From Russia With Love is the second James Bond film and the second to star Sean Connery as British Secret Service agent Commander James Bond. From Russia With Love was released in 1963 based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same name. It was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman and directed by Terence Young who also directed Dr. No.
From Russia with Love is considered the best of the Bond films by many critics, and by Connery himself. Though its relatively low-key tone contrasts with the outlandishness of Goldfinger, the overall quality of the writing - and the performances of detective Connery and killer Shaw - make it a standout 007 film, more than four decades after its premiere. In 2004 the magazine Total Film named it the 9th greatest British film of all time.
The original novel is credited with launching the James Bond craze (leading to the launch of the movie series) when President John F. Kennedy included it in a list of his favorite novels.
From Russia with Love tells of a series of elaborate plots and counterplots between British and Russian intelligence agencies. While this is technically the second James Bond film that involves the evil organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E., in this film we actually see the insides of the organization and the plot has to do with their scheme. S.P.E.C.T.R.E.'s scheme is to make Bond unknowingly steal a Soviet decoding machine called the Lektor and deliver it to them.
The movie follows the plot of Fleming's original novel almost to the letter, however Fleming's book predated the creation of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., so therefore the villains work for the Soviet organization, SMERSH.
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Theme music
From Russia with Love is also the first Bond film with John Barry as the primary soundtrack composer, although the title theme itself was composed by Lionel Bart of Oliver! fame. Barry, who had arranged the "James Bond Theme" for Dr. No composer Monty Norman, would become the dominant Bond series composer for most of its history. In this film, Barry introduced "007", a piece of action music that would come to be considered the "secondary Bond Theme" and be used in a number of future Bond films featuring Connery and Roger Moore.
Vehicles & gadgets
* Briefcase - This is technically Bond's first gadget. This briefcase given to Bond by Q-Branch constains a folding sniper rifle inside while ammunition, a knife, fifty gold sovereigns are contained in secret comparments accessable on the outside of the case. In addition, there a safety mechanism that will detonate a gas bomb in the briefcase if opened improperly.
* Pager - Even though From Russia With Love was made in the 1960s and before one of these was actually invented, Bond had one to notify him if he ever needed to contact MI6. It's worth noting that Bond also had a phone installed in his car as well.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Serpo
Project Serpo is the name given to what is said to have been a top-secret exchange between the United States government and an alien planet nicknamed Serpo. Details of the exchange and what it was supposed to have entailed have appeared in several UFO conspiracy stories over the last 30 years, including one incident in 1983 in which a man identifying himself as USAF Sergeant Richard C. Doty contacted investigative journalist Linda Moulton Howe claiming to be able to supply her Air Force records of the exchange for her HBO documentary "The ET Factor"; only to pull out without providing any evidence to substantiate his story, and one incident in 2005 when a series of emails were sent to a UFO discussion group run by Victor claiming that the project was real.
Some variations on the conspiracy story state that the name Serpo is the nickname of the extrasolar planet. Other versions state that it is a mispronunciation of either Serponia or Seinu by US authorities involved in the project.
The first mention of a 'Project Serpo' was in a UFO email list maintained by enthusiast Victor Martinez. Various versions of the conspiracy theory circulated, and were later detailed on a website.
According to the most common version of the story, an alien survived a crash near Roswell in the later 1940s (see Roswell UFO incident). This alien was detained but treated well by American military forces, contacted its home planet and eventually repatriated. The story continues by claiming that this led to the establishment of some sort of relationship between the American government and the people of its home world – said to be a planet of the binary star system Zeta Reticuli. Zeta Reticuli has a history in ufology, having been claimed as the home system of an alien race called the Greys. The story finally claims that twelve American military personnel visited the planet between 1965 and 1978 and that all of the party have since died, from 'after effects of high radiation levels from the two suns'.
Some variations on the conspiracy story state that the name Serpo is the nickname of the extrasolar planet. Other versions state that it is a mispronunciation of either Serponia or Seinu by US authorities involved in the project.
The first mention of a 'Project Serpo' was in a UFO email list maintained by enthusiast Victor Martinez. Various versions of the conspiracy theory circulated, and were later detailed on a website.
According to the most common version of the story, an alien survived a crash near Roswell in the later 1940s (see Roswell UFO incident). This alien was detained but treated well by American military forces, contacted its home planet and eventually repatriated. The story continues by claiming that this led to the establishment of some sort of relationship between the American government and the people of its home world – said to be a planet of the binary star system Zeta Reticuli. Zeta Reticuli has a history in ufology, having been claimed as the home system of an alien race called the Greys. The story finally claims that twelve American military personnel visited the planet between 1965 and 1978 and that all of the party have since died, from 'after effects of high radiation levels from the two suns'.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Mrs. Peel arrives
A new female partner appeared on the British television show The Avengers in October 1965: Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). The name of the character derived from the fact that, during development, the writers commented they wanted a character with "man appeal". Eventually they began referring to this by the verbal shorthand, "M. Appeal" and thus the character's name of "Emma Peel" was born. The character, whose husband went missing while on a South American exploration, retained the self-assuredness of Cathy Gale, combined with superior fighting skills, intelligence, and fashion sense.
After more than 60 actresses had been auditioned, the first choice to play this role was actress Elizabeth Shepherd. However, after shooting one and a half episodes, Shepherd was released, as her on-screen personality did not seem as interesting as that of Blackman's Cathy Gale. Another 20 actresses were auditioned before the show's casting director suggested that producers Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell check out a televised drama featuring the relatively unknown Rigg. Her screen test with Macnee showed that the two immediately worked well together, and a new era in Avengers history began.
The classic Avengers episodes are generally considered to be those featuring Macnee and Rigg. By contrast to the Cathy Gale episodes, there was a lighter comic touch evident, both in Steed and Peel's conversations and in the ways they reacted to other characters and situations. Earlier seasons of the show had a much more hard-edged tone, with the Blackman episodes including some surprisingly serious espionage dramas (when viewed through the prism of the later, better-known period). The harder edges of the previous seasons almost completely disappeared, as Steed and Peel visibly enjoyed topping each other's witticisms.
Additionally, many episodes were characterized by a futuristic, science fiction bent to the tales, with mad scientists and their creations leaving havoc in their wake. The duo dealt with giant alien carnivorous plants (The Man-Eater Of Surrey Green), being shrunk to doll size (Mission . . . Highly Improbable), pet cats being electrically altered into 'miniature tigers' (The Hidden Tiger), killer automatons (The Cybernauts and Return Of The Cybernauts), mind-transferring machines (Who's Who???), and invisible foes (The See-Through Man). The series also poked fun at its American contemporaries with episodes such as The Girl From AUNTIE and Mission ... Highly Improbable (spoofing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mission: Impossible, respectively). The show still carried the basic format: Steed and his associate were charged with solving the problem in the space of a 50-minute episode, thus preserving the safety of 1960s Britain on a regular basis.
Comedy was also evident in the names/acronyms of the organizations Steed and Peel encountered. In The Living Dead, two duelling groups examine reported ghost sightings: FOG (Friends Of Ghosts) and SMOG (Scientific Measurement Of Ghosts). The Hidden Tiger features the Philanthropic Union for Rescue, Relief and Recuperation of Cats — PURRR — led by folk named Cheshire, Manx, and Angora.
There was also a notable fetishistic undercurrent in many episodes (most notably the black-and-white episode "A Touch of Brimstone", in which Mrs Peel dressed as a dominatrix to become the "Queen Of Sin"). Tight-fitting fashion for both Gale and Peel was one of the notable features of the shows; Macnee and Blackman had even released a novelty song called "Kinky Boots". (Some of the clothes seen in The Avengers were designed by John Sutcliffe, who also published the AtomAge fetish magazine).
Another memorable feature of the show from this point on was its automobiles. Steed's signature cars were 1926 - 1928 Bentley racing/town cars, including Blower Bentleys and Bentley Speed Sixes, while Peel drove a Lotus Elan. Mother was transported in Rolls-Royce cars and Tara King preferred an AC 428 and a Lotus Europa. (Some of this had already begun in the Gale episodes, as Gale occasionally used a Triumph motorcycle.) During the first Emma Peel season, each episode would end with a short, comedic scene of the duo leaving the scene of their most recent adventure in a variety of unusual vehicles.
The relationship between Steed and Gale differed noticeably from that of Steed and Peel, with a layer of conflict in the former that was rarely seen in the latter — Gale on occasion openly resenting being used by Steed, often without her permission. There was also a level of sexual tension between Steed and Gale that was absent when Emma Peel arrived. In both cases, the exact relationship between the partners was left ambiguous, although they seemed to have carte blanche to visit each other's homes whenever they pleased and it was not uncommon to see an episode in which Steed spent the night at Cathy Gale's/Emma Peel's home, or vice-versa. Although nothing "improper" was ever displayed, the obviously much closer chemistry between the Steed/Peel characters constantly suggests that something of the sort is happening in the background.
After more than 60 actresses had been auditioned, the first choice to play this role was actress Elizabeth Shepherd. However, after shooting one and a half episodes, Shepherd was released, as her on-screen personality did not seem as interesting as that of Blackman's Cathy Gale. Another 20 actresses were auditioned before the show's casting director suggested that producers Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell check out a televised drama featuring the relatively unknown Rigg. Her screen test with Macnee showed that the two immediately worked well together, and a new era in Avengers history began.
The classic Avengers episodes are generally considered to be those featuring Macnee and Rigg. By contrast to the Cathy Gale episodes, there was a lighter comic touch evident, both in Steed and Peel's conversations and in the ways they reacted to other characters and situations. Earlier seasons of the show had a much more hard-edged tone, with the Blackman episodes including some surprisingly serious espionage dramas (when viewed through the prism of the later, better-known period). The harder edges of the previous seasons almost completely disappeared, as Steed and Peel visibly enjoyed topping each other's witticisms.
Additionally, many episodes were characterized by a futuristic, science fiction bent to the tales, with mad scientists and their creations leaving havoc in their wake. The duo dealt with giant alien carnivorous plants (The Man-Eater Of Surrey Green), being shrunk to doll size (Mission . . . Highly Improbable), pet cats being electrically altered into 'miniature tigers' (The Hidden Tiger), killer automatons (The Cybernauts and Return Of The Cybernauts), mind-transferring machines (Who's Who???), and invisible foes (The See-Through Man). The series also poked fun at its American contemporaries with episodes such as The Girl From AUNTIE and Mission ... Highly Improbable (spoofing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mission: Impossible, respectively). The show still carried the basic format: Steed and his associate were charged with solving the problem in the space of a 50-minute episode, thus preserving the safety of 1960s Britain on a regular basis.
Comedy was also evident in the names/acronyms of the organizations Steed and Peel encountered. In The Living Dead, two duelling groups examine reported ghost sightings: FOG (Friends Of Ghosts) and SMOG (Scientific Measurement Of Ghosts). The Hidden Tiger features the Philanthropic Union for Rescue, Relief and Recuperation of Cats — PURRR — led by folk named Cheshire, Manx, and Angora.
There was also a notable fetishistic undercurrent in many episodes (most notably the black-and-white episode "A Touch of Brimstone", in which Mrs Peel dressed as a dominatrix to become the "Queen Of Sin"). Tight-fitting fashion for both Gale and Peel was one of the notable features of the shows; Macnee and Blackman had even released a novelty song called "Kinky Boots". (Some of the clothes seen in The Avengers were designed by John Sutcliffe, who also published the AtomAge fetish magazine).
Another memorable feature of the show from this point on was its automobiles. Steed's signature cars were 1926 - 1928 Bentley racing/town cars, including Blower Bentleys and Bentley Speed Sixes, while Peel drove a Lotus Elan. Mother was transported in Rolls-Royce cars and Tara King preferred an AC 428 and a Lotus Europa. (Some of this had already begun in the Gale episodes, as Gale occasionally used a Triumph motorcycle.) During the first Emma Peel season, each episode would end with a short, comedic scene of the duo leaving the scene of their most recent adventure in a variety of unusual vehicles.
The relationship between Steed and Gale differed noticeably from that of Steed and Peel, with a layer of conflict in the former that was rarely seen in the latter — Gale on occasion openly resenting being used by Steed, often without her permission. There was also a level of sexual tension between Steed and Gale that was absent when Emma Peel arrived. In both cases, the exact relationship between the partners was left ambiguous, although they seemed to have carte blanche to visit each other's homes whenever they pleased and it was not uncommon to see an episode in which Steed spent the night at Cathy Gale's/Emma Peel's home, or vice-versa. Although nothing "improper" was ever displayed, the obviously much closer chemistry between the Steed/Peel characters constantly suggests that something of the sort is happening in the background.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Casino Royale
Casino Royale is a 1967 epic surrealistic satire originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre and is lightly based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.
The film stars David Niven as the original Bond, Sir James Bond 007. Forced out of retirement to investigate the deaths and disappearances of international spies, he soon battles the mysterious Dr. Noah and SMERSH.
The film's famous slogan : "Casino Royale is too much ... for one James Bond!" refers to Bond's ruse to mislead SMERSH in which six other agents are designated as "James Bond", namely, Baccarat master Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers), millionaire spy Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress), his secretary Miss Moneypenny (Barbara Bouchet), Bond's daughter with Mata Hari, Mata Bond (Joanna Pettet) and British agents "Coop" (Terence Cooper) and "The Detainer" (Daliah Lavi).
Charles K. Feldman, the producer, had acquired the film rights and had attempted to get Casino Royale made as an official James Bond movie (i.e. one made by EON Productions); however, the producers of the official series, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, had turned him down. Believing that he could not compete with the official series, Feldman resolved to produce the film as a satire.
The film's opening sequence is a deliberate ironic take on the dramatic opening sequences in the Eon Bond films. Evelyn Tremble and Inspector Mathis meet in a pissoir, where Mathis presents his credentials, setting the satirical tone of the film.
The film is notable for the legendary behind-the-scenes drama involving the filming of the segments with Peter Sellers. Supposedly, Sellers felt intimidated by Orson Welles to the extent that, except for a couple of shots, neither were in the studio simultaneously. Other versions of the legend depict the drama stemming from Sellers being slighted, in favor of Welles, by Princess Margaret (whom Sellers knew) during her visit to the set. Welles also insisted on performing magic tricks as Le Chiffre, and the director obliged. Sellers ultimately walked off the film before he completed all his scenes, which is why Tremble is so abruptly captured. Some biographies of Sellers suggest that he took the role of Bond to heart, and was annoyed at the decision to make Casino Royale a comedy as he wanted to play Bond straight; this is illustrated (in somewhat fictionalized form) in the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, based upon a biography by Roger Lewis, who claims that Sellers kept re-writing and improvising scenes himself to make them play seriously. This would match that the only parts of the film close to the book are the ones featuring Sellers and Welles.
The film stars David Niven as the original Bond, Sir James Bond 007. Forced out of retirement to investigate the deaths and disappearances of international spies, he soon battles the mysterious Dr. Noah and SMERSH.
The film's famous slogan : "Casino Royale is too much ... for one James Bond!" refers to Bond's ruse to mislead SMERSH in which six other agents are designated as "James Bond", namely, Baccarat master Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers), millionaire spy Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress), his secretary Miss Moneypenny (Barbara Bouchet), Bond's daughter with Mata Hari, Mata Bond (Joanna Pettet) and British agents "Coop" (Terence Cooper) and "The Detainer" (Daliah Lavi).
Charles K. Feldman, the producer, had acquired the film rights and had attempted to get Casino Royale made as an official James Bond movie (i.e. one made by EON Productions); however, the producers of the official series, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, had turned him down. Believing that he could not compete with the official series, Feldman resolved to produce the film as a satire.
The film's opening sequence is a deliberate ironic take on the dramatic opening sequences in the Eon Bond films. Evelyn Tremble and Inspector Mathis meet in a pissoir, where Mathis presents his credentials, setting the satirical tone of the film.
The film is notable for the legendary behind-the-scenes drama involving the filming of the segments with Peter Sellers. Supposedly, Sellers felt intimidated by Orson Welles to the extent that, except for a couple of shots, neither were in the studio simultaneously. Other versions of the legend depict the drama stemming from Sellers being slighted, in favor of Welles, by Princess Margaret (whom Sellers knew) during her visit to the set. Welles also insisted on performing magic tricks as Le Chiffre, and the director obliged. Sellers ultimately walked off the film before he completed all his scenes, which is why Tremble is so abruptly captured. Some biographies of Sellers suggest that he took the role of Bond to heart, and was annoyed at the decision to make Casino Royale a comedy as he wanted to play Bond straight; this is illustrated (in somewhat fictionalized form) in the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, based upon a biography by Roger Lewis, who claims that Sellers kept re-writing and improvising scenes himself to make them play seriously. This would match that the only parts of the film close to the book are the ones featuring Sellers and Welles.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Serial Killers
Serial killers in popular culture
Serial killers have been featured in many novels, movies, songs, comic books, true crime, soap operas, video games, and other media. Films such as The Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, Scream, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Halloween, and the Friday The 13th series, have featured serial killers as villains, antiheroes, and even protagonists. Examples of famous fictional serial killers include Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates, Freddy Krueger, Carnage, Leatherface, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Patrick Bateman, Serge A. Storms, John "The Jigsaw" Kramer, and Dexter Morgan. A few of these have become some of the most famous and popular characters in modern popular culture.
Serial killer memorabilia and serial killer lore is a subculture revolving around the legacies of various infamous and notorious serial killers. While memorabilia is generally confined to the paintings, writings, and poems of infamous killers, a market has expanded in recent years with serial killer encyclopedias, trading cards, and action figures. Some of the best known articles of serial killer memorabilia include the clown paintings of John Wayne Gacy and the poetry of Jack Unterweger.
Victims
Criminologists have long recognized that there is a link between a serial killer and their victim. One such link is that between the association between demographic factors and the victims. While overall the odds of actually becoming a victim are very minute in comparison to other crimes of victimization, and the population as a whole; the outcome of the victims can be the most extreme. Compared to all other types of crimes, homicide in general has one of the lowest victimization rates.
Serial murderers tend to target more women than men, and kill strangers more often than family or friends. This is contradictory compared to single-homicide offenders who tend to kill men and women equally, while killing friends and family more often. Serial murderers’ killings are often sexually motivated. Them being sexually motivated supports the idea that serial murders tend to have a specific criteria, motivations, and specific sexual interests for victim selection. This victim selection process sets serial murderers apart from other types of killers.
Serial killers are specifically motivated by a variety of psychological urges, primarily power and sexual compulsion. They often have feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, sometimes owing to humiliation, bullying, and abuse in childhood and the pressures of poverty and low socioeconomic status in adulthood. In many cases, serial killers commit crimes to compensate for these factors and to provide a sense of potency and often revenge by giving them a feeling of power, both at the time of the actual killing and afterwards. The knowledge that their actions terrify entire communities and often baffle police adds to this sense of power. This motivational aspect separates them from contract killers and other multiple murderers who are motivated by profit. For example, in Scotland during the 1820s, William Burke and William Hare murdered people in what became known as the "Case of the Body Snatchers."
Another recent theory about the pathology of serial killers, propounded by Helen Morrison, states that they are not a result of sexual abuse, inadequacy, or socioeconomic status, but are rather the result of retarded emotional development. In her theory, the low level of emotional development causes serial killers to have fractured or disparate personalities - that is they are missing components that are usually present. Low emotional development also explains some common traits among serial killers such as enjoying holding soft materials against their mouths (being the primary sensory organ of infants) which was observed in Richard Otto Macek, John Wayne Gacy and others.
Serial killers have been featured in many novels, movies, songs, comic books, true crime, soap operas, video games, and other media. Films such as The Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, Scream, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Halloween, and the Friday The 13th series, have featured serial killers as villains, antiheroes, and even protagonists. Examples of famous fictional serial killers include Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates, Freddy Krueger, Carnage, Leatherface, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Patrick Bateman, Serge A. Storms, John "The Jigsaw" Kramer, and Dexter Morgan. A few of these have become some of the most famous and popular characters in modern popular culture.
Serial killer memorabilia and serial killer lore is a subculture revolving around the legacies of various infamous and notorious serial killers. While memorabilia is generally confined to the paintings, writings, and poems of infamous killers, a market has expanded in recent years with serial killer encyclopedias, trading cards, and action figures. Some of the best known articles of serial killer memorabilia include the clown paintings of John Wayne Gacy and the poetry of Jack Unterweger.
Victims
Criminologists have long recognized that there is a link between a serial killer and their victim. One such link is that between the association between demographic factors and the victims. While overall the odds of actually becoming a victim are very minute in comparison to other crimes of victimization, and the population as a whole; the outcome of the victims can be the most extreme. Compared to all other types of crimes, homicide in general has one of the lowest victimization rates.
Serial murderers tend to target more women than men, and kill strangers more often than family or friends. This is contradictory compared to single-homicide offenders who tend to kill men and women equally, while killing friends and family more often. Serial murderers’ killings are often sexually motivated. Them being sexually motivated supports the idea that serial murders tend to have a specific criteria, motivations, and specific sexual interests for victim selection. This victim selection process sets serial murderers apart from other types of killers.
Serial killers are specifically motivated by a variety of psychological urges, primarily power and sexual compulsion. They often have feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, sometimes owing to humiliation, bullying, and abuse in childhood and the pressures of poverty and low socioeconomic status in adulthood. In many cases, serial killers commit crimes to compensate for these factors and to provide a sense of potency and often revenge by giving them a feeling of power, both at the time of the actual killing and afterwards. The knowledge that their actions terrify entire communities and often baffle police adds to this sense of power. This motivational aspect separates them from contract killers and other multiple murderers who are motivated by profit. For example, in Scotland during the 1820s, William Burke and William Hare murdered people in what became known as the "Case of the Body Snatchers."
Another recent theory about the pathology of serial killers, propounded by Helen Morrison, states that they are not a result of sexual abuse, inadequacy, or socioeconomic status, but are rather the result of retarded emotional development. In her theory, the low level of emotional development causes serial killers to have fractured or disparate personalities - that is they are missing components that are usually present. Low emotional development also explains some common traits among serial killers such as enjoying holding soft materials against their mouths (being the primary sensory organ of infants) which was observed in Richard Otto Macek, John Wayne Gacy and others.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Supercar
Supercar was a children's TV show produced by Arthur Provis and Gerry Anderson's AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment. 39 episodes were produced between 1961 and 1962, and it was Anderson's first half-hour series. In the UK it was seen on ITV and in the US in syndication (the first Anderson series to be shown overseas). The format uses puppets in a technique called supermarionation, a name that was first seen in the closing titles of the last 13 episodes.
Supercar was a vertical takeoff and landing craft. On land it rode on a cushion of air rather than wheels. Jets in the rear allowed it to fly like a jet and retractable wings were incorporated in the back of car. Retrorockets on the side of the car slowed the vehicle. The car used "Clear-Vue" which had an inside television monitor that allowed the occupant to see through fog and smoke.
The series inaugurated what would become an Anderson trademark, the launch sequence. Every one of his series up until Space: 1999 would include these – in Supercars case, the charging of port and starboard engines, the activation of an interlock, the opening of (overhead) hangar doors, and finally the vertical take-off.
After Granada Television failed to renew Four Feather Falls, Anderson was approached by Lew Grade of ATV, who asked him to make a half-hour puppet show along similar lines. After developing the format and budgeting the series Anderson returned to Grade, who approved it but demanded a budget cut. Fortunately Anderson was able to make the necessary economies and brought the show in on budget.
The first 26 scripts for Supercar were written by brothers Martin and Hugh Woodhouse, at the rate of one complete 'shooting (camera-ready) script' per week, in order to fit Anderson and Grade's cost and production schedule.
Anderson always claimed that he invented a futuristic vehicle as an excuse to reduce the amount of walking the puppets had to do, which could never be made to look realistic. This was finally taken to its conclusion in Captain Scarlet, in which the puppets are almost never seen walking.
The complete series is available on DVD in the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America.
Supercar was a vertical takeoff and landing craft. On land it rode on a cushion of air rather than wheels. Jets in the rear allowed it to fly like a jet and retractable wings were incorporated in the back of car. Retrorockets on the side of the car slowed the vehicle. The car used "Clear-Vue" which had an inside television monitor that allowed the occupant to see through fog and smoke.
The series inaugurated what would become an Anderson trademark, the launch sequence. Every one of his series up until Space: 1999 would include these – in Supercars case, the charging of port and starboard engines, the activation of an interlock, the opening of (overhead) hangar doors, and finally the vertical take-off.
After Granada Television failed to renew Four Feather Falls, Anderson was approached by Lew Grade of ATV, who asked him to make a half-hour puppet show along similar lines. After developing the format and budgeting the series Anderson returned to Grade, who approved it but demanded a budget cut. Fortunately Anderson was able to make the necessary economies and brought the show in on budget.
The first 26 scripts for Supercar were written by brothers Martin and Hugh Woodhouse, at the rate of one complete 'shooting (camera-ready) script' per week, in order to fit Anderson and Grade's cost and production schedule.
Anderson always claimed that he invented a futuristic vehicle as an excuse to reduce the amount of walking the puppets had to do, which could never be made to look realistic. This was finally taken to its conclusion in Captain Scarlet, in which the puppets are almost never seen walking.
The complete series is available on DVD in the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Hauntings
Haunted locations are often regarded to contain the spirits of deceased beings who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property. Supernatural activity inside homes is said to be mainly associated with violent or tragic events in the buildings past such as murder, accidental death, or suicide — sometimes in the recent or ancient past. Amongst many cultures and religions it is believed that the essence of a being such as the 'soul' continues to exist. Some philosophical and religious views argue that the 'spirits' of those who have died have not 'passed over' and are trapped inside the property where their memories and energy is strong. Entities which are said to 'haunt' homes are often believed to make noises, appear as apparitions, and shift or launch physical objects. This is sometimes manifested into 'poltergeist activity'; poltergeist meaning 'noisy spirit'. Traditionally an exorcism is the method used to remove unwelcome spirits from the property.
Legends about haunted houses have long appeared in literature. Haunting is used as a plot device in gothic or horror fiction or, more lately, paranormal-based fiction. Roman-era authors Plautus, Pliny the Younger, and Lucian wrote stories about haunted houses, and more modern authors from Henry James to Stephen King have featured them in their writings. Haunted castles and mansions are common in gothic literature such as Dracula.
The actual structure of a fictional haunted house can be anything from a decaying European feudal castle to a newly occupied suburban ranch-style house of fairly recent construction, although older buildings tend to be more commonly used.
There is a popular dark ride at Disney theme parks called The Haunted Mansion.
Legends about haunted houses have long appeared in literature. Haunting is used as a plot device in gothic or horror fiction or, more lately, paranormal-based fiction. Roman-era authors Plautus, Pliny the Younger, and Lucian wrote stories about haunted houses, and more modern authors from Henry James to Stephen King have featured them in their writings. Haunted castles and mansions are common in gothic literature such as Dracula.
The actual structure of a fictional haunted house can be anything from a decaying European feudal castle to a newly occupied suburban ranch-style house of fairly recent construction, although older buildings tend to be more commonly used.
There is a popular dark ride at Disney theme parks called The Haunted Mansion.
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