William Mandella a young student, is drafted by the United Nations Exploratory Force to save mankind from the Taurans. The Taurans are an alien species that are apparently attacking human colonists’ ships. Each draftee is the brightest and best of their generation.  While traveling the soldiers don’t experience time like those on planets, so the farther they travel the more into the future they move.

It’s a book about young people getting drafted and sent off to fight. Then those that survive coming home to place they no longer understand.  Unable to cope they end up returning to the fighting, knowing it’s suicide. In the book Haldman explores several ways that mankind might change. In one he has man embracing  homosexuality and punishing heterosexuals to control the  population.

Overall I enjoyed the book, it kept me entertained and it never seemed to bog down. There were no surprises and the ending was easy to predict. I’m shocked they haven’t made this book into a movie — evil aliens, war, space travel and a love story.

This book was the basis for the 1982 film Blade Runner, but the movie left out some of the main plot elements of the book.

The earth has  been badly damaged  by  World War Terminus a Nuclear War. The radiation poisoning from the war has wiped out practically all animal life and most humans have migrated into space. Androids are built to assist man in space, but are not allowed on earth. These robots mimic human in every way but one, they lack empathy.   The main character is Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter of androids that return to earth.

The book probes the nature of what separates humans from these life like androids. When technology becomes self aware, does it then have a soul or is it the empathy, that makes us alive?  This book asked these questions long before Data began his quest to become human on Star Trek.

Really enjoyed this book, even if it left me a little demoralize.

Robinette Stetley Broadhead a future prospector examines his  past for his computer generated shrink.  For Broadhead prospecting means boarding alien ships nobody understands and riding then to preset locations looking for alien technologies. Most prospectors don’t return from these dangerous missions but Broadhead does successful, rich and scared.

Guess I found the book engaging because I finished it so quickly. Pohl did a great job of making me want to know just what happened to Broadhead. Pohl slowly uncovers the Gateway and it’s impact on the world, then it’s impact on Broadhead himself.  Thought the climax fizzled, guess his foreplay made me expect more from the ending.

I read the book because it was on a list of the best science fiction ever written. While I enjoyed the book, it’s not one of the best books I’ve ever read, or one I’d tell someone else to read.

This is the story of an American (Robert Jordan) fighting against the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War.  Jordan has been ordered to blow up a bridge behind enemy line, just prior to an attack. He recruits  a republican guerrilla unit to aid him in completing his mission.  With the guerrillas is a girl named Maria and romance soon follows.

I’ve read several books on the Spanish Civil War, including one made up of letters sent home by Americans fighting in this civil war for the Republic. They were idealist young people fighting for the common people of Spain and they hoped, by example the world. The occupy wall street movement got me thinking about these young people of a different time and moved me to read this book.

I Found For Whom the Bell Tolls to be more a love story with hundreds of pages before you get to any action. The book does give you a window into Jordan’s thinking about his father and grandfather,  never his principles or opinions. Jordan is willing to lay down his life without question, but why and for what?

I wanted to be drawn into Jordan’s emotions, but it never happened and I was left with a couple chapters of action at the end of the book.

Santee (1973)

Jody Deakes (Michael Burns) joins his outlaw father after his mothers death. Jody’s father is running from Santee (Glen Ford) a bounty hunter. Santee kills Jody’s father and Jody follows him hoping to take revenge. Santee takes him to his ranch and the two of them form a bond.  Jay Silverheels (Tonto) plays John Crow a ranch hand.

Glen Ford was made for this role, unfortunately the script doesn’t hold up. It’s got all the parts, but the film falls flat.

“They’ll get a preacher, and a prayer, and a pine box”

Feel like a Glen Ford western, watch the Rounders or 3:10 to Yuma—-4/10

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam

The movie uses real letters written by US soldiers for it’s narration.  The film is archive footage, together they convey the personal experiences of the men and women that served in Vietnam.

This movie grabbed me and didn’t let me go, at the end there were tears filling my eyes.

“I would rather to have had you for twenty-one years and all the pain that goes with losing you, than never to have had you at all. -Mom “

This is one of those movies that I think everybody should see–08/10

San Quentin (1937)

Captain Stephen’ Jameson (Pat O’Brien) regular army is sent to  San Quentin to become the top prison guard. He so good at handling men the warden feels he can turn the prison around. He falls for May (Ann Sheridan) a singer in a night club. Her brother, Red (Humphrey Bogart) is no good and gets sent to San Quentin.  The three of them form a triangle filled with strife, mostly started by bad boy Red.

Formulaic prison movie, with Bogart (not one of best) moving the plot.

“It’s dynamite”

Life in the big house——03/10

Lost Continent (1951)

Major Joe Nolan (CesarRomero) leads a search in the South Pacific for a lost atomic rocket that went off course. As they fly over an island a strange force causes their plane to crash. Native girl points then to a plateau that she saw the rocket/ fire bird fly into. The plateau is the dwelling place of their gods and none that go on it returns. So off the party goes up the plateau to find the rocket.

50′s comic book like story with several good actors, but a fair/corny script. The special effects are bad even for this time. On the plus side I didn’t fall asleep and I got just what I expected in watching it.

“We are under orders not to break radio silence until we find the rocket. ”

Weak 50′s sci-fi movie, but if you like them, you like then—-03/10

Foolproof (2003)

Kevin (Ryan Reynolds), Sam (Kristin Booth) and Rob (Joris Jarsky) for fun do theoretical heists. One of their plans is taken and used by a gangster. After the real heist, the gangster blackmails them into pulling off a real heist.

Not top notch action adventure, but passable.  The three stars kept making me think of “Two Guy’s and a Girl”, they have many of the same interactions between each other.

Access Denied! Access Denied!

Tight B movie, but nothing to make it really stand out–03

Three Comrades

The movie was directed by Frank Borzage an old silent movie star turned director. He directed “A Farewell to Arms” with Gary Cooper.

The movie is about three ex-German soldiers, that stick together after WWI. The three are Gottfried (Robert Young), Otto (Franchot Tone) and Erich (Robert Taylor). Erich falls in love with mysterious  Patricia (Margaret Sullavan).

The movie has it all preaching, action, love story and tragedy. Lot’s of long speeches, with stares into space. Really wanted to like this movie. There are moments where the dialog is fantastic, but it just doesn’t cover up for the rest of the movie. The end had me rolling my eyes are reaching for the remote.

“Bring her flowers. Flowers cover everything, even graves.”

Considered a classic by many–didn’t see why 02/10