One Saturday night, I could just not fall asleep. I was sitting in my “Comfy Chair” surfing the shows, and nothing caught my attention. I landed on an oldie channel that was showing “Godzilla.” I remember as a kid, I watched “Godzilla” on a black & white tv with my family at home at night. I was so scared! The look on the Japanese citizens as Godzilla would come up out of the ocean and then proceeded to stomp about the city smashing everything in its path. Buildings, buses, High Tension Electric Wires did not stop him. The army, tanks, and planes had no effect. If he was annoyed, Godzilla would send a death ray out of his mouth that destroyed things from a distance.
I went to bed that night, having nightmares. As I watched the rerun on tv, I noticed that it was not scary; it was really a bit lame. Godzilla was just a guy in a Godzilla suit walking around a stage built to make him look gigantic. Granted, there was no CGI, computers, or technology that produced today’s “Avatar” back then.
The first sci-fi movie, “A Trip To The Moon,” I have never seen it, but most of us have looked at the picture of a rocket landing into the “Man On The Moons” eye! Many of the early B sci-fi movies look silly by today’s standards. “Invaders From Mars,” “Cat-Women of the Moon,’
“20 Million Miles From Earth,” “Them,” “King Kong,” “It Came From Outer Space!”
I realize that the ones I listed may be a favorite of someone; I do not mean to offend; this is just my opinion.
On the other hand, some older sci-fi movies have stood the test of time again, in my opinion. “The Day The Earth Stood Still” I enjoy to this day. “Klaatu,” the robot in the 1951 classic, as well as the Keanu Reeves adaptation, both gave me chills. Is artificial intelligence good or evil? I also still enjoy; “The Creature From The Black Lagoon.” “Forbidden Planet” 1956 in color features the multi-talented “Robby the Robot,” which deals with subjects that we discuss today; Faster than light travel, enhanced intelligence using A.I., Learning about older civilizations, the “Krell!” The music score was all electric! The “Krell” destroyed themselves with their own technology. “The Thing From Another World” is another favorite of mine. James Arness played the “Thing” (before his stint on “Gunsmoke!”). The cast of characters added so much to the believability of this movie.
Sci-fi has evolved with new technology, CGI, and advanced filming techniques. Sometimes producers focus on how awesome the picture looks; they miss the audience with the story. Yes, I have favorites of today; “Avatar,” Original “Blade Runner,” newer “Star Trek” movies, “Star Wars” “The Matrix” “Terminator” etc.
We live in a time where streaming services and premium channel packages often let us watch almost any movie we can think of. Only sometimes for free, but what is these days!
“Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 02/5/2023 Author of: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” joelmvernier@aol.com
