full of RINOS & cucks.
Trump is being bullied.
Pick one.
As much as I love ST, Roddenberry really started infusing utopian socialist ideas during TNG. I just did my best to grit my teeth and shrug it off. Thankfully Berman gradually tapered off on this garbage, and by ST Enterprise, had pretty much dropped it all together.
My wife and I just found out about it this morning, by seeing an ad for it while watching today's CBS Sunday Morning. We realized that lately we just haven't been watching much "live" television, everything has been on DVR (where we fast-forward through the commercials) or on Hulu, Netflix, or some other streaming service.
We added it to the record list on our DVR. The first episode is available on CBS.com, now we'll just have to figure out the best way to get it from there to our television...
My wife and I just found out about it this morning, by seeing an ad for it while watching today's CBS Sunday Morning. We realized that lately we just haven't been watching much "live" television, everything has been on DVR (where we fast-forward through the commercials) or on Hulu, Netflix, or some other streaming service.
We added it to the record list on our DVR. The first episode is available on CBS.com, now we'll just have to figure out the best way to get it from there to our television...
Well, I saw Salvation.. It was OK... It has every Cliche in the book..
Yeah. I'll probably watch it, but I don't expect a second season.
I liked the part where they asked for around 0.3% of the annual defense budget to fund the only chance at saving the world. Putting aside the fact that they are asking for about enough to cover the waste in office supplies at the Pentagon, If they succeed, it doesn't matter how much it cost, and if they don't succeed it doesn't matter how much it cost. I'd have thought someone might have brought this point up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19aBKC0pEA4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zz2ALmYuE0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zz2ALmYuE0)
The season 3 trailer is all from seasons 1 and 2
I think we are seeing a resurgence of SciFi.. I mean good SciFi..
Oh definitely.
I just wish they had given us something new as a teaser. The statement at the beginning about bringing light to deep space was Johnathan Banks in his only appearance in the first show.
BTW, I finally watched Interstellar today and was not nearly as impressed as most seemed to be. I did however like the attitude that leaving earth was probably what we needed to do.
Well I saw Passengers and here is my take:
The movie was OK but here are my thoughts..
1. The science seemed sound. I liked the ship, however I would have a crew of people to maintain the ship while the rest of the 'Passengers' sleep. Like in Pandorum.
2. The plot was kinda meh and predictable.
I thought Passengers was like a partial movie like it was rushed into production before the script was finished.
Also the ship supposedly simulated gravity with spin but the gravity could be turned on and off as if by a switch.
I think it was. The problem was that Sony spent the money on the special effects and the actors..
That is what I was thinking if the ship is not spinning there would be no simulated gravity..
The ship should have been manned by a rotating crew in the event of a meteor strike or other accident. I also had a problem with the idea that the female character would just learn to be OK with being awoken and condemned to live the rest of her life without ever seeing another character but the guy who did it.
Pandorum was a far better thought out plot which is funny because it was 2 different plots by 2 writers combined. One script was a prison ship sending prisoners to a penal colony and the other script was about settlers awakening to amnesia.
I thought Passengers was like a partial movie like it was rushed into production before the script was finished.
Also the ship supposedly simulated gravity with spin but the gravity could be turned on and off as if by a switch.
QuoteI also had a problem with the idea that the female character would just learn to be OK with being awoken and condemned to live the rest of her life without ever seeing another character but the guy who did it.
@Cripplecreek
Other than my suggestion of waking several others to form a maintenance community,what were her options other than to go back into hibernation now knowing the dangers of not having human decision makers watching over them?
The BIG surprise to me is when everyone else awoke after the ship reached it's destination,the doors to the main lobby opened to show the trees and the house,and there were no people standing there to greet them. Hard to believe those two allowed themselves to die off without having children and wakening others to take over when they got too old to serve their purpose as safety overseers.
QuoteI agree it should have been.. There is no guarantee that the AI would catch all of the problems.When it comes to space travel always have a Plan B. As for what the male character did to the female character, to me that was murder and I saw there was some complaints about it and know what I agree with them.
@kevindavis
You,and they,are wrong. IF he hadn't awakened the woman and the ships officer to help him,he would not have been able to save the ship,and they ALL would have died. NO one person will ever be able to have the physical ability or the knowledge to make essential in-flight repairs on a ship that size,or to even do all the maintenance required. He,IN FACT,saved her life,as well as the lives of everyone else.QuoteIt was.. I think for an ideal interstellar travel mission, the should be like the Avalon in Passengers, and have a rotating crew like Pandorum. Also, have a backup in case to prevent the people from being awake early if the captain or whoever is in command goes bonkers.
On an actual colonization mission,yes,but in this case it would have destroyed the key points the movie was filmed around. Namely the moral dilemma that would be faced by anyone forced to live completely without any human contact whatsoever,and in the case of one that has the ability to wake someone in hibernation to fix that problem. Then they have the emotional and physical problems those two would have creating a life based around just the two of them.
I found a really good read the other day in the library. Read it in one sitting after a few pages couldn't put it down.
"We are Legion, we are Bob". By Dennis Taylor
There are two more books in the series. It's newish I know but it's a good read. Funny-ish too.
@Freya
Remember "A wrinkle in time"?
I remember it from my youth and that it seemed to have a strong anti totalitarian theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ3bYBPlR2g
That was my favorite book I read in 5th grade. I did not know they made it into a movie. I'll pass - I generally don't like movies made from beloved (fiction) books.
Its been a looong time since I read it but I recall the ominous "IT" that controlled all things from a great black cube of a building.
Yep. That's Oprah. :silly:
@FreyaMy recollection was the theme was so anti totalitarian that it ran towards the other extreme, I still enjoyed it and passed it to my nephews and nieces.
Remember "A wrinkle in time"?
I remember it from my youth and that it seemed to have a strong anti totalitarian theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ3bYBPlR2g
I found a really good read the other day in the library. Read it in one sitting after a few pages couldn't put it down.
"We are Legion, we are Bob". By Dennis Taylor
There are two more books in the series. It's newish I know but it's a good read. Funny-ish too.
@Freya
I recently listened to the first "Bobiverse" book on Audible, and I enjoyed it, too. I haven't continued with the series (yet), though. Have you? Let me know what you think if you did or eventually do!
I ❤️ Audible!
Spouse and I watched the Star Wars movie "Rogue One" on Netflix Saturday night. It was ok. :shrug:
Not SF-related, but we "Hacksaw Ridge" on HBO on Demand Sunday night. Now that was a really good movie!
@Ghost Bear
I haven't watched any of the Star Wars movies since the firs two,but I did watch Hacksaw Ridge for free last night on HBO,and it is one of the most impressive movies ever. I remember hearing and reading about this guy back when I was in the army in the 60's,but nothing really brings out the stunning determination and courage he had like seeing it and hearing it. True,it was just a movie,but anybody that has ever been involved in ground combat can tell you it was very realistic.
To think that guy single-handily crawled around that bluff all night and rescued 75 soldiers that had been wounded and left for dead is nothing short of stunning. I recommend this movie to anyone who wonders what the words "character" and "courage" really mean.
@Ghost Bear
I haven't watched any of the Star Wars movies since the firs two,but I did watch Hacksaw Ridge for free last night on HBO,and it is one of the most impressive movies ever. I remember hearing and reading about this guy back when I was in the army in the 60's,but nothing really brings out the stunning determination and courage he had like seeing it and hearing it. True,it was just a movie,but anybody that has ever been involved in ground combat can tell you it was very realistic.
To think that guy single-handily crawled around that bluff all night and rescued 75 soldiers that had been wounded and left for dead is nothing short of stunning. I recommend this movie to anyone who wonders what the words "character" and "courage" really mean.
I liked how Mel Gibson included an interview with the real guy (who died last year I believe) in which he became a real person for us, not just a caricature (larger than life, therefore less than a real person). I also liked how Gibson managed to convey (at least to me) how the principle made his choice about not killing people. It was clear that he did not consider killing the enemy to be wrong, so much as wrong FOR HIM. He felt that God had spoken clearly TO HIM about his personal path, which for me sums up the true essence of Christianity - that each of us may establish a personal relationship with almighty God and walk the path that He makes clear to us as our lives unfold.
... The Dark Tower is taking a serious drubbing, and many diehard King fans are similarly displeased with how the movie turned out. But let’s be honest, this isn’t exactly the first film adaptation of a Stephen King book to lay an egg. Children of the Corn, anyone? Maximum Overdrive? The Lawnmower Man?Full article (http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/2017/08/04/22742958.html)
Fortunately, King’s cinematic oeuvre is chockablock with movies that are actually good. If you were let down by The Dark Tower – or you plan to give it a miss entirely – here are seven great Stephen King movies that you can stream or digitally rent from the comfort of your own haunted house...
Well I saw the Arrival with Amy Adams.. It was boring as hell..
Odd, I enjoyed it, very much. :shrug: Like thoughtful movies from time to time.
'The Dark Tower' is getting poor reviews, here's 7 great Stephen King movies
Steve Tilley
Canoe
August 4, 2017
Full article (http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/2017/08/04/22742958.html)
- Carrie (1976)
- Misery (1990)
- Stand by Me (1986)
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- The Dead Zone (1983)
- It (1990)
- The Shining (1980)
This doesn't really surprise me. There are some novels that just don't lend themselves to being good movies. I think our imaginations use the words to create an image that could never be recreated with much success on the big screen. I'm curious to see how "It" does in the theater. I think that comes out in September. I didn't care for the first one, which I thought was boring, compared to actually reading the novel which scared the hell out of me.
I'll tell you some books that might well be worth making into films or serial cable shows, Ann Rice's, "Christ the Lord" series (magnificent), her savage, horrifying "Servant of the Bones" or Gene Wofe's astonishingly well-articulated "Urth of the New Sun" series. But they are lengthy, very character-driven and not very politically correct so it would have to be an independant studio that banked the productions.
Tell me, have you read Rose Madder and what did you think of it? I have pretty much stopped reading King. I think I read everything of his up through Needful Things, except I have read all of The Dark Tower books, and then just stopped. Except for Rose Madder which for some reason I find myself wanting to re-read every few years and I never want to re-read books. But, I find my taste has changed more towards epic fantasy the last 10 years or so.
Just lost interest, I guess.
Well I guess CBS Salavation is going to canceled.. Nice concept...
I managed to screw up and miss the first episode,so I have put off recording the ones I did get,hoping to find and watch the first episode first.
IF it is any good,maybe it will get picked up by one of the independent channels?
I managed to screw up and miss the first episode,so I have put off recording the ones I did get,hoping to find and watch the first episode first.
IF it is any good,maybe it will get picked up by one of the independent channels?
I also "missed" the first episode, but watched it on the CBS website. Don't bother.
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer and @sneakypete , agreed, by the third episode I was cheering for the asteroid to hit and wipe out the cast. We've stopped recording and watching it.
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer
@Ghost Bear
I'm rooting for the asteroid as well. They way things are going they deserved to be wiped out. I'm going to watch it till the end. The only good thing about it is the EM Drive.
Thanks,guys. I have to admit I am sorry to hear that. Nothing is better than good sci-fi,but it's so rare it's hard to remember there ever was such a thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqBnAIyU7zo
@kevindavis
The Walking Space Zombies?
Using the standard critic four star rating:
- Carrie (1976) - *** Didn't like it the first time I saw it but it grew on me. Liked the book.
- Misery (1990) - Never saw it or read the book.
- Stand by Me (1986) - *** Liked it. Also liked the novella The Body upon which it was based.
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Never saw it. Liked the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption upon which it was based.
- The Dead Zone (1983) - ***1/2 Liked it a lot. Liked it better than the book.
- It (1990) - **1/2 Ho hum. Never read the book.
- The Shining (1980) - *** Didn't like it the first time I saw it but it grew on me. Liked the book.
I haven't read any of those, I will have to check them out. Though I will say, regarding Ann Rice, I tried the Vampire series, whichever one they made into the movie with Cruise and Pitt that for some reason I cannot remember the name of right now, and I couldn't get past the first chapter.
Tell me, have you read Rose Madder and what did you think of it? I have pretty much stopped reading King. I think I read everything of his up through Needful Things, except I have read all of The Dark Tower books, and then just stopped. Except for Rose Madder which for some reason I find myself wanting to re-read every few years and I never want to re-read books. But, I find my taste has changed more towards epic fantasy the last 10 years or so.
By the way, I've been so underwhelmed with the thought of The Dark Tower movie that I didn't know it was all condensed into one movie! Wow.
Using the standard critic four star rating:
- Carrie (1976) - *** Didn't like it the first time I saw it but it grew on me. Liked the book.
- Misery (1990) - Never saw it or read the book.
- Stand by Me (1986) - *** Liked it. Also liked the novella The Body upon which it was based.
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Never saw it. Liked the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption upon which it was based.
- The Dead Zone (1983) - ***1/2 Liked it a lot. Liked it better than the book.
- It (1990) - **1/2 Ho hum. Never read the book.
- The Shining (1980) - *** Didn't like it the first time I saw it but it grew on me. Liked the book.
This doesn't really surprise me. There are some novels that just don't lend themselves to being good movies. I think our imaginations use the words to create an image that could never be recreated with much success on the big screen. I'm curious to see how "It" does in the theater. I think that comes out in September. I didn't care for the first one, which I thought was boring, compared to actually reading the novel which scared the hell out of me.
QuoteOut of the research she did in the M.E. came a series of books dramatizing the years of Christ's life before it was documented in the Gospels. I have read all of the Christ the Lord series and I was floored by how great they were. Her seriousness aboutr her faith really comes through in those books. They are beautiful IMO. Any serious-minded Christian will likely find those books to be very inspiring.
Why don't you find a place to start a "Christian Movie and Book Review" Thread,and post it there? Once posted,ping myst and ask her to make it a sub-folder so it doesn't get lost in the clutter,and other people can find it and post their own reviews there?QuoteThe author Gene Wolfe is now considered a Grand Master writer. His first hugely popular work (all Hugo/Nebula winners) is the Severian Series (Severian the Torturer is the central character) aka (the Urth of) the New Sun collection. Five novels each are stand alone, so one may read any of them before the other and enjoy them. I started with the second but recommend for maximum enjoyment starting from #1. In order, they are (1) The Shadow of the Torturer, (2) The Sword of the Lictor, (3) The Claw of the Concilliator, (4)The Citidel of the Autarch and finally (5) The Urth of the New Sun. The names of the books are sort of cheesy (I smell the blood of a publishing company marketing director) but the books themselves are serious writing on par with Tolkien, IMO. If you like Tolkien, Melville with a little Milton thrown in you might like Wolfe.
@LateForLunch @mystery-ak
Ok,now I am thinking a sub-folder just named "Book and Movie Reviews",and "Christian Book and Movie Reviews" can be a sub-folder,along with Science Fiction,History,War,Politics,and other popular subjects?
What say you,myst?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gLx5iXZmxs
For fans who like to learn about the inner workings of Star Trek, one of the more interesting panels at Star Trek Las Vegas was with veteran writer/producers Brannon Braga (TNG/VOY/ENT/TNG Movies) and André Bormanis (VOY & ENT). The pair spoke in detail about their writing process for Star Trek and also ended up talking a little bit about their current project, The Orville.More (http://trekmovie.com/2017/08/11/sltv17-brannon-braga-on-how-kirk-should-have-died-star-trek-enterprise-regrets-and-more/)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2g9sfhtBRo
CBS All access? Does that mean its only going to be PPV? Big fan of franchise since the '60's, but am for damn sure not going to pay $ to just watch one series.
CBS All access? Does that mean its only going to be PPV? Big fan of franchise since the '60's, but am for damn sure not going to pay $ to just watch one series.
According to Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Discovery#Release) the episodes will be available on Netflix 24 hours after they show on CBS All Access.
@kevindavis
@Ghost Bear
Thanks...... Netflix it is.
@catfish1957
@Ghost Bear
Yes it will be on Netflix but only for international audiences. But there is a way.. Not saying but there is a way.
Well... if we cut the cable, we may subscribe to CBS All Access to get the full range of CBS shows (wife and I watch a lot of them, and they aren't available for streaming while current anywhere else) but we won't be getting the service just to watch ST:D. If it's not available anywhere in the U.S. except All Access, then we either won't see it, or we'll wait until it is available somewhere else. :shrug:
Same here, only the most die hard Trekees would spend that. If I see it in 2020 on Netflix or Amazon Prime, I am not an iota sadder.
I am. I did spend $15.00 for Showtime for SG1.
I got a Netflix account last year when they started showing the series based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Daredevil being the first). However, ST:D is below my threshold of "must have".
I got a Netflix account last year when they started showing the series based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Daredevil being the first). However, ST:D is below my threshold of "must have".STD is an unfortunate designation. I know lots of people pay a lot more money to get that, but really...
STD is an unfortunate designation.
STD is an unfortunate designation. I know lots of people pay a lot more money to get that, but really...
Considering that CBS All-Access is only $5.95 per month. It is a bargain.
STD is an unfortunate designation. I know lots of people pay a lot more money to get that, but really...
I'm currently paying close to $25/month for three different streaming services. If I keep adding more services, eventually I'll pay just as much for them as we currently do for cable...
I'm currently paying close to $25/month for three different streaming services. If I keep adding more services, eventually I'll pay just as much for them as we currently do for cable...
Check this article out:
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/forgotten-favorite-the-deep-space-horrors-of-pandorum
@kevindavis
Pandorum is a personal favorite with a great twist at the end.
@Cripplecreek
It is one my favorite movies and the most underrated.
I'm currently rereading Rendezvous with Rama and desperately hoping the can make a decent movie out of it.
The last good book that I read from Ben Bova was The Exiles Trilogy.
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ben-bova/exiles-trilogy.htm
I'm hoping they make into a decent movie or miniseries.
The best sci fi writers seem to be from our past and its sad. I read a lot of freebie E-books and it seems that 90% of modern sci fi wanders off into metaphysical states of consciousness and energy BS. One that had real potential was "Space-Time Odyssey" by Michael Poulin. Unfortunately he takes great pride in his obvious hatred for Christianity and largely ruins and otherwise great fiction story.
https://www.foboko.com/ebook/15764/sci-fi-fantasy/space-time-odyssey (https://www.foboko.com/ebook/15764/sci-fi-fantasy/space-time-odyssey)
The best sci fi writers seem to be from our past and its sad. I read a lot of freebie E-books and it seems that 90% of modern sci fi wanders off into metaphysical states of consciousness and energy BS. One that had real potential was "Space-Time Odyssey" by Michael Poulin. Unfortunately he takes great pride in his obvious hatred for Christianity and largely ruins and otherwise great fiction story.
https://www.foboko.com/ebook/15764/sci-fi-fantasy/space-time-odyssey
Problem with sci-fi writing is we now live in the age of sci-fi. There was a show a couple of years back called Almost Human, set around the year 2050 or so. Some of the plots were a little unnerving, because the stuff they were talking about is already out there technologically, even if crude, like 3D printing body parts. It's getting harder and harder to wow readers with new far off tech concepts because we are approaching so many of them now.
Problem with sci-fi writing is we now live in the age of sci-fi. There was a show a couple of years back called Almost Human, set around the year 2050 or so. Some of the plots were a little unnerving, because the stuff they were talking about is already out there technologically, even if crude, like 3D printing body parts. It's getting harder and harder to wow readers with new far off tech concepts because we are approaching so many of them now.
A lot of us like near reality sci fi with at least foreseeable possibility and solid science. Warp drives and transporters are cool but for now they remain in the realm of magic. Its one of the reasons I like "The Expanse". It takes place some 250 to 300 years in the future where mankind has spread across the solar system, A generation ship is under construction, and gravity is simulated by spin or thrust.
A lot of us like near reality sci fi with at least foreseeable possibility and solid science. Warp drives and transporters are cool but for now they remain in the realm of magic. Its one of the reasons I like "The Expanse". It takes place some 250 to 300 years in the future where mankind has spread across the solar system, A generation ship is under construction, and gravity is simulated by spin or thrust.
I like near real SciFi as well. That is why I like The Expanse as well. Near realism SciFi. To be honest I don't want the transporter. I'm like McCoy. I don't want my atoms scattered. But I have a gut feeling Warp Drive is closer than we think.
CC - who carries The Expanse online? Really interested in watching that.
CC - who carries The Expanse online? Really interested in watching that.
When I watch Star Trek I kinda laugh at the show (especially the TOS) with most of the tech that has surpassed what we saw in Star Trek. Heck, I think we might have Drive in 20 - 30 years. We are getting close to find a planet that is like ours. What is next in SciFi?
I like near real SciFi as well. That is why I like The Expanse as well. Near realism SciFi. To be honest I don't want the transporter. I'm like McCoy. I don't want my atoms scattered. But I have a gut feeling Warp Drive is closer than we think.
If you have Amazon Prime it is free.
Some worries are approaching however. One of those is the potential for the occurance of a Technological Singularity- in which machine intellect (not necessarily intelligent in a positive sense) might accellerate so dramatically fast, that technology would surge ahead with unfathomable speed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity
I have always enjoyed Alan Dean Foster.One of the most prolific writers out there, I also find myself cycling back through Assimov and Zelazny.
These are my favorite SF books. They are listed in alphabetical order. As you can see, I'm stuck in the past:
Adventures in Time and Space (anthology)
Raymond J. Healy & J. Francis McComas, ed.
Animal Farm
George Orwell
Cat's Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Childhood's End
Arthur C. Clarke
City (collection of related short stories)
Clifford D. Simak
The Demolished Man
Alfred Bester
The Door into Summer
Robert A. Heinlein
The Dreaming Jewels (AKA: The Synthetic Man)
Theodore Sturgeon
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
The Haunted Stars
Edmond Hamilton
Lucifer's Hammer
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Mote in God's Eye
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell
The Pocket Book of Science Fiction (anthology)
Donald A. Wollheim, ed.
The Power
Frank M. Robinson
Shadows in the Sun
Chad Oliver
Slan
A. E. van Vogt
The Stars, My Destination
Alfred Bester
The Third Level (short story collection)
Jack Finney
To Your Scattered Bodies Go
Philip José Farmer
The Twenty-Seventh Day
John Mantley
Way Station
Clifford D. Simak
The War of the Worlds
H. G. Welles
The Winds of Time
Chad Oliver
Problem with sci-fi writing is we now live in the age of sci-fi. There was a show a couple of years back called Almost Human, set around the year 2050 or so. Some of the plots were a little unnerving, because the stuff they were talking about is already out there technologically, even if crude, like 3D printing body parts. It's getting harder and harder to wow readers with new far off tech concepts because we are approaching so many of them now.
I hardly ever watch TV anymore -- other than baseball, of course -- but that's one of the few shows I actually did watch in the past couple of years. I quite liked it. It's a shame it got canceled so quickly.
These are my favorite SF books. They are listed in alphabetical order. As you can see, I'm stuck in the past:
Adventures in Time and Space (anthology)
Raymond J. Healy & J. Francis McComas, ed.
Animal Farm
George Orwell
Cat's Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Childhood's End
Arthur C. Clarke
City (collection of related short stories)
Clifford D. Simak
The Demolished Man
Alfred Bester
The Door into Summer
Robert A. Heinlein
The Dreaming Jewels (AKA: The Synthetic Man)
Theodore Sturgeon
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
The Haunted Stars
Edmond Hamilton
Lucifer's Hammer
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Mote in God's Eye
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell
The Pocket Book of Science Fiction (anthology)
Donald A. Wollheim, ed.
The Power
Frank M. Robinson
Shadows in the Sun
Chad Oliver
Slan
A. E. van Vogt
The Stars, My Destination
Alfred Bester
The Third Level (short story collection)
Jack Finney
To Your Scattered Bodies Go
Philip José Farmer
The Twenty-Seventh Day
John Mantley
Way Station
Clifford D. Simak
The War of the Worlds
H. G. Welles
The Winds of Time
Chad Oliver
I still use the term "Ma Bell".No, even if it is a distantly related derrivative...
No, even if it is a distantly related derrivative...
? What company do you use for that thing you carrier around, your mabell phone?The term* I use for phone companies is distantly related to (the word) "Ma", not so much the carrier.
As I'm watching CBS Salvation (Ok, I'm taking it for the team), this show had potential. The Em Drive is the only saving grace.
Watching it too. On episode 4. I think it is one of those, that I'll have to drudge through. Only one season I hope?
I'm almost done with it.. One season. Also, I doubt that Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon will pick it up or CBS move the show to All-Access.
The term* I use for phone companies is distantly related to (the word) "Ma", not so much the carrier.
Sorry for the confusion.
*said term is inappropriate for this forum, and polite discussion and implies a level of intimacy that is Oedipan.
If this show continues like it is, I am rooting for the asteroid.
Watching it too. On episode 4. I think it is one of those, that I'll have to drudge through. Only one season I hope?
Is anyone watched streaming videos on Amazon?
They have quite a few SF movies on there. Also a new season of "the man in the high castle " is dropping this month, I think.
I've never seen it. Do you recommend it for a binge watch?
Is anyone watched streaming videos on Amazon?
They have quite a few SF movies on there. Also a new season of "the man in the high castle " is dropping this month, I think.
I've never seen it. Do you recommend it for a binge watch?
Dark Matter has been cancelled:
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/dark-matter-cancelled-syfy-no-season-four/
Dark Matter has been cancelled:
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/dark-matter-cancelled-syfy-no-season-four/
Well, heck. I enjoy Dark Matter. I thought they were going in some interesting plot directions.I liked the show and found the android to be the epitomy of 'character development'.
Seth MacFarlane’s new vehicle, “The Orville,” gets a special premiere on Fox on Sunday, Sept. 10, but it is far from being ready for takeoff.More (http://www.sfchronicle.com/tv/article/MacFarlane-is-lost-in-space-with-Orville-12169901.php)
There’s something there or, more to the point, bits and pieces of something there, but it needs work. Boy, does it need work.
Consider this a red alert to TV fans everywhere: Are you expecting Seth MacFarlane’s new Fox series The Orville to be a fun Star Trek parody packed with wall-to-wall jokes? Two words of advice: Abandon ship.More (http://tvline.com/2017/09/05/the-orville-review-fox-seth-macfarlane-sci-fi-outer-space/)
Despite what Fox’s official site claims, The Orville — premiering this Sunday at 8/7c — is not a “hilarious comedy.” It’s not even a comedy. Yes, there are a few Family Guy-esque punchlines scattered throughout, but as bafflingly as this sounds, The Orville is mostly a straightforward drama… and not a very good one, at that. Riddled with sci-fi clichés and paralyzed by a grim self-importance, MacFarlane’s shiny new vessel ends up being a colossal dud that not only fails to take flight, it short-circuits before it even gets out of the docking bay.
Dark Matter has been cancelled:
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/dark-matter-cancelled-syfy-no-season-four/
Seth MacFarlane's The Orville - 2 reviews
MacFarlane is lost in space with ‘Orville’
David Wiegand
San Francisco Chronicle
September 3, 2017
More (http://www.sfchronicle.com/tv/article/MacFarlane-is-lost-in-space-with-Orville-12169901.php)
The Orville Review: Seth MacFarlane's Somber Sci-Fi Dud Crashes and Burns
Dave Nemetz
TVLine
September 5 2017
More (http://tvline.com/2017/09/05/the-orville-review-fox-seth-macfarlane-sci-fi-outer-space/)
I'm watching the original Outer Limits. The black and white version from the early 60s. What a wild ride. LOL!
This show has the cheesiest 'monsters' I have every seen. It's freakin' great. Also, I've seen so many actors and actresses that I recognize. Spock is there twice. Cpt. Kirk is on one, and so is Scotty. Many others too.
I am really enjoying it. You should check it out if you get a chance.
Most of the plots are fairly predictable, just like the more modern version Outer Limits. And, just like the modern version, many of the episodes are half-hour shows drawn out to be an hour long. But, I'm using Hulu so I can fast forward when the shows get bogged down in filler stuff, and I can tell they are just killing time. Like I said, I am enjoying it.
David McCallum (Dr "Ducky" Mallard on NCIS) is in a couple of the B/W episodes from the 60s. That was weird to see.
Also noticed he's in an episode from the 90s, though I never saw that one.
In the color 95 version of outer limits, again, you will see a lot of actors that you recognize. I haven't watched it in a while, but I remember seeing so many of the main characters from TNG and Voyager. I don't know what the connection is between Outer Limits and Star Trek but it seems to exist. It is almost like Outer Limits was a casting call for all the various Star Trek series.
In the color 95 version of outer limits, again, you will see a lot of actors that you recognize. I haven't watched it in a while, but I remember seeing so many of the main characters from TNG and Voyager. I don't know what the connection is between Outer Limits and Star Trek but it seems to exist. It is almost like Outer Limits was a casting call for all the various Star Trek series.
Alot of sci-fi actors get recycled into new shows, partly because I think it takes a certain type of actor to pull it off. We've all seen even big names who couldn't do sci-fi and it isn't pretty.
Alot of sci-fi actors get recycled into new shows, partly because I think it takes a certain type of actor to pull it off. We've all seen even big names who couldn't do sci-fi and it isn't pretty.
Looking forward to "The Orville" tonight at 8 on FOX.
Hope it is decent.
My sister just got home from seeing "IT". She says it was only a little better than the first attempt.
Ok, I'll wait until it is streaming.
The real problem is that King just doesn't translate to film well.
Insomnia would be an awesome movie if it could be made but I doubt it can be. It had some crossover with the Dark Tower series.
King translates better into TV than the movie.
True. The Stand turned out pretty well.
Hope it is decent.
Hope it is decent.
I saw the premier episode of The Orville last night. Using the standard four star (****) critic scale, I gave it one star (*).
Maybe it will get better as the series progresses (or maybe the episode will get better if I rewatch it).
The audience, overall, liked it:
Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-orville)
Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/orville/s01/)
I just found Babylon 5, all episodes, streaming and for FREE.
Check it out. https://www.go90.com/videos/9dcpZWjg5E4 (https://www.go90.com/videos/9dcpZWjg5E4)
I've had a desire to revisit the series for years. I've never had a chance to watch all the episodes in order, but I will now. This is pretty cool.
It was a pilot which in my opinion tend to be the worst of any series.
Again this is from the creator of the "Family Guy" which is garbage.
Trey and Matt did a great parody of these dupes on South Park, where all their plots were randomly chosen by a manatee in tank with floating balls. McFarlane is talentless tool.
@kevindavis
That show changed Sci-Fi for the better. I already saw it again, and it still holds up. Well except for Season 1 and Season 5.
@kevindavis
Interesting stuff. Elements of DS9, or DS9 stole from Babylon, and definite traits of Battllestar Galactica. It is interesting. So far I'm diggin' it. Some elements of Star Trek too.
It seems to be like a stew, or a potpourri of all the Space shows of history.
There is no doubt that the people who wrote Capria were fans of Babylon. I have only seen a few episodes in my life, here and there, in no particular order. Looking forward to watching all 5 seasons. I like it.
@240B
Then I'm not going to say a thing.. But in Season 3, a certain someone from Star Trek shows up. I think that DS9 does copy of some elements of B5.
Already there. S1 E6 Mind Wars - Chekov (Anton Yelchin) is the lead.
You're not alone in thinking that DS9 was taken from Babylon 5. Check this out from Wikipedia.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine controversy
The pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) aired just weeks before Babylon 5 debuted. Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski indicated that Paramount Television was aware of his concept as early as 1989,[89] when he attempted to sell the show to the studio, and provided them with the series bible, pilot script, artwork, lengthy character background histories, and plot synopses for 22 "or so planned episodes taken from the overall course of the planned series".[90][91]
Paramount declined to produce Babylon 5, but later announced Deep Space Nine was in development, two months after Warner Bros. announced its plans for Babylon 5. Straczynski stated that, even though he was confident that Deep Space Nine producer/creators Rick Berman and Michael Piller had not seen this material, he suspected that Paramount executives used his bible and scripts to steer development of Deep Space Nine.[92][93][94]
He and Warner did not file suit against Paramount, largely because Straczynski didn't see it as a productive option, with negative repercussions for both TV series. In 1993 he responded to a Deep Space Nine fan who saw the lack of legal action as proof that Straczynski's allegation was unfounded, "If there is any (to use your term) winking and nudging going on, it's on the level of 'Okay, YOU (Paramount) know what happened, and *I* know what happened, but let's try to be grownup about it for now,' though I must say that the shapechanging thing nearly tipped me back over the edge again. If there are no more major similarities that crop up in the next few weeks or months, with luck we can continue that way."[94]
Already there. S1 E6 Mind Wars - Chekov (Anton Yelchin) is the lead.
Small correction, it was the original "Chekov", Walter Koenig, who appeared on Babylon 5 in the role of Bester.
I think the character @kevindavis was referring to appears in two episodes of Season 2 of Babylon 5, playing the leader of a certain faction of the Earth Alliance military. In mid-Season 3 however it's announced that his character is dead. The reason his character was killed off was because the actor, Robert Foxworth, had been booked to appear on ST:DS9, and the filming schedule for DS9 conflicted with B5's filming schedule. Rather than schedule around it, J. Michael Straczynski (creator of B5) killed off his character.
There's a well known outtake included in the B5 Season 3 Gag Reel (which can be found on YouTube) where instead of the death of Foxworth's character, it's announced that his character couldn't appear because he was on Deep Space Nine... his agent double-booked him. :laugh:
Close but no cigar.
OK, now I'm all curious as to who you meant.... :pondering:
Roddenberry
Small correction, it was the original "Chekov", Walter Koenig, who appeared on Babylon 5 in the role of Bester.@Ghost Bear
@Ghost Bear
@kevindavis
Thanks for the correction, it explains much. While searching for Chekov, Google said, Chekov was killed by his own car. That should have been a big red flag that I had the 'new' Chekov, but I wasn't really paying attention. My fault.
It was a little confusing. I'm not used to all these new guys assuming characters from the early 60s. To me, there is only one Chekov. I guess I will have to be more awake now, when I post about Star Trek.
I saw the premier episode of The Orville last night. Using the standard four star (****) critic scale, I gave it one star (*).
Maybe it will get better as the series progresses (or maybe the episode will get better if I rewatch it).
The audience, overall, liked it:
Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-orville)
Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/orville/s01/)
(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b4/90/40/b49040ebe7f14287fde8c3a23715efba.jpg)
Watching B5 S1 E17. I am so glad I happened onto that site. This is cool.
My TV supports casting, but I also have a direct HDMI link. The go90 website supports casting if you rightclick on the video. So, I've got the full picture and surround sound.
In reference to our earlier discussion, B5 is why DS9 invented the wormhole. It is exactly the same as the jump-port in B5. So, is does look more and more like DS9 is derived from Babylon. And to me, it looks like the jump fighters and the fact that all the main characters are fighter pilots was lifted from Battlestar G.
That's just my simple take on it. Any comments or corrections are always welcome.
I think you're right. One of the reasons I did like B5 is it it did have a bit of a Galactica feel to it, even if in reverse somewhat.
How To Watch ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
https://trekmovie.com/2017/09/15/how-to-watch-star-trek-discovery/
This week in SF/F history...
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit), was first published in the U.K. by George Allen & Unwin on September 21, 1937. And...
The Silmarillion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silmarillion), was first published in the U.K. by George Allen & Unwin on September 15, 1977.
Both created of course by J.R.R. Tolkien.
80th anniversary and 40th anniversary, which has the strange kind of symmetry that is pleasing to a mildly OCD brain. The only thing that could make it better would be if both could have been published on the same date, 40 years apart. :pondering:
Uh, has anyone but me read the Silmarillion !?! Amazing. It is a notch of seriousness above the Rings books or the Hobbit as good as they are. Many don't know that the LOTR and the Hobbit books came after (or rather out of) Tolkien's work on the Silmarillion. It begs for a serialized screen adaptation (like Game of Thrones), but it would be a formidable undertaking - not everyone cares about good v. evil as a plot idea - also there is some Catholic thematic work in it that would likely raise hackles with vast swaths of the viewing public.
Uh, has anyone but me read the Silmarillion !?! Amazing. It is a notch of seriousness above the Rings books or the Hobbit as good as they are. Many don't know that the LOTR and the Hobbit books came after (or rather out of) Tolkien's work on the Silmarillion. It begs for a serialized screen adaptation (like Game of Thrones), but it would be a formidable undertaking - not everyone cares about good v. evil as a plot idea - also there is some Catholic thematic work in it that would likely raise hackles with vast swaths of the viewing public.
Catching up on the last several weeks of Salvation. It's actually not that bad after the first few episodes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1u-JxaxYc8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1u-JxaxYc8)[/size]
I remember seeing the first teaser trailer for "Interstellar" while at the theater for some other movie. It just had Matthew McConaughey's monologue over scenes of the space race and crop failures, and that final shot of two people watching a rocket take off in the distance... and when it was done I thought, "I have to see that!"
Still one of my favorite SF movies ever.
To be honest, I had never seen a hard sci-fi flick like Interstellar in the theater. This and the Martian was the exception. When I first saw the teaser trailer for this movie, I was like I had to see this. Who here isn't like Coop. One of my favorite hard sci-fi movies.
Also the science, though speculative is within the realm of marginal possibility in some areas. Except one does not survive passage through a black hole's event horizon - according to people who know. Something about the "tidal forces" of all that gravity ripping any sort of conventional matter to atooms. Other parts of that scenario are possible. If one got close to the edge of an event horizon time would likely slow to almost a standstil- which means that those in normal space would age much faster.
Some of the highlights are the principle's office scene when Cooper is scolded by some school drone with a political agenda that is more important than the truth. Sound familiar? Kudos to the writers and to the principle for having the courage to speak out.
Also the science, though speculative is within the realm of marginal possibility in some areas. Except one does not survive passage through a black hole's event horizon - according to people who know. Something about the "tidal forces" of all that gravity ripping any sort of conventional matter to atooms. Other parts of that scenario are possible. If one got close to the edge of an event horizon time would likely slow to almost a standstil- which means that those in normal space would age much faster.
Tried watching a little of the new Orville series on Hulu, couldn't watch it.
Not funny, not compelling, trying way too hard to be contemporary. But most of all, it was simply boring.
It was just a machine gun fire of glib, ad hoc, psudeo-funny, quips after another. Maybe it will find an audience somewhere, but it will not be me. I don't get it.
I'm trying to like it. I'll be surprised if it lasts a full season.
One star on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a dead duck.
It's a rare fail for Seth MacFarlane. If you are going to make a 'funny' SciFi show, and there have been several, Red Dwarf, Futurama, Galaxy Quest, you kind of have to go all the way. And you have to have an understanding of the space genre.
It looks like Seth was not having fun 'with' SciFi, but more like he was making fun 'of' SciFi. I don't know. That was my impression.
Thing is, though... *spoiler below*.
..
The black hole was generated by whoever it was that was trying to save humanity (whether that was aliens, or future humanity, is not answered). Since they apparently have mastery of gravity to such an extent, it's conceivable that they manipulated the tidal forces to allow Coop to survive entering the singularity. Which was necessary for him to get the message back to his daughter... which, if the "others" were future humanity, was necessary to enable them to have such control of gravitic forces to allow them to create the black hole in the first place.
In other words... a stable time loop. ^-^
Tried watching a little of the new Orville series on Hulu, couldn't watch it.I caught one episode on the cable that came bundled with my fiber optic internet. Well, part of an episode. It launched into a sex change operation for a non human species' baby...
Not funny, not compelling, trying way too hard to be contemporary. But most of all, it was simply boring.
It was just a machine gun fire of glib, ad hoc, psudeo-funny, quips after another. Maybe it will find an audience somewhere, but it will not be me. I don't get it.
I caught one episode on the cable that came bundled with my fiber optic internet. Well, part of an episode. It launched into a sex change operation for a non human species' baby...
Transparent GBLTQXYZWTF stuff, and not halfway through the first season?
If I want to watch social programming, I don't need it wrapped in poorly written sci-fi. ICK, done, kaput.
Thanks, don't call us we'll call you....
NEXT!
I caught one episode on the cable that came bundled with my fiber optic internet. Well, part of an episode. It launched into a sex change operation for a non human species' baby...
Transparent GBLTQXYZWTF stuff, and not halfway through the first season?
If I want to watch social programming, I don't need it wrapped in poorly written sci-fi. ICK, done, kaput.
Thanks, don't call us we'll call you....
NEXT!
Time loop = deus ex machina. Such things are impossible - not because the speculative physics are necessarily wrong, but because Time per se is an illusion. No physicist includes time as a discreet factor in any N-dimensional theorizing. In our universe, time only exists as a relative value - not an absolute. Things, including the passage of time, may slow or speed up depending on relative velocity or intensity of gravity but that is only vibrational frequencies being slowed - the soup of space-time thickened, so to speak, in one locality. There is no evidence that in THIS universe, there is any confluence of separate space-time continua - like a reality which exists eternally- and therefore may be revisted the way one goes to a physical location like a National Park. In heaven perhaps. Which is to say the evidence is that the entire physical universe is only a vast vibrating, interacting cosmos in which the Second Law of thermodynamics never spontaneously reverses itself. What was once an ordered system (like a crystal glass), never spontaeously reassembles itself into an ordered system again once that symmetry is shattered. Chaos can only be made ordered by application of energy outside the chaotic system. Sha-DOO-be.
Well, we're still learning about how the Universe works, so I would be hesitant to say what is possible and what isn't. Anyway, it's Science Fiction, so some "bending of the rules" is OK in my book. Whether or not a stable time loop would be possible in the Real World, it's a common enough trope in SF, and they can be fun to play with and discuss story-wise.
'Can't disagree with any of that. Very well phrased BTW! Kudos!
I'm just sayin' that time isn't real.
Sorry if I missed the discussion of it, but did anyone catch the Amazon original pilot called Oasis?
I did, and I loved it.
I liked it a lot too and it got a lot of really good reviews. I wonder if they'll continue it.
By its very nature, the sci-fi genre is relatively complex: the short stories, novels, TV series and films that comprise speculative fiction necessitate detailed expository passages to build its far-flung futures, reality-bending premises, and stories set in a galaxy far, far away.Full article (http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2017/the-10-most-complex-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/)
Whether the story is set on an alien world populated by creatures markedly different from human beings, in a future separated by centuries or eons from the present in which society, technology, science, and civilization itself have evolved into a nearly unrecognizable state, or center around time or space travel, sci-fi stories require complex set-ups to create a believable reality that’s very different from our own.
Because of this, the sci-fi genre also allows for its stories to become quite complex. Time travel stories thrive on complexity while, depending on the story, other elements may be willfully obtuse to create an air of mystery or disorientation in the viewer–and some sci-fi stories are much more complex than others.
Here are 10 sci-fi films that are purposely complex ...
10. Predestination (2014) ...
9. The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) ...
8. The Fountain (2006) ...
7. Coherence (2013) ...
6. Upstream Color (2013) ...
5. Primer (2004) ...
4. Inception (2010) ...
3. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension (1984) ...
2. Solaris (1972) ...
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) ...
Can someone please tell me what the heck 2001 was about? PLEASE :laugh:
Star Trek Discovery Live ThreadI'm already paying through my cable provider to see CBS programming.
The original Star Trek series debuted on TV 51 years ago - September 8, 1966.
Since then it has spawned several movies and sequel / prequel series'.
Tonight, the latest series, Star Trek Discovery will premier at 8/7c on CBS, free.
As to the remaining episodes, you will have to pay for them on CBS All Access.
Will you want to continue watching and pay for it? Watch tonight's episode and decide for yourself.
For you folks in the Eastern and Central time zones, it begins in only a few minutes.
Star Trek Discovery Live Thread
The original Star Trek series debuted on TV 51 years ago - September 8, 1966.
Since then it has spawned several movies and sequel / prequel series'.
Tonight, the latest series, Star Trek Discovery will premier at 8/7c on CBS, free.
As to the remaining episodes, you will have to pay for them on CBS All Access.
Will you want to continue watching and pay for it? Watch tonight's episode and decide for yourself.
For you folks in the Eastern and Central time zones, it begins in only a few minutes.
@240B
Then I'm not going to say a thing.. But in Season 3, a certain someone from Star Trek shows up. I think that DS9 does copy of some elements of B5.
@kevindavis
HAHAHAHAHA!
S3:E9 Point of no Return
Nurse Chapel! What are you doing there? Is that you Lwaxana!? That did give me a laugh when I recognized her. Cool.
So, we have Chekov as a reoccurring figure in multiple seasons. And now Nurse Chapel shows up as the telepathic wife of the late Centauri Emperor.
Anyway. Thanks for that. It was a good chuckle. I've been watching for your hint. I finally got it.
By the way, great series. Very compelling. President Clark has just declared martial law. That the chapter I'm on in the series.
The only glaring things that bother me so far, are that the phasers look way, way, too much like a .38 revolver. And the sound leveling is off-the-charts nuts!
The show fluctuates wildly in volume. It frequently jumps from a whisper soft dialogue scene that I have to turn up the sound to hear, to a battle scene where the volume increases it seems like by 300% and it blows my TV off the wall. I literally have to watch the show with the remote in my hand to control the copious volume spikes.
I suppose when you have a show that is half whispery soap-opera bedroom dialogue, and half "Let's blow up the freakin' planet!", it is bound to happen. The director wants the intensity of low volume dialogue when people are getting serious and intimate with each other about one thing or another. But then he wants "blow your TV off the wall" sound effects when shit hits the fan and the BattleCruisers start blowing each other up.
Oh well. I'm used to it now. So, it doesn't surprise me anymore. In fact, now I'm able to anticipate it. LoL
Have a great night! I'm just chillin', drinking a beer, and diggin' on B5. That's my night anyway. Later
I'm already paying through my cable provider to see CBS programming.
I won't bother to watch a pilot of a show I won't be able to see again without shelling out more money to CBS.
Same here. I can wait (years if I have to) to watch on Amazon Prime or Netflix.
Just google, then stream it. *shrug*
Prefer watching on TV than computer.Prime on my kindle fire tablet brings up the same watchlist on my fire stick, so if I find it on one, it shows up on the other. I can chase it down on the tablet, and watch it on the teevee....
Prefer watching on TV than computer.Most TVs these days have a built-in web browser to play them as well. If your TV doesn't, you can stream it from your computer to the TV or even a smartphone will do it, but quality probably won't be as good.
Prefer watching on TV than computer.
Some of have Televisions that antedate streaming and have to use other setups to do that. I have family members who do not necessarily share my tastes or want to see what I am doing on the computer, so the two are separate. The tv screen is bigger and I can sit back in 'My Chair' and watch that, even if I am streaming content on the TV, or I can watch stuff on the computer, or even the Kindle Fire. It isn't all tied together.
That is a strange thing to say, unless you live in 1960. My computer, my TV, my stereo, are all one system. I can put anything on my computer on my TV, or the other way around.
Your statement confuses and infuriates me.
That is a strange thing to say, unless you live in 1960. My computer, my TV, my stereo, are all one system. I can put anything on my computer on my TV, or the other way around.
Your statement confuses and infuriates me.
Easy fellers, there's plenty of topics here to argue about, but TV/Computer is the lamest of them all. :laugh:
For what it's worth, I gave the Orville a second chance and I have to confess I'm enjoying it.
We just got back from the new Blade Runner and it was absolutely brilliant. It stayed very true to the original move, to the point you could watch them seamlessly back to back and other than Harrison Ford's aging, you wouldn't know there was a breaking filming or plot (other than the time passing in the plot).
I hated the first Blade Runner as well, so I get where you are coming from.
But I saw this yesterday, and I'll be seeing it again in the theatre, which is something I just don't do anymore.
It's a brilliant, thought-provoking, must-see film made for grown-ups....which is why it's tanking at the box office.
That is exactly what I told some friends. It doesn't have enough explosions and flash for the modern box office. Sci Fi nerds/fans/geeks will love it, especially old school ones. People who go expecting a reboot like the new Star Trek or constant explosions like Transformers will be disappointed.
I think so..
I think that the last non high tech SciFi that did well was the Martian.
I thought that Passengers was good. I think you are right, if there are pew pew pew in the movie, people will not watch it.
Would you believe I haven't seen Passengers yet?
Add Ex Machina to the list of good recent sci fi along the same lines. Hell, it could be a prequel to Blade Runner.
Phillip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
Amazon is really looking to makes Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, its upcoming scifi anthology series, more cinematic than episodic. At “The World of Philip K. Dick” panel at New York Comic Con (which covered both Electric Dreams and The Man in the High Castle), the producers emphasized how the show is far more like a series of films than a television show...
Electric Dreams has already debuted in the UK, and will arrive in the United States sometime in 2018.
Ex Machina was also good and made for adults and didn't do much box office...luckily it had a lower budget!
I also haven't seen Passengers, but need to. If you haven't been hooked into "The Man in the High Castle," on Amazon, it's also good, although I have some casting issues...
But I saw Blade Runner 2049 on Saturday and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since, which never happens anymore. At its core, it is a really...and this is going to be a weird word for it, but so be it...lovely film with a message of the value of love and sacrifice.
Babylon 5 was great. I loved it. But to me it essentially ended at the end of season 4. Season 5 was redundant and not necessary in my opinion. It was enjoyable on several levels.
I agree on what you thought about Babylon 5. What happened was they thought Season 4 was going to be it. Season 5 wasn't supposed to happen.
Knowing hindsight is 20/20, I wish they'd dedicated season 5 to the Alliance cleaning out the Drakh, Steib and all the other shadow remnants ending in a big climactic battle. That would have made a nice trifecta. But they left that unfinished and the season fell apart.
I had fast forward through some of the S5 episodes. They were almost all dialogue and politics. That is the exact format you find with Days of our Lives or General Hospital. Whereas, my 13 year old brain wanted to see them 'blow shit up!', like you said. So, I agree the Season 5 meandered and eventually simply wilted away.
I had fast forward through some of the S5 episodes. They were almost all dialogue and politics. That is the exact format you find with Days of our Lives or General Hospital. Whereas, my 13 year old brain wanted to see them 'blow shit up!', like you said. So, I agree the Season 5 meandered and eventually simply wilted away.
Well here are my favorite SciFi shows right now:
The Orville
Star Trek Discovery
The Expanse
How do I watch the new Star Trek show?
It doesn't appear to be on tv. Or am I missing it?
Is it on streaming?
It is streaming on CBS All-Access only.
It is streaming on CBS All-Access only.
The Orville is getting better every week. This week's was a must watch. An actual correct observation of the differences between a direct democracy and representative republic as well as commentary on social media.
Not total sci-fi, but season 2 of Stranger Things is on Netflix.
Still excellent. Made it through the first four episodes last night.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V12tC7HQFAA
I know superhero is on the edge of the sci-fi genre, but Netflix has the first season of The Punisher online. Diving into the first episode now.
I'm going to pass on it... from the trailers, it looks like they've changed his origin story so that instead of his family being killed by the Mob, they're killed by the government/military in a conspiracy to cover up some wrong-doing done "over there". That strikes me as being too much SJW-think for my tastes. YMMV. :shrug:
To be honest though, the Punisher was never one of my favorite characters anyway.
It's not too bad. Dark, but suprisingly conservative.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V12tC7HQFAA
Nice Hhhhat.
And now for a little analysis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IX1jSVmaAs
BTW, this is not due to any deficiency on John Williams part. Far From it.
It's called 'The Customer is Always Right'.
When the people with the money tell the people they contract the job out to "We want it to be Completely New and Different, so long as it's exactly the same as what sold big 6 weeks ago," you give them what they ask for.
Although John Williams is cool because he wrote "Jaws"
Holtz wrote in 5/4 when he wrote "Mars"
Way cool.
@To-Whose-Benefit?
Yeah, that's the reason I've given up on the Netflix Marvel shows in general. We watched the first season of Daredevil, and the first episode of Jessica Jones, but that was too dark and the wife and I decided not to continue it. Then we watched Luke Cage and enjoyed it, and Iron Fist and liked that one too. When Defenders was about to come out we decided to try Jessica Jones again and made it to episode 6 before giving up. We still haven't watched season 2 of Daredevil or Defenders, and probably won't now. Which is kind of ironic, because the announcement of the Netflix Marvel series and that they'd be leading up to Defenders was what prompted us to sign up for Netflix in the first place... :shrug:
There are just too many shows out there that are fun, uplifting, or thought-provoking that I'd much rather watch, instead of something that is dark and depressing. I've found that watching a show like that is ok now and then, but not as a steady diet.
Justice League isn't near as awful as the critics made it out to be. It is hard, obviously, coming off Wonder Woman. But for a simple, enjoyable superhero movie, it is worth the time to watch.
Many of the critics are complaining the storyline is contrived.. well duh.. it is a DC superhero movie with the big guns. Plus, everyone complained Batman versus Superman was too over-written.
The CGI at the big battle was somewhat hokey as well as many of the one-liners- but come on, you aren't going to Justice League for intellectual ponderings.
The Orville is getting better every week. This week's was a must watch. An actual correct observation of the differences between a direct democracy and representative republic as well as commentary on social media.
While there are some Star Trek fans who would love to see William Shatner strut onto the U.S.S. Discovery, Jason [Isaacs] is not one of them. The actor, who plays Captain Lorca on Star Trek: Discovery, flat out said he doesn't want appearances from the original cast on the series, and that he's not a fan of "stunt celebrity casting." [Isaacs] explained his reasoning and expressed that he felt doing something like that might hurt the fans' suspension of disbelief:QuoteSomeone asked which cast members from the existing series would you like to guest star -- I think people watch good drama shows and they completely suspend their disbelief, they feel like they're looking through the keyhole at another world, if you do it well enough. 'If you have stunt celebrity cameo casting, it completely pulls them out of it. They feel like they're watching a Saturday Night Live sketch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX0x-I06Fpc# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX0x-I06Fpc#)
Enjoyed The Orville.. I think that The Orville is much better than Star Trek: TNG.
Here are my 3 favorite SciFi Shows:
1. The Expanse
2. Star Trek: Discovery
3. The Orville
I really loved the latest series of Red Dwarf. As for The Orville, it's been renewed for next season but only 18 episodes not 22. I wonder if Seth Mcfarllane has spread himself out too thin with Family Guy and American Dad
20 Great Scifi Movies You May Have Missed in 2017 (But Shouldn't Have)
If nothing else, 2017 has been a truly great year for science fiction and fantasy films. While many have been major motion pictures that no one could have avoided hearing about, there were also several standout movies that may have fallen through the cracks. We’re here to fix that. Here are the fantastic films you may have missed this year, most of which are now currently streaming or available on Blu-ray.
Continued -
https://io9.gizmodo.com/20-great-scifi-movies-you-may-have-missed-in-2017-but-1821021794
I just saw they are rebooting The Twlight Zone for fall 2018
When you say "rebooting",are you talking about re-running the classic series,or a new series with new writers?
What network will be broadcasting it?
@sneakypete , @Freya , more info here:
‘Twilight Zone’ Reboot From Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg, Marco Ramirez Greenlit at CBS All Access (http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/twilight-zone-reboot-cbs-all-access-jordan-peele-simon-kinberg-marco-ramirez-1202632108/)
“The Twilight Zone†reboot at CBS All Access has officially been ordered to series, the streaming service announced Wednesday.
Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez will serve as executive producers and collaborate on the premiere episode. Win Rosenfeld and Audrey Chon will also serve as executive producers. The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and Kinberg’s Genre Films.
“Too many times this year it’s felt we were living in a twilight zone, and I can’t think of a better moment to reintroduce it to modern audiences,†said Peele.
Excerpted, more at the link: ‘Twilight Zone’ Reboot From Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg, Marco Ramirez Greenlit at CBS All Access (http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/twilight-zone-reboot-cbs-all-access-jordan-peele-simon-kinberg-marco-ramirez-1202632108/)
Ugh, sounds like they are introducing leftist politics into it.
Thanks for updating .
The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling. I can't see it under anyone else. Even the movie was stinky.
And the writing on it was phenomenal.
The 80s version was hit or miss.
Rod Serling had the greatest speaking voice in history. HIs dialogue was iconic on its own.
Love your avatar @kevindavis
@kevindavis
Hey. I'm trying to watch that Lexx series. But it is so weird and goofy, I really don't know what to make of it.
What do you think about Lexx? I'm curious.
@kevindavis
Hey. I'm trying to watch that Lexx series. But it is so weird and goofy, I really don't know what to make of it.
What do you think about Lexx? I'm curious.
Mitsuha and Taki are two total strangers living completely different lives. But when Mitsuha makes a wish to leave her mountain town for the bustling city of Tokyo, they become connected in a bizarre way. She dreams she is a boy living in Tokyo while Taki dreams he is a girl from a rural town he’s never been to. What does their newfound connection mean? And how will it bring them together?
Enjoyed The Orville.. I think that The Orville is much better than Star Trek: TNG.
Here are my 3 favorite SciFi Shows:
1. The Expanse
2. Star Trek: Discovery
3. The Orville
Yeah, I like the Orville also.
I've been watching the original Star Treks. I taped a bunch of them on BBC.
I just watched one where Kirk is somehow on this desert/mountainous country battling a reptilian alien. The minute I saw the scene, it looked familiar and then I saw in the credits it was based on a story by Fredric Brown. Wow. I loved Fredric Brown. His proem, "Imagine" is just great. (not a misspelling on the 'proem'
I read this book a few years ago, I won't mention the title as I don't want to give it ANY publicity. It was "all" about the things we all learned in school that weren't actually true. I put quotes around "all" because about 75% of the way through it shifted gears. The first 75% of the book was nothing more than a set up to build credibility so that the author could push his pet agenda (gender income inequality, IIRC).
I'm not saying the orville is the same sort of scam, but the orville is the same sort of scam.
I love the Orville and don't know where you're coming up with the 'scam' theory.
If a sneak peek of "Stargate Origins" is any indication, there should be some fun action scenes and lots of portals in the prequel series to the famous franchise.
The series, which will air in 10-minute episodes on MGM's digital platform "Stargate Command," will be released sometime in 2018. A new video showing highlights from the filming shows the cast and crew working in locations ranging from dunes to warehouses...
Fan favorite Catherine Langford (played by Ellie Gall in the new series) makes a prominent return in the new series...
Has anyone been watching "Runaways" on Hulu?
I thought the firsst 1 1/2 episodes were a bit slow, but after that it really pulls you in.
I read this book a few years ago, I won't mention the title as I don't want to give it ANY publicity. It was "all" about the things we all learned in school that weren't actually true. I put quotes around "all" because about 75% of the way through it shifted gears. The first 75% of the book was nothing more than a set up to build credibility so that the author could push his pet agenda (gender income inequality, IIRC).
I'm not saying the orville is the same sort of scam, but the orville is the same sort of scam.
I installed my firestick this morning and I'm already loving it. I can't wait for October when my 2 year contract with direct TV ends and I can tell them to come and get their ugly ass dish or I'm chucking it in the lake.
I installed my firestick this morning and I'm already loving it. I can't wait for October when my 2 year contract with direct TV ends and I can tell them to come and get their ugly ass dish or I'm chucking it in the lake.
I installed my firestick this morning and I'm already loving it. I can't wait for October when my 2 year contract with direct TV ends and I can tell them to come and get their ugly ass dish or I'm chucking it in the lake.You can line it with bits of mirror and cook things on it using the sun...
There is the movie--Bright--now on Netflix. Starring Will Smith. Throughout the whole show, I kept thinking, "I've seen this movie before".
There is the movie--Bright--now on Netflix. Starring Will Smith. Throughout the whole show, I kept thinking, "I've seen this movie before".
I installed my firestick this morning and I'm already loving it. I can't wait for October when my 2 year contract with direct TV ends and I can tell them to come and get their ugly ass dish or I'm chucking it in the lake.
Congrats on telling those a**holes go to hell.
As time goes on I'll be adding things like Hulu and Sling. Just this morning I added the free Pluto TV ap. Pluto has lots of old movies available and some decent TV channels. I watched a good show about Einstein's relativity theories on one of their science channels this morning.@Cripplecreek thanks for the suggestion, downloading "pluto" right now.
Right now I'm watching "The magnificent 7" (2016) for free.
As time goes on I'll be adding things like Hulu and Sling. Just this morning I added the free Pluto TV ap. Pluto has lots of old movies available and some decent TV channels. I watched a good show about Einstein's relativity theories on one of their science channels this morning.
Right now I'm watching "The magnificent 7" (2016) for free.
@kevindavis My wife and I love Hulu
I'm trying Hulu live right now..
Burned through the second season of The Travelers on Netflix. Very nicely done. Kinda like Person Of Interest does time travel.
Going thru a show on Netflix called Ash v. Evil Dead. Stupid, cheesy, campy, raunchy, gorey, slapstick and at times downright moronic, yet I like it. Best I can describe it is a retro-80's horror comedy.
Watched mystery science theatre on Netflix.@Freya I watched the first episode of that and could not get into it, does it get better after the first one or two?
Stupid silly fun. Pass the popcorn.
New season of man in the iron castle coming this month to amazon prime
@Freya I watched the first episode of that and could not get into it, does it get better after the first one or two?
I thought so. It was a bit clunky at first, but got better.@Sanguine thanks I will give it another shot.
Bruce Campbell plays that type really well.
I just watched Bubba-Ho-Tep yesterday on Pluto TV.
BTW "Stan against Evil" is also good. It stars John McGinley.
I love some of his one-liners. A few of them had me falling out of my chair.
@Free Vulcan
What channel does Bubba-Ho-Tep come on Pluto TV?
I love some of his one-liners. A few of them had me falling out of my chair.
Binge watching Star Trek Discovery today.
I like the different darker wartime direction of the show.
So do I.. Trek needs to have a change of direction.
I like the darker version of Mudd as well. He was a joke on the original series.
It was purely by chance that I watched because I signed up for my free month of CBS All Access that came with my Firestick. I watched the first 9 episodes and see there is a new episode tomorrow.
What we are seeing with Discovery is that the Federation is not that well liked. There are Vulcans who hate it and of course humans don't like it. Basically the Federation is going through some growing pains.
Captain Gabriel comes across as a ruthless lowlife at first but as the show progresses you realize his ambition isn't blind and eventually he and Stamets become closer because Stamets realizes that there is more to Gabriel
They believe in the main goal.. To bodly go where no man or one has gone before.
Right now I'm watching "Approaching the unknown" on Pluto TV. Big stars (Mark Strong) but the movie doesn't appear to have drawn much attention.
Its a solo one way trip to mars with the captain struggling with being alone.
New episode of Star Trek Discovery tonight on CBS All Access at 8:30 pm ET
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-tAyQAS6JY#)
@To-Whose-Benefit?
That was freaking hilarious. Carol Burnette,Tim Conway,and Harvey Korman were responsible for some of my favorite childhood moments.
And of course you can't mention comedy without mentioning Groucho Marx and Johnathan Winters.
So did anyone watch the first episode of "Electric Dreams" on Amazon prime?
Thinking I'll check it out tonight after work.
It was OK, but I have to watch more of it to like it or hate it.
The first episode sucked but I binge watched several episodes and some were very good.
I'm planning on watching it later this week. Victoria starts again tonight.
Episode 10 "Kill all Others" is my favorite so far.
Wait... is that an episode of "Electric Dreams", or an episode of "Victoria"?
Kill all others is an episode of Electric Dreams.
A politician casually mentions that we have to kill all "others" for our own survival and it becomes a rallying cry with a vague target to kill all others. Even asking who the "others" are is proof that you are one of the others.
Sometimes political commentary in fiction is subtle. Sometimes it ain't.
The story that became "Kill all others" was written in the 1950s.
So what? Xenophobic populism has been around for centuries.
No disagreement here.
Same in nazi Germany where it was better to see and say nothing than to show even the tiniest bit of remorse or shock at what was happening. In the documentary "The Rise" a German said that few people really believed the story about the Reichstag fire but nobody said anything because you never knew who was listening.
HBO has become pretty good at adapting successful books into successful TV programs. The cable network has another promising project on the way with an adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. Based on the classic sci-fi novel by Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 is an upcoming TV movie starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. We've seen some images from the movie, and now HBO has graced us with the first footage.
I'm half way through Electric Dreams and it is getting better..
Phillip K Dick may have been an odd duck, but he did write some interesting stories.
So did anyone watch the first episode of "Electric Dreams" on Amazon prime?
Thinking I'll check it out tonight after work.
I missed much of the Star Trek Enterprise series during its run and I'm now watching on prime.
I didn't realize that Archer was a pirate. I just watched episode 19 of season 3 and when Archer couldn't make a deal with a friendly species for some warp coils so he took them by force and left the alien ship stranded years from home. He has also engaged in torture as well as killing innocents to keep their silence.
Those of you (most of you) who haven't been watching the new Star Trek series, Star Trek Discovery, are missing out on a entirely new level of political correctness. The show features a black female protagonist named Michael; her boyfriend, a Klingon disguised as a Muslim-Arab security officer; an obese female cadet who is a genius in all areas of science; and a gay couple, one of whom is black and possibly also hispanic.
Star Trek takes PC to new extremes, even for Hollywood
Ed Straker
American Thinker
January 17, 2018
More (http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/01/star_trek_takes_pc_to_new_extremes_even_for_hollywood.html)
Same road they Started out on. Just decades further down the road.
No personal money. No personal weapons. One World Govt.
InterGalactic Federation/United Planets.
P$$s on Rottenbury. He was always a Socialist One World Order/New World Order Cretin.
Okay, can't agree on Rodenberry ... he was pretty much a genius.While some say Roddenberry is a man of vision, so was Heinlein (Starship Troopers, etc.), but both smack of societies which have a combination of totalitarianism and wht on a planetary scale is a one world government.
And it's stupid to argue about future politics or world order. We have no way of knowing.
But I'm watching a lot of original Star Trek episodes and they are amazingly still interesting.
One thing I've noticed is that the show is totally sexist. Even the middle-aged nurse has to wear a skirt barely above her undies. I've never seen Spock's legs, though I'm not sure I'd want to, but every female wears a really sexy outfit.
While some say Roddenberry is a man of vision, so was Heinlein (Starship Troopers, etc.), but both smack of societies which have a combination of totalitarianism and wht on a planetary scale is a one world government.
While interstellar and even interplanetary societies will likely require resource allocation/control on a planetary scale, the downplaying of the frontier which requires that the individual and small groups have self-determination in order to face the challenges of pioneering is played down to a great extent. The sad part is that the gap from here to there is never bridged philosophically or functionally except for brief moments as a plot device or filled in backstory. The effect is to glorify the collective at the expense of the very sort of rugged individualism that will be needed to make the advancements and discoveries which will spur that development on a broader scale.
To use an earthly analogy, in the westward expansion of the US, it was the fortune seekers, those wanting freedom or asylum who blazed the trails, and who were often equally uncomfortable with the constraints of populous and allegedly civilized larger enclaves of society which followed in their wake. Fur trappers, gold prospectors, and the like were the cutting edge, and often uncomfortable or unwelcome in the towns which only wanted their wares and their money and their subsequent absence.
@Smokin JoeA lone wagon was a great way to enter the rosters of the dead and disappeared along the trail. Not only were the folks jumping off at St. Joe entering an alien world with challenges different from the one they were leaving, they were often not equipped nor prepared to deal with it either. Trail sides were littered with cast off stuff and the graves of the dead. They moved in groups, as a rule, for safety from hostiles, but the security of being able to pool resources and capitalize on the knowledge of leaders, but even that came mostly later.
Not a good analogy. Traveling to distant planets is a whole lot more complex and expensive than throwing some tools in the back of a wagon,hooking up the oxen,and then camping along the way as you hunt or trap game to eat.
Like it or not,but it took governments to even get this ball rolling,and it will take governments to establish space colonies. Anybody who crosses their screens with "rugged individualist" as a character trait ain't going. ONLY team players get the ride.
Has to be that way.
The reality is this, who knows what our future will be like?Well, that's the beauty of having a multitude of potential hypothetical options to explore and eliminate or emulate. We can do that with CGI and plot lines and the freedom to create a multitude of possible futures before we make the first weld in a LOX tank. We can also decide what sort of future we want and how to avoid the pitfalls of conflict which will endanger it and still allow for as much Liberty as possible.
Will it be like The Expanse?
Will it be like Firefly?
Will it be like Star Trek?
Will it be like Babylon 5?
Will it be like The Orville?
Who knows..
Okay, can't agree on Rodenberry ... he was pretty much a genius.
And it's stupid to argue about future politics or world order. We have no way of knowing.
But I'm watching a lot of original Star Trek episodes and they are amazingly still interesting.
One thing I've noticed is that the show is totally sexist. Even the middle-aged nurse has to wear a skirt barely above her undies. I've never seen Spock's legs, though I'm not sure I'd want to, but every female wears a really sexy outfit.
The reality is this, who knows what our future will be like?
Will it be like The Expanse?
Will it be like Firefly?
Will it be like Star Trek?
Will it be like Babylon 5?
Will it be like The Orville?
Who knows..
The reality is this, who knows what our future will be like?
Will it be like The Expanse?
Will it be like Firefly?
Will it be like Star Trek?
Will it be like Babylon 5?
Will it be like The Orville?
Who knows..
@Smokin Joe
Not a good analogy. Traveling to distant planets is a whole lot more complex and expensive than throwing some tools in the back of a wagon,hooking up the oxen,and then camping along the way as you hunt or trap game to eat.
Like it or not,but it took governments to even get this ball rolling,and it will take governments to establish space colonies. Anybody who crosses their screens with "rugged individualist" as a character trait ain't going. ONLY team players get the ride.
Has to be that way.
At 6:29
That's Lurch (Ted Cassidy)
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz0yibN_r4c#)
Some of the episodes were written by Sci-Fi Authors like David Gerrold, and without them . . . . but not Roddenbury.
I know. I guess Philip K. Dick is the sci fi author who inspired most TV. But Roddenberry had the drive to put this show together and get it aired.
I know. I guess Philip K. Dick is the sci fi author who inspired most TV. But Roddenberry had the drive to put this show together and get it aired.
Apples and Oranges @Emjay
Being a Writer and being a Media/TV/Film Producer are completely different skill sets.
Roddenberry had an good idea, but his execution was horrible. Also his actions with the females almost got his ass fired by Lucille Ball (When Desilu owned Star Trek).
Well, the franchise he started was probably the most successful ever ... so there's that.It has been successful, spawning a host of spin-off story lines. I guess it depends on how you define successful, but in the media world, that just means you are the guy to beat on the bottom line. Competition is and will continue to be fierce. As for length of run, though, Dr. Who has Star Trek beat hands down.
And I know nothing about his actions with females but we're finding out that Hollywood, including TV, was a cesspool.
It has been successful, spawning a host of spin-off story lines. I guess it depends on how you define successful, but in the media world, that just means you are the guy to beat on the bottom line. Competition is and will continue to be fierce. As for length of run, though, Dr. Who has Star Trek beat hands down.
It has been successful, spawning a host of spin-off story lines. I guess it depends on how you define successful, but in the media world, that just means you are the guy to beat on the bottom line. Competition is and will continue to be fierce. As for length of run, though, Dr. Who has Star Trek beat hands down.
And Dr. Who is now a woman...
Doctor Who is not a human and is for all intensive purposes, sexless.
The Master becoming the Mistress has been great.
Killed me that Marvel Comics didn't see it coming when they changed the Viking God Thor into a Woman, and then lost money because of it.Guys saw him as someone to emulate, the chicks liked the beefcake, the gender change was a loser.
Killed me that Marvel Comics didn't see it coming when they changed the Viking God Thor into a Woman, and then lost money because of it.
Well...yeah, Thor epitomizes masculinity and Dr. Who, not so much.
Kill all others is an episode of Electric Dreams.
A politician casually mentions that we have to kill all "others" for our own survival and it becomes a rallying cry with a vague target to kill all others. Even asking who the "others" are is proof that you are one of the others.
Well...yeah, Thor epitomizes masculinity and Dr. Who, not so much.
Well, the franchise he started was probably the most successful ever ... so there's that.
And I know nothing about his actions with females but we're finding out that Hollywood, including TV, was a cesspool.
Marvel's ignorance and disconnect goes way beyond that.
Under actual Viking Law implying that another man was regi (in the original) 'unmanly' covered cowardice, effeminate behavior, cross dressing And homosexuality.
It gave the target of the accusation an airtight legal defense for killing the person who slandered him, on the spot.
I do.
Idiocracy.
It has been successful, spawning a host of spin-off story lines. I guess it depends on how you define successful, but in the media world, that just means you are the guy to beat on the bottom line. Competition is and will continue to be fierce. As for length of run, though, Dr. Who has Star Trek beat hands down.
I have to admit to gross ignorance on all thing Marvel.
QuoteLoki gets Thor to travel with him, in drag, as Freya the prospective bride.
At the Giant's table, Thor, in drag, eats an entire Ox, rousing suspicions.
THAT's funny,I don't care who you are.
Ursula LeGuin died today at the age of 88. A legend in SciFi writing.
THAT's funny,I don't care who you are.
@sneakypete
@To-Whose-Benefit?
I am not married to Loki or Thor or anyone!!! :silly:
Ursula LeGuin died today at the age of 88. A legend in SciFi writing.
@To-Whose-Benefit?QuoteTimes in Scandinavia 1,000 years ago were tough.
People, and Gods, had 2nd jobs to make ends meet.
Freya's 2nd job was Leader of the Valkyries.
And they weren't lovely centerfold babes.
HEY! Stay the hell out of my dreams!
@sneakypete
@musiclady
Odin practiced magic (taboo for mortals) and wandered around among them in disguise, as Hagbard.
So the idea that Freya could 'shape-shift' too is wide open.
From Goddess of Love, in a bugs bunny way with her cats dragging her blessings all over the map, hooking up the wrong 2 people, to Corpse Goddess Leader of the Valkyries luring men to their death.
It's telling me our Ancestors were a lot sharper than they're given credit for.
How many men who Should have known better have got themselves killed chasing some woman who is not what she appears to be into a fight?
Exactly. Dr Who has always been a character that overcame physical shortfalls with intelligence. William Hartnell was an elderly man when he took on the role as the first doctor. Only Christopher Eccleston was a truly masculine actor to play the role and he played the Doctor as the traditional pacifist.
It should be noted that the Daleks call The Doctor "The Predator".
I think that's why it's my favorite of the group. It's was very cagey and raw compared to the others. Not that I condone Archer's behavior, but it beats the politically correct crap some of the others got into.
The reality is this, who knows what our future will be like?
Will it be like The Expanse?
Will it be like Firefly?
Will it be like Star Trek?
Will it be like Babylon 5?
Will it be like The Orville?
Who knows..
My guess is that we will be stuck within our own solar system, so I'll vote for The Expanse.
I'll bet we will find intelligent life somewhere else out there during the history of human kind, but the technology won't be there to reach them or communicate easily.
The reality is this, who knows what our future will be like?
Will it be like The Expanse?
Will it be like Firefly?
Will it be like Star Trek?
Will it be like Babylon 5?
Will it be like The Orville?
Who knows..
The reality is this, who knows what our future will be like?
Will it be like The Expanse?
Will it be like Firefly?
Will it be like Star Trek?
Will it be like Babylon 5?
Will it be like The Orville?
Who knows..
We seem to be going the way of Idiocracy.
I wonder when the SyFy channel will go away.
I wonder when the SyFy channel will go away.
I wonder if there is something that is causing you to wonder that... :pondering:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DU0sNDRWAAEwiQf.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DU0sOLhWAAA0TuN.jpg)
Sorry for the foul language.
It's fake. L.F. doesn't have an account.That is too bad. It was funny. Thank you for correcting me and the record.
I binged watched the entire new series Altered Carbon on Netflix on Friday and Saturday. It is really good, no matter what the critics say. It is a good cross between Blade Runner and The Matrix. Yes, it has some plot holes, yes, some of the character development is not well done, but the world creation is great, the CGI is excellent, and the story/concept is good.
Just a note, this isn't for children. This would be a hard R rating, a lot of nudity and sex. Nothing that offends me (albeit, I'm not one to be offended by anything) but some may be turned off by that.
I binged watched the entire new series Altered Carbon on Netflix on Friday and Saturday. It is really good, no matter what the critics say. It is a good cross between Blade Runner and The Matrix. Yes, it has some plot holes, yes, some of the character development is not well done, but the world creation is great, the CGI is excellent, and the story/concept is good.
Just a note, this isn't for children. This would be a hard R rating, a lot of nudity and sex. Nothing that offends me (albeit, I'm not one to be offended by anything) but some may be turned off by that.
Star Trek: Discovery has staked a lot on the idea that it was telling a different kind of Star Trek story — a tighter, more plotted-out version of Trek instead of the crisis-of-the-week style of earlier shows, which were designed to meet the needs of cable syndication. But Discovery — which just wrapped up its first season on Sunday — didn’t embrace long-arc storytelling. The creators and writers divided the season and its story into disparate pieces, and crammed them so full of flashy plot twists and reveals that the series rarely reached beyond hammering home its core conceit: that war is bad, and morals are good.
And boy, does Discovery want its fans to feel the weight of that motto. The show’s cycling plotlines looped from the pilot (almost unrelated to the larger story), to the nearly standalone middle episodes, to the larger Klingon war arc, the Mirror Universe detour, and then the slightly different second Klingon war plot. And throughout, the writers’ room seemed willing to try any tactic to get that central point across. But by shattering the season into fragments of stories, Discovery ended up with characters who barely changed over 15 episodes. They spent the whole season going through the same motions in whatever Mad Libs scenario a given episode required.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzmM0AB60QQ
Hope the reboot deep sixes the stupid silly sh__ the TV show did in the '60's. What ST did to build the genre in this timeframe, this crap almost destroyed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS92bGDNg2M
Oh, good! When does it start?
April 11th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoCeszuJks
One thing I like about The Expanse is the Mormons. They are building an huge honking ship to leave the solar system. Hell, I would join the LDS just for the reason alone..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FBDHudKsSg&lc=z22j
I found the expanse and watched a few episodes, enjoyable. I did only find out about it from reading this forum.
@kevindavis
Damn shame we can't talk them into taking the Muslims with them.
The Crossing is an American science fiction thriller series that airs on ABC. The series debuted on April 2, 2018. On March 20, 2018, ABC released the pilot episode on their website. The series is filmed in British Columbia, Canada.
Refugees fleeing a war start showing up to seek asylum in an American town—but the refugees claim to be from America, 180 years in the future. Moreover, at least one of the refugees exhibits apparently superhuman powers that make her a threat.
A new science fiction series, The Crossing, debuted on ABC last night.
From Wikipedia: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crossing_(TV_series))
Watch the pilot episode online. (http://abc.go.com/shows/the-crossing/episode-guide/season-01/1-pilot)
IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6461824/)
Official site (http://abc.go.com/shows/the-crossing)
Sounds like a plot rehash, there was something similar on the off channels within the past
two or three years. In the older hash, people came back in time to escape something, and
later enforcers came back to get em. Can't remember the name to the thing.
Oh! Monday's ratings for the pilot were adjusted downward today.
Sounds like a plot rehash, there was something similar on the off channels within the past
two or three years. In the older hash, people came back in time to escape something, and
later enforcers came back to get em. Can't remember the name to the thing.
Oh! Monday's ratings for the pilot were adjusted downward today.
I thought the exact same thing seeing the previews. Especially all the people coming ashore from some time travel incident. I could swear up and down I saw this recently in another show.
The 4400 maybe?
The more that comes out about Amazon’s acquisition of the rights for its Lord of the Rings series, the more insane it becomes. Less than a month ago, we reported that the prequel series would cost (altogether) upwards of $500 million, after Amazon beat Netflix for an initial $250 million payout just for the rights to J.R.R. Tolkein‘s epic. But as THR is now reporting, that total number could now reach over $1 billion. There was speculation early on that the deal included a multiple-season commitment, which has now been confirmed as totaling five, though it could include spin-off series. Tallying all of that up increases the price dramatically.
Know this falls under Fantasy, but Amazon is apparently putting together a series based off the Tolkein books, but before LOTR:
http://collider.com/lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-amazon-details/ (http://collider.com/lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-amazon-details/)
Which brings up a second question, should we expand this thread to include Fantasy, Superhero, Spy, etc. or create another or other thread(s)?
The line between all of these tends to be blurred. As long as Horror isn't included, I'm fine with combining them.
Know this falls under Fantasy, but Amazon is apparently putting together a series based off the Tolkein books, but before LOTR:
http://collider.com/lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-amazon-details/ (http://collider.com/lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-amazon-details/)
Which brings up a second question, should we expand this thread to include Fantasy, Superhero, Spy, etc. or create another or other thread(s)?
Nope, definitely not Horror. If you can have inbred hillbillies killing people with farm implements, then I can't seeing that being a good fit. ^-^
I see nothing wrong with combining horror. Horror frequently combines elements of science fiction and fantasy.
The gratuitous use of blood and gore for entertainment makes it different than the other categories, IMHO.
Did you see Alien
Did you see Alien
OK, we can compromise and do horror as long as it can fit into sci-fi, tech, apocalyptic, etc. In other words, hillbillies killing people in a cabin in the woods with scythes wouldn't qualify.Gotcha, undead hillbilllies killing people with farm implements is ok, as long as they're zombies....the undead hillbillies, that is.
Unless anyone objects, I'll change the title of the thread to reflect the additions.
Did you see Alien
@kevindavis
I saw it. Scared the hell out of me.
Took a lady to see it (1st film) in the theater.
Thought the marks she dug into my knee with her nails when that puppet popped out of the guy's chest at chow were gonna bleed, to say nothing of the shriek she let go right into my ear.
OK, we can compromise and do horror as long as it can fit into sci-fi, tech, apocalyptic, etc. In other words, hillbillies killing people in a cabin in the woods with scythes wouldn't qualify.What about motel owning entrepreneurs? (http://i66.tinypic.com/263wpd1.gif)
Unless anyone objects, I'll change the title of the thread to reflect the additions.
THE EXPANSEI agree. I caught it in Season one, and then watched it as often as I could (then binge watched it again.) Of note to me was that (FINALLY!!!) there was a space battle that didn't look like an aerial dogfight! While mass and acceleration (and braking) still follow the laws of physics, aerodynamics (with the exception of jets of escaping air acting as impromptu thrusters) don't enter into the equation. All the more reason to evacuate the atmosphere inside the craft and suit up. That had me hooked, partly because it did not require the suspension of disbelief that you need when they start talking about 'shooting wamp rats back home'....
The first two seasons are available on Amazon Prime. I just finished both of them over the last week. It is a compelling story. Very gritty and some parts are disturbing. Essentially it is an expose on how easily it is for humans to hate and kill each other over territory, greed, and national origin.
Watching the Expanse, it helps a lot to know the layout of our solar system. They constantly refer to planets, moons of planets, and the asteroid belt. If you don't know where these bodies are in relation to each other it would be easy to get lost as to what they are talking about.
Season 3 begins this Wednesday on SyFy channel. I'll be there to find out what the protomolecule is doing on Venus, and how they plan to kill the superhuman alien created on Ganymede.
It is an intense adult drama. It is intelligently written and well acted without all the deep moral posturing that so many space oriented shows have overdone. It is worth watching.
Anson Mount is STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Captain Pike
http://trekcore.com/blog/2018/04/anson-mount-is-star-trek-discoverys-captain-pike/
In a competitive situation, Apple has nabbed a TV series adaptation of Foundation, the seminal Isaac Asimov science fiction novel trilogy. The project, from Skydance Television, has been put in development for straight-to-series consideration...
Originally published as a short story series in Astounding Magazine in 1942, Asimov’s Foundation is the complex saga of humans scattered on planets throughout the galaxy, all living under the rule of the Galactic Empire...
Warner Bros has dropped the first trailer for summer shark pic The Meg. The Jason Statham-starrer is a sci-fi thriller about a prehistoric 75-foot-long predator, the Megalodon, who threatens the lives of a research team trapped underwater — and, yes, the fate of the ocean itself. As far as summer popcorn fare, the tagline says it all: “Chomp On This.â€
Jon Turtletaub directs from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber that’s based on the New York Times bestseller by Steve Alten.
Apple Lands Isaac Asimov ‘Foundation’ TV Series From David Goyer & Josh Friedman
More (http://deadline.com/2018/04/apple-isaac-asimov-foundation-tv-series-david-goyer-josh-friedman-skydance-1202361072/)
I agree. I caught it in Season one, and then watched it as often as I could (then binge watched it again.) Of note to me was that (FINALLY!!!) there was a space battle that didn't look like an aerial dogfight! While mass and acceleration (and braking) still follow the laws of physics, aerodynamics (with the exception of jets of escaping air acting as impromptu thrusters) don't enter into the equation. All the more reason to evacuate the atmosphere inside the craft and suit up. That had me hooked, partly because it did not require the suspension of disbelief that you need when they start talking about 'shooting wamp rats back home'....
Recently I read the Honor Harrington series by David Weber (which got seriously redundant about halfway through), and the Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell (which fortunately ended about the time it was ready to do the same). Both of which dealt with the idea of space combat in a way you might enjoy.I did enjoy a couple of the Honor Harrington books, and then got sidetracked by work to the point where I didn't have any pleasure reading time--or the energy--one page and out on a good day. I'll check out the Lost Fleet series, too. Thanks!
Nice!
Deadline revealed last June that Skydance had made a deal with the Asimov estate and that David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman were cracking the code on a sprawling series based on the books that informed Star Wars and many other sci-fi films and TV series. Goyer and Friedman will be executive producers and showrunners. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross also will executive produce.
This kinda help to prove my theory that the Syfy Channel will be gone in a matter of years.
@kevindavis
I guess I am late to the party,as usual. Apple has a channel?
@sneakypete
No, they are going to be like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu. They are producing their own content.
@kevindavis
How can they do that if they don't have their own channel to broadcast it?
I don't know since I don't have Apple TV.
Well Season 3 of The Expanse is off to great start.
Well Season 3 of The Expanse is off to great start.
I could be wrong, but I think The Expanse could be the last quality Sci-Fi show on traditional Pay TV...
Just saw an ad for the new season of Colony in a few weeks.
Just saw an ad for the new season of Colony in a few weeks.
Just saw an ad for the new season of Colony in a few weeks.
Well, I just finished watching the Lost in Space remake and I enjoyed it. All I'm saying no talking carrots or space hippies.Sounds good, I'll have to make time to watch it. Now if only we could get rid of our (http://i41.tinypic.com/2q9juag.jpg), it's at least as ridiculous as the other and scarier.
The final Deadpool trailer is out.Awesome. Between Avengers and Deadpool this month is going to be incredible.
http://collider.com/new-deadpool-2-trailer/ (http://collider.com/new-deadpool-2-trailer/)
As usual The Expanse was great. Where in the hell do they find the writers??
Awesome. Between Avengers and Deadpool this month is going to be incredible.
The Expanse Cocktails
http://expanse.wikia.com/wiki/The_Expanse_Cocktails
“We live in a science-fiction world,†explains James Cameron, the acclaimed filmmaker behind “The Terminator,†“Aliens,†and “The Abyss.â€
While fans are waiting for the next four chapters in the “Avatar†franchise, he is celebrating the science-fiction genre he’s found so much success with in “AMC Visionaries: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction.â€
The six-part docuseries, which premieres Monday, gave Cameron a chance to sit down with other cinema giants – like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, and Guillermo del Toro – to talk about sci-fi and what inspired them to make their films.
See James Cameron explore science-fiction with Spielberg, Lucas and more in ‘AMC Visionaries’Personally I can't wait to MISS the next 4 chapters of "Dances with Smurfs" I was completely underwhelmed by "Avatar". I thought the CGI was good but didn't make up for the predictable mundane story.
Rob Lowman
Orange County Register
April 27, 2018
More (https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/27/see-james-cameron-explore-science-fiction-with-spielberg-lucas-and-more-in-amc-visionaries/)
Personally I can't wait to MISS the next 4 chapters of "Dances with Smurfs" I was completely underwhelmed by "Avatar". I thought the CGI was good but didn't make up for the predictable mundane story.
I really enjoyed the movie,but hated the underlying story,which was the stereotypical "capitalist monsters are willing to destroy an entire planet and murder off a sentiment species that has a lot to teach us in order to increase their profits."
I really enjoyed The Expanse, however, am I evil that I was hoping Mars somehow blew up the UN Building?? Also, it shows how incompétent the UN is in the future
As usual The Expanse was great. Where in the hell do they find the writers??
I haven't gotten around to watching the series yet but I can highly recommend the books. With your background you might be interested in the lengthy discussions of the feasibility of the Epstein drive you can find on some forums...
Amazon Prime has Season 1 and 2 for free, and Season 3 but you have to pay per episode.
I haven't gotten around to watching the series yet but I can highly recommend the books. With your background you might be interested in the lengthy discussions of the feasibility of the Epstein drive you can find on some forums...
I haven't gotten around to watching the series yet but I can highly recommend the books. With your background you might be interested in the lengthy discussions of the feasibility of the Epstein drive you can find on some forums...
'Star Trek' star Nichelle Nichols' son says mom needs help
Jed Dreben
1 day ago
Nichelle Nichols, 85, the iconic actress known worldwide for playing the beautiful Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the "Star Trek" television series from 1966 to 1969, is said to be suffering from severe short-term memory loss and therefore vulnerable, according to her son.
TMZ is reporting that Nichols' son, Kyle Johnson, filed legal documents on May 4, requesting appointment of four trustees to take conservatorship of his mother. This power, if granted, would give these legal guardians control of her finances as well as decisions pertaining to her health. ... More (https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/star-trek-star-nichelle-nichols-son-says-mom-needs-help/ar-AAwNlZ2?li=BBnb2gh)
I have yet to see a bad episode of The Expanse.
Quentin Tarantino is making a Star Trek movie. That’s a sentence fans of the franchise never thought they would read, as the Tarantino brand doesn’t exactly seem like it would fit with Star Trek.
But Tarantino himself loves Star Trek. In fact, he has gone on record as saying that there’s one episode of the show that he would love to turn into a two-hour film, and looking at that episode gives us a good idea of what he’s got cooking. Here’s the Star Trek episode that Tarantino will likely draw inspiration from for his new movie.
Syfy Says This Season of The Expanse Will Be the Last One on the Network
https://io9.gizmodo.com/syfy-says-this-season-of-the-expanse-will-be-the-last-o-1825944225
Well with Killjoys being on that network (won't watch it unless it's on a streaming platform) and I don't know about Nightflyers, I guess I'm done watching the SyFy channel (unless Nightflyers is good).
Nightflyers sounds promising but with SyFy you never know. I'm recording Krypton although I think my likelihood of ever watching it is slim...
Amazon Has Renewed ‘The Expanse’ After Syfy Canceled The Show
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/amazon-has-renewed-the-expanse-after-syfy-canceled-the-show/
Interesting. I wonder why Scfy didn't renew it?
As for why SyFy cancelled the show it has to do with their history and I think it has to do with $$$$$
Interesting. I wonder why Scfy didn't renew it?
They needed the time slot for a paranormal wrassling show.
They needed the time slot for a paranormal wrassling show.
Probably true.
I think they tested the outer limits of tedium by leaving that ghost show for what seemed like 20 years.
I think they tested the outer limits of tedium by leaving that ghost show for what seemed like 20 years.
I like it: The Outer Limits of Tedium.
They needed the time slot for a paranormal wrassling show.
Let's hope this is real. The cast implies a pretty cool storyline (it is a flashback to the 90s movie if you were wondering about how that cast could fit into a movie after Infinity War).
(https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33191528_1002933433238434_5774994562137194496_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeGSDgJwGrWLlzgKk6AMrMep4wzISejc6-735h-lAMD-PKg8Vz0O9q11wQC_9E5dEbS1-L85H7r6nGWWU2Fae-FOV9i0bEdVfHY3gQfBJFruVA&oh=f546025c9e3045d9e48ccd5fc092a768&oe=5B825B4C)
***WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES***I think the restraints should have cut deeper, but that's jmho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS7x4Bq_gR8
Tonight's episode of The Expanse ended on a 'Trip'. You have to see it to believe it.
Tonight's episode of The Expanse ended on a 'Trip'. You have to see it to believe it.
Hopefully they'll wrap it up when the season/series ends.
Colony is really starting to get good this season, so I suppose sifi will find a way to cancel it.
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer
I want to thank you guys for letting me know about The Expanse. I just started watching it last night.
Tonight's episode of The Expanse ended on a 'Trip'. You have to see it to believe it.
I didn't understand any of it. The first and second seasons were Great, high-action, great plots. But season 3 has me more confused than amazed. It turned into some kind of psychedelic trip, like Space Odyssey. I don't know what is going on anymore?
Hopefully they'll wrap it up when the season/series ends.
Colony is really starting to get good this season, so I suppose sifi will find a way to cancel it.
I didn't understand any of it. The first and second seasons were Great, high-action, great plots. But season 3 has me more confused than amazed. It turned into some kind of psychedelic trip, like Space Odyssey. I don't know what is going on anymore?Lets put it this way. Once the Roci entered the Ring, they left normal space. If you haven't figured it out, the protomolecule is an alien intelligence, and it gathered what it needed on Venus to build the ring, which is a gateway (speed limits strictly enforced). We are seeing this as the characters do, and figuring it out with them.
Season 4 of The Expanse will be on Amazon Prime.
AKA, it's over.
It gets even better. The first season was meh, but then....
The recent hard deceleration burn maneuver, flipping end for end instead of swooping around like a fighter plane, was a breath of fresh air. Finally, someone 'gets it'.
I agree with the first season. It was meh, but I think the episode that got me hooked was CQB..
It gets even better. The first season was meh, but then....
The recent hard deceleration burn maneuver, flipping end for end instead of swooping around like a fighter plane, was a breath of fresh air. Finally, someone 'gets it'.
We shall see Bezos is a big fan of the show.
Doesn't matter, I'm not giving him $10/mon.
They actually take a loss on Prime. It is a loss leader to attract customers. So if you buy prime, you are causing Bezos to lose money.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/22/amazon-prime-instant-video-is-a-huge-loss-leader.aspx (https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/22/amazon-prime-instant-video-is-a-huge-loss-leader.aspx)
:)
Just started watching "The Expanse" , please tell me it not just going to be them searching for this girl.
21st Century Fox Agrees to Higher Offer From Disney
Walt Disney Co. raised its offer to purchase most of 21st Century Fox to more than $71.3 billion in cash and stock, topping an unsolicited offer from rival Comcast Corp. and escalating the bidding war for the coveted media properties.
This is the trip that I was talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3WVXe_gkXg
Amazon Prime will also get you all 5 seasons of Babylon 5.
For my money, the best written scifi the industry ever produced
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJ6KDJSma0#)
FYI: No Twilight Zone Marathon on the "SyFy" Channel..
Just watched "How it Ends" on Netflix, and thought it was pretty good. If you're looking for a kind of spooky, low-budget but well-written TEOTWAWKI movie, give it a try.
:thumbsup:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dikm6n-WsAAXsL-.jpg)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dikm6n-WsAAXsL-.jpg
James Gunn Fired From ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Franchise Over Offensive Tweets
Disney And Fox Shareholders Give Historic Merger Votes Of Approval
At special meetings held simultaneously in New York this morning, Disney and 21st Century Fox shareholders overwhelmingly approved the merger first proposed last December.
...
In a press release confirming the vote, the companies expressed continued optimism about joining forces. The deal will bring Disney the film and TV studio assets, plus cable networks like FX and National Geographic and a 30% stake in Hulu.
excerpted, for the full story see https://deadline.com/2018/07/disney-fox-shareholders-give-historic-merger-vote-of-approval-1202434925/ (https://deadline.com/2018/07/disney-fox-shareholders-give-historic-merger-vote-of-approval-1202434925/)
Killjoys is back on SyFy. New Season.
Been watching Star Trek Voyager on Amazon Prime lately, which is my least favorite of all the franchise. Had to adjust to the Katharine Hepburn impersonator Janeway. The whispering Captain.
Very annoying. In so many scenes she starts out speaking normally, and then slowly descends into a softer, and softer, and softer, whisper. By the end of the dialog she has sunk into such a soft whisper it is almost inaudible. She does this very often. I think, she thinks, that it gives her an appearance of 'seriousness' or something. I don't know. To me, it was just annoying. Kept yelling at the TV, "Speak Up! Dammit!"
One of the most predictable parts of the show was every time they picked up a stranger(s) to 'help' him/them, Voyager would always wind up in trouble because of it. It was routine. They help somebody, and then wind up either getting screwed over by the guy they helped, or they wound up in the middle of some fight about something. This plot theme was so consistent in so many of the shows, it became predictably boring. You would think they would catch on after a while. But they never do.
Voyager has an unlimited supply of shuttles. They lose a shuttle every second show but they always have another one. They must have a shuttle manufacturing shop somewhere on the ship which does nothing but make shuttles 24/7.
They also do the Soap Opera entrance. When I had to stay out of school as a kid, my mother always had the soap operas on. I noticed then, at 10 years old, that when someone wanted to start a conversation they would walk up to someone and say a big loud, "'Well...!' or 'So...!' I see you and Tadd are spending a lot of time together." Voyager uses this same opening whenever they go into soap opera mode. Paris uses this a lot when he wants to screw with Kim about something personal.
But if you want to play a drinking game with the show, take a drink every time one of the characters says, "I'm afraid..."
I'm afraid not.
I'm afraid so.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
I'm afraid I will be forced to do just that.
I'm afraid he had that coming to him.
I'm afraid...yes
I'm afraid...no
I'm afraid...up
I'm afraid...down
These guys spend most of each show 'afraid' of this or that. To which I respond with, "Don't be afraid. It will be alright."
These annoyances aside, it was pretty good series. Lot's of shoot um' up battles. They frequently did the very predictable Star Trek meme where even though they are facing imminent destruction, Janeway is more concerned with being an ultra compassionate humanitarian than she is about the survival of her ship and crew. But all the Star Treks after the original were like that, so there's nothing new in that. The best shows are the episodes dealing with the Borg.
Overall, it is a light, predictable, somewhat cartoonish distraction. I wouldn't pay money to watch it. But it is a lot better than watching anything on daytime TV.
Overall, it is a light, predictable, somewhat cartoonish distraction. I wouldn't pay money to watch it. But it is a lot better than watching anything on daytime TV.
Been watching Star Trek Voyager on Amazon Prime lately, which is my least favorite of all the franchise. Had to adjust to the Katharine Hepburn impersonator Janeway. The whispering Captain.
Very annoying. In so many scenes she starts out speaking normally, and then slowly descends into a softer, and softer, and softer, whisper.
Patrick Stewart to star in new Star Trek TV series (http://ew.com/tv/2018/08/04/patrick-stewart-star-trek-next-generation-new-series/)
Anybody else try to watch "The Man in the High Castle"? HAS to be one of the most confusing series I have ever tried to watch,and nothing is more confusing to me than the focus of the plot,which is someone is going to change the world by watching movies with alternate realities.
Whole damn thing made my head hurt,despite a LOT of first class acting.
Yes, I've watched it and like it.
@Sanguine
Thanks!
I WANT to like it because there are some truly great actors working in it,but I can't figure it out for the life of me. WTH is the big deal about movies with alternate endings that only one man can view?
@Sanguine
Thanks!
I WANT to like it because there are some truly great actors working in it,but I can't figure it out for the life of me. WTH is the big deal about movies with alternate endings that only one man can view?
@sneakypete
The problem is that the book kind of tossed these cool ideas out there but deliberately did not answer them. So, the people running the show are free to come up with their own explanations, or even no explanation at all. And the show has already passed the book in terms of timeline, etc., so they're on their own. I've watched both seasons, and as of yet, the key questions about the movies have not been answered. Other oddity -- the book version of "Man in the High Castle" actually had a book -- not movies -- as the link to the alternate reality.
My guess is that the ultimate point of the videos -- which are sourced in some other reality -- will be as motivation for key characters to try to change this world to be more like that one.
@Maj. Bill Martin
You are probably right,but I still don't understand the attraction and have already lost interest in watching a show that,to me,has no rhyme nor reason. For better or worse,I am a linear thinker by nature,and no matter how hard I try,the lack of logic displayed will never make sense to me. It seems like every time an actor makes a dramatic statement about a "movie" I get brain freeze and want to puke.
Damn shame because there are some damn fine actors involved in this series.
QuoteThe guy who plays the Japanese Trade Minister is incredibly good.
No kidding! He LOOKS like he is as mean as a rabid snake,but seems gentle. I have no idea how he pulls that off.
BTW,that hot chick with the strange jawline and cleft chin is pretty good,too.
So is that skinny guy with the big nose that plays the best friend of the "handsome hero".
Truth to tell,I was shocked to see how many SERIOUSLY good actors and actresses there are out there once I started watching Sat Dish/streaming videos. I was used to watching the typical sitcoms where most of the actors/actresses either blew their way into a role,or were related to somebody on the money end. Some were ok,but none were great. Part of that COULD have been because of the absolute crap roles and dialogue they were given that was supposed to appeal to "the mindless middle class".
Then along came shows like Breaking Bad,Game of Thrones,and Shameless,and even the pre-teen children are giving Oscar-level performances. Suddenly I am thinking,"So THAT's what they were trying to do!"QuoteYeah, I can't blame you for quitting. The plot definitely meanders, especially early in the series. If you even consider watching it again, I can say that the show definitely looks to be heading in a much more interesting direction in Season 3. Possibility of a rebellion.
Ok. I'll give it a try. I hung in there for 2 seasons before I decided to quit,so it won't be a big deal to give season 3 a shot.
DUSTx, a New FREE Sci-Fi Service, Just Launched on Roku Players
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/dustx-a-new-free-sci-fi-service-just-launched-on-roku-players/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiE4-Vd-4aESo y wife and I are watching the previews and the first thing she says is: "Oh a show about illegal aliens", after the announcer said about moving to a new place and leaving your past behind.
Has anyone seen “Enchanted†on Netflix by Matt Groening?
I hear it’s better than the Simpsons but worse than Futureama
Has anyone seen “Enchanted†on Netflix by Matt Groening?
I hear it’s better than the Simpsons but worse than Futureama
I saw it and it was no good.
I saw it and it was no good.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiE4-Vd-4aE#)
So, better than the Simpsons but worse than Futurama.
Well September 17th Battlestar Galacatia (1978) was first shown:
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtUxDbWcVTc#)
FWIW, I'm a fan of both versions..
I was a little startled to see this posted now, because I have been rewatching BG on Prime for the last few days. Currently halfway through Season 3. They just left New Caprica and are headed for Earth once again. The Cylons currently have Baltar, and away we go.
Anyway, weird timing on this post. It is like you are watching me.
I was a little startled to see this posted now, because I have been rewatching BG on Prime for the last few days. Currently halfway through Season 3. They just left New Caprica and are headed for Earth once again. The Cylons currently have Baltar, and away we go.
Anyway, weird timing on this post. It is like you are watching me.
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
Game of Thrones, HBO
@Ghost Bear
Huh? Who would watch a show with a lame name like that?
(ducking,and running for cover....)
Heh, a lot of people apparently, since the Dragon Awards are more of a popularity contest than anything. happy77
@Ghost Bear
I'm one of those guys that likes Sci-Fi,but not fantasy stuff. If I had known there would be dragons on GoT,I would have never watched the first episode.
Which would have been my loss. STILL don't like dragons,but GoT may be the best thing I have ever watched.
Eh, I thought the first few seasons were good, but the relentless nihilism has worn me out. At this point, I'm hoping that it ends up with the White Walkers overrunning the entire place, and Winter enveloping it all forever.
@Ghost Bear
Somebody correct me if I am wrong,but after this year it will end up starting several thousand years earlier in their history,when the families are just forming and creating kingdoms. Can you say "Prequels"?
All new cast,new story lines.
Yes, GRRM has written "prequel" stories, and I've read that a "prequel" series is being developed. I won't be watching it though, I just don't have that much interest in that world.
@Ghost Bear
As long as the writing and acting,as well as the casting on unknown actors,remains at the level of the first GoT series,I will be watching.
A space ship is essentially a submarine in space. You still have to push that mass. A bigger ship would not be free.
The problem I have with Star Trek or other shows, is they made Space Exploration too easy.
Enterprise was cool at first for just that reason.
A space ship is essentially a submarine in space. You still have to push that mass. A bigger ship would not be free.
Way to cool, but that is why I like the Expanse.. Space Travel is a bitch and Space will eat you alive if you are not prepared.
Not free, but perhaps cheap in a relative sense.(http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/scans/factfiles/borg-cube-voy.jpg)
Imagine a cube shaped craft (for ease of math). The surface area of the hull (and corresponding increase in mass, for the most part) grows as the square, while the volume grows as the cube. If you double the size of the hull in each dimension, the hull mass grows by 4x, while the volume grows by 8x.
I'm starting Dark Matter. So far, kind of blah. Does it get better?
I prefer SciFi that is set somewhere outside our grasp, but w/in our vision. Space elevators, but no hyperspace. Unfortunately, this is rather rare.
Most SF tends to go so far ahead as to eliminate all those pesky details, like atmosphere and radiation and acceleration and such. I suppose there's a use for that if there's a really good underlying story to tell.
I just realized that anything in between is extremely rare.
I watched the first 4-5 episodes and just could not get into it. Quite a few here raved about how good it was and I just could not see the attraction, does it get better?
That show is The Expanse. If you have Amazon Prime, the first two seasons is on there.
I watched the first 4-5 episodes and just could not get into it. Quite a few here raved about how good it was and I just could not see the attraction, does it get better?
I'm starting Dark Matter. So far, kind of blah. Does it get better?
I'm starting Dark Matter. So far, kind of blah. Does it get better?
I liked it myself. Wish they would have given it another season to wrap it up.
(http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/scans/factfiles/borg-cube-voy.jpg)
Speaking of Star Trek TNG, why wouldn't anyone go to the holodeck and just make out with all the women on the ship. Come on man, Troy and the Doctor, those women would have been doing horrible things for me. Without ever even knowing it. Just some woman I saw in the passageway could be my new girlfriend for days without even knowing it.
I know Barkley did something like that in one of the episodes, but still, that's all I would ever do. Every female I have ever thought about in my life would be in there at one time or another.
Because to BE in Rottenbury's universe you have to be a good little Prog, and therefore far more moral than we primitive capitalists.
Star Trek animated comedy series ordered from Rick and Morty writer
Entertainment Weekly
JAMES HIBBERD
October 25, 2018
The first-ever official Star Trek comedy series has been ordered.
CBS All Access has greenlit an animated series from Emmy-winner Mike McMahan, a writer on Adult Swim’s sensation Rick and MortyThe half-hour series is titled Star Trek: Lower Decks and will tackle the Federation from a comedic perspective, focusing “on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships.â€
“Mike won our hearts with his first sentence: ‘I want to do a show about the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end,'†said executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “[McMahan’s] cat’s name is Riker. His son’s name is Sagan. The man is committed. He’s brilliantly funny and knows every inch of every Trek episode, and that’s his secret sauce: he writes with the pure, joyful heart of a true fan. As we broaden the world of Trek to fans of all ages, we’re so excited to include Mike’s extraordinary voice.â€
(more)
https://ew.com/tv/2018/10/25/star-trek-animated-comedy/
Does this mean Voyager wasn't supposed to be a comedy?
John Carpenter’s The Thing is a classic science fiction horror film that has scared audiences for decades. But the film was inspired by an earlier story published in the 1930s, “Who Goes There?†by noted editor John W. Campbell Jr., and it turns out that that there’s more to that story. A researcher recently discovered an unpublished, novel-length manuscript of the story, and a small press is using Kickstarter to publish it...
Alec Nevala-Lee notes that Campbell was inspired in part by explorer Richard Byrd, and possibly H.P. Lovecraft’s classic horror story “At the Mountains of Madness.†In 1938, a novella-length story called “Who Goes There?†appeared in Astounding, which went on to become a favorite within the science fiction fan community. The story was later adapted in 1951 as The Thing from Another World, while John Carpenter’s remake The Thing arrived three decades later. A prequel to Carpenter’s film, also titled The Thing, came out in 2011...
Nevala-Lee discovered that “Who Goes There?†wasn’t the first version of the story: Campbell had written a novel-length story, which he then shortened for publication in Astounding. Nevala-Lee went through all of Campbell’s surviving letters while researching his book, and came across a reference to a box of manuscripts that he had sent to Harvard. “I hadn’t heard about this anywhere else,†Nevala-Lee told The Verge, “and it doesn’t pop up on a casual search online, but I finally tracked down an entry in the catalog at [Harvard’s] Houghton Library.†Inside, he found the original, complete manuscript of Frozen Hell...
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BKA7GMyd--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/gvayhfdmblxjx44skuhm.png)
On Doctor Who, the process of regeneration for a Time Lord is a profound, excruciating transformation. Every cell of their being explodes with celestial energy, transforming their entire being. It’s probably for the best though, considering that if every Time Lord kept a bit of their past self, they’d look like the nightmare above.
Answer, by Fredric Brown (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Brown), is a science fiction short story first published in 1954. Since the complete text appears on the Internet in several places, I'm assuming that it's in the public domain.
Dwan Ev ceremoniously soldered the final connection with gold. The eyes of a dozen television cameras watched him and the subether bore throughout the universe a dozen pictures of what he was doing.
He straightened and nodded to Dwar Reyn, then moved to a position beside the switch that would complete the contact when he threw it. The switch that would connect, all at once, all of the monster computing machines of all the populated planets in the universe -- ninety-six billion planets -- into the supercircuit that would connect them all into one supercalculator, one cybernetics machine that would combine all the knowledge of all the galaxies.
Dwar Reyn spoke briefly to the watching and listening trillions. Then after a moment's silence he said, "Now, Dwar Ev."
Dwar Ev threw the switch. There was a mighty hum, the surge of power from ninety-six billion planets. Lights flashed and quieted along the miles-long panel.
Dwar Ev stepped back and drew a deep breath. "The honor of asking the first question is yours, Dwar Reyn."
"Thank you," said Dwar Reyn. "It shall be a question which no single cybernetics machine has been able to answer."
He turned to face the machine. "Is there a God?"
The mighty voice answered without hesitation, without the clicking of a single relay.
"Yes, now there is a God."
Sudden fear flashed on the face of Dwar Ev. He leaped to grab the switch.
A bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck him down and fused the switch shut.
Love Fredric Brown's proem, Imagine.
Imagine ghosts, gods and devils.
Imagine hells and heavens, cities floating in the sky and cities sunken in the sea
Unicorns and centaurs. Witches, warlocks, jinns and banshees.
Angels and harpies. Charms and incantations. Elementals, farmiliars, demons.
Easy to imagine all of those things: mankind has been imagining them for thousands of years.
Imagine spaceships and the future.
Easy to imagine; the future is really coming and there'll be spaceships in it.
Is there then anything that's really hard to imagine?
Of course there is.
Imagine a piece of matter and yourself inside it, yourself, aware, thinking and therefore knowing you exist, able to move that piece of matter that you're in," to make it sleep or wake, make love or walk uphill.
Imagine a universe-infinite or not, as you wish to picture it- with a billion, billion, billion suns in it.
Imagine a blob of mud whirling madly around one of those suns.
Imagine yourself standing on that blob of mud, whirling with it, whirling through time and space to an unknown destination.
Imagine!
Written by Fredric Brown, 1955
Last summer, the actor Jay Duplass found himself in the middle of a lush forest in Washington state, his body struggling under the weight of a giant space-helmet. The actor was filming scenes for the sci-fi drama Prospect, in which he plays a planet-scavenger hoping to get rich. Duplass' otherworldly get-up—like nearly all of the film's costume and props—had been designed and hand-made by a team of earthbound artists. But while his beat-up headgear looked cool, wearing it was "a g-d nightmare," the actor says. "It was heavy. Those helmets are not designed to be worn all day, or walked around in. It messed my neck up for a good six months."
Such sacrifices were a near-daily requirement on Prospect, which opens this Friday in select cities, and expands next week. It's a defiantly DIY indie, one that takes place in a richly designed sci-fi world, full of gonzo weapons, clunky spaceships, and lived-in locales—yet focuses largely on three primary characters. "The insane ambition was to try to capture the essence of huge movies like Dune, Star Wars, and Blade Runner," says co-writer and co-director Zeek Earl. "We tried to capture a slice of a world, but with a very low budget."
Does this mean Voyager wasn't supposed to be a comedy?
I really like The Orville. Lots of humor, much of it kinda sly, great cast and good stories.
I hope it holds up for Season 2.
When is it supposed to start again?
December 2018. Don't know exact date.
decided to give "The man in the high castle" another go. So far I like it.
I deleted the "Mars: Commercial for SpaceX" episode w/o watching.
I (barely) sat through "Mars: Capitalism is Bad, M'Kay" episode.
What a waste.
If you have Netflix, you should check out The Last Kingdom.
S1 was on BBCA - are S2-S3 just Netflix?
S2 - S3 is on Netlfix. There will be a S4.
Made a goodfaith effort to watch Mars 3 separate times. I really wanted to like it. But I couldn't take it. The excruciating slow pace, the slow droning narrations, the PBS special type presentation. I could tell there was an actual space story buried in the documentary. Didn't have the patience to slog through all the educational stuff to watch it. If they would separate the story from the documentary, that I could watch.
@240B
There is a Mars that is a documentary,and there is a Mars that is a Sci-Fi series. There is also another one that is a movie. I started watching the Sci-Fi series Mars one night and really liked and watched maybe 3 episodes. Haven't been able to log on to watch it again since then.
The one that is a SF series also includes some short bits of documentary stuff, which I would be okay with if it concentrated on current Mars projects. Instead it's basically a St Musk commercial, though they did concentrate on greenpeace in the last (last in more than one way in my case) episode.
Also, they've gone pretty lefty this season in the SF part.
The one that is a SF series also includes some short bits of documentary stuff, which I would be okay with if it concentrated on current Mars projects. Instead it's basically a St Musk commercial, though they did concentrate on greenpeace in the last (last in more than one way in my case) episode.
Also, they've gone pretty lefty this season in the SF part.
More than 30 years after the release of The Handmaid's Tale, author Margaret Atwood has announced there's going to be a sequel.
Penguin Random House said Wednesday that the new novel is set to be published on Sept. 10, 2019. It's called The Testaments and will take place 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale left off. The story will be told by three female characters, according to the U.S. publisher.
The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian novel set in the fictional theocratic dictatorship of Gilead, has risen again to prominence with a critically acclaimed TV series based on the book that started airing in 2017.
Margaret Atwood Is Writing A Sequel To 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Merrit Kennedy
NPR
November 28, 2018
More (https://www.npr.org/2018/11/28/671522856/margaret-atwood-is-writing-a-sequel-to-the-handmaid-s-tale)
I don't know if it is just me but Vikings have been kinda gone downhill.
The series or real life?
The series or real life?
@Sanguine
Both,and for the same reasons. Too many "real" Vikings have died off,leaving the wusses to father the future generations.
@SanguineNah. They left. One of the things that traditionally made this country great was that we got the best and the brightest from elsewhere who came here looking for opportunity to do something with what they had.
Both,and for the same reasons. Too many "real" Vikings have died off,leaving the wusses to father the future generations.
Nah. They left. One of the things that traditionally made this country great was that we got the best and the brightest from elsewhere who came here looking for opportunity to do something with what they had.
Now we just seem to get people who want a handout.
Unfortunately, we have our own wusses who are taking over here, and where is a Viking to go?
That's a great question. I hear Honduras is almost empty. :shrug:Too d@mned hot! The ones here settled Minnesota, North Dakota, (eastern) Montana--all areas where there are 6 months of winter and six months of hard sledding....
and where is a Viking to go
QuoteNah. They left. One of the things that traditionally made this country great was that we got the best and the brightest from elsewhere who came here looking for opportunity to do something with what they had.
@Smokin Joe
Yeah,most of the adventerous/spirited blood went off on raids and never returned home because they died,and a lot of them never returned home because they liked the local women and the warmer climates,and when offered farms and no more freezing,they jumped at it. It was the Viking blood that gave the European Royalty some back bone,especially the French.
Seems like damn few came to America,though. The ones that did come here either with Eric Red Beard or his son,I can't remember which,had their asses ran off by the natives.
What America ended up getting was the placid farmers looking for free land they didn't have to fight to obtain.QuoteNow we just seem to get people who want a handout.
Welll,ya can't blame them when we put out signs advertising "free stuff,just come and get it!",and then beg them to come. There is fault,but it's not theirs.
Where? To Go A Viking, of course.
@Sanguine @Smokin Joe
Well since I'm taking it for the team to watch National Geograpic Mars I might as well tell it is 100% crap. I don't mind documentary, and the challenges they show. However, this week's episode was pure bulls**t. Moslty Trump bashing and having people push man-made Climate Change. Thank god next week is the sesason finale.Unfortunately, since NatGeo embraced the whole AGW thing (without so much as looking back) they have become less credible than Mickey Mouse. It's sad, as far as I am concerned, because their magazine in the '60s (and earlier issues) was a font of information about archaeology and the world.
Unfortunately, since NatGeo embraced the whole AGW thing (without so much as looking back) they have become less credible than Mickey Mouse. It's sad, as far as I am concerned, because their magazine in the '60s (and earlier issues) was a font of information about archaeology and the world.You forgot to mention the half-naked natives.
Now it's just another political tool.
You forgot to mention the half-naked natives.Any more they are all wearing T-shirts. Most of the half naked ones were in black and white. Besides I read it for the articles.... :whistle:
Any more they are all wearing T-shirts. Most of the half naked ones were in black and white. Besides I read it for the articles.... :whistle::bs:
Looks like Syfy is starting reruns of The Expanse starting early am tomorrow.Season 1,2, are free on AP. I've already watched it two or three times. Season 3 kind of lost me. They went off on some kind of LSD trip. So 1,2, are all I want to watch anyway. Maybe when Amazon produces Season 4 they will get back to the original story.
I didn't care much for the show, but many here seemed to like it, so if you missed it the first time you may want to set the Betamax.
Season 1,2, are free on AP. I've already watched it two or three times. Season 3 kind of lost me. They went off on some kind of LSD trip. So 1,2, are all I want to watch anyway. Maybe when Amazon produces Season 4 they will get back to the original story.
@kevindavis
I enjoyed Season 3, however, I think they had a feeling that Syfy was going cancel the show. Also, last season was like 2001.
@kevindavis
Funny. That's exactly what I posted at the time it was airing on SyFy. It was trying to imitate or to at least follow in the footsteps of Space Odyssey, in a way. I liked 2001. But like many people, I thought the ending sucked.
Has anyone seen The 100??
No, what is that?
Has anyone seen The 100??
Has anyone seen The 100??
Has anyone seen The 100??I watched the first season, and liked it. Lost track of it after that.
Has anyone seen The 100??
Gregory Benford, science fiction author and astrophysicist, is the 2019 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space. This award is in recognition of Benford’s body of work, including his 32 novels, over 218 short stories, and many non-fiction articles.
Benford will receive the award on Friday, May 24 at opening ceremonies during Balticon 53, the 53rd Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention. Balticon and the Robert A. Heinlein Award are both managed and sponsored by The Baltimore Science Fiction Society.
Gregory Benford Wins 2019 Robert A. Heinlein Award
Benford will receive the award on Friday, May 24 at opening ceremonies during Balticon 53, the 53rd Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention. Balticon and the Robert A. Heinlein Award are both managed and sponsored by The Baltimore Science Fiction Society.
(http://sharejunkies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/deutschland-83-poster.jpg)
https://www.hulu.com/series/deutschland-83-9a2bb1b7-d0d8-4d00-80a9-44a113d786db (https://www.hulu.com/series/deutschland-83-9a2bb1b7-d0d8-4d00-80a9-44a113d786db)
German series on Hulu about the Pershing II/SS21 confrontation in the early 80's between us and the Soviets, and an E. German spy sent W. Germany to gain info on the West intentions during the hotest part of the conflict.
So far it's pretty good, did a nice job of getting the historical feel of the time period. Only downfall for some might be the subtitles.
The other thing about the show that comes to mind is - damn I miss the 80's.
If you didn't watch The Americans, you should check it out.
If you didn't watch The Americans, you should check it out.
If you didn't watch The Americans, you should check it out.Loved "The Americans"
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Watched a couple of original Star Trek recently.
I was struck by how while all the men were wearing slacks, they had all the women wearing panties and what is essentially an over sized xxl tee-shirt. So essentially the women were running around in their underwear. If one of these women bent over even slightly they would be flashing panties, not that they showed that in the series. The producers were careful about that.
Doubt they would get away with that these days. Too sexist. Of course that changed in all the other versions.
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Watched a couple of original Star Trek recently.
I was struck by how while all the men were wearing slacks, they had all the women wearing panties and what is essentially an over sized xxl tee-shirt. So essentially the women were running around in their underwear. If one of these women bent over even slightly they would be flashing panties, not that they showed that in the series. The producers were careful about that.
Doubt they would get away with that these days. Too sexist. Of course that changed in all the other versions.
@240BI started watching when I was about 15. So you can imagine what kind of rutting state I was in. However, I was also stupid. I was confused why you never saw their panties with a dress that freaking short? Even when they fainted or were injured the women always happened to land in such a way as to remain modest. As a stupid horny kid, I always wondered why that was? I thought it was just luck.
Well,their target audience WAS teenage boys. Just look at how high their ratings would have been if they had the ladies bend over occasionally.
Not that I was interested in that sort of thing,mind you.
I started watching when I was about 15. So you can imagine what kind of rutting state I was in. However, I was also stupid. I was confused why you never saw their panties with a dress that freaking short? Even when they fainted or were injured the women always happened to land in such a way as to remain modest. As a stupid horny kid, I always wondered why that was? I thought it was just luck.We knew why that was. Consider the X rated movies of the day: A Clockwork Orange (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrzO09b-A4c), I am Curious (yellow) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfpA3ywwG4E), Rosemary's Baby (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2oH6HfNYo), Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQyudHrn-QI)... (all available on You Tube).
Of course we know now that in the 60s had they not maintained modesty that would have gotten the show cancelled.
Anyone watching second season of the Orville?
I know someone has an avatar from the show, but I’m drawing a blank
(https://cf.ltkcdn.net/costumes/images/std/162767-425x425-entearthskantuniform.jpg)
Watched a couple of original Star Trek recently.
I was struck by how while all the men were wearing slacks, they had all the women wearing panties and what is essentially an over sized xxl tee-shirt. So essentially the women were running around in their underwear. If one of these women bent over even slightly they would be flashing panties, not that they showed that in the series. The producers were careful about that.
Doubt they would get away with that these days. Too sexist. Of course that changed in all the other versions.
Have always been a huge Trek fan. Roddenberry , and subsequent others realized the importance of careful placement of buxom babes.
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Now I'm currently watching the Eureka series on Amazon Prime.
Sheriff Carter has to be gay. Either that or he is incapacitated with sexual insecurity.
Every second episode he has some hot woman falling all over him, but all he does every time some woman is basically begging for sex is to resist all her attempts. I'm only on Season 2 and already the guy could have had sex with half the women in the town. And yet all he does is run away?
I know this is a common plot theme on TV where a guy is being attacked by an aggressive woman and he feels uncomfortable and evades her. I've seen it a lot. This is supposed to be funny or something? But come on, the Sheriff is being aggressively hit on by beautiful women all the time, but because his character is supposed to be 'virtuous' or something he never follows through. It is confusing to me. I don't understand what his problem is? Why did they make his character profile afraid of sex. It's weird.
Now I'm currently watching the Eureka series on Amazon Prime.Maybe he was afraid of a sexual harassment suit, seriously. He was in a position of power, and did not want to abuse the position.
Sheriff Carter has to be gay. Either that or he is incapacitated with sexual insecurity.
Every second episode he has some hot woman falling all over him, but all he does every time some woman is basically begging for sex is to resist all her attempts. I'm only on Season 2 and already the guy could have had sex with half the women in the town. And yet all he does is run away?
I know this is a common plot theme on TV where a guy is being attacked by an aggressive woman and he feels uncomfortable and evades her. I've seen it a lot. This is supposed to be funny or something? But come on, the Sheriff is being aggressively hit on by beautiful women all the time, but because his character is supposed to be 'virtuous' or something he never follows through. It is confusing to me. I don't understand what his problem is? Why did they make his character profile afraid of sex. It's weird.
Maybe he was afraid of a sexual harassment suit, seriously. He was in a position of power, and did not want to abuse the position.
He was just trying to act like a professional. It is sad that is considered so abnormal or shocking.
Maybe he was afraid of a sexual harassment suit, seriously. He was in a position of power, and did not want to abuse the position.
He was just trying to act like a professional. It is sad that is considered so abnormal or shocking.
I understand both of these responses. And I have experienced and done this in my own life and my own career. I understand first hand exactly what both of you are saying. However, in Science Fiction I kind of like the Captain Kirk model. As Sci-Fi fantasies go, he had no compunctions to satisfy a needy lady.
Newsflash - it's not just men who watch those shows. I loved Eureka.Of course. And we all know how women hate romance. I can say that I like Eureka. Don't love it. It's OK.
Now I'm currently watching the Eureka series on Amazon Prime.You should check out Andromeda, Captain Dylan Hunt is getting it almost every show from some hot chick, it's almost a running gag. And of course it's another Roddenberry show.
Sheriff Carter has to be gay. Either that or he is incapacitated with sexual insecurity.
Every second episode he has some hot woman falling all over him, but all he does every time some woman is basically begging for sex is to resist all her attempts. I'm only on Season 2 and already the guy could have had sex with half the women in the town. And yet all he does is run away?
I know this is a common plot theme on TV where a guy is being attacked by an aggressive woman and he feels uncomfortable and evades her. I've seen it a lot. This is supposed to be funny or something? But come on, the Sheriff is being aggressively hit on by beautiful women all the time, but because his character is supposed to be 'virtuous' or something he never follows through. It is confusing to me. I don't understand what his problem is? Why did they make his character profile afraid of sex. It's weird.
Maybe he was afraid of a sexual harassment suit, seriously. He was in a position of power, and did not want to abuse the position.Me, not so much. I am more interested in the story than what goes on between the sheets. Two perfect examples we used to watch a show on Scy-Fy called Lost girl. Good story for a while. Then they got into this gratuitous lezbo stuff. If the sex is relevant to the story (Straight or gay) I have no problem. But when they throw it in just tot throw it in, I have an issue.
He was just trying to act like a professional. It is sad that is considered so abnormal or shocking.
I understand both of these responses. And I have experienced and done this in my own life and my own career. I understand first hand exactly what both of you are saying. However, in Science Fiction I kind of like the Captain Kirk model. As Sci-Fi fantasies go, he had no compunctions to satisfy a needy lady.
Me, not so much. I am more interested in the story than what goes on between the sheets. Two perfect examples we used to watch a show on Scy-Fy called Lost girl. Good story for a while. Then they got into this gratuitous lezbo stuff. If the sex is relevant to the story (Straight or gay) I have no problem. But when they throw it in just tot throw it in, I have an issue.@verga
Next Used to watch the new version of SWAT. Then they had the bisexual female get involved in a three way marriage. That ended my viewing that show.
@verga
No, it's not like that. I'm not looking for a sex show or anything sexual really. It is just that they bring it up, put the Sheriff in that situation in the show, and then they order him to 'stand down'. This is not normal behavior for a normal guy. It is like they are pushing the fact that he is somehow awkward around women. I guess that makes him endearing or something. For me it is more annoying.
BTW, speaking of Sci-Fi sex, it wasn't only Captain Kirk. Spock got in the mix himself with the Romulan Commander.
(http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8400000/Spock-and-the-Romulan-Commander-star-trek-couples-8470541-500-379.jpg)
Have you watched Fringe?Start to finish, loved it. I thought it went off the rails a boit toward the end with the whole "Amber" story.
@verga@240B maybe you misunderstood, I have nothing against sex in a show as long as it moves the story. Let's face it with out the incest "there is not story for "Tis Pity she's a whore". My issue is gratuitous sex or when they use it to try and normalize truly deviant behavior.
No, it's not like that. I'm not looking for a sex show or anything sexual really. It is just that they bring it up, put the Sheriff in that situation in the show, and then they order him to 'stand down'. This is not normal behavior for a normal guy. It is like they are pushing the fact that he is somehow awkward around women. I guess that makes him endearing or something. For me it is more annoying.
BTW, speaking of Sci-Fi sex, it wasn't only Captain Kirk. Spock got in the mix himself with the Romulan Commander.
(http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8400000/Spock-and-the-Romulan-Commander-star-trek-couples-8470541-500-379.jpg)
I see Prime Video has Stargate SG-1 now - is that worth watching?
I see Prime Video has Stargate SG-1 now - is that worth watching?@Sharknado
Thanks guys - I remember the movie being pretty good - I'll put it on my list...@Snarknado
@Snarknado
The Arc of Truth movie is a follow on after the end of the Series. If you watch it before you watch the series, you will not really understand what is going on.
Where does Continuum fit in?@Snarknado
Where does Continuum fit in?
I found a Reddit post with this order - looks like last 3 seasons of SG1 overlap Atlantis, maybe some crossover episodes?@Snarknado
* 01 - Stargate movie
* 02 - Stargate SG-1, episodes 1.1 to 8.2
* 03 - Stargate Atlantis, episodes 1.1 to 1.15
* 04 - Stargate SG-1, episodes 8.3 to 8.20
* 05 - Stargate Atlantis, episodes 1.16 to 2.1
* 06 - Stargate SG-1, episodes 9.1 to 10.2
* 07 - Stargate Atlantis, episodes 2.2 to 3.4
* 08 - Stargate SG-1, episodes 10.3 to 10.12
* 09 - Stargate Atlantis, episodes 3.5 to 3.19
* 10 - Stargate SG-1, episodes 10.13 to 10.20
* 11 - Stargate: The Ark of Truth
* 12 - Stargate Atlantis, episodes 3.20 to 5.1
* 13 - Stargate: Continuum
* 14 - Stargate Atlantis, episodes 5.2 onwards.
* 15 - Stargate Universe, All
I see Prime Video has Stargate SG-1 now - is that worth watching?Definitely.
Where does Continuum fit in?After Ark of Truth, it kind of wraps up a couple of things.
Yep, the guys I worked with while the show was on the air called 'Troi' commander cleavage. She was definitely a proud mama. An episode when Picard was replaced with a new captain, the first thing he said to Troi was for her to put on a real uniform. - lol
Strip it all down and T&A sells. Get rid of the Space Dr Dentons, the Yuma Territory trusses, and the Jane Jetson 1960s Back To The Future look, and it's still T&A.
Roddenbury's mannequins had all the 'character/s' of a recycled cardboard box.
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There is a series on AP called Electric Dreams. It fascinated me. Not because it was a good series, but because all of the shows in the series were rehashed Sci-Fi themes. I had fun remembering which Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, or other Sci-Fi themes, each of the shows was based on. All of the shows in this series are derived from previous Sci-Fi shows.
It is like a trivia or a memory test to remember which of these shows belongs to which Sci-Fi show in the past. That part was fun for me, even though the shows themselves were not all that good. But then again, it is very hard to impress all of us old-timer Sci-Fi nuts, because we have seen it all before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amy5tXk3Dl4One of the things I really loved about The Expanse is that the science conforms with physics, for the most part. Objects in space don't fly like jets in atmosphere, but move according to force vectors without any aerodynamic effects. Watching them flip the ship in a fight instead of fly in some half circle, evacuating atmosphere and suiting up for a fight using kinetic weapons, all made sense. Finally!
One of the things I really loved about The Expanse is that the science conforms with physics, for the most part. Objects in space don't fly like jets in atmosphere, but move according to force vectors without any aerodynamic effects. Watching them flip the ship in a fight instead of fly in some half circle, evacuating atmosphere and suiting up for a fight using kinetic weapons, all made sense. Finally!
One of the things I really loved about The Expanse is that the science conforms with physics, for the most part. Objects in space don't fly like jets in atmosphere, but move according to force vectors without any aerodynamic effects. Watching them flip the ship in a fight instead of fly in some half circle, evacuating atmosphere and suiting up for a fight using kinetic weapons, all made sense. Finally!
One of the things I really loved about The Expanse is that the science conforms with physics, for the most part. Objects in space don't fly like jets in atmosphere, but move according to force vectors without any aerodynamic effects. Watching them flip the ship in a fight instead of fly in some half circle, evacuating atmosphere and suiting up for a fight using kinetic weapons, all made sense. Finally!
The Starfuries in Babylon 5 acted that way in the mid-90s.Yep. I liked that series, too. Most movies in between (and shows) were not that way.
Sorry... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nanfQ0mviaU#)
Yep. I liked that series, too. Most movies in between (and shows) were not that way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtGqjxECVe8WOW! got hooked on this and I can't believe it is the final season
WOW! got hooked on this and I can't believe it is the final season
I'm not surprised. A show like this four seasons is good enough. Last season was good. It was also sad (seeing the Statute of Liberty being blown up, The Liberty Bell being melted, etc..)
WOW! got hooked on this and I can't believe it is the final season
The thing that hooked me is just how plausible the alternate history is. Minor changes in various events could have resulted in this outcome.
I'm not surprised. A show like this four seasons is good enough. Last season was good. It was also sad (seeing the Statute of Liberty being blown up, The Liberty Bell being melted, etc..)
The thing that hooked me is just how plausible the alternate history is. Minor changes in various events could have resulted in this outcome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtGqjxECVe8
I know the book won the Hugo but I couldn't get through it. I didn't find it dense but I did find it uninteresting. I haven't seen the series.
I know the book won the Hugo but I couldn't get through it. I didn't find it dense but I did find it uninteresting. I haven't seen the series.
I didn't have any trouble finishing the book, but compared to something like Expanse it just seemed kind of shallow - I'd maybe compare to Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. I don't consider the reading time wasted but it wouldn't be very high on my list of recommendations. I guess I'd have to say that Dick's genius wasn't in writing well-formed stories like, say, Bradbury, but in presenting more open-ended imaginative concepts that offered more opportunity for interpretation and adaptation. Though I doubt that was his intent at the time...
I didn't have any trouble finishing the book, but compared to something like Expanse it just seemed kind of shallow - I'd maybe compare to Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. I don't consider the reading time wasted but it wouldn't be very high on my list of recommendations. I guess I'd have to say that Dick's genius wasn't in writing well-formed stories like, say, Bradbury, but in presenting more open-ended imaginative concepts that offered more opportunity for interpretation and adaptation. Though I doubt that was his intent at the time...I have watched about half of the first season of "The Expanse" and just can't get into it. The plots seem contrived and plodding.
I have watched about half of the first season of "The Expanse" and just can't get into it. The plots seem contrived and plodding.
I have watched about half of the first season of "The Expanse" and just can't get into it. The plots seem contrived and plodding.
I didn't watch it because it was on syfy, but I kept hearing great things about it, so I came in during the second season. I really didn't see what people were so excited about. Then recently the DVR picked up the first season which I thought was much better. I wonder if people got into it and that tinted their opinion about season two.I read some of Heinlein's stuff in my late teens and early 20's, and to me it was hit or miss. On the other hand I couldn't get enough of Asimov. Loved his Syfy and his mysteries, as well as the non fiction stuff.
I suspect something similar with Heinlein. I didn't read him until I was in my 30's, and wasn't all that impressed. But I can see that his kid's books would have appealed to me when I was much younger. I wonder if people view his later work more positively because they enjoyed the earlier stuff, building a positive disposition.
Marvel are reportedly looking to cast their first openly gay superhero, and fans have already suggested who could take over the role.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige hinted that the studio was working towards bringing a new LGBTQ character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year, and now it's been claimed that casting has opened.
According to the That Hashtag Show, Marvel are on the hunt for an actor who will play the lead role in their 2020 feature film The Eternals.
Marvel 'set to cast first openly gay superhero' as fans beg for Captain America to come outWee that jsut made the list of movies I won't see.
Rebecca Lawrence
The Daily Mail
March 6, 2019
More (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6777827/Marvel-set-cast-openly-gay-superhero-fans-beg-Captain-America-come-out.html)
Marvel 'set to cast first openly gay superhero' as fans beg for Captain America to come out
I don't do porn, but if I did, gay porn would be enough to get me to shoot the TV. Ick.
@Smokin JoeI don't hate anyone, Pete, I just find the whole 'gay' thing disgusting.
I don't hate homosexuals. In fact,I feel sorry for them. Life ain't already screwed up enough you need to add homosexuality to the burdens you bear?
Having said that,why the HELL did anyone ever agree to call them "gay"? "Gay" means happy,and they are maybe the least happy people I have ever ran into.
The only thing I can figure is that it is a last desperate attempt by them to try to pretend everything is fine.
I don't hate anyone, Pete, I just find the whole 'gay' thing disgusting.That is why we quit watching "Lost Girl" on SyFy and I am about to drop "Supergirl" anti Gun, liberal, and now the LGBQT crap. Really do we really seriously need a transgender Alien?
Really do we really seriously need a transgender Alien?
In 1959 Rod Serling's TV series, "The Twilight Zone," made its debut on CBS. Though not a major success at the time, the show that served up horror and science fiction stories as winking tales of contemporary society has taken on legendary status, influencing films and TV ever since. David Pogue looks at how Serling crafted a TV classic with New York Times television critic James Poniewozik, and talks with the writer's daughter, Jodi Serling, about the influence that his hometown, Binghamton, N.Y., had on Serling's allegorical tales. Pogue also talks with Jordan Peele, the writer-comedian behind the Oscar-winning "Get Out" and "Us," who this week introduces a new iteration of "The Twilight Zone," debuting on CBS All Access.
That is why we quit watching "Lost Girl" on SyFy and I am about to drop "Supergirl" anti Gun, liberal, and now the LGBQT crap. Really do we really seriously need a transgender Alien?Gratuitous faggotry, for want of a better term is a death sentence to any series, imho. Fear the Walking Dead started off great--credible for the genre, with the junkie kid the only one to really see what was going on (he had no normalcy bias, because he had no normalcy is his world as an addict, so he caught on first). He tuned in to the zombie apocalypse before people who led normal lives (to have a bias about) did.
Gratuitous faggotry, for want of a better term is a death sentence to any series, imho. Fear the Walking Dead started off great--credible for the genre, with the junkie kid the only one to really see what was going on (he had no normalcy bias, because he had no normalcy is his world as an addict, so he caught on first). He tuned in to the zombie apocalypse before people who led normal lives (to have a bias about) did.Called it quits on SWAT when they put one of the characters into a 3 way marriage. Did the same for that new CW show "Roswell" when 10 minutes in they had a Alien / human gay relationship[. IO don't recall even finishing the episode. I will give Batwoman a shot when it comes up, but if she ends up being a SJW and the gay bit is the main story line forget it.
The series was going well until one of the characters put a passionate liplock on his childhood friend.
End of story, right there.
Never watched it again.
Orphan Black went down the same path, and with the same result.
Mr. Robot never got a look, the previews were enough.
If the actors are homos, well, act, and stop projecting their sexuality into my living room, if they want to make a living.
How long did Rock Hudson get away with that and have a thriving career? (He still got it in the end, so to speak).
Gratuitous faggotry, for want of a better term is a death sentence to any series, imho. Fear the Walking Dead started off great--credible for the genre, with the junkie kid the only one to really see what was going on (he had no normalcy bias, because he had no normalcy is his world as an addict, so he caught on first). He tuned in to the zombie apocalypse before people who led normal lives (to have a bias about) did.
The series was going well until one of the characters put a passionate liplock on his childhood friend.
End of story, right there.
Never watched it again.
Orphan Black went down the same path, and with the same result.
Mr. Robot never got a look, the previews were enough.
If the actors are homos, well, act, and stop projecting their sexuality into my living room, if they want to make a living.
How long did Rock Hudson get away with that and have a thriving career? (He still got it in the end, so to speak).
Orphan Black didn't seem that offensive to me, but in Mr Robot the gay sex was so in-your-face gratuitous that there could be no doubt it was a cynical, blatant ploy to check a box on the Emmy application.The same way with "Lost Girl", every freaking episode it seemed.
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Anyone here reading the Expanse series? I'm about halfway through the latest book.
The same way with "Lost Girl", every freaking episode it seemed.
@verga@sneakypete The show is Blindspot. They have pretty much stopped the PC stuff after the second season. It was actually an important plot point in the third or fourth season and it had a legitimate pay off with the Psychiatrists character. The last two seasons have been very good. They had a couple of close calls when they almost jumped the shark, but they managed to pull it off. They do have one regular that is gay and a recurring one, but I think that is a legitimate plot device so Rich.com and Patterson can engage in witty banter with out sexual tension.
What is the name of that show with the woman who was dumped in the street in a duffle bag,naked,and covered with tattoos. She had no memory,and her tats were clues to crimes.
It had good actors and a good plot,but then they got so racially PC that I couldn't stand to watch it anymore. I will be shocked if someone tells me they don't have a left-handed,cross-eyed Muslim Eskimo trans-sexual scientist or detective on there now that isn't dating a vacuum cleaner.
And here I was thinking these shows were about solving crimes!
@sneakypete The show is Blindspot. They have pretty much stopped the PC stuff after the second season. It was actually an important plot point in the third or fourth season and it had a legitimate pay off with the Psychiatrists character. The last two seasons have been very good. They had a couple of close calls when they almost jumped the shark, but they managed to pull it off. They do have one regular that is gay and a recurring one, but I think that is a legitimate plot device so Rich.com and Patterson can engage in witty banter with out sexual tension.
@Smokin JoeWe saw it first in commercials and sitcoms, where the white guy was either ridiculously stupid or absent, then I don't think I have seen many commercials recently that weren't slat and pepper couples. Even the 'remodeling and home buying shows my wife likes to watch got light in the loafers, and had about one couple in three who were 'partners', not a man/woman couple, which would be somewhere close to 20 times the national demographic (and that demographic may well be exaggerated because they keep adding letters to the whole GLBTQPbWTF? bit. Sure seems to be aimed at eliminating 'Ozzie and Harriet/Leave it to Beaver' America.
Seems like it is also now taboo for any white characters in a series to date one another UNLESS they are homos. If two white co-workers were dating each other the first season,by the second season they had split up and were either dating a black co-worker,or a new black character had been introduced into the cast,and they were dating them.
The "New Reality" seems to be the evil white race will die off as they "evolve into the New Normal " of the Globalist Master Race of mixed blood. No big deal,since what have white people ever contributed to civilization,right?
Are there ANY white heterosexual working writers left in Hollywood or NYC?
So I saw "Avengers: Endgame" this past Saturday. Although I was unhappy with a couple of things, overall I enjoyed the movie a lot. I think that anyone who has enjoyed the Marvel superhero movies will probably love it. Although it is a 3-hour movie, for me it didn't feel that long. At one point my wife leaned over and asked me to check the time; I was surprised when I realized that almost 2 1/2 hours had gone by, because it didn't feel like it at all. It just moves along, with very few slow spots (and most of those are early on, before the action really starts).Can you believe that the Lorax killed Thanos and Captain Kirk?
There are no post-credit scenes in this one, so if you have to rush to the restroom when it is done you won't have to wait. Other than that, I won't give out any spoilers....
Can you believe that the Lorax killed Thanos and Captain Kirk?
I know! That was totally surprising! But I thought the light saber duel between Black Panther and the Night King was very well done. wink777Touche'
On Netflix:I hope you re not talking about the new show on the CW Roswell, New Mexico. That show is completely unwatchable. Made it through half the first episode, Homosexual extra planetary aliens. No thank you!
3rd season of The Colony.
2nd season Ash v. Evil Dead.
1st season of Roswell. Kinda like Dawson's Creek with aliens, but overall watchable.
....Homosexual extra planetary aliens. No thank you!
I hope you re not talking about the new show on the CW Roswell, New Mexico. That show is completely unwatchable. Made it through half the first episode, Homosexual extra planetary aliens. No thank you!Homosexual extra planetary aliens are also all over Orville. It seems to be a new trend. The Left loves homos.
Homosexual extra planetary aliens are also all over Orville. It seems to be a new trend. The Left loves homos.
I hope you re not talking about the new show on the CW Roswell, New Mexico. That show is completely unwatchable. Made it through half the first episode, Homosexual extra planetary aliens. No thank you!
Sorry but my wife and I agree on some things, and one is we don't do cartoons, horror, sci-fi etc.
If it isn't about reality, don't waste our time.
Our most recent movies:
The Mule
Highwaymen
Green Book
Bohemian Rhapsody
Star is Born
On Netflix:Loved Ash v. Evil Dead. Every once in a while I put on "Killer of Killers" from the first season to watch Ash explain to a waitress how he's going to pay his bill by giving her sex. Bruce Campbell is awesome.
3rd season of The Colony.
2nd season Ash v. Evil Dead.
1st season of Roswell. Kinda like Dawson's Creek with aliens, but overall watchable.
Sorry but my wife and I agree on some things, and one is we don't do cartoons, horror, sci-fi etc.None of those is 'about reality'. They are all a Hollywood projection or reality. They all have so much incorrect according to documented historical fact.
If it isn't about reality, don't waste our time.
Our most recent movies:
The Mule
Highwaymen
Green Book
Bohemian Rhapsody
Star is Born
Loved Ash v. Evil Dead. Every once in a while I put on "Killer of Killers" from the first season to watch Ash explain to a waitress how he's going to pay his bill by giving her sex. Bruce Campbell is awesome.
Loved Ash v. Evil Dead. Every once in a while I put on "Killer of Killers" from the first season to watch Ash explain to a waitress how he's going to pay his bill by giving her sex. Bruce Campbell is awesome.
‘The Expanse’ Renewed for Season 5 at Amazon
Amazon has picked up “The Expanse†for a fifth season.
The announcement was made during the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Saturday. Season 4 of the series is set to debut on Dec. 13.
“The Expanse†aired its first three seasons on Syfy, with the cable networking having cancelled the series back in 2019. Shortly after it was cancelled, it was reported that Amazon was in talks to continue the series, which is produced and fully financed by Alcon Television Group....
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/the-expanse-renewed-season-5-amazon-1203282087/
Where is Season 4?
Where is Season 4?
Well unless there is something good on the SyFy channel, I consider that channel dead.
Well unless there is something good on the SyFy channel, I consider that channel dead.
Well unless there is something good on the SyFy channel, I consider that channel dead.Oh, come on. They have more sharks than the Discovery network. :silly:
Killjoys new season just started. I like that one.I like Killjoys, too. :beer:
Killjoys new season just started. I like that one.
I thought you were watching Krypton? I'm still recording it but haven't watched any of it yet.
Well I took one for the team, and finsihed up Another Life on Netflix. If you want to watch fine, be warned it has every cliche (plus a tranny character) on that show.
I think the law just makes it a felony for a tranny role to be played by a non-tranny actor.
@kevindavis
Isn't that required by law now?
FYI, if you have the NBC App, they are now showing Buck Rogers.
I'll have to check that out - I think I have old analog recordings, hopefully these will be better. 40 years is pretty old though so maybe not much unless they've been redone for digital...
(https://i.imgur.com/xwdo4Sb.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xwdo4Sb.jpg)
‘Babylon 5’ Reunion 2020 — Is It Happening?
Rumors of a Babylon 5 reunion had the internet in a frenzy on Sunday (October 13) as reports claimed that PTEN confirmed a revival of the popular sitcom for 2020.
UPDATE 14/10/2019 : This story seems to be false. (read more)
Can you believe it's been 26 years since Babylon 5 first aired?! (26 years, 7 months, 22 days to be exact.)
https://en.mediamass.net/culture/babylon-5/reunion.html
‘Babylon 5’ Reunion 2020 — Is It Happening?
Rumors of a Babylon 5 reunion had the internet in a frenzy on Sunday (October 13) as reports claimed that PTEN confirmed a revival of the popular sitcom for 2020.
UPDATE 14/10/2019 : This story seems to be false. (read more)
Can you believe it's been 26 years since Babylon 5 first aired?! (26 years, 7 months, 22 days to be exact.)
https://en.mediamass.net/culture/babylon-5/reunion.html
Curious they refer to it as a 'sitcom'.Sitcom? Either they didn't see the show, or their autocorrect jumped up and bit them in a spot the editor didn't look.
I didn't make it through an entire episode, but I never got the impression from others that it was supposed to be comedy.
Sitcom? :wtf:
Star Trek Piccard Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FySrgrKJguE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FySrgrKJguE)
The Expanse Season 4 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jc76QrX5Vg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jc76QrX5Vg)
Anybody here tried the 2005 Charlie Jade on Prime - similar premise to Counterpart? I watched 3 eps and would have continued except the frenetically jerky camera work gave me a raging headache.
FYI, the last season of The Man in the High Castle is now streaming.
FYI, the last season of The Man in the High Castle is now streaming.
Someday I'm going to check that out. I wasn't impressed with the book but from what I've heard the show sounds pretty good...
@Snarknado
I tried to watch the first season,but kept falling asleep.
Maybe I will give it a chance again?
@sneakypete , I would suggest you give it another try. As I recall, the first season had a slow build to a pretty good finish, and the second season kept building from there. By the middle of the second season I couldn't stop watching it.
Someday I'm going to check that out. I wasn't impressed with the book but from what I've heard the show sounds pretty good...@Snarknado, @sneakypete The first half of the first season is confusing as all get out, but after that I loved it. Wife and i binge watched it.
I have read that there are 2 unique American art forms. Jazz and Comic Books. I like them both but I'm a comic nerd above all and I see Superheroes as modern day American myths. I started reading comics in the late 60's and I grew up watching Batman with Adam West, Wonder Woman with Linda Carter and the Hulk with Bill Bixby on TV. I saw Christopher Reeves fly and Jack Nicholson bring the Joker to life.It's always a game of 'Can you top this' in the superhero genre, but when once straight characters turn gay, well, you lost me. The 'wokeness' is a definite no-go. Marvel reached its pinnacle with Stan Lee, and I doubt there will be another. His superhumans were ultimately, human, too. That is part of the allure they hold for budding Homo Sapiens, and adult forms of the species alike. Unfortunately, The Rat has reared, and I doubt the genre will be the same--along with the Star Wars franchise. While spinoff marketing has ever been important, my guess is that with Disney the creativity will drop and the merchandising will step to the fore.
A decade later live action films would bring Blade, Spiderman, the X-men and ultimate Batman film "The Dark Knght!"
A decade later Marvel would release the greatest Super Hero movies of all time including Iron Man, Avengers, Captain American Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America Civil War, Thor Ragnarok. Avengers infinity War, and Avengers Endgame.
Also during this time Marvel produced some of the greatest Super Hero Television with Daredevil 1 and 2, Jessica Jones, and the Punisher.
Sadly some of the worst dreck ever created has also been produced in the last 10 years. The DC TV universe is mired in woke, and their feature films are a mixed bag of mediocre (Aquaman, Suicide Squad)
Marvel's Phase 4 announcements leave me unimpressed. Other than the next season of "The Boys" on Amazon I'm not seeing much to look forward too for superhero fans.
What say you?
It's always a game of 'Can you top this' in the superhero genre, but when once straight characters turn gay, well, you lost me. The 'wokeness' is a definite no-go. Marvel reached its pinnacle with Stan Lee, and I doubt there will be another. His superhumans were ultimately, human, too. That is part of the allure they hold for budding Homo Sapiens, and adult forms of the species alike. Unfortunately, The Rat has reared, and I doubt the genre will be the same--along with the Star Wars franchise. While spinoff marketing has ever been important, my guess is that with Disney the creativity will drop and the merchandising will step to the fore.@Smokin Joe
While "The Boys" is a mite disturbing considering the whole conditioning of the reader/viewer to see superheroes as, well, heroes, it is a fresh twist on the topic and gets points for being creative, even if chewing at the feet of a previously iconic class of character.
@Smokin JoeRational posts deserve rational replies. You're a smart guy, so why not talk about things other than politics?
Thanx for the reply
Rational posts deserve rational replies. You're a smart guy, so why not talk about things other than politics?@Smokin Joe
There is always common ground among intelligent people, sometimes broad, sometimes narrow, but there, nonetheless.
@Smokin JoeThank you for your kind words. We all have some part to play.
There are many forums to talk about comic books and jokes. Unsurprisingly I come here for the politics, and I come here because my NT opinions would not be tolerated at TOS, and my center right opinion would not be tolerated on a liberal forum. I also come here because of thoughtful posters like yourself, it's lightly moderated, and even more participant moderated. This allows me to explore my opinions in the relative safety of people who will understand my experiences as a Republican for almost 30 years.
I saw your post on the Ben Carson thread, and I agree intelligent people can find common ground. Thank you for the compliment and of course I return it to you. You're an asset to this forum.
Wonder Woman - Bloodlines...
Boring and same old storyline... crude animation compared to previous offerings. Don't bother... watched it with my brother (who likes the Superhero line)...
'Mars' on Netflix is pretty darn interesting. Unique format, toggling between 2016 and 2033. Very intriguing to watch.
@Sighlass@sneakypete
I didn't even like the comics when I was a kid,but I was a HUGE fan of Linda Evans. She was indeed a "Wonder Woman". I would get a little dizzy every time I saw her in that costume.
@Free Vulcan
@sneakypete
I already saw Mars that is on Netflix. Just be warned the 2nd season is nothing more than Green Propganda bulls**t.
@sneakypete
You mean Lynda Carter, no? wink777
@kevindavis
@sneakypete
Yeah I swerved into that last night, not long after I posted. Sad. First season was great. Now I just want to choke out the Marta character. What a haughty, pompous asshat.
@EasyAce@sneakypete
Yes,I still get a little dizzy when I hear her name,or think about her getting out of that swimming pool during the first tv "battle of the somebodies or something". In fact,I watched it several times before someone told me who it was. For some reason I was having trouble seeing her face.
Dr. Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, in their book "The Coddling of the Americann Mind," state their belief that current 18-19 year old colllege freshman, are only as mature as 13-15 yr. old just a short time ago.
I will posit that interest in cartoons, and fantasy make believe inform me that many never grow the Ef up.
And that lack of growing up is at the root of drug/alcohol addiction,, school shooting violence, online hostile and profanity laced misbehavior, etc.
@truth_seeker
It is my OPINION the core cause of that is both parents working,and nobody bothering to take the time to teach the children right from wrong,or to monitor what they are doing and correct them.
What can you really expect from children that raise themselves other than anarchy and rebellion?
IOW parent wants to be liked, instead of respected.
@Free Vulcan @kevindavisI'm not gonna call you a racist. I noticed the same thing a couple years ago, and it has only become more common.
That does seem to be the way this evil old world is turning,doesn't it?
Noticed how there are a lot of commercials now with black male and white female couples? I saw one a couple of days ago that had 3 different "happy couples and their kids" coming out of a store after shopping,and in every case the father was black,the mother was white,and they were all mixed race kids.
Then I started to notice how common that scenario was in other commercials,too. NEVER a white husband and black wife,and it now seems to be getting rare to see a black husband and black wife,or a white husband and white wife.
To ME,this seems to go beyond marketing a product,and into the "marketing an image and lifestyle" territory.
BTW,if some of you want to call me a racist because I see what is happening and comment on it,go ahead. I flat don't care what you think.
@truth_seekerThat's part of the picture. Let them get a job at an earlier age, working alongside people who are supporting their families and dealing with adult life, and they just might mature some and develop a little common sense.
It is my OPINION the core cause of that is both parents working,and nobody bothering to take the time to teach the children right from wrong,or to monitor what they are doing and correct them.
What can you really expect from children that raise themselves other than anarchy and rebellion?
I'm not gonna call you a racist. I noticed the same thing a couple years ago, and it has only become more common.
The other thing I see missing, and they've been AWOL for a long time, are intelligent straight white male characters who aren't patently evil.
@Smokin JoeYeah, and suddenly, there are no 'Green Lanterns, etc. in my house.
Seems like all the "loveable sidekicks" or years past are all homosexuals now,too.
Yeah, and suddenly, there are no 'Green Lanterns, etc. in my house.
If the producers want to market to the 1-2% alphabet people, let them have that market, they don't need mine.
@Smokin JoeWell, they don't need my money. They aren't marketing to me. **nononono*
Well,"those people" ARE the producers and the writers.
@Free Vulcan @kevindavis
That does seem to be the way this evil old world is turning,doesn't it?
Noticed how there are a lot of commercials now with black male and white female couples? I saw one a couple of days ago that had 3 different "happy couples and their kids" coming out of a store after shopping,and in every case the father was black,the mother was white,and they were all mixed race kids.
Then I started to notice how common that scenario was in other commercials,too. NEVER a white husband and black wife,and it now seems to be getting rare to see a black husband and black wife,or a white husband and white wife.
To ME,this seems to go beyond marketing a product,and into the "marketing an image and lifestyle" territory.
BTW,if some of you want to call me a racist because I see what is happening and comment on it,go ahead. I flat don't care what you think.
@sneakypete
It's what I call 'the breakdown'. Cloward-Piven is the more formal term. Basically keep blending and blending till society is on big indistinguishable, dysfuntional mess. Breakdown family, race, ethnicity, sex, patriotism, hetero anything, religion - anything that people ground themselves in.
Create a cultural vacuum, weaken all resistance, and send in the globalist collectivist overlords.
@Sighlass
I didn't even like the comics when I was a kid,but I was a HUGE fan of Linda Evans. She was indeed a "Wonder Woman". I would get a little dizzy every time I saw her in that costume.
Hmm, maybe this is a good time to post this link...
SEEING DOUBLE Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot meets original superheroine Lynda Carter who played iconic role 40 years before her (https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3662696/gal-gadot-lynda-carter-wonder-woman/)
Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 32, came face-to-face with the original superheroine Lynda Carter, 65, at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie reboot.
(https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/nintchdbpict000326926860-e1495843347436.jpg?w=620)
(Story from 2017, more at the link above)
FYI, the last season of The Man in the High Castle is now streaming.Binge watched it over the weekend. AWESOME, not the ending I expected.
Binge watched it over the weekend. AWESOME, not the ending I expected.Me, too. The ending was a real "Whoa!" moment. (no spoilers!)
Me, too. The ending was a real "Whoa!" moment. (no spoilers!)
Good. I am planning on watching it this long upcoming weekend.
Me, too. The ending was a real "Whoa!" moment. (no spoilers!)
@verga @Smokin Joe @bigheadfredI had not clue what was going on during the first half of the first season, but I liked the writing and the acting was solid, I had heard good things about it so I stuck with it.
You guys talked me into going back and watching it again. I had to jump back to season 2 episode 1 and watch that whole season again to understand what was going on. Watching Season 3 now for the first time,and it does seem to be getting better.
FYI: Season 4 of The Expanse is now on Amazon Prime. Keep it spoiler free for at least a month.
Maybe more than a month. I haven't watched any seasons yet. Thinking it is the next binge.
They missed the mark with the ending of "Man", IMO.
@bigheadfred
Am I the only one to suspect that wasn't an actual ending? I see it as being the end of Part 1. There is not one single thing keeping the writers from taking up a new season,starting where the old one left off,or maybe 25 years later if they want to have a new cast of main players.
@bigheadfred
Am I the only one to suspect that wasn't an actual ending? I see it as being the end of Part 1. There is not one single thing keeping the writers from taking up a new season,starting where the old one left off,or maybe 25 years later if they want to have a new cast of main players.
I hope that is the case.
FYI: Season 4 of The Expanse is now on Amazon Prime. Keep it spoiler free for at least a month.Yep. I just finished it. All 10 episodes.
Merry Christmas and here is hoping that SciFi fantasy is even better.
The Lowlight of 2019
The last season of GOT.
I finally watched the 4 Expanse seasons this month. I can't give it much more than an OK, mostly based on what seems to me to be a pretty weak main cast. Alex and Bobbie are growing on me but I would never have pictured Holden as some guy who looks like a retread from a CW show. One bright spot was Cara Gee's wonderful portrayal of Drummer, and Bobbie's New Zealand accent has kind of an oddball charm. But all in all, after reading the books, watching the show seemed like a borderline waste of time.
Another thing worth mentioning though is 4 seasons of a contemporary TV show without a gay sex scene - that must be some kind of record. In fact no gratuitous sex at all, just the bare minimum to conform to Holden's portrayal in the books. Especially commendable when producers know that no gay sex is an outright disqualifier for Emmy consideration. (Elizabeth Mitchell's character was gay, but nothing like the usual in-your-face garbage that so many shows are hammering us with these days).
Plus not showing the UN in a positive light as well.
Good point, and it's neutral toward religion, realistically characterizes Earth's "basic income" as glorified welfare, and de-politicizes the loaded term "undocumented" to refer to people who manage to escape from the control of the nanny state.
I suspect the authors may have taken steps to make sure the TV producers didn't try to inject the show with any Hollywood "values".
Edit> One other thing - the books strictly adhered to the realities of gravity, Coriolis effects, acceleration and communications lag. They get glossed over in the show, though I suppose with good reason. (Even in the books, it seemed like Earthers should be able to withstand hard burns better than Martians or Belters.)
And in the books, wasn't the Nauvoo already loaded with farming soil and structures, with the artificial sun running down the middle of the cylinder? They just show it as a metal tube, nowhere near as large as it should be, and not rotating fast enough to produce Earth-like gravity..
Watched the first episode of 'Picard' on AP.Saw an interview that he was going to use it as an anti-Trump vehicle. Not going to give him a dime.
I was unimpressed. It is a total deviation from normal Star Trek.
Set on Earth, with Picard acting as a kind of Sci-Fi Detective or something like that.
Picard, who looks really old, is a kind of futuristic Columbo.
Did not pay for the second episode. It didn't grab me.
Still, I would probably sit through it if it was free.
Saw an interview that he was going to use it as an anti-Trump vehicle. Not going to give him a dime.Nope. I broke down and watched the first and second episode and there is nothing politically relevant in episode one or two. Granted it is banal, like watching a Nancy Drew mystery except with a very old man, but I saw nothing resembling American politics at all, on either side Dem or Pub.
Nope. I broke down and watched the first and second episode and there is nothing politically relevant in episode one or two. Granted it is banal, like watching a Nancy Drew mystery except with a very old man, but I saw nothing resembling American politics at all, on either side Dem or Pub.https://www.thedailybeast.com/star-trek-picard-with-its-refugee-crisis-and-anti-trump-messaging-may-be-the-most-political-show-on-tv (https://www.thedailybeast.com/star-trek-picard-with-its-refugee-crisis-and-anti-trump-messaging-may-be-the-most-political-show-on-tv)
Funny thing is they are replaying the last episode of Next Generation 'All Good Things' in some ways. It's the exact same scenario in the sense that Picard has retired to his vineyard as he did before but now suddenly he has to call on old friends because, 'He needs a Ship, dammit! For an emergency mission!' It really is the same thing.
But rest assured @verga , so far it has not been political in any way. Mediocre yes. Political no. Maybe it will get better as the plot progresses.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/star-trek-picard-with-its-refugee-crisis-and-anti-trump-messaging-may-be-the-most-political-show-on-tv (https://www.thedailybeast.com/star-trek-picard-with-its-refugee-crisis-and-anti-trump-messaging-may-be-the-most-political-show-on-tv)Nope. It is simply not there. Maybe Patrick Stewart interprets the show in a way that is pro-immigration and anti-Trump/anti-Brexit, if that is his perspective, but I simply did not see anything like that. There are only two episodes released so far. If what he says is true, I think it is just propaganda hype to boost the show, then it must be coming in other episodes down the line. Again, this could all just be virtue-signalling hype as in to sell a book or boost the ratings of the series.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/sir-patrick-stewart-says-new-star-trek-series-will-take-on-trump-brexit (https://www.dailywire.com/news/sir-patrick-stewart-says-new-star-trek-series-will-take-on-trump-brexit)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/8/patrick-stewart-promotes-star-trek-picard-by-urgin/ (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/8/patrick-stewart-promotes-star-trek-picard-by-urgin/)
I am taking him at his word.
Nope. It is simply not there. Maybe Patrick Stewart interprets the show in a way that is pro-immigration and anti-Trump/anti-Brexit, if that is his perspective, but I simply did not see anything like that. There are only two episodes released so far. If what he says is true, I think it is just propaganda hype to boost the show, then it must be coming in other episodes down the line. Again, this could all just be virtue-signalling hype as in to sell a book or boost the ratings of the series.I will try to check it out.
Please @verga , buck up and watch the first episode. It is free and it will not hurt you in any way. I am asking this of you because maybe you will see things which I do not see and can explain it to me. The first two episodes at least have nothing at all to do with politics today. As far I can tell it is just an average rather bland rehashed science fiction story like dozens or hundreds which have come before it.
Nope. It is simply not there. Maybe Patrick Stewart interprets the show in a way that is pro-immigration and anti-Trump/anti-Brexit, if that is his perspective, but I simply did not see anything like that. There are only two episodes released so far. If what he says is true, I think it is just propaganda hype to boost the show, then it must be coming in other episodes down the line. Again, this could all just be virtue-signalling hype as in to sell a book or boost the ratings of the series.Yeah it was definitely THERE! In big red letters with flashing lights. The Romulan star going supernova and him stepping in (initially) against orders to save "Life". The government shutting the operation down shen there was a small rogue element acting in a criminal manner. The creation of synthetics being halted for the same reason. Allowing "research", but no new development. Essentially the government had created "walls" to keep out anything that was remotely different. The Romulans working on his vineyard had to stay in the shadows in subservient positions to not stir the pot. Then the Rogue Romulans attacking the synthetic showing that the government was right to stop them from being brought in.
Please @verga , buck up and watch the first episode. It is free and it will not hurt you in any way. I am asking this of you because maybe you will see things which I do not see and can explain it to me. The first two episodes at least have nothing at all to do with politics today. As far I can tell it is just an average rather bland rehashed science fiction story like dozens or hundreds which have come before it.
Yeah it was definitely THERE! In big red letters with flashing lights. The Romulan star going supernova and him stepping in (initially) against orders to save "Life". The government shutting the operation down shen there was a small rogue element acting in a criminal manner. The creation of synthetics being halted for the same reason. Allowing "research", but no new development. Essentially the government had created "walls" to keep out anything that was remotely different. The Romulans working on his vineyard had to stay in the shadows in subservient positions to not stir the pot. Then the Rogue Romulans attacking the synthetic showing that the government was right to stop them from being brought in.@verga
@vergaGiven the political climate, I think they intentionally went for the more subtle approach. Eventually I can se them stepping it up a notch.
All true. But if a political message was their intent, it was certainly subtle.
There are very many Star Trek episodes (original and next generation) which have an overt and obvious political message.
When Star Trek goes political, they tend to put it 'in your face' and shove it down your throat.
Usually you do not have to 'interpret' the politics in ST. But yes, I did understand your point of view.
Given the political climate, I think they intentionally went for the more subtle approach. Eventually I can se them stepping it up a notch.
@verga
I never did understand why Star Trek was so popular. Besides the PC crap,the character were cartoon characters,the sets looked like they might have cost dozens of dollars,and the acting and writing pretty much sucked.
As for the acting,Shatner should have stuck with singing.
As far as the set, you are right about the Original, but subsequent efforts were pretty ground breaking in their effects.
@catfish1957
I'll take your word for that one. I watched a few of the early shows,and quickly decided I had better things to do with my time. Don't recall what,but pretty much anything was better.
Then again,it aired in the afternoons where I lived,and I had better things to do when the sun was out than watch tv. Given how badly network tv sucked back then,I may well have given it a better shot if it had came on at 9 pm on a Wednesday night.
Network TV was worse back then than it is today? Didn't they have Hawaii five-O, Magnum, McGyver? Oh, wait...
I've watched some old comedies like Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart and they're still funnier than anything on today (maybe not for people who get a laugh out of gay sex).
Maybe one of the funniest 2 minutes in TV history.....
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DlPpi0yuqI#)
@catfish1957I still laugh out loud at Tim Conway's Dentist skit.
My favorites were Grouch and "You bet your life",and The Carol Burnett Show. Tim Conway and Harvey Korman were hysterical.
I still laugh out loud at Tim Conway's Dentist skit.Since Tim is no longer with us, Perhaps Biden could fill in.
Since Tim is no longer with us, Perhaps Biden could fill in.
Or maybe he is already auditioning for the job?
Since Tim is no longer with us, Perhaps Biden could fill in.
@IsailedawayfromFRI did not mean it that way.
That is an insult to the creative genius of Tim Conway,one of the greatest comedic actors of all time.
I thought he was more of a Don Rickles wannabe.You may be right, now that I think about it.
Just finished watching (or not watching) the latest Picard episode.How do you get it for free?
All through it I keep losing focus and drifting off. So boring. Have to rewind to see what I missed.
It is like the way Police describe their job.
Hours of total boredom punctuated by things happening so fast you can't keep up.
If you are in the mood for a slow, plodding TNG reunion, with violins and cello music, then
Picard is the show for you.
I am on Episode 7 and the only thing that has happened so far is that Picard has escaped with his quest and the Romulans are chasing him. That's it. That's all. Seven hours to get to this point which is very similar to the First Episode. Except now they are in space with a different but same android.
Glad I'm getting it for free, would not pay money for this.
I know some people like it and that it will get better (I hope). This is just my opinion so far.
How do you get it for free?I signed up for CBS All Access with ROKU.
:thumbsup:
"How do you get it for free?"
The short answer is, 'I don't know?'
@vergaMy deepest sympathies and condolences on your loss. 8black day :bighug:
CBS All Access finally kicked me out. LOL!
Apparently they caught on to the fact that I wasn't paying anyone. Likely my monthly charge came around and bounced. And that's fine. Picard is not worth paying for IMO, and I finished Discovery completely. So, C'est la vie.
Sonny Bunch@SonnyBunch
smdh deepening the suffering during these difficult times
Quote TweetQuoteVariety @Variety10:14 PM · Mar 16, 2020
#BirdsofPrey will be released on VOD early http://wp.me/p2WgDE-1jrUGf (http://wp.me/p2WgDE-1jrUGf)
I finished out the Picard series, just out of random curiosity. I knew it was bad at episode 3 but kept watching anyway thinking that it would get better. It didn't. In fact it got worse.
Trekkie, but I outright refuse to "pay" for network TV. Guess I'll see it when it makes its way to Netflix@catfish1957
@catfish1957
It will. Picard is a straight to free kind of show. It is bound for obscurity.
I think you can get CBS-All Access free for a week or a month.
If you want to do this, check out Star Trek Discovery.
I promise, you will love it. You should be able to finish the whole thing in a week of binge watching.
I'd heard that Patrick Stewart went all out SJW on steroids in this outting. Proabably piss me off, more than enjoy it.Forget about Picard. It is a dead fish. I had to 'force' myself to watch it. It is bad.
I assume everyone knows about the free month CBSAA is offering now?
@Snarknadocbs all access streaming channel
What's a CBSAA?
cbs all access streaming channel
You can watch Picard and Trek Discovery
go to their website
@240BWatch Trek Discovery. You will love it.
Thanks,I have that channel saved on my ROKU. I just never saw or heard it abbreviated like that.
Watch Trek Discovery. You will love it.
@240BI understand. I do. Unless you are a Trekkie you will not get it.
I tried watching the original on teebee when I was younger,and just couldn't get into it
Did like the short skirts,though,and I did start trying to catch it when 6 of 9 was a star and I had nothing else to do.
Whoever named that woman 6 or 9 was either blind,or a man from someplace I dearly wanted to visit.
@240B@sneakypete Question: We have been watching Netflix, and the alphabet channels through our computer.
Thanks,I have that channel saved on my ROKU. I just never saw or heard it abbreviated like that.
@sneakypete Question: We have been watching Netflix, and the alphabet channels through our computer.
If I get a Roku enabled flat screen will I be able to go through my wifi router to watch on the flat screen?
@vergaWe do not currently have a television, and I thought it might b e cheaper just to get one that was already ROKU enabled.
Yes,but why limit your choice of tv's by doing that,when you can buy the full-sized deluxe Roku player for about 40 bucks,and use it with any modern tv?
We do not currently have a television, and I thought it might b e cheaper just to get one that was already ROKU enabled.
@verga
Not a chance. Go to www.roku.com (http://www.roku.com) and buy one directly from ROKU,and then shop around online or locally for the best tv you can buy for the money you can afford to spend.
Buying a tv with a ROKU embedded really restricts your choices.
Besides,I am not familiar with the ROKU options on a tv with built-in roku,but with the "plug in roku" you also have two other outlets so you can plug a recorder/player into it that is hooked to your HD antenna for local broadcast programming,and another outlet for a Game Boy or similar player,and then just switch from one to any of the others at any time by pushing a button.
@catfish1957 @sneakypete , any suggestions I want to keep it under $200
@catfish1957 @sneakypete , any suggestions I want to keep it under $200
@vera
BTW,I haven't tried it,but I am betting there is some way you can use a USB port on the back of your new tv to record to,but you are going to have to ask someone more knowledgeable than me about this.
You can probably buy one of those 6 port USB stations and record 6 programs at one time for all I know,right out the back of your tv or one of the ports on your ROKU.
Pete.. I am pretty sure these Rokus are using HDMI ports rather than USB though.....
@catfish1957
I know for a fact they do. I personally own 2,one for the shop and one for the house,and have given a couple away to friends as presents.
Most new flat screens also have USB ports,and I am GUESSING there is probably some way you can
use that port to record with a USB stick. Why not? After all,my ROKU is plugged into a USB port on the back of my tv?
I may very well be wrong,though. I am NOT a software tech,and don't even play one on teebee.
I would deeply appreciate some knowledgeable input here from a digital head.
BTW,FWIW,my old 58 inch plasma tv is a Samsung,and never had a instant of trouble with it. Kinda outdated now and missing some modern features,but I am too cheap to toss it as long as it works.
@sneakypete
Definitely not a Tech Head, but I can do the same on mine with a USB with an adapter, but I think the streaming speeds are better with an HDMI cord/port. Which is what comes with Rokus.
QuoteDo they even make TV's without HDMI ports anymore?
@veraWe have both HULU and NetFlix, and the school ws discarding a bunch of old VHS /DVD combos. I snagged one that would record DVD as I have some VHS I want to convert to DVD. Thank you for the advice.
Not on tv's. I bought my 58 inch plasma tv maybe 10 years ago,and am still loving it.
I do strongly recommend this antenna,though.
https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Satellite-Broadcast-Epicenter-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=rca+antenna&qid=1586880302&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWlVSTENFQTJBQTVJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjE5OTg1MUNTUko4VDFYRFNLQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzQyMDk4MkVYNDdVVzA0OUI3NCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= (https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Satellite-Broadcast-Epicenter-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=rca+antenna&qid=1586880302&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWlVSTENFQTJBQTVJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjE5OTg1MUNTUko4VDFYRFNLQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzQyMDk4MkVYNDdVVzA0OUI3NCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=)
RCA,made in America,and the one I bought 10 years ago was only rated to pull in channels from 45 miles away,and I am pulling in channels from 60 miles away that are crystal clear. I am pulling in a total of 44 broadcast channels with this antenna,and they are all free. This includes the nearest CBS,ABC,and NBC channels,plus PBS,and over 30 channels I didn't even know existed. Most broadcast tv shows from the 50's and 60's like "The Twilight Zone",Outer Limits,"Alfred Hitchcock Presents","The Johnny Cash Show","The Carol Burnette Show",etc,etc,etc,and almost all are in black and white.
Some of the channels are dedicated to cowboy/western series,some to sitcoms,etc,etc,etc.
Of course,once you get the antenna hooked up to your tv,you will want a recorder because there will be more shows you want to see than you have time to watch,so plan on spending some money with ROKU or Amazon for a recorder once your budget recovers from buying the tv and the ROKU.
My recorder cost me around 100 bucks,but I can't recommend it because it is no longer made. Technology has advanced,and better ones with more features can now be bought. Being a tightwad,I won't be buying a new one until the one I already have dies.
BTW,I haven't tried it,but I am betting there is some way you can use a USB port on the back of your new tv to record to,but you are going to have to ask someone more knowledgeable than me about this.
You can probably buy one of those 6 port USB stations and record 6 programs at one time for all I know,right out the back of your tv or one of the ports on your ROKU.
BTW,if you live somewhere so far from the "big city" that you have trouble pulling in reliable signals from network tv like CBS/ABC/NBC,you can stream them all on your ROKU. GREAT way to catch up on programs you missed when they broadcast because the networks start streaming them the day after their normal broadcast day. So you have to watch commercials. So what? It's not actually painful,and you can use that time for a bathroom break,get a cup of coffee,or get a sammich.
@catfish1957 @sneakypete , any suggestions I want to keep it under $200
@vergaThank you for the suggestion, I will run it by the keeper of the checkbook.
Try this for evaluation.
It is ROKU plug and play. Easy setup, and it will give you more shows, both old and new, than you could ever watch.
https://www.amazon.com/TCL-43S425-Inch-Ultra-Smart/dp/B07DK5PZFY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=tcl+roku+tv&qid=1587353743&sr=8-2 (https://www.amazon.com/TCL-43S425-Inch-Ultra-Smart/dp/B07DK5PZFY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=tcl+roku+tv&qid=1587353743&sr=8-2)
I binge watched a new show on Amazon Prime yesterday. “Uploadâ€Thanks, @Gefn I'll check it out.
I had a lot of positive thoughts going into it. The buzz about this show has been phenomenal. It has Greg Daniels who did “King of the Hill†“The Officeâ€, and “Parks and Recreationâ€.
It was good. Fine binge watch, but...the pre-buzz compared it to “The Good Placeâ€. It wasn’t like that show other than the fact they both deal with heaven.
Upload gives you Silicon Heaven. Interesting concept, but I think, other than the fact you can eat anything and never gain weight, I think I’d rather be in the heaven we’ve all been told about from church, and the Bible.
So basically if you like SF and have the time, try it. I’d give it a solid B for story but the special effects are top notch.
Space Force on Netflix was definitely a funny binge watch. Dragged a bit towards the end but not bad.Watched the first one. I liked it, wife not so much. I will watch the rest of it.
Solid 7 1/2.
Watched the first one. I liked it, wife not so much. I will watch the rest of it.
It kinda grew on me and the next thing I knew I was on episode ten. Let me know what you think of it @verga
Thanks, @Gefn I'll check it out.Yes. There are pop-up ads in VR heaven.
I'm with you on the biblical version vs the virtual reality one. (Does the VR one have all those darned pop-up ads?)
Yes. There are pop-up ads in VR heaven.
Watched all of UPLOAD currently available and liked it a lot.
Has a slow start. Almost gave up after episode 2.
But I am glad I stayed to the end. It was worth it.
Watched Season 1 of Away on Netflix. Expectations were low, and I'm pretty love-hate on Hillary Swank, but in the end it was decent.
There was a fair lack of political correctness that's pretty typical for this genre anymore, and the acting and plot were pretty good.
It is definitely watchable even if not Emmy award winning.
Watched Season 1 of Away on Netflix. Expectations were low, and I'm pretty love-hate on Hillary Swank, but in the end it was decent.We are up to episode 3 or 4. Seems like it has potential. Not your typical Sci-Fi shoot um up, but so far a good story.
There was a fair lack of political correctness that's pretty typical for this genre anymore, and the acting and plot were pretty good.
It is definitely watchable even if not Emmy award winning.
We're through the first two episodes, and it seems pretty good. Sadly the Expanse went into a full blown NWO feeding frenzy. Stopped watching for now (midway through Season 2). Got to admit that the Expanse does has some of the best bang up Sci Fi Effects ever made.Halfway through the first season and i just could not get into it.
Saw an article on the Dune movie.Have not seen any add for "Foundation" when is it coming out?
Got to confess I never read the book(s) but the buzz on this film is really good.
Now the movie I’m looking forward to is Foundation (Asimov)
That should be wonderful or a turkey.
Have not seen any add for "Foundation" when is it coming out?
Saw an article on the Dune movie.
Got to confess I never read the book(s) but the buzz on this film is really good.
Now the movie I’m looking forward to is Foundation (Asimov)
That should be wonderful or a turkey.
Oh, can't believe I missed this thread before. I used to read sci-fi and fantasy books at a prolific rate, but in my youth I ran out of all the books from the authors I liked (Heinlein, Asimov, Clark, Pohl, Moorcock, Zelazny,...) and have struggled to find new authors that don't suck.@BassWrangler Rummage around in here: https://www.baen.com/categories/free-library.html (https://www.baen.com/categories/free-library.html)
@BassWrangler Rummage around in here: https://www.baen.com/categories/free-library.html (https://www.baen.com/categories/free-library.html)
Thanks, @Smokin Joe! I like to read everything from an author once I start. But there are so many these days, and also so many mediocre ones. Looking for some really great. Have you read any of the series here?
https://discoverscifi.com/the-top-10-space-opera-books-or-series-of-all-time
I've read the Dune and Enders series, but not the others there.
Thanks, @Smokin Joe! I like to read everything from an author once I start. But there are so many these days, and also so many mediocre ones. Looking for some really great. Have you read any of the series here?I have read the Dune series, including the house prequels by Herbert's son, also worthy reads. I also read much of the Honor Harrington series by David Weber, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. All good stuff. I'm not familiar with the others, and thank you for pointing them out. I like books which keep going, as long as the story doesn't get dragged out to sell more volumes.
https://discoverscifi.com/the-top-10-space-opera-books-or-series-of-all-time
I've read the Dune and Enders series, but not the others there.
I like books which keep going, as long as the story doesn't get dragged out to sell more volumes.
They're going to rape the Foundation series? That there is a very complex tale and not something easily adaptable to an action/adventure format that audiences expect from sf video.I don't get Apple tv, and until I am certain that the series will at least be decent.....
They totally trashed I, Robot, for example.
Foundation spans half a thousand years, the characters from one book are almost dead in the next, Hari Seldon exists throughout as a recorded holograph. The best they could do would be adapt the first book, then stop.
Almost certainly going to be a gobbler, IMO. But the trailer looks technically good.
I have read the Dune series, including the house prequels by Herbert's son, also worthy reads. I also read much of the Honor Harrington series by David Weber, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. All good stuff. I'm not familiar with the others, and thank you for pointing them out. I like books which keep going, as long as the story doesn't get dragged out to sell more volumes.
When I read your comment about dragging things out, the immediate thing that came to my mind was George RR Martin. LOL.
It's pretty funny, though I kind of dislike some of the negative satire it made of our military.
When I read your comment about dragging things out, the immediate thing that came to my mind was George RR Martin. LOL.
@BassWranglerNever watched an episode.
You don't like Game of Thrones?
Never watched an episode.
@Smokin JoeWell, if you recommend it so strongly, I will check it out.
Then you have cheated yourself.
I generally hate stuff like that,but one day I had caught up on all the series I was watching,so I decided to watch an episode to see why everybody liked it so much. Never missed an episode after that,and hated seeing it end.
Well, if you recommend it so strongly, I will check it out.
@BassWrangler
You don't like Game of Thrones?
All these replies,and no mention of the Analog Science Fiction and Fact,or Issac Asimov's Science Fiction monthly mags?
BEST damn reading you can get in the mail each month.
So good I have even given a years subscription to both to the children of friends that I knew to be very bright. So far I am batting a big fat 0 on this. One is in the Air Force as enlisted swine,and his sister who also got gift subscriptions is a bar bitch with an impressive arrest record. I doubt either did anything but throw them away.
Lost contact with the other families.
The books? I lost interest after I read the available books. Instead of an arc, the story line just kept on going up, and I didn't feel it was worth hanging around waiting for the author to finish them.
The TV series I really enjoyed, except for the ending.
@sneakypete
When I was 12 I discovered Asimov’s SF magazine. And I read it religiously until I was in college. When I was 13 I submitted a story I wrote to them. Naturally they rejected it. It was my first rejection letter. But it made me cry. Like I said, I was really young, and it was the first.
So I wrote back to them telling them how hurt I was and that I was 13. And here’s the beauty thing. I got a reply from them, on official stationary etc, stating that I shouldn’t let this get me down, I just just keep writing and I had a very good chance of becoming a writer when I was an adult. And the dang thing was signed by the man himself, Dr. Asimov!
Now of course I know better, it was signed with one of those instant pens and written by someone who worked there. I seriously doubt the good Doctor had time to write to one of his fans. But at the time it comforted me, and I kept on writing , instead of just quitting, like I was going to.
I didn’t know these magazines were still in print, I’m going to check them out. Thanks!
@Gefn
More than that,they are available in digital versions if you prefer,and delivered to to you via email if you prefer.
Being a geezer,I still MUCH prefer having something I can hold in my hand and turn pages on.
@BassWrangler
I have to confess I had never even heard of the books before the TV series,and still haven't read them.
@sneakypete - you haven't missed anything. Honestly, this is one of those few times when the TV series or movie was more enjoyable than the books. Usually I read the books and get frustrated that the TV show/movie didn't stick to the exact plot in the books. Here I read the books because I wanted to skip ahead on the TV show, but then was frustrated with the rambling, non-converging style of the author, and the slow pace of new book releases.
Anyone else watching "Debris" on NBC? New Sci-Fi show that looks to be promising. Only one episode has aired so far,but it seems to be aimed at adults capable of thinking,who don't mind things getting a little "Rod Sterling".
Frankly I am a little surprised that something like this is being aired in Prime Time on a network normally devoted to the mindless.
I am watching it on NBC's streaming channel. I still get the advertisements,but the picture is clearer.
Thanks for the heads-up on this one. I just added it to my list. Am a bit skeptical, because it's NBC, but worth a watch to see.I think this is the link: https://www.nbc.com/debris/video/pilot/4319063 (https://www.nbc.com/debris/video/pilot/4319063)
I think this is the link: https://www.nbc.com/debris/video/pilot/4319063 (https://www.nbc.com/debris/video/pilot/4319063)
Thanks. I have YouTube TV, so I searched for it and found it there, and then added it to my library. I noticed they have the season pilot available with VOD, so should be able to watch that even though it's already aired.
@BassWrangler
I watched it on NBC's streaming channel. All episodes will be streamed there,starting the day after the original broadcast. Like with the broadcast,there will be commercials,but commercials don't bother me. They give me an opportunity to go to the bathroom,get a cup of coffee,check my emails,etc,etc,etc.
Tuned into SyFy via my computer to catch up on "Resident alien". No I need to subscribe to FIOS in order to watch the channel.
Tuned into SyFy via my computer to catch up on "Resident alien". No I need to subscribe to FIOS in order to watch the channel.
Basic cable channels and network TV has turned into Tier II substandard programming rife with advertising and infomercials. I will pay zilch for any premium content. With what I get with Netfilx, Prime, and Sling, I will never run out of watchable stuff.
Guys,I just discovered the "Ray Bradbury Mystery Theater" show on broadcast teebee a few minutes ago. A local broadcast non-mainstream channel is airing it.
My viewing system is wi-fi via Roku,plus and outside antenna for broadcast tv,along with a tuner and recorder that I can switch to anytime I want to watch broadcast channels.
If you have cable,you are screwed. You ain't gonna get it.
I you have a Roku device, check out The Roku Channel on it. They carry a lot of classic TV shows, including The Ray Bradbury Theater and the old Alfred Hitchcock Show.
I recall watching the original Man From U.N.C.L.E., with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who played Illya Kuryakin.
One of the best ever lines from NCIS where, many, many years later McCallum played Dr. Mallard ("Ducky") was when he was asked by his assistant what he looked like when he was younger. His reply? "A lot like Illya Kuryakin."
I howled.... :silly:
The Dune film looks amazing! :pop41:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmu12FH9ydY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmu12FH9ydY)
The Dune film looks amazing! :pop41:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmu12FH9ydY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmu12FH9ydY)
@Ghost Bear
Thanks for the info! I get both on a local broadcast channel,so I didn't even look.
I LOVE the old Alfred Hitchock Presents show. I crack up every time he marches out on stage and says "Good Even-Ing".
They have a preview up for “Foundation” by Asimov, on iTunes.
When it comes out, I believe you can get a free week of Apple TV, so people can watch it.
Links to previews and trailers
https://youtu.be/X4QYV5GTz7c
https://youtu.be/GCtQ70knyeo
https://youtu.be/wvOAA1U0li8
That looks interesting; makes me want to go back and re-read the books again.
Yes, hopefully they get it right in the second attempt.
Best Alfred Hitchcock episode
When Hope Lange kills her husband and serves a lamb dinner to the cops
@sneakypete
They have a preview up for “Foundation” by Asimov, on iTunes.
When it comes out, I believe you can get a free week of Apple TV, so people can watch it.
Links to previews and trailers
https://youtu.be/X4QYV5GTz7c
https://youtu.be/GCtQ70knyeo
https://youtu.be/wvOAA1U0li8
Loved his books, was not thrilled with the follow ups by others.
That looks interesting; makes me want to go back and re-read the books again.
They have a preview up for “Foundation” by Asimov, on iTunes.
When it comes out, I believe you can get a free week of Apple TV, so people can watch it.
Links to previews and trailers
https://youtu.be/X4QYV5GTz7c
https://youtu.be/GCtQ70knyeo
https://youtu.be/wvOAA1U0li8
That does look good, but I refuse to get deeper into the Apple ecosystem by signing up for Apple TV.
@BassWrangler
I couldn't find much wrong with the original when it was first released.
Yes, hopefully they get it right in the second attempt.
Loved his books, was not thrilled with the follow ups by others.
Other people can never do a good job finishing the book, unless the book is practically written and just needs some good editing.There wwere a total of 7 written by Asimov. The Complete Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series Books 1-7 (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth, Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation) https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Asimovs-Foundation-Foundations-Prelude/dp/B01EFDEMS8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Asimov%27s+foundation+series&qid=1631560300&sr=8-2
I never read it, but I heard Christopher Tolkien’s book n the Hobbit universe was to be skipped.
I didn’t know there were other books about Foundation that were not written by Asimov, except for critical studies and Cliff Notes
There wwere a total of 7 written by Asimov. The Complete Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series Books 1-7 (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth, Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation) https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Asimovs-Foundation-Foundations-Prelude/dp/B01EFDEMS8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Asimov%27s+foundation+series&qid=1631560300&sr=8-2
Matrix 4 Trailer
The cat is back!
https://youtu.be/9ix7TUGVYIo
Oh it’s in theatres in December. For some reason I thought October
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYb3B1ETlk&t=3s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYb3B1ETlk&t=3s)Looks awesome
Looks awesome
Loved his books, was not thrilled with the follow ups by others.There was a time I had all of Asimov's books and lot's by other SciFi authors courtesy the Science Fiction Book Club all hardback. Unfortunately I had them stored at my BIL house and lost them all to black mold when his home flooded. Holding a Kindle just doesn't have the same feel a real paper book.
There was a time I had all of Asimov's books and lot's by other SciFi authors courtesy the Science Fiction Book Club all hardback. Unfortunately I had them stored at my BIL house and lost them all to black mold when his home flooded. Holding a Kindle just doesn't have the same feel a real paper book.No, it doesn't. Nor the smell.
No, it doesn't. Nor the smell.
I’m with you guys. Give me a book to hold in my hands or a newspaper that after reading you can put under the birdcage.The other thing I like about hard copy is that it doesn't change between the last time you picked it up and the nest time.
There was a time I had all of Asimov's books and lot's by other SciFi authors courtesy the Science Fiction Book Club all hardback. Unfortunately I had them stored at my BIL house and lost them all to black mold when his home flooded. Holding a Kindle just doesn't have the same feel a real paper book.Absolutely :amen:
Superman is dead. Dirty aliens, anyway.
If anyone sees the movie “Dune” let me know…..
I’ve seen the trailer. Looks good and the soundtrack is “Dark Side of the Moon”
If anyone sees the movie “Dune” let me know…..
I’ve seen the trailer. Looks good and the soundtrack is “Dark Side of the Moon”
If anyone sees the movie “Dune” let me know…..
I’ve seen the trailer. Looks good and the soundtrack is “Dark Side of the Moon”
If anyone sees the movie “Dune” let me know…..
I’ve seen the trailer. Looks good and the soundtrack is “Dark Side of the Moon”
If anyone sees the movie “Dune” let me know…..
I’ve seen the trailer. Looks good and the soundtrack is “Dark Side of the Moon”
If anyone sees the movie “Dune” let me know…..
I’ve seen the trailer. Looks good and the soundtrack is “Dark Side of the Moon”
It's awesome!
@Gefn
I hope it's better than the original. Everybody I talked to that saw the original said it sucked.
Agreed! My two middle sons and I went to see it last night and it is VERY GOOD. It follows the book very well and the producer/directors casting for each character was excellent. The special effects were top notch.
I wanted to see it 80s version when it came out, and I was discouraged.
I’m glad Science Fiction seems to be becoming more popular. When I was in Junior High, I fell in love with the genre.
@sneakypete
I wanted to see it 80s version when it came out, and I was discouraged.
I’m glad Science Fiction seems to be becoming more popular. When I was in Junior High, I fell in love with the genre.
@sneakypete
Tonight watching "Reign of Fire", a 2002 film about dragons taking over the earth and the struggle to get it back...
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@Gefn
I hope it's better than the original. Everybody I talked to that saw the original said it sucked.
@Gefn
I saw it,and thought it was ok.
I wanted to see it 80s version when it came out, and I was discouraged.