Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi takes a look at the great television theme songs that are SFFH (science fiction, fantasy, and horror). We have a special guest. Lee McCormack joins us. He was our guest for our 3-part "Galactic Rock" episodes from a few seasons ago. Troy and David and Lee each came up with their own top ten list of theme songs. We hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. And welcome to... Prisoners of Gravity: The Reunion. Five people joined Troy and David for this 35th anniversary show... Host / Co-Creator: Rick Green Producer / Co-Creator: Mark Askwith Producer / Director: Gregg Thurlbeck Associate Producer: Shirley Brady Most Frequent Guest: Robert J. Sawyer We hope you enjoy! BIOS = = = RICK GREEN People may know Rick Green from his days with The Frantics comedy troupe, and as ‘Bill’ on The Red Green Show, which he co-created. Rick also created History Bites. And, of course, he was ‘Commander Rick,’ host of Prisoners of Gravity. He is a member of the Order of Ontario and The Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian culture and mental health. Rick’s most recent work on his YouTube channel is, ‘Rick Has ADHD.’ = = = MARK ASKWITH Mark Askwith is a writer, interviewer, and Television Producer. After graduating from the University of Toronto, he worked at Coach House Press. From 1982-87 he managed Silver Snail Comics. He left to write comics, and to work on the award-winning documentary Comic Book Confidential. In 1989 he approached Daniel Richler, tv Ontario’s Head of Arts, and pitched a popular culture show, and Prisoners of Gravity was the result. In 1997 he became a Founding Producer of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction Channel. = = = GREGG THURLBECK Since retiring from TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin, back in 2019, Gregg Thurlbeck has focused on a range of interests including swim coaching and photography. Gregg was an exhibitor in the Contact Photography Festival and contributes to the international photography site, 52Frames.com. Gregg is also a coordinator with the Life Institute Photo Club, associated with Toronto Metropolitan University. Gregg coaches the Alderwood Masters, is the VP of Masters Swimming Ontario and was Meet Manager for the 2024 MSO Masters Provincials swim meet in Markham. = = = SHIRLEY BRADY Shirley Brady (Story Editor, Associate Producer, and NanCY!) joined Prisoners of Gravity (POG for short) in season one, with roles including book wrangling, bookcase building, research, booking guests, interviewing and sneaking puns into scripts. After POG’s untimely demise she moved to Hong Kong, working for Discovery Channel and TIME, and then continued her career as a writer / editor / producer in New York, where she still lives with her family. She adds: R.I.P. to Lorna Toolis and Sally Millar! = = = ROBERT J. SAWYER Robert J. Sawyer, a member of the Order of Canada, was the most-frequent guest on PRISONERS OF GRAVITY. He has won the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, all for best science-fiction novel of the year, as well as Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards, known as "Auroras," - He has more of these than anyone else in history. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name. His latest novel is THE DOWNLOADED. = = = = = PRAISE / COMMENTS (we have included the praise that David read during the taping, so those involved in PoG heard this and were very appreciative, but, due to time constraints, we were not able to include these in the audio for the podcast episode) Mike McKeever: I wish I remembered when I stumbled upon Prisoners but from that moment on I watched faithfully. Was already a fan of Rick from the earliest days of the Frantics on CBC radio. I learned so much about all the topics and genres discussed. Congrats and looking forward to listening when the pod drops Bob Milne: OMG, so many memories! I used to watch that on the old b&w TV in my room, picking up TVO from UHF. Seeing him again years later on Red Green took me right back. Happy 35th, Rick & Nan-Cy! Rob McLennan: that was such a great show Lloyd Penney: I was interviewed about Star Trek clubs in the first season…our best to Commander Rick and Mark and Gregg and Shirley, and to all who worked on that great show. I think it needs to be revived. Shirley Meier: I loved the interviews done on war and peace. I was talking about bad human designs (Why Things Still Don't Work) and said you want to give monkey the button? Cut to Jerry Pournelle talking about his fave new weapons system. Carol Robinson: I remember having the "So Long Earth" postcard. I have moved a couple of times so I don't know exactly where it is, but I don't throw away precious things… (I am now picturing the final (warehouse) scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark… ) David Simmons: Amazing show, the interview lineup was unbelievable Nancy Baker: One of my favorite shows. It introduced us to so many great writers and creators over the years. Patrick James Asselin: I’ve been calling Prisoners of Gravity a proto-podcast for years! Larry Hancock: A lot of on screen graphics for the first season came from my collections. I was living in an apartment just a couple blocks away from TVO and they borrowed a lot of items for images. Ira Nayman: This is a fantastic idea. I hope it goes very well! Cally Specht: Oh how cool Andre Lieven: Back when he was doing Harlan Ellison's Watching for the SciFi Channel in the US, Harlan also expressed his appreciation of PoG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQvLevjVX50 Matthew Cimone: This show shaped so much of my career and career aspirations! Just left a big emotional message already on Robert's wall about this but suffice it so say, I will definitely be keeping an ear out for this episode! Thank you all.

Our Valentine's Day Special looks at love in the Stephen King Universe. We have our guests from our Halloween Special, the two who run SK Tours (Stephen King Tours), Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar. This is a 2-part episode. PT1 will be broadcast on Saturday, Feb 10, 2024. PT2 will be broadcast on Saturday, Mar 09, 2024. In between, on Feb 24, will be our Black Superheroes episode with special guest Wayne Brown. When it comes to love in the Stephen King Universe, there are all kinds of love. First loves. The love of family. Unrequited love. Adolescent love. Love in the apocalypse. The love of a parent for their child. The love of a fan for her favorite writer. Troy and David and Jennifer and Jamie go through the books, look at the different kinds of love that exist. We ask Jennifer and Jamie to talk about their first speculative genre memory, the first genre thing they fell in love with, and their all time faves. We ask them what their first experience of love in the King universe. Who would have made the best prom king and queen in the novels of Stephen King? Who were your favorite couples? = = = Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

TOF tackles the subject of religion, how it relates to genre, mostly movies and TV, mostly a Christian perspective. Religion is such a large topic, that it is hard to do it justice in one episode. We only have time to cover a few things. Jerome Stueart joins Troy and David for the episode. As a first time guest, we ask Jerome his first experiences with the speculative genre, and what he fell in love with. David also asks him what was the first genre thing he fell in love with. And Troy asks Jerome what his all-time faves are, in the 6 categories we ask now, which are: Favorite genre author, novel, shorter work, movie, TV show, TV episode. Troy does a short introduction of religion. Some of the things covered: The Chronicles of Narnia The Exorcist Deep Space 9 Mazes and Monsters Children of Men 5th Element Dogma Field of Dreams The bible as fantasy novel Contact The Book of Job God Game The Matrix Signs Carl Jung's Synchronicity Battle Star Galactica (BSG) This is our holiday episode, and part of what is also discussed, the idea of faith and religion as vehicles of hope, compassion. social justice, and caring for the poor. That loving each other is the message. And, how religion and fantasy work so well together. How faith may give you reasons to be compassionate. The question of what if, why is this happening, closure, grief, meaning, and purpose. TOF will hopefully return to the topic of religion, do a deeper dive, and cover other creation myths, the darker side of religion (covered briefly in this episode), Disc World, A Canticle for Leibowitz, the Sparrow, The Handmaid's Tale, and much more. = = = Jerome Stueart is a gay writer and artist whose writing has appeared in F&SF, Fantasy, Tor.com, Geist, Strange Horizons, On Spec, and several Tesseracts anthologies. In 2020 he was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award in Short Fiction. His work is often found at the intersection of science fiction, fantasy, and faith.  As co-editor of the 2015 anthology Wrestling with Gods (Tesseracts 18), he asked others to explore that same intersection. Stueart lived for nearly a decade in the Yukon, but now lives, writes, and paints in Dayton, Ohio, as well as working in a café bakery.

Dr. Strangelove is the granddaddy of all satirical movies. A great cast contributes to the story of a bomber crew being ordered to drop the bomb on the Russians. The order did not come from the President. It came from Jack D. Ripper, the commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, who exceeded his authority. He also seems to be overly concerned with bodily fluids, his essence, and fluoridation. Peter Sellers leads a great cast. He plays three roles: Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake; President Merkin Muffley; and, Dr. Strangelove. He is wonderful in each one. Troy Harkin and David Clink, the "Two Old Farts," are joined by Ira Nayman, whom Troy and David refer to as The Third Fart. Ira is the only guest who has appeared in all five season. Ira is the second guest to have appeared in five episodes, joining Bev Vincent as part of "The Farty Five" or a proud member of "The Fart-Timer's Club." When it comes to Dream Casting, and the Schrodinger's Cast, Ira Troy and David try to recast Peter Sellers, with the best possible alternative (Dream Cast) and an unusual, outside the box choice (Schrödinger's Cast). Character(s) Original Star Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake President Merkin Muffley Dr. Strangelove Peter Sellers Ira Nayman writes humour under the name, Ira Nayman. The Ugly Truth, his 8th novel with Elsewhen Press, was published in June, 2022. His two dozenth published short story, “Girls Rule the Steampunk World” appeared in Brave New Girls: Chronicles of Misses and Machines. In September, 2022, Ira celebrated the 20th anniversary of the weekly publication of Les Pages aux Folles, his web site of political and social satire. Ira was our guest for four previous episodes: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Mystery Men Twiddle Twaddle

This is the second of two parts that look at Superman in the movies. Troy and David look at the movies, from the George Reeves Mole Men to Zach Snyder's Justice League. Troy and David also do their DREAM CAST and SCHRODINGER'S CAST for Superman - the 1978 film, looking at these 6 roles: Character(s) Original Star(s) Superman / Clark Kent Christopher Reeve Lois Lane Margot Kidder Ma & Pa Kent Phyllis Thaxter & Glenn Ford Jimmy Olsen Marc McClure Lex Luthor Gene Hackman General Zod Terence Stamp

This is the first of two parts that look at Superman in the movies. Troy and David look at the movies, from the George Reeves Mole Men to Zach Snyder's Justice League.

Did you ever want to visit the sites in Stephen King novels? King set a number of his novels and short stories in the fictional town of Derry. Many feel that Derry is, in actuality, Bangor Maine, where Stephen has lived most of his life. Stephen King also believes that. Troy Harkin and his wife Christie went on the SK-Tours in October of 2022. TOF welcomes the couple that run the tour, to talk about it. Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

Welcome to the first episode of season 5 of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi! And what better character to launch a new season than a look at Superman? Troy and David look at Superman, from its beginning, the comics, graphic novels, the radio show, the various TV series, and some of the merchandise. Do you remember, as a child, running around the yard in a towel / Superman cape? And how about the Commander Tom Show, where they played episodes of the old George Reeves Adventures of Superman? Troy and David talk about Superman's nicknames, his pets. They also talk about the number of comics Superman appeared in, and the villains he faced. Who is your favorite Supervillain that Superman faced? Lex Luthor? Bizarro? Troy and David reveal their fave villains. Troy does his history of Superman, not to be missed. He also recommends some graphic novels that should not be missed. This is pt.1 of a 2-part episode. The second part (scheduled to be broadcast in four weeks, on Saturday, Nov 4, 2023), will look at the movies. In between, on Saturday, Oct 21, there will be an episode on the Stephen King Tour, a fitting October episode. This episode, pt. 1 of Superman, is being broadcast on Saturday, October 07, 2023.

Troy and David continue their discussion on sports and games in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. This is PT.2 of a 2-part episode. This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, July 08, 2023.

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are replete with sports and games. Rollerball and Death Race 2000; The Running Man and Field of Dreams; The Hunger Games and Ready Player One; games of chance, sports, and competitions have been a part of the genre landscape for many years. Harry Potter had Quidditch, and the Triwizard Tournament. Troy and David have created a two-part episode, The Spec Sports Spectacular, where they look at appearances of games and sports in speculative film, TV, and books. Remember the number of times that poker appeared in Star Trek? Is that not the final scene in the TNG series, Captain Picard finally joining the poker game that his senior officers play? And who can forget the games played on the Battlestar Galactica? This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. This is our second episode of Season 6. This season is "Two Old Farts Meet the Glass Teat" The late great Harlan Ellison wrote a series of essays about TV for the LA Free Press. He referred to TV as a "Glass Teat." This is our all-TV season. We will look at shows from the 60s, through the 80s and beyond. The shows and the showrunners. PT 1 of Irwin Allen looked primarily at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and, Lost in Space PT 2 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at The Time Tunnel, and, Land of the Giants Troy presents a history of Irwin Allen, and the second two series we are looking at. Here are some of the things that appear in most Irwin Allen TV shows. These are his trademark elements that Troy mentions: On set explosions On set smoke and fires Actors throwing themselves to-and-fro to simulate turbulence and/or being under attack. Being lost or stranded Cool vehicles Female hotties Child actors Animal companions Nefarious villains Walking vegetables Use of stock footage Great merchandise And a similar design look / opening credits The Time Tunnel only lasted one season, 30 - episodes. How it all ends... Troy and David come up with their own versions of how the Land of the Giants ended.. A lot of series, back in the day, never had an opportunity to plan their end. MASH was able to, and FRIENDS and SEINFELD and BIG BANG THEORY. What did happen to the crew of the Spindrift, according to Troy and David? Listen and find out.

The Thing PT. 2 Troy and David return with Carolyn Clink and Sandra Kasturi, to look at The Thing. First and foremost, the 1982 film, but also the 1951 film, and the 2011 film. They also do a Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast, of six of the main characters in the 1982 movie. Character Original Star MacReady Kurt Russell Dr. Blair Wilford Brimley Nauls T.K. Carter Palmer David Clennon Childs Keith David Dr. Copper Richard Dysart They choose another actor or actress to fill the role, one the best actor (living or dead) which is the Dream Cast, and one unusual choice, for the Schrodinger's Cast. This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, June 10, 2023. = = = Carolyn Clink is a poet living in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. She won the Aurora Award for Best Poem/Song in 2022 for “Cat People Café” and in 2011 for “The ABCs of the End of the World.” Her genre poetry publications include: Weird Tales, Analog, Imaginarium 2012: the Best Canadian Speculative Writing, Polar Starlight, Polar Borealis, On-Spec, Tesseracts, Frost Zone Zine, Eye to the Telescope, Tales of the Unanticipated, Room, and all 5 volumes of Northern Frights. = = = Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin. Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

John Carpenter's The Thing. 1982 saw a plethora of great genre films, and this one got lost in the mix. How exactly do you compete with Blade Runner; E.T.: The Extraterrestrial; Tron; and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? It did not do well at the box office. It had some poor reviews, most notably from Roger Ebert, who said, "...this material has been done before, and better..." There have been a few films that took audiences and critics years, if not decades, to warm to, and this is one of them. It is now considered a classic of the genre, and often appears in top ten lists. It is favorably mentioned alongside Blade Runner and Alien. Its makeup effects, which at first was off-putting to some audiences and critics, were ahead of their time, and still stand up today. This is Part 1 of a 2-Part episode. Troy Harkin and David Clink, the Two Old Farts of this podcast, will look at the 1982 film in detail, but will also look at the 1951 film, and the 2011 prequel. There may be some discussion on the story, Who Goes There, by John W. Campbell (who has recently been cancelled), which the movies are based on. In the case of the Howard Hawks film, a much looser adaptation, whereas the John Carpenter film, starring Kurt Russell, was a much closer version. About John W. Campbell being cancelled, here is an excerpt from an article titled: John W. Campbell Award Is Renamed After Winner Criticizes Him, published in The New York Times, August 28, 2019, and updated on Sept 1, 2019, written by Peter Libbey: The decision to remove Campbell’s name from the award came after this year’s winner, Jeannette Ng, criticized him in her acceptance speech. “He is responsible for setting a tone for science fiction that haunts this genre to this very day,” she said. “Stale, sterile, male, white, exalting in the ambitions of imperialists, colonialists, settlers and industrialists.” Click on this image to take you to the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/books/john-w-campbell-award-jeannette-ng.html This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Troy and David are joined by two guests. Please see their bios and author photos below. Carolyn Clink is David's sister, and this is her first time being a guest on the TOF podcast. She lists the 1982 film, The Thing, as her favourite all-time genre movie. Being a first-time guest, Troy and David ask her about her early genre memories, and what her all-time genre faves are. Sandra Kasturi makes her third appearance as a guest. Sandra first appeared on the Season 1 episode 13 and 14 on Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (September 2021). She next guested on Season 3 episode 2 and 3 on Folk Horror (July 2022?), which took a careful look at The Wicker Man and MidSommar. Sandra joins Bev Vincent and Ira Nayman as guests who have appeared on three different topics. = = = Carolyn Clink is a poet living in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. She won the Aurora Award for Best Poem/Song in 2022 for “Cat People Café” and in 2011 for “The ABCs of the End of the World.” Her genre poetry publications include: Weird Tales, Analog, Imaginarium 2012: the Best Canadian Speculative Writing, Polar Starlight, Polar Borealis, On-Spec, Tesseracts, Frost Zone Zine, Eye to the Telescope, Tales of the Unanticipated, Room, and all 5 volumes of Northern Frights. = = = Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin. Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 - 1964. Hosted by Rod Serling Rod also wrote most of the episodes. This is part 2 of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi's look at the Twilight Zone. This episode looks at (as Troy Harkin says): Rod Serling after The Twilight Zone, and... The Twilight Zone after Rod Serling. There were a few Twilight Zone series since the original. There was also a Twilight Zone movie. Tom Elliott, the host of The Twilight Zone Podcast, is the special guest. He was also the special guest for part 1. Tom and David and Troy talk about The Twilight Zone in the later decades. Tom and David and Troy do the Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast, choosing one character from the original series, and choosing another actor or actress to fill the role, one the best actor (living or dead) which is the Dream Cast, and one unusual choice, for the Schrodinger's Cast. They also talk about Night Gallery, and The Planet of the Apes. And Troy asks Tom about the SerlingFest Convention. This episode is not being broadcast on Saturday, June 10, 2023, as David says in the episode. It is being broadcast on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Tom Elliot began The Twilight Zone Podcast in 2010 intending to record short ten-minute stream of consciousness thoughts after each episode viewing. As the production quality of each episode increased, so did the diversity of show content. As well as episode reviews, the podcast grew to include short story readings, book reviews, event coverage and interviews. Guests such as Anne Serling (daughter of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling), Earl Holliman (the first actor to ever appear in The Twilight Zone) plus many others have all graced the airwaves of The Twilight Zone Podcast. The Twilight Zone Podcast has become the definitive and longest running podcast about the landmark show on the web. Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon! 2of-S04-E10-The-Twilight-Zone-PT2-FINAL-EDIT-1Download

This is our look at The Twilight Zone. Troy and David have a special guest for this 2-part episode. Tom Elliott. Please see his bio below. The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 - 1964. Hosted by Rod Serling. Rod also wrote most of the episodes. Many have listed it as their inspiration to work in the speculative genre field. Mel Brooks, a lifelong fan, wrote an entry for the book Everything I Need To Know I Learned From The Twilight Zone. In it, he said, "Every time I watched The Twilight Zone, I was completely ready to surrender to it." You know when you have an iconic series when there are so many parodies and homages. The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror had a parody of the episode "To Serve Man" that is fantastic. Saturday Night Live parodied Nightmare at 20,000 feet, and Eye of the Beholder. Troy and David have a special guest for this 2-part episode. Tom Elliott. Please see his bio below. David asks Tom about his early genre loves and all-time faves, before getting into discussion on The Twilight Zone. Troy gives a history of The Twilight Zone. And we look at the five seasons, highlighting specific episodes that stood out. Tom Elliott BIO: Tom Elliot began The Twilight Zone Podcast in 2010 intending to record short ten-minute stream of consciousness thoughts after each episode viewing. As the production quality of each episode increased, so did the diversity of show content. As well as episode reviews, the podcast grew to include short story readings, book reviews, event coverage and interviews. Guests such as Anne Serling (daughter of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling), Earl Holliman (the first actor to ever appear in The Twilight Zone) plus many others have all graced the airwaves of The Twilight Zone Podcast. The Twilight Zone Podcast has become the definitive and longest running podcast about the landmark show on the web.

Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi celebrates their 50th episode in style. A live show, recorded on April 10, 2023. The Theme - TIME TRAVEL! We had a number of people attend, and there was a time travel quiz, on movies from 1970 - 2023. Troy plays an acoustic version of the theme. Listener mail. A Beatle-ism. And a Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast of people that could have played Troy and David. Who else could of (or should have) been the hosts of this podcast?

Was Twiddle Twaddle the greatest science fiction series of all time? Was it better than ST:TNG? Star Trek Classic? Doctor Who? the Prisoner? BSG? Buffy? Many think so. Was it called Devon's Lair in Britain? David Clink (one-half of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi) moderated a panel about the show, back on November 5th, 2022. The guests were Adrienne Kress (the fourth fart?) and Ira Nayman (affectionately known as "The Third Fart"). This episode is a recording of that panel. The panel was held at Astronomicon, in Rochester, New York, run by super fan Wayne Brown. Adrienne is a huge Twiddle Twaddler! She fell in love with the show watching it in reruns as a kid on Saturday mornings, and it's still her favourite comfort show to return to time and time again. She also loves to cosplay Furious Francesca (maybe not the best Twiddle Twaddle medic, but surely the most entertaining!)! Ira Nayman wears a pony tail as an homage to Tony, the cross-eyed mailman, who was a regular in season five of Twiddle Twaddle. Fans of the show will know that his character, like all of them, were killed off at the end of the season because the new show-runner wanted to take the series in a different, more science fictiony direction. Heartbroken, Ira never fully recovered = = = Adrienne Kress is an award winning and internationally published author, actor and screenwriter based in Toronto, Canada. Her most recent novels include The Explorers adventure trilogy and the horror novels Dreams Comes To Life, The Illusion of Living, The Lost Ones and the upcoming Fade to Black based in the world of the Bendy and the Ink Machine video game. Her first graphic novel, Ghost Circus, illustrated by the amazing Jade Zhang, will be out in 2025! Ira Nayman is the published author of eight novels, 25 short stories and 14 collections of Alternate Reality News Service ("When we break the news, it stays broken!"). He was also the editor of Amazing Stories magazine for three years. His dream is to build a time machine so he can go back to 1979 and be a member of the writers' room for Twiddle Twaddle.

Troy and David talk about the Batman movie from 1966. In March of 1966, a decision was made to make a feature film of the TV show. An all-star set of baddies, called The United Underworld, decide to de-hydrate some of the leaders of the free world, and extort the nations of the world to have their leaders returned. July 30, 1966, released in theatres. July 4, 1971, premiered on TV. The Penguin's submarine. The Penguin as ringmaster. Burt Ward doing most of his own stunts in the film. Bruce Wayne falls hard for Miss Kitka. Troy and David look at the two iconic, classic scenes in the movie. 1] The scene where a shark takes a bite out of Batman's leg. 2] Batman trying to get rid of a bomb. All of this in a universe where everything is labelled. The famous Dutch angles (when the camera is not level), when you are in the lair of a criminal. Maybe because they are crooked? "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb." A bomb with the longest fuse in history. Troy and David also do their Dream Casting and Schrödinger's Cast, looking at six roles: Batman [Adam West] Robin [Burt Ward] The Riddler [Frank Gorshin] The Joker [Cesar Romero] The Penguin [Burgess Meredith] Catwoman [Lee Merriwether]

Troy and David continue to look at the Batman TV series from the 1960s. They look a the theme song, and the parody. Here is a link to an article about the parody: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/the-jokers-still-getting-away-celebrating-50-years-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells-233532830.html Here is the 5th verse: Jingle bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker got away Jingle bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker got away Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Kamakazi / Nick Gagnon The refrain is sung by Mark Hamill, in an animated episode. Troy and David look at specific episodes that stand out... = = = = = S1, Ep1 = Hi Diddle Riddle S1, Ep2 = Smack in the Middle This episode has Jill St. John disguised as Robin. Robin's sick burn. How there was not origin story for the first episode. We are introduced to many elements that run through the series... The red phone The bust of Shakespeare The bat poles The batmobile The Dutch angles The henchman The cliffhanger = = = = = S1, Ep19 = The Purr-fect Crime S1, Ep20 = Better Luck Next Time First episode of Catwoman. The Batman and Robin relationship echoes a father son's relationship. There are night scenes in this "Evil is as evil does" episode. = = = = = S1, Ep27 = The Curse of Tut S1, Ep28 = The Pharaoh's in a Rut Victor Buono is King Tut. First King Tut. Great cliffhanger. = = = = = S2, Ep17 = Hizzonner the Penguin S2, Ep18 = Dizzoner the Penguin The Penguin. runs for mayor. Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, may be the best of all the actors who have played the role. Batman wants to run a campaign on the issues. = = = And more...

Batman from 1966. Troy and David look at the series in a 3-part episode. The first two episodes look at the TV series, and the third episode looks at the movie This is part 1. The series starred Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin. other regulars in the series were: Alan Napier as Alfred Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon Stafford Repp as Chief O'Hara Madge Blake as Harriet Cooper Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl There were villains, most of whom were played by actors and actresses that people knew at the time, all were celebrities, to some extent. Here is a list of some (not all) of those super villains: SUPER VILLAINS Cesar Romero as The Joker Burgess Meredith as The Penguin Frank Gorshin (Seasons 1–3) as The Riddler John Astin (Season 2) as The Riddler Lee Meriwether (Movie) as The Catwoman Julie Newmar (Seasons 1–2) as The Catwoman Eartha Kitt (Season 3) as The Catwoman Victor Buono as Professor William McElroy/King Tut George Sanders (Season 1) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze Otto Preminger (season 2) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze Eli Wallach (Season 2) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze David Wayne as Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter Vincent Price as Egghead Carolyn Jones as Marsha, Queen of Diamonds Cliff Robertson as Shame Anne Baxter as Olga, Queen of the Cossacks Milton Berle as Louie the Lilac BATCLIMB WINDOW CAMEOS Please go to this web site for more information… https://www.vintag.es/2019/01/batman-window-cameos.html

1. 1. Jerry Lewis – Appeared in “The Bookworm Turns” (April 20, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Dick Clark – Appeared in “Shoot a Crooked Arrow” (September 7, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Van Williams and Bruce Lee as Green Hornet and Kato – Appeared in “The Spell of Tut” (September 28, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Sammy Davis Jr. – Appeared in “The Clock King’s Crazy Crimes” (October 12, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Bill Dana as José Jiménez – Appeared in “The Yegg Foes in Gotham” (October 20, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Howard Duff as Sam Stone – Appeared in “The Impractical Joker” (November 16, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Werner Klemperer as Colonel Klink – Appeared in “It’s How You Play the Game” (December 1, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Ted Cassidy as Lurch – Appeared in “The Penguin's Nest” (December 7, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Don Ho – Appeared in “The Bat’s Kow Tow” (December 15, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Andy Devine as Santa Claus – Appeared in “The Duo is Slumming” (December 22, 1966)
   
   

1. 1. Art Linkletter – Appeared in “Catwoman Goes to College” (February 22, 1967)
   
   

1. 1. Edward G. Robinson – Appeared in “Batman’s Satisfaction” (March 2, 1967)
   
   

1. 1. Suzy Knickerbocker (pen name of Aileen Mehle) – Appeared in “King Tut’s Coup” (March 8, 1967)
   
   

1. 1. Cyril Lord as the Carpet King – Appeared in “Ice Spy” (March 29, 1967)
   
   

Whether it is True Blood's Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, or Game of Thrones' Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie, there have been a number of genre productions, whether it is a TV series or a TV episode, or a movie, where love blossomed between actors on the set. There are also genre productions, like A Quiet Place, where married couples (in this case, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski) worked together. John Carpenter and Adrienne Barbeau worked together, as well. Here are a few (some already mentioned). Green Lantern (Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively) I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.) Once Upon a Time (Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas) Fantastic Four (Jessica Alba and Cash Warren) The series Game of Thrones had a number of LGBTQ+ characters, and was not shy in portraying these relationships. Love knows no bounds. Troy and David do not cover these aspects as much in this episode, but will in a future episode. Troy and David will look at love on the set, for their St. Valentine's Day special. This is just a brief overview, and they will hopefully return to the subject down the road. Highlights of the episode include: a) The moment that Captain Kirk professed his one true love, the starship Enterprise. b) Troy asks David which actress was his favourite Cat Woman of the 7 actresses that have been in the role in feature length films. c) Was there a dalliance between Adam West and Julie Newmar back in the 1960s? d) If time travel were a thing, would you go back in time to find the first appearance of Superman, in Action Comics, and collect 100 pristine copies? e) Troy reminiscing about being in a music video, Dream Girl, by the group FM, back in 1987, when he was 22, where he played a roadie, wearing a hat and tripping over ladders. Look for a link to the video on the web site (2of.ca). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSNsLkbYI9k f) The advantages of working on set with someone you are in love with. g) Majel Barrett and Gene Roddenberry. h) Did something go on between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, while shooting Star Wars? And what of that love triangle, which had two of the three points in the triangle a brother and a sister? i) The love triangle between the characters in Buck Rogers (Buck Rogers, Wilma Deering and Princess Ardala). j) Unrequited love, like in Lady Hawk, Beauty and the Beast, Firefly, Star Trek TNG; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Vision and Wanda; Iron Man and Pepper Potts; Spiderman; The Hulk. k) The loves of Superman and Clark Kent, in the series Superman & Lois; Smallville; and, Lois & Clark. l) The ten most romantic science fiction movies, according to Ranker, is discussed by Troy and David. m) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Outlander are briefly discussed. n) the dynamics of relationships in the reboot to Battlestar Galactica (Adama and President Roslin, Starbuck and Apollo, Baltar and no. 6, among others). o) Troy and David look at the ten most epic love stories in all science fiction (a list from the Internet that they relate and comment on). p) from the comic books, Troy mentions The Swamp Thing (Alec Holland and Abigail Arcane) a great but tragic love story.

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. This is our first first episode of Season 6. This season is "Two Old Farts Meet the Glass Teat" The late great Harlan Ellison wrote a series of essays about TV for the LA Free Press. He referred to TV as a "Glass Teat." This is our all-TV season. We will look at shows from the 60s, through the 80s and beyond. The shows and the showrunners. PT 1 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and, Lost in Space PT 2 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at The Time Tunnel, and, Land of the Giants Troy presents a history of Irwin Allen, and the first two series we are looking at. Some beautiful ships in the first two series. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea became a monster-of-the-week. Including a werewolf and a mummy episode. With Lost and Space. it aired from 1965-1968. It aired during family hour. It never finished in the top 25 in the years that it ran. Great themes for the shows, as well. How it all ends... Troy and David come up with their own versions of how Lost & Space ended.. A lot of series, back in the day, never had an opportunity to plan their end. MASH was able to, and FRIENDS and SEINFELD and BIG BANG THEORY. What did happen to the crew of the Jupiter 2, according to Troy and David? Listen and find out.

Doctor Who may be the greatest sci-fi adventure of all time. The show focusses on a timelord from the planet Gallifree. The main character is Doctor Who, and is often referred to as, "The Doctor." The doctor goes through regenerations, where he or she can come back as someone else. He or she travels in a machine, called the Tardis, that can travel through space and time. Doctor Who was first launched in 1963, and is looking forward to a 60th anniversary special in 2023. It began as something of a show for children, but became much more than that. Consider for a moment all the science fiction and fantasy and horror shows that have come and gone in the last 60 years. The only shows that can compete are Star Trek and Star Wars. One may also consider the James Bond films, that began in 1962 with Dr. No, and continues today, as another series that has longevity. And the change in actors during the various Bond films, and the British sense, makes one think of Dr. Who. And Bond, like Dr. Who, was an expert on many things. One can also think of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as characters that have stood the test of time. The connection here, beyond the British one, is that Watson is the character that humanizes Holmes, and is a lens, the connection we have to Holmes is through Watson, and the same can be said for the various companions that have assisted the various Doctors through the years. Doctor Who has made it into lore, where there are iconic images associated with it, that many recognize, even if you are not a Whovian. Many know that the machine the Doctor travels in is a blue police box, that is larger on the inside. The TARDIS (short for, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space) is iconic. You do not have to watch Doctor Who to be aware of it. One of the Doctor's adversaries, The Dalek, are also iconic. There is a wonderful moment in Mr. Bean's Christmas, where Mr. Bean has a small toy Dalek, and puts it in a manger scene. Doctor Who had a great run, which ended with Silvester McCoy, and there was a gap, perhaps about 8 years or so, before Doctor Who came back as a TV movie starring Paul McGann. Then there was another long break, of about 8 or 9 years, and then the series was rebooted in 2005, starring Christopher Eccleston, and has basically been going non-stop ever since, with small breaks between seasons, and sometimes breaks between new Doctors. The first episode of the reboot, with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, was the most watched Dr. Who episode of all time. At one point Dr. Who had an annual Christmas episode, which was something many looked forward to. Troy and David will do their Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast. The Dream Cast is where they take the best actors/actresses of all time, either living or dead, to play the roles. The Schrödinger's Cast takes the same six roles, but has very unusual casting to fill the roles. Here are the six roles they look at, and the actors that first portrayed them. Character Original Star Dr. Who William Hartnell Companion granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford); Susan's schoolteachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) The Brigadier [Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart] Nicholas Courtney The Master Roger Delgado Davros Michael Wisher Cyberman Roy Skelton, Peter Hawkins – Cybermen Voices Harry Brooks, Reg Whitehead, Gregg Palmer – Cybermen

A Christmas Carol is the Dickens novella classic that has been adapted to big screen and small screen and the stage, and has been referenced / parodied countless times. The Muppets even did a special based on the novel. And, don't forget Scrooge McDuck! Many consider the 1951 film version starring Alistair Sim as the best representation of the tale. Here are some basics: The published title was: "A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas" Ghost stories told around Christmastime were fairly common at the time, and popular. The story was a novella (not a novel). It was first published in 1843. There were a number of printings, all selling out. Dickens read the story to audiences over a hundred times at readings. The basic story centers around a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, in succession. The three spirits represent stages in Scrooge's life. The Spirit of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to earlier, seminal moments in his life, a time when he was happy, but also to a time where he lost that faith and the light he had. The Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to things that are going on currently that he is not aware of - how other people live, and how they feel about him. The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come takes Scrooge to a time where he has passed on, and again, how others feel about him, how he is treated (in death), and also what may happen to Tiny Tim, if Scrooge does not change his ways. The novella begins with a great first line: "Marley was dead." It is considered one of the great opening lines in literature. It brings one immediately into the story. There have been many versions of the story, and one that both David and Troy recommend, beyond the 1951 film, is the 2009 animated version, starring Jim Carrey. Scrooged, starring Bill Murray, has a fantastic opening, and is well worth watching, just for that. Look for cameos from Lee Majors; John Houseman; James Farr; and Mary Lou Retton. Troy and David rate some of the films, and do their Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast. The Dream Cast is where they take the best actors/actresses of all time, either living or dead, to play the roles. The Schrödinger's Cast takes the same six roles, but has very unusual casting to fill the roles. Here are the roles they look at, and the actors that portrayed them in the 1951 film. Character Original Star Ebenezer Scrooge Alistair Sim Bob Cratchit Mervyn Johns Tiny Tim Glyn Dearman Spirit of Christmas Past Michael Dolan Spirit of Christmas Present Francis De Wolff (as Francis de Wolff) Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come Czeslaw Konarski (as C. Konarski) Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon! 2of-S04-E01-A-Christmas-Carol-FINAL-EDIT-1Download

TOF will return in December 2022 Troy and David will be taking a much needed break, and will work in 2-month breaks between seasons down the road. Their last show was the last episode of season 3, their Top Ten Horror films, dropped on Oct 29, 2022. At the moment the plan is to return on December 24, 2022, season 4 episode 1, to look at "A Christmas Carol." The season would end in June 2023, and season 5 would begin in September 2023. Troy and David appreciate the support of our one listener, Ted from Lindsay, and hope to double our listenership in 2023. For those Canadian fans that vote for the Aurora Awards, the podcast can be nominated in the Related category. We missed the final ballot by one vote in 2022 (for the work done in 2021), and hope that it can make the final ballot in 2023 (for our 2022 episodes). Please join our Facebook page, if you have not done so already. https://www.facebook.com/groups/162942472433479

Troy and David come up with an agreed upon list, what they think, collectively, are the top ten horror films of all time. They will also go into what did not make the list. On their previous lists, for top SF films and top fantasy films, they had their own top ten lists, and compared them. This time, this is one list. There have been a lot of great horror films over the years, so it is difficult to come up with a list - this is very subjective. Early horror classics are notably missing. Movies from the last 10-20 years did not make the list. Movies from outside the US, Canada, and the UK did not make the list. Troy is a fan of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and that did not make it. David is a fan of the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and that did not make it. South Korea and Japan are notable for having had a number of great horror films. There are two Japanese films that have become classics of the genre, and were remade. The remakes were very good on their own, but do not, in our humble opinion, reach the greatness of the originals. Ringu (Japan 1998) = 7.2 IMDB rating The Ring (US - 2002) = 7.1 IMDB rating Ju-On: The Grudge (Japan 2002) = 6.7 IMDB rating The Grudge (US - 2004) = 5.9 IMDB rating When it comes to South Korea, the top five South Korean horror movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes, are: [https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-korean-horror-movies/] #5 = GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM (2018) 91% #4 = THE HOST (2006) 93% #3 = TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) 94% #2 = THE WAILING (2016) 99% #1 = SEOUL STATION (2016) 100% Troy and David will do a deep dive on international horror films in a future podcast episode. There are horror films that have been produced in almost every continent, in many countries throughout the world, and these should be looked at in more detail, on another show. The LA Film School has a list of the ten subgenres within horror: = = = 10 SUBGENRES OF HORROR FILMS EXPLAINED https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/subgenres-of-horror-films-explained/ = = = Demonic Possession (The Exorcist) Paranormal (Paranormal Activity) Monster (Frankenstein) Slasher (Halloween) Zombie (Night of the Living Dead) Gore / Splatter (The Evil Dead) Witchcraft (The Witch) Vampire (Interview with a Vampire) Psychological (The Shining) Comedic (Shaun of the Dead) With just 10 films in Troy and David's top ten, some of these categories may have more than one entry in the final list, and some will be missing entirely. This is the last episode of season 3, and we quickly review the season, at the end of the episode. We look forward to season 4, after a short break, and the first episode should be available on Saturday, December 24, 2022.

We are celebrating the 75th birthday of Stephen King with Bev Vincent’s wonderful new book from Epic Ink, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Our three part series splits up Bev's six chapters, so we will look at two chapters in each episode. = = = PT 1 covers 1950 - 1979: CHAPTER 1: The Future Artist as a Young Man (1950-1969) CHAPTER 2: The Doubleday Years (1970s) = = = PT 2 covers 1980 - 1999: CHAPTER 3: Midas Touch (1980s) CHAPTER 4: Experimentation and Change (1990s) = = = PT 3 covers 2000 - 2022: CHAPTER 5: After the Accident (2000s) CHAPTER 6: King of Crime (2010 and beyond) = = = Bev Vincent Bev Vincent's latest work is: Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Bev is also the author of The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, and the Stephen King Illustrated Companion. In 2018 he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King. He is the author of the Ogilvie Affair and co-author of Dissonant Harmonies. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. With this appearance Bev joins the Three Timers Club, if you will. The Hat Trick Union. Bev was our season one, episode seven podcast guest on: The Dead Zone; and our season two, episode four podcast on: On Writing.

We are celebrating the 75th birthday of Stephen King with Bev Vincent’s wonderful new book from Epic Ink, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Our three part series splits up Bev's six chapters, so we will look at two chapters in each episode. = = = PT 1 covers 1950 - 1979: CHAPTER 1: The Future Artist as a Young Man (1950-1969) CHAPTER 2: The Doubleday Years (1970s) = = = PT 2 covers 1980 - 1999: CHAPTER 3: Midas Touch (1980s) CHAPTER 4: Experimentation and Change (1990s) = = = PT 3 covers 2000 - 2022: CHAPTER 5: After the Accident (2000s) CHAPTER 6: King of Crime (2010 and beyond) = = = Bev Vincent Bev Vincent's latest work is: Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Bev is also the author of The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, and the Stephen King Illustrated Companion. In 2018 he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King. He is the author of the Ogilvie Affair and co-author of Dissonant Harmonies. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. With this appearance Bev joins the Three Timers Club, if you will. The Hat Trick Union. Bev was our season one, episode seven podcast guest on: The Dead Zone; and our season two, episode four podcast on: On Writing.

We are celebrating the 75th birthday of Stephen King with Bev Vincent’s wonderful new book from Epic Ink, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Our three part series splits up Bev's six chapters, so we will look at two chapters in each episode. = = = PT 1 covers 1950 - 1979: CHAPTER 1: The Future Artist as a Young Man (1950-1969) CHAPTER 2: The Doubleday Years (1970s) = = = PT 2 covers 1980 - 1999: CHAPTER 3: Midas Touch (1980s) CHAPTER 4: Experimentation and Change (1990s) = = = PT 3 covers 2000 - 2022: CHAPTER 5: After the Accident (2000s) CHAPTER 6: King of Crime (2010 and beyond) = = = Bev Vincent Bev Vincent's latest work is: Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Bev is also the author of The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, and the Stephen King Illustrated Companion. In 2018 he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King. He is the author of the Ogilvie Affair and co-author of Dissonant Harmonies. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. With this appearance Bev joins the Three Timers Club, if you will. The Hat Trick Union. Bev was our season one, episode seven podcast guest on: The Dead Zone; and our season two, episode four podcast on: On Writing.

Saturday morning cartoons were a staple back in the 60s thru the 90s. Remember Cecil and Beany? Scooby Doo? Spiderman? What were your favorites? Generally, the Saturday morning lineup was animated, and many were genre (science fiction, fantasy or horror). The Jetsons. Jonny Quest. Many remember fondly Spiderman and Rocket Robinhood, despite the poor-quality graphics, the backgrounds that were used and reused and reused. Star Trek had an animated series, that "bridged" (pardon the pun) the gap between the classic series from the 60s and the first motion picture in 1979. What were your favorites? The Flintstones? Top Cat? Masters of the Universe? Jem and the Holograms? Thundercats? Do you remember... Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle? Return to the Planet of the Apes? Speed Buggy? Jabberjaw? And do you remember some of the live action series... Shazam! (with animated sequences)? The Secret of Isis? Jason of Star Command? Join Troy Harkin and David Clink as they recall the many shows that comprised the Saturday mornings of our childhood. Maybe some of your faves will be mentioned!

Mystery Men was a film released in 1999. It is based on a comic book series (1939-1942), and more of a direct connection from a comic book series in the 1980s. For those who have seen the film, they either think it is a great film or a not-so great film. That phrase, "You either love it or you hate it" was never more applicable. The most notable character appearing in The Dark Horse comic "Mystery Men" created by Bob Burden that was not included in the movie was "The Flaming Carrot." So, why watch the 1999 movie? Because, you may be one of those that absolutely loves it. The main cast and supporting cast are terrific. Beyond the cast, there are moments of hilarity. If you are someone who likes the reviewing of Roger Ebert, he recognized its brilliance, but was also aware of its failings: “Mystery Men” has moments of brilliance waving their arms to attract attention in a sea of dreck. = Roger Ebert https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mystery-men-1999 Ira Nayman joins Troy and David as their special guest for this episode. Please see his bio below. Ira has made an appearance on TOF in each of its three seasons, and is affectionately known as "The Third Fart." ALSO: Troy and David and Ira will look at recasting the film, with a "Dream Cast" = the best actor or actress, living or dead, to play the roles; and a "Schrodinger's Cast" = unusual casting. Please note that David mentions three films that have won all four Oscars for Best Film; Best Director; Best Actor; and Best Actress, and he made a mistake. The three films that won all those awards are: It Happened One Night; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; and The Silence of the Lambs. David mistakenly put in "As Good As It Gets" instead of Cuckoo's Nest. His excuse: "We are all getting old." As Good As It Gets won both feature actor categories (Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt), but best film and best director were both won by Titanic. Ira Nayman AKA: The Third Fart Ira Nayman writes humour featuring a heavy dose of satire. The Ugly Truth, his 8th novel with Elsewhen Press, was published in June, 2022. His two dozenth published short story, “Girls Rule the Steampunk World” appeared in Brave New Girls: Chronicles of Misses and Machines. In September, 2022, Ira will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the weekly publication of Les Pages aux Folles, his web site of political and social satire. Ira was our guest for two previous episodes: season one, episode five podcast: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy season two, episode eleven podcast: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

Troy Harkin and David Clink (and Lee McCormack) look at Galactic Rock. This three-part series delves into Rock 'n' Roll that is "out there" and perhaps even "out of this world" including things that are science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their mashups and subgenres, and will delve into science and space, from the beginnings to present day. Were you a fan of... Space Oddity and Star Man (both by David Bowie) Monster Mash (by Bobby Pickett) Theme From The Munsters (by Jack Marshall) The Lonely Man Theme [often referred to as "The Hulk walking away music"] (by Joe Harnell) The Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley Listen in as we look at these songs and much more. Be sure to check out the entire series: pt. 1 (available beginning July 9, 2022) pt. 2 (available beginning July 23, 2022) pt. 3 (available beginning August 6, 2022) Troy and David's special guest for this series is Lee McCormack. Please see his bio below. ALSO: Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist: "Galactic Rock (TOF)" It includes every song that we mention in our three-part series and many more. It is ten hours long! Shuffle away! Lee McCormack is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and podcaster. As a musician he has played in Malhavoc. He’s headed up professional tributes to Johnny Cash, and The Clash. He has also played drums as Ringo in various Beatles tribute bands. In addition to this he’s recorded his own material at the legendary Sun Record studio in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2020 he released the single “Train to Heartbreak” backed with “Every Night’s A Saturday Night”. Lee has been the host and producer of Tramps Like Us, a Bruce Springsteen podcast, since 2016.

Spaceballs The Star Wars parody (with a bit of Star Trek and Lawrence of Arabia thrown in) may not be Mel Brooks' best film, or his funniest comedy, but it is a film that grows on you with each successive viewing. This episode is released in 2024 on Star Wars day, May the 4th, as in, May the 4th be with you. Dan Miwa joins Troy Harkin and David Clink. Dan, being a first-time guest, is asked about his earliest genre memories, and his first genre love. He is then asked the standard 6 questions for first-time guests: Fave Author; Fave Novel; Fave Shorter Work; Fave Movie; Fave TV Series; and, Fave TV episode. Troy presents a history of the film. Troy and David and Dan do their Dream Cast and their Schrödinger's Cast for the following 6 roles: Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) Barf (John Candy) Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) Dot Matrix (Joan Rivers) (voice) Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) Skroob / Yogurt (Mel Brooks) = = = Dan Miwa Dan Miwa, lover of all things science fiction and psychological fiction, merged his two favourite genres into his novel "Ret". The story takes place on a distant planet, within an alien civilization and follows the life of a little alien through a journey of self transformation. Much of the charm in Ret is how a story with a wild imaginative alien setting can be so relatable at its core. Ret is not only a powerful coming of age story, it's a depiction of human life that holds a mirror to the social challenges we face as a society today. Ret reached #1 in Hot New Release and #2 Best Seller in all his sci fi categories on Amazon. The push for his novel doesn't stop with the written word. Dan is currently working on converting Ret to a graphic novel and screenplay, as well, he is in the beginning stages of writing a prequel to Ret. Ret 2 Zombie Invasion… just kidding.

Troy Harkin and David Clink (and Lee McCormack) look at Galactic Rock. This three-part series delves into Rock 'n' Roll that is "out there" and perhaps even "out of this world" including things that are science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their mashups and subgenres, and will delve into science and space, from the beginnings to present day. Were you a fan of... Space Oddity and Star Man (both by David Bowie) Monster Mash (by Bobby Pickett) Theme From The Munsters (by Jack Marshall) The Lonely Man Theme [often referred to as "The Hulk walking away music"] (by Joe Harnell) The Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley Listen in as we look at these songs and much more. Be sure to check out the entire series: pt. 1 (available beginning July 9, 2022) pt. 2 (available beginning July 23, 2022) pt. 3 (available beginning August 6, 2022) Troy and David's special guest for this series is Lee McCormack. Please see his bio below. ALSO: Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist: "Galactic Rock (TOF)" It includes every song that we mention in our three-part series and many more. It is ten hours long! Shuffle away! Lee McCormack is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and podcaster. As a musician he has played in Malhavoc. He’s headed up professional tributes to Johnny Cash, and The Clash. He has also played drums as Ringo in various Beatles tribute bands. In addition to this he’s recorded his own material at the legendary Sun Record studio in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2020 he released the single “Train to Heartbreak” backed with “Every Night’s A Saturday Night”. Lee has been the host and producer of Tramps Like Us, a Bruce Springsteen podcast, since 2016.

Troy Harkin and David Clink (and Lee McCormack) look at Galactic Rock. This three-part series delves into Rock 'n' Roll that is "out there" and perhaps even "out of this world" including things that are science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their mashups and subgenres, and will delve into science and space, from the beginnings to present day. Were you a fan of... Space Oddity and Star Man (both by David Bowie) Monster Mash (by Bobby Pickett) Theme From The Munsters (by Jack Marshall) The Lonely Man Theme [often referred to as "The Hulk walking away music"] (by Joe Harnell) The Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley Listen in as we look at these songs and much more. Be sure to check out the entire series: pt. 1 (available beginning July 9, 2022) pt. 2 (available beginning July 23, 2022) pt. 3 (available beginning August 6, 2022) Troy and David's special guest for this series is Lee McCormack. Please see his bio below. ALSO: Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist: "Galactic Rock (TOF)" It includes every song that we mention in our three-part series and many more. It is ten hours long! Shuffle away! Lee McCormack is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and podcaster. As a musician he has played in Malhavoc. He’s headed up professional tributes to Johnny Cash, and The Clash. He has also played drums as Ringo in various Beatles tribute bands. In addition to this he’s recorded his own material at the legendary Sun Record studio in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2020 he released the single “Train to Heartbreak” backed with “Every Night’s A Saturday Night”. Lee has been the host and producer of Tramps Like Us, a Bruce Springsteen podcast, since 2016.

Troy Harkin and David Clink continue to look at large creatures, mostly in movie history. FROM OUR DESCRIPTION OF PT. 1: Monsters have been with us for a long, long time. Some of them are very big. Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at monster films, from some of the earliest to very recent ones, looking at the largest creatures that have stayed in our collective imaginations, while they spend some time at the cottage, enjoying the lake, and some beer. And who will win, as the greatest of them all? And who would win in a fight? = = = Godzilla or King Kong? = = = The woman from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman or the rabbits in Night of the Lepus? = = = Aragog, the spider in The Chamber of Secrets [Harry Potter] or Shelob. the spider in The Two Towers [Lord of the Rings]? = = = Troy and David do not ponder these questions. But they do fend off forest critters as they pontificate about the giants from film, while downing some brewskies.

Monsters have been with us for a long, long time. Some of them are very big. Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at monster films, from some of the earliest to very recent ones, looking at the largest creatures that have stayed in our collective imaginations, while they spend some time at the cottage, enjoying the lake, and some beer. And who will win, as the greatest of them all? And who would win in a fight? = = = Godzilla or King Kong? = = = The woman from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman or the rabbits in Night of the Lepus? = = = Aragog, the spider in The Chamber of Secrets [Harry Potter] or Shelob. the spider in The Two Towers [Lord of the Rings]? = = = Troy and David do not ponder these questions. But they do fend off forest critters as they pontificate about the giants from film, while downing some brewskies.

In 2019 a film was released called "MidSommar" and it caused quite a sensation. Ari Aster drew inspiration from the 1973 film, The Wicker Man. This film is part of the folk horror tradition. Here is a bit that Troy put together about MidSommar (with key spoilers and plot points removed): MIDSOMMAR (history) Midsommar was written and directed by Ari Aster. It was released in 2019, and was the follow up to his highly-acclaimed debut feature film, Hereditary. Aster, who was hugely influenced by Swedish film legend Ingmar Bergman, was approached by Swedish producers to create a slasher film involving Swedish folk traditions. The director had recently dealt with the trauma of a breakup and found he could work through his pain by dealing with it in his screenplay for Midsommar. Shot in Hungary outside of Budapest, not Sweden. The Horgan village was constructed from scratch for the film. The Film stars Florence Pugh as Dani Ardor, Jack Reynor as her boyfriend Christian. Dani finds that Christian and his three friends Jack (played by Will Poulter), Josh, and Pelle  (all of them anthropology students) are planning on visiting the Swedish community, the Horga, that Pelle belongs to. The five Americans make the trip to the rustic village and are welcomed into the community by the Horgans. They soon discover that the community is not as idyllic as it seems. Time Out's Joshua Rothkopf wrote, "A savage yet evolved slice of Swedish folk-horror, Ari Aster's hallucinatory follow-up to Hereditary proves him a horror director with no peer." "Ambitious, impressively crafted, and above all unsettling, Midsommar further proves writer-director Ari Aster is a horror auteur to be reckoned with." - Rotten Tomatoes Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at the film, with special guest Sandra Kasturi. She was also the guest for folk horror part 1, our season 3 episode 2 installment, which looked at The Wicker Man (1973). Sandra Kasturi Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin. Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

In 1973 a film was released called "The Wicker Man." In this podcast episode, we look at folk horror in general and The Wicker Man in particular. This is from Troy Harkin's introduction: FOLK HORROR (Intro) Man loves order. Moreover man loves the order that he cultivates. As much as we claim to love the great outdoors we love a garden even more because we are the ones who dictate the order. We fear the wilderness. We fear the threat of the untamed. Because we want to see ourselves as enlightened, and civilized, we fear our pagan roots. Folk Horror explores these fears. Often it examines a return to ancient rites and rituals that for the most part have been forgotten. But Folk Horror reminds us we can never truly leave our past behind. In his series The History of Horror, Mark Gatiss refers to the Unholy Trilogy of British Horror. These three films include Witchfiner General from 1968, The Blood on Satan’s Claw from 1970, and 1973’s The Wickerman. THE WICKER MAN (history) Inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel, Ritual, The Wickerman is ostensibly a detective story about a devout Christian police officer who is searching for a missing girl on Summerisle, an island off the west coast of Scotland, a community that is sustained by its production of apples. The Island is ruled by Lord Summerisle played by Christopher Lee. Police Sergeant Howie is played by Edward Woodward.The film features supporting actors Ingrid Pitt and Britt Eklund as well as actual Scottish locals as the inhabitants of Summerisle. In the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, The Wickerman is described as “a highly original combination of horror movie, murder mystery, pagan ethnography, and folk musical…” Cinefantastique once described it as "The Citizen Kane of horror movies"., Total Film magazine named The Wicker Man the sixth greatest British film of all time. Christopher Lee considers The Wicker Man the best film he ever appeared in. Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at the film, with special guest Sandra Kasturi. She is also the guest for Folk Horror part 2, which will look at MidSommar (2019). Sandra Kasturi Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin. Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

A look at Bruce Willis' genre films, and the enduring legacy that he has left us, in the wake of his announcement in late March 2022 that he is retiring as an actor. Bruce Willis has been in so many science fiction, fantasy, and horror films, that it is hard to keep track. Here are a few, not a complete list (Movie <character> year [IMDB rating]: Glass <David Dunn> 2019 [6.6] Sin City: A Dame to Kill For <Hartigan> 2014 [6.5] G.I. Joe: Retaliation <General Joe Colton> 2013 [5.8] Moonrise Kingdom <Captain Sharp> 2012 [7.8] Looper <Old Joe> 2012 [7.4] Surrogates <Greer> 2009 [6.3] Planet Terror <Lt. Muldoon> 2007 [7.1] Grindhouse <Muldoon> 2007 [7.5] The Astronaut Farmer <Col. Doug Masterson> 2006 [6.3] Sin City <Hartigan> 2005 [8.0] Unbreakable <David Dunn> 2002 [7.3] The Sixth Sense <Malcolm Crowe> 1999 [8.2] Breakfast of Champions <Dwayne Hoover> 1999 [4.5] Armageddon <Harry S. Stamper> 1998 [6.7] Mercury Rising <Art Jeffries> 1998 [6.1] The Fifth Element <Korben Dallas> 1997 [7.7] Twelve Monkeys <James Cole> 1995 [8.0] NOTE: The idea was that Troy and David would release this episode in the Summer of 2022, and their discussion during the episode relates that. But they are releasing it as their first episode of season 3.

Troy Harkin and David Clink continue with their fantasy movie top ten lists, and the reasons for their selections. Listen to Troy and David go over their lists, compare and contrast. Maybe you have some of the same films on your own top ten list?

Top Ten Fantasy Films (pt. 1 of 2) Troy Harkin and David Clink each come up with their own top ten fantasy films, and the reasons for their selections. How many films will appear on both lists? Will The Wizard of Oz appear on both lists? How about... King Kong? Who Framed Roger Rabbit? My Neighbor Totoro? The Adventures of Robin Hood? Big Fish? The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone? Listen to Troy and David go over their lists, compare and contrast. Maybe you have some of the same films on your own top ten list?

Top Ten Sci-Fi Films Troy Harkin and David Clink each come up with their own top ten science fiction films, and the reasons for their selections. How many films will appear on both lists? Will 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars crack the top ten? How about... The Terminator? E.T.? The Day the Earth Stood Still? Blade Runner? Logan's Run? Star Wars? Alien? Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Listen to Troy and David go over their lists, compare and contrast. Maybe you have some of the same films on your own top ten list?

Queer SFFH (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror) has been with us for a very long time. One of the first English-language science fiction novels is Frankenstein, 1818, and it was written by bisexual author Mary Shelley. And representation has recently reached new heights, in both how many queer creators there are, but also the number of queer characters appearing in SFFH, in books and media, but also in the quality and impact they have in storylines. Rachel A. Rosen joins Troy and David, to discuss the topic. Rachel, being a first guest, is asked about her earliest genre memories, and her first genre love. She then is asked the standard 6 questions for first time guests: Fave Author; Fave Novel; Fave Shorter Work; Fave Movie; Fave TV Series; and, Fave TV episode. Troy presents an overview of queer representation in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, as part of his history segment. Rachel mentions the influence of the character Dax from DS9, and other queer creators, including Francesca Lia Block, Clive Barker, and Mary Shelley. The "Bury Your Gays" trope is discussed. Is Hollywood getting better at depictions of queer characters? Doctor Who and queer culture is discussed. Many queer Doctors, and queer companions have been featured. Russell T. Davis is openly gay, and he has brought in queer characters and trans characters, more than any other showrunner. The 15th doctor is openly gay. Bill Potts (played by Pearl Mackie) was the first openly gay companion. Xena and Gabrielle as gay icons is covered. Is Dr. Frank-N-Furter a gay icon or a caricature? Rachel and Troy and David spend time talking about the third episode of The Last of Us. Troy does a history, for this episode. = = = RACHEL A. ROSEN lives and makes trouble in Tkaronto (Toronto) in the country currently known as Canada. A genre strumpet with an outlook darker than VantaBlack, she straddles urban fantasy, cosmic horror, dystopian futures, and eco-fiction. Her stone-cold bummer of a first novel, Cascade (The Sleep of Reason Book 1), was published by The BumblePuppy Press in 2022, and with Zilla Novikov, she’s the co-author of The Sad Bastard Cookbook: Food You Can Make So You Don’t Die.

Buckaroo Banzai This is a cult film that must be seen to be believed. Troy Harkin and David Clink invite back Ira Nayman (see bio below) for their episode that looks at a film that Gene Siskel predicted would become a cult classic. The witty dialogue, the unusual plot developments, and John Lithgow's manic delivery make this film very watchable. With each viewing, you get more out of the film, you see more, and you realize that there is a lot to it. There is method in the madness. Peter Weller plays Buckaroo Banzai, a scientist and rock star. He develops a device that allows him to travel through matter, and this opens up a whole can of worms. Jeff Goldblum is a piano playing surgeon / cowboy. Will he join the Hong Kong cavaliers? Will Buckaroo and his motley crew save Earth from the Red Lectroids? Is Penny Priddy somehow connected to an old flame from Buckaroo's past? And why are there so many people called John? And what about that watermelon? Listen to the podcast to find out. IRA NAYMAN Ira Nayman is a writer who keeps getting speculative fiction in his humour. His eighth novel, The Ugly Truth, will be published by Elsewhen Press in 2022. His 21st short story, “Girls Rule the Steampunk World!”, will be published in the next Brave New Girls anthology in July, 2022. Les Pages aux Folles, Ira’s website of social and political satire, will celebrate 20 years of weekly updates in September, 2022. He was the editor of Amazing Stories magazine for three years. Before he was a prose geek, Ira was a script geek. He took three years of screenwriting for his undergrad degree at York University and wrote for Creative Screenwriting magazine.

Genre Crushes. We've all had them. Who were your genre crushes when you were young? And how about now? Some grew up with a crush on Eartha Kitt or Julie Newmar as Catwoman. Others may have had a crush on Dirk Benedict or Richard Hatch in Battlestar Galactica. Did your bionic leanings lean toward Lee Majors or Lindsay Wagner? If you are drawn to liking women, were you inclined towards Velma or Daphne in Scooby Doo? Buffy or Willow in Buffy: Vampire Slayer? Xena or Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess? Bo or "Kenzi" in Lost Girl? Maggie or Carol in The Walking Dead? Number Six (Tricia Helfer) or Number Eight (Grace Park) in BSG? If you are drawn to liking men, were you inclined towards Fred or Shaggy in Scooby Doo? Steve or Bucky in Captain America? Apollo or Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica <1978-79>? Spock or Kirk in Star Trek <1966-68>? Sam or Dean in Supernatural? The Shoveler or Blue Raja in Mystery Men? And there are, of course, a very long diverse list of crushes, including Sanaa Latham; Wesley Snipes; Michelle Rodriguez; Simu Liu; Michelle Yeoh; Diego Boneta; HoYeon Jung; Zoe Saldana; Sonequa Martin-Green; Eartha Kitt; Ming Na Wen; Nichelle Nichols; Tia Carrere; Thandie Newton; Grace Park; Terry Carter; Kandyse McClure; Will Smith; Yadira Guevara-Prip; Bille Dee Williams; Park So-dam; Priscilla Quintana; LeVar Burton; Woo-sik Choi; Lisa Ray; Michael B. Jordan; Luciana Paluzzi; Sarah Shahi; Nicole Beharie; Steven Yeun; Kelly Hu; Diego Luna; and Rekha Sharma, among many others. There are so many, one cannot do an episode without leaving out one of your own. Troy Harkin and David Clink welcome back two special guests for this Valentine's TOF. Charlene Challenger was the guest for Season 1 Episode 6: Blade Runner. Shaindle Minuk was the guest for Season 1 Episode 8: Plan 9 from Outer Space. Who were Charlene and Shaindle's crushes? Who are they now?Troy and David cover their own, as well. Some of the categories the four will look at: ALL-TIME GENRE CRUSH SEXIEST ACTOR/ACTRESS (Genre TV Show) SEXIEST SEX SCENE (Genre TV or Genre Movie) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Genre Actor) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Genre Actress) SEXIEST Sci-Fi Movie of All Time David came up with a couple of fun categories... Sexiest genre actor/actress in an annoying party scene Looking for Love and Feline Groovy Charlene and Shaindle and Troy and David will come up with, individually, based on a movie that does not exist, their own... ELEVATOR PITCH for the SEXIEST Sci-Fi Movie of All Time Will it live up to the one for Barbarella? A beautiful, young fortieth-century astronaut prevents the positronic ray from getting into the wrong hands. CHARLENE CHALLENGER Charlene Challenger is a writer and graduate of X (renaming in process) Theatre School. Her first novel, the young adult fantasy The Voices In Between, was nominated for the 2015 Aurora Award for Best Young Adult Novel and longlisted for the 2015 Sunburst Award Young Adult Novel category. Its sequel, The Myth In Distance, was published in 2016. Her work is also featured in Stone Skin Press’s Gods, Memes and Monsters. She lives in Pickering, Ontario with her family and her adorable house-wolves. SHAINDLE MINUK Shaindle Minuk is an animation builds artist and has been working in the TV and film industries for decades in various capacities. She is also the editor and co-founder of misterkitty.org, which hosts some of the many comics and graphic novels Shaindle has created over the years, alongside humorous features such as “Found Objects” (in which Shain showcases her vast collection of creepy, unappealing ceramic animal figurines and toys) and the popular “Stupid Comics”, which provides in-depth commentary on, well, stupid comics.

2001: A Space Odyssey. This is the second part of our look at the film. We realized that, with two guests, and a big movie like 2001, we would need two parts to do the movie justice. In Part 2, Troy and David and Mark and Rob spend more time on the film, doing a deeper dive than in Part 1. Rob refers to the film as "a paradigm shift." Mark refers to the film as "a landmark." Stanley Kubrick wanted to make the first great SF film. Mark and Rob mention other films that predated 2001 that were great SF films. Would Star Wars have happened without 2001? The Schrödinger's Cast is looked at, which is taking the cast from the original film, and replacing them with people you may not suspect. MARK ASKWITH Mark Askwith is a writer and Television Producer. He has covered the Science Fiction genre for over 30 years. Mark is the creator of the award-winning Prisoners of Gravity, and he is one of the Founding Producers of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction and Fantasy Channel. He has also produced dozens of half-hour television movie specials, featuring interviews with stars like Tom Hanks, Christian Bale, and Sigourney Weaver. As well, he has interviewed dozens of scientists and astronauts including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin, and Chris Hadfield. Neil Gaiman called him The Secret Master of Science Fiction. So, I guess that’s no longer a secret. ROBERT J. SAWYER Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history—and the only Canadian—to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name. His latest novel is The Oppenheimer Alternative. A member of both the Order of Canada and the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, he lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

2001: A Space Odyssey. This film is arguably the whitest film since Birth of a Nation. White actors playing white astronauts in a white spaceship trying to discover, on board a spaceship called Discovery One, the secrets of a black monolith. Many consider this the greatest science fiction movie of all-time, despite its lack of diversity. The movie itself did not get a great reception. Many walked out of the premiere screening. For those who left early, and those who stuck it out to the end, many thought "What the hell was that about?" Most reviews were harsh. Stanley Kubrick cut 20 or so minutes from the version of the movie that opened, and over time, the shorter (but still long) film found an audience. The film was far ahead of its time, and, like most films that are revolutionary and cutting edge, people just didn't get it. The amazing special effects, that still stand up today, and the classical music, the sets, the story, all added together to make something that many would not soon forget. Troy and David will look at the movie, and discuss it with two special guests: Mark Askwith and Robert J. Sawyer. Rob was the special guest for Season 1 Episode 2: Planet of the Apes Mark was the special guest for Season 1 Episode 4: The Prisoner Series Troy and David welcome back Mark and Rob, who had both listed 2001: A Space Odyssey as their fave genre movie. We realized that, with two guests, and a big movie like 2001, we would need two parts to do the movie justice. In Part 1, Troy and David ask Mark and Rob to provide answers to their favourite genre things that were not asked of them before (over the past year more categories were added), and review their previous answers. Mark and Rob talk about their first experience seeing the film. The Dream Casting will look at these roles, played by these actors: Character Original Star Dr. David Bowman Keir Dullea Dr. Frank Poole Gary Lockwood Dr. Heywood Floyd William Sylvester Dr. Andrei Smyslov Leonard Rossiter Moonwatcher (the chief man-ape) Daniel Richter HAL 9000 Douglas Rain (as the voice of…) The Monolith [visual effect] Star Child [visual effect] MARK ASKWITH Mark Askwith is a writer and Television Producer. He has covered the Science Fiction genre for over 30 years. Mark is the creator of the award-winning Prisoners of Gravity, and he is one of the Founding Producers of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction and Fantasy Channel. He has also produced dozens of half-hour television movie specials, featuring interviews with stars like Tom Hanks, Christian Bale, and Sigourney Weaver. As well, he has interviewed dozens of scientists and astronauts including Neil Degrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin, and Chris Hadfield. Neil Gaiman called him the Secret Master of Science Fiction. So, I guess that’s no longer a secret. ROBERT J. SAWYER Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history—and the only Canadian—to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name. His latest novel is The Oppenheimer Alternative. A member of both the Order of Canada and the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, he lives in Mississauga, Ontario.