TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for July 2020

The 2020 sci-fi movie project continues! I’m watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies (with two of the four sections courtesy of my Instagram feed).

Sleeper (1973)

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Pure torture.

©️ British Lion Films

Logan’s Run (1976)

Star Wars (1977)

One of my all time favorites (although I consider it more of a “space opera” than science fiction).

©️ Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for June 2020

My 2020 movie project continues of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

June’s films were as follows (content mostly from my Instagram feed).

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Barbarella (1968)

I thought that this weird sci-fi sex comedy was mostly just excessive and stupid. I can understand its cult status, but it did nothing for me.

©️ Paramount Pictures

THX 1138 (1971)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

This film is a difficult one. I know that’s the point, but I don’t think there was anything redeeming in it and I don’t believe I gained anything from submitting myself from the torture of watching it.

©️ Warner Bros. Pictures

Silent Running (1972)

And as an added bonus, I recently saw this cool poster for Silent Running created by artist Matt Ferguson.

©️ Universal Pictures, Matt Ferguson

Solaris (1972)

“The New Mutants” Update

I am ever hopeful that we’ll actually get to see some new movies in an actual theater this fall. One of the first ones out of the gate will be 20th Century Studios’ oft-delayed The New Mutants which is currently scheduled to open in theaters on August 28 (COVID-19 permitting).

Josh Boone, the film’s director, and the film’s main stars did a presentation at last week’s Comic-Con@Home event which is available to view on YouTube.

Check out this cool new poster for the film, too.

©️ Marvel, 20th Century Studios

June 25, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

You can listen below as well as on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Google Podcasts.

Local Movie Theater Report

I went to a movie in a theater and lived to tell about it (actually, Megaplex Theatres here in Salt Lake City did a fantastic job and I had a very positive experience).

What I’ve Been Watching

I’m in the middle of my James Bond 007 movie watching project–a venerable film series that has had its share of hits and misses.

Thank You for Tuning In!

Subscribe to the Movies Past and Present podcast on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Google Podcasts. I hope that watching some great movies will bring you peace and comfort this week. Be safe out there! Thanks again.

June 18, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

Black Lives Matter

Lots of important feature films and documentaries are available for free digital rental through the end of June (in most cases) on Apple iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. Check your preferred digital platform for other possible options.

The new Spike Lee Joint Da 5 Bloods is now available on Netflix.

Reviews

Disney’s adaptation of Artemis Fowl is truly foul. Review on the podcast.

Best Father’s Day Movies

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, June 21. Celebrate the good men in your life with some quality cinema. My 10 pics are on the podcast.

The 1950 version of Father of the Bride will be playing on Turner Classic Movies this Father’s Day, June 21. Check your local listings.

Thank You for Tuning In!

Subscribe to the Movies Past and Present podcast on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Google Podcasts. I hope that watching some great movies will bring you peace and comfort this week. Be safe out there! Thanks again.

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for May 2020

The COVID-19 “social distancing” recommendations were still in place for most of month of May which led to some excellent movie watching at home. I’m still going strong with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Now that we’ve entered the 1960s, the films have been much more experimental and esoteric. Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies courtesy of my Instagram feed.

La Jetée (1962)

These Are the Damned (1962)

Alphaville (1965)

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

June 4, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

Black Lives Matter

Warner Bros. is offering their 2019 film Just Mercy as a free streaming rental during the month of June. Check your preferred digital download/streaming service (I rented it on Apple iTunes).

Also just learned after recording the podcast that Paramount Pictures is offering their film Selma (2014) as a free streaming rental during the month of June, too. See tweet below from the film’s director Ava DuVernay.

The Criterion Channel has taken down the paywall on many of their “Pioneers of African American Cinema” film titles, so even if you aren’t a subscriber you can watch them for free. 

Virtual Cinema

Check out the interesting “Virtual Cinema” options available from Film at Lincoln Center.

“Must-See Sci-Fi” Project

I’m having a blast and learning a lot with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here. Check out the mini reviews on my Instagram feed.

James Bond 007 Project

I’m watching in order all 24 of the James Bond 007 films in preparation for the 25th Bond film (aka “Bond 25”), No Time to Die, which is now scheduled to open in theaters in November 2020. (It was scheduled to open in theaters in April 2020, but was moved, again courtesy of COVID-19.) More info about the project and a complete list of films is here. Check out the mini reviews on my Instagram feed.

Thank You for Tuning In!

Subscribe to the Movies Past and Present podcast on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Google Podcasts. I hope that watching some great movies will bring you peace and comfort this week. Be safe out there! Thanks again.

May 28, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

Streaming All the Way…

We’re still social distancing and movie theaters are still closed, so streaming options have been a movie mainstay again over the past week.

  • Just launched is the new HBO Max streaming service from Warner Media that has a ton of movie options.
  • Also worth checking out is the We Are One: A Global Film Festival happening on YouTube May 29-June 7. More info and schedule is here.

More Disney+

New on the Disney+ streaming service are a couple of interesting 20th Century Fox titles worth checking out: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Hello, Dolly! (1969).

I also discuss on the podcast 10 comfort films currently on Disney+. (And I meant to say that The Emperor’s New Groove was initially titled Kingdom of the Sun, not Empire of the Sun, the Steven Spielberg film…my bad.)

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TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for April 2020

I am still having fun with and learning a lot with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the current rundown on the films I watched in April (courtesy of my Instagram feed; and sorry to be slow in posting this).

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

The Fly (1958)

The Blob (1958)

The Time Machine (1960)

May 19, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

New on Video on Demand

Scoob! (Warner Bros.)

Drive-ins Are Back!

Social distancing (and some enterprising movie exhibitors) have brought back the drive-in! Search online for a drive-in near you. In the Salt Lake City area, visit the Redwood Drive-in.

Classic Films to Watch at Home

While we’re still sheltering in place somewhat, here are some more watch at home movie idea.

“The Wonderful World of Disney” on ABC – The ABC television network is bringing back the “The Wonderful World of Disney” programming block on Wednesday nights for the next four weeks.

On Wednesday, May 20, the first film in the series will be Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana (2016). Check out this Instagram post from the voice of Moana herself, actress Auli’i Cravalho.

Look for Marvel Studios’ Thor: The Dark World (2013) on May 27, Pixar Animation Studios’ Up (2009) on June 3, and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Big Hero 6 (2014) on June 10 all on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET (check your local listings). (Also, all four of these films are also available on the Disney+ subscription streaming service if you would just rather watch them right now commercial-free…just sayin’.)

“Sunday Night at the Movies” on CBS – The CBS television network has been broadcasting movies from the Paramount Pictures library every Sunday in May.

Two more films are left. From CBS.com: “Titanic [1997] will tug at your heartstrings once again on Sunday, May 24 at 7/6c, while Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade [1989] rounds out the lineup on Sunday, May 31 at 8/7c.”

AFI Movie Club – The American Film Institute (AFI) is continuing their ongoing “Movie Club” where they daily pick a film to watch at home. The AFI selections have been eclectic and interesting and run the gamut from family friendly films (The Sound of Music) to more adult fare (Straight Outta Compton). It’s a great way to increase your film knowledge and experience, too! Details are at afi.com/movieclub.

D23 Pollyanna Watching Party on May 22 – D23, the official fan club of The Walt Disney Company, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of Disney film Pollyanna (1960) with some at-home events and an online viewing party. Below are a couple of tweets from D23 about their plans this week. More details are on the D23 website.

TCM Memorial Day Marathon – This Memorial Day weekend, from Saturday, May 23 to actual the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 25, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is honoring “those who have lost their lives serving our country by showcasing a marathon of movies covering conflicts that range from the Civil War to Vietnam.” I am hoping to check out as many of these as possible, including Glory (1989), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Where Eagles Dare (1968), and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). More info and the complete schedule is on the official TCM website.

Thank You for Tuning In!

Subscribe to the Movies Past and Present podcast on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Google Podcasts. I hope that watching some great movies will bring you peace and comfort this week. Be safe out there! Thanks again.