The GMG SF/Fantasy/Horror Club

[DavidW]

Wow talk about a totally unnecessary prequel!  Yes we really need that pointless backstory filled in.

[DarkAngel]

Wow talk about a totally unnecessary prequel!  Yes we really need that pointless backstory filled in.

I have high hopes.......

Gives Ridley Scott almost a clean slate to work from using Alien creature before human contact (I am assuming that Ripley and Nostromo crew were first human contact), many many possible storylines as RS can invent different worlds and civilizations and how they battled the Alien.
Also almost certainly we will explore the origins of Alien race, home world etc

[Bogey]

I have high hopes.......

Gives Ridley Scott almost a clean slate to work from using Alien creature before human contact (I am assuming that Ripley and Nostromo crew were first human contact), many many possible storylines as RS can invent different worlds and civilizations and how they battled the Alien.
Also almost certainly we will explore the origins of Alien race, home world etc

Just hope he can recapture that"look" and "feel".  The first one just may be my all time favorite sci-fi flick with a nod to the first Planet of the Apes. 

[Brahmsian]

Currently reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King.  Only about 40 pages in, so nothing too scary yet.

This was the first movie I had ever seen by Stephen King.  I might have been 5 or 6 years old at the time (made for TV movie).

The only other Stephen King novel I've ever read so far is 'The Shining'.

I wanted to check out 'IT' from the library, but it wasn't available, so went with 'Salem's... instead. 

[Bogey]

Currently reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King.  Only about 40 pages in, so nothing too scary yet.

This was the first movie I had ever seen by Stephen King.  I might have been 5 or 6 years old at the time (made for TV movie).

The only other Stephen King novel I've ever read so far is 'The Shining'.

I wanted to check out 'IT' from the library, but it wasn't available, so went with 'Salem's... instead. 

Pet Symatary is easily his best, IMO.  Also enjoyed The Stand, Ray.

[Brahmsian]

Pet Symatary is easily his best, IMO.  Also enjoyed The Stand, Ray.

I've heard those are great, Bill! I will keep those in mind.

[DarkAngel]

Just hope he can recapture that"look" and "feel".  The first one just may be my all time favorite sci-fi flick with a nod to the first Planet of the Apes.

Yes artist HR Giger was heavily involved with design of original Alien creature, face hugger  and enviroments......won acadamy award Oscar in 1979
He is still alive and Ridley Scott said he is consulting him on new movie(s)

[DavidW]

Currently reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King.  Only about 40 pages in, so nothing too scary yet.

This was the first movie I had ever seen by Stephen King.  I might have been 5 or 6 years old at the time (made for TV movie).

The only other Stephen King novel I've ever read so far is 'The Shining'.

I wanted to check out 'IT' from the library, but it wasn't available, so went with 'Salem's... instead. 

You are reading my favorite King novel Ray (Salem's Lot).   I was recently reading IT, but I stopped when I read some reviews that pointed at something that I really don't like that happens close to the end... let's just say that it's not usual for King.

[MN Dave]

I like PET SEMATARY best and anything before that one is damn good too.

[Hollywood]

One of my favorite TV series back in the 1960s was the gothic soap opera-like series Dark Shadows. I was quite a Barnabas Collins fan but then I have always loved vampires since I was a kid. Then when MGM came out with the movie version called House of Dark Shadows needless to say I couldn't wait to see it. As soon as it came out on video I had to have a copy but unfortunately it hasn't been released on dvd yet. You would think after 30 years MGM would get around to releasing a dvd version especially since nowadays with the success of Twlight vampires are in again. I did just read that Tim Burton is going to make his version of Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp playing Barnabas Collins to be released sometime in 2011. That should be interesting...



    

[DavidW]

I read the Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon.  It is a story told from the perspective of someone with autism, set in the near future where an experimental treatment is found... it is a very good read, I rec that novel.

[Scarpia]

I've been watching Star Trek, the original series, on blu-ray.  It's probably for the first time since I've seen these episodes since watching them on broadcast television on an old color TV in my parents basement.   I guess the episodes were produced on film, so the picture is generally quite good, except when they cut away to graphics which were originally done on video tape (assuming I don't look at the replacement graphics).  On bluray it is astonishing how colorful the sets were, and it also shocking how tied the show is to a kinky 60's mindset about how men and women should interact.  Kirk has to have an overpowering sexual vibe with every female who walks on the set.   It is also remarkable how much the show relies on campy 50's style Sci-fi imagery including nubile females (often robots) in skimpy outfits whose boobs seem to be in constant danger of popping out of their tops. 



And is that "Lurch" from the Adams Family?

[DarkAngel]

I've been watching Star Trek, the original series, on blu-ray.  It's probably for the first time since I've seen these episodes since watching them on broadcast television on an old color TV in my parents basement.   I guess the episodes were produced on film, so the picture is generally quite good, except when they cut away to graphics which were originally done on video tape (assuming I don't look at the replacement graphics).  On bluray it is astonishing how colorful the sets were, and it also shocking how tied the show is to a kinky 60's mindset about how men and women should interact.  Kirk has to have an overpowering sexual vibe with every female who walks on the set.   It is also remarkable how much the show relies on campy 50's style Sci-fi imagery including nubile females (often robots) in skimpy outfits whose boobs seem to be in constant danger of popping out of their tops. 



And is that "Lurch" from the Adams Family?

I have no problem using new updated special effects.......colors are very vivid, beautiful picture overall.
I remember that episode very well with Brock (Lurch), he takes a dive into a deep chasm later in this episode

I don't like the decision to crop the picture in 4:3 format to preserve original 1960s TV broadcast for Star Trek TOS Blu ray sets 

[Scarpia]

I remember that episode very well with Brock (Lurch), he takes a dive into a deep chasm later in this episode

Actually he tosses two of Kirk's security officers into the chasm (according to the rule, any extras that beam down to the planet with Kirk or Spock will die).  Lurch gets done in by miss green-and-brown, as I recall, zapped with a phaser-like weapon. 

[Bogey]

Famous Monsters Magazine Returns!  (Each link below has a preview of the issue 251, which includes some vintage stuff!)


http://drunkenseveredhead.blogspot.com/2010/07/preview-of-famous-monsters-251.html
http://drunkenseveredhead.blogspot.com/2010/07/preview-of-fm-251-part-2.html

[DarkAngel]

Night of the Living Dead family by George Romero



Just watched all these again recently and was surprised how indifferent I was to original picture, how simplistic and tame it all seems now in retrospect of the ultraviolent movies that followed. The only part that really seems cool today is the basement scence with little girl zombie and her parents. Historical importance is immense with the vast number of films it influence, so a must have just for reference I suppose

The next film Dawn of the Dead was a big step up in both violence and black humor of zombies in a mall, perfect background for some memorable kill sequences, overall this has to be Romero's masterwork and seems fresh even today, over the top in the best sense

Next film Day of the Dead was pretty good but nothing great here, doctors are dumb enough to experiment on Zombies and round them up in pens like cattle, zombie "Bub" gets special training to act more human.....needless to say things do not go as planned, Bub is a bad bad boy.......

Also just recently got around to seeing Land of the Dead and enjoyed things here very much, a worthy addition to the family......sorta combines Mad Max and the Thunderdome story with ultra violent Night of the Living Dead

To rank them today
Dawn.......4
Land........3.5
Day.........3
Night.......2.5

[Hollywood]

Famous Monsters Magazine Returns!

I love Famous Monsters Mag.! I had quite a collection back when I was a kid. I had the privilege of meeting Forrest J. Ackerman back in the early 1970s and was invited a few times to his wonderful house in the Los Feliz hills. He was a lovely, kind and very interesting man who took great pride in showing me and my best friend around his horror/sci-fi memorabilia filled house. This is something I will never forget.   

[Bogey]

I love Famous Monsters Mag.! I had quite a collection back when I was a kid. I had the privilege of meeting Forrest J. Ackerman back in the early 1970s and was invited a few times to his wonderful house in the Los Feliz hills. He was a lovely, kind and very interesting man who took great pride in showing me and my best friend around his horror/sci-fi memorabilia filled house. This is something I will never forget.   

Very cool.  If you enjoy sci-fi folks, you should know this gentlemen's history a bit more:

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1864854,00.html

[DavidW]

DA you completely missed Diary of the Dead!  One of my favs.

I would go:

Tier 1: Night, Dawn, Diary
Tier 2: Day, Land

[DarkAngel]

DA you completely missed Diary of the Dead!  One of my favs.

I would go:

Tier 1: Night, Dawn, Diary
Tier 2: Day, Land

Yes I am losing interest in the ongoing Romero series.........
Diary of Dead got pretty mixed reviews at Amazon for instance (perhaps they are wrong), also next month we have 6th movie in the Romero Zombie series being released, but I have little interest now: