Post Apocalypse Week: Things to Come

Howdy all and welcome to the end of the world as you know it.  Day 1 of Post Apocalypse Week and I thought I would start us off right with some H.G. Wells of a different standing.  As many of you are no doubt aware of The Time Machine and War of the Worlds, our gentleman story crafter gave us a short story that should given us pause.  In 1933, Wells published a short story describing social and political forces and all the possibilities they ensue.  The title is The Shape of Things to Come, which many believe this is less a story and more of a discussion for many to delve into. The impact it had on the world screamed for it to be put upon the big screen so director William Cameron Menzies (The Iron Mask, Alibi, Puttin' on the Ritz, Our Town, The Devil and Miss Jones, Duel in the Sun and Invaders from Mars) took the reins of this wild horse and did his level best.  This is Things to Come.

Alright, one more present and then the war simply must start.

Roxana: I don't suppose any man has ever understood any woman since the beginning of things, You don't understand our spoilers.





Hailing from Denham Studios our movie opens with the impeding threat of global war during of all times, Christmas Day a successful businessman John Cabal (Raymond Massey of The Speckled Band, The Prisoner of Zenda, Arsneic and Old Lace, East of Eden, Seven Angry Men and Dr. Kildare) queries to himself and his guests of what is to become of their city "Everytown" if and when this war reaches them.  His naive friend Passworthy (Edward Chapman of Murder, The October Man, The Spider and the Fly, His Excellency and X: The Unknown) assures him with technological marvels excelling as they do, the social conscious will rise with it.

A dissolve later we see Cabal in a biplane shooting down an enemy bomber, land and pull that bomber from the wreckage.  They both reflect on the madness that is war while conversing through gas masks when they see a little girl running around the dilapidated streets telling them they are done for anyway as it was so matter of fact.    Cabal takes the girl to safety in his plane as he wonders what is to become of Man's civilization.
Decades past as the war continues to wage on that even the survivors have no idea why they are fighting and who is the enemy anymore. The world ends up in a new Dark Age.  With cities and towns in ruins and little to no technology to be found aside from a scant amount of firearms to continue the killing.

That was me. Sorry little girl.

By 1966, a plague is introduced by some unknown enemy using the last remnants of aircraft to spread this gas about.  Dr. Harding (Maurice Braddell of Master and Man, Men of Tomorrow, Flesh and Women in Revolt) struggles desperately to find a cure to save what is left of humanity in order to rebuild and start over but with little equipement to harness a vacine is found dead.

By 1970, a despotic ruler calling himself the Boss (Ralph Richardson of The Avengers, Richard III, The 300 Spartans, Rollerball, Watership Down and Time Bandits) reigns over most of Southern England and has ceased the plague by shooting those infected.   This tyrant was a little man that came to power simply by being in the right place and time as so many conquerors.

This film brings about some of our worst fears to light.  The Luddites against progress to those that are enslaved to technology.  From warring nations to the Big Brother mentality that is sweeping the planet.  It portrays the best and worst of humanity in every conceivable way and frankly was an audacious piece of work for its time and holds true to our time.

But the Morlocks come out at night good sir!

Larson 80s Week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

Howdy doodly doo!!! Back again for more Larson 80s TV Week and  what better way for Larson to be on top of his game I believe given its collection of action figures, vehicle and playsets that this particular marketable show got almost as much love as Battlestar Galactica.  Based on comic strip artist Philip Francis Nowlan’s work which became novellas, radio shows and even serials starring Buster Crabbe; this phenomenon swept the nation is a big rush. So strap your blaster, prep your starfighter and get ready to defend Earth in the future.  This is Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century.

Thanks to Head and Shoulders I'm not afraid of flakes.

Twiki: Put me down, you big spoiler.

Due to the popularity of Star Wars dominating the big screen and Empire Strikes Back carving itself a slice out of the box office, Larson felt now was the time to hit the Sci-Fi market and hit it hard to squeeze as much material out of it as possible.  Revamping the old serial formula and putting a handsome and built guy in the lead role was a sure fire bet to win over America’s youth and possibly entertain the adults as well.  

Damn you, space vortex!!!

Captain William “Buck” Rogers (Gil Gerard of Man on a Swing, Not Another Affair, Johnny Blue, Sidekicks, The Stepdaughter and Ghost Town) is a 20^th century astronaut caught is a freak accident blown out of orbit of the planet and causing his return trip to lapse him 500 years into the future.  By this time the planet has recovered from nuclear fallout but is under constant attack by the Draconian Empire (D&D nerds are giggling).    The Earth Defense Directorate in need of combat pilots and hand to hand combatants (because apparently since we are done blowing each other up, we all forgot how to fight) Buck is drafted in.   Somehow his superior officer Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Gray of The Fall Guy, Six Pack Born Beautiful, Code of Vengeance, Silver Spoons and Friday the 13^th Part 9: Jason Goes to Hell) adheres to most of Rogers’s make it up as you go plans leading them into fire fights, starfighter dog fights and more of Buck trying to outdo Kirk in the making out with aliens category.   Personally, I think Kirk’s record is safe. 

I had a few fun facts about the show.   The production managed to recycled a buttload of props from Battlestar Galactica from scale model effects, costumes, blasters and even more than a few of the cockpits of the Viper starships.   Universal studios were so thrilled to receive a good Neilsen run that it opted to release the Buck Rogers TV movie.

With the rising popularity amongst kids, two sets of action figures were produced by main toy distributor Mego for a 12 inch high line as well as a series of 3 ¾ figures and scaled starships.  Milton Bradley released a board game and several jigsaw puzzles while model kits were created by Monogram.  A few die cast space and land vessels were created by Corgi, Topps has a hand in a series of trading cards and of course a Buck Rogers lunch box to follow.  

Even Gold Key Comics produced comics of the very same stories from the pilot and the second episode but there after followed the old comic strips and novellas.

Colgate: Earth's official toothpaste for 500 years.

Action Pack Week: Xena: Warrior Princess

Hidey ho boys and girls!!  Welcome to day 2 of Action Pack Week and we are kicking off with a former enemy turned ally of Hercules. Destroyer of nations, ravager of townships our villainess turned over a new leaf thanks to Hercules’…influences. This warrior princess strives to do good in the world from city to city and redeem her wicked ways.  So don that armour, sharpen your blade and polish that round killy thing.  This is Xena: Warrior Princess.

Never anger a warrior woman and her round killy thing.

Spoilers are most surprising…

The Warrior Princess known as Xena (Lucy Lawless of Tarzan, Spiderman, Vampire Bats, Battlestar Galactica, Angel of Death and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena) has turned from her killing ways and utter barbarism.  She vows to do right by those she has wronged for so long.  As her story progresses a young bard that craves adventure, excitement and really wild things.  Her name is Gabrielle (Renee O’ Connor of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys- Hercules and the Lost Kingdom, Darkman II: The Return of Durant, Alien Apocalypse, Boogeyman 2, Diamonds and Guns and Ark) and together they travel and thwart warlords, tyrants and the occasional monster here and there.    Another thorn in Xena’s side is the continuous pursuit of a certain god of war Ares (Kevin Smith of Desperate Remedies, Young Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess, Riverworld and Warriors of Virtue: The Return to Tao) and his plans for her consists mostly of back to her blood shedding ways and devotion back to him.  Through this one warrior he has absorbed more terror and fear via battlefields than any other of his protégés.   Also it is blatantly obvious he has the hots for her.  

Ladies, please. Plenty of Autolycus to go around.

Renaissance Pictures created the Hercules spin off Xena in 1995 and both series ran back to back as a compliment to one another. Naturally like most spin offs the show’s originator has to appear in at least one maybe two episodes and so a two part cliffhanger was created dragging both Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst on down to Xenatown.  While this was more or less Rob Tapert’s baby and boy did he run with it; the creator of the Xena character as well as the series is writer John Schulian (Miami Vice, Jag, Midnight Caller and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) using the cliché archetype of dark warrior rethinking the path of life and wither it should be bathed in blood or somber with good deeds.

This malefactor of destruction becomes a positive role model for generations alike and had so much cult followings of various ages.    A few points I would like to make about the show.   The show seems to give Xena almost the same demi-god status as Hercules when in fact she all 100% mortal.  With skill, cunning, strategy and a spine forged of steel she commands men and women alike into battle or faces it head on her own.  Protecting those she cares for seems to agree with her new calling as a hero.  

Sea god feeling a bit blue.

The production offers the same standing as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in that they use the Raimi camera techniques such as: Shaky cam(POV of creature, entity or roaming monster) projectile cam (an intense focus of a blade or arrow travelling faster than the human eye could really calculate), fist cam (A mock up of the hero’s fist pummeling a villain or lickspittle of said villain) and dolly track.  Yes it can be campy and silly what with the reoccurring characters of Joxer the Mighty (Ted Raimi of Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence, Darkman, Floundering, Seaquest 2032 and Spiderman) and Autolycus, King of Thieves (Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Spiderman) it can get a little zany but all in all it is girls kicking butt, taking names and winning the world’s hearts again and again.