The new podcast is now up covering this classic, SF movie. Also, con reports from Kenny and Mina help makes this a pretty long podcast. Enjoy the show and thanks to all that contributed this week.
http://www.treksinscifi.com/podcasts/TreksinSciFi_344_Forbidden_Planet.mp3 (http://www.treksinscifi.com/podcasts/TreksinSciFi_344_Forbidden_Planet.mp3)
Awesome, that will be playing tonight at work. Been a few years since I've seen this and it's on my watch list again.
Rico is always messing with the order if my watch list! ;)
Good review this week Rico.
I didn't realize how integrated Morbius was with the planet. This explains Altaira's critter friends and why the Captain had to vaporize the Tiger as it attacked.
This movie's a little darker than I thought. :o
Too bad about the delayed remake.
Since it won't be used now - I'd sure like to see that script.
Was it going to include the earlier mission of the Bellerophon?
Maybe one day we'll find out.
Wow, what a wonderfully jam-packed episode, Rico!
Cool to hear Kenny and Mina. M-5, I'm glad you mentioned, "This Island Earth". I meant to mention it in the list of memorable 50's films (I like it too). I can relate to the feeling of not wanting to re-do or create a sequel to such a classic movie.
Rico, nice coverage of "Forbidden Planet". Cool when you spoke on the ship. My only thing with the ship is that it seems like the TARDIS. How did they get all that equipment and all those guys in there? I could understand Klaatu's ship in "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (a movie they should have never re-made), it was only him and Gort. :)
All in all, a great episode this week. Thanks.
Thanks Darmok and glad you enjoyed the podcast. I think the C57-D is a pretty big looking ship.
Excellent Cast, i remenber watching this when i was a kid and truly enjoying it. It was not until many years later as a teen i found out it was based on the Tempest. Which when i rewatched it made me enjoy the Tempest more when we studied it in English. I Just kept relating it to the movie.
Another great podcast, Rico! Thank you for reviewing Forbidden Planet.
Hey Kenny!
Just listened to your second comic con report. Sorry that all your things were stolen and that you got into that car accident. I'm glad that you're able to have such a positive attitude and a positive outlook on things. I'm glad that you were able to get the poster you wanted. That's very special. You're right, things can be replaced, but it's even better that you're ok and that you're able to overcome this incident in your life.
Hang in there!
:cheering Hugs for Kenny!
Z
When I listened to the clip where Atara comes in, it reminded me of the scene with Rayna, Spock, Kirk, and Bones. She had never seen other men before other than Flint. That was a great episode "Requiem for Methuselah." Very eerie and very sad at the end.
Quote from: Zarabeth32 on August 15, 2011, 05:28:55 PM
When I listened to the clip where Atara comes in, it reminded me of the scene with Rayna, Spock, Kirk, and Bones. She had never seen other men before other than Flint. That was a great episode "Requiem for Methuselah." Very eerie and very sad at the end.
I love that episode. It shows the soft underbelly of Kirk's emotions. It's all in the last line of the episode:
"A very old and lonely man. And a young and lonely man. We put on a pretty poor show, didn't we?" This is what I love about Star Trek.
That is a very touching episode. Love the ending with Spock. Shows a rare moment for him too!
Great podcast Rico. THANK YOU! So many great comments and cool segments this week.
Glad you guys are enjoying this one. If you have never seen the movie, remember I have it in the Fun Stuff streaming player right now too.
Quote from: Rico on August 17, 2011, 05:10:54 AM
Glad you guys are enjoying this one. If you have never seen the movie, remember I have it in the Fun Stuff streaming player right now too.
Out of curiosity do you have any plans to move away from Flash in the Fun Stuff streaming player at any point? This is an Apple / iOS much lovin' forum after all ;)
Quote from: Dangelus on August 17, 2011, 08:19:33 AM
Quote from: Rico on August 17, 2011, 05:10:54 AM
Glad you guys are enjoying this one. If you have never seen the movie, remember I have it in the Fun Stuff streaming player right now too.
Out of curiosity do you have any plans to move away from Flash in the Fun Stuff streaming player at any point? This is an Apple / iOS much lovin' forum after all ;)
Plans for it - yes. Just need the time to work out the details. It's more complicated than just converting it to an iOS friendly format.
Quote from: Rico on August 17, 2011, 08:30:46 AM
Quote from: Dangelus on August 17, 2011, 08:19:33 AM
Quote from: Rico on August 17, 2011, 05:10:54 AM
Glad you guys are enjoying this one. If you have never seen the movie, remember I have it in the Fun Stuff streaming player right now too.
Out of curiosity do you have any plans to move away from Flash in the Fun Stuff streaming player at any point? This is an Apple / iOS much lovin' forum after all ;)
Plans for it - yes. Just need the time to work out the details. It's more complicated than just converting it to an iOS friendly format.
That's great news :)
Rico, I really enjoyed your FP podcast yesterday and today. I watched FP on video about a year ago, but always love to rewatch with fresh insight and bits to look for after listening to your comments - so now will just have to watch it again for greater enjoyment.
Listening to the podcast felt as comfortable as wearing an old pair of shoes, relaxing, interesting, and fun. You've really got the formula down! Also enjoyed Darmok's input on early electronic music and Mina's firsthand reports from Vegas. Great job guys!
V
V,
Glad you liked the emusic history.
What I meant to mention was that the Novachord was essentially a glorified organ, with a limited timbre palette. The synthesizers of the 50's sought to generate a much wider palette of sounds, which is why they (the sounds) had to be recorded individually onto tape and spliced together. Many of those primitive machines filled a room and some had very, very elementary sequencers (just a few notes). It took a while to create the sounds (in the case of the Barrons, Louis built the circuits, which would burn out quickly and Bebe composed from the recorded tape segments). After transistor technology took hold, people like Hugh LeCaine in Canada and Robert Moog were able to figure out the monophonic (one note at a time) voltage control keyboard. People like Walter Carlos painstakingly recorded each note and overdubbed using 4-, 8-, then 16-track tape recorders, often having to account for signal loss from overdubbing recorded tracks with a new live track. These were the days when noise reduction technology ruled.
Then, technology progressed to the point where polyphonic (multiple notes at a time) analog synthesizers could exist in the early 70's. By the late 70's digital technology was commercialized once computer technology became sophisticated enough and affordable. Different flavors of algorithmic synths and samplers hit the market with a vengeance. Now, we have synthesizers (and computer-based emulators) that can give us the best of modern digital and classic analog sounds.
We've come quite a long way, baby.
For our friends to the North, I believe some of the early Hugh LeCaine equipment is in a museum in Ottowa.
@Darmok: somewhere I have a double album of music realized on the RCA Mark II that lived at Princeton(?). Amazing the amount of effort that went into those pieces. I always had a soft spot for Milton Babbitt - his works tend to remind me of a pinball arcade.
I think it's funny when modern electronic musicians refer to "loops", typically 4 or 8 bars of percussion, intended to be repeated as the backing of a song. I'm pretty sure none of them have spliced a reel to reel tape into a loop and routed it around several mic stands scattered around a classroom for the effect...
@ricdude: Wow. That's cool!
Yeah, it's weird to think that in order to do that kind of music, you needed credentials, a hefty grant and institutional resources. As far as I'm concerned, you don't understand delay until you've done it with tape on a 2-track machine. :-)
Actually, what I know about sound I learned at the McGilll EMS on a Moog Mark II and ARP 2600. On the Moog, every sound had to be created with patchcords from scratch. Got to play an early Hugh LeCaine pre-Mellotron tape contraption — a loop of tape for each note. There was also a primitive polyphonic keyboard that had one oscillator that was four octaves too high. If we couldn't avoid the key while playing, we'd get a seemingly high-pitched out of place note.
Babbitt was great! So was Morton Subotnick ("Silver Apples of the Moon", baby!). The Cologne and Columbia Princeton stuff was unique. Charles Dodge did a really cool piece with trumpet and early computer synthesis on tape. Ah, tnose were the days!
Cool that someone here knows this stuff. Did you study, or are you an eclectic music lover?
Here, take a walk down memory lane:
http://youtu.be/PPlbXl81Rs0 (http://youtu.be/PPlbXl81Rs0) (Just found that there's a documentary on YouTube. Hmmm...)
http://youtu.be/dpbrXlnZMRg (http://youtu.be/dpbrXlnZMRg)
http://youtu.be/fWKDsfARXMc (http://youtu.be/fWKDsfARXMc) (This one's for the girl geeks; I recently found out about Laurie Spiegel)
http://youtu.be/NDX_CS3NsTk (http://youtu.be/NDX_CS3NsTk) (Then there's Delia Derbyshire)
http://youtu.be/I-e_TCqb4qQ (http://youtu.be/I-e_TCqb4qQ)
Don't want to get too off-topic, but this will give folks an idea of how people tried to achieve polyphony before digital technology. The Mellotron took the tape loop concept and applied it to what became a classic keyboard instrument. "Strawberry Fields Forever" is just one classic song that used the Mellotron. It predates sampling technology by quite a bit of time. The sounds were on really large tape cartridges. If you wanted a different sound, you had to change the tape module (don't let the promotional film fool you, this was NOT a computer). But it was a cool way to leverage the technology of the time to fashion a really compelling musical instrument.
http://youtu.be/yrXtmKGkSa4 (http://youtu.be/yrXtmKGkSa4)
Darmok thanks for sharing these vids! I think every sci-fi fan has a special place in their heart for electronic music.
Is that you narrating the first one "Magic Music? Great voice over.
Laurie Spiegel's sound machine looks like it's about as easy as spinning plates to play - and it's a portable.
@davekill: Not me narrating. :-)
Laurie Spiegel's Concerto Generator is a very early digital synthesizer built at Bell Labs. Bell did some serious research back in the day and came up with some really novel stuff. Charles Dodge did some stuff at Bell Labs (his Speech Songs, I believe). In "Any Resemblance Is Purely Coincidental for computer-synthesized sound", he took old Enrique Caruso and manipulated it in the computer. Caruso was made to laugh and all manner of interesting things.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/dodge-any-resemblance-is-purely-coincidental-w22238 (http://www.allmusic.com/album/dodge-any-resemblance-is-purely-coincidental-w22238)
Great podcast! I have never seen this whole movie. I have only seen parts of it here and there. After hearing this cast It is one I really want to watch all the way through! I was hoping this was on netflix. I know you have it on here but my pc is old and wouldn't play it very well.
I also enjoyed all the comments and liked hearing about the cons. I had seen something on here about what happened to Kenny but was bummed when he talked about it on his comment, but liked his positive outlook on his whole weekend.
@Darmok: I'm a guitar player with a fascination for "how we got here". My dad had some Babbitt on a 14 record set from his college music appreciation class. I stumbled on the Columbia/Princeton set in the library, and recognized the name on it. I started sequencing on an Atari 800 in the early '80s, experimenting with tape effects on my dad's reel to reel, recording "sound on sound" with a two deck boom box, and quickly graduated to a cheap home 4 track. Now, I use a laptop with DAW software, and all kinds of "virtual" instruments, including an entire virtual orchestra. Lots of fun.
I love the anachronisms that persist throughout modern music techology: Face it, it's been a long time since anyone had to program a synthesizer with patch cords, yet we still refer to a particular synthesizer setup as a "patch".
I'll have to check out your videos, they look cool!
eMusic Selection: I don't have a large collection of electronic music, but one of my favorites is The Interstellar Suite by Amin Bhatia
from Wiki
Amin Bhatia (born 10 July 10 1961 London, England) is a recording artist, film and television music score composer and producer. In 1981 his compositions won the Roland Corporation International Synthesizer competition for two consecutive years. The judges included Oscar Peterson, synth veterans Robert Moog and Ralph Dyck, and Japanese artist Isao Tomita. The exposure led to projects with David Foster, Steve Porcaro and a solo album on Capitol Records Cinema label called "The Interstellar Suite" which launched his career in music for film and television.
Bhatia is known for lush orchestral work with contemporary influences. His early compositions were created strictly with analog keyboards and tape, combining and layering hundreds of electronic parts to achieve a warm orchestral sound that was not sampled from an orchestra.
You can listen to parts of the Suite on iTunes, and download it there or on CDBaby.
Highly recommended.
V
Thanks, V!
I'd never heard of him. Will definitely check him out.
@ricdude: You have a very cool musical background.
You wouldn't happen to live in or near New Jersey, would you?
Awesome podcast great review Rico, awesome comments from Mark & Phil really enjoyed those and I'm so glad you managed to get both convention reports into the show. :)
How cool is this! Last night Forbidden Planet was on in HD on SyFy! I watched the first 40min and recorded the rest. I didn't recall if ypou mentioned in the podcast, Rico, but the Doctor Ostro characetr was played by Warren Steven who was Rojan in the TOS episode "By Any Other Name". And boy, you are so right, the C-57 ship is like a Tardis!
Rico, little behind at the moment but just listened to this one. Great cast and it got me thinking, your note about the cost of the film and the cost of Robby the Robot, are there any other films out there that used up a chunk of their budgets on one scene or prop?
Glad you liked the cast and that's a good question. Let me think on it.
I sure enjoyed the podcast for Forbidden Planet. Great movie for its time and it still holds up
after all these years. 50's Sci-Fi is known for its monster/alien formulas, but some classic films came
from the era. It should be on every fan's must see list. I can see how this movie influenced Star Trek,
Thanks, for the insight.
IMDB reports Robbie as appearing 26 times, including Lost in Space and
and the Addams Family. Anne Francis appeared in 2 episodes of the Twilight Zone. After seeing Leslie Nielsen in
Airplane and Police squad, I sometimes expect Leslie to break character in Forbidden Planet and do something silly.
Nice photo of Robby and the Lost in Space Robot together.
The guy who designed them also made washing machines.
As Dr. Smith would say "Oh - the pain" ;)
Great podcast, as always, Rico.
I will now go back and watch it again.
Much appreciated.
stan
Hi Rico, got to listen to the podcast last week. it was great podcast! I still remember when I first saw Forbidden Planet on TV. I saw it when I was a freshman in high school during the early 80's. I have always felt that it was one of the best films of the 50's. I loved the spical effects in that movie. I am sure that they were state of the art for its time. I loved the art work used in the movie, they way matte paintings were used really captured my imagination. Especially the planet landscape and the Krels cities. I seen the movie at least twice and both times on the movie channels. I think like some the movie should not be remade, the original was good enough, but I do wonder if they did who would be Dr. Morbious, maybe Keven Spacey or John Lithgow.
Finally I was said to hear about Kenny's stolen personal items from Sand Diego comic -con. that was just horrible.
Quote from: Redshirt97 on October 07, 2011, 04:56:21 PM
I think like some the movie should not be remade, the original was good enough, but I do wonder if they did who would be Dr. Morbious, maybe Keven Spacey or John Lithgow.
It's Shakespeare (sort of), so it would have to be Ian McKellen or Patrick Stewart. Unless they go really Post-Modern and use Laurence Fishburne or Edward James Olmos. :)
I think that Ian McKellen would be an excellent choice for Dr. Morbious.
Quote from: M-5 on October 08, 2011, 08:17:58 PM
I think that Ian McKellen would be an excellent choice for Dr. Morbious.
Good. Then it's decided. Ian McKellen is our man. :)
This was the one movie that got me hooked on Sifi, Boy was Lesley Nelson young in this movie. Sometimes I think today's movies get so caught up in special effects, that the story gets lost and turns what could be an awesome movie into a big disappointment with little substance. This movie really was one of the first to set a benchmark for what is good scifi.
Quote from: Darmok on October 08, 2011, 10:54:18 AM
Quote from: Redshirt97 on October 07, 2011, 04:56:21 PM
I think like some the movie should not be remade, the original was good enough, but I do wonder if they did who would be Dr. Morbious, maybe Keven Spacey or John Lithgow.
It's Shakespeare (sort of), so it would have to be Ian McKellen or Patrick Stewart. Unless they go really Post-Modern and use Laurence Fishburne or Edward James Olmos. :)
I never thought of Patrick Stewart or even Edward James Olmos or any of the other two. but I also wonder who they would put as the captian of the ship.
Quote from: Redshirt97 on October 09, 2011, 07:40:13 AM
I never thought of Patrick Stewart or even Edward James Olmos or any of the other two. but I also wonder who they would put as the captian of the ship.
How about Charlie Sheen? :biggrin
Quote from: Darmok on October 10, 2011, 03:16:11 PM
Quote from: Redshirt97 on October 09, 2011, 07:40:13 AM
I never thought of Patrick Stewart or even Edward James Olmos or any of the other two. but I also wonder who they would put as the captian of the ship.
How about Charlie Sheen? :biggrin
What about Matt Damon? ::)
Quote from: Darmok on October 10, 2011, 03:16:11 PM
Quote from: Redshirt97 on October 09, 2011, 07:40:13 AM
I never thought of Patrick Stewart or even Edward James Olmos or any of the other two. but I also wonder who they would put as the captian of the ship.
How about Charlie Sheen? :biggrin
Yes why not. we know he would he would be after the girl from the get go and win her over hands down. maybe John Cryer could be his co-star too. lol.
Heh, heh. Upon second thought, let's get Chris Hemsworth to play the Captain. Chris Evans can be the First Officer. Charlie Sheen can play the inebriated cook.
Now, if we really wanted to go with some creative casting, we get my African sister Charlize Theron to play Morbius and Margot Robbie to play Altaira.
Quote from: Darmok on October 11, 2011, 10:32:58 AM
Heh, heh. Upon second thought, let's get Chris Hemsworth to play the Captain. Chris Evans can be the First Officer. Charlie Sheen can play the inebriated cook.
Now, if we really wanted to go with some creative casting, we get my African sister Charlize Theron to play Morbius and Margot Robbie to play Altaira.
I think having Charile Sheen play the cook is a great idea. serves him right for how he screwed up two and a half men. lol.
I think he would be great at the part. I do think it would be cool to have a female Dr. Morbous and have a mother and daughter relationship in the stroy this time. Also the crew would not be all male but a mixture of both sexes. Maybe Ryan Rhylones (star of Green Lattern) be a good choice for Catain.