ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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From 2008 untll 2015 Andrew Bogdan was the co-site administrator of All Sci-Fi, and his help in maintaining the board was invaluable. In fact, he created the first Alphbetical Index, which made finding the thread for any movie totally effortless. As a result, All Sci-Fi has no “duplicate threads”!

Andrew Bogdan’s user name was Bogmeister, and he passed away in 2015. But he left a mystery which confounds me to this day!

Between 2010 and 2015, Andrew created and expanded his own message board called The Galactic Base of Science Fiction <— link, and personally added over 3,200 elaborate and well-written posts.

Sadly, only 14 people ever joined his board during the five years before Andrew’s death — and to the best of my knowledge those members posted very few replies!

But here’s the mystery.

Andrew never told me about his message board during the five years he labored to buld it up, even though he was also the co-site admin of All Sci-Fi during that time. He never posted an invitation to our members here to join his board during the five years he struggled to gain new membrs!

During that time, the "old" All Sci-Fi had 160+ members and was extremely successful.

Guys, I didn’t even know Andrew's board existed until 2019, when All Sci-Fi member Eadie sent me a PM about a message board she’d discovered. I went to the link she provided . . . and I was shocked when I realized that the board’s creator — BoG — was in fact the late Andrew Bogdan . . . who had passed away four years earlier!

BoG's last post on his “secret board” was in June of 2015. And according to the Andrew’s obituary (which I found online) he passed away on July 16, 2015.

When I discovered this treasure trove of "lost posts" by Bogmeister, I decided to transfer copies of them from his board, to All Sci-Fi and post them all in his name. As site admin I was able to change his ASF password to something new which allowed me to log in as “Bogmeister”.

By doing this, Andrew’s “post count” on ASF went from 78 to a whopping 574 posts. The 78 posts were the ones he'd made when we had to start ASF over again from scratch after the Great Crash of 2014!

So, beginning today I’ll be presenting Andrew’s posts in the Featured Threads — despite the fact that most of them were transferred to All Sci-Fi by me, four years after his death!



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Where No Man Has Gone Before - episode #2

_______ Classic Star Trek: Where No Man Has Gone Before


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WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE (first season; episode #2)
Directed by James Goldstone / writer: Samuel L. Peeples / Air Date: 09/22/66



BELOW:AUTOMATED STATION ON DELTA VEGA and ABOVE,FIRST VIEW OF 3-D CHESS




ABOVE: Lt. Kelso (Paul Carr) - soon to be a squashed insect?...............

This is known as episode two in many Trek circles because it was the 2nd pilot; the 1st pilot was The Cage, starring Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Pike and Nimoy as one of his officers, and which was rejected as too cerebral. Roddenberry then produced this one, changing all of the cast except for Nimoy. So this is the first appearance of Captain Kirk (Shatner), as well as Scotty (Doohan) & Sulu (Takei). There is no Dr. McCoy in this one; instead we see a Dr. Piper (Paul Fix). McCoy would show up in the next filmed episode, The Corbomite Maneuver.




ABOVE: Gary Mitchell - soon to be a... crazed god?

This episode still holds up very well, despite being rough around the edges. Roddenberry had not yet defined Starfleet or the Federation in detail here; we were witnessing the adventures of some Earth-based space fleet here, kind of a follow-up to Forbidden Planet, the big sci-fi film of 9 years earlier. But because Roddenberry needed to impress some executives, this pilot is like a short sci-fi film itself. Right off the bat, exploration is the key theme: Kirk directs the good ship Enterprise towards a mysterious galactic barrier, even though everyone knows it's dangerous. The ship is damaged, several crew members are killed, and two more are mutated into superior beings. Roddenberry wasn't holding back.



The episode then begins an exploration of another kind - questions on this new breed of humanity. How dangerous is such a new breed of man? Can he live with other 'normal' humans? Spock provides the early answers: "very" and "no" - even though we side with Kirk as the more humane, sympathetic voice, it's Spock who seems to prove that old adage: absolute power corrupts absolutely. And it's not just a faceless crewman who goes power mad; it's Kirk's old friend, Gary (guest star Gary Lockwood, who starred in 2001:A Space Odyssey a couple of years after this).



Lockwood, as Lt. Gary Mitchell, presents us with a somewhat sympathetic yet at the same time chilling rendition of a power-mad character. There is no struggle involved for him with this new-found power, no angst or questions of how he should proceed. He embraces the power readily, perhaps like a drug (a metaphor here?) and turns inhuman rather swiftly. Perhaps all men, no matter how decent, have that need inside to dominate, to be corrupted, right? Yet, as Kirk states at the end, Gary didn't ask for this. Heavy & deep concepts for an old TV show, eh? - and all in the middle of a supposedly action-oriented show. Sally Kellerman, who starred in M*A*S*H (1970) a few years after this, plays the ship's psychiatrist who also turns godlike after Gary. A solid, excellent start to the series.

BoG's Score: 9 out of 10



Extra Trek Trivia: note Kirk's phaser rifle above; it was built for this pilot episode, yet never used again on TOS. The crew wore slightly different uniforms in this early episode; the events here probably take place about a year before those of most other episodes. Besides Dr. Piper, other seeming regular crew members who did not return were Lloyd Haynes as communications officer Alden (replaced by Uhura in the next episode) and Andrea Dromm as Yeoman Smith (replaced by Rand); Haynes went on to a famous TV role in Room 222 (1969-1974). Kirk's gravestone reads 'James R. Kirk' instead of the correct James T. Kirk here; perhaps Gary, though powerful, was not omnipotent and even forgetful - and this seemed to signal his defeat; as in a premonition? All told, a dozen crewmembers died in this episode. An alternate, older version of Gary Mitchell would return in the made-for-the-web fan film Star Trek-Of Gods and Men (2007).



_______ "Where No Man Has Gone Before" Trailer


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BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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The Corbomite Maneuver - episode #3

____________ The Corbomite Maneuver' Trailer


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THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER (1st season; episode #3)
Directed by Joseph Sargent / writer: Jerry Sohl / Air Date: 11/10/66



Technically, this is the first episode to be filmed after the 2nd pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before, though it was not the first to be aired (that was The Man Trap). In many respects, this comes across as almost experimental, a dry run for the rest of the first season. You see rarely seen angles, such as from behind Kirk as he exits the turbolift onto the bridge. The relationship between Kirk & McCoy is first established here, similar to the one between Capt. Pike & Dr. Boyce in The Cage (the 1st pilot), but better acted and defined.




Though overall the episode comes across as not very eventful by the standards of most Trek episodes, its strengths are showcasing various crew members and their reactions to the presumed threat they face. In this very early going, certain ship's routines and protocols are observed, details which would not be stressed in future episodes (such as department heads reporting to the captain on the bridge). The intent was to depict a fully functional ship & crew, as realistic as may be possible on sixties TV.



Exploration is the key factor, as will be usual: the Enterprise is in an unknown sector of space, engaged in routine mapping duties and suddenly blocked by some revolving cube device. Forced to destroy this after it starts emitting radiation, Kirk now faces a choice or path - proceed further to face possible other dangers or turn around. We get a case study of how starship captains earn their pay - the buck seems to stop with him and his next decision could have long reaching ramifications. Also addressed within the possibilities of exploration, the theme here is the unknown: how do we, as a species, face it? Do we go on, advance, taking that risk, or do we stop and perhaps stagnate?





But despite grandiose ideas about mankind's future in exploring the galaxy, it boils down to the human equation of how men & women react and interact aboard such a ship. Guest star Anthony Call is excellent as the young navigator whom Kirk perhaps promoted too quickly. His nervous breakdown on the bridge is beautifully played. Then McCoy & Kirk get into it as the ship and crew have maybe three minutes of life to go, arguing over the distressed crewman. Even Spock seems uneasy as he fails to find an alternative for the now edgy Kirk, again a well-acted scene. It comes across as very true-to-life, a realistic study of people under tremendous pressure. The tension created here in the span of a few minutes is dramatic; much of this is played in real time - we, the viewer, are right there with the bridge crew as the 10-minute countdown to doom is played out. This is superbly directed (by Joseph Sargent).



Kirk's tactic of bluffing a far superior enemy shows, in the first of many such instances in the series, just how quickly and cannily Kirk thinks on his feet and why he is captain. No one aboard, including Spock (who prefers chess to poker) would have come up with such a play. It's remarkable, in a way, that this no-win scenario, in which a grim, almost despairing situation is turned around, is demonstrated in the very first episode; this pattern of thought for Kirk would continue to manifest itself all through the series and even in the films, especially strong in Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan (82). BELOW: A Candid Shot of Balok, in all his glory.



Would this episode have rated higher with me if there had actually been such an insurmountable threat? Would I have liked this episode even more without the twist near the end, so that Kirk's unique tactic would have more meaning within the context of the story? Is the ending a bit too cute, undoing some of the drama? Perhaps. It's still a fine depiction of future exploration and the surprises in store for Kirk and crew. That all being said, this episode is probably best remembered for that long shot of the colossal ship Fesarius approaching the Enterprise. With some of the best dramatic Trek score blaring away at us, it still gives me goose bumps.

BoG's Score: 7.5 out of 10



Extra Trek Trivia: this was the first filmed episode for Dr. McCoy, Lt. Uhura and Yeoman Rand. Just before starting in his McCoy role, DeForest Kelley guest-starred on a 2-part episode of Bonanza "Ride the Wind" (aired in Jan.1966), in which he played a newspaperman; some scenes in that episode were filmed at Vasquez Rocks.

The last time that DeForest Kelley & Leonard Nimoy acted together in a TV episode was in Man of Violence, an episode of The Virginian which aired on X-Mas Day in 1963; Kelley played an army doctor in that one, though a drunken one, and Nimoy's character, ill and bedridden, died under his care. Balok the small was played by Clint Howard, brother to Ron Howard, but voiced by another actor.

Balok the ugly (or Balok's Mr. Hyde) was voiced by Ted Cassidy. Balok offers the drink tranya to the Enterprise officers; it looks like orange juice.




____________ The Corbomite Maneuver trailer #2


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Classic Trek Quotes:

Bailey: "I don't understand this. Spock's wasting time! Everybody else.. just sitting around...somebody's got to do something!"

McCoy: "easy, Bailey.."

Bailey: "What do they want from us?! Let's find out what they want us to do...!"

Kirk: "They want us to lose our heads!"

Bailey: "We've only got 8 minutes left...!"

Sulu: "7 minutes and 45 seconds.."

Bailey: "Ohh..! He's doing a countdown!"

McCoy: "It's practically the end of watch.."

Bailey: "What're you, all out of your minds..? End of watch? It's the end of everything.. What are you, robots?!? Wound up toy soldiers?!? Don't you know when you're dying?!? Watch and regulations and orders... what do they mean..?!? "
Kirk: "Bailey, you're relieved!"

The Corbomite Maneuver Star Trek Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition Extras

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BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus]
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R.I.P. - Christopher Lee

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Christopher Lee (1922 - 2015)

Christopher Lee died several days ago, on June 7, in Chelsea, London, England.



< Lee at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival

Christopher Lee had a very long film career stretching back to bit parts in the late 1940s. He seemed to hit his peak as a Hammer Films horror star in the late fifties and sixties, but continued in many roles up through the first decade of the 21st century, including in the huge Lord of the Rings films and the Star Wars prequels. His big non-Hammer sci-fi film in the sixties was Night of the Big Heat (67), about alien invaders. Though he was in his share of low budget clunkers to pay the bills - End of the World and Starship Invasions (1977) as examples, he was also in some cult classics like The Wicker Man (73), a subtle horror film highly regarded today. My personal favorite - Horror Express in 1972; Lee was entertaining as an arrogant scientist facing an alien monster on a train.



As one can see in the picture, he starred with good friend Peter Cushing, the other Hammer Films star, though this was not a Hammer film. At that time, Cushing was grieving over the death of his wife and planned to quit the film; Lee convinced Cushing to stay on by reminiscing with him. Cushing passed away in 1994. Lee was in more films with Charlton Heston than most actors who co-starred with Heston - in Julius Caesar (1970), the Musketeers films in 1973 & 1974, and the TV film Treasure Island (1990). He was also in the disaster film Airport '77 - the one without Heston. R.I.P.

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/christopher-lee-dead-actor-who-made-dracula-count-again-dies-at-93-1201517194/

Christopher Lee, Dracula and ‘Star Wars’ Actor, Dies at 93
JUNE 11, 2015 | 05:09AM PT Carmel Dagan (here's the write-up at Variety; the pics are mine):

Christopher Lee, the second most famous Dracula of the 20th century — an impressive feat — and a memorably irrepressible villain in James Bond film “The Man With the Golden Gun,” in the “Star Wars” films and in “The Lord of the Rings” pics, died Sunday in London after suffering heart failure and respiratory problems. He was 93.

Lee appeared in 10 films as Count Dracula (nine if his uncredited role in the comedy “One More Time” is excluded).

His first role for famed British horror factory Hammer Films was not the Transylvanian vampire, however, but Frankenstein’s Monster in 1957’s “The Curse of Frankenstein.” His close friend Peter Cushing, with whom he would co-star in horror films frequently, starred as the Baron. Lee made his first appearance as the sharp-toothed Count in 1958’s “Horror of Dracula”. For reasons not quite certain, he skipped the 1960 sequel “Brides of Dracula,” but he returned to the role for 1965’s “Dracula: Prince of Darkness” — a movie in which he hissed a lot but had no dialogue, because the dialogue was so bad, Lee later claimed.



< Lee made the cover of this hardcover book about Hammer Films

Lee said later that he was reluctant to continue in the role but appeared in “Dracula Has Risen From the Grave” (1968), “Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1969) and “Scars of Dracula” (1970), hit films that are all now considered classics of the genre. In his last Dracula films for Hammer, Lee starred in the less-successful “Dracula A.D. 1972” and “Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride” (1973), which brought the character into a contemporary setting. (Lee also starred in “Count Dracula”, a film by cult exploitation director Jess Franco that was made in 1970 and released in 1973; in 1976, the multilingual Lee appeared as Dracula in a French film called “Dracula and Son.”)

Lee made horror films for Hammer that were not vampire-centered. He was the title character in 1959’s “The Mummy” and 1966’s “Rasputin, the Mad Monk.” He also brought Dennis Wheatley, an acclaimed author of occult thrillers, to Hammer, where two adaptations were produced, both starring Lee: “The Devil Rides Out” (1967) and “To the Devil a Daughter” (1976). The first is considered among Hammer’s best work. The second, although financially successful, was something of a disaster, with the author disowning the film, which was the studio’s last horror pic.

He also appeared in a number of non-Hammer horror films, including the “Fu Manchu” series of the late 1960s; “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” adaptation “I, Monster” (1970); “The Creeping Flesh,” with Cushing; and Lee’s favorite thriller effort, “The Wicker Man", in which he played Lord Summerisle.

After 1977’s wretched “Meatcleaver Massacre,” for which, Lee claimed, the filmmakers had slapped on voiceover narration the actor had recorded for an entirely different movie, he largely steered clear of horror films, though Lee did appear, along with Cushing and Vincent Price, in 1983’s “House of the Long Shadows,” an American-produced horror comedy that in many ways brought the era of British horror pics to an end.

Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born in Belgravia, Westminster, England, the son of a career military man and his wife, a famous beauty and contessa who was part Italian. They separated when Lee and his sister were still young, and their mother took the children to live in Switzerland. Lee volunteered to serve with Finnish forces against the Soviet Union in 1939 and then served with the RAF and British intelligence during WWII. After the war, Lee secured a seven-year contract with the Rank Organization.

His film debut came in Terence Young’s 1947 Gothic romance “Corridor of Mirrors”; the same year he had a brief uncredited role in Laurence Olivier’s film adaptation of “Hamlet.” Lee appeared in nearly 30 films, mostly forgettable adventure pics, over the next decade, although he did have an uncredited role in John Huston’s “Moulin Rouge” (1952) playing the painter Georges Seurat. The prolific actor — IMDb lists 281 credits — appeared in many films outside the horror genre even during his Hammer years.

Lee appeared in the studio’s 1959 “The Hound of the Baskervilles” as Lord Henry Baskerville; Cushing played Sherlock Holmes. (Lee later played Holmes in the non-Hammer “Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace,” then played the detective’s brother Mycroft in Billy Wilder’s 1970 film “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes” and played Sherlock Holmes in a pair of British telepics in the 1990s). He appeared in a terrible 1970 adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” that starred Charlton Heston, Jason Robards and John Gielgud and played a gunsmith in the British-produced Raquel Welch Western “Hannie Caulder.”

Even outside the horror genre, however, Lee’s characters were rarely virtuous, even if it was all too easy to root for them.

As the assassin Francisco Scaramanga in 1974 Bond pic “The Man With the Golden Gun", he was a singular villain in the 007 pantheon — not a mad scientist or a megalomaniacal industrialist but an effortlessly sexy enemy who is perhaps James Bond’s dark reflection. (Ian Fleming is said to have offered Lee the part of Dr. No in the first Bond film, not knowing that the part had already been cast.)



He played Rochefort, chief henchman to Charlton Heston’s villainous Cardinal Richelieu, in Richard Lester’s highly successful “The Three Musketeers” and “The Four Musketeers” films; he didn’t have much to say but skillfully tackled the semi-comical swordplay. (Lee returned to the role in Lester’s 1989 “The Return of the Musketeers.”)

Lee did some American TV work, appearing in the miniseries “How the West Was Won” and Harold Robbins adaptation “The Pirate,” but largely appeared in adventure films. He showed a comedic side as guest host on “Saturday Night Live” in 1978 and in Steven Spielberg’s “1941”, in which he played a German officer.

He had a character arc on the British children’s sci-fi show “The Tomorrow People” in 1995 and was a series regular on the brief CBS drama “Street Gear” the same year. In 1998 Lee starred in the film “Jinnah” in the title role as the founder of modern Pakistan — his best performance, the actor declared at one point. He also appeared in a number of British or American miniseries, including “Ivanhoe” and “Gormenghast,” and had a small role in Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow". (Lee later did voice work for several Burton projects, including 2010’s “Alice in Wonderland", and appeared in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”).

Burton presented a BAFTA Fellowship, a life achievement award, to Lee at the 2011 BAFTA ceremonies. Lee was knighted in 2009 and received a BFI Fellowship as well.

___________ The Many Faces Of Christopher Lee


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A note from Bud:

This elaborate obituary was the last of 3,265 posts that Andrew "Bogmeister" Bogdan made on his own message board, the ]Galactic Base of Science Fiction.

Christopher Lee died on June 7, 2015. BoG’s post is dated Jun 11th, 2015.

Andrew died five days later, on June 16th, 2015 (according his on-line obituary), from complications arising from a prolonged illness.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)