I, too, have a soft spot for the 60s show. I *have* seen the film (once) and though I felt it wasn't really very good I enjoyed the cameos and robot voice. Of course that's not enough to warrant further viewings but... I purchased a copy not too long ago as part of a 4-pack of SF films that includes Contact, Lost in Space, Red Planet, and Sphere, none of which I consider "must view" films in spite of the cache attached to Contact.

I was somewhat disappointed in Contact when I first saw it as it didn't live up to what I was expecting. With Dr. Sagan's name attached I was expecting a lot more than I received. Of course I've only seen it that one time and a second viewing could change my mind.

I recall enjoying Red Planet and didn't much care for Sphere as it felt like a mash up of several other films that are far better [Solaris (1972) being one]. But then I've never been a fan of Michael Crichton's work as it all feels too cliche' and mostly recycled from better books/films. To me his work is that of the "summer popcorn film" - easily disposable/recyclable so you can change the names and settings to create a new book/film in a couple of years with no one the wiser. Looking over his body of work I find there are only 2 films of his I actually enjoy enough to re-watch: The Great Train Robbery (1978) and The 13th Warrior (1999) - in spite of The 13th Warrior essentially being a rip off/re-write of Beowulf - but I like it for the effects/visuals in the Beowulf part rather than the story.

THINGS TO COME (1936/England), based on H.G. Wells, wasn't the first sound film to offer a detailed depiction of a believable future, but it was the first important non-horror science fiction film of the sound era. It forecasts World War II, which starts in 1940 and lasts for thirty years, ending in 1970, where a significant portion of the film takes place. Coincidentally, I first saw the film as a high schooler at a revival theater in the summer of 1970 and my jaw dropped when the "1970" identifier appeared on screen. Its depiction of the future underground city, with its giant TV screens where select citizens can make appeals to the populace, is still pretty amazing. Also, when I first saw the film, two of its lead actors, Raymond Massey and Ralph Richardson, were both still making movies. (Richardson played the Crypt Keeper in TALES FROM THE CRYPT in 1972.) The two men died a few months apart in 1983. I've seen THINGS TO COME many times since then. If there were required viewing for this challenge, I would put this film first on the list.

NE Arkansas in a little town about 70 miles NW of Memphis, TN. I watched them on WHBQ (channel 13) and WREC (channel 3) in the 60s. I learned several years ago the guy who owned WREC at that time was a film buff and purchased, not rented, films for the station to run. As a result they didn't receive films edited for TV but what would have been shown in the theater. Because of what he purchased I saw many "current" films on TV within 3 months of their theatrical runs. That station was where I first saw The Producers (1967) on a late night movie program during 1968/69. It was *years* before I figured out exactly what it was I'd seen! I'd talk about the film and people would look at me like I was nuts. It wasn't until Blazing Saddles that others began to discover early Brooks films and I was somewhat vindicated. I also saw all the Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, and other cartoons fully unedited for PC/violence and was horrified at what had been done to them the first time I saw them on network TV! By the early 70s the "Horror Host" and Saturday Horror Matinee's pretty much ended but WREC ran old TV shows and movies all night up until sometime in the early-mid 90s. Frequently they were uncut with no commercials. The rise of the infomercial killed that Golden Goose...

I'll admit to being scared many times watching the older horror films on those late night viewings. The Saturday matinee showings were not so bad (I don't recall the more scary films being aired in that time slot). I don't think the Universal ones were that bad but mom didn't like to let me stay up and watch that Saturday double-feature because I'd frequently have nightmares and be difficult to get woken up Sunday mornings to go to church. She didn't mind so much on Friday 'cause I could sleep in on Saturday - which I *never* did - The Adventures of Superman came on at 6am and I was there to watch! Perhaps they should have put it on Sunday mornings too...

That's an amazing story about WREC. I've never heard of anything like that before. Was what the owner was doing even legal? It sounds hard to believe that a studio like Universal would SELL its uncut versions to be shown on TV somewhere. Did he buy them for other stated reasons and then show them on his TV station without having licensed them for TV? And did he get away with it because Universal never bothered checking this out-of-the-way station? And THE PRODUCERS being shown that quickly? That sounds suspicious.

But all those uncut cartoons? Wow! (But then, I remember the cartoons being uncut when I was a kid.)

I think I'm one of the few people who enjoy Contact. I've seen it several times.


I definitely remember not being impressed at all with Sphere when I first saw it. I can't quite remember why, but I definitely remember telling people it sucked. Because it was on a flipper disc with Contact that I own, I watched it for my "under the sea" selection a couple days ago. I enjoyed it much better this time! Go figure. I wish I could remember what I didn't like about it before. Every sci-fi movie borrows from what came before, so that rarely bugs me about a film. So I can't imagine that was why. I definitely don't remember it reminding me of Solaris though.

Now that you've mentioned Solaris, that would be a great pick for a movie and its remake. I actually enjoy both.

I actually don't remember how I felt about Red Planet. At the time I saw it I also saw the movie Stranded. Everyone seems to universally hate that movie, but I really liked it because it made me feel like that is EXACTLY what it would be like to be trapped in space. I remember comparing it to Red Planet in a review I did for IMDB, because I had lumped Red Planet in with all the other Mars movies out at the time as mindless shoot-'em-ups or something. Stranded at least was different, although very dialogue heavy. I actually see that it has more positive reviews now, so that's good.

Lost In Space: The Movie, was okay. I hadn't been a fan of the show because it predated me by just a little bit, so I was able to enjoy the movie for what it was. I don't remember having my mind blown however.

At their core they are both films about humans coming in contact with an extraterrestrial presence that makes their fears seem real. I never really noticed it until I read a review from Rober Ebert which pointed out that similarity.
That *would* be a good choice. I watched the remake again a few months ago and thought it was much better than it's generally given credit for. Don't forget the original can also qualify as a language checklist item.

I went with the 1935/1965 versions of She for the remake item. I'd purchased a copy of the 1965 version a few months back and am trying to limit myself to the unopened pile as much as possible. As it turns out I could have used Invasion of the Body Snatchers had I known my grandson would want to watch the original. That would have allowed time for another from the unwatched pile. At least the time wasn't "wasted" on films I don't like!

I've never really given it much thought in that direction. Many of those films I saw ran only once - or at least I never saw them a second time. I saw *lots* of films that I later found had been on the station within a year of their theatrical runs. I wouldn't think Memphis would be considered "out-of-the-way" but it's possible in those days the studios didn't police the situation closely.

I started my TV career at a station that had a huge library of unedited Looney Tunes on film. Several years later when we removed the telecine equipment it never occurred to me to ask for those films. I also never thought to make video tape copies for myself. I'm pretty sure they were tossed in the trash bin.

Oh, what a stash that would have been! I once got hold of a bunch of Little Rascals shorts on 16mm that a local station threw out, including one that features only two of the kids, Farina and Stymie, that I don't remember ever seeing aired!

Duh! I totally should have got that!

You know, I tell myself the same thing. Why is it I always end up buying something during the month???

April (Drive-In):

• 4 pack of martial arts films
• 4 pack of Kurt Russell Disney movies
• 4 pack of Giallo movies
• 4 pack of Western movies
• 3 or 4 Harryhausen's I didn't own yet

May (MYO: Marilyn Monroe):

• Some Like it Hot (Blu-ray) - had it on DVD
• Mistfits (Blu-ray) - had it on DVD but wasn't anamorphic
• My Week With Marilyn (Blu-ray)
• Love Happy! (Marx Bros.)
• 5 pack of other Marx Bros. movies
• 4 pack of Fox classics which included the Doris Day version of the Marilyn movie that was never finished, and O'Henry's Full House (which I had already watched from the library)

July (so far):

• Dredd
• Serenity (my son already owned it, but it had a nice steelbook cover!)
• a Sinbad movie starring Lou Ferrigno
• Upstream Color
• T3

What is wrong with me???

Nothing that's not common to many of us. It's a sickness... I recently gave my daughter grief over her Sonic Route-44 Sweet Tea addiction only to have my wife throw it back in my face with my constant DVD purchases. I just tell her "It's my hobby... I don't hunt, fish, golf, or attend sporting events, all of which are *far*more expensive than movie collecting."

I purchased enough new qualifying material for the History Challenge to last for a couple of years in spite of already owning enough unopened product for a year or so. I've made several purchases of SF/Fantasy material already this month, currently have more SF/Fantasy stuff on the way, and am looking at ordering more even though it won't arrive in time for this year (but it's a favorite genre so I'm *always* purchasing those type titles).

I sometimes feel that Amazon watches which challenges we're running and puts titles specific to that genre on sale. They had *lots* of History type stuff on sale during that challenge and much of their SF/Fantasy titles are currently reduced, although not at the very low prices I typically see during a challenge. I fully expect to see horror titles going on sale within the next 6 weeks or so.

Thanks for the line! I'm going to use that! (I even have to justify to my kids!)

Still making my way through the Harryhausen box set and I think the films are getting less interesting. 3 Worlds of Gulliver was ok but it was too long. The folks in the little land and the giant land were really freaking annoying, as they were supposed to be, and it just seemed like Gulliver spent way to much time in each world. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad just didn't hold my attention. The effects have been great in all the films, it's the story themselves that are the problem. The dancing/fighting statue was the film's only saving grace. I'm almost afraid to watch the last film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger but I can't return a box set without watching all of the films. Plus I'm at a low point in my Sliders viewing so that's not helping my attention span. Seriously, what were the writers smoking during season 3 because almost every episode simply recycled bad movie plots.

My local library didn't have the Dracula Legacy disc but I was able to do an interlibrary loan. I'm hoping it will arrive before I have to return the Frankenstein disc. I'm a sucker for continuity.

You started with the best of the lot. I'm not a fan of 3 Worlds of Gulliver but that's mainly because of the story. I also don't care for the novel. Overall Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is a better *looking* film than Golden Voyage but weaker in plot and pacing. It's the worst of the 3 Sinbad films. Even so, I like them all as they are films of my youth when all it took was cool effects and monsters to keep us watching.
In that case you might want to stay away from S4 and S5. IMHO it just goes downhill Of course if you've already seen those seasons you know what's in store.
It's not absolutely necessary to watch them in release date order but it does increase the fun factor and helps some of the films make more sense. Don't forget you also need the Wolfman Legacy Collection for full continuity.

I was wrong, sort of. I was wrong in that it DID resolve itself, but I was right because it WAS an awesome episode!

For me, the stop-motion is worth any problems with story and pacing. I just love the surrealness of those scenes. It really gives me the feeling of fantasy, like that is how it would be if I was dreaming. Actually, I've never seen Gulliver. It's one of only a couple I don't own, oddly.

You should have watched them in chronological order. The two Sinbad films you cite are a pale echo of THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1958). And MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1961) is, IMHO, Harryhausen's best film, with JASON a close second. GULLIVER has a Herrmann score, like the other three I just mentioned, but it's the weakest film of the four. ONE MILLION YEARS BC and VALLEY OF GWANGI are second-tier Harryhausen but still pretty darned entertaining. I don't remember liking EYE OF THE TIGER at all. It's got two of the weakest leads of any Harryhausen movie (John Wayne's son and Tyrone Power's daughter). GOLDEN VOYAGE at least has a Miklos Rozsa score.

Of Harryhausen's earlier (b&w) films, BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS and 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH are pretty awesome.

I watched Eye of the Tiger on TCM esrlier this month during a Harryhausen tribute marathon, and it was terrible. Worse-than-usual acting, cheap-looking sets, a nonsensical plot. Harryhausen's creatures were first-rate, but they didn't serve the story.

All this talk about Harryhausen films makes me want to watch mine. I've watched The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms already this challenge, but I still have 20 Million Miles to Earth, Earth vs the Flying Saucers, It Came From Beneath the Sea, Jason and the Argonauts , and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.

Unfortunately, the other Harryhausen films folks have mentioned are not in the box set I have so I'll have to see if I can track them down for next year's challenge. Even though Eye of the Tiger received such a ringing endorsement from folks, I'm going to watch it next.

I did sneak Little Shop of Horrors (1986) in this morning and it is still as funny and as dark as I remember. I hadn't seen the film in years but I still remember the songs and a lot of the dialogue - it's a catchy little movie. The original ending is available on YouTube so I finally watched it and it fits the tone of the film so much better than the theatrical ending. If the blu comes down in price a bit I might pick it up.

I also looked up Things to Come on imdb and it's available to stream for free so I might check it out tonight. I've given up on my Sliders viewing so I have time. Don't you hate it when shows or films you liked when you were younger just don't hold up in any way, shape, or form? A handful of the episodes are still really good but the overwhelming majority are just a hot mess.

20 Million Miles to Earth, Earth vs the Flying Saucers, and It Came From Beneath the Sea are in another Harryhausen box set. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, I got in a 4 movie pack of TCM Sci Fi Classics. Both sets I found on Amazon.

Things To Come was also done by Criterion, so it can be used for that checklist item.

I grew up with Eye of the Tiger, so it is my favorite of the Sinbad films. I guess I connected with it because it was "newer" than the other ones... and of course it had Jane Seymour in her prime.

I enjoy Eye of the Tiger because the Minoton is one of my favorite Harryhausen creatures.

I know I got my box set of those that they are talking about at Big Lots. It was last year, I think, so chances are very slim that you'll find it, but hey, it's worth a shot!

So, Travis and I finally got back to watching some Trek after real life got in the way, last night. It started off pretty good. We were chatting about the episode, keeping death tally's and all. Then, at the end we were debating about the show and I mentioned that Scotty was framed. He questioned me because Scotty wasn't in his episode much. Yeah, somehow I ended up watching "Wolf in the Fold" while he was watching "Obsession." I'm not sure how I did that as I pushed play on "Obsession" but the really funny part is that the episodes were similar enough that we were chatting about them and neither one realized that we were watching different episodes.

But the really fun part of the night was the 3rd one, "Trouble with Tribbles." I love it at the end when some lucky crew member is tossing Tribbles at Kirk's head. It's probably my favorite episode so far.

That episode is probably on my list of all time favorite Trek episodes. It's just so much fun. The TAS sequel isn't too bad and the DS9 homage is brilliant.

Eye of the Tiger literally put me to sleep! While I enjoyed my nap and woke up to the sound of the giant walrus trying to kick butt, it wasn't my favorite film. Jane Seymour was quite lovely in the film and the dad could not have been a more clueless character - sure, go ahead and tell the villain where you're going and what your plan is.

Things to Come was a fascinating film. Now I need to go read the novel it was based on.