vintage

Vintage articles and footage from the science fiction archives.

Star Trek: "The Corbomite Maneuver"
"Star Trek TOS" Season 1, Episode 10, "The Corbomite Maneuver," is widely considered one of the finest moments in Trek history. Since it features a pint-sized Clint Howard as an alien villain aboard a giant floating gumball (made of smaller gumballs), I think that assessment is pretty much spot-on. The episode also showcases Kirk's ability to play space poker and illustrates why he was the only Starfleet Cadet at the Academy to ever beat the Kobayashi Maru, the infamous "no-win" situation test (a subplot highlighted in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"). By the end of the episode, even the casual viewer is convinced that Kirk is as cool as ice—if not literally, then at least in the sense that he never buckles under pressure.
By Tom Bakerabout a year ago in Futurism
Apple AirPods
The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Ear Buds represent a significant advancement in wireless audio technology, blending convenience, quality, and cutting-edge features to enhance the user experience. These earbuds have become a staple for Apple enthusiasts and casual users alike, offering a versatile solution for various audio needs—from listening to music and podcasts to making phone calls and interacting with Siri.
By Miguel Aleixoabout a year ago in Futurism
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey is a cinematic enigma, a cosmic dive into the primordial pool of dreams and visions of a tomorrow that may never come, but is already here. Are you satisfied yet with the mystery? Have you discovered your monolith? Kubrick called it "the most expensive religious film ever made." (He was rejoicing that MGM had yet to discover they had just financed such a film.)
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension is a curious film insomuch as, right up front, it has an inconsistency with the title (the opening credits simply read 'Buckaroo Banzai," despite what the film is officially called), and the opening narration veers considerably away from the words on the screen. Weird. At any rate, it's a fun, frolicking, rollicking comic book movie, that, also, curiously, has few highs and lows; actually none. It presents its camp, comic book vision as evenly, as sedately as actor Peter "Naked Lunch, Robocop" Weller. Jeff Goldblum, Dan Hedaya, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, and Ellen Barkin are along for the ride.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
Unsurprisingly, the sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture was shorter and less of a slog than the top-heavy original, which seemed to drag on entirely too long. This time around, we have a classic "even-numbered" Trek film, one geared toward tackling the big question every science fiction and "Star Trek" buff always ponders: how long will it take for the redoubtable James Tiberius to whoop up on some butt-noggin Klingon ass? In this sequel, nothing flat, although it isn't Klingons here that pose the problem for Admiral Kirk and the merry crew of a reoutfitted Great Bird of the Galaxy starcruiser, it's that damn Ricardo Montalban, who, as Khan Noonien Singh, caused so much trouble in Episode 22, Season 1 of TOS, "Space Seed." Here, Khan and his crew of bad Seventies rock band rejects are holed up on some dismal planet, just licking their space chops over the prospect of getting revenge on one James. T. Kirk.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
What will happen when drones + AI
**Civilian fields**: **Traffic and transportation** 1. Express logistics: Achieve fast package delivery in specific areas (such as remote areas, islands, etc.), use AI to plan efficient delivery routes and autonomously avoid obstacles.
By xxj2 years ago in Futurism
They Who?
Nineteen Eighty-Eight was a damn fine year, but it's generally not conceded, among the conspiracy-minded, to be a year when anyone got "Red Pilled." No, that peculiar, Matrix-derived designation for the time when the Red Pilled finally, finally, finally, see the world (to adapt a line from Mel Lyman) "as it really is," was still in the future. All the pilling, red, blue, or otherwise, would come along in the fullness of time. This was pre-internet, and conspiracy bulletins were still xeroxed and sent through the U.S. Mail.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
Star Trek: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"
Massive Ted Cassidy, who portrayed "Lurch" on the old "Addams Family" TV show, stars here as a giant Kanamit-type character who is, in actuality, a killer cyborg. Kirk and Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) beam down to Ye Olde Star Trek World to examine the inside of a D&D cavern and get two Red Shirts (Vince Deadrick, Budd Albright) killed. They're there to check up on Dr. Cory (Michael Strong), who came here, oh, a long time before just to examine the remains of the "Old Ones'" (borrowed obviously from H.P. Lovecraft, as this episode was penned by none other than Robert Bloch) lost civilization. Seems the Old Ones were particularly adept at making life-like cyborgs that are indistinguishable from human beings.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
The Outer Limits: "The Sixth Finger"
There is nothing wrong with your TV set...that watching a little "Outer Limits" can't cure! To that end, I've become, over the last year, a dedicated fan of the show, and plan to watch EVERY SINGLE EPISODE in the same weird, amblin', lackadaisical manner in which I do most everything. So far I've seen "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" (with El Capitan Kirk himself, William "The Shat" Shatner), "Demon With a Glass Hand" (with Robert "Greatest American Hero" Culp), "Soldier" (the episode written by Harlan Ellison and ripped-off by James Cameron to create Terminator), and most recently "Corpus Earthling" (again with Robert Culp). I've seen a few more, mainly from the first season, and I can't, as my "Simpsons" cartoon alter-ego might say, declare any of them the "Worst episode ever!" "The Outer Limits" never disappoints, except for maybe when the "alien" you see is anything BUT. Such is the case with Season 1, Episode 5: "The Sixth Finger".
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
The Twilight Zone: "Elegy"
"The time is the day after tomorrow. The place: a far corner of the universe. A cast of characters: three men lost amongst the stars. Three men sharing the common urgency of all men lost. They're looking for home. And in a moment, they'll find home; not a home that is a place to be seen, but a strange unexplainable experience to be felt." Twilight Zone, "Elegy"
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
The Outer Limits: "Corpus Earthling"
Picture if you will a man completely possessed by an alien force, one that has an echoey voice soaked in reverb, and that force is one one of the most horrible things you can imagine in all of the world: a half-baked FUDGE BROWNIE WITH CLAWS.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Futurism
Uncovering the Enigmatic Race of Giants
The Groundbreaking Report In the late 19th century, an astonishing archaeological finding sent shockwaves through the scientific community and captured the imagination of the public. An article published in the esteemed New York Times on August 23, 1896, unveiled the unearthing of skeletal remains that belonged to a "race of Indian giants." This remarkable discovery, made in the region of Pleasantville, New Jersey, ignited intense speculation and curiosity regarding these colossal beings who once walked the earth.
By Kevin MacELwee2 years ago in Futurism