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Vintage geek content from the archives of the geek, comic, and entertainment collections.
#60yearsofJamesBond: GoldenEye
This instalment of #60yearsofJamesBond is dedicated to the memory of Robbie Coltrane - 1950-2022. The early 1990s was a particularly bleak time for James Bond. While the preceding two films in the series, 1987's "The Living Daylights" and 1989's "Licence to Kill", had been fairly successful, there was a sense that, even with Timothy Dalton's reinvigorated take on James Bond, the franchise was in serious need of a rampant success story. Added to that, the end of the Cold War, a new era of political correctness, the beginning of the countdown to the new millennium, and legal difficulties between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Danjaq, who held the rights to the Bond film series, and it felt like there might never be another film: in many ways, "Licence to Kill" had felt like a place to end, and one that, perhaps, they wouldn't come back from. As such, it looked like the end of the swarve secret agent: a situation made even more likely by the protracted legal situation between Albert R. Broccoli and MGM. By 1993, it looked like Bond would be returning to the silver screen: however, despite sounding interested in the film's initial development, Dalton decided not to reprise the role as he felt unable to commit to more films beyond "GoldenEye". As such, Barbara Broccoli, who was now producing the Bond series with her husband Michael G. Wilson, would have to find a new Bond. To find their new Bond, the producers went back to their initial choice for Roger Moore's replacement: Pierce Brosnan. Released in 1995, "GoldenEye" was the smash success the producers had been hoping for, and has since gone on to be seen as a high watermark for the series. However, while I see a lot of the appeal of this film, I personally don't find it as good as most other Bond fans do. There's a lot of good ideas here, and some aspects of the film work surprisingly well. However, there's something just something missing for me, and it isn't quite the high watermark for Bond films as some seem to claim that it is.
By Joseph A. Morrison3 years ago in Geeks
Halloween 1978 is a true classic
When people look back at certain genres they all have instant classics that come to mind. Horror is no different as the slasher era has gone on to redefine what it means to be a horror film. A few films had inspiration over that change but perhaps none more than Halloween in 1978.
By Reel Vibes3 years ago in Geeks
Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles: Return of the Rocket Men Review
One of the breakaway hits of the Companion Chronicles series was John Dorney's "The Rocket Men", a powerfully emotional tale that introduced a brand new foe for the Doctor in the form of the Rocket Men. The jetpack-wielding pirates were a surprise hit with listeners, as was the story's emotional content, and a sequel was quickly developed. Now with a new writer and a new companion, however, could this sequel capture the same magic as the original, while still offering listeners something new and fresh? In a word - yes. Emphatically. "Return of the Rocket Men" is a perfect sequel, in that it recaptures what you loved about "The Rocket Men", but it also offers a completely new take on what made it a success. It makes, therefore, for a sequel that won't leave you disappointed, no matter what your expectations are for this story.
By Joseph A. Morrison3 years ago in Geeks
Mr. Clean, DIRTY!!
This is your roving reporter Anne O. Nimity – Yes, my parents wanted a girl. Get over it and move on. I’m down at the police station where I have just been speaking with Officer McGruff. Having recently heard of the untimely demise of the Pillsbury Doughboy - which sad event is still under investigation - I asked for a statement. The overcoat bedecked K-9 Officer was quoted as saying… “Don’t you worry, we’ll take a bite out of crime!” In any case, in my own ongoing investigations I have uncovered facts leading me to make this special news report tonight which I have titled:
By Andrew C McDonald4 years ago in Geeks
Blake's 7: Warship Review
One of Big Finish's most exciting products in their Blake's 7 range has to be their very first full-cast audio, "Warship". After a number of narrated Liberator Chronicles box sets and books, "Warship" was perhaps the closest Big Finish had got to telling an authentic Blake's 7 story up till that point, and, as such, was highly anticipated by fans. Set in the gap in between series two and three, and telling the story of the Liberator's fight against the alien fleet featured in the final episode of series two, the anticipation was even higher. Fortunately, this is a tight, exciting audio drama that bridges the gap between series two and three fantastically, and affords Jenna and Blake the departure from the Liberator that they weren't given in the TV series.
By Joseph A. Morrison4 years ago in Geeks
Grandma, Dostoevsky, and the emotional pull of literature. Top Story - May 2022.
My grandmother became a Reader in her late 80s, by accident. Her early education in the east of Poland during the third decade of the last century was interrupted by World War II when she finished grade 4. She never went back to school. Moving to Poland’s capital after the war, she took up manual labor right away to make ends meet.
By Tess V. Flaire4 years ago in Geeks
