Star Trek the Motion Picture anniversary

Joe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:02:26 +0000

As Star Trek the Motion Picture marks the 30th anniversary of its release here’s a classic behind the scenes featurette from 1979 -- the quality isn’t great and the soundtrack is distinctly wobbly, but its still great fun to watch, with behind the scenes footage of the actors, the special effects (oh, that huge, 8 foot Enterprise model -- I want it!) and even the late Persis Khambatta having her lovely dark hair shaved off to play Ilya. I remember being so excited as a kid knowing Star Trek was coming back; it wasn’t the most exciting of films for a ten year old, but I didn’t really care at the time, it was Star Trek, it was back, it was on the big screen and seeing the iconic USS Enterprise on a cinema screen for the first time as she sailed majestically out of drydock was just brilliant. I suppose looking back at it now, despite mixed reviews it marked the return of Trek, starting a long series of films and of course the return to TV that many had wanted, in the shape of the Next Generation only a few years later; you can’t keep a good concept down, as we rediscovered yet again just this year. (via SFX’s Twitter)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYPvH6LW_uY

30 years of Viz

Joe — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:03:01 +0000

Hard to believe but a comic which more or less started out being pasted together in some mates’ bedrooms, sold door to door in local pubs and clubs and stores in the North East of England and which delivered a rude, crude, vulgar but bloody funny pastiche of classic British comics for an adult audience has hit its 30th anniversary. Yes, of course I am talking about Viz, an underground, homemade comic which became a huge hit with characters like the foul mouthed Roger Mellie, the Man on the Telly, Buster Gonads and his Unfeasibly Large Testicles, Finbarr Saunders and his Double Entendres and we can’t forget the Fat Slags, can we? Viz has happily taken potshots at classic comics, cultural icons and just about every strata of society, which has earned itself a place in UK reader’s affections (it was essential student reading in the late 80s and early 90s when it truly went national, even with students who would probably deny being comics readers).

The Cartoon Museum in London will host an exhibition to celebrate the anniversary starting November 4th and running through to January 24th and Viz itself has a bumper-sized birthday edition out now, which includes a special version of the classic Pathetic Sharks strip by the always excellent Lew Stringer, who also discusses the comic on his blog. (via Bloghorn)

The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log » 30th anniversary

Star Trek the Motion Picture anniversary

30 years of Viz