Sci-Fi History: The Andromeda Strain (1969)

The Andromeda Strain made Michael Crichton a star. The book examines the effects of an extraterrestrial pathogen that clots human blood. The organism kills or renders its victims insane. In the end, the organism evolves into a benign entity that migrates to the upper atmosphere, but a manned spacecraft burns up in reentry when it eats the heat shield on the space craft. As a result, mankind is trapped on Earth. The book predates many bio disaster works and taps into our worst fears about space travel. One reviewer said it was a horrifying story because of its plausibility.

Sci-Fi History: Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead became the first major zombie movie. It cost $114,000 to make and eventually took in $30 million. The film heavily influenced the zombie movie genre. Every film since has either borrowed from or been a response to Night of the Living Dead. The film debuted before the movie rating system went into place. As a result, the violence shocked audiences and led to controversy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gUKvmOEGCU

Sci Fi History: Dark Shadows (1966)

Dark Shadows was a soap opera that ran for five years from 1966-1971. The show was not a typical soap opera. It included the paranormal including vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies. Dark Shadows broke out when the character Barnabas Collins was introduced. The show lasted only five seasons, but had 1,225 episodes since it ran daily as opposed to weekly. Kids used to race home from school to watch. Johnny Depp portrayed Barnabas in a 2012 reboot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQQ55O2Uvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe5fo_G_wnI

Sci Fi History: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Hammer Films Curse of Frankenstein ushered in a new era in horror films. The studio based the movie on Mary Shelley’s novel and its success led to six sequels and new versions of Dracula and The Mummy. Hammer films had its own distinct Gothic feel, which endeared the works to fans.  They felt real and often starred Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Hammer picked up the torch from the old Universal monster movies and made it there own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEz02uxCPOM

Sci Fi History: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Comedy legends met horror legends in 1948. Abbott and Costello have run-ins with the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney), Dracula (Bela Lugosi), and Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange). The movie marked the end of the golden age of monster films and reinvigorated Abbott and Costello. The movie is considered one of the funniest in history and the duo’s finest.  Boris Karloff declined the role of the monster leaving the spot to Strange. Strange found the duo hilarious and laughed throughout filming leading to excess retakes.  At the very end, Vincent Price makes a cameo as the Invisible Man.  This is the movie to watch during Halloween season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg5N9FJc__Q

Sci-Fi History: The Wolfman (1941)

The 1941 version of The Wolfman had a dramatic impact on the werewolf genre. Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Lawrence Talbot, who was bitten by a werewolf, and cursed. When the moon is full, Talbot becomes a werewolf and eventually develops into a tortured soul. Chaney’s portrayal was so popular, it spawned many sequels.  Many actors, writers, and directors were inspired by the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGB9CX_kMo

Sci-Fi History: Dracula (1931)

Bela Lugosi defined the vampire for the next century. Every incarnation of the creature has been influenced by Lugosi either as a knock-off or as a reaction to. Lugosi dominates the film and is a presence even when not on screen. The classic spawned several sequels including Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The film is now in the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPxAgy7lBA

Sci-Fi History: Dracula (1897)

Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire. The creature has existed in myth for several thousands of years. Stoker did popularize the vampire and has influenced its mythology ever since. All vampires today derive from Dracula either as a counter to the Stoker story or as a continuation. In addition to the vampire myth, Stoker’s work examined several Victorian themes including folklore, the role of women, sexuality, colonialism, and immigration.

What makes Dracula so appealing is Stoker’s historical research. He based his fictional character on a real person. Stoker read Romanian history and discovered “Dracula”, which means “Son of the Dragon.” Dracula was Vlad the Impaler, whose bloody reign may have involved drinking the blood of his victims, whom he impaled on stakes. Stoker directly references Vlad within the pages of Dracula.

Dracula has appeared in a number of movies and books. Stoker wrote the first adaptation for the stage. The most popular film versions include Nosferatu (1922), Dracula (1931), The Horror of Dracula (1958), and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). There are many other adaptations and sequels. He has even appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In fact, there are over 200 films featuring Dracula as a major character. Additionally, his influence is in any movie, TV show, play, or book featuring vampires.

Nosferatu (1922):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=patgT_qG65U

Dracula (1931):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPxAgy7lBA

The Horror of Dracula (1958):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gBRe2XMljg

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j6b4Cd3OZo

 

Top 10 Angel Episodes

Smile Time (2004): Angel is turned into a puppet while investigating an evil children’s show. The fight between Puppet Angel and Spike is classic.


You’re Welcome (2004): Cordelia awakens from her coma to put Angel back on the right path. Even though she interacted with the gang, it turns out she never awoken from her coma and died in her hospital bed.

Hero (1999): Angel and Doyle battle The Scourge, a Nazi-like Demon Supremacist group hell-bent on persecuting those that are not “pure demon.” At the end, Doyle gives up his life saving innocents. The episode ends with Cordy watching Doyle on a videotape. Before fading to black, he asks “...Is that it? Am I done?" This might be the only show in history to kill a major character less than 10 episodes into its run.

Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? (2000): Angel recalls his experiences in the Hyperion Hotel in the fifties. In 1952, Angel worked to eliminate a demon feeding on the guests. However, he gets caught up in the paranoia of the McCarthy-Era and the hotel turns on him. He is lynched, but being already dead, escapes the noose. A bitter Angel tells the demon to “Take them all” and leaves.

City Of (1999): Angel sets out on his path to redemption sans Buffy and the Scooby Gang. However, working alone is costing his “humanity.” He ends up meeting and teaming up with Doyle, who receives visions from the Powers That Be. Cordelia Chase also turns up in LA. After an encounter with Wolfram and Hart, the three open a Private Investigators office. The episode included one of the best death scenes in TV history when Angel tosses Russell Winters (vampire) out a high rise window.

Reunion (2000): Angel races to find Darla before she awakens a vampire after being re-sired by Drusilla. He fails and the girls wreck havoc upon L.A. Angel tracks the pair to a Wolfram and Hart party where he refuses to intervene allowing the vampires to feed on the partygoers.

Underneath (2004): Angel, Spike, and Gunn travel to a Hell dimension to rescue Lindsey. In the dimension, Lindsey is forced to live the so-called “American Dream” with the house and family in the suburbs. At the end of each day, Lindsey has his heart ripped out. (Quite a commentary on modern life).The gang rescues Lindsey, but Gunn is forced to stay behind and take Lindsey’s place.

Spin the Bottle (2002): Lorne tries to restore Cordelia’s memory with a spell. Instead, the gang is reverted back to their teenage personas. Wesley is once again “Head Boy” at the Watcher’s Academy. Cordelia reverts to the most popular girl at Sunnydale High. Gunn is a rebel. Fred is an insecure pothead. Angel is an 18th century Irish teen named Liam. Gunn and Wesley argue over strategy, Angel and Connor fight it out while complaining about fathers, and Fred spends the episode trying to score weed. In the end, Lorne restores everyone’s memories resulting in bittersweet feelings.

Sleep Tight (2002): Wesley believes Angel will kill his infant son, so he kidnaps him. He is attacked outside his car and has hit throat cut. Angel’s old and resurrected enemy, Holtz manages to get his hands on the baby, but not before he is cornered by Angel and Wolfram and Hart. A porter is opened and Holtz leaps with the baby into a Hell dimension.

Life of the Party (2003): Lorne throws a Halloween party at Wolfram and Hart. As usual in the Buffyverse, weird things happen on Halloween. In this case, people unwittingly are forced to literally follow Lorne’s advice. He tells Fred and Wesley to loosen up, so they got drunk. Gunn stakes out his territory by peeing. Angel and Eve have sex. Spike and Harmony get down on the dance floor. Eventually, everything is righted and the employees claim they enjoyed the party.

Top 10 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes

Hush (1999): Joss Whedon wanted to do an episode without dialogue. Hush contains only 17 minutes of speech. In the episode, The Gentlemen arrive in Sunnydale, take away everyone’s ability to speak, and then cut hearts out of their speechless victims. City residents are forced to communicate without speech and have to cope with their affliction.


Once More With Feeling (2001): Xander summons up a demon that forces Sunnydale residents to sing out their deepest secrets. Once the secrets are revealed, the characters have to live with the consequences. The episode was a musical with the cast singing their parts. The songs were original and written for the characters.

I Only Have Eyes For You (1998): A pair of ghosts are haunting Sunnydale High and forcing students to relive his murder/suicide over and over. The pair possess Buffy and Angelus forcing them to relive the incident, but allowing the couple to reconcile. The relationship between the ghosts parallels Buffy’s relationship with Angel who had reverted to Angelus after experiencing a moment of pure happiness. On a side note, the episode uses the Flamingos 1959 hit of the same name, but the murder/suicide took place in 1955.

Passion (1998): Ms. Calendar discovers a way to restore Angel’s soul, but is murdered by Angelus. The vampire then torments Giles by leaving her body in his bed. In a rage, Giles attacks Calendar’s murderer, but has to be rescued by Buffy. The murder forced Buffy to face reality and she vows to slay the vampire.

Graduation Day (1999): The Mayor decides to transform into a pure demon on graduation day. Unfortunately for him, Buffy put Faith into a coma rendering her useless to him. Meanwhile, the Scoobies organize a military-style campaign to fight off the Major in his new demon form. In the end, they blow up the school, but graduate. The final shot is a scorched yearbook.

The Body (2001): The episode focuses on death. Buffy’s mom dies from a brain aneurysm and there is nothing she can do. She is completely helpless. The gang is used to death, but this one frustrates them. They can deal with demons and vampires, but have a hard time accepting something so mundane as an aneurysm.

Becoming (1998): Angelus and Drusilla plan to bring forth the apocalypse and bring hell to Earth. Buffy and Spike move to stop the pair while Willow works to restore Angel’s soul. The episode climaxes with a sword duel between Buffy and Angelus. At the end, Willow is successful and Angelus reverts to Angel. Unfortunately, Buffy is forced to kill Angel to save the world.

Prophecy Girl (1997): Buffy finally faces the Master, but is defeated. He leaves her to drown in a shallow pool of water. However, Xander arrives and provides CPR bringing her back. Meanwhile, Giles, Cordy, Ms. Calendar, and Willow face the Hellmouth which opens revealing a multi-headed creature. After returning from the dead, a stronger Buffy faces the Master a second time defeating him. His death seals the Hellmouth and the gang decides to go to the Bronze.

Chosen (2003): In the series finale, Buffy faces the First Evil and an army of Uber-Vamps with Faith, the Scoobies, Spike and her own slayer army. Buffy uses a magical battleaxe which held the essence of the slayer to empower the potentials. In the end, the gang destroy the Hellmouth and Sunnydale. The show ends with Buffy beginning to smile as she realizes she is no longer alone.

Conversations With Dead People (2002): Buffy, Dawn, and Willow all have encounters with the dead. Buffy meets a former classmate turned vampire. She slays him after discovering he was sired by Spike. Joyce visits Dawn and the First arrives to destroy the living room. Willow is visited by Cassie who claimed to have a message from Tara. It turned out to be a ploy by the First who threatens to destroy the Scooby Gang.