Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

And it has an awesome theme song!

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Currently watching:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...edc3d736a9.jpg

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Yeah, Disney would never use pop-culture references in his movies...
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...e1907064a5.jpg

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I'm with you on Gottfried, he's not one of my favorites either. I'm pretty sure he got himself blackballed a few years ago for making some off color jokes/comments about something he shouldn't so not sure he's going to pop up anytime soon. I think Williams was very hyperactive in general. But, I liked that. Goes to show, takes all kinds to make the world go 'round! :)

Just finished Fantastic Voyage. I enjoyed it, but man, it was so slow paced. I get it, they wanted to showcase their special effects, but tonight, they just seemed dated. I think they could have tried a little harder to make that cotton batting hanging from everything look a little less like cotton batting (or like the spider web stuff you buy at Halloween). They also left a pretty big plot hole. The rest is under spoilers.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Because:


Sometimes with these types of movies it's just best to not think about the science too hard. :D

I have a new BR of that one waiting in the wings. It's been a favorite since I first saw it in the theater during the original release.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Last night's viewings was a good news/bad news thing...

I first watched an episode of Last Kingdom because I have 2 seasons, am debating S3, and haven't watched any of it before. I needed to fix that in spite of it not counting this month. I enjoyed the first episode so ordered S3.

That's the good... the rest is the "bad" and somewhat a rant. You've been warned...

Then I started to watch my spankin' new (purchased yesterday afternoon) S1 set of Stranger Things, a Target exclusive BR/DVD w/poster for $5 - a great deal - or so I thought. The packaging is horrible - a fake VHS thing that's larger than a VHS with foam spindles for each disc - blech. A huge space waster. It get's worse. I put in disc 1 and promos start. I'm on the computer so don't try to skip 'em until I realize it's a promo for the exact series I'm about to watch! How stupid! So I hit the skip button on the remote to find it doesn't work. OK... FF then. Nope won't do that either. I try "Disc Menu" - nope. "Home" - just stops the disc! I start it up again and am right back at the start of the promos! OK... maybe "Info/Menu" (which is a popup menu bar with options like "Disc menu" and more) and I hit "Disc menu" there - nope again. I try everything and nothing works to skip these **** promos! And they run 5 full minutes!?!?! So I just leave the room and do something else while they run. I start episode 1 and test to see if they do "resume" by pressing "stop" and then "eject." I start the disc and am asked "Resume" or "menu" so it looks like resume works.

I watched the first 2 episodes, got tired, started episode 3 and did my normal "press power" to turn off the unit as every other disc I own with resume will pick up where I powered off the unit when it's turned back on. Not this one. I started the disc this afternoon to watch the last 2 episodes on the disc to be greeted with the 5 minute unskippable promo block again! I hit eject. Those 2 episodes were interesting but weren't good enough to sit through/go off/ignore that 5 minute block of junk again. The set is either going back (not sure if it's worth the hassle) or in the trash.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Just got back from town. Watched Men in Black: International. It wasn't great but it was a fun, mindless summer flick. Enough action to keep you entertained. Plot was simple but it didn't really need a complicated one. It's only been out for 2-3 weeks, but already theaters around here seem to be phasing it out so I don't think it's pretty popular. I'd recommend it if you liked the series. No one from the first 3 was in it, though a few aliens did do cameos.

Well, there was also that liquid/saline that was inserted at the same time as them too! but yeah, definitely a movie to ignore science! Though...I did read last night that many medical colleges used to show it to their students because it was better than anything they could show!

Ouch! That would drive me nuts too. I watched s.1 through Netflix so didn't have the nonskippable commercials. I like quirky packaging but get needing the space. That just seems odd that you can't skip them. Weird. It's a shame you had such a negative experience with the discs because I think you'd like the show but I get it. I wouldn't want to have to deal with that either!

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

The visual effects were somewhat groudbreaking at the time. It's the somewhat dodgy science that gets me the most. All kinds of cheats, irregularities, and just plain incorrect things. Asimov corrected many of the issues with his adaptation. Even so, there was still the issue with the shrunken saline solution and the process of filling the oxygen tanks from the lungs. In spite of all that I still love the movie. I have the BR waiting for a viewing, probably tomorrow but Saturday for sure. It looks very good on the DVD so I'm expecting really good things on the BR.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I feel like I'm reversing what I said at the beginning of the challenge about liking practical effects in older movies! Maybe because this was my first viewing or maybe even because of the high def quality of the film, but I kind of felt like you could figure out how they did stuff. It just didn't take me to the place they wanted me to go. It's not a bad film at all. I would watch again if someone asked, just would be multi-tasking through it. I did see also, that people thought Asimov created the book because it was released first but the opposite was true. They asked him to write it but because filming went over, the book was released before the movie. And, like you mentioned, he took the opportunity to fix most of the plot holes we were talking about. I hope you enjoy your viewing!

I'm about to pop something in. Not sure what I'm in the mood for, but leaning for either a BBC version of Alice in Wonderland or The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Watched the new Severin release of Robowar, a mashup / ripoff of Predator and Robocop. Very entertaining with loads of special features.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I've always, even as a kid, had an eye for how visual effects are done. Some are quite obvious, like many in Fantastic Voyage (the antibodies attacking, them "swimming" in the blood vessels, and more). That's rarely stopped me from enjoying the movies with those visuals. I know it's odd, but poorly done CGI takes me out faster than a guy in a rubber suit, or seeing the wires holding something in the air, or the color fringing of blue/green screen, or poorly realized mattes (static and travelling), or poorly done rear screen (looking at you, Hitch, for having some of the worst), and more.
Is that version of Alice... the 1966 production with Peter Sellers? It looks interesting - if for nothing else the actors in the cast.

Were it me, I'd go for Alice... simply because I've never seen it before and it has 2 enthusiastic reviews here on DVD Talk. That's in spite of really liking The Beast... which benefits from being based on a story by Ray Bradbury, a favorite SF author, with miniature work from Harryhausen.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Last night I went more "traditional" and watched The Fly 1958. That's another long time favorite and BR upgrade (as are most of what I'm watching this year). In spite of the rather sketchy science of a man's head on a fly and it can still speak I still find it rather chilling. the desperation of Helene (Patricia Owens) as she tries to find the "right" fly to save her husband (David Hedison) is done well as she'll snap at Emma (Kathleene Freeman) or Phillipe (Charles Herbert) and then realize they just don't understand why she's acting the way she is.

I followed that with a viewing of a new DVD copy of The Illustrated Man (1969). I've never been too fond of this one and only purchased a copy to see if I might like it better now than when it first appeared in the theaters. As a teenager I really liked Bradbury's book but felt the movie was a missed opportunity. The wrapping story is overly complex and long serving solely to get you into the individual stories. OK... so does the book but it's not as wordy and does it better. Rod Steiger, IMHO, is miscast both as "The Illustrated Man" and in the parts in the individual stories. He's too "theatrical" and pompous with his acting (I've read it called "bombastic" and that fits his style but doesn't work in this movie). That's in spite of Bradbury wanting him in the lead role. His other choices were Burt Lancaster and Paul Newman. I think Newman would have been the better choice. I rather like "The Veldt" segment but Steiger mostly ruins it for me, like in the rest of the movie. So... yeah... it's still a general "miss" for me.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I was reading the IMDB trivia for The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and see this:

That alone makes me want to dig out my copy (it's in temporary storage and I'd have to go through several totes to locate it) of the movie and give it a viewing.

Then I read this:
Hmmm... never gave the depth a second thought before... :)

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I ended up watching The Beast first, then Alice. Both were enjoyable. Alice herself was very odd as half of her dialogue takes place in her head. The director didn't use costumes other than Victorian wear so that was different as well. I don't have a lot of older BBC films/shows under my belt so I didn't recognize most of the actors but from what IMDB says, the majority of them were popular British actors of the time, so that might be a draw too.

I read that too and made sure to keep an eye out for that scene. The couple are very easy to spot and are on the screen several seconds if you want to get a good glance at them.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

First movie tonight was Heavy Metal, another I purchased to see if my opinion was the same as when it came out. It is. I don't like this one. Maybe if I'd seen it when I was 16 but not when I was 26 and certainly not now. I've never been a fan of "adult" animated projects. Throw in animated "nudity," sex scenes, and rotoscoped bits (I'm not a fan of that process) and, for me, you have a recipe for failure. Even the soundtrack is lacking.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

After the earlier posts about Jonny Quest on BR, I decided to splurge and pick it up for myself. Original shipping date was not for another couple weeks, but they must have gotten their stock in sooner and I received it today. Haven't quite decided if I should save it for the end of the month for double credit or not. We'll see how long I last, I guess! :)

Decided to watch The Thing tonight. First time watch for me. I'm not a big horror fan, but it was on enough lists, I felt like I should watch it at least once. The opening scene sent two immediate thoughts into my head. 1) Don't kill the wolf! and 2) Man, they are bad shots!

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Like I mentioned, I'm watching The Thing. I'm almost done, and I've only jumped once. I'll put the rest under spoilers.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Burned through 3Below: Tales of Arcadia season 2 tonight. I started intending to watch two episodes a night, but two episodes turned into four and then I figured well, why not. An occasional binge is fun (if exhausting).

If only we had had toons like this when I was a kid. Now I'll just have to bide my time until the first season of Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, which should be showing up about this time next Summer.

I did get all of the available episodes of Puppets Who Kill in a couple of days ago, so I'll put them into rotation with Slayers etc...there's too many episodes of that for me to be tempted to start binging.

For my movies tomorrow I'm debating A Chinese Odyssey Part 1: Pandora's Box (1995) and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995) or maybe Tomb Raider 1 & 2 or maybe I'll just wade into my collection and see what catches my eye.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

It *is* clever and cute but I'm not a fan of non-standard packaging for DVD/BR product.

I didn't realize how large it was until I got it home. I did a store pickup and they quickly pulled it out of the bag for me to verify it was correct and put it back in. I was running errands so didn't take it out of the bag until I got home. It's huge - thicker and larger than a plastic VHS case with only 4 discs inside. Everything, including the poster, would have fit in a standard multi-disc Viva case.

Based on what I've read about the show that case is in keeping with the overall 80s vibe its claimed to have. It looks like a typical rental VHS (just a bit larger) right down to store markings and labels with fake shelf wear on the slip case. So, yeah... it's "cute" but the typical one-trick-pony with such packaging. My grandkids didn't pick up on the VHS nostalgia bit at all as they've never even seen a VHS tape or machine.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

You're *really* going to be impressed with the Jonny Quest BR. I'm seriously considering watching it again before the challenge is over. I couldn't wait and watched the whose series last month - within a week of it arriving.
Was this the 1982 movie with Kurt Russell (why they did a prequel in 2011 and then called it The Thing is mystifying)? It's been a while since I've seen either of those and I have this recollection of both having a wolf in the opening scene.

I resisted watching the 1982 remake for several years as I love the original and have a built-in bias against remakes as most aren't worth the time. When I finally watched it I was surprised that it's quite good. Different in a good way. I still prefer the original although the 1982 movie is one of a handful of remakes I consider to be worth watching.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I finished last night with the "Director's cut" of Supergirl. It's by no means a "great" movie and really just passable but I enjoy it anyway. Part of that is having been a fan of Superman and Supergirl since I was a kid.

They got the mythology of the character wrong, my biggest gripe, but it's generally OK and fits with what the Salkind's did with the Superman movies. It's more Superman III than Superman: The Movie, which is unfortunate. It was intended to start a new franchise but the poor box office killed that idea.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I watched the "International Edition" cut of Supergirl this morning and listened to the commentary. I normally don't do that but for some reason that was the default audio track so I listened while the opening credits were rolling and just kept it for the rest of the movie. It was interesting.

I followed that with a first time viewing of Ikarie XB 1, a Czech film from 1963 that I've only heard about and have wanted to see for several years. I splurged on the new BR release (it's region free!). It's a very impressive film. It follows a 40 member crew of a interstellar spacecraft on their journey to Alpha Centauri in search of life. It deals with the everyday, ho-hum, aspects of such a journey and delivers some excitement with an encounter with a derelict craft, an odd illness, and more. There's even social commentary. If you enjoy foreign SF films you should give it a shot.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I'm hoping so! I'm also eager to see if there are any "new" episodes that never aired on Boomerang or CN where I watched the majority of them.

It was the 1982 movie. Part of why I picked it was because Russell was in it and it was a Carpenter film, so it'd check off a couple of check marks in the list. I usually watch Escape from New York but wanted to skip it this year. It wasn't bad. Like I mentioned, I'm not a horror fan at all. I don't mind cheesy horror or old horror (Like Vincent Price's House of Wax) but hate jump scares, over-the-top bloody gore/murder porn/violent horror films. Hitchcock's The Birds was one of the first I watched that I actually enjoyed. But anyway, The Thing had a few gooey moments but I appreciate the suspense of not knowing who was infected. I have not watched the original and didn't realize until I started reading about it that there was an original. It does sound like the '82 version actually stuck closer to the short story they are both based on than the original.

I have to admit, I'm probably going to buy this literally because it's $5 bucks. Season 2 is $10 and there's a 20% coupon for Target right now that I can use, so think I"m going to grab both of them this afternoon. I did read a review last night about S. 1 that said that the first disc had unskippable ads at the beginning but not the 2nd disc. Not sure if they fixed it for S. 2, but here's hoping. I did enjoy S.1 enough that I do want to have access to it since I'm not a Netflix subscriber. I'm with you, though, that it's really stupid not to be able to skip them.

The packaging, on the other hand...I'm a sucker for unique ones. I'm also a little more flexible space wise because I have some unique storage for my TV on DVD/BR collection. It's a little more flexible than what I use for my movies height wise. It is annoying that they couldn't make it look like the VHS tape without sizing it to fit most DVD storage units. They were more concerned about looks than practicalities.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

I'd say it's unlikely as there are only 26 episodes. I was 9 when it first aired, in Prime Time, and practically devastated when it didn't return for a 2nd season. At least it went to Saturday rotation and stayed there for many years. I've seen it so much I practically have it memorized but still like to watch it at least once a year. When I got the DVDs I watched them through 4 times before putting it away.
My preference for horror is "classic" (i.e. pre ~1970) horror movies. I have no use for gore/murder/violent/slasher/toture-porn or any of the variants. I don't mind "jump scares" if they're done well - Alien comes to mind for that one as it's more like a classic horror/monster movie with updated effects. While it does have a bit of gore it's not over-the-top like many others.

I've read that about Carpenter's version but have never read the short story. I saw the original as a kid on a late night "horror host" program. It kind of stuck with me.

I complained about the promo bit on another thread here and was told a possible method to get around them. Essentially - put the 2nd disc in, let it load, swap to the 1st disc. The menu should load with no promos first. I've not yet tried it but will before long. If it works I'll likely order S2 (the store here doesn't have any in stock) with a few other things before that sale expires later tonight.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

It'd work for me. I think Middle Earth would be a very interesting place... at least as long as Sauron's minions weren't after me. ;)

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Sounds like a good dream to me unless you were stuck with the Orcs. :)

Please let me know if it works! I went ahead and bought S1 and S2. For $5 for S1 and $8.00 (20% off $10) for S2, with another 5% off for using my Target CC. I also had a $5 gift card. Was hard to say no to buying them, especially since now I can watch S2 anytime rather than relying on someone with Netflix.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

It works! Here's what you do:

Insert disc *two* first. Let the menu come up. EJECT disc two and insert disc *one*. When it starts it'll come up to a "Resume: Yes/No" option very quickly. Select "Yes" and you'll be at the menu. This process takes ~30 seconds to complete from inserting disc two until you can select an episode on disc one.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Awesome, thanks!

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Watched the new Severin blu ray release of the Soviet film VIY (1967). Fascinating stuff.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Last night I finally watched my new BR of Fahrenheit 451 (1966). It's a really good adaptation of the novel and a long time favorite.

Then I cracked open a 7 movie Godzilla set I picked up last year but didn't get to. I started those with Godzilla 2000 (1999) which was far better than what I was expecting. It has fairly good visual effects and an interesting "alien monster" creation.

After that one I watched Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla which was also better than I was expecting.

I'm now a bit more excited about the rest of the movies in that set. Generally I'm not much of a fan of the later Godzilla movies and have felt they were mostly dumbed down kid movies. I may have to change my opinion if the rest are like those first two.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Continuing the Godzilla set with Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) which was lots of fun. A new enemy for Godzilla and a last second "let's leave it open for a possible sequel" scene.

I'm about to start Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) which I'm now expecting to be quite good (it also has a rather high IMDB score of 7.2 - quite respectable for a Godzilla flic). I also like Mothra.

Other than the first two the rest are in Japanese with English subs. The first two were dubbed in English with no alternate audio track - bummer. I'd rather have the original language and subs. Oh well... they looked very good. All are in OAR, which is another bonus, and have excellent transfers.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

This week is my family's annual week up at the lake so I haven't been able to get many watches in. We're settling down for the night pretty early so I think I'm going to go put in Faust. The back cover claims it is up there with Metropolis which I really enjoy. I won't lie, I try to like silent films, but the longer ones do tend to lose my interest. Metropolis is one of the few that more than meet expectations so it'll take a lot for me to enjoy something as much as I enjoy that one.

The challenge is about half over. How are your challenges going?

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

Just watched I Am Mother (which I held off from on Netflix until the challenge) ... nice to see Netflix bucking the reputation of making good series but crap movie originals.

I watched Happy Death 2U a few days ago. Despite the marketing making it look like a slasher horror, it's very much a sci-fi movie (more so than the first one). It also plays more at being an outright comedy than the first movie.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread
 

You must be thinking about the late 60s and early/mid 70s Godzilla movies (which mostly were silly kid movies). But they had several reboots which went back to a more serious tone and I enjoyed quite a bit. There was a run of movies between The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs Destroyah from 1984 to 1995. And sounds like you're seeing the next series (from Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla: Final Wars). Final Wars gets crapped on a bit since much of it doesn't feel like a Godzilla movie, but I liked it. I was into director Ryuhei Kitamura's other movies (like Versus and Azumi) and I loved the joke Final Wars made at American Godzilla's expense.

Has anyone seen Shin Godzilla? I saw it earlier in the year and is a whole new reboot and retelling of Godzilla's origin. It goes in some pretty weird directions, but I appreciate that you have to shake up the formula.

Re: 12th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread