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Childhood Memories
Titles I saw on TV, on tape or in a movie theater in my childhood, and made some kind of impact on my young self. Some of these I own and cherish even to this day, and some I only have vague images of. This list was partly created for the reason to hunt down half-forgotten memories, give them shape, and collect them in one place for future reference.
Missing:
Missing:
- [American series; pack of dogs lost in the Australian wilderness after a plane crash, searching for the lead puppy's (spaniel? beagle?) young owner] - found: "The Puppy's Further Adventures" (1983-1984); I may have been wrong about Australia, though; somehow an episode with dingos got etched into my mind.
- [German series (?): a friendly company of insects living in the grass like it's woodland.] - found: "Ferdy, die Ameise" (1984).
- [Japanese anime series: spaceship capable of morphing into a giant robot fights a group of other robots, and when they get destroyed, they fall into a million small shards (at least this the scene I still carry around in my memories).] - probably found: I'm pretty sure it was some incarnation of the "Gundam" franchise; I put the 1979 series "Mobile Suit Gundam" onto the list to represent it.
- Australian children's movie: a young girl named Katy gets shrunk down to the size of an insect. The part where she is small is animated, the rest (the tail-ends of the movie) is live-action.
History and Archaeology
The 2013 "Tudor Monastery Farm" series does not seem to possess an IMDB page.
The Legacy of H. G. Wells
The Time Machine - 1895; a novella about a scientist who travels forward in time, and discovers the descendants of humanity, the ethereal Eloi and the frightening Morlocks.
---
The Island of Doctor Moreau - 1896; a novel about a mad doctor who creates human beings out of wild animals. The story tackles questions about the responsibility of science, and about the human existence.
The Wheels of Chance - 1896; a bittersweet novel about a cycling weekend, written in the heyday of the bicycle. Provided some interesting insights on the impact of this new invention on the society of Victorian England.
The Invisible Man - 1897; a novella about an English scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility, tries the procedure out on himself, but cannot reverse the effect, and becomes mentally unstable.
Sequels and other versions: "The Invisible Man Returns" , 1940; "The Invisible Woman" , 1940; "Invisible Agent" , 1942; "The Invisible Man's Revenge" , 1944. Based on the character and his formula of the 1933 Universal horror, these movies continued the premise well into the 20th century. In fact, in many cases it was the Universal classic that influenced the later adaptations, rather than the 1897 original story. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" , 1948; "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man , 1951. In many regards a continuation of the Universal franchise, these movies featured a lighthearted parody of horroristic premise. "Son of the Invisible Man ; a short comedic sketch about the title character, who thinks he is invisible, but in reality he remains very much visible. Featured in the anthology movie "Amazon Women on the Moon" in 1987. "Monster in My Pocket ; a short-lived 1991 comic book series based on the toy franchise, which featured the Universal horror Invisible Man as the leader of the good monsters. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" ; published from 1999, this comic book series by Alan Moore features the Invisible Man as a central character (part of an ensemble of Victorian Era fictional heroes), continuing his adventures after the end of the Wells novel. Adapted into a blockbuster movie in 2003, with mixed results. Andrew Clements: "Things Not Seen" ; a novel published in 2001 featuring a teenage boy who suddenly turns invisible. The plot is possibly heavily influenced by the Wells story. "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark ; comic book series, with an issue in 2003 parodying the Invisible Man concept in the form of an invisible beauty queen. "Van Helsing - From Beneath the Rue Morgue ; comic one-shot from around 2004, a spin-off from the "Van Helsing" movie of the same year. Features invisible beasts created by Van Helsing's current antagonist, the mad scientist Doctor Moreau, and implies his technology was derived from an unfortunate incident in England. "Castlevania - Portrait of Ruin ; Japanese anime-styled video game for Nintendo DS handheld consol, released in 2006. Features the Invisible Man as an enemy in the sewers. Blue Balliett: "Wright 3" ; children's mystery novel featuring the Invisible Man. "Batman - The Unseen" ; limited comic series from 2008 in which Batman battles the Invisible Man. ---
The Man Who Could Work Miracles - 1898; short story about a man who's wishes start to come to reality, and the struggles that come with such a power. Published in The Illustrated London News.
The War of the Worlds - 1898; partly inspired by the so-called "invasion literature" that was so popular in the worldwide British Empire during the era of rising international tensions before World War I, this classic introduces invaders from another planet who conquer Earth without significant difficulty from the indigenous humanity, eerily echoing the colonization process exercised by the imperial powers of Europe in Africa, Asia, Australia, Oceania, and the Americas. As the first truly popular novel to use the "alien invasion" trope, this is the ancestor and prime template of all such storylines. The ideas Wells examines here vastly forgo their time, making this novel one of the major forerunners of science fiction literature.
Sequels and other versions: H. G. Wells: "Fighters from Mars" ; unauthorized revision published by the Boston Post in 1898. Garrett P. Serviss: "Edison's Conquest of Mars" ; unauthorized sequel to the "Fighters from Mars" about a counter-attack launched against Mars, where the inventions of Thomas Edison enables the humans to bring the fight to the Martians. Published in the Boston Post in 1898. Lazar Lagin: "Major Well Andyou" ; Soviet propagandist novel about a British major who collaborates with the Martians. Published in 1962. George H. Smith: "The Second War of the Worlds" ; the Martians are trying to invade an alternate, less technologically advanced Earth, but their plans are foiled by an unnamed English detective and his "doctor" companion from our world (obviously a take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson). Manly & Wade Wellman: "Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds" ; a novel about Mr. Holmes's adventures during the Martian occupation of London. In this version of the story, Wells' originally unconnected short story, "The Crystal Egg", is used as a prequel to the events, and a crossover is established with Doyle's other major character, Professor Challenger. Published in 1975. Christopher Priest: "The Space Machine" ; a novel that incorporates elements from both "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds", and can be considered as both a prequel and a sequel to the storyline of the latter, because of the "time travel" element. Published in 1976. Willie Rushton: "W. G. Grace's Last Case" ; a novel in which W. G. Grace and Doctor Watson avert a second Martian invasion by attacking them on the other side of the Moon with "bombs" containing influenza germs. Published in 1984. Kevin J. Anderson: "War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches" ; a collection of the numerous works of fiction depicting the invasion of Wells' novel from various different perspectives. Published in 1996. "Scarlet Traces" (2002) and "Scarlet Traces: The Great Game" (2006); comic books depicting a flowering British Empire a decade after the events in Wells' novel; by utilizing the left-over Martian technology the Realm enjoys a leap in progress, and in the sequel it is even capable to launch a counter-invasion against Mars. Along the way, however, the British Government becomes increasingly oppressive. Eric Brown: "Ulla, ulla" ; a short story depicting an expedition to Mars to uncover the truth behind Wells' novel. Published in 2002. Hayden Lee: "Mastery of Vesania" ; a short story connecting the original novel with the 2005 Spielberg remake. Kevin J. Anderson: "The Martian War" ; another retelling, this time in novel form, by Anderson. Connects in some other stories authored by Wells, for example "The First Men in the Moon". Published in 2006. ---
The First Men in the Moon - 1901; short story about the adventures of two gentlemen from Earth among the insectoid Selenites of the Moon. It had considerable influence on the later Moon-travel stories, and possibly started the tradition of depicting aliens as insect-like creatures.
Influences: Zinaida Gippius: "The Moon Ants" ; short story, 1912. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" ; comic book, 1999. The story and the characters feature heavily in the original volume and the sequels. "Scarlet Traces" ; comic book, 2002. Kevin J. Anderson: "The Martian War" ;novel, 2006. --- The Story of the Inexperienced Ghost - 1902; short story. Also known simply as "The Inexperienced Ghost".
Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul - 1905; a novel about a boy who is propelled by chance from the orphanage into the upper class of society, but cannot find his place there.
Marriage - 1912.
The Passionate Friends - 1913; a novel about a love triangle where the woman is unable to give up her affair.
The Shape of Things to Come - 1933; a futuristic science fiction novel that speculates the way a world state will emerge between 1933 and 2106 to rule humanity in peace.
The Island of Doctor Moreau - 1896; a novel about a mad doctor who creates human beings out of wild animals. The story tackles questions about the responsibility of science, and about the human existence.
- Movie adaptations:
- Alternate versions:
The Wheels of Chance - 1896; a bittersweet novel about a cycling weekend, written in the heyday of the bicycle. Provided some interesting insights on the impact of this new invention on the society of Victorian England.
- Movie adaptations:
The Invisible Man - 1897; a novella about an English scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility, tries the procedure out on himself, but cannot reverse the effect, and becomes mentally unstable.
- Movie adaptations:
- TV series:
- Stage:
- Radio:
- Comics:
Sequels and other versions: "The Invisible Man Returns" , 1940; "The Invisible Woman" , 1940; "Invisible Agent" , 1942; "The Invisible Man's Revenge" , 1944. Based on the character and his formula of the 1933 Universal horror, these movies continued the premise well into the 20th century. In fact, in many cases it was the Universal classic that influenced the later adaptations, rather than the 1897 original story. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" , 1948; "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man , 1951. In many regards a continuation of the Universal franchise, these movies featured a lighthearted parody of horroristic premise. "Son of the Invisible Man ; a short comedic sketch about the title character, who thinks he is invisible, but in reality he remains very much visible. Featured in the anthology movie "Amazon Women on the Moon" in 1987. "Monster in My Pocket ; a short-lived 1991 comic book series based on the toy franchise, which featured the Universal horror Invisible Man as the leader of the good monsters. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" ; published from 1999, this comic book series by Alan Moore features the Invisible Man as a central character (part of an ensemble of Victorian Era fictional heroes), continuing his adventures after the end of the Wells novel. Adapted into a blockbuster movie in 2003, with mixed results. Andrew Clements: "Things Not Seen" ; a novel published in 2001 featuring a teenage boy who suddenly turns invisible. The plot is possibly heavily influenced by the Wells story. "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark ; comic book series, with an issue in 2003 parodying the Invisible Man concept in the form of an invisible beauty queen. "Van Helsing - From Beneath the Rue Morgue ; comic one-shot from around 2004, a spin-off from the "Van Helsing" movie of the same year. Features invisible beasts created by Van Helsing's current antagonist, the mad scientist Doctor Moreau, and implies his technology was derived from an unfortunate incident in England. "Castlevania - Portrait of Ruin ; Japanese anime-styled video game for Nintendo DS handheld consol, released in 2006. Features the Invisible Man as an enemy in the sewers. Blue Balliett: "Wright 3" ; children's mystery novel featuring the Invisible Man. "Batman - The Unseen" ; limited comic series from 2008 in which Batman battles the Invisible Man. ---
The Man Who Could Work Miracles - 1898; short story about a man who's wishes start to come to reality, and the struggles that come with such a power. Published in The Illustrated London News.
- Movie adaptation:
- Radio adaptation:
The War of the Worlds - 1898; partly inspired by the so-called "invasion literature" that was so popular in the worldwide British Empire during the era of rising international tensions before World War I, this classic introduces invaders from another planet who conquer Earth without significant difficulty from the indigenous humanity, eerily echoing the colonization process exercised by the imperial powers of Europe in Africa, Asia, Australia, Oceania, and the Americas. As the first truly popular novel to use the "alien invasion" trope, this is the ancestor and prime template of all such storylines. The ideas Wells examines here vastly forgo their time, making this novel one of the major forerunners of science fiction literature.
- Radio adaptations:
- Musicals:
- Games:
- Comics:
- Movies:
Sequels and other versions: H. G. Wells: "Fighters from Mars" ; unauthorized revision published by the Boston Post in 1898. Garrett P. Serviss: "Edison's Conquest of Mars" ; unauthorized sequel to the "Fighters from Mars" about a counter-attack launched against Mars, where the inventions of Thomas Edison enables the humans to bring the fight to the Martians. Published in the Boston Post in 1898. Lazar Lagin: "Major Well Andyou" ; Soviet propagandist novel about a British major who collaborates with the Martians. Published in 1962. George H. Smith: "The Second War of the Worlds" ; the Martians are trying to invade an alternate, less technologically advanced Earth, but their plans are foiled by an unnamed English detective and his "doctor" companion from our world (obviously a take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson). Manly & Wade Wellman: "Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds" ; a novel about Mr. Holmes's adventures during the Martian occupation of London. In this version of the story, Wells' originally unconnected short story, "The Crystal Egg", is used as a prequel to the events, and a crossover is established with Doyle's other major character, Professor Challenger. Published in 1975. Christopher Priest: "The Space Machine" ; a novel that incorporates elements from both "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds", and can be considered as both a prequel and a sequel to the storyline of the latter, because of the "time travel" element. Published in 1976. Willie Rushton: "W. G. Grace's Last Case" ; a novel in which W. G. Grace and Doctor Watson avert a second Martian invasion by attacking them on the other side of the Moon with "bombs" containing influenza germs. Published in 1984. Kevin J. Anderson: "War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches" ; a collection of the numerous works of fiction depicting the invasion of Wells' novel from various different perspectives. Published in 1996. "Scarlet Traces" (2002) and "Scarlet Traces: The Great Game" (2006); comic books depicting a flowering British Empire a decade after the events in Wells' novel; by utilizing the left-over Martian technology the Realm enjoys a leap in progress, and in the sequel it is even capable to launch a counter-invasion against Mars. Along the way, however, the British Government becomes increasingly oppressive. Eric Brown: "Ulla, ulla" ; a short story depicting an expedition to Mars to uncover the truth behind Wells' novel. Published in 2002. Hayden Lee: "Mastery of Vesania" ; a short story connecting the original novel with the 2005 Spielberg remake. Kevin J. Anderson: "The Martian War" ; another retelling, this time in novel form, by Anderson. Connects in some other stories authored by Wells, for example "The First Men in the Moon". Published in 2006. ---
The First Men in the Moon - 1901; short story about the adventures of two gentlemen from Earth among the insectoid Selenites of the Moon. It had considerable influence on the later Moon-travel stories, and possibly started the tradition of depicting aliens as insect-like creatures.
- Movie adaptations:
Influences: Zinaida Gippius: "The Moon Ants" ; short story, 1912. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" ; comic book, 1999. The story and the characters feature heavily in the original volume and the sequels. "Scarlet Traces" ; comic book, 2002. Kevin J. Anderson: "The Martian War" ;novel, 2006. --- The Story of the Inexperienced Ghost - 1902; short story. Also known simply as "The Inexperienced Ghost".
- Movie adaptation:
Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul - 1905; a novel about a boy who is propelled by chance from the orphanage into the upper class of society, but cannot find his place there.
- Musical
- Move adaptations:
Marriage - 1912.
- Movie adaptation:
The Passionate Friends - 1913; a novel about a love triangle where the woman is unable to give up her affair.
- Movie adaptations:
The Shape of Things to Come - 1933; a futuristic science fiction novel that speculates the way a world state will emerge between 1933 and 2106 to rule humanity in peace.
- Movie adaptations:
Buck Rogers
Buck Rogers first appeared in the novella "Armageddon 2419 AD" by Philip Francis Nowlan, which was published in the August 1928 issue of the magazine Amazing Stories. Its sequel, "The Airlords of Han" was published in the May 1929 issue. These two novellas were combined to publish the paperback novel "Armageddon 2419 AD" in the 1960s.
The John F. Dille Company (later known as National Newspaper Syndicate) contacted Nowlan right away in order to start a comic strip in the newspapers based on "Armageddon", and enlisting the illustrator Dick Calkins the development began. The first strip of the "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century AD" line was published in January 7, 1929. It proved to be a lasting success, spawning spin-offs in various media, and also "inspiring" other comic strips as well, most notably "Flash Gordon" in 1934.
The first "Buck Rogers" radio drama, which aired in 1932, was the first science fiction themed radio program in the US. In 1933, Nowlan and Calkins co-wrote the novella "Buck Rogers in the 25th century", re-imagining the origins of the character. This was the basis for most of the later versions. The first short film was shot in 1934, and the serial was released in 1939, in the wake of the cinematic success of "Flash Gordon".
The comic strip continued on until July 8, 1967, when the final installment of the original series was published. It was revived in 1979 (probably thanks to the success of the television series) by Gray Morrow and Jim Lawrence, and was renamed in 1980 as "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". It didn't survive long the cancellation of the TV-series in 1981, though; in 1983 the comic strip ended, and has not returned since.
The John F. Dille Company (later known as National Newspaper Syndicate) contacted Nowlan right away in order to start a comic strip in the newspapers based on "Armageddon", and enlisting the illustrator Dick Calkins the development began. The first strip of the "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century AD" line was published in January 7, 1929. It proved to be a lasting success, spawning spin-offs in various media, and also "inspiring" other comic strips as well, most notably "Flash Gordon" in 1934.
The first "Buck Rogers" radio drama, which aired in 1932, was the first science fiction themed radio program in the US. In 1933, Nowlan and Calkins co-wrote the novella "Buck Rogers in the 25th century", re-imagining the origins of the character. This was the basis for most of the later versions. The first short film was shot in 1934, and the serial was released in 1939, in the wake of the cinematic success of "Flash Gordon".
The comic strip continued on until July 8, 1967, when the final installment of the original series was published. It was revived in 1979 (probably thanks to the success of the television series) by Gray Morrow and Jim Lawrence, and was renamed in 1980 as "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". It didn't survive long the cancellation of the TV-series in 1981, though; in 1983 the comic strip ended, and has not returned since.
The Hungarian Connection
A roster of Hollywood professionals with some notable connection to the country of Hungary. The purpose of this list is to help me remember my many compatriots working in the English-speaking movie industry, for future reference. Names are mostly added as I encounter them while watching movies, old and new. Suggestions are also welcome in the comment section! (It has to be said, though, that due to some weird glitch in the site's comment system, I cannot see any of the entries unless I copy-paste them into a text document - which I do so from time to time, but not daily. Also, some comments seem to vanish randomly, and to boot it all, IMDB does not notify me when a new entry is made or an old one is removed, so please don't get upset if I fail to respond relatively soon!)
Edit: Facebook-plugin seems to be fixed, I can see the comments now!
Many thanks to the following commenters for their suggestions (indicated in parentheses): Diana Marton Alf (Tony Curtis) Patricia Nolan-Hall (Paul Lukas) Mercedes Marton (Eva and Magda Gabor) Philip Mammano (Jerry Seinfeld) Szonja Zemkó (Franciska Gaal, Vilma Bánky, Charles Vidor, Paul Fejos) Paul Gottlieb (Cornel Wilde)
Edit: Facebook-plugin seems to be fixed, I can see the comments now!
Many thanks to the following commenters for their suggestions (indicated in parentheses): Diana Marton Alf (Tony Curtis) Patricia Nolan-Hall (Paul Lukas) Mercedes Marton (Eva and Magda Gabor) Philip Mammano (Jerry Seinfeld) Szonja Zemkó (Franciska Gaal, Vilma Bánky, Charles Vidor, Paul Fejos) Paul Gottlieb (Cornel Wilde)
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Reviews
Sucker Punch (2011)
A Geek Masterpiece
21 April 2011 - 1 out of 6 users found this review helpful.
This is one of the best movies of the year so far, in my opinion. I've just seen it today, and I have to say, I was blown away. Yes, I've heard about, and actually saw some people who were so disappointed that they walked out on it, but I guess they just didn't understand what this was all about. They probably came in to watch some cool little popcorn flick with nice visuals, and got something else for their money. I'm as fond of decent popcorn flicks as the next guy, I'm not sure Sucker Punch fits the category.
For this is a movie you have to pay attention to, and work it out for yourself. The plot develops on multiple levels, corresponding to different levels of psychological consciousness and/or insanity, and it is choke packed with symbols and archetypes, so much so that it is difficult to say what is the reality (in the terms of the story) behind the imaginary. Though it won't be necessary, it won't hurt either to have some superficial knowledge of psychology and mythic archetypes beforehand - for those who know what I'm talking about, think Hero's Journey.
Don't get me wrong, there are some very nice visuals, the scenes are breathtaking, but if you're going in unprepared, expecting only a flick with explosions and hot chicks, you will be disappointed, for the scenes won't make any sense to you. Go in with an open and attentive mind, and reap the rewards.
Sucker Punch is kind of an art movie for geeks, an amalgamation of colorful action and deep sources of meaning. But all this my opinion, of course; don't take my word on it. Go see the movie if some theatres are still playing it near you, or wait till it comes out on DVD, and make up you own mind. Granted, it's not for everybody, but my guess is if you're into geek stuff, you won't regret this one.