Category: Movies

The cool steampunkish bit about ‘Battlestar Galactica’

March 18, 2017

The other day I stumbled across a fan-site description of the warships portrayed in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica (2004-09). And something struck me. Sci-fi ships usually derive from an ocean-going ‘conceptual model’ – ‘space dreadnoughts’, ‘space battlecruisers’, ‘destroyers’ and the rest. The ‘conceptual model’ for Galactica was apparently the hybrid carrier-battleship of the kind contemplated … More The cool steampunkish bit about ‘Battlestar Galactica’

In a Death Star showdown, my money’s on The Lexx

December 17, 2016

I discovered a cool ‘face off’ contest the other day between sci-fi spaceships. If you had to take on a Death Star, what ship from another TV show or movie would you use? The answers spanned the usual gamut from multiple Galactica-verse Battlestars to the Enterprise (various editions), and so forth. One of the most … More In a Death Star showdown, my money’s on The Lexx

I like Trek ‘the original series’ way better than Star Wars ‘Part IV’ because…

April 18, 2016

I like Trek ‘the original series’ way better than Star Wars ‘Part IV’ because Trek gave us Spock. That’s it, really. But let me explain some more. When Lucas developed Star Wars (by which I mean the original 1977 movie) he deliberately wrote a story that spoke to our deepest senses of mythic self –for … More I like Trek ‘the original series’ way better than Star Wars ‘Part IV’ because…

OK so what are your favourite SF movies?

December 27, 2015

These holidays I thought I’d share a list of my five favourite sci-fi movies. In no particular order they are: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – quintessential, thoughtful mid-twentieth century sci-fi with (mostly) proper physics. And a vision of a twenty-first century future that should have been… Forbidden Planet (1956) – one of the smartest … More OK so what are your favourite SF movies?

Humanity won’t ‘science the’ anything out of Mars while NASA’s plans are wrapped in corporate-speak

October 25, 2015

I’m going to have to go see The Martian. Apparently they get up to one of my favourite activities – ‘sciencing the shit’ out of things. The problems involved in actually getting to Mars are so huge that we’ll have to science the shit out of them, just to reach the place. If we ever try. … More Humanity won’t ‘science the’ anything out of Mars while NASA’s plans are wrapped in corporate-speak

Tolkien made real – a visit to the Hobbiton movie set. Part 1.

October 11, 2015

It’s early morning and light rain is falling as we depart our motel for a tour we’ve been planning for years but never got around to. Until now. Hobbiton. When The Lord Of The Rings was being made, my wife and I were living under the shadow of the hills that hosted the Minas Tirith and … More Tolkien made real – a visit to the Hobbiton movie set. Part 1.