Another childhood memory

[Strange Wings]

Disney's 'The Black Hole' is another childhood memory of mine. I watched it around the same time as the Astroboy-series were shown.
As a kid I was more thrilled by the fighting robots than by the actual plot, which is kind of obscur: A mad sientist is trying to fly his space-ship (with some kind of 'winter-garden' in it (!! ) through a Black Hole with the belief of travelling to a new dimension by that.

In some ways the story-line is a bit confusing, like the psychological type of end
which tries to convey some apocalyptical impressions - really weird for a Disney production.
Rather funny is the resemblence of the two lil' robots with R2D2 .



I always thought that the red robot Maximilian looks a lot like Goliath, apart from the eyes on his chest .

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this movie for kids younger than 9 since there are some heavy scenes in it :huh: .

[jeffbert]

I did not see that one until recently. My sci-fi memories include the time tunnel, Lost in space, Star Trek, Space 1999, & UFO.

As far as films go the Fantastic Voyage was always fun, especially the part where Donadl Pleasance is consumed by white blood cells. Then there are Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, The Omega Man, I could go on forever.

[Strange Wings]

I remember Soylent Green. It's a really dark movie. It's a scary imagination that this really could happen to us in the far future.
I hope not, I hate green coloured biscuits anyway .

[Pogo654]

If you like old sci-fi's you should look up "The Day The Earth Stood Still" it has a good messege and the effects are not too bad for the year it was made. I have seen all the others mentioned several time. Actually have them on Vid. But then I am a lot older than most of you guys. :wahah:

[jeffbert]

remember Soylent Green. It's a really dark movie. It's a scary imagination that this really could happen to us in the far future.
I hope not, I hate green coloured biscuits anyway

That was Edward G. Robinson's last film, he was already dying when production started. He was close to C. Heston, and even played Dr. Z on the Planet of the apes' short concept film (cannot think of the term) that was used to give the bosses a feel for the yet to be made full-length film.

I heard that The Day The Earth Stood Still was not well received by the military establishment. They had no liking for an anti-war film in the middle of the cold-war.

[Danny]

I remember seeing Black Hole and finding it weak. And this was when it was first at the theatre! I would have been less than ten years old.

One thing that has ALWAYS annoyed me about some types of films it the way you sit thru the whole thing and JUST as it gets interesting.. just when the REAL story should start.. the movie ends. Black hole was one of those movies.

Uh.. I can explain exactly what I mean if someone can tell me how to make the spoiler square things.. heh.

test..
click for spoilerspoiler goes here

The Day the Earth Stood Still frustrated the hell out of me too. once again it was a 'type' of movie that just irritates me. The strange thing about this one tho is that despite that I actually loved it. Its actually high on my list of favorite CLASSIC sci-fi.

time tunnel, Lost in space, Star Trek, Space 1999, & UFO
I loved all of these
Man, I have not seen these shows for like 20 years or more.
UFO made me laugh, it was set in 1980 haha...

As far as films go the Fantastic Voyage, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, The Omega Man

I have not seen soylent Green and not sure I am interested to be honest. It just doesnt sound entertaining, and 90% of why I watch movies is for entertainment. Fan voyage and the PotA series of films and TV series.. YUK!! (sorry, but once again.. frustrating rubbish imo)

I bought the Omega Man on DVD for $5 so I bought it. I have yet to watch it tho.

a few older Sci-Fi stuff I would like to add to this list would be..

TV
==
V - Like come on.. who didn't want to be Marc Singer!? Or have a best buddy like Michael Ironside. That dude was almost as hellava tough as Mr T.. man..!! Also, any series that can turn Freddy Krueger into a good guy has got something working right.
Battlestar Gallactica - 'nuf said, really..
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - I wanted my own Tweekie
Manimal - Simon McCorkindale was my Fashion Guru. I wore Twead everything because of this show. I still have the hat!
Blakes 7 - *sigh* Dayna...
Tomorrow People - No idea what it was about, but it FASCINATED me
Gemini Man - Never did find a cool watch that could turn me invisible. Probably just as well tho, cos his never really worked properly anyway. haha! Gotta love a show with faulty gadgets as its gimmick.

There was also this way cool show that I cannot remember the name of, but it was like castaways in a strange world or something and they met up with the coolest dude called VERIAN who could do all sorts of wiked cool magic with a tuning fork. What the hell WAS THAT SHOW!!??? AARRGGHHH......

Movies
=====
TRON - Who doesnt love this movie? Seriously..
FLASH GORDON - Sci-Fi cheese at it all time best. Beautiful art design and truely awful acting makes this a classic.
Logans Run - Low budget totally butchered movie based on the first third of the book of the same name. GOOD STUFF!! (hmmm.. Jenny Argutter)
- Edit by my mum.. mmmmmm Michael York..
Enemy Mine - Robinson Crusoe in Space! How can it be bad? haha!!


and the single greatest Sci-Fi movie in the history of all time..
Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaleers -Accross the 8th Dimension
WOHOO!!!!!

(is Star wars old enough to be 'old' yet? if so include that as well)

I am sure there are more I have forgotten.. so all you old bastards like me out there list some more so I can slap myself for forgetting them!

[jeffbert]

As far as films go the Fantastic Voyage, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, The Omega Man

I have not seen soylent Green and not sure I am interested to be honest. It just doesnt sound entertaining, and 90% of why I watch movies is for entertainment. Fan voyage and the PotA series of films and TV series.. YUK!! (sorry, but once again.. frustrating rubbish imo)

Soylent Green attracted my attention with the posters of dump trucks full of people, that had been scooped up. At the time I first saw it, I was about 12 to 14, and did not understand it. However, since adulthood, I think it is truly great. It is about overpopulation and food shortages in the dismal future. The sci-fi element is almost completely absent, though. I would call it a very tense drama, with enough action to keep it interesting. The soylent green is a new high-energy food item, that has a skeleton in its closet.

I was truly disappointed with Battlestar Gallactica. It was just too childish. The sfx were cool, but that was its only merit.

I remember that tuning fork show, but not its name.

Enemy Mine - Robinson Crusoe in Space! How can it be bad? haha!!

There was a film actually called Robinson Crusoe on Mars, starring TV's Batman Adam West. It was ok, but that is the best I can say for it.

The absolute coolest robot movie was Voyage to a prehistoric planet. The sfx in forbidden planet was to Star trek series as this was to Star Wars.


forbidden planet's robot and just about everything else was smooth and shiny, lacking details. Voyage to a prehistoric planet's robot and everything else was much more interesting, having intricate details, and the robot even had toes.

Yet, the plots were the selling points, and forbidden planet had a very compelling plot, even though it did have a too far-fetched level of science fiction.

[DrFrag]

Originally posted by Danny@Mar 31 2004, 09:28 AM
TRON - Who doesnt love this movie? Seriously..

My brother gave me the DVD of Tron for Christmas and I was amazed at how good it was for its time. Sure, it's special effects are primitive by today's standards, but for computer graphics I'm sure it was unsurpassed for years. And the plot deals with issues of reality that I don't think got touched on again until The Matrix.

[Strange Wings]

FLASH GORDON - Sci-Fi cheese at it all time best. Beautiful art design and truely awful acting makes this a classic.

Flash Gordon is quite entertaining if you look it on the humorous side, especially the old
series from 1936.

I couldn't stop laugh when I saw those spaceships blowing sparks out behind and the
strange noises they made (something like: kkrrrchchkkkrrrkkchhcchkkrrkkr) .
Anyway, if you consider the limited technical abilities of making movies like those in
the 1930's.......
or remember Fritz Lang's silent movie Metropolis? As far as I know, that one was made
to an earlier time than Flash Gordon was, but with reference to storyline, acting and visual
effects Metropolis is absolutely on a higher level.

All episodes from the old Flash Gordon series have one thing in common - they always used to end in an exciting moment, i.e. Dr. Zarkof and Flash are locked inside a cave,
Dr. Zarkof touches the cave's wall, turns himself to Flash and says: "Flash! The walls are hot!"
Just in that very moment a line appears: ....to be continued.
Seemingly the makers of such series had learned early enough how to keep the viewers
at their sides.
But if every episode has to end like this all the time, then I think it's a sign of low quality
in a way (Not to mention of having some nervous breakdowns because of it).
Neither Astroboy nor Star Trek are in need for such 'tricks', though they used it only a few times.

The 80's remake of Flash Gordon isn't any better than the original, to me only because of the soundtrack it's worthwhile to watch it since I'm a huge Queen-maniac.


"Flash - Aaahaah, Saviour Of The Universe"

[jeffbert]

These so-called cliff hanger endings were common to most if not all serials. I watched the Flash Gorden serials, Commander Cody, Buck Rodgers, Batman-- both the B&W movie serials and the tv show serials, Zorro's Fighting Legion, and a few others. With the sole exception of the Batman tv series, the cliff-hanger endings were always superceded by the beginning of the next installment, during which the viewer sees some detail that he had somehow missed before. Thus, the "what is surely going to happen ending" is relieved by the "fooled you! you thought the hero was doomed, but he got away" beginning. The Batman tv series used a different approach. The "what will happen to Batman and Robin unless..." ending logically or supposedly so, flows into Batman using some device to save himself and Robin.