Wasn’t sure about posting this week as I had thought nothing really interesting was coming out. Then I took another look and found out there was! Only three collections worth noting, but they’re all very interesting.
I, Claudius: The Complete Series- Before there was Game of Thrones, or Spartacus, or Rome, or The Borgias or The Tudors…there was I, Claudius. Produced by the BBC in 1976, it’s pretty much the grandaddy of historically-based dramas. And it went on to win numerous awards. And while it’s somewhat tame compared to those other shows I mentioned, there’s still plenty of intrigue, treachery, violence and sex to hold your attention.
Much of the strength of this series was in its cast, many of whom have since gone on to appear in various Science Fiction productions over the years. Derek Jacobi (Doctor Who) as Claudius, Sian Phillips (Dune) as Livia Drusilla, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon, Space: 1999, Doctor Who, Star Wars: Episode I) as Augustus, Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men) as Lucius Sejanus, John Hurt (Alien, Harry Potter, V for Vendetta) as Caligula, Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as Livilla, John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of the Rings, Wing Commander III) as Naevius Macro, and Simon MacCorkindale (Manimal, Jaws 3D, The Sword and the Sorcerer) as Lucius Caesar.
This is the latest re-release on DVD. If you’re a fan of good drama, history and any of these great actors, you owe it to yourself to get this!
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXIII- In case I never mentioned it, I LOVE Mystery Science Theater 3000! To this day I still miss it. No one made fun of bad movies like Joel, Mike and the Bots did. And this is the latest release from Shout! Factory. The movies included in this volume are:
[ul]
[li]King Dinosaur- A rocket expedition to the planet Nova discovers it inhabited by dinosaurs. Or more accurately, lizards made to look like dinosaurs. Comes to us courtesy of '50s B-movie king Bert I. Gordon.[/li][li]Code Name: Diamond Head- Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the NWOBHM band. It’s a TV movie caper film set in Hawaii from Quinn Martin (Streets of San Francisco). Stars Roy Thinnes, Ian McShane and France Nuyen.[/li][li]Castle of Fu Manchu- Christopher Lee plays the arch-villain of Sax Rohmer’s novels, this time threatening the world with a device that can freeze the world’s oceans.[/li][li]Last of the Wild Horses- A B-Western in which a cowboy finds himself in the middle of a war between feuding ranchers.[/li][/ul]
Metal Evolution- Another thing you might not already know is that I am a HUGE Metalhead! And if there’s one thing I know about almost as much as Sci-Fi and Gaming, it’s Metal. In 2005, an anthropology student and Metal fan named Sam Dunn made a documentary called Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey that was probably the most comprehensive and serious look at at this music. It’s probably the best one ever done. This series, which aired originally on VH1 Classic, is an expansion of it, as it takes a closer look at its history and subgenres.
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[li]Episode 1- Deals with the pre-history of Metal, and the influences that Blues, Classical, Jazz, Big Band and early Rock artists like Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard had on it, as well as the contributions from The Who, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix.[/li][li]Episode 2- Looks at early Metal in the U.S. with bands like Blue Cheer, Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes, The MC5, Iggy & The Stooges, Kiss and Aerosmith.[/li][li]Episode 3- Looks at the early Metal bands of the UK like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Rainbow, and of course Black Sabbath.[/li][li]Episode 4- Takes a look at the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) that arose in the late '70s/early’80s, including such bands as Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, and Judas Priest.[/li][li]Episode 5- Looks at the Glam Metal that was part of the Sunset Strip in L.A. for much of the 1980’s with such bands as Van Halen, Poison, Motley Crue and Ratt.[/li][li]Episode 6- Explores the rise of Thrash in response to the Glam Metal scene, and takes a look at Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer.[/li][li]Episode 7- Deals with Grunge and weather or not it could be considered part of the Metal genre. Examines bands like Soundgarden, Nirvana and Mudhoney.[/li][li]Episode 8- Looks at Nu Metal with bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, The Deftones, Disturbed and Linkin Park.[/li][li]Episode 9- Explores Shock Rock with looks at artists such as Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Kiss, Venom and King Diamond.[/li][li]Episode 10- Deals with Power Metal and looks at bands like The Scorpions, Yngwie Malmsteen and Dio along with more contemporary bands like Dragonforce, Helloween, Hammerfall, Blind Guardian and Nightwish.[/li][li]Episode 11- The series concludes with a look at Progressive Metal and bands such as Rush, Dream Theater, Queensryche and Tool.[/li][/ul]
If you’re a Metal fan at all, or are at least curious and want to know more about it, this along with Dunn’s earlier Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, are not to be missed!