Comments on: Sci-Fi Sunday: Batman, Iron Man, Ghostbusters, Transformers, Fringe, Smallville, Heroes, Dollhouse + more

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:59:56 +0000

The show with Ruth Buzzy and Gomer Pyle was “The Lost Saucer”…and it deserves a George Takei “oh my”.

By: William

William — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:14:59 +0000

#44

Thank you! I have been trying to remember the name of a show I remembered with a big funky traveling truck with a dunebuggy in the back. The Ark II, I wouldn’t have guessed that in a 100 years.

By: M_E

M_E — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:54:46 +0000

“It spanned galaxies. It was Lord of the Rings. I mean, it was that huge. It was like a Third World War on Earth involving different planets and universes, and brotherhoods – sibling rivalry and the collision of enormous powers.”

W.T.F. is this s** ?! And Brendan Fraser? I loved him in the Mummy films but picturing him as Superman simply doesn´t work…

By: The Enterprise

The Enterprise — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:02:23 +0000

They should remake Salvage One. Heck, Andy Griffith could still be in it.

The show with Gilligan in it is, “Far out Space Nuts”,

By: Out There

Out There — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:52:41 +0000

#44

I had to wiki Ark II . . . and Yes, I remember it! At least, I remember the cool vehicle they drove around in.

Here’s another one: What was the name of the show with Jim Nabors and Ruth Buzzi in a flying saucer? I think they were robots, if I remember correctly.

I also remember the guy who played Gilligan in some kind of futeristic live action TV show.

All of these arcane childhood memories are getting brought to the surface.

PS. When they come out with a Wonder Twins movie, you know they’ve run out of old ideas to reuse . . . .

By: Energize

Energize — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:30:15 +0000

You can’t have enough movies with monkey’s in them.

By: Decker's Stubble

Decker's Stubble — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:14:50 +0000

42 – Remember “Ark II”? I’m surprised they haven’t dug that old thing up and remade it. As I recall, it had something to do with doomsday stuff, so that fits in with current popular themes. Plus, it had a monkey!

By: richpit

richpit — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:07:36 +0000

Sell the “dirty word” Batman comic! Seriously, just ask for ID so no one under say, 16, buys it.

By: Joe Schmoe

Joe Schmoe — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:26:46 +0000

Sigmund and the Sea Monsters? That show was unwatchable when I was 8 years old, how is the premise any better now?

What’s next? Peter Jackson’s “Grape Ape?”

Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Speed Buggy”?

Steven Spielberg presents: “Captain CAAAAAAVEMAAAAAAN! . . . . and Son!”

Andy and Larry Wachowski do a live version of “Speed Racer?”

Oh wait . . . never mind.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:31:59 +0000

It took awhile for me to get into Fringe. About halfway through I realized it’s a comedy. You’ve got the mad scientist and his son providing the comic relief, while the FBI agent plays straight man. The whole thing is played as if it’s deadly serious but it’s so over the top and implausible that it’s very funny and entertaining. The main problem I had with the pilot is that it’s composed of so many stock elements, it took until the second half when their script picked up steam to get good.

And it’s hardly science fiction. It’s just an excuse to take every possible pseudo-science idea and throw it in the pot. The opening scene was closer to an Evil Dead movie than anything else, and all their meaningless technobabble wasn’t plausible, not that it mattered.

To see how to do science fiction and make it believable, watch Eureka. The recent episode, “Show Me The Mummy” looked like it was just a Halloween episode but turned out to be much stronger. It also had a biological threat but it was handled realistically, not in horror-movie style. On the other hand, Eureka went through a weak time during the end of season two (A scientist comes up with an invention that could destroy the town! Again.) and what we’re seeing this year is much improved.

So I hope that Fringe gets even farther out. The less they worry about trying to be believable science fiction, and the more they can tell their over-the-top story, the better. The main plot twist with the guy who got brought back only to die (Maybe. Can he get cellular coverage in the afterlife?) looks like it’s going to be really fun.