Could it be the famous Flying Cloud?

[sovay]

For our twelfth anniversary, rushthatspeaks and I conversed over Zoom, because he is still recovering from Schrödinger's flu. Once we are both in better health, we will celebrate properly, as is traditional, with a restaurant and the sea.

The mail this afternoon brought my copy of Chris Boucher's Corpse Marker (1999), so I am naturally rewatching The Robots of Death (1977). Last night I managed to watch a movie I had not previously seen, even.

I keep receiving photographic evidence that people are buying and reading my book, which remains extremely cool. I should like it to continue.

The next secret project proceeds apace. Technically it is someone else's secret project, but I'm in on it, which is fun. Autolycus is helping.

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

I realized some time ago that several of my favorite movies feel a lot more normal when you are watching them than when you attempt to describe them to anyone else

XD It's just the glam rock 1984, but with beige sets, crossed with Robin Hood and The Magnificent Seven (but there maybe aren't 7 actually), done as a giant shakespearean tragedy with talking computers IN SPACE but also running around post-industrial Britain in the winter on a 1978-1981 BBC budget.

(I mean, the other reason I couldn't be doing with a reboot is that no one in the 21st C would have the nerve to costume everyone like it's 1979 and they're June Hudson raiding Soho sex shops for leather.)

I looked it up to see who else was in it and my first thought was: man, you can't leave Scott Fredericks anywhere, can you?

LOL! I know, although it's a little less coincidental - directors did the casting in those days and had faves and the same director as Fendahl did the B7 episode Weapon, and cast him again there as Carnell.

[sovay]

It's just the glam rock 1984, but with beige sets, crossed with Robin Hood and The Magnificent Seven (but there maybe aren't 7 actually), done as a giant shakespearean tragedy with talking computers IN SPACE but also running around post-industrial Britain in the winter on a 1978-1981 BBC budget.

I just wanted to let you know that sholio has linked me one of the episodes by Tanith Lee whose existence is how Blake's 7 got on my radar like twenty-five years ago in the first place and I am seriously considering watching it sans context.

(I mean, the other reason I couldn't be doing with a reboot is that no one in the 21st C would have the nerve to costume everyone like it's 1979 and they're June Hudson raiding Soho sex shops for leather.)

The zeitgeist!

although it's a little less coincidental - directors did the casting in those days and had faves and the same director as Fendahl did the B7 episode Weapon, and cast him again there as Carnell.

That's fair, and also kind of charming.

[thisbluespirit]

I just wanted to let you know that [personal profile] sholio has linked me one of the episodes by Tanith Lee whose existence is how Blake's 7 got on my radar like twenty-five years ago in the first place and I am seriously considering watching it sans context.

I'm not sure there is any context for Sarcophagus anyway! Basically if you want to know how weird B7 can be when it feels like it, this is absolutely how weird B7 can be when it feels like it. If you do, I hope you have fun! It's Tanith Lee and not representative of the series for the most part. But also not not representative because some days B7 is like this. (It's s3, though, so you've missed the June Hudson full on leather and glory era of s2, and also will reveal significant cast changes.)

I was worried it might be Sand! Technically there's no real reason you couldn't watch Sand out of context either, I suppose, but I'd save it for watching linearly if you think that might happen.

That YT person seems to have "The Way Back" as well, btw, if you want to try the first episode afterwards, or even before, because it does establish the 1984 future all this takes place in very effectively, is a complete contrast to something like Sarcophagus, which is at least a fair illustration of what a weird combination of things it is in two eps flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2warRbMFOpk

And TWB does actually have a Blake, it's true.

But B7 is weird chemistry in action and that's why it's hard to say, "Oh, try this ep, or that ep" (although maybe Shadow or Deathwatch or something? And DW fans do City for the Colin Baker, but I think it's nicer to know Vila first).

I wasn't sure I wanted to watch it, but as a longtime DW fan, I'd heard so much about it, I was curious - and also I loved Robots of Death! And then after Image of the Fendahl was great as well, I was just... ok. I have to have more Chris Boucher! I have to Do The Damned Thing, and picked up some VHS edited together versions of the first eps from a charity shop andhad to stop and get the dvds, but I was still a bit, lol, this hokey old show with a great theme tune, I'm just watching it for the lols and waiting for more Chris Boucher ok, i'm not here, right... and then it broke my heart three times at least and made me stand up and clap at the end. Which is embarrassing but absolutely true.

[sovay]

That YT person seems to have "The Way Back" as well, btw, if you want to try the first episode afterwards, or even before, because it does establish the 1984 future all this takes place in very effectively, is a complete contrast to something like Sarcophagus, which is at least a fair illustration of what a weird combination of things it is in two eps flat

*cautiously eyes the event horizon*

but I was still a bit, lol, this hokey old show with a great theme tune, I'm just watching it for the lols and waiting for more Chris Boucher ok, i'm not here, right... and then it broke my heart three times at least and made me stand up and clap at the end. Which is embarrassing but absolutely true.

That doesn't sound embarrassing: it sounds like art.

[thisbluespirit]

*cautiously eyes the event horizon*

*points to icon*

That doesn't sound embarrassing: it sounds like art.

<3 (Because of how it ends, other B7 fans do think this sounds sadistic of me when I say, but I had osmosed that bit, so it wasn't like that!)