I dig into some more mad scientist movies as I continue to explore the highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies from DK Canada, this time it’s a ‘classic’ from the 50s that sees a deranged doll-maker Mr. Franz (iconic character actor John Hoyt) creates a machine that shrinks people, something he is keen to do……
Tag: effect
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) – Peter Weir
Mired in legend, and psuedo-history (there were and are many discussion about whether or not this event actually happened), Peter Weir’s adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s haunting novel of historical fiction is the next film recommendation from DK Canada’s The Movie Book. Set in the 1900s the tale is set at the Appleyard Girls’ School in…
Space: 1999 (1976/1977) – The Lambda Factor, and The Bringers of Wonder: Part 1
The Lambda Factor is the first adventure for Moonbase Alpha this week. It’s a bit of a psychic horror story. Written by Terrance Dicks the episode debuted on 23 December, 1976. Alpha, on its continuing tumble through space draws close to a strange region of space that seems to be emanating lambda waves and it…
Lifeforce (1985) – Tobe Hooper
Special effects wizard John Dykstra, legendary composer Henry Mancini, Alien scribe Dan O’Bannon, Sir Patrick Stewart, and the lovely Mathilda May are all part of Tobe Hooper’s sci-fi vampire movie. And you’d think that with credits like that, including Steve Railsback and Peter Firth would make this a solid entry in the Monsters in the…
The Haunting of Hill House (1963) – Shirley Jackson
Having just finished the amazing Netflix series (seriously, watch it) and loving the Robert Wise film, I felt it was time to re-read the original novel, something I’m sure I hadn’t done for about twenty years. In fact, I think I read it just before that abomination by Jan De Bont was released in 1999….
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994) – Defiant, and Fascination
Station log: stardate 48467.3 While Star Trek: Generations floundered a bit at the box office, Trek continued it’s small screen adventures on DS9. It brought a couple of carryovers from Next Gen as well that show up in the episodes this week. First up, Defiant, written by Ronald D. Moore. Airing on 21 November, 1994,…
La Strada (1954) – Federico Fellini
Anthony Quinn and Giulletta Masina star in this Fellini classic that is a recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Thelma & Louise. A road movie, the film follows Masina as a young, innocent and naive woman, Gelsomina, who can’t think for herself, while Quinn is the…
Star Trek: Dreams of the Raven (1987) – Carmen Carter
I dug into another Trek novel this week for the Book Shelf, and while I remember reading this back when it came out in 1987, I hadn’t revisited it since. So I came into it fresh, like reading it anew. Set during the third season of The Original Series, the Enterprise is attacked and rendered…
The Twilight Zone (1962) – I Sing the Body Electric, Cavender is Coming, and The Changing of the Guard
This week we finish up Season 3 of The Twilight Zone as I continue my exploration of The Complete Series on Blu-Ray available now from Paramount Pictures. First up is a story by science fiction legend, Ray Bradbury. I Sing the Body Electric aired on 18 May, 1962. George Rogers (David White) is a widower…
The Beguiled (1971) – Don Siegel
Clint Eastwood stars in the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Red Badge of Courage. He plays John McBurney, a Yankee soldier who is injured during the course of the war, and is discovered by a student at a Southern All Girls School….
Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – Snakedance
Teagan (Janet Fielding) falls under the influence of the Mara again in this sequel to Kinda. This four-parter ran from the 18th to the 26th of January, 1983 and was written by Christopher Bailey. Using Tegan and an alien named Lon (Martin Clunes), the Mara plans to steal ‘The Great Crystal’ which will help…
