My Top Three Science Fiction Films

Star Wars (1977) Though not the best of the Star Wars Franchise it was the movie that started it all. Movie special effects would never be the same after this George Lucas motion picture tour de force. That summer movie goers were treated to a spectacle of weird aliens, shiny robots, princesses in peril, humble heroes and epic battles the likes never seen before. It was the ultimate story of good versus evil from the opening scene to the films finale. The blue print for all science fiction to follow would forever change. Because of its innovativeness and its unforgettable scenes A New Hope makes number one on my list.

Blade Runner (1982) This film lands next to best on my list because of its uniqueness. An epic film in personality and morality as our hero investigates a story centering around human clones. It combines the old film noir detective movies with modern day Science Fiction. Harrison Ford is a modern day Humphrey Bogart working his way through a mysterious case in an ultra modern Los Angeles wrought with neon and monster skyscrapers. Constant rain falls as the best of visual story telling plays out on the screen. Add a haunting soundtrack and you have a masterpiece only Ridley Scott could have achieved.

Aliens (1986)Third on my list is James Cameron’s follow up to Ridley Scott's Alien. The sequel is a non stop thrill ride centering around Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) the only surviving member of the original film. She is called upon to aid a group of well armed space marines when communication with the colony on LV-246 is lost. As she sets foot back on the planet of her original ordeal her worst fears are confirmed. This movie has it all. High paced action, cool futuristic weaponry all culminating in one of the best sci fi scenes ever shot: Ripley’s battle royale with the mother alien utilizing the robotic cargo loader. Kudos  to James Cameron on this remake, it is definitely one of my favs.

Hilariously Horrific

Today I grab the hands of time and give them a spin into the past to revisit one of the most fun films ever made. The Evil Dead 2.  Below is the story line as posted on IMBd:


"A young man, named Ash, takes his girlfriend Linda to a secluded cabin in the woods where he plays back a professor's tape recorded recitation of passages from the Book of the Dead. The spell calls up an evil force from the woods which turns Linda into a monstrous Deadite, and threatens to do the same to Ash. When the professor's daughter and her entourage show up at the cabin, the night turns into a non-stop, grotesquely comic battle with chainsaw and shotgun on one side, demon horde and flying eyeball on the other. "

Sam Raimi's tale is the ultimate satire of horror films. Its low budget special effects, over the top grotesque sight gags and excessive corny acting were all by genius design making the film ooze personality and become an instant cult classic. It was comedy disguised as a horror movie and those who grasped this concept fell in love with this motley movie. I know I did.

It instantly made Bruce Campbell's career, especially the battle he fought with his own hand, in this author's mind, the most memorable horror movie scene ever filmed. I was so lost in the shot I almost succumbed to the notion I was watching an episode of the Three Stooges.

Who could forget the flying eyeball or the cheap special effect skeleton dancing in the moonlight? All outlandishly cheesy and completely amusing. Those who walked into the theaters in the summer of 1987 to see a horror flick were, I'm completely sure, very disappointed. But, for those like myself, who were able to take in this film on a larger scale... we witnessed a masterpiece of comedic genius. What side did you find yourself on?

If you had a Time Machine

Tonight's blog is a repost from 5/13/13

If you had a time machine, where and when would you go? Would you walk with Jesus, or would you stride with the dinosaurs? If you thought these events might affect the belief system that helps you cope with the modern day world would you reconsider your destination? Because we are all individually different in our fundamental theologies, beliefs and interests many of us would want to see the origins of our faith, whether it be based in scientific evolution or in spiritual conviction.

I, on the other hand, would hold onto my sacred viewpoint and intrigue myself with humanities greatest and most mysterious achievements. This may be because of my Science Fiction mindset, but, my first stop would be Atlantis curious to whether Plato’s accounts of the mythical society were true. Did they possess electricity? Had they harnessed the power of flight? Exactly where was the Island Kingdom located; within the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean or was it somewhere in South America?

Then I would spin the dials to an era when the Ancient Library at Alexandria was untouched by devastating flame. I would spend weeks, maybe even months (if I could read the languages of antiquity) pouring over the long lost history of the primeval world. Can you imagine the inspired stories that would come out of such a session? How would today’s world be reshaped if such vanished history was rediscovered?

Finally, curiosity would thrust me into the future. I want to observe the day our species takes that first baby step into a bigger cosmos. How will our first contact with an alien race come about? With the discovery of so many extra solar worlds within recent history the notion we are alone in this great big universe is absolutely absurd. Would these non Earth cultures welcome us with open arms to a peaceful life amongst the stars, or will we awaken the attention of blood thirsty hordes hell bent on stealing our Mother Planets natural resources? These are questions Science Fiction has been asking since the creative minds of Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov ignited the dreams of our little Earthbound race.

Where would you take your time machine? And more importantly… why?

What Super Power?

 

If you could have one super power which would it be? Just one, no cheating.

Would you fly like Superman? And where would you go?

The power of invisibility is a good one; if you had this power how would you utilize it?

Super strength is a common trait in most heroes.

How about ESP? Think about what you could accomplish if you could read people’s minds.

Another great one would be super genius. Would you solve the world’s economic problems with it, or find the cure to cancer? Would you figure out how the human race could give up its dependence on fossil fuels?

Remember though, power can corrupt and effect one's perspective. When you have these special abilities there is always the moral angle to consider. Selfish and prideful feelings could sway ones decency to the point an honorable citizen could deviate and cross the line. The personal perception between hero and villain blurs when egotism and selfish needs creep into the picture.

One of the best quotes from the pop culture super hero motion pictures of the current age is from the movie Spiderman.

Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, played by Cliff Robertson, senses his young nephew is struggling with inner turmoil. Little does the elder know that this is brought about from Peter’s new found super abilities.

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

Think about that when you choose your power. Would you use it for the good of mankind, or would you selfishly squander it on personal gain? When contemplating this concept, could you keep your moral compass from spinning to the dark side?

 

So, with all this in mind, what power ? And, more importantly, how would you use it?

The Germination

As I come into contact with folks out in the ordinary working world they seem to always be intrigued upon discovering I’m a published author. I would say it’s probably the single most interesting thing about me. Otherwise, I am just a normal everyday down to earth red blooded American male just getting by in a tough unforgiving world.

Inevitably I am always asked how I got my start. That tale is not extraordinary, but to satiate the curiosity of those future inquiries, I shall share it here on this blog.

Upon growing up I never fathomed becoming a writer. English was always my worst subject growing up. Conversely, the Sciences and Arts captured my enthusiasm. There was nothing more I hated than having to write a paper. To me it was a cruel form of punishment.

Then, in sixth grade, something pivotal happened altering the course of my youth drastically. Emotional turmoil was added to life when mom and dad broke up. My mother endured the strife of living as a single parent in South Carolina for as long as she could but, eventually, the yearning to return home became overwhelming. After several years of divorce she fled home to upstate New York with us kids in tow.

I said farewell to friends I’d spent an entire youth acquiring and, eighteen hours later, found myself transplanted into a strange new environment where people acted completely different from what I was used to. I was set adrift in a social desert for there was a full two months until the beginning of my sophomore year. I did not know a single soul. I was an alien wandering a strange world.

We lived just outside Camillus, New York. On the third day of summer my mother brought me and my brother to the little library just off the picturesque Erie Canal in the heart of the small village. I fell in love with the place immediately. It was escape from what’d become a tortured reality of boredom and unfamiliarity.

Tales of spaceman, aliens and hobbits filled my summer days and nights. For two solid months I read every waking hour. Stories by the masters Tolkien, Asimov, Hubbard and Anderson cultivated a passion for fantasy and science fiction that still exists within my soul to this day. That year I discovered a love for horror as well delving into the exhilarating worlds of Stephen King. I had discovered a love for reading.

When school finally began I found it difficult relating to this new culture I’d been thrust into. I found comfort writing in a tattered old green spiral bound notebook. I carried that growing collection of short stories with me everywhere. I had no idea whether these works were good or bad, but they were mine. They were my precious distraction.

Soon curiosity got the best of my peers. One winter’s day I found myself the center of attention at a cafeteria table of strangers. I was delighted at the expression upon the faces of those few who listened to tales spun in my southern laden accent. 

The following day more joined our table. The social group before me was of the nerdiest of variety. Their intellectual minds absorbed my work with utmost delight. The next day the table’s number grew two fold. I was finally part of a niche. I had friends. But, more importantly I had discovered something surprising inside myself. A talent for story telling. A seed had been planted inside the core of my being. The following weeks and months it was nurtured and would begin to grow exponentially.

The Cosmos Condition

The human condition and need for a steady paycheck has taken me away  from this blog for way too long. I return with a thread about my favorite show in the whole wide world. Forgive me for flashing back to teenagism, but I grew up on this television series and it holds a nostalgic place in my heart...

I grew up on Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. It opened worlds of understanding my adolescent teen mind hungered for. While works such as the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and movies the like of Star Wars romanticized my love for science fiction, Cosmos gave me an understandable structure of possibility. It made me question the laws of science and nature and nourished my desire to fathom a plausible future governed by natural law. I believe that is why even though concepts within my writings may be somewhat outlandish; I strive to give them scientific gravity. The result being my work comes across as being believable.



My best example of this model is the explanation of vampires within my Morian Trilogy of novels. I don’t take for granted the notion of these mythical creatures, but strive to explain the condition why they exist as they are and how their behaviors and practices evolved. All these characteristic are shaped and validated through an evolution of history and endurance of torturous environmental conditions. The story told is governed by the rules of the universe I came to understand through this television series I fell in love with so long ago. I like to think of it as the "Cosmos Condition."



 Now there is a new embodiment of my beloved show on the Fox line up of television channels. Its narrator, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, was a protégé of Carl Sagan himself and, he too, experienced the Cosmos Condition dictating his career. The keen minds of Seth MacFarlane and Ann Druyan strive successfully to make Science and natural law entertaining to those intellectually gifted. With the animation talents of MacFarlane and the talents of Druyan to spin easily comprehensible dialogue it attracts others who are not so scientifically inclined and enlightens these minds with the Cosmos Condition.

Who knows how many future courses will be influenced by this new evolution of the Cosmos series. Will it give the world the next great Astrophysicist like Carl Sagan or Niel deGrasse Tyson? Will it influence genius in producers the like of Seth MacFarlane to strive to bring more intelligent programming to the youth of our nation? Or, will it influence some common citizen like myself to write engaging believable Science Fiction? All I can say in conclusion is our society needs more entertainment like this show. It can only raise the IQ level of the future of this nation… and the world. As a whole humanity is extremely ill informed to the Cosmos Condition.

Epic Spirit

Having a problem with the BlogSpot interface... it will not let me add any photos to my post. So, this post will be text only. :(

Being the son of Merlin Jones gave a unique perspective on the nightclub all of us grew to love. It was more than a place, more than bricks and mortar making up the edifice. Merlin’s was a concept. Words cannot express the spirit the place possessed. Sadly, those who never experienced it can never know.

 Merlin’s spirit was made up by the personalities that frequented the club. My dad always told me, you have to characters to make things interesting. Who could forget Booger a...nd his magic tricks? There, by his side, his faithful wingman Charwie always had his back. Who could forget Derrick tearing up the hardwood floors in front of the bandstand? Railroad, Wallyword, Franklin McCarter, Randy Brady, Sammy D, Robbie Hazle, Myron, Lee Johnson, Richard Hoover, Jay Metze, Suzanne, Lisa, Debbie, Jennifer and so many more added their flavor to the mystique of the Merlin’s concept on stage and off. 

 Later came other unforgettable personalities in the guise of Cotton, Wahoo, Odell, Doc McGillicuddy, Ajay, Stephen Jones, and countless more. Time has dulled memory of names, but the impression they all made lives inside us to this day. I grew up with these folks and they became more than people, they were family.

 Our loyalty to the Man who orchestrated the spirit was undying. My Dad, Merlin Jones. He entertained in more ways than just on stage. He never met a stranger, and because of his principled nature many called him “good friend.” He gave a little piece of himself to everyone in the building on every given night. Merlin was a brightly burning star giving his warmth to every person. All felt welcome…everyone felt part of the family.

 I have met many who have told me, my husband and I met at Merlin’s. Later years others have told me, my mom and dad met at the club. Time persistently races on, but the spirit of Merlin’s still lives inside of us all. 

 On March 15th we shall grab the reigns of time and give them a yank with all our combined might in an effort to push back the arms of the clock. Once diminished adrenaline will flow through veins as hearts recapture remembered youth when old friends reunite. We will be entertained as epic spirit is relived on stage, at the bar and on the dance floor.

 Now, we have the chance to introduce our spirit to new significant others as we make new memories at the Hanger. Like a phoenix Merlin’s shall rise again…even for just a fleeting moment of one evening.