#Cyclone (1978)

[flmboyz]

"1978 Mercury Grand Marquis"

[graveyardrabbit]

"What do the lines mean, Andrés?" "They show us how many days we have been lost."

Cyclone (1978) dir. René Cardona Jr.

[seven-eleven-slushie]

She's so Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg.

[duckgens]

Ride the Cyclone (1978)

[darkarfs]

Good lord, that's the inside of an airplane?? This had to be filmed in Italy. Or Mexico in the late 70s.

[bitter69uk]

“Like [Mario] Lanza, Maria Montez had a reputation for being impossible to handle. After a number of years in Haji-Baba type adventures, she was dropped by Universal and forced to seek work in European cheapies. While in Europe, she attempted to counter her advanced state of avoirdupois with hot saline baths. She died in one of a heart attack at the age of thirty-one.”

/ From the book Flesh and Fantasy (1978) by Penny Stallings /

Died on this day in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes, France: golden age Hollywood’s nostril-flaring and tempestuous Queen of Technicolour Exotica, Caribbean Cyclone and leading lady of films like Arabian Nights (1942), White Savage (1943) and Cobra Woman (1944), Maria Montez (née María África Gracia Vidal, 6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951). Note: Stallings gets Montez’s age wrong in the quote above – she was 39 when she died. (Like any self-respecting diva, Montez had a “showbiz age”). Venerated by the likes of Gore Vidal and underground queer filmmakers Jack Smith, Andy Warhol and Kenneth Anger, Montez is a pivotal figure in the sensibility we now call “camp�� and one of the original LGBTQIA icons. (Early Warhol drag superstar Mario Montez, for example, was christened after her). And aside from perhaps the young Yvonne De Carlo, did any woman wear a yashmak with more elan? “When I see myself on the screen, I look so beautiful I want to scream with joy” Montez once famously exclaimed. Maria Montez, you make ME scream with joy! Pictured: Montez in the 1949 film Siren of Atlantis playing – what else? – an evil queen.

[rastronomicals]

11:12 PM EDT September 29, 2024:

Tangerine Dream - "Madrigal Meridian" From the album Cyclone (February 1978)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

[julio-viernes]

Domingos acelerados. Al final les vamos a tener que hacer un monumento a los del prog y el sinfo. Esto es “Bent Cold Sidewalk”, el “selector de frecuencias”  anticipado de los alemanes Tangerine Dream en su LP de 1978 “Cyclone”. En la ruedecilla de configuración del vídeo aceleren el speed a 1,25, y puede que se encienda una bombilla en su cabecita.

¡Que manía con las canciones similares que lo son! Pero este dichoso juego de los parecidos no va a ninguna parte, todo sale de todo. Es un pasatiempo entretenido y poca cosa más.

[psyeince]

why r there so many gingers

maybe its the various showdown blogs ive followed but there r a lot of gingers in the media and ive taken it upon myself to sort them into the categories of gingers and redheads, this took me an hour and a half and my eyes r physically burning, my bad if i missed a character or two

gingers

riley williams (we are the tigers)

ocean oconnel rosenberg (ride the cyclone)

caleb widogast (critical role)

itsuka kendo (my hero academia)

donna noble (doctor who)

batgirl (dc)

beverly crush (star trek)

ginger fitzgerald (ginger snaps)

nami (one piece)

mito freecss (hunter x hunter)

wendy corduroy (gravity falls)

alfredo linguine (ratatouille)

william “dex” poindexter (check please!)

wylan can eck (six of crows)

ichigo kurosaki (bleach)

mafuyu sato (given)

gimli (lord of the rings)

akane hino/cure sunny (smile precure)

daphne blake (scooby-doo)

reisuke houjou (mirai nikki)

fiona (shrek)

risa koizumi (lovely complex)

dexter (decters laboratory)

kim possible (kim possible)

cady heron (mean girls)

katheryn janeway (star trek)

shoyo hinata (haikyuu!!)

himaru kenshin (samurai x)

rosetta (tinkerbell)

amy pond (doctor who)

firestar (warrior cats)

rand al’thor (a wheel of time)

kaoru and himaru hitachiin (ouran high school host club)

asuka langley soryu (neon genisis evangelion)

ponyo (ponyo)

crowley (good omens)

athen cykes (ace attorney)

bloom (winx club)

samael keene (homesick)

kenny luckstar (homesick)

tulip olsen (infinity train)

wanda maximoff (marvel)

max mayfield (stranger things)

christine “ziggy” berman (fear street 1978)

buffy gilmore (scary movie)

theo (scary movie 2)

gideon nav (the locked tombe)

cal kestis (star wars)

hiromi higa/shadow (sk8 the infiniry)

anne shirley (anne of green gables)

hercules (hercules)

vicky (fairily odd parents)

suzuki shou (mob psycho 100)

reigen araraka (mob psycho 100)

rowena macleod (supernatural)

jack merridew (lord of the flies)

raven (theyll never catch us)

polly plantar (amphibia)

jay ferin (just roll with it)

natasha romanoff (mcu)

giselle (enchanted)

winnie sanderson (hocus pocus)

candace flynn (phineas and ferb)

phineas flynn (phineas and ferb)

leon kuwata (danganropa)

childe (genshin impact)

akito shinonome (project sekai)

garfield (garfield)

ruby roundhouse (jumanji: welcome to the jungle)

tasuki (fushigi yugi)

lysandre (pokemon)

monkia (doki doki literature club)

misty (pokemon)

aviendha (wheel of time)

coran (voltron)

ashlynn ella (ever after high)

sparrow hood (ever after high)

holly o’hair (ever after high)

poppy o’hair (ever after high)

futaba sakura (persona 5)

anna (frozen)

general hux (star wars)

kanon tachibana (the world ends with you)

ron delight (ace attorney)

kyo sohma (fruits basket)

rei yasaku (do it yourself!)

diluc (genshin impact)

gren (the dragon prince)

chiyo sakura )gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun)

philip j fry (futurama)

felicia sundew (amphibia)

blossom (power puff girls)

april o’neal (teenage mutant ninja turtles)

junichirou tanizaki (bungou stray dogs)

captain amelia (treasure planet)

rachel elizabeth dare (percy jackson)

emma (the promised neverland)

penny polendina (rwby)

elizabeth afton (five nights at freddys)

orville elephant (freddy fazbears pizzaria simulator)

dana scully (x-files)

atushi otani (lovely complex)

merida (brave)

puss in boots (shrek)

little my (moomin)

quasimodo (the hunchback of notre dame)

sora takenouchi (digimon)

ikuyu kita (bocchi the rock!)

gwen tennnyson (ben ten)

ahiru/duck (princess tutu)

eda clawthorn (the owl house)

shallan davar (stormlight archive)

clary fray (shadow hunters)

keyleth (vox machine)

ms. bellum (power puff girls)

zarine (the pirate fairy)

chuuya nakahara (bungou stray dogs)

subaru akehoshi (ensemble stars!! music)

yuta aoi (ensemble stars!! music)

hinata aoi (ensemble stars!! music)

jenny bennett (monster house)

nick wilde (zootopia)

redheads

tomo aizawa (tomo-chan wa onnanoko!)

kirishima eijirou (my hero academia)

hikaru shidou/lucy (magic knight rayearth)

urbosa (breath of the wild)

bowser (mario)

operetta (monster high)

knuckles (sonic)

poison ivy (dc)

starfire (dc)

silver (pokemon)

ranma saotome (ranma 1/2)

will vandom (w.i.t.c.h)

grell sutcliff (black butler)

undyne (undertale)

janai (the dragon prince)

red guy (dont hug me im scared)

wendy (wendys)

ronal mcdonald (mcdonalds)

anastasia romanova (anastasia)

anzu hoshino (romantic killer)

michizou tachihara (bungou stray dogs)

ezra scarlet (fairy tale)

lizzie hearts (ever after high)

shirayuki (snow white with the red hair)

reki kyan (sk8 the infinity)

luna (scooby-doo)

zarzamora (saber marionette j)

jessica rabbit (who framed roger rabbit)

707 (mystic messenger)

kyle broflovski (south park)

souma yukihira (food wars!)

circus baby (five nights at freddys: sister location)

mikoto mikoshiba (gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun

karma akabane (assassination classroom)

kineshi hairo (saiki K)

ariel (the little mermaid)

clifford (clifford the big red dog)

rinne amagi (ensemble stars!! music)

hiiro amagi (ensemble stars!! music)

mao isara (ensemble stars!! music)

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Thought I'd do a post about my top gun timeline. I say mine because I'm autistic and it took me almost a year to pick up on all the implied things about when and how certain things happened.

For example, I thought that Mav would just reapply for the Naval Academy, and didn't know you could join OCS straight out of high school. When I realised that Goose meant that Mav didn’t go to the Academy (that and no Academy ring), so made Mav go to Uni. I then switched the dates back a year until I finally searched whether you could join OCS immediately after high school and you can. This was a bit of a polarising realisation, I've written a lot of fics with my timeline, so I'm just going to have 2 timelines and specify which (on AO3 I'll make a separate series for the 'canon' timeline)

Onto the timeline! Dates in bold are canon ones, italics is my fics (with links to them on AO3!)

1943- Slider's grandma flees Germany with his mum and aunt

3rd October 1959- Nicholas "Goose" Bradshaw is born

27th November 1959- Carole Bradshaw, née Edwards (yes after Anthony Edwards) is born

11th December 1960- Tom "Iceman" Kazansky is born

6th March 1960- Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is born

21st April 1960- Ronald "Slider" Kerner is born

8th March 1965- US Officially enters the Vietnam War

5th November 1965- Duke Mitchell dies

28th January 1973- US part in Vietnam War ends

1973- Goose's dad dies

1978- Goose, Mav, Carole, Slider and Iceman graduate high school. Mav goes to University in Annapolis after not getting into the Naval Academy. Carole travels in the summer and settles in Annapolis.

1979- Goose and Carole start dating, Mav and Carole move in together

1981- Carole gets pregnant

1982- Bradley Nicholas "Rooster" Bradshaw is born, Only a Dad but the Best of Men and Bradley’s First Christmas take place

1983- Goose and Carole get married

1984- Carole's dad dies, Home is Where the Heart Is, Knight in Pearly White and Perfect Fit take place

June/July 1986- Events of Top Gun happen, Goose dies, A Ghost We'll Never Get to See and Soft Musk of Nighttime take place

1997- Carole gets diagnosed with Stage 4 Terminal Cancer and dies, Heaven Feels Closer than those Tears on Your Face, Halfway to Heaven and A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing take place

2000- Mav pulls Rooster's papers, Rooster's goes to University, A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing takes place

2004- Rooster graduates University and goes to the Naval Academy

2008- Rooster graduates the Naval Academy

2010- Iceman gets diagnosed with throat cancer

2017- Events of Top Gun: Maverick take place, An Old Friend Turned New and a Procession No One Can Follow After take place

That's it, for now I guess. I may update this with more fics. I'll also create a post for my interpretation of the 'canon' timeline, with Goose and Mav meeting in flight school, Bradley being born in 1984 (something I don't really agree with but it's nothing major) and TGM taking place before June/July 2016 (because Mav says "that was almost 30 years ago" when Cyclone mentions he was a top gun instructor showing that it isn't past 2016 but tell me if that's reading too much into it)

[mariacallous]

Long a matter of political disputes, how to address climate change is increasingly becoming a legal question. Most recently, on March 29, the United Nations General Assembly voted to seek a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the matter. To date, international law has offered those facing the greatest hardships from climate change few legal tools to sue polluters or receive funds to help adapt to threatening weather changes. An obscure U.N. treaty from the 1970s could potentially change all that.

The recent U.N. resolution was put forward by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu and co-sponsored by more than 130 countries. Vanuatu is seeking compensation from the states most responsible for climate change for increasingly powerful cyclones that have struck the low-lying archipelago in recent years.

The U.N. resolution asks the ICJ, sometimes called the World Court, to issue an advisory opinion on states’ obligations “in respect of climate change.” Unlike the International Criminal Court, which investigates alleged crimes by individuals, the ICJ is a civil tribunal that adjudicates disputes between countries. It is the primary judicial agency mentioned in the U.N. founding charter.

The ICJ’s advisory opinions are not legally binding, but they carry legal authority and moral weight. Legal experts point out that such opinions can affect domestic courts’ judgments and provide guidance on questions of definitions, scope, or jurisdiction for international tribunals or panels, such as investor-state arbitration or trade panels at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

As climate change intensifies, activists, scholars, nongovernmental organizations, and small island states are eager for a legal strategy through which they can seek compensation for loss and damage. The obvious starting point is the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the centerpiece of the global efforts to address climate change and the organizing framework for more detailed agreements such as the 2015 Paris accords. But the UNFCCC states that any convention disputes must be settled by negotiation unless countries have committed to ICJ jurisdiction. Only two—Cuba and the Netherlands—have done so.

A little-known U.N. agreement about climate disputes could provide the ICJ jurisdiction over a much larger set of countries. In effect since 1978, the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, known as EnMod, affirms that state parties are “not to engage in military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects as the means of destruction, damage or injury to any other State Party.” EnMod defines environmental modification as “the deliberate manipulation of natural processes—the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space.” Weather events explicitly fall within the purview of EnMod.

To be clear: EnMod was not designed for climate change as we understand it in the 21st century. The treaty was intended to prevent countries from, for example, weaponizing rain clouds to hurt another country’s agriculture (as the United States allegedly attempted against Cuba during the Cold War). And an EnMod challenge, even within its intended framework, has never been tested at the ICJ.

Even so, legal history is replete with examples of laws and policies having unintended consequences. When the WTO was created in 1995, for instance, Washington insisted that it have a strong and legalistic dispute settlement process because U.S. officials expected the United States would win most of its cases. But the United States has frequently lost at the WTO. In each case, Washington has had to either change its policies or face higher tariffs on some exports.

EnMod’s 78 state parties comprise 70 percent of global population and have been responsible for 83 percent of carbon dioxide emissions since the onset of the treaty, based on our calculations using data from the 2022 Global Carbon Budget. Its membership includes states recognized as being major contributors to climate change—such as the United States, China, and most of Europe—as well as states self-identifying as suffering climate change damages—such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Ghana. This gives the convention a legal standing that is qualitatively different from most or all climate change agreements. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the 2015 Paris accords included no legal enforcement mechanisms beyond what is stipulated in the UNFCCC.

Though all EnMod member nations continue to emit greenhouse gases, some have made very deliberate efforts to curtail them. The United Kingdom, for example, has now decreased its emissions substantially below the 1990 emissions benchmark set by the Kyoto Protocol. According to our calculations, the U.K. and Canada are each responsible for about 2 percent of cumulative global emissions since 1978, but the U.K. cut its emissions by 42 percent from 1990 to 2022, while Canada increased its emissions by 19 percent over the same period. Canada’s lack of progress on emissions reductions might make it a more promising target for political and legal action by vulnerable states.

While EnMod’s text does not mention the ICJ specifically, it does state that consultation and cooperation should be handled “within the framework of the United Nations and in accordance with its Charter” and, crucially, that the “international procedures may include the services of appropriate international organizations.” As the primary judicial agency of the U.N., the ICJ would seem to qualify. Still, the treaty’s failure to explicitly designate a legal venue for resolving EnMod-related disputes means its jurisdiction remains uncertain.

Vulnerable countries seeking compensation for loss and damage, referred to as applicants, should choose their legal targets carefully. (Vanuatu is not currently a member of EnMod, so it could not use it for a legal challenge unless it joins.) The likely targets, known as respondents, would be countries that ratified EnMod and have done relatively little to lower emissions in the decades since. Canada, Australia, and the United States might be politically appealing respondents; even China, although not wealthy on a per capita basis, could come under scrutiny.

Applicants would need to establish “military or any other hostile use” of environmental modification techniques by a target country. The argument that major emitters are causing climate change for military purposes is not likely to get far because militaries are responsible for a tiny fraction of total global emissions. Climate change also doesn’t serve an obvious military purpose, such as allowing one country to conquer another.

Still, applicants could contend that continued emissions in the face of authoritative scientific evidence of climate change is tantamount to intentionally, or at least recklessly, imposing “destruction, damage or injury” on other EnMod members. This rationale is strengthened by the fact that alternative energy sources are increasingly available at commercially viable costs in the global north. In this sense, Canada has been more reckless with its emissions than the U.K.

EnMod guarantees members the right to use “environmental modification techniques for peaceful purposes.” Most emissions come from civilian, not military, sources, and a respondent might argue that greenhouse gases were emitted for the peaceful purpose of economic production. But applicants could respond that while economic production itself might have a peaceful purpose, the environmental modification caused by emissions does not. On the contrary: Climate change is expected to be enormously destructive and harmful to all forms of life on Earth. The scientific community is increasingly able to attribute extreme climate events, such as cyclones or wildfires, to climate change.

The recent U.N. resolution opens the door to providing greater clarity over whether EnMod, and even the ICJ itself, could be used for climate lawsuits. The ICJ is expected to spend the next year analyzing the relevant international law and issuing an advisory opinion. The court should include the EnMod treaty within the scope of its analysis.

Even if the advisory opinion’s authors ultimately decide that EnMod does not provide the ICJ jurisdiction over climate litigation—or do not address the topic—the treaty gives state parties some political leverage they could use in the future. EnMod members still have the right to lodge a complaint with the U.N. Security Council, which has the legal authority to investigate the complaint or refer it to the ICJ.

This tactic could be useful to groups such as the Climate Vulnerable Forum of 58 countries disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change. Its professed interest in discussing loss and damage is likely to mean that novel legal and political climate compensation strategies will emerge over the coming decade. Developing these can—and should—include revisiting and potentially repurposing arcane U.N. treaties such as EnMod.

[fluffstravels]

Dried Rations for Cosmic Hibernation

Dried Rations for Cosmic Hibernation (A Winter Prog/Psych Mix)

Van der Graaf Generator - Arrow - Godbluff / 1975

Happy the Man - Upon the Rainbow (Befrost) - Happy the Man / 1977

Island - Herold and King - Pictures / 1977

Terje Rypdal - The Hunt - Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away / 1974

Ashra - Deep Distance - New Age of Earth / 1976

Steve Tibbetts - The Alien Lounge - Yr / 1980

Tim Blake - Lighthouse - Blake's New Jerusalem / 1978

Anthony Phillips - Wise After The Event - Wise After The Event / 1978

Tangerine Dream - Bent Cold Sidewalk - Cyclone / 1978

FM - Black Noise - Black Noise / 1977

SUMMARY

The catalyst for this mix was listening to the second to last song listed, Bent Cold Sidewalk by Tangerine Dream, and realizing that in my brain there was an understanding of an oddly specific subset of late, sci-fi-influenced 70s progressive rock that felt like winter to me. The music has this kind of ultra nerd aura. Uneven, occasionally squeaky vocals (see the Tim Blake and Tangerine Dream tracks lol) contrasting with engrossing, rich instrumentation. Cold sequencers, inhuman reeds, war drums, woody guitars. All the elements of these songs come together to create some perfect sonic rendition of being snowed in, with little available to you besides hunkering down. If you’re like me, avoiding snowbound boredom is eerie movies and falling down endless rabbit holes of wikipedia articles. I hope you enjoy this mix and can find those lonely, dorky winter feelings that these songs bring me. <<<<<Track By Track Breakdown Below>>>>>

Arrow: VDGG is a band that I almost considered too good to put on this mix. Peter Hammill’s vampiric voice never fails to totally enrapture me, but the robotic goth keys, chilled saxophone (a running theme in this mix),  and the chugging bass+drums, are what seals this track as an all-time prog favorite for me. Hammill’s banshee declaration of the arrow-like unpredictability of death will shatter your bones.

Upon the Rainbow: Happy the Man’s cool jazzy electric piano pins this track like a fresh cuppa hot chocolate. The vocals are a bit like what I imagine a forest gnome’s Pavarotti (upon the rainBOWWWWWW) would sound like and I think they add a lot of whimsy to this track, especially with the fantasy lyrics. The sax and flute are also very welcome additions.

Herold and King: It’d be ignorant to do a “winter hibernation prog” mix and not try to capture the isolation and anxiety that can come with the season. The vocals on this track are fantastic, the singer emulates the haunting vibe that only Hammill has gotten otherwise. The reversed vocal freakout, underpinned by what sounds like VDGG and ELP’s angsty child who starts fires, is a highlight for me, and it only grows more disturbing from there. It’s a peculiar track, but if you like it, you love it.

The Hunt: This is the first of the two “ECM prog” tracks here, as in prog tracks from albums released by the jazz-focused label ECM. This track finds you in a frozen wasteland where King Crimson’s monolithic record Red, released this same year, once stood. Fuzz bass, machine drums, hazy fusion guitar, and a mysterious french horn create a soundtrack that would suit a fending off a polar bear as well as it’d suit trying to get the blanket to equally cover all parts of your frigid self. The mellotron towards the end is especially welcomed by me.

Deep Distance: Just as it’d be silly to ignore the anxieties of winter, it would be remiss of me to ignore the hazy atmosphere that holiday lights & decorations can bring. Manuel Gottsching crafts the innate wonder a snowy environment brings with synth, guitar, and percussion. You have no need to worry about shoveling the driveway or finding the right layers yet. You’re with whoever you love most, watching the snowfall from the comfort of the indoors by the fire, seeing the neighborhood lights twinkle out into an otherwise pitch black night. The Alien Lounge: Alien Lounge is ECM prog track no.2, and excerpted from Steve Tibbetts’ excellent 1980 album Yr, which I bring up as I’ve used his amazing hand-sketched cover for that album for this mix. The stark black and white rendering of an undefinable sci-fi portrait made it an easy fit. The track itself is a really delicate guitar-led piece that, paired with Deep Distance, continues that very cozy winter feel. I highly recommend this entire album paired with the warm beverage of your choice on a late, late night. Lighthouse: I admit this song is a VERY cheesy addition. Tim Blake is best known as a keyboardist for Gong during their classic Radio Gnome-era. All the synthesizers on this track are absolutely wonderful, spacey blurbing and bubbling at its best. The cheese comes from Blake’s vocals and the lyrics that feel equal to a 1950s B-Movie, rather than the expansive, immersive science fiction found elsewhere on this mix. That being said, I enjoy it a lot. Also, you can sing the lyrics to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme song over Blake’s vox.

Wise After The Event: I have to thank my good friend James for introducing me to this song because it fits the vibe I was seeking with this mix almost too snugly. Most know Phillips for his all-too-brief stint in Genesis, and at most maybe his “The Geese and the Ghost” record that features Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. I do highly recommend “Geese”, but I also feel that Wise After The Event of is one of the most underappreciated prog records of the 70s. In it's title track, Phillips delivers a delicate vocal over gorgeous 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and earthy keyboards, with the lyrics conjuring imagery so equally vague and specific that Jon Anderson would be jealous. Bent Cold Sidewalk: I love this song and it's album, Cyclone, but I do understand why a TD-purist would be opposed to it. Cyclone is the crumbly bleu cheese of the influential Berlin School band’s discography, but I adore the goofy lyrics, melancholic vocals, wistful woodwinds, and theatrical percussion in this song so much. I hope that hearing it in the context of this pure prog rock context can make the most staunch Cyclone Grinch have a change of heart :) Black Noise: FM's Black Noise is far too under-discussed in prog circles. The violin/synth/drums trio is one of the most unique prog bands and they've made some of my favorite music in the genre. The titular song of that album tells the story of underground sewer lizard people facing their fears to come out into the world..or something. It works. The percussion on this song is magic, the synth is perfectly moody, the vocals are slightly goofy but so earnest they always win me over, and Nash the Slash’s soaring violin in the middle of the song is so good that you understand why these guys never bothered to find a guitarist. The buildup at the end of this song with the chunky Rickenbacker bass and the building synthesizer is so fittingly intense for the weird sci-fi world the band is trying to build. This is my favorite song on this mix, and the one I most strongly recommend.

If you’ve read all of this, thank you, and I hope you enjoy the mix I’ve put together!

[graveyardrabbit]

Cyclone (1978) dir. René Cardona Jr.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.23 (after 1970)

1971 – Representatives of the People's Republic of China attend the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, for the first time. 1972 – The Soviet Union makes its final attempt at launching the N1 rocket. 1974 – Sixty Ethiopian politicians, aristocrats, military officers, and other persons are executed by the provisional military government. 1976 – Jacques Mayol is the first man to reach a depth of 100 m (330 ft) undersea without breathing equipment. 1978 – Cyclone kills about 1,000 people in eastern Sri Lanka. 1978 – The Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975 goes into effect, realigning many of Europe's longwave and mediumwave broadcasting frequencies. 1980 – The 6.9 Mw  Irpinia earthquake shakes southern Italy with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 2,483–4,900, and injuring 7,700–8,934. 1981 – Iran–Contra affair: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua. 1985 – Gunmen hijack EgyptAir Flight 648 en route from Athens to Cairo. When the plane lands in Malta, Egyptian commandos storm the aircraft, but 60 people die in the raid. 1991 – Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury announces in a statement that he is HIV-positive. He dies the following day. 1992 – The first smartphone, the IBM Simon, is introduced at COMDEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. 1996 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is hijacked, then crashes into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Comoros after running out of fuel, killing 125. 2001 – The Convention on Cybercrime is signed in Budapest, Hungary. 2002 – Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-113 to the International Space Station carrying the Expedition 6 crew and the P1 truss. 2003 – Rose Revolution: Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns following weeks of mass protests over flawed elections. 2004 – The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, the largest religious building in Georgia, is consecrated. 2005 – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is elected president of Liberia and becomes the first woman to lead an African country. 2006 – A series of bombings kills at least 215 people and injures 257 others in Sadr City, making it the second deadliest sectarian attack since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003. 2007 – MS Explorer, a cruise liner carrying 154 people, sinks in the Antarctic Ocean south of Argentina after hitting an iceberg near the South Shetland Islands. There are no fatalities. 2009 – The Maguindanao massacre occurs in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, Philippines; 58 opponents of Andal Ampatuan Jr. are kidnapped and killed. 2010 – Bombardment of Yeonpyeong: North Korean artillery attack kills two civilians and two marines on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea. 2011 – Arab Spring: After 11 months of protests in Yemen, Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh signs a deal to transfer power to the vice president, in exchange for legal immunity. 2015 – Blue Origin's New Shepard space vehicle became the first rocket to successfully fly to space and then return to Earth for a controlled, vertical landing. 2018 – Founders of Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana issue an apology following a series of offensive advertisements on social media promoting a fashion show in Shanghai, China, which was canceled. 2019 – The last Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia, Imam, dies, making the species officially extinct in the country.

[yestolerancepro]

Tolerance Project extra The 8 Best Star Wars Rip offs Ranked

Part 2 Battle Beyond the Stars Battlestar Galactica and Flash Gordon 1980 and Spaceballs

Introduction

Welcome to the second part of my blog looking at 8 of the best films which RIP off Star Wars this chapter covers Battle Beyond the Stars Battlestar Galatica the original series from 1978 the 1980 film version of Flash Gordon and Spaceballs

Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

Battle Beyond the Stars was produced by the famous B-movie director Roger Corman. Who died on May 11th 2024 you can read a tribute here https://variety.com/2024/film/news/roger-corman-dead-producer-independent-b-movie-1235999591/

 His rip-off follows a farming world being threatened by warlord Sador (Darth Vader) who needs body parts to salvage his own deteriorating body. He possesses a Stellar Converter that turns planets into stars unless their inhabitants comply. By proxy, volunteers (Rebels) band together to thwart the doomsday machine. The film is comically derivative and was intended to be a Magnificent Seven in space.

My Memories of Battle Beyond the Stars

Not really a Star Wars Rip off its more Magnificent Seven in Space but its its still a great film I remember seeing it on ITV network one afternoon the story didn’t really grab me but I thought the acting was great I remember thinking what is John Boy from the Waltons and Hanibal Smith from the A Team doing in Outer Space lol

For those Wondering what I am talking about ha ha Richard Thomas who played John Boy Walton in the long running series played Shad the hero of Battle Beyond the Stars. George Peppard now more well known for playing the role of Haniball Smith in the A Team played the role of Cowboy in the film.

Further Watching

To watch a trailer for Battle Beyond the Stars click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t7z_44nGio

Battlestar Galactica (1978)

Battlestar Galactica began with the television pilot "Saga of a Star World" and was released theatrically as a standalone film. A thousand-year-old war in a distant star system between humanity and a robot race known as the Cyclons. A peace treaty is reached but ends in deception after the promise of sparing the Cyclon race was broken.

They use the Battlestar Galactica to protect them from the impending robotic fleet. The film and short-lived series led to a copyright infringement lawsuit; the planet Carillon, for example, has a gambler's den similar to the Mos Eisley cantina.

My memories of Battlestar Galactica

For me the original and best version of the show Again speaking as I find the Star Wars references went over my head. I loved the series as a kid  for a number of reasons. One was the classic theme tune by Stu Phillips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzyHxYxc to listen to an interview with the composer click here : https://filmumentaries.com/2023/06/78-stu-phillips-composer-battlestar-galactica-knight-rider-etc/

The charectors of Starbuck and Apollo played by a pre A Team Dirk Benidect and Richard Hatch I also loved the space battles with the Cylons who were great baddies

Talking of the Cylons the blinking eye motif that moved across their faces would turn up  again in another Glenn Larson series for the grill in the talking car action series Knight Rider.

To learn more about Knight Rider click here (368) 10 Things You Didn't Know About Knight Rider - YouTube

I also loved the stories as well about them trying to find somewhere called planet Earth a planet for them to settle on a place to call home they would find Earth but not until the sequel series Galactica 1980 which took place 30 years after the original series .

Further Watching

To watch a trailer for Battlestar Galactica 1978 click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZUHkZPK1AY

To watch a documentary called WTF happened to Battlestar Galatica 1978 click here (368) WTF Happened to Battlestar Galactica? (1978) - YouTube

Flash Gordon (1980)

Flash Gordon is a space opera superhero film based on the comic strip of the titular character. Its story follows an unlikely hero who receives aid to stop a ruthless alien tyrant from destroying the Earth. George Lucas attempted to secure the rights to make his own adaptation of the space faring hero, but when denied, he made Star Wars instead. The film has since reached cult status for its campy, exaggerated costumes, set design, and special effects.

My Memories of Flash Gordon

Again this is not a Star Wars Rip Off Flash Gordon was arround in the early 30s and 40s long before Star Wars was even thought of.

I used to watch the old black and white serials with Buster Crabbe during the summer holidays you can watch a trailer for Flash Gordon conquers the universe by clicking here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlEWl3igd0c

Also this article is worth a read about how the 1930s Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon seriels changed scifi https://www.tor.com/2019/08/21/the-flash-gordon-serials-of-the-1930s-changed-the-face-of-sci-fi/

 I had also seen the classic Filmation animated series The New Adventures of Flash Gordon 1979-1982 which again was shown during school holidays  and loved that  the first series more than the second.

So I was well grounded in Flash Gordon before I saw the film I first remember seeing this film as a movie première shown on the BBC during Christmas in the early 80s and I have loved it ever since.

The film is really well done acting and effects wise and Queen who I also love did an excellant soundtrack for it Flash’s theme which you can see by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfmrHTdXgK4 is a great example  I think its a real shame that there was no sequel to follow it I would have watched it anyway

Further Watching 

To watch a trailer for the 1980 film of Flash Gordon click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6uOHnxf85g

To watch a documentary called 10 things you didn’t know about Flash Gordon Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu1bOFUtP5g&t=13s

To watch a retrospective review of Flash Gordon 1980 from the Oliver Harper Youtube channel click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TI2_323Rvg

To watch a documentary called 10 things The Flash Gordon 1980 the version we never so click here (261) 10 THINGS - Flash Gordon The Version You've Never Seen - YouTube

Spaceballs (1987)

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Spaceballs is the funniest love letter to Star Wars in the entire galaxy. The parody created by comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks follows mercenary Lone Starr (Han Solo), his half-man, half-dog sidekick Barf (Chewbacca), Princess Vespa (Princess Leia), and the wise, old alien Yogurt (Yoda), who teaches them the power of the Schwartz (the Force).

Together, the ragtag team stop the planet Spaceball from stealing the air from Vespa's home planet. The comedy also makes jabs at other franchises, including Alien, Planet of the Apes, and Star Trek.

Probably the best Star Wars Rip off of them all is this one George Lucas even liked it the only thing he told them not to do before giving the production team the green light was asking them not to produce any merchandise for the film

Further Watching 

To watch a trailer for Spaceballs click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGIM_yNzeUo

To watch a documentary called 10 things you didn’t know about Spaceballs click here

10 Things You Didn't Know About SpaceBalls (The Re-Upload) (youtube.com)

To watch a Documentary called Spaceballs 10 things the version we never saw click here 10 THINGS - Spaceballs: The Version You've Never Seen (youtube.com)

Space balls will be getting a sequel click here to find out more https://www.avclub.com/spaceballs-sequel-josh-gad-mel-brooks-1851548890

To find out more about the planned Spaceballs sequel click here https://people.com/everything-we-know-so-far-about-spaceballs-2-8674590

Notes

Thanks to Minty's comedic arts for his documentaries on Flash Gordon 1980 and Spaceballs and Oilver Harper youtube channel for his Retrospective video on Flash Gordon 1980 You tube for the Viarous film trailers and google images for the pictures

[bitter69uk]

“Like [Mario] Lanza, Maria Montez had a reputation for being impossible to handle. After a number of years in Haji-Baba type adventures, she was dropped by Universal and forced to seek work in European cheapies. While in Europe, she attempted to counter her advanced state of avoirdupois with hot saline baths. She died in one of a heart attack at the age of thirty-one.”

/ From the book Flesh and Fantasy (1978) by Penny Stallings /

Died on this day in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes, France: nostril-flaring and tempestuous Queen of Technicolour Exotica, Caribbean Cyclone and leading lady of films like White Savage (1943), Cobra Woman (1944) and Siren of Atlantis (1949), Maria Montez (née María África Gracia Vidal, 6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951). Aside from perhaps the young Yvonne De Carlo, did any woman wear a yashmak with more elan? Note: Stallings gets Montez’s age wrong in the quote above – she was 39 when she died. (Like any self-respecting diva, Montez had a “show biz age”). Montez is entombed in the Cimetière du Montparnasse. Who knows at this point if I’ll ever return to Paris, but if I do, I vow to make a religious pilgrimage to Montez’s grave. “When I see myself on the screen, I look so beautiful I want to scream with joy” Montez once famously declared. Maria Montez, you make ME scream with joy!