Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I think he was spelling out the spoiler instead of relying on the tags since you often read the updates in e-mail rather than on site

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Ah, good extension. I must point out though that Demolition man was set in the Future 1997 & beyond so doesn't qualify. And I am not sure how Akira would count but if it does that is the one I want for this check.

Also any good streaming Arthurian Fantasies?

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I got all of those using the "advanced search" at IMDB on "feature films" with the "keyword" as "Alternate History". Once using Science Fiction and a second run with Fantasy. I got the last 4 from Wikipedia. I left off several from each search simply because I was not familiar with them so you could get a few more from a repeat of the searches.

IMDB lists "Alternate History" as a sub-genre for Demolition Man and it's returned in that advanced search which implies it's OK, but Mister Peepers has the final say. :)

For Akira, Wikipedia says:
That wording screams alternate history IMHO, plus it's a return on one of the IMDB searches.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Ah, that's so sweet. I'll name my first baby chick Mister Peepers in his honor.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I'd add Pleasantville to that list.

I've been up since early this morning, so I've been on a marathon today. Right now, I'm watching the Giorgio Moroder version of Metropolis. Sure, the movie is butchered (although it was as good a reconstruction as could be done in 1984), but I love the 80s soundtrack.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

So I'm watching Lexx and come to the episodes The Web and The Net. After just a few minutes of The Net I'm thinking I've seen *most* of this... didn't all of this just happen in The Web? I finish the episide anyway, all the way through feeling I've already seen it, and start checking the two. If it were not for the opening credits showing the episode # and title I'd have sworn the author of the DVD had put the same episode on the disk twice simply because all the *major* scenes were re-used! Without doing a time check I'd say as much as 70% was recycled for The Net. It took a read up on the synopsis of the two before I discovered The Net "fills in the background material, explains various plot threads, and introducing others from The Web." Frankly, The Net felt like a typical rip-off clip show due to all the recycling of the exact scenes from The Web. I truly felt like I'd wasted a bit over an hour (episode run time plus attempting to figure out what the heck was going on) with The Net.

Then they follow that deja-vu inducing duo with Brigadoom. I do not care for musical episodes of non-musical TV programs. At least the "dialog" filled in back-story but overall it truly felt like a case of the writer(s) wanting to show they can do "musical" formats too. I felt the same way about those "Opera" episodes of Xena.

Here's hoping the last 2 episodes of Season 2 are better than the previous 2.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

For the checklist, if imdb calls it that, I won't argue even if it does seem like a stretch.

When it comes to the day that laps over between this and the historical challenge, I'd be more strict and require it to meet the three rules that Steven Silver says is required for something to be called Alternative History:

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

You will need to get used to retreads, Lexx does that a lot but still worth the watch.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Decided to break into my Lost in Space sets. Watching the pilot episode right now. Interesting how Dr. Smith evolved over the series.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Krull, both dark & Arthurian Fantasy?

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Watched more Lost in Space this morning. Always enjoyed the Irwin Allen sci fi series.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

From what I've checked out, it wouldn't be Arthurian since it doesn't take place in the world of King Arthur. From what I remember, I don't think it's dark since it wasn't really horror. I thought it was more of the action type(from what I remember decades ago when it came out).

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I picked it as Dark Fantasy due to this random internet list http://www.quietearth.us/articles/20...wait-for-CONAN

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Krull would be High Fantasy.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Funny this is asked. I just watched Krull this morning. I agree with Mister Peepers on the "Arthurian" although there *are* some Arthurian sensibilities. I would add "Sword & Sorcery" and "Alien Invasion" to the checklist items for which it would qualify. Personally, I'd say it's a bit borderline but IMDB identifies it as "Dark Fantasy" when doing a advanced search with "Dark Fantasy" as "keyword", so I'd think it would qualify for the checklist based on past responses.

I don't think I've seen Krull since its original release. It was a better film than I remembered.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I very much prefer the S1 malevolent Dr. Smith over the chicken-hearted S2/S3 version. But then I prefer S1 of the show over S2/S3 as well, for many of the same reasons. While S2/S3 are nice campy fun kiddie SF, S1 is a *serious* affair and somewhat dark in nature. I'd have liked to have seen what would have transpired had they not gone with the camp style in an effort to counter Batman. From what I've read that "dumbing down" campy style is what eventually led to cancellation as they were losing the adult audience.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I like Lost in Space in general, but I agree with you that season 1 is the best season of the 3. I own seasons 1 and 3. On another note don't people hate when you are in the mood to watch something and can't locate the disc? I felt like watching some time tunnel, and the disc I was looking for was not in it's case.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I finished the checklist, although my number of watched films lags this year.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

On schedule to barely make the checklist by tomorrow.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

i fell off big time at the end of the challenge but fit in capt america today. seen alot more then i normally would at the theaters and seen alot of first time views. gonna watch some anime in a couple mins to boost numbers for this and animation challenge

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I fell way off too after a decent start. Real life is a &*$#@ sometimes.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I'd say it's been a pretty productive month for me (in terms of film watching that is!), as I've been able to watch almost all of my sci-fi/fantasy Blu-rays, as well as a bunch of other stuff. I'm definitely ready to watch non-genre films again though.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Well, I finished the checklist and am within two of my goal of beating last years total, which was 55. I should be able to easily do that today and also get in some double counts with the Animation Challenge. Like others, I've been saving some anime just for this purpose.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Well, I think I did pretty good for a first timer! I'm currently at 66 but hope to push to 70 by the end of today by combining the animation challenge and this one. I finished the checklist so I'm pretty proud of that. I did slow way down towards the end. Between family stuff and the Olympics, watching DVDs didn't happen as often, though I did my best to watch at least one a day.

I tried to do as many first time watchings with a few favorites thrown in. I really lowered my not watched pile by quite a bit, but that does include movies I had seen before, just not my copy of it. I hope to do the same with the animation challenge.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I started that Mill Creek "Sci-Fi Invasion" set last night. With only a couple of exceptions it's about the *last* of the unopened Sci-Fi I have that doesn't also qualify in other challenges. I saved a couple of animated titles for today but don't know if I'll watch them or not as that set is calling *hard*. The remaining few qualifying titles I had lined up also have "horror" genre tags so they are going to wait until rOctober and the Horror challenge. I'm currently 2 behind last year (142 vs. 144). If all goes well I *should* exceed that count by at least 1 but we'll see.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I should bust 75 tonight. If I could have kept up the pace I might have made 100, but I kinda slacked off the last week or so. First time I managed to finish a checklist.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

For the first time, I managed to watch 100 entries in a month. Since I got so enthralled with both Star Trek: TNG and Babylon 5, I didn't finish the checklist. I had a lot of fun watching so many genre films and television episodes. However, it may be time for a break to watch some dramas or some of the new criterions and BBC miniseries that I recently acquired.

Congrats to everyone who met their goals!!!

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I finished the checklist without any duplications which was my goal. I also broke 78 (I hit 78.25) but was just short of 130 hours (I hit 129:11:15). It was a great challenge, but I'm ready for a break before October gets here. I will do some for the Animation Challenge but not nearly as consistently. I'm hoping to break 90 for the Horror Challenge.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I abandoned my first film today - as soon as they started blabbering about the whales in Star Trek IV, I had to turn it off.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

^You should have stuck with it in spite of the whale storyline. While it's more a "mass consumer" type film it *does* have some quite humourous sections and is a pretty good Trek film. It's no Wrath of Khan but it *is* superior to The Final Frontier.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I kind of fell off the challene and had trouble getting my momentum back when I was on vacation and soon after, but I enjoyed the challenge. I wish I had been able to get in more of my Irwin Allen sets, but there is always the tv challenge, the MYOC, and next year's sci fi challenge.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

What isn't superior to that mess? I've been busy today, but I'll probably throw something in the machine.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Well, just watched the final movie, The Secret World of Arrietty. That makes 70. Not too shabby! Hoping to do beat that for the next challenge. Found out I'm going into surgery again this month, so should get more time to be in front of the TV, so it should be doable.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Didn't make it to 100 entries but I did finish ST:Voyager and grind through the first season of Enterprise. Not too bad.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Just look at everybody else's lists and you'll see what a rich and diverse genre this is. It was hard to squeeze in even a fraction of what I wanted to see this month. I managed to reach 59 entries, which was 11 more than I did last year. I watched 25 movies, 59 TV episodes, and 74 serial chapters. I watched five complete serials and started another one yesterday. And I still had about ten more I could have used for this challenge.

I saw movies/shows/serials with each of the following iconic figures:

Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Samson, Sinbad, Captain Nemo and one real-life figure, animal tamer Clyde Beatty.

From Japan: Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Kikaida, Nausicaa, and the Power Rangers. Not to mention Derek Wildstar, Amuro Rey, and Lynn Minmei!

I avoided the checklist because I had so much stuff I needed to watch without it.
I could have just focused on serials for the month.
Or Japanese sentai (Power Rangers) series (Go Ranger, Zyuranger, Dairanger, Gekiranger, Shinkenja, Goseija, Gokaiger, etc.).
Or Japanese tokusatsu (Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Kikaida, Space Sheriff Gavan, Super Robot Red Baron, Iron King, etc.)
Or kaiju movies (Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, etc.).
Or anime series (too many to mention).
As it is, I’ll be concentrating on non-sci-fi anime series in August, although I have to finish watching “Toward the Terra,” which I started for this challenge.

Or I could have concentrated on American animated sci-fi series like Transformers and Defenders of the Earth or the live-action American Power Rangers franchise. (My daughter's upset that I didn't choose to watch the "Firefly" box set she lent me a couple of years ago.)

Or random sci-fi classics in my collection from various countries. I had SOLARIS (1972), The Films of Georges Melies, METROPOLIS (1927), THE LOST WORLD (1925), MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1929), Danny Boyle’s SUNSHINE and 28 DAYS LATER and a bunch of others accessible and ready to go. As it is, I did get to finally watch David Lynch’s DUNE.

Or I could have just gone and re-watched tons of old classics, including the Harryhausens and a bunch of 1950s sci-fi/monster films. I watched the MYSTERIOUS ISLAND serial and was hoping to watch the other versions of that Jules Verne novel.

You get the idea. This challenge and the historical and animation challenges are the toughest for me because there’s never enough time and there’s way too much to watch.
 

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Discovered something about my new TV and Internet provider, Comcast. Started X-Men: First Class last night, and tried to finish it early this morning, but they were serious about the 7/31 deadline.

Liked the first half, guess I'll get the blu-ray.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

That's it - 57 entries, not bad and I believe I surpassed myself from last year's SF/Fantasy challenge.
Here's my breakdown:
Seen from my own collection: 27 entries.
Seen online: 25 entries! All on YouTube.
Seen in the movie theater: 2
Seen on regular TV broadcast: 3

I'd also like to point out that my most watched decade was the 70's with 23 movies of which 10 were made for TV movies for which I have a soft spot. Also from the 70's the entire Ark II TV series and about half of season 3 of The Incredible Hulk.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Serials

I watched five serials for this challenge:
FLASH GORDON (1936, Universal)
FLASH GORDON’S TRIP TO MARS (1938, Universal)
ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (1941, Republic)
BATMAN (1943, Columbia)
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1951, Columbia)

Each of the major studios producing serials back then is represented.

Plus I started BATMAN AND ROBIN (1949) yesterday with the first four chapters. I started FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE at one point, but stopped after two chapters and didn’t use them in an entry. I was kind of Flash Gordon’d out at that point and need to start again after I read the Flash Gordon comic strips from 1934-36 that I recently purchased in book form.

I would argue that FLASH GORDON’S TRIP TO MARS was the best of the ones I watched. It had the most wide-ranging story and the most cool new stuff introduced along the way. Most serials get too repetitive and put the heroes through virtually the same dilemmas in chapter after chapter, fighting the same generic henchmen in each chapter. And most cheat on the cliffhangers. In one Batman episode, the plane he’s in crashlands at the end of the chapter and when we pick it up again in the next chapter…he climbs out of the wreckage! He wasn’t saved, but he wasn’t damaged either. Or the one where a building collapses on him and in the next chapter, Robin digs him out of the wreckage, none the worse for wear. I’m sorry, but that’s a cheat.

CAPTAIN MARVEL was quite good because it had so much good action, most of it filmed on location. Marvel’s flying scenes were mostly done in real time on location with wires stretched between two points and a Marvel dummy sliding along in flying position. My big problem with MARVEL was that the two characters, Marvel and his alter ego Billy Batson, are none too bright and usually a step or two behind the villains. Neither actor is very good either. Tom Tyler looks the part of Marvel and does all the physical stuff well, but he doesn’t speak much during the serial. When they finally give him a speech at the end, it’s obvious why they kept him quiet for so long. He was definitely better suited to the strong silent type. (His career was largely spent playing bad guys and henchmen in westerns.)

However, MARVEL has one interesting touch. Marvel kills a few bad guys quite casually. He machine guns three natives in the back in the first chapter and, later on, throws a hapless crook off of a roof to his death. Superman and Batman never did anything like that in their serials. Also, Marvel behaves quite a bit like Superman and you can see why DC sued Marvel’s publisher and made them stop the comic.

Batman is kind of low-rent in the serials. His “Batmobile” is just an ordinary four-door convertible and Bruce and Dick have to change costumes in the backseat with the top up. One at a time, of course. When Batman breaks into bad guys' hideouts, we see him climbing up fire escapes and opening up windows like anybody else would do. None of that cool gliding up and down on the bat-cables or whatever they call them.

I didn’t get to the Green Hornet serials, DRUMS OF FU MANCHU or FIGHTING DEVIL DOGS. Nor did I get to BUCK ROGERS, although I did watch PLANET OUTLAWS, the feature compilation of it. I would have liked to re-watch the two Superman serials also.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

^I *love* many of those serials you watched and mentioned in spite of the cheats and repetition. I, too, have the Green Hornet ones as well as Buck Rogers I've yet to watch along with Captain Video, The Green Archer, Jungle Girl, Jungle Queen, and The Phantom. I have a few more in various "wish lists". Your posting your thoughts makes me want to delay starting the Animation Challenge to watch a few serials instead, especially those I've yet to view.

I started that Mill Creek "Sci-Fi Invasion" set and discovered many of the films on the first few disks are Italian productions. Most had sound fx used by many "B" sci-fi films during the 70s/80s that were supposed to be "futuristic" but sounded dated even then (bleeps/bloops/blips, pseudo theramin sounds, etc.). Most had poor acting, bad scripts, poor dubbing, bad visual and aural fx, bad prints, etc. When I finally ended late last night with Slipstream it felt like a better film simply because it was superior to what I'd watched earlier (plus I was pretty tired by that time). Even though I'm pretty drained I'm eagerly anticipating next year! :D

I managed to finish 3 above my count from last year with a final total of 147.

Re: 5th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I enjoyed almost everything that I watched this challenge (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was barely tolerable), but as always wish that there was time to fit more in. I could have watched more animation, but saved it for this month, so I'll be watching mostly sci-fi and fantasy for at least a little while longer.