The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
07-24-15 | 06:54 AM
#426
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
Other than some blisters, I'm enjoy myself. And, no, I actually didn't see Interstellar. I was too tired to go see it, as I'd been up since 4 AM. Too bad it's not sci-fi, but I thought people here would be interested that last night in Theatre in the Woods, talked about the Orion mission to Mars.
07-24-15 | 07:07 AM
#427
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I am almost done watching "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)." I have to stay this is fairly awful. The music...just no, the shrill violins when anything remotely scary or disturbing got old before the first time was finished. But my major pet peeve? They have the woman in a dress and high heels. I don't care that this was the 70s, no woman when something like this is going down is going to dress up and keep her heels on. And of course she twists her ankle and becomes dead weight! Ugh. Really? I do have to say that Jeff Goldblum does seem to get a lot of roles where he plays someone who gets all slimed up. And wait a minute-
So, yeah, I really preferred the original here. This one just tried way too hard. Ugh. Sorry, guys, but this is not a classic for me!
Spoiler:
While it's *not* as good as the original I still feel it's better than other remakes that've been foisted upon the public. Jeff Goldbloom plays... well... Jeff Goldbloom. I think he's the same in *everything* I've seen him in. It worked for The Fly but he's somewhat annoying in other films... at least to me.
Last edited by BobO'Link; 07-24-15 at 09:18 AM.
07-24-15 | 10:16 AM
#428
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
My copy of that new MC SF 6 film set arrived yesterday.
Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set - The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded
I watched The 27th Day, The H-Man, and The Night the World Exploded (all on the first disc). That's ~3:38 crammed onto one disc but I didn't notice anything odd or bad about the video which is quite good on all three of these titles. Audio on all 3 was good but there's no CC or SDH - something I use when doing late night viewings so I don't disturb the rest of the house.
I've seen The H-Man before on the the superb Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection (The H-Man / Battle in Outer Space / Mothra, but only the original Japanese version. While the MC presentation is good, it's the English dubbed version. If you want to watch with the original language/presentation you'll need to spring for that set. I expect it'll be the same for Battle in Outer Space. Since I purchased this set for the 4 previously only-available-as-MOD titles it's no biggie for me. I actually enjoyed the English version but would have to watch the Japanese cut to know just what is different other than the language.
The 27th Day has a very interesting premise but pretty much blows it at the end. Overall it's OK but it's definitely a product of the Cold War era in its treatment of the subject. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the voice of a Newscaster. It's *Paul Frees* the voice of many of my favorite cartoon characters! Also be on the lookout for Emil Sitka as a newspaper hawker. It's not a "bad" film but could have been much better with a different ending. I'd watch it again and am glad to have a copy in my collection.
The Night the World Exploded is pretty obviously a lower budget production and fairly typical of Sam Katzman productions. There were several moments that were head-shaking bad (a scientist points out a hanging ceiling light that was not vertical to demonstrate that the Earth's axis had tilted) and some humorous scenes where I'm sure humor was not intended. You also wonder why they don't move faster once it becomes apparent the Earth has very little time left. Still, it's a fun little "B" programmer and worthy of a couple of viewings.
Keep in mind that I have a affinity for 50s/60s "B" SF/Horror films and give them more of a chance than similar/identical productions done in the 70s or later.
So far it's been a very worthwhile purchase and I plan to watch the second disc of films tonight.
Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set - The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded
I watched The 27th Day, The H-Man, and The Night the World Exploded (all on the first disc). That's ~3:38 crammed onto one disc but I didn't notice anything odd or bad about the video which is quite good on all three of these titles. Audio on all 3 was good but there's no CC or SDH - something I use when doing late night viewings so I don't disturb the rest of the house.
I've seen The H-Man before on the the superb Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection (The H-Man / Battle in Outer Space / Mothra, but only the original Japanese version. While the MC presentation is good, it's the English dubbed version. If you want to watch with the original language/presentation you'll need to spring for that set. I expect it'll be the same for Battle in Outer Space. Since I purchased this set for the 4 previously only-available-as-MOD titles it's no biggie for me. I actually enjoyed the English version but would have to watch the Japanese cut to know just what is different other than the language.
The 27th Day has a very interesting premise but pretty much blows it at the end. Overall it's OK but it's definitely a product of the Cold War era in its treatment of the subject. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the voice of a Newscaster. It's *Paul Frees* the voice of many of my favorite cartoon characters! Also be on the lookout for Emil Sitka as a newspaper hawker. It's not a "bad" film but could have been much better with a different ending. I'd watch it again and am glad to have a copy in my collection.
The Night the World Exploded is pretty obviously a lower budget production and fairly typical of Sam Katzman productions. There were several moments that were head-shaking bad (a scientist points out a hanging ceiling light that was not vertical to demonstrate that the Earth's axis had tilted) and some humorous scenes where I'm sure humor was not intended. You also wonder why they don't move faster once it becomes apparent the Earth has very little time left. Still, it's a fun little "B" programmer and worthy of a couple of viewings.
Keep in mind that I have a affinity for 50s/60s "B" SF/Horror films and give them more of a chance than similar/identical productions done in the 70s or later.
So far it's been a very worthwhile purchase and I plan to watch the second disc of films tonight.
Last edited by BobO'Link; 07-24-15 at 10:31 AM.
07-24-15 | 12:23 PM
#429
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I've seen it before, but I'm looking forward to revisiting Reptilicus when I get home.
07-24-15 | 11:14 PM
#430
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
edit: Warning expired, thankfully! Headed south of me, so should still miss shadokitty. Caught a short silent film to continue my streak. Not quite a movie, but hey, it counts!
Last edited by LJG765; 07-24-15 at 11:45 PM.
07-24-15 | 11:45 PM
#431
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
07-25-15 | 12:15 AM
#432
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
07-25-15 | 08:01 AM
#433
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I watched the last two Hobbit movies: The Desolation of Smaug EE and The Battle of the Five Armies TC. If this trilogy would have been released before LOTR, it would have hold up better but it does not compare favourably with the first trilogy. Maybe they shouldn't had split The Hobbit into 3 movies as it pale in comparison.
07-25-15 | 10:56 PM
#434
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I watched the last two Hobbit movies: The Desolation of Smaug EE and The Battle of the Five Armies TC. If this trilogy would have been released before LOTR, it would have hold up better but it does not compare favourably with the first trilogy. Maybe they shouldn't had split The Hobbit into 3 movies as it pale in comparison.
07-26-15 | 01:05 AM
#435
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
My copy of that new MC SF 6 film set arrived yesterday.
Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set - The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded
I watched The 27th Day, The H-Man, and The Night the World Exploded (all on the first disc). That's ~3:38 crammed onto one disc but I didn't notice anything odd or bad about the video which is quite good on all three of these titles. Audio on all 3 was good but there's no CC or SDH - something I use when doing late night viewings so I don't disturb the rest of the house.
I've seen The H-Man before on the the superb Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection (The H-Man / Battle in Outer Space / Mothra, but only the original Japanese version. While the MC presentation is good, it's the English dubbed version. If you want to watch with the original language/presentation you'll need to spring for that set. I expect it'll be the same for Battle in Outer Space. Since I purchased this set for the 4 previously only-available-as-MOD titles it's no biggie for me. I actually enjoyed the English version but would have to watch the Japanese cut to know just what is different other than the language.
The 27th Day has a very interesting premise but pretty much blows it at the end. Overall it's OK but it's definitely a product of the Cold War era in its treatment of the subject. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the voice of a Newscaster. It's *Paul Frees* the voice of many of my favorite cartoon characters! Also be on the lookout for Emil Sitka as a newspaper hawker. It's not a "bad" film but could have been much better with a different ending. I'd watch it again and am glad to have a copy in my collection.
The Night the World Exploded is pretty obviously a lower budget production and fairly typical of Sam Katzman productions. There were several moments that were head-shaking bad (a scientist points out a hanging ceiling light that was not vertical to demonstrate that the Earth's axis had tilted) and some humorous scenes where I'm sure humor was not intended. You also wonder why they don't move faster once it becomes apparent the Earth has very little time left. Still, it's a fun little "B" programmer and worthy of a couple of viewings.
Keep in mind that I have a affinity for 50s/60s "B" SF/Horror films and give them more of a chance than similar/identical productions done in the 70s or later.
So far it's been a very worthwhile purchase and I plan to watch the second disc of films tonight.
Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set - The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded
I watched The 27th Day, The H-Man, and The Night the World Exploded (all on the first disc). That's ~3:38 crammed onto one disc but I didn't notice anything odd or bad about the video which is quite good on all three of these titles. Audio on all 3 was good but there's no CC or SDH - something I use when doing late night viewings so I don't disturb the rest of the house.
I've seen The H-Man before on the the superb Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection (The H-Man / Battle in Outer Space / Mothra, but only the original Japanese version. While the MC presentation is good, it's the English dubbed version. If you want to watch with the original language/presentation you'll need to spring for that set. I expect it'll be the same for Battle in Outer Space. Since I purchased this set for the 4 previously only-available-as-MOD titles it's no biggie for me. I actually enjoyed the English version but would have to watch the Japanese cut to know just what is different other than the language.
The 27th Day has a very interesting premise but pretty much blows it at the end. Overall it's OK but it's definitely a product of the Cold War era in its treatment of the subject. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the voice of a Newscaster. It's *Paul Frees* the voice of many of my favorite cartoon characters! Also be on the lookout for Emil Sitka as a newspaper hawker. It's not a "bad" film but could have been much better with a different ending. I'd watch it again and am glad to have a copy in my collection.
The Night the World Exploded is pretty obviously a lower budget production and fairly typical of Sam Katzman productions. There were several moments that were head-shaking bad (a scientist points out a hanging ceiling light that was not vertical to demonstrate that the Earth's axis had tilted) and some humorous scenes where I'm sure humor was not intended. You also wonder why they don't move faster once it becomes apparent the Earth has very little time left. Still, it's a fun little "B" programmer and worthy of a couple of viewings.
Keep in mind that I have a affinity for 50s/60s "B" SF/Horror films and give them more of a chance than similar/identical productions done in the 70s or later.
So far it's been a very worthwhile purchase and I plan to watch the second disc of films tonight.
I also watched the new Kino Blu of Miracle Mile. Man, when that movie gets going it just does not let up. It disappeared pretty quickly from theaters when it was released, but I can see how its tone did not fit in with the sunny Reagan 80s. It's a movie where it's best if you know nothing about it going in and just let it take you where it wants.
Last edited by Gobear; 07-26-15 at 01:12 AM.
07-26-15 | 01:26 AM
#436
DVD Talk Godfather
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Home of 2013 NFL champion Seahawks
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I finished up the first season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and I'm hooked. It's definitely the darkest of the Star Trek series and features the most diverse cast of characters. While it starts out shaky (as most sci-fi series do) and has several awful episodes (space Rumpelstiltskin), the last two episodes of the season cement it as great television for me. "Duets", the penultimate episode, moved me to tears, and the last episode gave me a lot to think about when it comes to some troubling clashes in our current world.
On a whim, I watched the first episode of season 5 the other day, then decided life is too short to rewatch when I have stuff unseen, so when I pick it up again, I'm going straight to season 6.
I love this challenge but am always frustrated by the massive numbers of qualifying titles I can't fit in. Tons of TV (some of which I've already mentioned) plus the classic movies that people have been talking about. At least I've checked off some big ones in previous years (Forbidden Planet, Soylent Green, etc.).
07-26-15 | 05:36 AM
#437
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
And is the 3rd one that suffers with Jackson's decision to make it a trilogy. I'll wait until you comment to explain the problems I had with the trilogy specially with the 3rd one.
07-26-15 | 06:57 AM
#438
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I had a day off Friday, so I finally popped in my Blu-ray of THINGS TO COME (1936). It's so great to finally see a decent print of this after suffering through public domain prints for 45 years. Yes, I first saw it in a theater in 1970, when I was in high school. And a significant portion of the narrative takes place in 1970. You can imagine how stunned the audience was at that initial screening when the year "1970" flashed on the screen.
The film predicted World War II (not a hard thing to predict in 1936), but had it lasting, in one form or another, for 34 years. The film's view of a high-tech future (in 2036!) first intrigued me when I saw pictures from the film in a library book when I was a kid and I was eager to see it back then but I had to wait till it came to a repertory theater and I was old enough to go on my own. (I don't recall it playing on TV when I was a kid.) I was never disappointed in the film. It excites me to this day, even if some of the future innovations came long before they were predicted, e.g. the giant TV screen that appears in a public plaza to broadcast a speech by an artist opposed to the march of progress. Hey, we've had Fox News on big-screen TVs in public places for years now. But it remains a magnificent film.
The film predicted World War II (not a hard thing to predict in 1936), but had it lasting, in one form or another, for 34 years. The film's view of a high-tech future (in 2036!) first intrigued me when I saw pictures from the film in a library book when I was a kid and I was eager to see it back then but I had to wait till it came to a repertory theater and I was old enough to go on my own. (I don't recall it playing on TV when I was a kid.) I was never disappointed in the film. It excites me to this day, even if some of the future innovations came long before they were predicted, e.g. the giant TV screen that appears in a public plaza to broadcast a speech by an artist opposed to the march of progress. Hey, we've had Fox News on big-screen TVs in public places for years now. But it remains a magnificent film.
07-26-15 | 07:11 PM
#439
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I know I do (thus my username). Babylon 5 was groundbreaking in a lot of ways. The epic storylines, the great characters, the multiple story arcs - it was a truly great show.
07-26-15 | 07:55 PM
#440
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I watched the last two Hobbit movies: The Desolation of Smaug EE and The Battle of the Five Armies TC. If this trilogy would have been released before LOTR, it would have hold up better but it does not compare favourably with the first trilogy. Maybe they shouldn't had split The Hobbit into 3 movies as it pale in comparison.
07-26-15 | 08:20 PM
#441
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I watched the rest of the films in that new MC SF set:
Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set - The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded
Video quality on all three was very good in spite of there being a bit over 4 hours on the 2nd disc. The main issues I saw were on the prints and appear to have been on the originals when they used file/library film with lots of scratches/flecks/etc. Original film looks mostly very good.
Battle in Outer Space was as expected. The American version with dubbed soundtrack. It was still a good film. Frankly I don't know if I'd have ever viewed the American versions of it and The H-Man had it not been for this set.
12 to the Moon was interesting in its use of a international flavored crew on the *very* large ship. It was a interesting film in the "alien thinks Mankind is to immature and dangerous to be allowed to live" varity.
After reading a few reviews I didn't have much hope for Valley of the Dragons but found it to be a quite fun little time travel/lost civilization type film. It's based on the Jules Verne novel "Off on a Comet." I had a good laugh when Rodan showed up! (no... not as Rodan but apparently as a stand-in for a pterodactyl) It also had recycled stock footage from One Million B.C. (1940) (a film that needs to receive a legitimate release) and Cat-Women of the Moon (1953).
Yesterday I watched the new Total Recall (2012), a film that really didn't need to be made. I must admit that it was a good fx/action popcorn movie but it wasn't as good as the 1990 version and had many changes to apparently keep the store simplified somewhat. Once it was over I had to rewatch the 1990 version as all that one did was to whet my appetite. I was surprised at how much the two films match in dialog and events but that 2012 version just doesn't have the oomph of the 1990 version.
Today brought The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which I found to be a delight! I tend to enjoy Gilliam films and this was no exception. It's quite a eyeful and has all those Gilliam eccentricities that keep it interesting.
I also watched Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which was another fun ride in that franchise. I'd read a few reviews that indicated it's a lesser entry. That may be so but it's still a fun and enjoyable film.
I just finished Gravity. Frankly, it was better than I expected but I found *lots* of logic holes and implausibilities in the film. The visuals are spectacular and Bullock really did a good job in her role. I don't know if I'd consider it a "classic" but it's worth a viewing.
Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set - The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded
Video quality on all three was very good in spite of there being a bit over 4 hours on the 2nd disc. The main issues I saw were on the prints and appear to have been on the originals when they used file/library film with lots of scratches/flecks/etc. Original film looks mostly very good.
Battle in Outer Space was as expected. The American version with dubbed soundtrack. It was still a good film. Frankly I don't know if I'd have ever viewed the American versions of it and The H-Man had it not been for this set.
12 to the Moon was interesting in its use of a international flavored crew on the *very* large ship. It was a interesting film in the "alien thinks Mankind is to immature and dangerous to be allowed to live" varity.
After reading a few reviews I didn't have much hope for Valley of the Dragons but found it to be a quite fun little time travel/lost civilization type film. It's based on the Jules Verne novel "Off on a Comet." I had a good laugh when Rodan showed up! (no... not as Rodan but apparently as a stand-in for a pterodactyl) It also had recycled stock footage from One Million B.C. (1940) (a film that needs to receive a legitimate release) and Cat-Women of the Moon (1953).
Yesterday I watched the new Total Recall (2012), a film that really didn't need to be made. I must admit that it was a good fx/action popcorn movie but it wasn't as good as the 1990 version and had many changes to apparently keep the store simplified somewhat. Once it was over I had to rewatch the 1990 version as all that one did was to whet my appetite. I was surprised at how much the two films match in dialog and events but that 2012 version just doesn't have the oomph of the 1990 version.
Today brought The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which I found to be a delight! I tend to enjoy Gilliam films and this was no exception. It's quite a eyeful and has all those Gilliam eccentricities that keep it interesting.
I also watched Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which was another fun ride in that franchise. I'd read a few reviews that indicated it's a lesser entry. That may be so but it's still a fun and enjoyable film.
I just finished Gravity. Frankly, it was better than I expected but I found *lots* of logic holes and implausibilities in the film. The visuals are spectacular and Bullock really did a good job in her role. I don't know if I'd consider it a "classic" but it's worth a viewing.
07-26-15 | 11:31 PM
#442
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
Spoiler:
Hmmm... I was unaware the decision to make the novel into 3 films was made *after* the first part was completed. I've *always* felt it didn't need 3 films and that 2 should be more than sufficient. That said, I *did* enjoy Desolation of Smaug. I have the EE of that one sitting here awaiting a viewing. I can't decide if I want to watch The Battle of the Five Armies first since I've seen the theatrical version of Smaug. What little I've read of the third film seems to indicate it's essentially a long, overblown, battle scene. I'm also considering holding them for the animation challenge as they should qualify due to all the CGI work. That's mainly due to having quite a few other films I really want to get in before this one ends.
Where it says he made the decision in 2012 which is when the first one was released. I remember it because the article was from one of the actors saying they had just finished up filming of the first and he waited until the wrap up party to tell them they were coming back for the next one or something like that.
Today brought The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which I found to be a delight! I tend to enjoy Gilliam films and this was no exception. It's quite a eyeful and has all those Gilliam eccentricities that keep it interesting.
I just finished Gravity. Frankly, it was better than I expected but I found *lots* of logic holes and implausibilities in the film. The visuals are spectacular and Bullock really did a good job in her role. I don't know if I'd consider it a "classic" but it's worth a viewing.
I just finished Gravity. Frankly, it was better than I expected but I found *lots* of logic holes and implausibilities in the film. The visuals are spectacular and Bullock really did a good job in her role. I don't know if I'd consider it a "classic" but it's worth a viewing.
"Gravity" I liked but agree that the visuals are really what it is all about. Bullock did great carrying most of it as well. I don't feel the desire to own this one, but am glad that I did see it in the theater as the big screen really helps with that huge endless space feel.
07-27-15 | 06:38 AM
#443
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I got back late last night, about 1:30 in the morning. Started right back in the challenge with an episode of Destination Truth on Netflix that I had started earlier at the airport, about the Siberian Bigfoot. This morning, I watched an episode of Pokemon: XY on Cartoon Network
07-27-15 | 11:17 AM
#444
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
My late opinion on the comic book watching thing is to ignore if a film is in some universe or something or even if it's just a comic book. If the film isn't sci-fi or fantasy, it shouldn't count.
As an example, Punisher: War Zone is never going to be in a book about sci-fi or fantasy films just because it's a Marvel film. If you had someone that didn't know anything about Punisher and showed them Punisher: War Zone and then asked them if they thought it was a sci-fi or fantasy film, they would be justified in punching you in the face
It doesn't have sci-fi or fantasy elements in the film. There's no reason to try and include films to genre based watching challenges when those films don't include those elements as the focus of the film. There's other challenges in which uneligible films would count.
If Punisher counts, then it only serves that the crossover between Archie and Punisher would count. If you're counting Archie and Punisher, then why can't you count Archie? Might as well keep going and allow the Veronica series since she's part of the Archie world.
How about this instead? If someone is watching a sci-fi/fantasy movie and it gets them interested in watching non-sci-fi/fantasy films, they can go ahead and watch those too. Just don't worry about including them in a sci-fi/fantasy movie watching checklist. It's ok to watch things that don't count even if they take away time you could have been watching Star Trek.
That being said, when the rules are loose, I'll count stuff that I wouldn't normally thing of watching for a challenge. I got to include some Dark Shadows in the historical challenge because I hit a spot where it took place in 1897, so there's the costume drama eligibility. I'd also have no problem counting that stuff while petitioning that things get tightened up.
And there's my two cents
As an example, Punisher: War Zone is never going to be in a book about sci-fi or fantasy films just because it's a Marvel film. If you had someone that didn't know anything about Punisher and showed them Punisher: War Zone and then asked them if they thought it was a sci-fi or fantasy film, they would be justified in punching you in the face
It doesn't have sci-fi or fantasy elements in the film. There's no reason to try and include films to genre based watching challenges when those films don't include those elements as the focus of the film. There's other challenges in which uneligible films would count.
If Punisher counts, then it only serves that the crossover between Archie and Punisher would count. If you're counting Archie and Punisher, then why can't you count Archie? Might as well keep going and allow the Veronica series since she's part of the Archie world.
How about this instead? If someone is watching a sci-fi/fantasy movie and it gets them interested in watching non-sci-fi/fantasy films, they can go ahead and watch those too. Just don't worry about including them in a sci-fi/fantasy movie watching checklist. It's ok to watch things that don't count even if they take away time you could have been watching Star Trek.
That being said, when the rules are loose, I'll count stuff that I wouldn't normally thing of watching for a challenge. I got to include some Dark Shadows in the historical challenge because I hit a spot where it took place in 1897, so there's the costume drama eligibility. I'd also have no problem counting that stuff while petitioning that things get tightened up.
And there's my two cents
07-27-15 | 02:18 PM
#445
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
Have you seen Tideland yet? It is pretty much hated by most people, but if you're a true Gilliam fan, you just may love it, like I did! It even made me buy and read the novel (of which it is pretty much a spot on adaptation of). It's not true fantasy, but there are fantasy elements (kind of like The Fisher King, I guess). I wild carded it last year.
07-27-15 | 02:28 PM
#446
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
The challenge is slowly coming to an end. I hope everyone got in some really good watches this year. From the discussion, I think they did! I still have a couple more on my list, but overall, I did get most of what I wanted watched.
I doubt I'll finish the checklist. The actor section is my main problem. I haven't been able to check off more than one or two people at a time and I'm just not watching enough different movies to finish the section. It's pretty diverse. Maybe next year, I'll prepare a bit more for it and rent/buy more that helps with that.
I did come up with an actor to maybe add to the checklist. Johnny Depp might be a good one. We already have Tim Burton in the director section, so Depp seems like a natural add on to the actor one as well. Has anyone else run into another actor/director/genre that they would like to add for next year?
I doubt I'll finish the checklist. The actor section is my main problem. I haven't been able to check off more than one or two people at a time and I'm just not watching enough different movies to finish the section. It's pretty diverse. Maybe next year, I'll prepare a bit more for it and rent/buy more that helps with that.
I did come up with an actor to maybe add to the checklist. Johnny Depp might be a good one. We already have Tim Burton in the director section, so Depp seems like a natural add on to the actor one as well. Has anyone else run into another actor/director/genre that they would like to add for next year?
07-27-15 | 02:54 PM
#447
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
The challenge is slowly coming to an end. I hope everyone got in some really good watches this year. From the discussion, I think they did! I still have a couple more on my list, but overall, I did get most of what I wanted watched.
I doubt I'll finish the checklist. The actor section is my main problem. I haven't been able to check off more than one or two people at a time and I'm just not watching enough different movies to finish the section. It's pretty diverse. Maybe next year, I'll prepare a bit more for it and rent/buy more that helps with that.
I did come up with an actor to maybe add to the checklist. Johnny Depp might be a good one. We already have Tim Burton in the director section, so Depp seems like a natural add on to the actor one as well. Has anyone else run into another actor/director/genre that they would like to add for next year?
I doubt I'll finish the checklist. The actor section is my main problem. I haven't been able to check off more than one or two people at a time and I'm just not watching enough different movies to finish the section. It's pretty diverse. Maybe next year, I'll prepare a bit more for it and rent/buy more that helps with that.
I did come up with an actor to maybe add to the checklist. Johnny Depp might be a good one. We already have Tim Burton in the director section, so Depp seems like a natural add on to the actor one as well. Has anyone else run into another actor/director/genre that they would like to add for next year?
I'll not complete the checklist but that's only because I've not been trying. Everything I've checked on the checklist so far has been from films from the unopened pile, which has made up more than 99% of my viewings this year. The *only* film I pulled off the shelf so far has been Total Recall (1990) and that was to compare it to the new version. My weakest section is also the Actors one. It's one of the 3 sections I'll not complete.
07-27-15 | 04:25 PM
#448
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
Because I was heavy on animation early in this challenge, I decided to try and catch up with lots of live-action stuff in the last week or so, including several "Ultra Q" and "Ultraman" episodes.
"Ultra Q" is one of the most unusual Japanese series I've ever seen. It's a precursor to "Ultraman" and is designed along Twilight Zone/Outer Limits lines, but is, at times, a goofy series aimed at kids, with lots of child characters. But this also gives the creators free rein to let their imaginations run wild. One episode, "Grow Up, Little Turtle," is about a boy who's trying to get his pet turtle (shades of Gamera!) to grow big so he can live out the famous folk tale of Urashima Taro, who rode a turtle into the sea to find a princess in an undersea palace. There are many surreal elements in it and it's utterly delightful. Another episode, "The 1/8 Project" is about the heroine's discovery of a new project aimed at shrinking people to 1/8 size so they take up less space and uses fewer resources. She inadvertently gets shrunk and when her partners come looking for her they walk around Toho's miniature sets like Godzilla. It's pretty funny.
"Ultraman" had an episode, "Demons Once More," about two warring giant monsters (looking forward to WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS two years later) who battle it out in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium (built only two years earlier) and trash the place. Then Ultraman shows up and battles the survivor.
"Ultra Q" is one of the most unusual Japanese series I've ever seen. It's a precursor to "Ultraman" and is designed along Twilight Zone/Outer Limits lines, but is, at times, a goofy series aimed at kids, with lots of child characters. But this also gives the creators free rein to let their imaginations run wild. One episode, "Grow Up, Little Turtle," is about a boy who's trying to get his pet turtle (shades of Gamera!) to grow big so he can live out the famous folk tale of Urashima Taro, who rode a turtle into the sea to find a princess in an undersea palace. There are many surreal elements in it and it's utterly delightful. Another episode, "The 1/8 Project" is about the heroine's discovery of a new project aimed at shrinking people to 1/8 size so they take up less space and uses fewer resources. She inadvertently gets shrunk and when her partners come looking for her they walk around Toho's miniature sets like Godzilla. It's pretty funny.
"Ultraman" had an episode, "Demons Once More," about two warring giant monsters (looking forward to WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS two years later) who battle it out in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium (built only two years earlier) and trash the place. Then Ultraman shows up and battles the survivor.
07-27-15 | 04:45 PM
#449
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I'm enjoying the challenge. Missed a lot last week. I'm highly depressed tonight. Hoping a sci-fi marathon helps to cheer me up. Watching the season premiere of Ancient Aliens right now on History Channel On Demand.
07-27-15 | 05:04 PM
#450
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official 8th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
I slowed down the last few days for no reason other than just taking unplanned breaks and doing other stuff. I haven't thought about what I'd do for the crossover period between this challenge and the next.