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1960s Season 1 Twilight Zone

And When The Sky Was Opened

The Twilight ZoneA spacecraft that flew 900 miles above Earth and then vanished for 24 hours returns, with its crew of three intact. But one of the astronauts, Major Gart, doesn’t remember one of the others; he only recalls a crew of two. His crewmate, Forbes, remembers the presence of a third man, Harrington, but Forbes is the only one who seems to remember him. And then suddenly, Gart no longer remembers Forbes…

Download this episode via Amazonteleplay by Charles Beaumont
based on a short story by Richard Matheson
directed by Douglas Heyes
music by Leonard Rosenman

The Twilight ZoneCast: Rod Taylor (Lt. Col. Clegg Forbes), James Hutton (Maj. William Gart), Charles Aidman (Col. Ed Harrington), Maxine Cooper (Amy ), Paul Bryar (Bartender), Sue Randall (Nurse), Joe Bassett (Medical Officer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 1 Space: 1999

The Full Circle

Space: 1999Eagle 6 is launched to explore an Earthlike planet, but when the landing party doesn’t report back to Moonbase Alpha for hours, Koenig orders the ship returned by remote control…but Eagle 6 returns with no one aboard except for a dead caveman. A full-scale rescue operation is launched, with only three days to find the missing Eagle crew before the moon moves out of range. The rescue mission goes disastrously wrong, though – Commander Koenig and Dr. Russell go missing, along with the rest of their Eagle’s search party, while Carter is attacked by more cavemen when he lands a second Eagle and begins his own search for Koenig. Carter narrowly escapes being killed when the cavemen are too fascinated by his communicatior to deliver the fatal blow. Back at the Moonbase, the autopsy of the caveman turns up something very disturbing: he was originally a member of the first Eagle crew.

Order the DVDswritten by Jesse Lasky Jr. & Pat Silver
directed by Bob Kellett
music by Barry Gray
additional music by Vic Elms

Guest Cast: Prentis Hancock (Paul Morrow), Clifton Jones (David Kano), Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes), Anton Phillips (Dr. Mathias), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Oliver Cotton (Spear man)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Ark II

Don Quixote

Ark IIArk II moves into an area where unexploded bombs from an ancient war have been detected. Jonah safely detonates one of them with a remote electromagnetic device, leaving a huge crater in the landscape but harming no one. But there’s a witness to this explosion: a man in homemade armor, on horseback, raises his jousting lance and charges toward the Ark. All he collides with is the vehicle’s force field, but that only slows him down: he thinks he’s Don Quixote, and his sidekick, reluctantly playing the part of Sancho Panza, apologizes profusely to Jonah. The Ark continues in its search for another unexploded bomb, finding it at the heart of a nearby village. The slightest jolt could set it off – such as a jolt from a self-styled knight errant who’s convinced that Jonah is the Black Knight.

Ark IIwritten by Robert Specht & Len Janson
directed by Ted Post
music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael and Horta-Mahana

Cast: Terry Lester (Jonah), Jean Marie Hon (Ruth), Jose Flores (Samuel), Robert Ridgely (Don Quixote), Vito Scotti (Sancho Panza), Lou Scheimer (voice of Adam)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Electra Woman & Dyna Girl

The Spider Lady – Part 2

Electra Woman & Dyna GirlSpider Lady infiltrates the Electra Base in the guise of Electra Woman, but her odd behavior is a tip-off to Dyna Girl. “Electra Woman” steals the golden spider of Baklava, but she is soon cornered by Dyna Girl and the real Electra Woman. The Spider Lady and Electra Woman both say they are Electra Woman, but only one of them is…and the decision as to which one will be set free now lies with Dyna Girl.

written by Gerry Day and Bethel Leslie
directed by Walter Miller
music not credited

Electra Woman & Dyna GirlCast: Deidre Hall (Lori / Electra Woman), Judy Strangis (Judy / Dyna Girl), Norman Alden (Frank Heflin), Tiffany Bolling (The Spider Lady), Bruce Fischer (Spinner), Robert Raymond Sutton (Leggs), Andrea Lovell (Electra Woman’s Clone)Marvin Miller (Narrator)

Notes: Baklava may be foreign, but it is not a country. It is, however, delicious.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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KTMA Season Mystery Science Theater 3000

Experiment K05: Gamera

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The KTMA SeasonMST3K Story: It’s Christmastime, so Joel has decided to carbon-freeze Crow and use him as a Christmas tree because he’s the most “spindly”. He also contemplates using Servo as a “Frosty the Snowman”. After a caller (whose message gets a Punky Brewster background) asks who cuts Joel’s hair, the credits roll early so Joel can point out that it’s “Mr. Crow of Beverly Hills”. Later, Joel takes another call, then does a poll on movie colorization. Joel also gets calls from competing coalitions, each supporting different giant monsters. A review of the previous movie proves inconclusive. At episode’s close, Joel shows Gypsy how Crow was frozen, followed by a discussion of the Holiday season and a rendition of “O Tanenbot”.

Gamera Story: A scientific expedition to the Arctic led by Dr. Hidaka is disrupted by a dogfight that leads to an airplane crash. The explosion awakens Gamera, a giant monster turtle. Meanwhile, a young boy named Kenny is in trouble in school and at home because of his obsession with turtles. Forced to release his pet turtle to the wild, he comes upon Gamera and feels a kinship with the giant turtle. The humans try many different means of destroying Gamera without success. Kenny, who believes Gamera is good, eventually convinces them to use “Z Plan”, in which Gamera is trapped in a rocket and blasted into space. “Z Plan” is a success and Gamera is peacefully removed from the Earth.

MST3K segments written by Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Josh Weinstein, Jim Mallon & Kevin Murphy
MST3K segments directed by Vince Rodriguez
Gamera written by Nisan Takahashi (as Fumi Takahashi)
Gamera directed by Noriaki Yuasa
Gamera music by Tadashi Yamauchi

MST3K Guest Cast: none

Gamera Cast: Eiji Funakoshi (Hidaka), Bokuzen Hidari (Old Man), Harumi Kiritachi (Kyoke), Yoshio Kitahara (Sakurai), Michiko Sugata (Nobuyo), Jun Hamamura (Dr. Murase), Junichiro Yamashita (Ayagi), Yoshiro Uchida (Toshio), Koji Fujiyama (Engineer)

LogBook entry by Philip R. Frey

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Alien Nation Season 1

The Spirit Of ’95

Alien NationEmotions run high as the vote approaches for the Alien Voting Amemdment, a significant change to the U.S. Constitution that would give Newcomers the vote for the first time. The pro-AVA movement is gaining ground, and its charismatic leaders even convince Buck and Susan to help them in their campaign. But they’re also receiving bomb threats – and after one such threat, the AVA campaign headquarters is destroyed just after Buck and Susan step outside. The threat caller claims to be a member of the anti-alien Purist Party, and this lands George and Sikes in the middle of an investigation that proves to be as much about politics as about solving the crime. The leader of the Purists naturally denies all knowledge, and even brings up the possibility that the AVA movement’s leaders may be engineering these problems for themselves to gain sympathetic press coverage. How far will both sides go to further their agendas – and can George and Sikes actually catch either side doing anything illegal?

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episodewritten by Tom Chehak
directed by Harry S. Longstreet
music by David Kurtz

Guest Cast: Mark Thomas Miller (Wyatt Earp), Mark Joy (Max Clay), Clarence Felder (Jack Pearlman), Harvey Jason (Hopper), Henry Brown (Jesse Parker), Frances Bay (Mrs. Gillimore), Mark L. Taylor (Mike Wilmington), Marla Fries (Carol Wilmington), Michael Milhoan (Cop), Ron S. Herbes (Reporter), Arthur Seidel (Desk Sergeant), Martin Valinsky (Officer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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1984-95: Heisei Series Godzilla

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

GodzillaLifting the remains of Mecha King Ghidorah from the ocean, Japanese officials begin work on Mechagodzilla, a robot they hope will defeat the King of the Monsters.

A scientific expedition on a remote island finds fossilized pteranodon remains and an intact giant egg. As they prepare to ship it to Japan, Rodan swoops down and destroys the encampment. Godzilla rises from the ocean and the two beasts taunt each other. While they battle, the humans escape on a helicopter with the egg.

The egg is taken to Kyoto for study. Kazuma Aoka, who is in a Mechagodzilla training program, checks out the egg as a pteranodon enthusiast, but is run off by Azusa, one of the researchers. Several days later, the egg hatches! Instead of a flying dinosaur as expected, a cute little (6 foot) baby Godzillasaur emerges and becomes attached to Azusa.

Following the path of the egg, Godzilla arrives near Kyoto. G-Force deploys Mechagodzilla.. They face off in a wooded hilly area. The metal monster blasts at Godzilla with several types of energy weapons, with little effect. Godzilla uses his nuclear fire against Mechagodzilla, but it just sheds off the diamond skin like water on a waxed car hood. Using a “Plasma Grenade” beam, the robot knocks Godzilla to the ground. More weapons are used against the felled giant, who writhes in pain. Just as it appears Mechagodzilla is going to defeat Godzilla, a malfunction immobilizes the robot. Godzilla continues his march to Kyoto, swatting away the conventional forces sent against him. Azusa and Kazuma suspect the baby dinosaur may be calling to Godzilla. When the King of the Monsters arrives at the building with Godzillasaur, he turns and leaves.

Repairs are being affected to Mechagodzilla. Meanwhile, Kazuma is performing maintenance on Garuda, a flying battle tank that was superseded by the robot. Officials decide to use the friendly monster to lure Godzilla into a trap.

Recovered from his wounds, Rodan flies in causing extensive damage. He apparently is also hearing the call of the Godzillasaur. The giant pteranodon grabs the container with “Baby” and and Azusa inside and leaves.

With repairs attached, Mechagodzilla is deployed against Rodan, with Garuda deployed separately. Rodan is attempting to break open the container with the Godzillasaur when the two machines arrive. Garuda distracts Rodan, which forces Garuda to crash into a building. Mechagodzilla blasts at the flying monster with its Plasma Grenade, knocking it out the sky.

As Rodan lies bleeding profusely, a team from G-Force attempts to free the baby and Azusa from the container. Godzilla rises from the bay and again faces Mechagodzilla. The blast at each other with fire from their mouths. Godzilla stumbles, but renews his attack against a damaged Mechagodzilla. He picks it up, tosses it aside, and slams at it with his tail.

Kazuma has managed to repair Garuda and presses an assault against Godzilla. While he is distracted, Mechagodzilla uses a flying tackle to knock over the beast. With Godzilla lying stunned, Garuda attaches to the back of Mechagodzilla. Together they form Super Mechagodzilla, and continue their attack.

They advance against Godzilla, firing most the beam weapons simultaneously. The Plasma Grenade, now recharged, is used and knocks him down again. He rises again, only to be shot with a new weapon called the G-Crusher. It launches two spikes with power lines attached into Godzilla’s body. Incredible jolts of electricity are fired through the lines, causing him excruciating pain.

The Godzillasaur breaks out of the container and cries out. It awakens Rodan, who flies to Godzilla, only to be shot down by Mechagodzilla. It falls onto the King of the Monsters, but its life energy is transferred into Godzilla, who rises again with renewed strength. The same energy that brought Godzilla back to life also weakens the robot’s armor. Godzilla blasts at it again and again. Mechagodzilla lies broken and burning. The crew escapes.

With her heart breaking, Azusa flies off in a helicopter, leaving behind the Godzillasaur. The smaller monster swims off with the giant.

screenplay by Wataru Mimura
directed by Takao Okawara
music by Akira Ifukube

Human Cast: Masahiro Takashima (Kazuma Aoki), Ryoko Sano (Azusa Gojo), Megumi Odaka (Miki Saegusa)

Monster Cast: Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, baby Godzillasaur

LogBook entry by Robert Parson

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Season 03 Star Trek Voyager

Macrocosm

Star Trek: VoyagerStardate 50425.1: Janeway and Neelix return from a diplomatic mission to find Voyager adrift and the crew unconscious, concentrated in a few areas of the ship. They find evidence of alien lifeforms that can punch their way through doors and equipment, and a chance encounter with one of the aliens results in Neelix’s disappearance. Janeway arms herself as she tries to find out what has happened to her crew, and encounters and kills another of the alien lifeforms, but not before she has been infected by an insect-like airborne virus. She makes her way to sickbay and the Doctor describes an ill-fated humanitarian mission that resulted in the infection of the entire Voyager crew. The virus breeds as a microscopic organism and grows to its insect-like size to leave its victims’ bodies, finally evolving into a monster-sized attacker that seeks out new prey. Janeway must find a way to single-handedly rid Voyager of a scourge that outnumbers her by a factor of billions to one.

Order the DVDswritten by Brannon Braga
directed by Alexander Singer
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Albie Selznick (Taktak Consul), Michael Fiske (Garan Miner)

LogBook entry by Paul Campbell

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Star Trek The Movies The Next Generation

Star Trek: Insurrection

Star Trek: The Next GenerationOn the planet Ba’ku, a small ringed world tucked away into a dangerous expanse of gaseous clouds known as the Briar Patch, a team of Federation and Son’a scientists observe the seemingly simple Ba’ku people from the safety of a cloaked observation post. But Data, who has been assigned to the project, makes a discovery that changes his status from member of the research team to hunted fugitive. Data destroys the cloaking device, revealing the observers to the Ba’ku, and attacking the Son’a command ship. Starfleet Admiral Dougherty, at the urging of the Son’a leader Ru’afo, contacts the Enterprise and demands Data’s schematics. Captain Picard is alarmed by the news of Data’s behavior, and decides to set the Enterprise on a course for Ba’ku to investigate personally. Picard and Worf – visiting during a break in his duties aboard Deep Space Nine – manage to capture Data and bring him back to the Enterprise, but questioning him reveals more surprises. Hidden beneath a lake on Ba’ku, a Starfleet ship with a huge holodeck awaits to take the small populatuion of 600 Ba’ku away from their home, leaving the rings of their world to be mined by the Son’a for their unique restorative properties. The rings have made the Ba’ku nearly immortal, and they will die if removed from their planet. And, to Picard’s disgust, Ru’afo has the cooperation of Admiral Dougherty – and, the admiral claims, the entire Federation Council – in his venture to relocate the Ba’ku by force.

Having befriended the Ba’ku during his visits to the planet, Picard decides that it may be necessary to abandon his Starfleet career to save them. His crew joins him in his fight to preserve the Ba’ku, but Ru’afo has other ideas, and is quickly tiring of the Starfleet procedures that Admiral Dougherty insists upon following. Riker and Geordi take the Enterprise on a course out of the Briar Patch to contact the Federation without the interference of the nearby gases, with Son’a attack ships in hot pursuit with orders to shoot to kill. Meanwhile, Picard and the others try to lead the terrified Ba’ku to a safe haven, avoiding Ru’afo’s attempts to kidnap them via transporter. On the way, a critical discovery is made, revealing the real reason the Son’a are trying to conquer the Ba’ku – and revealing that Dougherty has gotten the Federation involved in a centuries-old struggle to the death…

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxscreenplay by Michael Piller
story by Rick Berman & Michael Piller
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Jerry Goldsmith

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), LeVar Burton (Geordi), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Beverly), Marina Sirtis (Troi), F. Murray Abraham (Ru’afo), Donna Murphy (Anij), Anthony Zerbe (Admiral Dougherty), Gregg Henry (Gallatin), Daniel Hugh Kelly (Sojef), Michael Welch (Artim), Lorella Cuccarini (Ensign Perim), Mark Deakins (Tournel), Breon Gorman (Lt. Curtis), Max Grodenchik (Security Officer), Stephanie Niznik (Ops Officer), D. Elliot Woods (Starfleet Officer #1)

LogBook entry by Tracy Hemenover

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Lexx Season 2

Mantrid

LexxDespite the defeat of the Gigashadow, His Divine Shadow has one last trick up his sleeve – he has taken Kai as his host body. Kai reanimates himself and insists on returning to the Light Universe via an extremely risky maneuver to create a new fractal core bridging the two universes. Kai plans to retrieve one of the enormous insect larvae left over from the Gigashadow’s destruction to extract more protoblood from it – or so he says. Stan and 790 experience a rare moment of complete agreement when they both suggest blasting the larva that Kai retrieves back into space. Kai suddenly presents Stan and Zev with a new mission: to find Mantrid, His Divine Shadow’s imprisoned bio-vizier. Mantrid’s knowledge was critical to the Divine Order, but his knowledge and ambition were both dangerous enough that he was kept alive but imprisoned. When they reach the distant world where Mantrid has languished for centuries, Stan and Zev are horrified when Kai offers Mantrid passage on the Lexx. Using his independent floating self-replicating “arm” drones, Mantrid embarks on an experiment to transfer his consciousness to the more powerful insect body. But under the Divine Shadow’s influence, Kai attacks Mantrid and instead transfers the Shadow’s consciousness to the insect – and the prospect of a new insect race hunting down all human life is imminent, unless Zev can convince Stan to destroy the planetoid while she and Kai are still on it.

Season 2 Regular Cast: Brian Downey (Stanley Tweedle), Eva Habermann (Zev), Michael McManus (Kai), Xenia Seeberg (Xev)

Order the DVDswritten by Paul Donovan
directed by Cristoph Schrewe
music by Marty Simon

Guest Cast: Dieter Laser (Mantrid), Holger Kunkel (Mantrid’s Assistant), Jeffrey Hirschfield (790), Tom Gallant (Lexx), Chris Duffy (Captain), Burgandy Code (Navigator), John Davie (Rockhound)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Enterprise Season 02 Star Trek

Precious Cargo

Star Trek: EnterpriseAn alien freighter approaches the Enterprise, asking for technical assistance. Archer rolls out the red carpet for his visitors, as Trip checks out the piece of equipment that seems to be giving them trouble: a stasis pod containing a beautiful, almost human-looking woman. The freighter’s pilots claim she is in suspended animation due to the long journey and their ship’s limited life support resources. As Trip works on the malfunctioning pod, she awakens and shows no sign of wanting to be in the pod, or on the freighter for that matter. When Trip releases her, the freighter’s captain attacks him, undocks from the Enterprise and takes off. One of the pilots is left aboard the Enterprise, and Archer and T’Pol have to improvise a good cop-bad cop routine to get any information from him. In the meantime, Trip resourcefully makes his own escape with the woman – a kidnapped princess – in tow, using one of the freighter’s escape pods. Now he doesn’t know which will prove more dangerous: finding a habitable planet on which he can set up camp and send a distress signal to the Enterprise, or dealing with his arrogant passenger.

Order DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by David A. Goodman
story by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga
directed by David Livingston
music by Paul Baillargeon

Guest Cast: Padma Lakshmi (Kaitaama), Leland Crooke (Firek Plinn), Scott Klace (Firek Goff)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Black Mirror Season 1

Fifteen Million Merits

Black MirrorBing Madsen wakes up in his tiny room every day; every wall is a screen, and like everyone else, he’s bombarded with constant entertainment. But also like everyone else, he can’t just stay in his room – it’s off to the gym to put in a full day on a stationary bike, the kinetic energy from which everyone’s electronic life is powered. Those who can’t or won’t spend their days in the gym are clad in yellow, relegated to menial work, and ridiculed throughout society. Bing, however, puts in his gym time, and it’s there that he meets Abi, with whom he’s immediately smitten. Upon hearing her sing, he’s entranced, and offers to spend the majority of the credits he’s built up working in the gym to buy her a ticket to compete on Hot Shots, a reality show that has made stars of so many others. The ticket is more expensive than he realizes, and he effectively zeroes out his account to make good on the promise, but he does give her a ticket and accompanies her to the live broadcast, whose judges are ready to make her a star…but not in the way that she hoped or imagined. But, presented with the choice of returning to pedaling the stationary bike day in and day out, or giving herself over to a more tawdry life of stardom than she bargained for, she does indeed make a choice. Now Bing is determined to come up with enough money – again – to buy another Hot Shots ticket, but this time so he can send society a message.

Get the DVDswritten by Charlie Brooker and Kanak Huq
directed by Euros Lyn
music by Stephen McKeon

Black MirrorCast: Daniel Kaluuya (Bing), Jessica Brown Findlay (Abi), Rupert Everett (Judge Hope), Julia Davis (Judge Charity), Ashley Thomas (Judge Wraith), Paul Popplewell (Dustin), Isabella Laughland (Swift), David Fynn (Oliver), Colin Carmichael (Kai), Hannah John-Kamen (Selma Telse), Kerrie Hayes (Glee), Eugene O’Hare (Hammond), Jaimi Barbakoff (Anna), Merce Ribot (Big Shot Registration Lady), Matthew Burgess (Botherguts Host), Laura Power (Interviewer), Matt Stokoe (Guard)

Note: Hannah John-Kamen would appear in a later episode of Black Mirror (Playtest) in a much more substantial role.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Mandalorian, The Season 2

Chapter 15: The Believer

Star Wars: The MandalorianThe Mandalorian enlists Cara Dune’s help to spring Mayfeld from a New Republic penal work camp, as Mayfeld’s knowledge of Imperial clearance codes is recent enough that he may be able to help find Moff Gideon’s cruiser. Cara Dune, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand are in on the operation as well, but it involves getting Mayfeld into a heavily guarded Imperial mining facility…and then being ready to move at a moment’s notice in case Mayfeld and the Mandalorian have to shoot their way out rather than making a quieter exit from the base. But once Mayfeld spots the Imperial officer who made him want to leave the Empire, the chances of a quieter exit – and of escaping intact – drop dangerously.

The Mandalorianwritten by Rick Famuyiwa
directed by Rick Famuyiwa
music by Ludwig Goransson

Cast: Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Bill Burr (Mayfeld), Gina Carano (Cara Dune), Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett), Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Donald Mills (Security Droid), Gabriel Ebert (Gunnery Officer), Miguel A. Lopez (Juggernaut Pilot), Barry Lowin (Shoretrooper), Katy O’Brian (Comms Officer), Richard Brake (Valin Hess), Taeho de Vitto (Village Kid)

LogBook entry by Earl Green