pop culture
Trending and current events, topics, and interest in science fiction and technology.
Greatest Science Fiction One-on-One Battles Ever...and Their Spoofs!
When they engaged me to do a piece on Greatest Science Fiction Battles, I was not only honored but sweaty with fear. I eyeballed my anxiety meds, but knew that wasn't the answer. Rather, I asked for an extra shot of espresso in my coffee then texted a friend to chew her fingernails as my surrogate, since mine were cut too short, and then I asked for proof via Instagram that she was doing it (but she ignored me).
By Matt Cates9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 2
Saturday 15 April 1967 Ooh, the theme tune's changed! Just a bit. Some new 'twiddly bits'. I like it. Unfortunately the picture's gone again this week so I'll have to make do with audio and occasional images...hopefully televisions will be more reliable when they introduce colour later in the year!
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Starship Troopers Requires More than One Viewing to Get a True Understanding
My first viewing of Starship Troopers definitely had me confused and led me in search of this deceptively dystopian movie. Throwing a bunch of stuff in your face like Denise Richards at her hottest and giant bugs ripping humans to pieces almost entirely overshadow the subversive subtext filmmaker Paul Verhoeven was dropping. It was almost like he was seeking an initial misunderstanding before reveling his true intentions. Maybe not so spectacular for the studio’s bottom line but just the recipe for great science fiction movies.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Star Trek: Operation -- Annihilate!
Thursday 13 April 1967 Here in 1967...actually let me recap. For those of you who've just joined (hello!), my 'gimmick' is that I'm trapped 50 years in the past, writing about all the tv I'm watching, occasionally browsing through contemporary newspapers and magazines, seeing the odd film, and looking at how it all fits together. A lot of it I've actually seen before, but some I'm genuinely watching for the first time. Sometimes (as in tonight's episode) I'm not even sure if I've seen it before or not. "Rewatching" is not always strictly true but it's a good umbrella title anyway. I'm not always accurate regarding plot minutiae, nor do I strive to be. I'm just telling it as I see it. When I feel like it I'll be able to jump forward 50 years so I can make observations about 'modern' things, or reviewing 21st century television. Don't question this, don't look for logic, just go with it.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 1
Saturday 8 April 1967 This one gets off to a cracking start with the TARDIS materialising on an airport runway just as a plane is taking off. There's lots of airport-related hustle and bustle, a grumpy Commandant, uniformed staff, police motorcyclists... This is so unusual for Doctor Who - really 'urban'! The Commandant has received a report about the obstruction on the runway, which has left him less than delighted, and he's sceptical when told it's a police box. I'm not sure if the Doctor and friends legging it across the runway to avoid the plane was the best idea. Wouldn't it have been better to get back inside the TARDIS and dematerialise again? Still, I'm glad they didn't as this is shaping up to be an exciting episode.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Star Trek: The City At The Edge Of Forever
"I see you've noticed the ears." Thursday 6 April 1967 Straight into the action again this week, as the Enterprise is going through some turbulence. Suddenly there's a bang and a flash at Sulu's control panel and he ends up on the floor unconscious. This looks like it's going to be a Sulu episode.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Macra Terror – Part 4
"Confusion is best left to the experts." Saturday 1 April 1967 Jamie is trapped by giant crabs (the Macra of the title) and if that's not enough he has to contend with poison gas as well. The gas is what keeps the Macra active and at the moment the supply is being maintained, under the control of Control, by Officia the official. He's actually in charge of sending people into the mines. Nobody's keeping an eye on the Doctor and Polly though, which is lucky as it enables them to mess about with the controls and stop the gas flow, thus rendering the Macra docile and saving Jamie.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Star Trek: The Alternative Factor
Thursday 30 March 1967 This one starts out very promisingly. A quite gripping prologue in which the Enterprise passes through some kind of magnetic field, and as Spock puts it, reality momentarily "winks out". We get some classic Enterprise turbulence acting this week, as the crew on the bridge do some synchronised staggering as the ship lurches back and forth. I don't think I've seen much of that (if any) in the series so far. Spock also reports that at the exact moment of this 'winking out', a man suddenly appeared on the previously lifeless planet below them.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
The No-Kidding Coolest Planets in Science Fiction
Warning: This list of coolest science fiction planets will probably offend someone. Odds are 99-to-1 I left off someone’s favorite fiction world, so sorry ‘bout that but please keep the hate to a minimum. I’m still on my meds from the Reddit Rage about my Greatest Protagonists post.
By Matt Cates9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Macra Terror – Part 3
Saturday 25 March 1967 Crabs are unlikely creatures to use as an enemy, even in a sci-fi fantasy series. I can only see glimpses, so it's difficult to tell how convincing they are but it's hard to imagine something so rigid and bulky being particularly threatening. And crabs are not the speediest of creatures so I presume one could just walk away from them briskly. But ok, these are space crabs so maybe they move like lightning. And they're rather large. Of course in the 21st century version of this programme we'll see animal-based aliens all the time: space rhinoceroses, space wasps, space pigs, space whales, space cats, space giraffes...and indeed a return of the Macra, but in 1967 this is a bit of a novelty. Ok, maybe not space giraffes.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Star Trek: Errand Of Mercy
"...we Klingons play to win" Thursday 23 March 1967 There's this race of aliens called the Klingons, and Kirk doesn't like them. They're warlike and brutal; Starfleet has just advised that negotiations with them have broken down, and ordered the Enterprise to fly to a planet called Organia and protect the inhabitants.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
