Sunday, August 22, 2021

Episode 81: Planet 8 Presents: Alfred Hitchcock


 

On this edition of Planet 8, we take a look at the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Spanning six decades, Hitchcock's career began near the end of silent films all the way into the 70s, and encompassed television as well. He was probably the first film director that the general public recognized, due to his larger than life personality and his consistent use of suspense and fear in his films. Hitchcock would push the envelope with both camera techniques and with how far he would push the mores of the day. 

We'll discuss a number of his films, including Rope and the illusion of the single camera take. Also Rear Window, and the amazing set that was constructed of Jimmy Stewart's neighborhood, and the sense of claustrophobia that was created. There's also To Catch a Thief, which Bob sees a precursor to the Bond films. This time Hitchcock went on location and we get wide open vistas.


Then there's Vertigo, which many believe is Hitchcock's masterpiece. The crew had some disagreement over whether Jimmy Stewart's character suspected that Kim Novak's character was actually his old flame or not. If he did know, it would make his obsessive behavior a little easier to take. But watch it and decide for yourself.


North By Northwest is another favorite for many, with Cary Grant as a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's got great actors, humor, and Mount Rushmore too!


But in 1960, Hitchcock delivered what might be his best-known, and perhaps most shocking film, Psycho. Based on a story by Robert Bloch, this tale of murder and a boy who loves his mother a little too much was a hit with the public when released. We talk about the film and especially the Bernard Herrmann score. Herrmann worked with Hitchcock on many of his films, but this score is especially memorable.


And who could forget The Birds? This film has an almost apocalyptic feel, as ordinary birds suddenly begin attacking people. Shot in Bodega Bay, California, the beautiful, peaceful landscapes are juxtaposed with the chaos of the birds' violent and inexplicable attacks. It's an amazingly effective film, which has no music, only bird sounds in the soundtrack. And no happy ending -it's ambiguous as to whether the menace is over. There's also some classic shots in this film, like when a huge flock of birds slowly appear behind Tippi Hedren, or the birds-eye view shot of the town and the gas station on fire. It's great work by the master.


There are so many other great films by Hitchcock -Strangers on a Train, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much - but we only have so much time. Do yourself a favor and check them out! We wish we had time to go over the television show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but that will have to be saved for another episode!


For this week's Sensor Sweep, Karen shares something completely non-Hitchcock related! Who says we have to make everything match? We're back to Star Wars! It's a great new book called Secrets of the Force: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized, Oral History of Star Wars by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. This huge tome covers the entire history of the Star Wars films as told by the people who made the films and others who are affiliated with them. These authors have previously done some terrific books on the oral history of Star Trek that were just a joy to read. If you are a Star Wars fan and want to delve deep into the behind the scenes history, this is the book for you!

That's it for us this time around! Please let us know your thoughts on anything we discussed this episode. You can leave comments here, or hit us up and our other haunts:

Good Evening!

 

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Episode 80: Of Dinosaurs and Droids: A Look at Primal and Star Wars: The Bad Batch


 

This episode we have a rather odd combo for you: two animated series that couldn't be more different! We'll start with Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal, the story of a caveman and his dinosaur companion in a savage primordial world, and then we'll switch gears and look at the latest Star Wars animated series, The Bad Batch, which follows a squad of clone troopers after the fall of the Republic.

Primal follows the adventures of Spear, a caveman, and Fang, his dinosaur companion. Both of them lost their families and so have bonded. So far there have been ten episodes. It's definitely not for kids - there are extremely gory, bloody battles with no punches pulled. But the stories are interesting and run from pure adventure to way out fantasy. Primal sets itself apart from many shows in that there is no dialogue in the show - Spear, the caveman, has no language and communicates only in grunts and shouts. The story is conveyed via the action and the interactions between the characters. The show also uses color very well to establish mood. Hopefully there will be a new season later this year.

The Bad Batch follows Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, and Crosshair - Clone Force 99, aka The Bad Batch. This group of "defective" clones goes on the run after the end of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. The series fills a space in the Star Wars timeline and rather than focus on the Skywalkers or the Jedi, looks at things from the perspective of the clones, who were being replaced by the stormtroopers -recruits from around the galaxy, rather than clones grown to serve the Empire. There's been some strong episodes and some not so strong ones, but overall, it's provided some great insights to this era of Star Wars.

There are a ton of other animated shows out now or about to come out, and we'll throw around some thoughts on them too. Between all the movies, live action, and animated shows, there's a ton of media for geeks right now!

Before we get to the Sensor Sweep, just a reminder that there are two, count 'em two, Godzillafests coming your way this month in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, August 20-22, they'll be featuring King Kong Crashes Godzillafest, with special guest Linda Miller, from King Kong Escapes and The Green Slime. They'll show a ton of movies, including the original Kong, King Kong (1976), King Kong Escapes, Kong: Skull Island, and a smattering of Godzilla films. On the weekend of August 27- 29, it's Legendary Godzillafest, featuring the Legendary films, as well as the Millennium series, and special guest will be motion capture actor T.J. Storm, who played Godzilla. Bob will be on the radio talking about Godzillafest, along with Ms. Miller and Mr. Storm, on August 16 on radio station KFJC 89.7FM with Rob Emmett at 6 pm pacific time (you can also find them online).


Commander Larry has an appropriate Sensor Sweep - it's Masters of the Universe Mini Muglets available at Walmart. They are two-ounce ceramic shot glasses from Geek Tikis. It features four muglets in a plastic container that looks like Castle GreySkull. What better to accompany your viewing of He-Man: Revelations? 

That's all for this episode. What animated shows are you watching? Let us know!

Later, gators!