Scotty is gone. He died today at the age of 85, due to complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s.
James Doohan embodied the fighting spirit of Canadians during World War II. “Ready, Aye! Ready!” He stormed the beaches of Normandy at Juno Beach. It was there he lost his right middle finger, the hand that was rarely seen on television. A miracle (in the form of his silver cigarette case) saved him from certain death, and he went on to become one of the most loved characters in Television history, a miracle worker: Captain of Engineering Montgomery Scott, a role he played in both the Original Series and The Next Generation.
Did he ever get irritated at the fans who quipped to him “Beam me up, Scotty?” In his own words:

“I’m not tired of it at all. Good gracious, it’s been said to me for just about 31 years. It’s been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It’s been fun.”

Indeed. And with 9 kids from three marriages (the youngest being only 5 years old!), he certainly lived life to the fullest. Thanks Scotty! You’re Home now, you’ve earned your rest.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.”

Back when I had a point & shoot 35mm camera, I took some B&W photos at a comic book convention in Chicago in 1996 for a couple of reasons: one, I had the roll with me, and two, I figured why not. One picture in particular took me aback. So Hud, since you’re at Comic Con in San Diego, do you know what the hell this is?

What are people bitching about here? The London terrorist attacks occured on 7/7. Across the Pond that same evening, UPN and World Wrestling Entertainment aired “WWE Smackdown” and ran the following warning scroll four times throughout the program:

“In light of today’s tragic events in London, parental discretion is advised in viewing this episode.”

Looks like an unnamed group is still companing about the events depicted on the show, which involve two Arab-American Bad Guy wrestlers, Daivari and Muhammad Hassan. Gee I wonder who could it be. CAIR, perhaps?
Well then, if you don’t want Arabs and/or Muslims to be depicted “in a bad light,” don’t bitch to UPN and WWE...bitch to those wrestlers themselves for appearing on the show. THEY signed the contract! Besides, no one complained back in the 70s and 80s when The Iron Sheik was a Bad Guy on the old WWF circuit! So STFU already!

I was over at BMEWS commenting on a story posted about clowns. Amazed to find out that Barking Moonbat’s Administrator is related to one of the greatest clowns who ever lived, I threw in a snickering remark to the original post...not to the Skipper’s heritage.
One thing led to another and BEHOLD! One of the coolest songs I have ever heard for a movie title is on iTunes!

I just found out about this...and I am bummed. When I was a kid, I watched UFO, a British TV series from 1969 which was exported to the USA in the early 1970s. Ed Bishop played Commander Ed Straker and Michael Billington played Straker’s protége, Colonel Paul Foster, and they were the prime movers of the secret group SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation), which fought the alien invaders.
Billington and Bishop died within five days of each other last month. Bishop was 72 and Billington was 63. Although they weren’t well known to American TV watchers, they remained involved with UFO Fandom around the world over the years, and they will be missed.
PHOTO: Michael Billington and Ed Bishop from “UFO.”

NO NO NO! Not that movie.
If you want to see a Fan-produced TV series set in the era of the Original Star Trek Series, go to Starship Exeter. The teaser for the second episode is now up, but the pilot episode, “The Savage Empire,” is truly a BLAST FROM THE PAST! Only that it’s done with 21st-Century technology!
You can even see how the Klingon nemesis Chang got his eyepatch!

And now comes word that Walter Koenig will reprise his role as Chekov in another Fan series, New Voyages. Good luck Walter...I sure hope they give you an excellent makeup artist!

I guess it has. Just goes to show two things: 1) how much TV I watch these days, and 2) the depravity of it all!

By now I’m sure you’ve all seen that slutty commercial Paris Hilton made for Carl’s Jr. recently? It turns out Eleni Mandell‘s record label, HUM Music, will be releasing a full-length version of the song “I Love Paris” next month on a CD.
BUT if you just can’t wait to undulate and copulate, the single is already available on iTunes!

Looks like inside of six months, Star Wars Fans can buy the entire saga on DVD! Yippee!

One of the things which absolutely BLEW ME AWAY was the opening overture music in Chapter 1 of IMPS - The Relentless. Well lo and behold, the Chapter 1 soundtrack music is now available!
I read the liner notes and discovered that the composer, Andy Garfield, is a big fan of Sergei Prokofiev and his composition of the soundtrack to Alexander Nevsky, one of my all-time favorite Classical scores. One movement in the Chapter 1 soundtrack which translates very well is the transition into hyperspace. Doesn’t matter which universe it takes place in, FTL always sends chills down my spine AND gives me goose bumps! I kid you not!
So needless to say if you like Star Wars Music, you too can be BLOWN AWAY!

Get this! Burt Reynolds bitchslaps a producer at the premiere of the remake of ”The Longest Yard.” He apparently forgot to ask for pointers from Samuel L. Jackson.
I still haven’t decided whether or not I’ll see this movie. The original is such a classic!

Well, I saw it. And I must say that it was GOOOOOOOOOD! Or should I say BAAAAAAAAAD! Lots of combat, whether it was above Coruscant, on Kashyyyk (the Wookiee homeworld), or the lightsaber clashes, to satisfy the appetite!
But I have to give this film a 9 out of 10 though. Why? Couple of reasons. I was disappointed in the way Mace Windu bought it. I SO WANTED for him to taunt Palpatine: “What’s my name!” SMACK! “I said, what’s my name!”
The second reason is, I was surprised to see HOW Darth Vader got burned. It was NOT the way I had envisioned for the past 25 years or so...ever since George Lucas told about how Darth Vader got that way. But it was still bad enough. And yet...good enough, in a sad way, in that the entire saga is complete. We’ve come full circle.
It is, without a doubt, worth seeing again! 9 OUT OF 10.

ILLEGAL COPIES of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith are now circulating on the Internet. This is piracy, pure and simple. One Dollar says they originated in CHINA.

And yes, I’m going to see the movie TODAY. Review to follow.

Well it’s finally here...Chapter 1 of IMPS - The Relentless. The sequel to TROOPS is well worth the 210 MB file size! It is, after all...The Best Damn Job In The Galaxy!

See it NOW. The Macker Commands It!

That’s right chum...Kelsey Grammer has been cast as The Beast in the upcoming movie, X3. Now THIS I want to see!
But it is too bad Paramount didn’t reprise his Star Trek role.