Terror Beneath the Sea (cover idea)

 

Terror Beneath the Sea is a pretty fun pulp adventure.  It has an interesting production history, with it having some international backing.  The cast is also international, and full of very familiar faces.  At least they are familiar to viewers of Japanese genre movies, that is.  We here at Xenorama are planning an underwater issue filled with cities and submarines, which will also include a variety of monsters, both human and giant sized.  This will be a fun issue.  We will also be covering the rather few television series set under sea.  At least that is my plan right now!

HOTW- Kikaida

 

For some odd reason, nice Dr. Komyoji is working for evil Professor Gill and the DARK organization.  They are making androids for a mysterious reason- so mysterious the viewer never knows what exactly it is.  Perhaps he realizes what is going on, and creates a second son, Jiro, who is also Kikaida.  Kikaida will battle the DARK Destructoids.  Jiro has an incomplete conscience circuit, which is his only weakness.  Professor Gill has a powerful sonic flute which causes Kikaida much pain and could bring him back to the DARK side.  Kikaida is very powerful, and has a wide array of ending strikes.  He also rides about in the Side Machine, an incredible motorcycle with a side car.  DARK doesn't have a chance.

Guadalcanal Diary - Watusi Rodeo 1983

                        

The Fantastic Four (1978)

 

The ads began in the summer of 1978, advertising a new Fantastic Four cartoon.  Stan Lee talked about it in his soapbox, getting the "true believers" hyped up about the show.  Since Stan was a consummate showman, the hype was amazing.  It sure worked, as well.  Then the pictures started showing up... there was no Human Torch, and an R2D2 clone was there.  The concern began, as what was a Fantastic Four without Sue's hotheaded little brother Johnny?

Hey Kids! Movies!

 

Back in my day... this was home video, and it was film!  They cost a ridiculous amount of money for 3-11 minutes of film.  And we loved them!  I had about seven of these movies, black and white and silent.  It did not matter a bit to me at the time.  I could watch part of a Godzilla movie any time I wanted.  That made it even better.  I even got a Super 8mm/8mm movie projector so I could get more movies.  I believe it was a Christmas present, but after forty plus years I do not remember any more.

A Heavy Metal music question

 

Here is an interesting conundrum- I have an issue about musicals and an issue about animated movies coming up.  Heavy Metal (1981) sort of falls into both of those categories.  In the olden days, one could put up a poll with questions, but that feature seems to have gone away.  My question is, where would you put this issue?  It has some great music in it (and a lot of filler) but only one song is actually performed in the movie where characters can react to it.  This is one of those movies I really want to like more than I do, though,  I think I hyped it up too much, and since I couldn't see it in the theater (I was only 16 then) I had to wait until 1983 to see it, and by then had read several reviews.

War Of The Colossal Beast trailer (1958)

            

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 (2023

FROM WIKI- At their new headquarters on Knowhere,^[a] the Guardians of the Galaxy are attacked by Adam, a Sovereign warrior created by their high priestess Ayesha, who seeks to destroy the Guardians for stealing from her.^[b] After Adam critically wounds Rocket, he is stabbed by Nebula and flees. The Guardians cannot heal Rocket's wounds with their med-packs due to a kill switch embedded in him by Orgocorp, a company helmed by a mad scientist and Rocket's creator, the High Evolutionary. The Guardians travel to Orgocorp's headquarters to find the switch's override code and save Rocket's life.

HOTW- Vance Astro

From Wiki- Vance Astrovik was born in Saugerties, New York, the only son of a small-town butcher Arnold Astrovik and his wife Norma. Going into the U.S. Air Force at the age of 18, Astrovik (who changed his name to Astro when he was 21) became the youngest man to be accepted into the astronaut training program several years later. In 1988, Astro volunteered for the first crewed interstellar mission ever conducted by the United States, Project: Starjump.  He would arrive at Alpha Centari IV hundreds of Earth years after other Earthlings arrived.  He would befriend Yondu, a native, and then the Badoon attacked.  Vance and Yondu would team up with Martinex and Charlie-27, and with some help from the past (notably Captain America and the Thing) they would drive the Badoon from the Earth in the year 3007 CE.

Caylee Hammack - Redhead ft. Reba McEntire (Official Music Video) ft. Re...

              

Xenorama #57 is nearly ready!

 

This is the proposed cover for the next issue of Xenorama.  Any guesses as to which movie we are celebrating?  Yes, the most popular Godzilla movie (at least according to ticket sales) of all time!  This issue is well illustrated, and has articles by our usual gaggle of geniuses!  Long story short, we love this movie.  You will find out when you get this next issue!  It is the Xenorama belief that without this movie, the Godzilla fandom would not be nearly as large as it is today (as small as this niche fandom is).

Fist of Fury (1972) AKA The Chinese Connection

 

FROM WIKI- In 1908 Shanghai, Chen Zhen returns to Jingwu School to marry his fiancée Yuan Li'er. However, he learns that his master Huo Yuanjia has died, apparently from illness, which devastates Chen. During the funeral, people from a Japanese dojo in Hongkou District arrive to taunt the Jingwu students. Wu En, translator and advisor for the Japanese dojo's grandmaster Hiroshi Suzuki, taunts Chen by slapping him on the cheek several times, and dares him to fight one of Suzuki's protégés. This whole thing does not end well for the Japanese fighters.

Pinoc and Nurtle, pals for life

 

After being turned back into a puppet for turning to the naughty side, Pinocchio has a new adventure.  It takes him to Mars.  He also meets a new friend, Nurtle the Twurtle.  As different to turtles as kittens are to lions.  He is from Twurtle-Dee, right next to Twurtle-Dum.  The two unlikely friends head to Mars, which is where Nurtle was supposed to land in the first place.  They get to know each other on the trip and become fast pals.

"At The Earth's Core" (1976) Trailer

                 

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan 1972

FROM WIKI- Legendary detective Charlie Chan solves crimes... with the "help" of his ten kids and one dog.  The family travels around the world in the Chan Van, a vehicle built by teenage genius Alan Chan, which can transform itself with the push of a button. While solving mysteries, the Chan kids break off into small groups with Henry and Stanley, the two oldest children, being paired together and driving the Chan Van. To ostensibly aid in their detective work, Stanley usually changes into some sort of goofy disguise much to the chagrin of his older brother Henry.

HOTW- Tiger-Man (Atlas)

 

FROM WIKI- Tiger-Man is Dr. Lancaster Hill, a scientist who has isolated the chromosomes that give the tiger its strength and agility. He is in Africa while performing his 2-year internship, working from a village in Zambia that has been using the services of a local witch doctor named Na'Bantu. When the Na'Bantu has a conversation with the village chief, he seeks to punish Dr. Hill for having caused the villagers to doubt his ability to treat their medical problems. Overly eager to see the results of his work, Dr. Hill injects himself with a solution containing the tiger chromosomes. He feels his strength, agility and ferocity increase to that of a tiger.

Kiss - She's so European 1980

    

Enter The Dragon (1973) 50th anniversary showing

 

I went to see screening of this great movie yesterday.  It was a 4K restoration, and looked and sounded great.  I had never seen a Bruce Lee movie on the big screen, and if you are going to see one, this is it.  It has made me change my mind about the movie in the three days I have been thinking about it.  There is no need to go over the plot at all, since everyone knows it.  The martial arts are all well done, even if Saxon and Kelly pulled a few of their kicks here and there (that is a thing martial artists look for at at times).  Leonard Maltin introduced the movie, and did a fine job.

Sven- The Black Scorpion

 

A massive volcano releases giant prehistoric scorpions from the earth. They wreak havoc in the rural countryside and eventually threaten Mexico City. A team of scientists investigates and find out that these arachnids are deep inside a mountain.  It is not only the scorpions, a massive amount of hideous arthropods have been awakened.  The team closes the fissure, but several scorpions escape.  They battle each other, and the largest survives and menaces Mexico City.  It is a good thing that our hero, Dr. Hank Scott has found the weak point in the big one.

The Phantom Tollbooth (1961)

 

Milo is a bored and rather boring young boy of a nondescript age.  He goes through just existing, rather than living.  I think the word used to describe him would be "meh."  One day, a strange package shows up in his room.  He opens it, follows the directions and builds a tollbooth.  Once he goes through it he ends up in the Kingdom of Wisdom.  He soon finds out the kingdom has fallen on troubled times, and the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason have been exiled.  His mission, once he decides to accept it, is to bring back Rhyme and Reason to the kingdom.  There is only one problem with this adventure, but he can't be told what it is until he accomplishes his task.

Enter The Dragon (1973) Official Trailer

          

But That's Not All, Folks!

 

The Brain stages an infomercial in order to try to take over the world.  Naturally, it is the most annoying infomercial ever, but also the most fun one that has ever been made.  It also fails spectacularly, which is par for the course with Brain's schemes.  The best part of the episode is Brain's patter to the audience.  He really has that down.

HOTW- Cyclops

 

FROM WIKI-

Cyclops (Scott Summers) is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the comic book The X-Men. Cyclops is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. Cyclops emits powerful beams of energy from his eyes, and can only control the beams with the aid of special eyewear which he must wear at all times. He is typically considered the first of the X-Men,^[1] a team of mutant heroes who fight for peace and equality between mutants and humans, and one of the team's primary leaders.^[2][3]

SKÅL! by Miracle Of Sound

                

Epic Collection- X-Men: Second Genesis

From the back cover blurb- With the original X-Men captured, Professor X recruits an all-new, all-different team to take on the mantle of the Uncanny X-Men! Including Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Banshee, Sunfire and Thunderbird, this new international cast redefined super hero teams forever. The transition from old team to new won't come easy, though: Wolverine and Cyclops clash! X-Man battles X-Man! Death and rebirth visit the team! And an old nemesis returns! Collecting GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1; X-MEN (1963) #94-110; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #53, #69-70 and ANNUAL #1; IRON FIST (1975) #14-15; and material from F.O.O.M. #10.

Sven- Shadow of the Cat

 

From Wiki- The story is about Tabitha, the house cat of a wealthy lady, who witnesses the murder of her owner by her owner's husband and two servants. The cat becomes bent on revenge while the murderers try to kill her, the only witness.  There is a bit of a love story, but the cat manages to kill the killers dead, and save the one person who then sells the house.  Apparently Tabitha did not want to go abroad, and stays at the house with the new family.

Batman and Superman Generations 2 (2002)

This is a great continuation of the first series,  This time it takes place in eleven year increments, and features other heroes and their successors.  It includes things from the first series, but also shows more histories and such.  It even shows the past, how Martha and Thomas Wayne went into that alley knowing they were going to die.  It works for an imaginary tale, but come on, in real life that wasn't gonna happen.  Somehow I think Bruce Wayne would have become Batman even had his parents lived.  Maybe he would be a little more balanced, though.  I am sure someone has written the imaginary story about his parents living and him still become Batman.

The Shadow of the Cat | 1961 | Theatrical Trailer

                     

Marine Boy vs. the Crimson Tide

 

In case anyone has forgotten why I actually started this blog, here's some more Marine Boy.  I don't actually recall which episode it is... oh wait, who has a handy dandy book to look it up?   THIS GUY!  It appears to be episode titled "The Wild Monster Plants" but I am just basing that on the picture placement.  It is not.  It is the Great Plankton Menace."  The plankton is riled up and deadly.  It is like a red tide, but seems to have a collective intelligence.  Don't worry, Marine Boy and the Ocean Patrol take care of everything by the end of the episode.

HOTW- Blue Devil

FROM WIKI- Dan Cassidy was working as a stuntman and special effects specialist in Hollywood when he created the Blue Devil suit, complete with a built-in exoskeleton, specifically designed for the production of a Blue Devil movie. During filming, the demon Nebiros was unleashed from within an ancient temple and, thinking Cassidy was an actual demon, tried to drain his demonic powers with blasts of magic. Instead, the blasts permanently bonded the suit to Cassidy. This unnatural fusion of magic and technology caused him to experience unusual events and draw the attention of otherworldly beings. Horrified at the prospect of being stuck in the suit forever, Cassidy sought ways to separate himself from it, becoming a reluctant superhero along the way.^[3]

RIP Paul Reubens- Large Marge scene

                  

RIP Adrian Street: I'm in Love with Me