Doing our homework for the British Invaders podcast sometimes brings up some gems like the Nigel Kneale 1984 I have already blogged about. Another little oddity that we discovered was Alternative 3.
Alternative 3 was a documentary put out by ITV in 1977 and is available dirt cheap on Amazon. You can also find it fairly easily on google video. I had a dim memory of it and in particular of a certain image which impressed me greatly at the time (and scared me quite a bit if I'm completely honest). I was quite delighted to find that it was the show I remembered and was able to recommend it to Brian in Canada and we put it on the schedule for our podcast. We have recently recorded our discussion and it's now out on the feed at British Invaders and on iTunes.
It's a fun show with a slow but steady build towards a couple of big revelations and I honestly can't imagine it cropping up on many other podcasts. However if you do know of anyone else who has discussed it please let me know.
Now a spoiler warning! I'm going to mention how I rediscovered the show and doing so will give it away a bit. If you don't want to be spoiled then go and watch the video before coming back to my last paragraph.
Last year I read an interesting book called Telling Tales: A History of Literary Hoaxes by Melissa Katsoulis. It has no obvious science fiction connection, instead it details stuff like fake Shakespeare plays, the Hitler diaries and the poetry of Ern Malley. But it did lead me to a wikipedia article about hoaxes in general and that was where I found a reference to Alternative 3. And of course that gives it away a bit and qualifies Alternative 3 as science fiction and not fact. It was all a hoax and an April Fool's joke, and a pretty good one that fooled lots of people and has inspired quite a conspiracy theory following. It's great fun and only about 50 minutes long. Check it out and let us know what you think at British Invaders.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Swamped
In his book Danse Macabre Stephen King turns his critical eye on the horror genre as portrayed in books, on radio and TV, and in Films. He talks a bit about critical theory and describes it as being sometimes like wading waist deep in very murky waters. He justifies his own criticism as being lighter in tone and with less jargon although he can't promise that the waters might not get a bit too deep in places.
I am reminded of this analogy when reading an internet academic journal about comic studies. From their website ImageTexT is a peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of comics and related media. The latest issue focuses on my favourite beardy weirdy comic writer Alan Moore and adaptation in his work, as well as adaptations of his work.
In some of the papers the critical jargon certainly comes over the tops of my boots and makes progress difficult. However there are a couple of fun articles. Colin Beineke looks at Moore's Swamp Thing as a personification of the Green Man myth. And Jack Teiwes gives us a fun discussion of Moore's various takes on the Man of Steel himself including his famous Superman stories, but also his Miracleman run and the stuff he did with Supreme.
Interesting academic reads but without too much wading through the swamp.
I am reminded of this analogy when reading an internet academic journal about comic studies. From their website ImageTexT is a peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of comics and related media. The latest issue focuses on my favourite beardy weirdy comic writer Alan Moore and adaptation in his work, as well as adaptations of his work.
In some of the papers the critical jargon certainly comes over the tops of my boots and makes progress difficult. However there are a couple of fun articles. Colin Beineke looks at Moore's Swamp Thing as a personification of the Green Man myth. And Jack Teiwes gives us a fun discussion of Moore's various takes on the Man of Steel himself including his famous Superman stories, but also his Miracleman run and the stuff he did with Supreme.
Interesting academic reads but without too much wading through the swamp.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Vancouver
To hammer home the similarities between Fringe and the X-Files the production team moved to Vancouver for the second season. Much of the X-Files was shot there as well and certain locations crop up in both shows.
About 5 or 6 years ago we took a family holiday to Vancouver and had a good time there. We wanted to do a city tour of some description, possibly something a little different than the standard tour. When we were in Toronto we did the Hippo bus tour which is an amphibious bus ride! So when I read in the Vancouver guide book about a company that offered "X-Tours" of the city I booked us up.
We were promised a limousine ride so were a bit disappointed when a guy turned up at the hotel driving a small family car and told us the limo was being repaired. He then drove us round the city to see all the major sights including Stanley park as well as stopping every now and then to point out an alley way that Mulder and Scully had run down. We saw the famous Ovaltine diner which has now been used in both shows. For some reason he also pointed out where his bank was and the gym he went to. It was a bit weird!
The slightly spooky nature of the tour was confirmed when he took us back to his apartment, the exterior of which was used as Scully's home in the series. Feeling a little bit uncomfortable we were shown in to his lounge where he moved his mother off the sofa so we could sit down and watch DVD clips of his building turning up in the X-Files!
It was entirely innocent and charming in a way, but Susan and Jenny have never quite forgiven me!
About 5 or 6 years ago we took a family holiday to Vancouver and had a good time there. We wanted to do a city tour of some description, possibly something a little different than the standard tour. When we were in Toronto we did the Hippo bus tour which is an amphibious bus ride! So when I read in the Vancouver guide book about a company that offered "X-Tours" of the city I booked us up.
We were promised a limousine ride so were a bit disappointed when a guy turned up at the hotel driving a small family car and told us the limo was being repaired. He then drove us round the city to see all the major sights including Stanley park as well as stopping every now and then to point out an alley way that Mulder and Scully had run down. We saw the famous Ovaltine diner which has now been used in both shows. For some reason he also pointed out where his bank was and the gym he went to. It was a bit weird!
The slightly spooky nature of the tour was confirmed when he took us back to his apartment, the exterior of which was used as Scully's home in the series. Feeling a little bit uncomfortable we were shown in to his lounge where he moved his mother off the sofa so we could sit down and watch DVD clips of his building turning up in the X-Files!
It was entirely innocent and charming in a way, but Susan and Jenny have never quite forgiven me!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Fringe benefits
I've being watching the US TV series Fringe (I know, I should be watching British Invaders stuff). It's a pretty good series but it's basically the X-Files.
A special FBI unit referred to as the Fringe division investigate a wide variety of paranormal events. Sounds like the X-Files right? There are stand-alone monster of the week episodes and then there are others which link to a wider conspiracy type invasion plot. Does that sound familiar at all? There are super soldier experiments, shape-shifters, killer mutants and mind control experiments. Did I mention that it's the X-Files?
To be fair the show creators are fairly open about their debt to Mulder and Scully. If you listen to the full length version of the theme tune the recognisable X-Files music can be heard noodling away in the middle eight. There's even one episode where the unit's boss (he happens to be a stern bald guy - who's a bit like another stern, bald guy) has to appear in front of a congressional committee who refer to previous cases with an "X designation". They also share the trope of having the politicians closing down the unit in the last episode of the series only to re-open the files at the start of a new season.
Anyway, it's a fun series. There's a great mad scientist with a dodgy past and a bit of a swiss cheese memory. And like the Lone Gunmen he's an expert in absolutely everything. There's lots of dodgy medicine which is expertly dissected in this blog.
It rates fairly highly on the scoff-o-meter but I like it.
ps. it's the X-Files
A special FBI unit referred to as the Fringe division investigate a wide variety of paranormal events. Sounds like the X-Files right? There are stand-alone monster of the week episodes and then there are others which link to a wider conspiracy type invasion plot. Does that sound familiar at all? There are super soldier experiments, shape-shifters, killer mutants and mind control experiments. Did I mention that it's the X-Files?
To be fair the show creators are fairly open about their debt to Mulder and Scully. If you listen to the full length version of the theme tune the recognisable X-Files music can be heard noodling away in the middle eight. There's even one episode where the unit's boss (he happens to be a stern bald guy - who's a bit like another stern, bald guy) has to appear in front of a congressional committee who refer to previous cases with an "X designation". They also share the trope of having the politicians closing down the unit in the last episode of the series only to re-open the files at the start of a new season.
Anyway, it's a fun series. There's a great mad scientist with a dodgy past and a bit of a swiss cheese memory. And like the Lone Gunmen he's an expert in absolutely everything. There's lots of dodgy medicine which is expertly dissected in this blog.
It rates fairly highly on the scoff-o-meter but I like it.
ps. it's the X-Files
Monday, April 25, 2011
Scarlet Traces
Tom quite rightly pointed out that I should link to another of my side projects.
Scarlet Traces is a series of graphic novels by Ian Edginton and the artist D'Israeli about the aftermath of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. They take the rather neat premise that when the Martians die at the end of the novel all their technology is left laying around. What if Britain took that technology and used it to maintain the Empire? Using this great Steampunk idea Edginton and D'Israeli then created a great conspiracy and murder mystery story. But they also peppered the book with references to other bits of science fiction and British pop culture.
They have worked together on several other books including Stickleback, Kingdom of the Wicked and Leviathan, which are also filled with references and in-jokes. As there didn't seem to be an existing guide to all the references on the internet I wrote my own set of annotations and you can find them here. The annotations even drew the attention of the creators themselves.
Please check them out and let me know what you think.
Scarlet Traces is a series of graphic novels by Ian Edginton and the artist D'Israeli about the aftermath of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. They take the rather neat premise that when the Martians die at the end of the novel all their technology is left laying around. What if Britain took that technology and used it to maintain the Empire? Using this great Steampunk idea Edginton and D'Israeli then created a great conspiracy and murder mystery story. But they also peppered the book with references to other bits of science fiction and British pop culture.
They have worked together on several other books including Stickleback, Kingdom of the Wicked and Leviathan, which are also filled with references and in-jokes. As there didn't seem to be an existing guide to all the references on the internet I wrote my own set of annotations and you can find them here. The annotations even drew the attention of the creators themselves.
Please check them out and let me know what you think.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Frankenstein
To London yesterday with my family to see Danny Boyle's Frankenstein at the National Theatre. What a fantastic production! Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller have been alternating the roles of Frankenstein and his Creature. We saw Cumberbatch as the creature and he was outstanding. The play begins with him emerging newly born from a strange cell-like structure onto an empty stage and then we see his struggles to learn how to control his body and get to his feet and walk.
The set in the Olivier theatre is amazing, parts revolve, rise and fall. Gothic castles, ships and isolated Arctic wastes emerge from the stage, and at one point a train steams towards us. And Danny Boyle used several cinematic tricks in his staging, frequently hiding the Creature somewhere in a set to produce a dramatic reveal at a key moment.
The theatre itself seemed to be draped in blood, a huge Bell hung above us and rang at various points to have us jumping in our seats and a thudding heartbeat score by the band Underworld completed the experience.
Gripping stuff
The set in the Olivier theatre is amazing, parts revolve, rise and fall. Gothic castles, ships and isolated Arctic wastes emerge from the stage, and at one point a train steams towards us. And Danny Boyle used several cinematic tricks in his staging, frequently hiding the Creature somewhere in a set to produce a dramatic reveal at a key moment.
The theatre itself seemed to be draped in blood, a huge Bell hung above us and rang at various points to have us jumping in our seats and a thudding heartbeat score by the band Underworld completed the experience.
Gripping stuff
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Saga of the Swamp Thing
As this is a science-fiction geek blog it seems like a safe place to confess that I am a comic collector, or at least I was. I buy very few comics these days apart from watching eBay to fill some gaps in my collection.
When I was young I remember Dad buying me the Victor and the Hotspur comics for boys. Reading the adventures of Alf Tupper the tough of the track is my first memory of comic books. From there I moved on to the Marvel UK reprints of Spider-Man, the Hulk and the X-Men. Shortly before I left home for university I started reading 2000AD and the fantastic exploits of Judge Dredd, but once I got to medical school I gave comics up because I was all "grown up". This seems to be quite a common phenomenon amongst comic fans - many of whom have had their gap before something gets them back into the hobby.
I think I was in my third year at Uni when I came across a comic called Warrior in a Leicester newsagents. Warrior was a black and white anthology comic which was published by a British comics legend called Dez Skinn who had previously been an editor on those Marvel UK reprints from the 70s. The stories in Warrior were very different from anything I had previously encountered in a comic. They seemed distinctly grown up in theme and two stories in particular stood out. The now infamous weirdy beardy Alan Moore was writing Marvelman (later to be known as Miracleman) and V for Vendetta both of which took a very realistic look at the superhero myths which were common place in American comics. Warrior got me back into comics and I collected the entire run which I still have to this day.
Warrior also made me follow the career of Alan Moore so when he started writing for DC comics in America I was there pretty much from the start. Moore was the first of a series of British writers and artists who were head-hunted by DC in the 80s. Moore was given a failing DC horror title called the Saga of the Swamp Thing. The title character had been created by Lein Wein and Bernie Wrightson in the 1970s and was then revived in the early 80s to tie in with a quite terrible 'man in a rubber suit' movie version. After a couple of years the comic about a scientist who was transformed into a muck monster was on the point of cancellation when Moore took over. What followed is now comics history.
Moore along with the artists Stephen Bissette, John Tottleben, Alfredo Alcala and Shawn McManus radically changed the comic and the Swamp Thing's origin. Moore realised that the Monster's search for a cure for his condition was pointless because if it succeeded the story would be over. So in a famous issue called the Anatomy Lesson he revealed that the Swamp Thing was not the scientist Alec Holland transformed into a walking pile of muck and leaves but instead was a shambling pile of plant matter that just happened to believe it had once been a man. The creature was infused with Holland's memories but the man himself was long dead. This remarkable change in the comic's focus opened the door for Moore to tell a whole range of fantastic stories. And by returning the book to its literal roots he was able to make it the horror comic that is was originally intended to be. As the Swamp Thing encountered more and more terrifying foes Moore and his artist collaborators produced some genuinely scary stories which quite disturbed me when I read them in the 1980s and they're still great to read now.
A word about collecting comics back then. Nowadays comic books have gone mainstream, largely thanks to the success of several blockbuster movie franchises. Most cities have a Forbidden Planet or another comic book store, and if not it is very easy to find the latest issues for sale on-line. But back in the day collecting american comics was a lot harder and somehow more fun at the same time. Leicester had at various times 2 small comics shops, both were tucked away in hard to find and rather seedy places, one was in a subway underpass and the other was tucked away on the top floor of a strange shopping arcade. They both sold other ephemera and often featured interesting herbal smells, I always had the impression that they had another under the counter trade which I probably didn't want to know about. Quite a contrast to the bright and shiny high street Forbidden Planet stores of today.
I used to pop in regularly looking to see when the latest issues had arrived from the USA and also to trawl through their back issue boxes and pick up some missing issues. Through them I found out about Frank Miller's Daredevil comics and the Dark Knight Returns and followed Moore onto the phenomenal success of Watchmen. I'm proud to say I was there right at the start and I still have all those issues. Happy days indeed.
When I was young I remember Dad buying me the Victor and the Hotspur comics for boys. Reading the adventures of Alf Tupper the tough of the track is my first memory of comic books. From there I moved on to the Marvel UK reprints of Spider-Man, the Hulk and the X-Men. Shortly before I left home for university I started reading 2000AD and the fantastic exploits of Judge Dredd, but once I got to medical school I gave comics up because I was all "grown up". This seems to be quite a common phenomenon amongst comic fans - many of whom have had their gap before something gets them back into the hobby.
I think I was in my third year at Uni when I came across a comic called Warrior in a Leicester newsagents. Warrior was a black and white anthology comic which was published by a British comics legend called Dez Skinn who had previously been an editor on those Marvel UK reprints from the 70s. The stories in Warrior were very different from anything I had previously encountered in a comic. They seemed distinctly grown up in theme and two stories in particular stood out. The now infamous weirdy beardy Alan Moore was writing Marvelman (later to be known as Miracleman) and V for Vendetta both of which took a very realistic look at the superhero myths which were common place in American comics. Warrior got me back into comics and I collected the entire run which I still have to this day.
Warrior also made me follow the career of Alan Moore so when he started writing for DC comics in America I was there pretty much from the start. Moore was the first of a series of British writers and artists who were head-hunted by DC in the 80s. Moore was given a failing DC horror title called the Saga of the Swamp Thing. The title character had been created by Lein Wein and Bernie Wrightson in the 1970s and was then revived in the early 80s to tie in with a quite terrible 'man in a rubber suit' movie version. After a couple of years the comic about a scientist who was transformed into a muck monster was on the point of cancellation when Moore took over. What followed is now comics history.
Moore along with the artists Stephen Bissette, John Tottleben, Alfredo Alcala and Shawn McManus radically changed the comic and the Swamp Thing's origin. Moore realised that the Monster's search for a cure for his condition was pointless because if it succeeded the story would be over. So in a famous issue called the Anatomy Lesson he revealed that the Swamp Thing was not the scientist Alec Holland transformed into a walking pile of muck and leaves but instead was a shambling pile of plant matter that just happened to believe it had once been a man. The creature was infused with Holland's memories but the man himself was long dead. This remarkable change in the comic's focus opened the door for Moore to tell a whole range of fantastic stories. And by returning the book to its literal roots he was able to make it the horror comic that is was originally intended to be. As the Swamp Thing encountered more and more terrifying foes Moore and his artist collaborators produced some genuinely scary stories which quite disturbed me when I read them in the 1980s and they're still great to read now.
A word about collecting comics back then. Nowadays comic books have gone mainstream, largely thanks to the success of several blockbuster movie franchises. Most cities have a Forbidden Planet or another comic book store, and if not it is very easy to find the latest issues for sale on-line. But back in the day collecting american comics was a lot harder and somehow more fun at the same time. Leicester had at various times 2 small comics shops, both were tucked away in hard to find and rather seedy places, one was in a subway underpass and the other was tucked away on the top floor of a strange shopping arcade. They both sold other ephemera and often featured interesting herbal smells, I always had the impression that they had another under the counter trade which I probably didn't want to know about. Quite a contrast to the bright and shiny high street Forbidden Planet stores of today.
I used to pop in regularly looking to see when the latest issues had arrived from the USA and also to trawl through their back issue boxes and pick up some missing issues. Through them I found out about Frank Miller's Daredevil comics and the Dark Knight Returns and followed Moore onto the phenomenal success of Watchmen. I'm proud to say I was there right at the start and I still have all those issues. Happy days indeed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)