DK Books’ Monsters in the Movies beings me another mechanical menace, as I am introduced to Gog, in this 1954 science fiction film, that despite it’s terrible pacing, story, and acting hints at tech that is currently in use today, like stealth planes, solar energy, and malware. We are introduced to Dr. David Sheppard (Richard…
Tag: desert
The Sheik (1921) – George Melford
Clips from The Sheik can be found anywhere, it is an iconic Hollywood film from the silent movie era, and it just happens to be the next title I’m watching in Philip Kemp’s Movies book. I can remember the first time I saw clips of this film, alongside Laurel & Hardy shorts, and the occasional…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Fallen Hero, and Desert Crossing
Captain’s log: 9 February, 2152 Supposedly on their way to Risa, the pleasure planet, the Enterprise gets a different mission that keeps shore leave a couple of episodes away. Written by Alan Cross from a story by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Chris Black, this episode first aired on 8 May, 2002. Archer (Scott Bakula)…
Tides of the Dark Crystal (2018) – J.M. Lee
The third volume of the Dark Crystal novels continues to interweave with the Netflix series, Age of Resistance, even though some of the details are different. That doesn’t detract from the story, it just another version of the telling, perhaps a song told by Kylan the Gelfling as I join him, Naia, Tavra, Amri of…
Goliath and the Vampires (1961) – Sergio Corbucci & Giacomo Gentilomo
Monsters in the Movies, by director John Landis and available from DK Canada, keeps the vampire films coming as I continue to stake my way through the chapter on the undead. That brings me to this odd and dubbed entry from Italy that adds (?) to the sword and sorcery genre with some strange trappings…
Paris, Texas (1984) – Wim Wenders
Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell headline as brothers in the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Thelma & Louise. Featuring a fantastic score by Ry Cooder the film is a look at a shattered American dream as Travis Henderson (Stanton) having been missing for…
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1993) – Daredevils of the Desert
Indy continues his time in French Intelligence this week as he serves in Gaza in this extended unaired episode that was released as a home release movie on 21 November, 1999. Directed by Simon Wincer, the story was written by Frank Darabont, an sees our young hero helping the British and Australian forces take the…
Children of Dune (1976) – Frank Herbert
Thus week, I returned to the desert planet of Arrakis, also known as Dune. The third book in the series picks up some nine to ten years after the last novel, Dune Messiah. The last novel ended with Paul Atreides, Maud’Dib, wandering into the deep desert in the Fremen tradition of discarding the old and…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Final Mission, and The Loss
Captain’s log: stardate 44307.3 This episode was penned by Kasey Arnold-Ince and Jeri Taylor from a story by Arnold-Ince. Airing on 19 November, 1990 this Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Wesley (Wil Wheaton) story. Wesley is preparing to leave for Starfleet Academy, but before that happens, he ends up going on one last mission with his captain….
The Twilight Zone (1961) – Long Distance Call, A Hundred Yards Over the Rim, and The Rip Van Winkle Caper
Paramount Pictures dares me to go deeper into The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series on blu-ray, and I took them up on it. First up this week is Long Distance Call. Written by Charles Beaumont and William Idelson, this episode had its premiere on 31 March, 1961. Young Bill Mumy (making his first of three…
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – David Lean
The next stop in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is David Lean’s classic film that made a star out of Peter O’Toole. Â Grabbing seven Oscars at the 1963 Academy Awards, the film walked away with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best…
A Boy and His Dog (1975) – L.Q. Jones
Harlan Ellison’s classic novella comes to life in this adaptation that is my next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Vic (a very young Don Johnson) is wandering the post-apocalyptic world, accompanied by his dog, Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), with whom he can communicate telepathically. Together they navigate the barbarity, the cruelty and…
