Category Archives: Movies | Television
Alien Invaders From Outer Space
Human beings are certainly an imaginative species, aren’t they? If you need proof, just take a look at the astounding variety of extraterrestrial life we’ve never even met. Books, video games, movies… Our alien friends are almost as numerous as Earthlings themselves.
Although the question of whether any form of intelligent life exists beyond our world likely dates back hundreds of years or more, the question probably gained momentum shortly before the 20th century, when people started reading The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells (1898). Here, we find jolly old England under attack from an invasion force of bloodthirsty (literally) Martians. Question: why can’t they ever go pick on Venus?? Anyway, it would appear that man has yet to devise a weapon powerful enough to even put a dent the awesome machines of war that have been manufactured on the red planet. When all hope seems lost, the attackers begin falling prey to the bacteria we humans have so taken for granted. Unable to cope with it, the Martians all end up dying, and Earth is saved (no thanks to the Earthlings).
In 1938, this story was recreated in a radio broadcast that had a lot of people thinking their world really was being invaded (as if humans weren’t doing enough damage on their own). I’ve seen three different movies based on this novel, and only one of them was actually true to its source material. The other two took a lot of creative liberties (like dropping a completely ineffective atomic bomb on the Martians). But the results in all three movies are the same: the little green men catch a cold and die.
Video games are another great source of alien encounters. There are hundreds of alien games, but my favorite has to be the classic Space Invaders, where you’re charged with blasting row upon row of the onscreen invaders before they shoot you down (bonus points if you can blow up the horizontal-moving ship at the top of the screen before it gets away!). This game is old school, but it brings back great memories from my childhood. I also like Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon. After a hard day at work, there ain’t nothing better than blowing stuff up — especially gigantic alien insects and city buildings. The weapons in this game are awesome with a capital “A.”
Just as there are hundreds of alien invasion video games, there are just as many movies. One movie with a different slant on the whole “aliens come to earth” theme worth mentioning is 1982′s E.T. Instead of the bloodthirsty type of alien we’re accustomed to seeing in the likes of Predator and other alien flicks, E.T. is a peaceful little guy who gets left behind on our world. This is actually Steven Spielberg’s second “we come in peace” alien movie (Close Encounters being the first). Where E.T. originally comes from, we’ll never know. This movie actually switches everything around: The alien has NOT come to wreak devastation, rather it’s the Earthlings in general who pose a threat to him. Like in The War of the Worlds, E.T. finds life on the third planet hazardous to his health, and begins dying. Well, in the end, the spaceship returns, and he’s brought off world in time. Yes, they actually made a movie portraying extraterrestrial life without resorting to apocalyptic warfare, and the movie was a hit. I’m just glad they never made a sequel, because sequels have a knack for tarnishing the reputation of the original.
Peaceful alien movies are all right, but I have a penchant for aliens with a bit of swagger. One of the creepiest alien movies I’ve seen is Signs. We’re not told whether the unwelcome visitors in this production are from Mars, but they do have a particular weak spot, similar to the Martians from The War of the Worlds. Instead of bacteria, these aliens can’t stand to be touched by water. This time, Earth is saved, thanks to the Earthlings. Not only is the alien in Signs doused with water and does the Wicked Witch “I’m melting” thing, but the alien is beat to a pulp with a baseball bat. Cool! That will teach ‘em not to mess with our planet!
The Wilhelm Scream
We all love good action and adventure movies. Whether we’re in the movie theater or at home watching Netflix, exciting movies capture our imaginations. Who doesn’t love eating junk food while watching actors and stunt doubles portray fictitious characters capable of superhuman feats? There are several common themes that accompany good action movies throughout the generations: good triumphs over evil, love conquers all, the heroes live happily ever after……and the Wilhelm scream will be uttered at least once.
Anyone who enjoys movies with at least a trace of violence will instantly recognize the Wilhelm scream. It’s that unmistakable shriek you hear when someone gets killed, knocked off a ledge, or rocked by an explosion. The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect that has appeared in over 200 different films, dating back to the 1950s. The sound effect was originally recorded for a 1951 film called Distant Drums, but was later named after “Private Wilhelm” — a character in a 1953 western that takes an arrow to the leg. There’s a cool website at http://wilhelmscream.net/ that allows you to hear the famous scream whenever you have the urge (arrow to the leg not a prerequisite).
The first time I remember hearing the Wilhelm scream was in the black-and-white creature feature Them (the 1950′s horror flick featuring giant ants and running people — scary stuff when you’re six years old). The Wilhelm scream became the stuff of legend though when Ben Burtt, the sound designer for the first Star Wars movie, incorporated the sound effect into the scene where Princess Leia manages to pick off an Imperial Stormtrooper with a blaster, sending him plummeting to his death. Burtt went on to use the sound effect in several Lucas and Spielberg movies to the point that it became an inside joke. Other sound effects engineers started using the Wilhelm scream as well, and the rest is history.
Han Shot First!
Since 1997, a fiery debate has rocked the world of pop culture unlike any other. This debate has had critics and fans alike foaming at the mouth. More than which came first between the chicken and the egg, more than how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop (it sure ain’t three), people want to know one thing: Who pulled the trigger first? Han Solo or Greedo?
For twenty years, we were led to believe that Solo fired the first (and only) shot in his legendary confrontation with the biggest flop in bounty hunter history. But then the Star Wars Special Edition hit the theatres. The original trilogy was back, with brand new special effects, and even some footage that had originally wound up on the cutting room floor. That was all well and good, but……..Han Solo getting beat to the draw?…….A bounty hunter missing a target at point blank range? If you look reeeeeeeaaaaaal close, it appears that Solo gives his head a subtle jerk to the side as one or two laser bolts annihilate the wall next to him, but Greedo would’ve missed anyway. There are rumors that upon seeing the outcome of this brief encounter, Darth Vader screamed, “NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
Well, this is what’s got so many loyal fans ticked off. Greedo was (let’s face it) the least competent bounty hunter the galaxy has ever known, and therefore got what he deserved, so how is it he managed to pull the trigger first?
In the novel Han Solo and the Lost Legacy, our hero sustains an injury when he loses a showdown against Gallandro, a gun slinging ex-soldier. But in a book, we don’t actually see it happening, so this particular scene is widely accepted by the legions of Star Wars fans. If, however, the book were, say, updated twenty years later, and had Solo running away in terror, we’d probably get mad.
In Dark Horse’s Star Wars Tales, Issue #14, we read the story of The Emperor’s Court (a spoof of The People’s Court), in which the late Greedo’s mother accuses Han Solo of murdering her son. Han maintains that Greedo fired first, and he acted purely in self-defense. Emperor Palpatine ultimately finds Solo guilty of murder (commenting on Greedo’s aim being akin to that of a Stormtroopers, if indeed he had shot first), and sentences the smuggler to be carbon-frozen. I think they should probably reopen that particular case, what with recent advances in technology (some DVD collections of the movies allow you to view the original theatrical releases).
In 2015, Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) will be re-re-released in theatres, this time in 3-D (don’t forget your glasses) Already, you can place your bets as to what new details regarding that famous shootout will surface. My money’s on Han dodging the laser blast, then blocking an attempted pistol whip before sending his opponent into the Force.
It’s just too bad someone didn’t capture the battle at the O.K. Corral on video. We could keep tabs on which gunfight underwent more overhauls throughout the years.
3 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Shows That Got The Axe Too Soon
In some ways, the science fiction and fantasy genre have never seen better times. Consider the overwhelming popularity of the Star Wars franchise, not to mention The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Be it books, movies, or video games — sci-fi and fantasy are in fashion, and are experiencing a welcomed bout of sustained popularity that exhibits no signs of dissipating soon. This is great news for nerds like me who just can’t get enough of the stuff.
Sadly though, all is not perfect. Take television for example. The networks offer a taste of science fiction and fantasy in their current programing lineup (Grimm is one example), but all too many shows have been canceled in favor of reality shows or police, doctor, and lawyer dramas (I thought people hated lawyers!).
Here then are 3 essential science fiction and fantasy shows that got the axe way too soon:
Firefly
Never since Star Trek was cancelled back in the sixties has there been such an outpouring of fan support for a science fiction TV show. Joss Whedon (director of the upcoming Avengers movie), created Firefly for the Fox network back in 2002. The show ran for only one season, but in that time fans fell in love with the space western and grew attached to the renegade characters and the post civil-war universe they existed in. Firefly has achieved cult status and has given way to a movie (Serenity), comic books, and a role playing game. Hardcore fans loved the show so much that they even made their very own movie — Browncoats: Redemption — a sequel to Serenity. Every now and again rumors circulate that Firefly is coming back to television. The latest is that Netflix could bring Firefly back from the dead and begin making new episodes. One can only dream it comes true…
Legend of the Seeker
Another cancelled show that saw an outpouring of fan support was Legend of the Seeker, an ABC production that ran for only two seasons before being thrown under the bus in 2010. Legend of the Seeker (or LOTS) was based on Terry Goodkind’s The Sword of Truth novels, and in this humble nerd’s opinion really was the best fantasy show on television. After the cancellation, there was hope that the SyFy network would pickup the rights to LOTS and carry on the adventure, but it wasn’t to be. An active fan base organized at the Save Our Seeker website is still working hard to revive the show and has received the blessings of Terry Goodkind himself.
Life On Mars (US Series)
Life On Mars was another outstanding science fiction show that only ran for one season. The show was an adaptation of a BBC program by the same name, and aired on the ABC network from 2008 to 2009. The program was an interesting juxtaposition of the science fiction and police genres whose main character, detective Sam Tyler (played by Terra Nova’s Jason O’Mara), is struck by a speeding car in 2008 and wakes up in 1973. With each new episode the audience learned more about the mystery regarding Sam’s time displacement. Like Firefly and Legend of the Seeker, fans rallied around the show once they learned of the cancellation and petitioned the network to keep it alive, but alas, the outcry of fan support fell on deaf ears.
Blame it on bad time slots, lack of advertising, or network executives incompetence, all three television shows were killed off way before their time. What makes these untimely cancellations so disheartening is how exceptionally well done the shows were. In a just world, shows would be rewarded based on artistic merit and these cancellations would have never occurred. Sadly though, top notch writing and acting were no defense against the axe, and one can only hope that there will come a time when shows like Firefly and the others will run eight seasons or more and garbage like Dancing With the Stars will be jettisoned to the trash heap.
