Kaiju = Giant Monster

I'm recovering from a little yard work I did yesterday and this morning I  am watching a slice of cheese from the 50's titled "It came from Outer Space"!  Gives ya chills. Right?  Anyway, I tivoed it last night after I had watched a good sci fi movie from 1985.  Ron Howard's "Cocoon".  I loved the scene where all the aging stars are sneaking out of the retirement home and Don Ameche's character peeks in an empty room as they go by and the tv set is showing him in one of his b&w films from the 1930s.  Nice!  It got me to thinking that 1985 was a pretty good year for sci fi.  Besides "Cocoon", there was "Back to the Future", "Brazil", "Enemy Mine", "The Quiet Earth", and on the cheese front, "Real Genius" and "Weird Science".  Of these, "The Quiet Earth", I think, is an underappreciated classic.  Well worth the watch!
On the book front, I yesterday finished "The Mammoth Book of Kaiju: 27 Tales of Monster Mayhem".  Good Read, and available on Bookmooch.com.  I have started Stephen Baxter's NASA Trilogy.  The first of which, "Voyage" was published in 1996 and tells of mankind's conquest of Mars.  In this alternate timeline universe, Kennedy was wounded, but not killed in 1963, and due to his influence on following presidents, NASA flourished and the first flight to Mars took off in 1985 (wow-'85 again).  I'm about 80 pages in, but it is well presented and definitely holds my attention.
Long Live and Prosper!

FLASH GORDON Lives

With the world as it is with social distancing, COVID19, and all.  We are all spending a lot of time at home.  I took advantage of one of the free preview offerings on DirecTv and tivoed 1980's "Flash Gordon" with Sam Jones in the title role and Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless.  A bigger piece of cheese you have never sliced, but I enjoyed the heck out of it.  It never takes itself too seriously, and it shows.  Lots of fun.

By happenstance, I came across a  graphic collection titled "Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers".  Its an interesting tale made possible by a mechanical malfunction resulting in the original MMPR crossing into Earth 1's plane of existence.  Interesting tale.

Stay safe!  Live Long and Prosper!

Binge Watching Sci Fi

I know its been a couple of weeks, but this time last week I turned 65, and was concerned with other things besides writing.  (Like groceries and toilet paper!)  But I digress....  I've be reading a lot about during this pandemic and social distancing, its the perfect time to be "binge watching" old sci fi series.  Maybe for some folks, but not me.  There have been a lot of shows over the years that I have dearly loved, but after 2, or maybe, 3 episodes I'm ready to give it a rest and read, or watch something else.  I just get tired of it.   This past Sunday, SyFy Network ran a "Sharknado" marathon.  I've seen 'em all, and enjoyed them all.  But not 6 in a row.  Another network was running the first 6 Star Wars movies, and yet another all the Harry Potter movies.  But, as someone wiser than I once stated, "Moderation in all things."

I have been catching up on my sci fi watching.  Yesterday I watched "Starship Troopers 3" and today the animated/CGI "Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars".  Now I had previously seen the first two (with the first being the best) and I (last year) re-read Heinlein's book.  If you haven't read it, you should.  One of the SF masters at his finest.  Much more to the story than ANY of the movies.

I just, like 10 minutes ago, finished reading a 30+ year old ST:TNG novel titled "Survivors" by Jean Lorrah.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is now available to be claimed on Bookmooch.  It focuses on LT Tasha Yar (Security Chief of the Enterprise) and some of her backstory.  Its a good, quick read with much of your brain in park.

Stay safe!  Live Long and Prosper!