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[paw broon]

Nope, not seen it either.  Will have a look.

[Geo (R.I.P.)]

Just watched Battleship and Big Miracle with the wife. Both were a good watch.

Geo

[narfstar]

I had not heard of Big Miracle. Even though Battleship bombed at the box office and got bad reviews does not mean that it can not be fun to watch on the telly.

[paw broon]

At Collectormania on Saturday I found a dvd of Masters of Venus, a 6-part serial made in 1962 by the Children's Film Foundation.  It's really good fun and, as the blurb acknowledges, is low budget with some dodgy effects.  Dad (a prof.) is building a rocket, his 2 kids disturb bad guys with ray guns trying to sabotage it, kids get trapped on the rocket with unconscious crew, rocket takes off and heads for Venus,  Stranger goings-on follow.  Here's part of an episode:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9R4y6l_Cw4
It was couch potato time, Tues. as we watched Person of Interest, Leverage and The Great British Bake-off with that nice Miss Perkins.  PoI was gripping, Leverage was funny and TGBBo had some good recipes.  Well, at least it's not Masterchef.

[macsnafu]

If you're ever tempted to watch "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", resist the urge, and save yourself some painful viewing.  However, if you can find the less common comic book version of the movie, which was included with a kid's recording of it, it's much better.  I'm guessing that, since the reader is really pacing the comic book story, from artist cues, it eliminates much of the awkward timing of the scenes in the movie.

Gee, I need to see if I still have that comic, or if it's one that I lost.

[narfstar]

Saturday night CHILLER THEATER, I used to watch Santa conquer those Martians every Christmas and loved it.

[profh0011]

When I was a little kid, I saw SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS in a theatre on a big screen-- 2 years in a row!  Loved every minute of it.

[macsnafu]

I'm outnumbered!    

Perhaps my problem is that I never saw Santa Claus Conquers the Martians as a kid, I just read the comic.  I didn't see the movie until a few years ago.  The premise of the movie isn't bad, just the execution of it. 

Anyway, now you can watch it any time you want to.  It's on Youtube and Hulu.

Here, for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEumP828D4

[narfstar]

It has been maaaany years since I have seen it but even as an adult I enjoyed it. I suspect you are right that it was because I liked it as a kid

[Captain Audio]

One of our movie channels recently aired "Thunderbird 6" from about 1968. Hadn't seen any of the Anderson's "Supermarionation" stuff for a long time. The effects were really pretty good for the time, and seeing some of the characters in their "Mod" gear was a blast.

While sorting out my DVD collection last night I found my Thunderbird 6 DVD. I plan to rewatch it today.
I agree with your comments, these episodes are a blast.
The thing I found strangest is the depictions of cold blooded murders by the villians. Thats something you don't expect in what at first look would seem to be a childrens show. There was occasionaly mayhem in the old Jonny Quest animated series, and some found that disturbing at the time.

I dearly love "the Venture Brothers" which captures the unusual qualities of these old series and adds a bit of adult humour as well.

[profh0011]

The last few days...

VICTORY
THE DARK CRYSTAL
THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN
FIRST BLOOD
MANHATTAN
STARDUST MEMORIES
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY     (my favorite of the batch!)

[narfstar]

Starcrash a fun bad  movie could have been made in black and white in the fifties but was made in color in 1979. And Caroline Munro looks great, remember her from Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter.

[narfstar]

I just watched the Amazon video of GRUB a sci fi movie by E-Man co-creator Nick Cuti. Yes it low budget with non-professional actors. It was however written by Nick and is actually a good story. It has CGI by our own profh0011 Henry K. For just $2 you can watch it onlline from Amazon. I checked it out because Henry mentioned that he had done the 3D for the movie.

[bowers]

Watched the season premier of "Doctor Who" yesterday and was just a little disappointed. It was a good enough story, but I expected more from a premier epiosode. "Copper" continues to entertain. I believe ten episodes were made, so seven more to go. (Again, definitely NOT for the kiddies!) "Leverage" is also great this season- the D.B. Cooper episode was incredible! It was a lot of fun to see the cast playing different characters. However, there are some hints of a change coming. "The Mentalist" comes back Sept. 30. Except for a few good documentaries, PBS has been pretty quiet- lotsa reruns. Heard there will be a "Downton Abbey 3" next year. (I couldn't stand the first two.) Anyway, it's off to California tomorrow for the wife and me to visit the granddaughters, so won't have much time for TV this week. Cheers, Bowers

[narfstar]

Enjoy the family. I thought Doc was pretty cool. I actually thought it was one of the better episodes. SPOILER********************************************
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I did not figure out that she was a Dalek until the Doctor said he could not take her with them. I did get it then before he actually said so. I thought she was going to be the next companion. I like Amy but it is time for someone new. I also enjoyed all the Daleks going Doctor Who not knowing who he was.

[paw broon]

I actually quite enjoyed this 1st episode.  Surprising as I normally watch the start and turn off just after half way through as they ramp up all the false emotion and soul searching.  The lighting was excellent, I thought, as were many of the effects and Matt Smith is very good and has been since he took over the role.  Time indeed for a new companion.
But wasn't there a plot defect.  Who did the total transformation?  The Daleks needed a genius, it was said, so why did they immediately dump her/dalek on the planet.  If it was the Daleks on the planet, that was odd as they seemed incapable of doing much.  And if it was Parliament of D's, they didn't give the new creation much of a chance.  Some of the story just seemed a bit illogical. I might watch this again as I probably missed something important.   Apart from that, the wiping of the Dalek memory of the Doc. was a great moment. Doctor Who?
There is a discussion comicsuk.co.uk re. who would win in Vader v. Daleks. Then, same question for Borg v. Daleks.  I know this is silly and getting geeky but the idea intrigued me.  And the idea of the hive mind, although we were told it wasn't that, more a telepathic web, is reminiscent of Borg and original Cybermen. Is that right, or am I havering?

[paw broon]

And, I meant to comment on ep. 2 of New Tricks.  The 1st. no Jack story.  Not bad but I wondered if the plot got a bit lost at one point.  The M.P. bit should have been developed more.
Tonight, The Great British Bake Off, with that nice Miss Perkins, then Person of Interest.
There is a problem here with NFL and apart from the Mon. night games on C.4, nobody else seems to have broadcast rights, which is a bit stupd of the NFL not to organise something, what with their efforts to promote the game in the UK and also with the Wembley game and news of the Jaguars playing a game a year here for 3 years.

[profh0011]

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
(Ian Richardson; Tom Baker; Basil Rathbone; Peter Cook*; Peter Cushing)


*absolutely abysmal, avoid at all costs!!!


CARRY ON REGARDLESS
     (This is actually very funny, although it has no real plot)

[Captain Audio]

Found a copy of "Without a Clue".
Micheal Caine plays a besotted washed up ham actor hired by Doctor Watson to pretend to be Sherlock holmes. There is no real Holmes, the great detective being an invention of Dr Watson who is the real master detective, but a bland little man that no one listens to, so he invented Holmes as a public face that people would respect.
Then Watson disppears and the dipsy actor tries to solve the case himself.

Its hilarious.

[narfstar]

This sounds like something I may have watched many many years ago but deserves checking out.

[profh0011]

I just watched the Amazon video of GRUB a sci fi movie by E-Man co-creator Nick Cuti. Yes it low budget with non-professional actors. It was however written by Nick and is actually a good story. It has CGI by our own profh0011 Henry K. For just $2 you can watch it onlline from Amazon. I checked it out because Henry mentioned that he had done the 3D for the movie.

Oh cool. I missed this post earlier.

I finally saw the thing about 6 months ago.  I didn't have a DVD player on my computer before that. It was interesting to finally see it, but at the same time, a bit frustrating. Nick told me some time back he was "disappointed" in it. It's mostly the directing / editing that bugs me. I've gotten so good at doing storyboards (for my own comics) that it seems to me I could have easily laid out that film better than the guy who did it.

I think my main disappointment was that, after all the immense amount of work that I put into building 3D models for it, so little of them wound up in the film. The most baffling thing, for me, was the lack of even a single shot looking down the main hallway. HOW could they not include that? Then again, if I hadn't gone and done a few animation shots-- entirely on my own, with no prompting from anybody-- the CGI work would have consisted entirely of static background shots.

I can sort of understand how it turned out the way it did, though. While I was working on it, I got the strongest impression there was a severe lack of communication between the writer & director. I had just about no contact with the director at all, and the writer (Nick) just never seemed to put any value on my suggestions.  Ah well!

My "regular" website is down at the moment, but here's some stuff I set up at my blog... enjoy!
http://professorhszodiaccomics.blogspot.com/2012/08/grub-animations.html

Crazy but true:  "GRUB" is a remake of Nick's story (illustrated by Tom Sutton) from CREEPY #28!

[profh0011]

The last few days...
HIGH ROAD TO CHINA
LASSITER
THE SIGN OF FOUR  (Ian Richardson)
SOME LIKE IT HOT
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES  (Tom Baker)
MAN AGAINST THE MOB (1988 w/ George Peppard)
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (Basil Rathbone)
BATES MOTEL
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR
THE VAMPIRE LOVERS

[unclerobin@att.net]

I just got a GREAT old movie off of youtube that I haven't seen in over 25 years on television here in the Chicago area, THE INVISIBLE RAY, with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, what a wonderful find! My wife, Peg, and I watch a lot of television together and we're looking forward to new episodes of NCIS and BONES. We also like  GHOST FILES - Peg says the chick who "speaks to the dead", makes faces, and makes "iiihhhh" noises - IS MY GIRLFRIEND! AAAHHHH!!! We also just watched another fun season of HELL'S KITCHEN . I am a Democrat and a political junkie, so I'm also big on HARDBALL, MARTIN BASHIR, ALEX WAGNER, and THE ED SHOW on MSNBC - I try to watch FOX NEWS with an open mind, but I always end up getting pissed at HANNITY - sometimes that can be amusing, but mostly I just end up having to change the channel. A lot of what I watch comes from youtube these days, I love seeing old Disney cartoons. I just saw a couple of WW2 classics, DER FUHRER'S FACE with Donald Duck, and DAFFY THE COMMANDO with Daffy Duck. Back to the political stuff, I also watch WASHINGTON JOURNAL, I just love all the crank calls they get - from both sides! As you can tell, I have WAY too much time on my hands, being semi-disabled (early-stage emphysema) and all, but I'll stop here for now. Be warned, though - this is just the tip of the iceberg, I WILL be back with more good time-wasters for ya before you know it! 'NUF SAID!

[bowers]

Back from sunny California! Great trip. For some reason, our PBS station isn't showing the "Wallender" episodes on Masterpiece Mystery. Instead, we got a rerun of the "Sally Lockhart Mysteries" from about five years ago. I had completely forgotten that this series starred both Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) and Matt Smith (The Doctor)! Great to see them together- good chemistry there. Also, it was an episode I hadn't seen. Hats off to the THIS network for having the courage to show one of my guilty favorites, "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra". This masterpiece grossed about $100,000 in its one screen release in 2004. While I see it as a loving homage to D-grade sci-fi films of the fifties, there are those who would call this film moronic, idiotic and even inane. To which I proudly reply- "And what's wrong with that?"  Tipsy aliens, a mutant who looks like a cross between a walking ear of corn and a lobster, an evil scientist armed with a Gilbert chemistry set, and some of the most unbelievable dialog ever filmed. I laugh myself silly every time I watch this. But be warned- this film is best viewed with several friends and copious amounts of your favorite adult beverage. Same write/director and cast also star(?) in "Trail of the Screaming Forehead". Also, "Castle" fans- TNT will be carrying episodes in syndication this Fall. Cheers, Bowers

[narfstar]

Robin if you are going to watch Foxnews you need to watch THE FIVE. Not exactly balanced with one Dem to 4 Republicans but they always give him the chance to express his opinion. Charles Krauthammer on Special Report at six, would be my number one choice for President of this country. He puts almost anyone else to shame IMHO