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I really liked “A Trip to the Moon”. It struck me on first viewing as a precursor to platformer video games. I also must agree that the pictures of Giant of the Ice and the Man in the Moon are absolutely unforgettable. I saw them in monster movie books back in the 3rd grade and have never forgotten them.
There was a still of the Ice Giant in one of the first film books I ever owned – incredible to think it took me about thirty years to actually see the film!
It took me about 25 years to get a crack at The Hands of Orlac. For that matter– and this is almost embarrassing– I spent about 20 years on the hunt for a movie that turned out to be Night of the Blood Beast. There was a picture of the creature in some book with a title like The A-Z of Movie Monsters, and at the age of ten or so, I thought it looked really cool. In case you fail to understand why that would be embarrassing, I hasten to remind you that the monster in Night of the Blood Beast is a humanoid parrot made out out of muddy burlap. It’s not quite as sad as the thing in Caltiki, the Immortal Monster, but it’s pretty close.
few space travellers ever gazed back at anything other than their own corner of Planet Earth. In most cases this means that we are given a lingering view of the Americas…. And by the way, if you think attitudes like that are a thing of the distant past, take a good look at the opening credits of Star Trek: Enterprise some time.)
I just did, and I was unable to positively identify a single piece of North America seen from space, except under the space station was something that might have been the coast of Georgia and South Caroline. I am still trying to figure out what that body of water is in the very first space shot; it looks kind of like the Caspian Sea, kind of like the Gulf of Bothnia, kind of like the Adriatic Sea or the Persian Gulf… it doesn’t match any of them! It certainly isn’t Lake Michigan.
“You make Méliès sound like a paleolithic Michael Bay”
Hey check out the deleted scenes in Armageddon, the dancing girls on the asteroid are pretty freaky. Seriously though I think that Melies would have been just as puzzeled about the demands for scientific accuracy as Michael Bay appears to be.
Americans flew all over space and did amazing things, usualyl accompanied by sweet music. Russians sent a dog up, but it died, and then some cosmonauts got attacked by wolves so now they all carry sawed off shotguns. China sent some guy up there and he was sad he couldn’t see the Great Wall because he fell for that “big enough to be seen from space” urban legend. Then England brought back some space vampires, but it was cool because one of them was naked and totally hot. Although America sent many chimps into space,no one has sent full grown gorillas into space, but when they do, it’ll be awesome. The End.
Keith, you forgot to mention that the American space flights generally had wacky astronauts with names like Corky or Scooter on them. Oh, and that Korea had a space program so that it could spy on China and detect giant monsters.
You’re totally overlooking the fact that the Japanese regularly visited other planets in the 1960s, sadly proving themselves easily duped by aliens with cool looking wrap-around shades on.
No, Godzilla’s real. It’s a really big soundstage.
And to redeem myself somewhat — I’ve never even seen GINO. When it came out, I watched Godzilla vs. Megalon instead. Robert Dunham in a tiny tunic = Oo la la!
Y’know, I thought the Tristar Godzilla was pretty fun once I stopped thinking of the monster as *the* Godzilla; it works pretty well as just a giant monster movie.
A little fin de siècle science fiction, from the great-granddaddy of the fantasy film:
#1 by Blake Matthews on August 10th, 2008
I really liked “A Trip to the Moon”. It struck me on first viewing as a precursor to platformer video games. I also must agree that the pictures of Giant of the Ice and the Man in the Moon are absolutely unforgettable. I saw them in monster movie books back in the 3rd grade and have never forgotten them.
#2 by lyzard on August 11th, 2008
There was a still of the Ice Giant in one of the first film books I ever owned – incredible to think it took me about thirty years to actually see the film!
#3 by Blake Matthews on August 11th, 2008
It wasn’t “Monsters from the Movies” by Thomas Aylesworth by any chance was it? (that’s the one I have).
#4 by El Santo on August 11th, 2008
It took me about 25 years to get a crack at The Hands of Orlac. For that matter– and this is almost embarrassing– I spent about 20 years on the hunt for a movie that turned out to be Night of the Blood Beast. There was a picture of the creature in some book with a title like The A-Z of Movie Monsters, and at the age of ten or so, I thought it looked really cool. In case you fail to understand why that would be embarrassing, I hasten to remind you that the monster in Night of the Blood Beast is a humanoid parrot made out out of muddy burlap. It’s not quite as sad as the thing in Caltiki, the Immortal Monster, but it’s pretty close.
#5 by Chad R. on August 11th, 2008
It’s also the same “monster” from Teenage Caveman, but in that movie Corman tries to pass it off as a radiation suit.
#6 by supersonic on August 11th, 2008
You make Méliès sound like a paleolithic Michael Bay.
#7 by supersonic on August 11th, 2008
I just did, and I was unable to positively identify a single piece of North America seen from space, except under the space station was something that might have been the coast of Georgia and South Caroline. I am still trying to figure out what that body of water is in the very first space shot; it looks kind of like the Caspian Sea, kind of like the Gulf of Bothnia, kind of like the Adriatic Sea or the Persian Gulf… it doesn’t match any of them! It certainly isn’t Lake Michigan.
#8 by lyzard on August 11th, 2008
I was referring to its “Americans only” potted history of flight and space travel. “Attitudes”, not visuals; sorry if that was unclear.
#9 by MatthewF on August 12th, 2008
“You make Méliès sound like a paleolithic Michael Bay”
Hey check out the deleted scenes in Armageddon, the dancing girls on the asteroid are pretty freaky. Seriously though I think that Melies would have been just as puzzeled about the demands for scientific accuracy as Michael Bay appears to be.
#10 by KeithA on August 12th, 2008
My summary of the history of space travel:
Americans flew all over space and did amazing things, usualyl accompanied by sweet music. Russians sent a dog up, but it died, and then some cosmonauts got attacked by wolves so now they all carry sawed off shotguns. China sent some guy up there and he was sad he couldn’t see the Great Wall because he fell for that “big enough to be seen from space” urban legend. Then England brought back some space vampires, but it was cool because one of them was naked and totally hot. Although America sent many chimps into space,no one has sent full grown gorillas into space, but when they do, it’ll be awesome. The End.
#11 by Blake Matthews on August 12th, 2008
Keith, you forgot to mention that the American space flights generally had wacky astronauts with names like Corky or Scooter on them. Oh, and that Korea had a space program so that it could spy on China and detect giant monsters.
#12 by lyzard on August 12th, 2008
You can’t see the Great Wall of China from space, but you *can* see Brooklyn. Fact.
#13 by KeithA on August 12th, 2008
Oh man, I forgot Corky the mechanic, just like he forgot there’s no gravity in space! Ha ha ha, oh Corky! Will you ever learn?
#14 by lyzard on August 12th, 2008
You’d think he would, the way that crazy harmonica of his keeps floating away! Hi-LARIOUS!!
#15 by MatthewF on August 13th, 2008
You’re totally overlooking the fact that the Japanese regularly visited other planets in the 1960s, sadly proving themselves easily duped by aliens with cool looking wrap-around shades on.
#16 by KeithA on August 13th, 2008
Nah, the Japanese stuff was all faked on a soundtsage that was also being used to shoot Devo videos.
#17 by lyzard on August 13th, 2008
Wait! You mean— All those sexy Japanese women were just….sexy Japanese women!?
#18 by MatthewF on August 14th, 2008
So, you’re saying that Godzilla is a man in a suit? Christ.
#19 by lyzard on August 14th, 2008
GET HIM!! HE IS A BLASPHEMER!!
#20 by Blake Matthews on August 14th, 2008
I know, might as well say that he enjoyed GINO (or ‘Zilla or whatever people call him now).
#21 by KeithA on August 14th, 2008
No, Godzilla’s real. It’s a really big soundstage.
And to redeem myself somewhat — I’ve never even seen GINO. When it came out, I watched Godzilla vs. Megalon instead. Robert Dunham in a tiny tunic = Oo la la!
#22 by Joshua on August 15th, 2008
Y’know, I thought the Tristar Godzilla was pretty fun once I stopped thinking of the monster as *the* Godzilla; it works pretty well as just a giant monster movie.