[LIVE]: Audio Theater with HarmonicaPlayer
In 1933—34, a “round robin” novel, with each successive chapter by a different author, was published in the fanzines Science Fiction Digest & Fantasy Magazine. I first encountered the chapters by A. Merritt and Doc Smith in anthologies of their respective works. It so happens that Doc’s chapter is a direct sequel to Merritt’s, which made it obvious to see what was going on, & led me to suspect the existence of more stories. Continue reading “Cosmos”
It’s a serious trip to the groove-yard of forgotten favorites.
In the 1970s, Power Records produced a series of Star Trek audio dramas for children. The stories were released in several different combinations and sometimes included a comic book of the story.
In all, there were eleven episodes. They’re not great, but not horrible. Most were written by Alan Dean Foster. He has numerous novels to his credit. In the 1970s, he novelized the Star Trek animated series in greatly-expanded form. Most recently Foster wrote the Abrams film novelizations.
You have to overlook a few things. The first is the fact that none of the original cast were involved. Most of the actors at least try to sound like the original cast.
You also have to overlook that none of the sound effects nor music are from the original series. Sometimes it’s rather jarring.
These aren’t all the audio drama that Power Records produced. I’ve had to cut a couple for time and will play them in the future.
Sunday’s tracks, in order, are:
I have also nicknamed the primary TTS voices on the show “Mike” and “Michelle.” Heinlein fans know why.
This Sunday’s “Tales From SYL Ranch” (which is live 20:00-22:00 UTC on aNONradio.net) is a “reaction show” — but not the kind you think.
One of my favorite indie film companies, Red Letter Media, does a show called “Best Of the Worst“. The premise is that four of them watch three terrible movies. They then have a round-table discussion where they dissect the awfulness in detail.
(Red Letter Media is responsible for the Plinkett Reviews. If you haven’t watched them, set aside about three hours for the Star Wars reviews. It’s a ride-and-a-half. Your brain will love you for the rest of your life.)
“Best Of the Worst” is not RiffTrax. They train a camera on themselves and talk during the film, but they don’t include it in the show unless it’s particularly amusing. Instead, they just dissect terrible movies.
They’re really terrible. They’re not so bad they’re good … they’re just bad.
Usually, they’re just stultifyingly boring. I should know: I saw most of them when they came out.
Because I’m an old man. And not a fake old man like Mr. Plinkett, but a real old man like Abe Vigoda.
I generally agree with their reviews, however in the last episode they went wildly off the mark. They reviewed a “film” called Space Raiders. This was a Roger Corman production.
If you’re not familiar with him, Corman is a well-known Hollywood producer/director who has about a thousand schlock films to his credit.
In 1980, he released a film called Battle Beyond the Stars. It had a real budget with real effects and real models. They weren’t up to Star Wars standards, but for a Corman film it was an Opus Magnum.
Corman being Corman, he then went on to use the music and visual effects in multiple films during the 1980s.
He shamelessly ripped-off the effects shots. He put them in over and over.
Space Rangers was a film written around a bunch of special effects.
Not having seen Battle Beyond the Stars, the RLM crew were impressed. This much money was astonishing for Corman.
What they didn’t know was that the only new shots in Space Rangers were a few matte paintings.
Battle Beyond the Stars has an interesting score. It was composed by Maestro James Horner.
It sounds like a strange cross between Star Trek – The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I think Corman told Horner he wanted something that sounded like Jerry Goldsmith.
You can easily see why Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer was attracted to Horner.
The score is one of the most track-complete in my collection. There are different takes, alternate music never used, and some that’s in crappy mono.
In fact, the score is so complete that it runs longer than the length of the show. I’ve had to pull a few tracks — but nothing that really takes away from your enjoyment.
So Sunday, with limited interruption, is the entire score for Battle Beyond the Stars.
(There’s one political rant, though this time a reading of Scott Adams’ blog, “Imaginary News.”)
Join us on “Tales From SYL Ranch” 20:00-22:00 UTC on aNONradio.net to find out what happens when Roger Corman has James Horner money!
Note to Red Letter Media:
When are you going to screen the copies of 1974’s The Wrestler and Alongside Night that I sent you? As always, my expertise in terrible movies remains at your disposal.
After a couple of weeks of symphonic scores (and increasingly shrill rants), we dive into warmer waters — only to discover a transvestite in the soup.
It’s Rocky Horror week on Tales From SYL Ranch.
It’s rather pointless to go through the tracklist. The first hour is entirely Rocky Horror, with the songs in the order of the stage play/movie.
The versions of the songs are culled from a number of different sources. “I Can Make You A Man,” for example, comes from the Original Roxy Cast. If you’ve never heard this version, it makes far more sense than that which was filmed.
The mix also goes international in a couple of places.
Beyond the first hour is the few tracks of Shock Treatment that seem to stand to the test of time better than others.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, Shock Treatment is a nominal sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It uses a few of the same characters (played by different actors) and ignores Rocky Horror entirely.
Today they’d call it a “soft reboot.” It’s more aptly an ill-advised attempt to re-capture a cult film’s weirdness that went through so many production problems as to become a mess.
In any case, some of its better tracks are here.
After that, it’s another cult classic: 1980’s Flash Gordon.
For die-hard Flash Gordon fans, there is an easter egg track at the very end. It has nothing to do with Gordon being alive (that would be too easy).
There are a couple of rants. The longest is under two minutes.
As always, the last few minutes are Wookie noises. Last week’s epic fifteen minutes was an accident that will not recur.
Join us for two hours of absolute pleasure with the savior of the universe!
Sunday from 20:00-22:00 UTC on //aNONradio.net//.
I have now recorded The Moon Pool, by Abraham Merritt. It was a gruelling effort, requiring more than 10 hours. But that means plenty of shows!
I think I have the lineup for this Sunday’s “Tales From SYL Ranch.”
I have an 18-minute libertarian rant by me (or rather one of my surrogate TTS voices — you’ll probably never hear me, and I have a plan for this).
A 26-minute Suite From Star Trek – The Motion Picture.
More libertarian rants. More Star Trek.
You’re going to have to want to listen to libertarian rants from now on. I eased listeners into it last week, now I hit ’em good and hard.
I expect my listenership to hit 0 about halfway through 18-minute rant.
The current playlist: