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Tag: Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner

Arbor Day Silent Running Sci-Fi Grief & Catharsis

Friday is Arbor Day.

Coming at the end of a week in which way too many trees have been hacked down in my neighborhood by a bunch of butchers enlisted by the idiot property association, it’s perhaps ironic that our topic on the next “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner” – formulated by Roy and me on Earth Day – will be the environmental cult classic “Silent Running” (1972).

This was one of only two movies directed by special effects legend Douglas Trumbull (of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” fame).

Space botanist Bruce Dern – a little borderline even under the best of circumstances – is driven to employ desperate measures to ensure that he and his robot sidekicks, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, can continue to carry-out their reforestation mission in a floating geodesic greenhouse near the rings of Saturn.

None other than Peter Schickele wrote the music. Folk icon Joan Baez generates a queasy air of counterculture flower-powerlessness.

“Fields of children running wild
In the sun
Like a forest is your child, growing wild
In the sun
Doomed in his innocence
In the sun

Gather your children to your side
In the sun
Tell them all they love will die
Tell them why
In the sun

Tell them it’s not too late
Cultivate, one by one
Tell them to harvest and rejoice
In the sun.”

In short, you’re doomed, everything you care about will die, but it’s not too late to cultivate… Sounds pretty hopeful to me.

It would be cathartic to hack off a few arms to avenge every tree limb right about now. Dern doesn’t quite deliver on that scale, but “Silent Running” can still put a lump in the throat of anyone who cares at all about wildlife and the environment. It conveys the essential truth that no matter what century you live in, the majority of humankind is at best clueless.

“Tears of sorrow running deep
running silent in my sleep
running silent in my sleep…”

Join us as I preach a gospel of despair on Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. The only plant will be my fist in the face of all butchers, as we livestream on Facebook. Fill the comments section with your lamentations, this Friday evening at a special time – one half-hour later than usual – 7:30 EDT.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

April 29, 2021
Plan 9 to Silent Running Sci-Fi Movie Chat

Forget Plan 1 through 8. “Plan 9” is where it’s at.

We’d like to thank Michael Rizzo and Marybeth Ritkouski for dropping by last night to break bread over Ed, and the “Citizen Kane” of bad movies, “Plan 9 from Outer Space.”

Earlier in the week, M&M kindly had us to their table to talk about Tim Burton’s biopic, about resourceful – though perhaps a little out of touch – “Plan 9” director, “Ed Wood.” Their show, SciFi Distilled, is livestreamed on Facebook every Wednesday at 7 pm EDT. You can eavesdrop on our conversation here:

Friday is Arbor Day. It was actually on Earth Day that Roy and I decided our next topic should be “Silent Running” (1972), a sci-fi cult classic with environmental overtones.

Join us as we chat about space botanist Bruce Dern and his robot sidekicks, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, on their reforestation mission in a floating geodesic greenhouse near Saturn. Peter Schickele wrote the music. Folk icon Joan Baez lends just the right touch of counterculture verisimilitude.

This is one of only two movies directed by special effects legend Douglas Trumbull (of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” fame).

I think you’ll agree, Dern must have been raising more than just trees in that greenhouse. Join us for a trippy discussion of “Silent Running,” on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Our pupils will be dilated, and we’ll be fanning the room with psychedelic album covers. Everyone will be spacing-out, as we livestream on Facebook, next Friday evening at a special time – one half hour later than usual – 7:30 EDT.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

April 24, 2021
Plan 9 From Outer Space Worst Movie Ever?

As a follow-up to last night’s all-too-brief discussion about “Ed Wood” (1994) on SciFi Distilled, Roy and I will welcome our erstwhile hosts, Mike and Marybeth, to “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner” for a follow-up chat about Wood’s pablum opus, “Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1959).

Widely embraced as the worst movie ever made, “Plan 9” is like “The Day the Earth Stood Still” gone horribly wrong. Commander Eros and his saucer people resurrect the earth’s dead in order to get the world’s governments to take them seriously on their intergalactic mission of peace. Or something like that.

Ludicrously scripted, cheaply shot, cringeworthily acted, and artlessly executed, the film stars Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson, pioneering TV host Vampira, and faded horror icon Bela Lugosi. This is one riveting, flabbergasting train wreck.

The “Plan” is for all of us to hang together, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Join us as we livestream on Facebook! The comments section will yawn like the grave, this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

April 22, 2021
Ed Wood Week Celebration Plan 9 & More

PULL THE STRING! PULL THE STRING!

Ed Wood Week is under way!

I hope you’ll join Roy and me in celebration of “Anniversary Month,” first with Michael Rizzo and Marybeth Ritkouski on “Sci-Fi Distilled,” and a conversation about Tim Burton’s love letter to the quixotic, no-budget film director, “Ed Wood” (1994).

Then Mike and Marybeth will join us for a spot of tea inside the saucer, on “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner,” and a chat about Wood’s most notorious creation, “Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1959). “Plan 9” inevitably floats to the top of any list devoted to the worst movies ever made.

By comparison, Wood makes Burton seem like Orson Welles. Interestingly, Burton’s most successful movies have been those with “Ed” in the title (or perhaps “Pee-Wee”). In his best film since “Edward Scissorhands,” Burton reunites with Johnny Depp as the fatally optimistic, ever-resourceful, angora-wearing Wood, who flourishes blissfully on another plane. Martin Landau earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his poignant and profane turn as faded horror icon Bela Lugosi. Howard Shore’s theremin-laden, lounge-infused score lends to the kooky fun.

Both discussions will be livestreamed on Facebook (“Ed Wood” on “Sci Fi Distilled,” Wednesday at 7 pm EDT, and “Plan 9” on “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner,” Friday at 7 pm EDT).

It’s been a full year of cocktails and tie-dye! Celebrate with your firecrackers in the comments sections. Join us for a chat about Ed and the dead. It’s a crossdresser crossover with extraterrestrial intervention, this Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7:00 EDT!

“Ed Wood” on SciFi Distilled

“Plan 9” on Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner

Bevare! Take care!

April 20, 2021
Ghost Busters 1975 & Ed Wood Week Podcast

On last night’s show about “The Ghost Busters” (1975 – not 1984), we ruminate on Saturday morning cartoons, the Bowery Boys, Vaudeville, and Charles Nelson Reilly. Our special guest, Roy’s son, Ryan Bjellquist-Ledger, lends his own perspective as our millennial correspondent.

I hope you’ll join us next time for Ed Wood Week. First, Michael Rizzo and Marybeth Ritkouski will host Roy and me on their show, “Sci-Fi Distilled,” for a discussion about Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood” (1994), Wednesday at 7 pm EDT.

Then it will be our turn to host Mike and Marybeth, when we talk about Wood’s most notorious creation, “Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1959) – invariably categorized as one of the worst movies ever made – on “Roy’s Tie Dye Sci Fi Corner,” Friday at 7 pm EDT.

What kind of Wood doesn’t float? Tune in for our protracted responses. Our respective shows livestream on Facebook next Wednesday and Friday at 7 pm!

For “Ed Wood”: SciFi Distilled

For “Plan 9”: Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner

Remember: future events such as these will affect you in the future!

April 17, 2021

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