R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy.

We are very saddened by the passing of actor and iconic presence in TV and movie science fiction Leonard Nimoy, on February 27, 2015, at the age of 83. 

Leonard Nimoy will always be associated with the role of Vulcan Science Officer Mr. Spock – not “DOCTOR Spock”, as some people incredibly continue to say to this day – on the original STAR TREK television series. 

Nimoy’s performance as Mr. Spock may very well have resulted in the single most significant continuing character ever to emerge from American Science Fiction! 

Leonard Nimoy and Mr. Spock boldy traveled well beyond the confines of the 1966-1969 television series, and into…

Comic Books

 Animation

Feature Films

Later Television Series

And finally, franchise-rebooting contemporary feature films.

But, it is for the original STAR TREK TV series that he will always be best remembered.  And, not surprisingly, he was featured in the “best-of-the-best” of those, including “AmokTime” with Arlene Martel, and “Mirror Mirror”.   

Other series I enjoyed Leonard Nimoy in were…

THE OUTER LIMITS

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Stepping into the shoes of the great Martin Landau, as the IMF's "Master of Disguise", Leonard Nimoy really got to stretch his acting abilities on MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.   

FRINGE

And even THE SIMPSONS – in what is still one of my most favorite episodes, after 26 seasons and counting, 1993’s “Marge vs. the Monorail”.

The full list of Leonard Nimoy’s credits at IMDB can be found at THIS LINK. 

Rest in Peace, Leonard Nimoy, and thank you for a lifetime of great moments and memories.  ...You might even appreciate it if I don't say "Live Long and Prosper" - though I've no doubt you will... as long as imagination exists.   

DVD Review: The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season.

(Released 2011 by Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Another Looong DVD Review by Joe Torcivia

After the events of 2010, I solemnly vowed to never again become involved with one of today’s ongoing, continuity- heavy, fantasy/ sci-fi/ adventure TV series. The unexpectedly abrupt ending of HEROES, the non-ending of FLASH FORWARD, and the short (un-happy?) run of HAPPY TOWN very likely cured me for life.

Alas, poor HEROES!

The only way I would ever take the plunge again would be if a series became a proven winner, and would “stick around” long enough to make any involvement on my part worth my while.

The already dim (if not outright forgotten) impressions of such series as THE CAPE, THE EVENT, TERRA NOVA (not even worth the effort of doing LINKS!), and more cancelled carrion continue to prove the wisdom of such a course.

If such a series emerged that delivered both the “goods” and reasonable longevity, thought I, DVD could “catch me up” and then become the medium through which I would follow it to its conclusion. FRINGE has proved to be such a series – and I will follow and enjoy it to its end, which will come in just one more DVD set.
 

Another such series, into which I’ve just taken the plunge, is AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD!

The AMC brand has already firmly established a reputation for quality, thanks to MAD MEN (a series I very much enjoy) and others, and said quality is fully realized in THE WALKING DEAD.

Did someone mention MAD MEN?

THE WALKING DEAD began life as a comic series by a creator named Robert Kirkman. I can’t say I gave it a spin, simply because of my general disenchantment with the state of the comics industry – and, for reasons best discussed in other forums, its publisher Image Comics in particular.

But, Kirkman clearly produced something special with his flesh-eating zombie tale, that caught the eye of producer Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) and the studios of cable giant AMC.

And, so… On Black Friday 2012, for the palrty sum of EIGHT DOLLARS (!), I ventured into the world of THE WALKING DEAD with this DVD set – and am I ever glad I did!

The set contains all six episodes of the inaugural season – a 90 minute pilot and five 60 minute episodes – with loads of Extra Features, for what would be the smallest fraction of the price of actually watching them on cable. (If it weren’t for my spouse and sports, I wouldn’t even have cable – but that, too, is best discussed in other forums).

THE WALKING DEAD is the story of King County, GA Sheriff’s Deputy “Rick Grimes” (played by Andrew Lincoln), who is hospitalized and in a coma after a car chase shoot out, and wakes up to find the world has changed.

Meet Rick Grimes

 The hospital is abandoned and is in complete disarray, as is the rest of the outside world – which just happens to be overrun with walking zombies and dead bodies all over! …Eeeek!

What was left of the Hospital!

Rick heads for his home, and finds that his wife “Lori” and young son “Carl” appear to have escaped whatever has happened. Along the way he takes refuge in a boarded-up house occupied by Morgan Jones and his young son Duane. Morgan tends to Rick’s wounds as best he can, fills him in on what little is known about the “Zombie Apocalypse” (very little), and the two part company.

See Rick walk!  Walk, Rick, walk!

On Morgan’s (inaccurate) advice of a safe haven, Rick heads for Atlanta – on horseback (!) after his automobile fuel runs out – only to find the city is completely taken over by the “flesh-eating fellas” that have come to be referred to as “walkers”. There is clear evidence that even the military has been overcome and run out of downtown Atlanta. Rick hides himself in an abandoned Army tank, as the “walkers” savagely devour his horse – leaving him in an episode-ending cliffhanger of classic proportions!

Visit Beautiful Atlanta with Rick Grimes!

The “walkers” appear to only eat living flesh (the Living SMELL differently from the Dead – so the “walkers’ get olfactory-alerts as to their quarry). But, if the Living are in such short supply, what DO the Dead EAT to keep themselves alive… OH, WAIT! Check that! They’re DEAD! Perhaps food is not required for sustenance – but is more like a physical addiction.

Also, as incongruous as this may sound, the “walking dead” can be “killed” by a gunshot (or other blunt or piercing blow) to the head.  If you are attacked by a “walker” just forcibly shove a screwdriver through their eye-socket (or sumpthin’) to get free! 

Oh, and a BITE from a "walker" will not only kill you -- but, eventually, cause you to become one of them, too! 
   

Rick and Friend.   Pass the screwdriver!

 Over the course of the next five episodes, Rick meets up with other “Living” survivors, joins a small survivor camp outside Atlanta – led by his former cop-partner “Shane”, who has temporarily taken up with Rick’s wife and son (Can you say “awkward?!”), and leads a band of survivors to The Center for Disease Control for one heck of a season finale!

Each episode ends with that same type of gut-kicking, “Gotta-See-The-Next-Episode-NOW!” type of moment that one routinely experienced when watching LOST!

Indeed, THE WALKING DEAD gives me that same overall feeling I got from LOST. The struggle for survival, the shifting character dynamics and interactions. There are even near-exact character parallels with LOST and THE WALKING DEAD:

Do those guys down there seem familiar?

 

Do those guys up there seem familiar?

Jack = Rick. Kate = Lori. Sawyer = Shane. (Forming something of a replication of LOST’s famous Jack/Kate/Sawyer Triangle). Locke = Dale or Daryl. Juliet = Andrea. Claire = Amy.
   
There’s even a correspondence with LOST’s “Desmond and The Hatch” in the CDC episode. Apologies to those reading this who have not seen LOST, or are unfamiliar with the characters of one or both shows – but, trust me, there ARE parallels aplenty. I can't wait until THE WALKING DEAD unleashes its version of Ben Linus!


Oddly, I get ANOTHER classic-TV vibe while watching THE WALKING DEAD… and that would be that it is also strangely akin to Irwin Allen’s LAND OF THE GIANTS!

Marooned and isolated survivors in a hidden camp, that could be attacked and invaded at any moment by an enemy that surrounds them – and occupies all of the rest of the known world. The ever-oppressing knowledge that you are NEVER TRULY SAFE! And, the intrepid human spirit that keeps them alive, despite the perils. That ability to have brief moments of joy before the next surprise danger leaps out at you -- be it a zombie or a giant. THE WALKING DEAD actually gives us an indication of how a property like LAND OF THE GIANTS could be reimagined for today’s audience. I hope someone gives it a try someday.

Make no mistake, THE WALKING DEAD features lots of explicitly graphic (and, frankly, GROSS) zombie action! That’s WHY most of us are here, after all. But it also offers a surprising amount of compelling, character-driven story to go along with it.

The iconic "Bicycle Girl" - You'll never forget her!

And, like LOST before it, we are left with many more questions than answers – not the least of which is the story of the “Zombie Apocalypse”. NO SPOILERS, PLEASE! I’m enjoying this well “behind the curve” and want to remain surprised at whatever may follow!

As a DVD package “THE WALKING DEAD The Complete First Season” offers many Extra Features. Among them:

“The Making of THE WALKING DEAD”. (Runs 29:53) includes contributions from Producers Frank Darabont, Gale Anne Hurd, and Greg Nicotero (who is also responsible for the show’s incredible make-up work), Creator Robert Kirkman, and Andrew Lincoln (Rick), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori), Jon Bernthal (Shane), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), Lennie James (Morgan), and other cast members.

The cast!

 Darabont describes the classic film “Night of the Living Dead” by George Romero as “The Book of Genesis” for the whole idea.
        
Nicotero calls it “The TWILIGHT ZONE of our generation!”
  
There are 5-6 minute featurettes dedicated to looking behind each of the six episodes, with participation from producers and cast.

No episode commentaries are included in the particular set I discuss here – but there has been a subsequent, more deluxe version that does include commentaries.

Other features and a commercial trailer round out the set.

There's even an eleven and a half minute distillation of a 2010 Comic-Con International San Diego "Walking Dead" panel with creators, producers, and cast members, that took place during the shooting of Episode 4. 

The familiar sights, sounds, and overall feel of those huge packed San Diego Convention Center meeting halls brings back memories of my being at similar panels for things like the Batman and Superman Animated Series!  Ah... Those were the days!  Needless to say, creator Robert Kirkman is loved by all of the fans of his comic that make up the crowd. 

One major “CON”:  There is NO LISTING OF EPISODES on or inside the package.  You can only get this information off of the disc menus!   With only SIX episodes contained herein, why should this be the case?

 THE WALKING DEAD has been very enjoyable (…indeed, unexpectedly so!) thus far, and I look forward to Seasons Two and beyond.

Where Have All the Titles Gone?

This post is to commemorate the series finale of LOST, and the unfortunate cancellation of both HEROES and FLASH FORWARD. They will be missed.

It is also to remember all the great shows of the past that led us to this point.

…On with the Show(s)!
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Say “City on the Edge of Forever” to folks of a certain persuasion (…the “persuasion” that would read this Blog, anyway), and they would immediately think of STAR TREK.

Ditto for “Amok Time”, “The Menagerie”, or any number of other Trek-titles ingrained in our collective memories.

Try some others: “Time Enough at Last” = TWILIGHT ZONE. “The Zanti Misfits” = THE OUTER LIMITS. And, for better or for worse, “The Great Vegetable Rebellion” = LOST IN SPACE.

Some series were better known for their “title format conceits” than for individual episode titles.

PERRY MASON = “The Case of the (Fill-In-The-Blank)”

BURKE’S LAW = “Who Killed (Fill-In-The-Blank)”

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. = “The (Fill-In-The-Blank) Affair”

THE WILD WILD WEST = “The Night of the (Fill-In-The-Blank)”

BATMAN (1966) didn’t “fill in any blanks”, but the title of “Part Two” most often RHYMED with the title of “Part One”.

Mention one of these conventions and, chances are, someone will know which series you’re referencing. Okay, maybe not BURKE’S LAW… but you know what I mean!

Even 20 years after the fact, titles like “The Best of Both Worlds” or “The Inner Light” mean STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION.

As late as the early/mid 2000's, with STAR TREK ENTERPRISE, we've had titles. Though that may be more of a STAR TREK "tradition" than anything else.

The point of all this “Title Talk” is that TV episodes (for the most part) no longer display episode titles!

This seems particularly odd, given the proliferation of “fannish-types” who talk, text, tweet, and Blog about their favorite TV programs. We LIKE referring to episodes by title, don’t we? …Leastways, ‘round these parts we do, sure as shootin’!

Shows from my current list like LOST, FRINGE, FLASH FORWARD, and even THE SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY do not exhibit episode titles. A notable exception is HEROES, which always displays “Chapter Titles” (individual episode) or “Volume Titles”(overall arc) – but that’s probably a stylistic tribute to its “comic-book roots”.

These episode titles DO EXIST, of course. They can be found at network, series, or TV episode websites and the on-screen listings of your television provider. They form the contents listings of DVD sets, and identify episodes available to download. So why are they never seen as part of an episode?

Wouldn’t the fifth season premiere episode of LOST have an even greater impact if we all saw its title, “Because You Left”, on screen? Or, if you referred to the final episode of that season as “The Incident”, you might be firing-up a collective memory of what happened at the end of the show. (Hint – Something very big went Boom and everything turned white!) Then we waited for another season to tell us what, when, where, and how.

…Come to think of it, mere days before the series finale, we’re STILL trying to figure this out.

As a writer, as well as a fan, I like to give everything a title. It always helps “set things” in my mind. Also, creating humorous and appropriate titles is one of my favorite aspects of the Disney comic book scripting work I do.

It’s a funny thing… Because of this situation, I don’t find myself referring to episodes of LOST and its contemporaries by episode title, while I still do for their more classic counterparts.

Anyone see “The Trouble with Tribbles” or “Journey to Babel” lately? How ‘bout the one where Ben kills John Locke? …See what I mean?

It just seems as if we lost something when an hour-long, sci-fi or adventure based TV drama does not lead off with an episode title. Especially when said title appears everywhere except on the episode itself. (At Left: A title from HEROES!)

…Your thoughts? (…and I REALLY want them!)

Not Since 1966!

Not since 1966 have I regularly watched as much Prime Time Network Television as I find myself doing in 2010!

Yes, it’s as much of a surprise to ME as it is to you! Just sorta quietly snuck up on me!

1966 was full of imaginative shows and animation. There would never be another year like it. Or, so I thought…

In 2010 I find myself regularly watching: The Simpsons, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Lost, Heroes, Fringe, Batman the Brave and the Bold (Yes, it counts as a prime time series!), Mad Men (thanks to Esther) and now I intend to add Flash Forward to the list, as detailed in the last post.

Imagination, adventure, animation, and clever humor have somehow taken hold of prime time again – after years (even decades) of things that, at their very best, interested me only marginally! It’s 1966 again… only I’m not 11!

I don’t know how it happened, but I’m glad it did!

Gotta go... It's time for LOST!