Sci-Fi Storm

The 2009 class of movies being preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry includes 1957’s The Incredible Shrinking Man, the only obviously SF film, although 1979’s The Muppet Movie and Michael Jackson’s Thriller are included in some broad lists…

Apple Trailers now has an English trailer for the upcoming Inception available, and aside from the synopsis (“A contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.”), still little is known about the plot…but it seems like some pretty wacky dream sequences are involved. That is, unless we’ve perfected roll-up cities.

In case you weren’t sure why you’ve blocked out all memories of it, or why George Lucas attempted to destroy all copies, here is a short version of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special…

[Sadly, the video has been removed]

I’d long heard of Horace L. Gold (and L. Sprague de Camp’s) “most terrifying story to ever appear in Unknown,” novella, None But Lucifer, but I hadn’t realized it was available to be read, not only in print but also online – for free, thanks to Galaxyezine.com

I share some infor about it at:
http://dailyspace.blogspot.com/2009/12/read-none-but-lucifer.html

Rocketry expert Willy Ley acted as science editor for Galaxy magazine for about ten years. Galaxy was published by Horace Gold. It folded in 1980. There is a webzine, galaxyezine.com, from which I found these two videos, uploaded to YouTube. In them, E.L. Gold tells a couple of amusing Willy Ley stories.

The Thunder Child is launching a couple of new blogs for the new year, one on space exploration and one on marine exploration.

For the stories on Willy Ley (and Gold does a good German accent) check out: http://spaceexplorationchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/12/willy-ley-and-galaxy-and-rockets.html

Just a reminder for those of us in the U.S., Doctor Who: The End Of Time, Part 1 airs on BBC America tonight (12/26) at 9pm ET. And expect a big twist at the end – The Master isn’t the only one returning…Part 2 will air one week later, at 8:30pm ET on January 2nd.

Happy Holidays to all…there will be sporadic if any updates for about a week, so I leave you with this…the latest trailer for the last season of Lost…
(continue reading…)

News about fake memorabilia isn’t new, but this one seemed a bit different. A Trekkie collector purchased three items in 2006 on auction from well known auction house Christie’s – a poker visor supposedly worn by Data (Brent Spiner) ($6,000), a table from the set ($6,600), and a uniform ($11,400). When he met actor Spiner in 2007 and showed him the visor, the actor pointed out it was not authentic. The collector said that he later found that the table was also fake, and the uniform was not unique (he claims it was represented as being unique). So he filed a $7 million lawsuit. Well, a New York court has ruled against him saying is is not entitled to “the massive recovery he now demands,” and is at best entitled for refunds on the visor and table. The uniform was apparently not represented as unique by Christie’s and therefore he is not entitled to anything. Seems like his eyes got a little too large – $7m?

Peter Jackson recently gave The Hollywood Reporter a one-on-one on-camera interview as part of their Director’s Roundtable. Check out what he says about The Hobbit and how they really are on schedule – if the studio gives the green light.

Barrett writes in to let us know that the French trailer for the upcoming Inception is available, which is all you’ll see until you catch Sherlock Holmes in theaters starting Christmas Day…