The Stamford Advocate Touts The Kurzweil

Actually they just reprinted last week's Greenwich Time article. But anything that helps get the word out is okay by me! -Ed

Greenwich Time Covers The Kurzweil 3000!

You can find the article here . Many thanks to Kate Petrov! -Ed

Coming To Greenwich Library July 23rd: Free TV

Well, it's kinda free. Courtesy of AOL, the In2TV site offers episodes of various classic television shows (and Godzilla movies!) with about 2 minutes of commericials. But considering some of these programs are either not being shown or are otherwise unavailable on DVD, In2TV is a great source for catching shows like The Adventures of Superman, F Troop , I Spy and (choke) Gilligan's Island . There are also animated cartoons and some really obscure stuff as well.

Below is an episode of F Troop in its entirety (appx. 25 minutes):

On Wednesday, July 23 at 11 a.m., I'll be giving a session in the Technology Training Center on how people can download and enjoy In2TV. It'll be open to the public and staff.

Remember when I mentioned the obscure stuff that IN2TV carries? Here's an episode of the (deservedly) short-lived 1966-67 Girl From U.N.C.L.E. (fifty minutes):

(And for equal time, here's an installment of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. with some surprising guest stars from 1964. Here's a hint: two of the said guest stars went on to co-star together in a still-popular science fiction series that began in 1966 and spawned several films and spin-offs.)

-Ed

(And in case you thought I was kidding about Godzilla, click here . )

July Is Disability Pride Month

(Above: Last year's Disability Pride Parade in Michigan.)

Kathi Wolfe notes that this month is Disability Pride Month and that those with disabilitiies have something to celebrate, namely the ADA Amendments Act. Read all about it here .

-Ed

William S. Burroughs Meets Joy Division

(Joy Division , with Ian Curtis , second from right . Click on the picture to learn more about the band.)

Writer Jon Savage has an interesting article on the literary influences of the late Ian Curtis (1956-1980), the creative force behind the legendary band Joy Division at the Guardian . Among Curtis' heroes (which included J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick ) was William S. Burroughs and the two actually got to meet. Very briefly.


(William S. Burroughs .)

The whole sad tale is recounted here . Curtis died in 1980 and his life was recently the focus of a very good film, Control , released last year, that may interest people. -Ed

Jack Kerouac: King Of The Beats

From Google Video. A 72 minute podcast of a documentary on the author of On The Road . Enjoy. -Ed

From CNN: Charities Feel Gas Pinch

(Meals On Wheels: The latest charity to be hit by increasing gas prices.)

A follow up to recent posts I've done on how the gas crunch has affected services to the elderly can be found, with video, at CNN. -Ed

Update: Looks like rising gas prices are causing other problems, according to MSNBC:

CT Parking Permits For The Disabled

Looks like abuses of parking permits for the disabled in Connecticut may result in some changes, according to the New York Times. -Ed

Classic Science Fiction Just Out On DVD: The Invaders and Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun

(Right: Roy Thinnes on the run from The Invaders ; cover art for the just released first season DVD set.)

Actor Roy Thinnes was quite the busy actor when it came to science fiction television and movies in 1967-69. First he starred in the cult classic series The Invaders , which ran on ABC from January '67 to August '68. This series, about an archtect who discovers that the Earth has been invaded by aliens from a dying planet but can't get anybody to believe him, was created by Larry Cohen (writer/director of such quirky cult films as It's Alive ; God Told Me To ; The Stuff ) and produced by Quinn Martin (The Untouchables; The Fugitive ; Cannon and too many other well-known television programs to mention here). It ran for 43 episodes before getting cancelled due to low ratings, but the majority of episodes were taunt, suspenseful thrillers that were masterpieces of paranoia. Thinnes's David Vincent never knew who he could trust and although he'd always managed to thwart the aliens' various plots (kidnapping scientists; assassinating & replacing political leaders; attempted biological warfare), often wound up right back where he started from at story's end. Here's the opening of one particular episode that sets up the show's premise.


(Ad from the 1960's promoting The Invaders .)

Now CBS Paramount has put out the first season episodes (seventeen in all, plus an expanded version of the pilot episode and an interview with the still-active Thinnes) on a five disc DVD set. Though most of the shows hold up dramatically -boy, could Thinnes's Vincent really get into people's faces when he had to- , one or two look like they were taken from dupey elements. The DVD Talk site, while going in more detail about the disc quality, gives an otherwise positive review of the DVD set. Having remembered watching the show as a kid (plus building & owning the cool Aurora model of the aliens' spaceship), I'm glad to report that the series still delivers the goods.


(Cover of the DVD release of 1969's Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun , also starring Roy Thinnes .)

Just after The Invaders ceased production in 1968, Roy Thinnes went on to star in the 1969 British SF film Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun , also just released on DVD (from Universal). Produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson (both created/produced such classic British TV shows as Stingray ; Thunderbirds ; Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons ; Joe 90 ; UFO and -whew!- Space:1999 )from their original story and directed by Robert Parrish , the film was completed in late 1968, but released a year later in October, 1969, just three months after man landed on the Moon. Set in the year 2069 (although "Cape Kennedy" is mentioned as still being in existance), the film revolves around the discovery of another planet located on the other side of the Sun and Earth's attempts to reach it. Thinnes leads a strong cast and the special effects and overall production values (set design, etc.) are terrific, but the story's big reveal (which I won't give away here; see DVD Talk's review for a hint and more background of the film itself) left me wanting a little more meat on my plate. (And hey, Universal: what's with not offering chapter selection options on the DVD menu screen? Bad enough there aren't any extras on the disc like trailers and interviews with the still living Andersons and Thinnes...) -Ed


(Roy Thinnes rescues fellow astronaut Ian Hendry after they crash land from their Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun .)

Update: Here's a good online article on the making of The Invaders by Stephen Bowie.

How The Gas Price Crisis Is Affecting The Elderly

Homebound and disabled elderly citizens are also feeling the heat by higher gas prices. See this article from the New York Times for details. -Ed