vintage
Vintage articles and footage from the science fiction archives.
Flash Gordon Behind the Scenes
Working on Dino De Laurentiis's multi-million dollar epic, Flash Gordon, was quite an adventure for the British FX team Of Martin J. Bower and Bill Pearson, two of the most talented and prolific model makers in science fiction film. Together, they have tackled the making of Alien and The Medusa Touch, and their separate credits include Space: 1999, Doctor Who, and Blake's 7. In December of 1980, theater screens exploded with the film that became their most demanding project to date—Flash Gordon—a comic strip that lives on the screen and one of the best sci-fi cult classics of all time.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
History of Flight
In 1903, man realized a primal dream—to fly. The Wright brothers's hometown paper was one of the few to note the epochal achievement. Today, we have gone above and beyond the beginnings of flight, even entering space. Today's flight technologies have a long and intriguing history of development and dedication to the dream to take to the skies.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
50 Greatest Movies Never Made
Remember that great scene in Starfleet Academy—you know, the sixth Star Trek movie—in which the young Cadet Spock, the school's first alien, endured racist taunts from his classmates, only to be defended by fellow student James Kirk? And remember that deeply affecting scene where the two meet again on the maiden voyage of the Enterprise? You don't? Well, maybe that's because Starfleet Academy was never actually filmed.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Darwin’s Archipelago
In 1966, I spent four months in the Galápagos Islands, gathering materials for a picture book on that archipelago. My Galápagos, the Galápagos of 1966, had been discovered by science but not by Lindblad. Charles Darwin had come 131 years before, but tour boats were not yet calling; there were no hotels, and the Ecuadorian government had yet to establish the Galápagos National Park. The islands were best known among the citizens of the mainland for their old penal settlements. The Encantadas—the enchanted isles, as the Spanish had first called them—for a time had been devil's islands of the Pacific.
By Kenneth Brower10 years ago in Futurism
James Randi Scientific Skeptic
James Randi is a skeptic, well known for challenges to paranormal claims, false invention, religious claims and the pseudosciences. Randi started as a magician stage named "The Amazing Randi", he retired to devote his time to investigating the occult, and other supernatural claims. Randi became famous in 1972 when he openly questioned the claims of Uri Geller. He said Geller used plain magic tricks to accomplish his allegedly supernatural feats. Randi wrote about his claims in The Truth About Uri Geller one of a number of great books on debunking charlatans.
By Futurism Staff11 years ago in Futurism
Mark Hamill Interview With Maria Shriver
In this revealing Mark Hamill interview, Maria Shriver inquires if the Star Wars icon will reappear in the franchise 20 years from then. She was off by more than a decade but it is intriguing to realize that even as early as the 1983 release of The Return of the Jedi, there were plans for this franchise to live long into the future.
By Futurism Staff11 years ago in Futurism
Philip K. Dick Explains European Sci-Fi
In a rare interview, Philip K. Dick gives us a glimpse into differing perceptions of science fiction in Europe and America. A self analysis of his personal experience battling for legitimacy as a writer reveals very different attitudes toward sci-fi across the Atlantic ocean. While many decades have passed there still prevails a subtle difference between the two cultures that can be felt in the publishing industry.
By Futurism Staff11 years ago in Futurism
