Inspiration for current movies?
595024
I am re-reading the TimeQuest trilogy for the first time since I bought it back around 1981.  It was apparently reprinted in 1985
by a different publisher.

The premise of these stories is that the "Galaxy of Man" (Milky
Way) was invaded by aliens (the Kigon), and the Worlds of Man
sent out a bunch of ships to the Andromeda Galaxy to preserve
Man in case we lost the battle in the Milky Way.  The ships were
not Faster-Than-Light, so they took thousands of years to get
there, but once there, they seeded many different planets.
Some of the new colonies drifted genetically to match their new
environments.

Back in the Galaxy of Man, Man evolved into "Star Gods", leaving
their corporeal form and reaching other levels of existence.
The StarGods sent out FTL ships to Andromeda to contact the
human colonies, and let them know that they could now return
to the Milky Way because the Kigon threat was gone.

The story centers on Chayn Jahil, a man grown by one of the
StarGods' ships during the trip to Andromeda.  The ship educated
him on the way.  In Andromeda, Chayn's job is to pilot the
ship (via mental link) to contact different colonies, and tell
them they can go back, or just to help them with whatever
problem they're having.

On the way, Chayn picks up a blue humanoid girl who he first
helps, then she assists him in the other 2 books.

In each of the 3 books, Chayn meets with a different colony
of Men, helps them with their crisis, and learns more about
his origins, the StarGods, and the universe in general.

I have the original printing, and there are a lot of typo's
in the text.  The word "loose" is commonly misused where
the word "lose" was intended.  If that kind of thing bothers
you, you might want to avoid these books.  Maybe the later
reprint by another publisher is better.

What I find interesting is that several of the ideas that
appear in these books remind me of recent sci-fi movies.
In one, the humans being transported by a slow ship are held
in a sort of electronic world (like "The Matrix").  Chayn's
companion, Villimy Dy, reminds me a lot of the blue girl
in the TV series, "Farscape."  You'll have to read them
yourself to discover the others.

Pretty good stories, not a LOT of suspense, but a wide
variety of science-based ideas and a creative premise.
4717152
A visual reference and inspiration of the early development of vocabulary of film as well as a history. These DVDs are the result of massive restoration/preservation project for the films researched and found by the editors.

There is a book:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Unseen-Cinema-Early-American-Avant-Garde-Film-1893-1941/dp/0962818178/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1893-1941</a>&nbsp;that has essays on the films and film makers that complements the contents of this DVD set.

I bought the book and have the DVDs but correlating the two (finding on the DVD after reading about it in the book) takes some effort. Along with the contents of the DVDs there is a 20 part programs that the editors listed in the book as presentation series of the films. Some are not included in the DVD.
44120
LXG is a good popcorn movie. Most modern audience members who don't remember, or care for, the imaginative cinema and literature of the past may be clueless of it's charms, but it's a quaint throwback to the days of Irwin Allen and George Pal with modern visuals. Pretty enjoyable.
1646479
I'm from the cinematic old school; I love the old movies in which special effects were man-made, with matte paintings and realistic miniatures. But I have to admit the "Harry Potter" series is an outstanding example of modern computer- generated imaging.
4611655
Great movies! They're older than I thought considering the pictures on the front look newer. But all are good so far!
Good, clean movies that show the hardships and determination of those that went before us. Great lessons and stories!
3472753
This book will be of great help in sorting through the plethora of movie choices available. I am very impressed by the author's recommendations,and the intelligence and spirituality behind them. I will most definitely be using this resource in choosing films to watch.
361509
I'm not sure they can remember anymore how to make a good old fashion fun (relatively wholesome) adventure story anymore. Still these movies stand out from the crowd. A great set!!!!
2689682
I love the 1930's movies, I'd like to see the Hayes office look at todays movies. they'd have a heart attack. I like the pre-code movies best and the quality is great.
3869373
Everything that a movie should be, but has not been for a long time, the movie touches a number of emotions that need to be jogged every now and then. They remind us of are brief but important time we have on this earth !
1204518
It's odd that at writing I didn't seem to see any reviews for this book-- which is weird, considering it's been out for a few months now. I think that may be in part due to the underground nature of BFI's library. To be fair, I didn't even know these books existed until my film professor at college brought in his copy of the BFI Terminator book to help us get a grip on narrative development.

To any readers who are unaware (much like I was until recently,) the British Film Institute publishes neat little paperbacks that analyze popular films of the past few decades under their Modern Classics series, and Alien finally got its turn! In a nutshell, they analyze the film from many different angles-- to its thematic elements, to physical things such as how it was made. These books are well-written and I hope some of the other, older ones I ordered (Blade Runner and The Thing) stack up as well.

It has some nice pictures and concept art from a multitude of Ridley Scott films, not just Alien, which was a nice touch-- this book considers all aspects of a film production and how it holds up in a modern age with fresh eyes and ears. Ridley is a sci-fi master, from his eponymous Alien, to the cult classic Blade Runner, and to his much-debated epic, Prometheus, his work will be talked about for the decades to come, even as Alien nears its 40th anniversary.

While it certainly doesn't bring forth much new trivia or tidbits of pictures, it does allow the reader to get a better creative grasp on Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece and offers some great inspiration for the budding writer or director. The avid fan of xenomorphs and Space Jockeys will almost certainly have unearthed most of the information and pictures contained in this book, but for the price, the Alien addition to the BFI library of publications is a great resource, whether to fans of sci-fi cinema, film majors, or just fans of Alien in general.

The cover painting by Marta Lech is a masterpiece as well-- it's not been since Giger's original "Big Chap" that the world has seen such a ghostly, perfect organism. Her rendering of the Alien serves as a great keystone to complement the aesthetic and design of both the original creature itself, as well as that of the film.

All in all, this is a well-written, gem of a book totally (in my opinion) worth it's sticker price, and makes for a nice addition to the collection of an Alien fan, or a sci-fi fan in general.
3429045
New canon books, good reads enjoyed character development, not Timothy Zahn though... Cool to understand what new movies will b based on
1331095
Liked "Rebecca"?  You'll LOVE The Scapegoat.  Can't buy new anymore; get one of these nice old editions from Amazon and you'll get caught up in a bygone age.  Wonder why they never made a movie from this one, it begs for it.
2503275
This is a new one, and I really enjoyed it. It's a feel good movie. Just what we need. I hope to see it join the list of those regularly viewed around Christmas. It's nice to have something more current.
4229583
Great War movies! I watch these at least 2 to 3 times a year. It seems that, I catch something new that I didn't see or hear the times I viewed them before!
4669059
We love Paul Bettany. We are trying to watch his entire filmography. Decent movie, not for the kids... A new take on a Future/Western/Sci-Fi/Vampire movies.
1040861
Got here super quick! I love this movie. So if you get it look up Arkona. It's a Russian folk metal band and they are awesome!
1276293
Great movies.  Came in good condition. New, unopened. This is a gift, and will be greatly enjoyed.