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When Academy Award winner Akiva Goldsman isn't thinking about the ongoing battle of the making of Constantine 2 or the epic follow-up to I Am Legend's alternate ending, the acclaimed writer and director has had his mind on the world of legendary '60s sci-fi. Irwin Allen was behind the eclectic retro-futuristic shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of Giants, and The Time Tunnel, which happen to be the three shows that Legendary Television has hired Goldsman to recreate for a modern audience.

While it may sound odd that the same visionary writer that brought fans both the moving drama Cinderella Man and the goofy comic book film Batman Forever is now working on a re-imagined retro sci-fi TV universe, Goldsman has always had a diverse portfolio. He has worked on a variety of projects, like the Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mindand the hit...

Get ready to see more of Irwin Allen’s work on the small screen. According to Deadline, Legendary Television is working with Akiva Goldsman to develop three reboots of classic ABC television series based on The Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. All three shows aired on the network during the 1960s.

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Prepare to get lost in the swirling maze of past and future ages: a trio of classic science fiction TV series are being revived as part of a new shared universe. The cult classic 1960s series The Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Land of the Giants are in development at Legendary Television. Deadline reports that Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman is spearheading the project.

Legendary Television is teaming up with Oscar-winning writer and producer Akiva Goldsman to bring new life to three classic Irwin Allen sci-fi series. Goldsman, known for his work on A Beautiful Mind and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, is set to reimagine Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants, and The Time Tunnel.

The goal is to modernize these iconic shows while staying true to their original appeal. Jon Jashni will serve as executive producer, with Derek Thielges co-producing.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea originally aired from 1964 to 1968 and followed a nuclear submarine on thrilling underwater adventures. The Time Tunnel, which ran for one season in 1966, was about two scientists lost in time. Land of the Giants, airing from 1968 to 1970, told the story of a spaceship crew stranded on a planet where everything was oversized.

Goldsman has a history of reviving beloved franchises, having...

Back in the 1960s, Irwin Allen created and produced the popular sci-fi TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants. Now, Deadline has broken the news that Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), who recently co-created the shows Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, is teaming with Legendary Television for re-imaginings of three of those Allen shows: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants.

Deadline’s sources tell them that Goldsman and Legendary Television are crafting a unified vision for these stories, bringing modern sensibilities to their timeless appeal, and expanding upon his success in revitalizing the Star Trek universe. Jon Jashni serves as executive producer, guiding this effort to reintroduce these popular franchises to a new generation, with Derek Thielges co-producing.

Based on a 1961 film that Allen produced,...

The work of legendary film producer Irwin Allen is getting a second shot at life with a planned series of modern reboots from Legendary Television, Deadline reports this afternoon.

Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman is on board to resurrect the classic science fiction TV shows Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants, and The Time Tunnel.

Deadline notes in today’s exclusive report, “Goldsman and Legendary Television are crafting a unified vision for these stories, bringing modern sensibilities to their timeless appeal, and expanding upon his success in revitalizing the Star Trek universe.”

“Jon Jashni serves as executive producer, guiding this effort to reintroduce these popular franchises to a new generation, with Derek Thielges co-producing,” the report continues.

In Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-1968), “The submarine Seaview is commissioned to investigate the mysteries of the seas. Usually it finds more problems than answers.”

In...

Exclusive: Akiva Goldsman is developing a new Universe at Legendary Television featuring three reimagined Irwin Allen sci-fi TV series. The Oscar-winning writer, producer and director will draw inspiration for the new TV shows from Allen’s catalog and focus on revitalizing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants and The Time Tunnel.

Goldsman and Legendary Television are crafting a unified vision for these stories, bringing modern sensibilities to their appeal and expanding upon his success in revitalizing the Star Trek universe.

Jon Jashni serves as executive producer, guiding the effort to reintroduce these popular franchises to a new generation, with Derek Thielges co-producing.

Created by Allen, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea premiered in 1964 on ABC based on the 1961 film co-written by Allen and Charles Bennett. It ran for four seasons starring Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman “Harry” Nelson in the leading role, as well as David Hedison,...

Ian Buchanan had been through some rollicking times as Dr. James Warwick on The Bold and the Beautiful. While his involvement with the villainous Sheila was full of surprises, including their marriage, they were on the outs at one point. Looking for solace, he kissed Stephanie Forrester, and Sheila witnessed it. Despite the danger that James was in, his alter ego survived and has remained friends with Stephanie’s portrayer, Susan Flannery, all these years later.

They’re Life-Long Friends

Buchanan, who is often posting snaps of himself and his friends on social media, once again took to Instagram to share a fun pic of him, his partner Antonio Hendricks, and the iconic Flannery. His caption read: “With our Best Girl!❤️❤️❤️.” A fan from Italy commented, “...

Big Finish Productions and Legendary Entertainment Bring Irwin Allen’s “The Time Tunnel “ Back to Life in an Epic Audio Revival Under license from Legendary Entertainment, Big Finish Productions presents Seán Carlsen and Safiyya Ingar in an audio revival of Irwin Allen’s “The Time Tunnel.” This exciting continuation of the classic sci-fi series, originally created …

The post Irwin Allen’s ‘The Time Tunnel’ in Epic Audio Revival from Legendary Entertainment & Big Finish appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Throughout the 1970s, audiences couldn’t get enough of disaster movies. The decade began with the all-star blockbuster bomb-on-a-plane thrill ride Airport, based on Arthur Hailey’s best-seller. Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Maureen Stapleton, Van Heflin, Jean Seberg, and Jacqueline Bisset headlined Airport, which became the second-biggest box-office hit of the year and earned nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and winning Best Supporting Actress for Hayes. Airport also established the template for subsequent movies: trapping all-star casts on a plane, a ship, or a high-rise.

SEEFred Astaire movies: 20 greatest films ranked worst to best

Producer-director-writer Irwin Allen took disaster movies to the next level — so much so he was dubbed “The Master of Disaster.” Allen, who enjoyed great success on the small screen in the 1960s with the series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Lost in Space, brought his disaster savvy to the...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSChicken Run.After earlier claims that they were “not in jeopardy,” the 29-location Landmark Theatre chain now faces foreclosure, though IndieWire reports that may not be such a bad thing.After releasing a trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis that included phony, apparently AI-generated pull quotes attributed to real film critics, Lionsgate has issued an apology and ceremonially fired a marketing consultant.The fast-food chain Chick-Fil-a plans to launch a streaming service, which will apparently include game shows and reality programming.FESTIVALSAhead of its premiere this weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival, we are pleased to share the first poster for Sofia Bohdanowicz's Measures for a Funeral (2024), designed by Charlotte Gosch of studio other types.

Actor James Darren, who evolved from a teen idol to a successful singer and accomplished actor in television and film, has passed away at the age of 88. According to a report by Variety, Darren passed away on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. His son Jim Moret has since revealed that the cause of his death was congestive heart failure. It marks the end of a stellar, diverse career highlighted by the Gidget films of the 1950s and 1960s, the classic film The Guns of Navarone, and the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Darren, born James William Ercolani, is a native of Philadelphia, and earned his start in acting with a small role in the 1956 crime drama Rumble on the Docks, alongside Robert Blake. He continued to find supporting roles in lesser-known films like Operation Mad Ball, and the Van Heflin western Gunman's Walk. His breakthrough role, however,...

The late James Darren was a key part of my favorite Star Trek: Deep Space Nine moment. Darren passed away on September 2, 2024, at 88 years old. James, or Jimmy as his friends and loved ones knew him, played Vic Fontaine, DS9's holographic crooner and proprietor of Vic's Las Vegas Lounge. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, Vic Fontaine and Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) performed together, and it's a scene that's near and dear to my heart.

James Darren was born James William Ercolani on June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Knowing from an early age he wanted a career in show business, James went on to have a multifaceted career in TV, film, on stage, in music, and behind the camera as a director. Darren became a teen heartthrob as Moondoggie on Gidget, and he also performed the show's theme song. James' most famous TV roles are as the lead...

The late James Darren, who played Vic Fontaine on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, is remembered by William Shatner and their fellow Star Trek actors. Darren passed away on September 2, 2024, at the age of 88. A former teen heartthrob and star of Gidget, The Time Tunnel, T.J. Hooker, and numerous other films, TV series, and stage performances, Darren was a beloved actor, singer, and director. James Darren is survived by his wife Evy, his sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren, and Tony Darren, five grandchildren, and one goddaughter.

On X, William Shatner paid tribute to his T.J. Hooker co-star, James Darren, calling him "a wonderful man - so talented; so loving." Check out Mr. Shatner's X post below:

Nana Visitor, who played Major Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also fondly remembered her co-star, James Darren. Check out Nana's X post below:

Robert Picardo, who played The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager,...

James Darren, the beloved actor and singer who rose to stardom as the charming surfer Moondoggie in the Gidget film series, passed away on Monday at the age of 88.

He is also known for his for his role of Officer James Corrigan in the police drama T. J. Hooker.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Darren died peacefully in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after battling heart-related issues, his son Jim Moret confirmed.

Per the report, he initially went to the hospital for an aortic valve replacement, but doctors determined he was too weak to undergo the procedure.

After being discharged and returning home, his condition worsened, requiring him to be readmitted to the hospital.

“I always thought he would pull through,” Moret said to THR, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

James Darren’s breakout role as Moondoggie in Gidget

Born James Ercolani on June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia,...

Former teen idol and pop singer James Darren has sadly died at the age of 88.

He had a prolific career that spanned decades, which includes his memorable role as the surfer Moondoggie in three Gidget films, and starring roles in TV shows including The Time Tunnel and T.J. Hooker. He also was a singer of popular songs including “Goodbye Cruel World.”

He passed on Monday (September 2) in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

His son Jim Moret, who is a correspondent for Inside Edition, shared the news with THR, saying his father was supposed to have an aortic valve replacement surgery, but was too weak to have the procedure. He was sent home, but ended up returning to the hospital.

Jim shared, “I always thought he would pull through because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

Our thoughts are with James Darren‘s friends, family,...

Born in Philadelphia, James Darren created magic on the screen with his acting prowess and well-acclaimed projects. But out of the lot, the most famous would be his portrayal of eccentric lounge singer Vic Fontaine in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. While the actor entered the show in its last two seasons, he created a name for himself that people would remember for generations to come.

James Dareen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine || Credits: Syndication

The iconic actor recently passed away, and upon this, several of his past interviews are resurfacing, showcasing that more than an actor, he was a kind and emotional human being. He showcased the same compassionate gesture to his Deep Space Nine co-star Nana Visitor that left her in tears.

Nana’s Visitor Was Moved to Tears by James Darren’s Touching Act

The universe of Star Trek is renowned for introducing a host of...

James Darren, who became an instant teen idol as the boyish surfer Moondoggie in the “Gidget” movies and went on to a prolific career in TV and music, has died. He was 88.

Darren went to a Los Angeles hospital for scheduled heart surgery last week but was considered too weak to proceed and was sent home, his son Jim Moret told multiple media outlets. But his failing health forced a return to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died in his sleep surrounded by family.

Born James Ercolani in Philadelphia, Darren was already using a stage name when he starred in “Gidget” in 1959 and its sequels. His fame was secured instantly by the ’50s surf-culture hit, and he soon parlayed that notoriety with a number three hit single with “Goodbye Cruel World” in 1961.

Darren charted several other pop hits, including “Her Royal Majesty” and “Conscience,” but soon transitioned to TV, starring...

James Darren, the wildly diverse singer-actor who scored Billboard hits and was featured in everything from Gidget to Tj Hooker to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has passed away. He was 88.

Although James Darren got his career going in the late ‘50s, he found entirely different audiences beginning in the ‘80s by co-starting on the William Shatner-led police drama T.J. Hooker, in which he played officer Jim Corrigan, who primarily partnered with Heather Locklear’s Stacy Sheridan.

The following decade, James Darren was able to combine his crooning and acting skills, landing the role of holographic singer Vic Fontaine in seasons six and seven of Deep Space Nine. The role was originally offered to Frank Sinatra Jr., but he turned it down. Darren himself wasn’t entirely convinced it would work, either, but the character ended up being a fan favorite and a trademark role for Darren, who not...

Actor and singer James Darren, known in part for his role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has passed away. He was 88 years old.

Per Variety, Darren died on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. According to his son, Jim Moret, Darren was being treated in the cardiac unit. While specific details about his hospitalization weren't shared, Darren was said to have expressed his love for his family before he passed.

Of his former teen idol father, Moret said, "He was a good man. He was very talented. He was forever young.

Darren was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 8, 1936. After taking an interest in acting, Darren caught a break when he was noticed by Screen Gems casting director Joyce Selznick. This led to Darren signing a contract with Columbia in 1956, and he made his feature film debut that year with a role in Rumble on the Docks...

Actor and singer James Darren, whose long showbiz career included memorable roles on T.J. Hooker and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has died at the age of 88, our sister site Variety reports.

He passed away on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, with his son Jim Moret saying of Darren: “He was a good man. He was very talented. He was forever young.”

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Darren first rose to fame as leading man Moondoggie...

James Darren, the former teen idol and pop singer who played the dreamy surfer Moondoggie in three Gidget movies before starring on television on The Time Tunnel and T.J. Hooker, died Monday. He was 88.

Darren died in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his son Jim Moret, a correspondent for Inside Edition, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had entered the hospital for an aortic valve replacement but was deemed too weak to have the surgery; he went home but had to return.

“I always thought he would pull through,” Moret said, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

Early in his career, the dark-haired Darren received excellent notices for starring in Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) — portraying the son of a hoodlum defended by Humphrey Bogart’s character in 1949’s Knock on Any Door — and for playing the Greek soldier Spyros Pappadimos in The Guns of Navarone...

James Darren, who went from teen idol status acting in youth-oriented movies like “Gidget” to becoming an actor in TV shows such as “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “T.J. Hooker” and a singer and director, died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88.

His son Jim Moret said that he had been able to express his love for his family while being treated in the cardiac unit. “He was a good man. He was very talented,” Moret said. “He was forever young.”

Moret said he was grateful that his father had been able to embrace his signature role as the surfer Moondoggie in the “Gidget” movie and that he continued to interact with his fans.

Born in Philadelphia, he studied acting with Stella Adler in New York and was signed to Columbia Pictures, where his first role was in “Rumble on the Docks.” He went on to...

Kim Kahana, the stunt performer, teacher, coordinator and war hero who played Chongo on the kids show Danger Island and doubled for Charles Bronson in several action films, has died. He was 94.

Kahana died Monday of natural causes at his home in Groveland, Florida, his wife, Sandy Kahana, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Kahana, 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, taught stunts to many thousands of students since the mid-1970s in six-week courses that took place in Chatsworth, California, and Central Florida. Many went on to have thriving careers in show business.

He also had six different black belt degrees — he taught martial arts, too — and worked as a professional bodyguard protecting Hollywood types.

A native of Hawaii, Kahana appeared in his first film as a biker in the Marlon Brando-starring The Wild One (1953) and was an extra in other movies before he realized that stunt performers got paid more than he did.

Herman Rush, who produced several television shows and was the former president of Columbia Pictures Television, has died. He was 94.

Rush died on Dec. 12 of natural causes in Los Angeles, his daughter Mandie told The Hollywood Reporter.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1929, Rush grew up in a show-business family, with his uncle Manie Sacks being Frank Sinatra’s first manager.

In 1951, Rush began his career in television, working first as a salesman for Official Film before moving up to several different leadership positions. He later purchased Flamingo Films, a television syndication firm, in 1957 and turned it into a major independent syndication company.

Throughout the ’60s and early ’70s, he was with Creative Management Associates as the president of the television division. He also worked for CMA’s predecessor organization, General Artists Corporation, now known as International Creative Management, and played a huge role in the agency’s entry into television packaging.

Some of the best sci-fi on television first appeared in the 1960s, shaping much of what followed on the big as well as the small screen. It's hard to imagine what the genre would be like today without Star Trek, Doctor Who and The Twilight Zone, and harder yet for many baby-boomers to imagine what their childhood would have been like without Thunderbirds, The Time Tunnel or Astro Boy.

Click here to read the full article.

Joe E. Tata, who portrayed the endearing Peach Pit diner owner Nat Bussichio on all 10 seasons of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.

Tata died Wednesday night, his daughter, Kelly Katharine Tata, announced on a GoFundMe page. Earlier, she wrote that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018 and that he had been moved in April to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.

In what has to be some kind of record, Tata played henchmen to three supervillains — Frank Gorshin’s the Riddler, Burgess Meredith’s the Penguin and Victor Buono’s King Tut — on the 1966-68 ABC series Batman.

He also appeared in the ’60s on a trio of Irwin Allen-produced sci-fi shows — ABC’s The Time Tunnel (once as Napoleon) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and CBS’ Lost in Space...

This Outer Range article contains spoilers for episodes 1 and 2.

Amazon Prime Video’s Outer Range was created by Brian Watkins and stars Josh Brolin as family patriarch Royal Abbott, a Wyoming Rancher who discovers a mysterious and massive hole in the outreaches of his land that seems to defy the laws of physics.

The premiere features a narration in the booming voice of Brolin, describing the ancient Greek myth of Kronos (or sometimes ‘Cronos’), the youngest and leader of the mighty Titans, and eventual father of the pantheon of Gods including Zeus himself. It should be addressed that over the millenia, the mythos of Kronos has been confounded with another Greek deity, Chronos, who is the embodiment of time itself. Chronos has become synonymous with time in many different stories and legends, and eventually evolved into who many modern audiences know as ‘Father Time’. The showrunners of Outer Range seem...

How much of the journey is worth it when you’re scratching your head at the destination? That’s the question one must confront in Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.

Originating from the book series created by del Toro and Daniel Kaus, 2016 series Trollhunters kicked off Tales of Arcadia as part of Netflix’s quest to produce original animation for children. You don’t go into Trollhunters and its two series successors, 3Below and Wizards, expecting form-breaking storytelling for Western children’s cartoons, but each series had plenty to offer: Del Toro’s colorful realms with their own mythology, slapstick one-liners in the midst of swordplay, and colorful creatures from lovable Aaarrrgghh (Fred Tatasciore) to the paternal Blinky (Kelsey Grammar) with his teacher bravado.

All set in the sleepy town of Arcadia, Trollhunters explored the mounting responsibilities of a Chosen-One mantle held by a human boy...

Emmy award-winning television producer Kevin Burns, known for his work on the 2006 “Poseidon Adventure” remake and the “Lost in Space” reboot died Sunday of cardiac arrest, Prometheus Entertainment confirmed to Variety. He was 65.

In a statement to Variety, Prometheus Entertainment vice president of marketing and development Derek Thielges said all members of the company, of which Burns was the president, are deeply saddened by the loss.

Established in 1999, Prometheus’ productions include docudramas such as “The Curse of Oak Island” and Playboy-centered “The Girls Next Door,” as well as non-fiction History series “Ancient Aliens” and documentary special “Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed.”

Burns garnered a Primetime Emmy in 2002 for “Biography,” which traces the lives of celebrities and historical figures, in the outstanding non-fiction series category. The following year, he won a Daytime Emmy for producing “Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s.”

Throughout his career, Burns amassed more than 100 production credits,...

Robert Walker Jr., best known for a classic early Star Trek episode and as the son of Hollywood stars Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones, died Thursday in Malibu, according to family members. He was 79.

The New York native portrayed the twitchy, callow title character in “Charlie X,” the second episode of Star Trek’s pioneering first season in 1966, and also handled the title role of the notable 1960s feature films Ensign Pulver and Young Billy Young.

For Ensign Pulver, the comedic 1964 naval drama, Walker inherited a role that had earned Jack Lemmon an Oscar for best supporting actor for Mister Roberts (1955). In the 1969 gunfighter tale Young Billy Young, Walker was the volatile outlaw who finds a mentor in Robert Mitchum in film that also featured Angie Dickinson and David Carradine. That same year Walker and his wife, Ellie Wood, appeared together in the milestone counter-culture epic Easy Rider.

Walker’s...

Production designer William Creber, who served as art director on the original “Planet of the Apes” movies, died in Los Angeles on March 7 from pneumonia after a prolonged illness. He was 87.

“This was the man who designed and then flipped cruise ships, burned skyscrapers, and created an entire ape culture,” said Nelson Coates, president of the Art Directors Guild. “Though his last feature was 21 years ago, Bill Creber remained a vital influence in the industry, with his institutional memory, sharing of relevant production solutions, and his amazing skills devising, executing, and teaching incredible methods of in-camera visual fx.”

His three Oscar nominations came for his art direction on George Stevens’ “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” and on Irwin Allen’s “Poseidon Adventure” and “Towering Inferno.” Other projects he worked on include ABC series “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” for which he won an Emmy, ABC’s “The Time Tunnel,...

Koch Media/Revelation Films presents The Time Tunnel – The Complete Series on 7-disc Blu-ray 8th October News and social media mentions appreciated #TheTimeTunnel @KochMediaUK This stunning new release of The Time Tunnel is produced from HD digital restoration masters created from the original negatives to ensure the best visual experience available. The seven-disc collector’s Blu-ray edition comes packed with …

The post The Time Tunnel: The Complete Series travelling to Blu-ray 8th October (Koch Media / Revelation Films) appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...

By Darren Allison

Before inheriting the title "Master of Disaster", a perfectly justified honour for his reputation of creating some of the greatest disaster movies of the 1970s, Irwin Allen was also the man responsible for some of the classic TV shows to emerge in the 1960’s. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants have all survived the test of time and become immortalised among the best in terms of cultural importance. However, above all others, Lost in Space (1965-1968) is arguably the series that endured. Very loosely inspired by Johan David Wyss's classic 1812 adventure novel “Swiss Family Robinson”, the premise for the show was fairly uncomplicated and followed the adventures of the Robinson family, a crew of space colonists who encounter a number of strange and otherworldly situations after their ship is sabotaged and thrown off its original course. A great...

When you think about it, time is a pretty amazing concept. It can heal all wounds before running out. It’s also in our hands and on our side, sometimes even in a bottle. Meanwhile, it’s been known to warp just as some of us strive to get ahead of it. Perhaps most impressive of all, though, time has become one of TV’s most trusted tropes. Time travel has been a primetime plot staple for decades, from The Time Tunnel to Doctor Who to Quantum Leap to Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. These days, it’s also a central theme in several

read more...

I love movie and television soundtracks. I’ll often use a given soundtrack while I work, letting it fuel my writing. I can’t listen to music with lyrics in them; that interferes with my process. I’ll get themes, characters, even scenes or whole plots from the music. Soundtrack music is in service of the story that the film is trying to tell; it’s a part of the narrative, heightening the emotion that’s being invoked.

I have my own particular favorites. The composers usually have a large body of work but certain key works resonate within me – Jerry Goldsmith’s Chinatown and Patton, James Horner with Field of Dreams, Shaun Davey’s Waking Ned Devine, Elmer Bernstein’s To Kill A Mockingbird (has there ever been a more beautiful and evocative theme?) and, of course, The Magnificent Seven.

I’ve also been very fond of Alan Silvestri...

Paul Mantee, a popular fixture on TV shows and feature films, passed away on November 7. Mantee had appeared on many TV series over the years and had recurring roles on the 1980s hits Hunter and Cagney and Lacy. He first began appearing in the medium in the late 1959s and eventually guest starred on major programs such as The F.B.I, Mannix, Dragnet, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Batman, The Time Tunnel, Bonanza, Kojak and Seinfeld. Mantee also appeared in small roles in many feature films. In 1964 he had a rare starring role in Robinson Crusoe on Mars, a fairly low-budget sci-fi film that became a major cult hit thanks to its intelligent script, direction and performances. He also had the lead role in the 1968 James Bond spoof A Man Called Dagger. For more click here...

After a decade of low-budget cheesy special effects science fiction films, the early 1960s was particularly quiet, ceding to television series such as Star Trek and The Time Tunnel. But, also released in 1966 was an eye-opening spectacular that had a plausible premise, strong cast, and the next generation in film special effects. Fantastic Voyage may be remembered today for Raquel Welch in a tight outfit, it is also a step forward in cinematic Sf. Thankfully, it preceded 2001: A Space Odyssey by two years.

At a time when miniaturization was making home technology smaller and more sophisticated, the idea of inserting a tiny sub full of humans into the body of an ill scientist seemed the next logical step. The body in question was the victim of an assassination attempt and his knowledge and life had to be saved so a daring experiment was to be undertaken. Forget that the...

Charlton Heston: Moses has his ‘Summer Under the Stars’ day Charlton Heston is Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" star on Monday, August 5, 2013. TCM will be presenting one Heston movie premiere: Guy Green’s Hawaiian-set family drama Diamond Head (1963), in which Heston plays a pineapple grower, U.S. Senate candidate, and total control freak at odds with his strong-willed younger sister, the lovely Yvette Mimieux. Also in the Diamond Head cast: France Nuyen, Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winner George Chakiris (West Side Story), The Time Tunnel‘s James Darren, and veteran Aline MacMahon (Gold Diggers of 1933, Five Star Final) in one of her last movie roles. And last but not least, silent film star Billie Dove reportedly has a bit role in the film. (Photo: Charlton Heston ca. 1955.) (Charlton Heston movies: TCM schedule.) Now, with the exception of Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil, in which Charlton Heston...

By Todd Garbarini

Actor Victor Lundin, best known to film fans for his portrayal of Friday in Byron Haskin’s Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964), passed away on June 29, 2013 at age 83 after an undisclosed illness. News of his passing first came to Cinema Retro via Cinema Epoch’s Director of Acquisitions Douglas Dunning, who was a personal friend of Mr. Lundin’s. It was also confirmed by John Sempre, Jr.’s Facebook page (Mr. Sempre interviewed Mr. Lundin and this audio interview can be heard in part one and part two on Vimeo) as well as Zachary Lundin’s Facebook page (Victor’s son).

In addition to this film, Mr. Lundin appeared in the 1966 film version of Beau Geste, and appeared on television in episodes on some of our favorite shows from the 1960’s, including The Time Tunnel, Get Smart, Star Trek, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,...

By Lee Pfeiffer

It's pretty amazing how many ways studios have devised to market and re-market The Three Stooges. The latest attempt is Sony's made-to-order 3 DVD set titled Rare Treasures from the Columbia Vault. It's a bit misleading in that the bulk of the material pertains to individual short films starring Stooge cast members, but for this reviewer, that's also what makes the set so special. There are eleven hours of material in the set including two feature films and 28 shorts. The features are Rockin' in the Rockies, a 1945 musical comedy that features the Stooges as inept prospectors in the modern west. The film seems to have been made to promote promising musical talent of the day. The story has the boys kidnapping a Broadway talent agent and holding him hostage until he hears their friends perform their revue, which includes numbers by Spade Cooley, the "King of Western...

Anybody who has ever been to a high school reunion (and I’ve been to my share) will tell you that the calendar and the clock can be incredibly cruel (particularly when combined with the long-term effects of gravity, but let’s not go there).

Time punishes creative works as well. Some work grows dated, stale, stiff. Time and the evolving form of the given art leaves a once vibrant and exciting work behind looking dead and obsolete.

More cruel, perhaps, is work that is simply…forgotten. Not for any good reason. Good as it was, maybe it was simply not successful enough to lodge very deeply in the popular consciousness; working well enough in its day, but soon lost among the ever-growing detritus of a lot of other pieces of yesterday.

Movie music is particularly vulnerable to the cruelties of time. Outside of the form’s devotees, it rarely...

Chicago – In the 1960s, network television became the ‘cool fire’ that families gathered around, and the array of trends and shows in that era had an odd but flavorful variety. Lee Meriwether (Catwoman from the 1966 ‘Batman movie), Kathy Garver (Cissy in the sitcom ‘Family Affair’) and Robert Colbert (ensemble player on the TV drama ‘The Time Tunnel’) represented those shows.

They appeared last March at ‘The Hollywood Show,’ a twice-a-year event in which fans can mingle, take photographs and get autographs from the celebrities – like the 1960s TV and film actors – who appear there. There is also a great opportunity to purchase memorabilia from a host of showbiz vendors, all in one room. The fall session of The Hollywood Show will take place at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel on River Road in Rosemont, Ill, on September 7th, 8th and 9th, 2012. For complete details click here.

HollywoodChicago.com was at the...

Chicago – “The Hollywood Show” comes back to Chicagoland next weekend, September 7th, 8th and 9th, and with it the usual fun line-up of celebrity TV and movie favorites. The autumn show appearances include Pam Grier, Loni Anderson, Robert Loggia, Connie Stevens, Lainie Kazan and June Lockhart.

“The Hollywood Show” is a twice-a-year event in which fans can mingle, take photographs and get autographs from the celebrities that appear there. There is also a great opportunity to purchase memorabilia from a host of showbiz vendors, all in one room. The Hollywood Show will take place at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel on River Road in Rosemont, Ill. For complete details click here.

HollywoodChicago attended the spring 2012 show, and captured Exclusive Portraits by photographer Joe Arce. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All images © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.

It is with great sorrow that we report the death of announcer and voice actor Dick Tufeld, best known to a generation of genre fans as the voice of the Robot on the wonderfully campy '60s TV series Lost in Space. He was 85.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Tufeld, who suffered from heart disease and had been in failing health since sustaining a fall last year, passed away at home while watching the NFL playoffs on January 22.

Richard Norton Tufeld was born December 11, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. He began his career as the announcer for the ABC radio programs The Amazing Mr. Malone and Falstaff's Fables before landing a gig as announcer for the sci-fi radio serial Space Patrol in 1952.

Tufeld left radio for television news in October 1955, but then transitioned to a role as announcer for Disney TV series such as Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and Zorro,...

TV announcer and voice actor Dick Tufeld passed away at the age of 85 Sunday evening. He succumbed to a long battle with heart disease while watching NFL football in his own home.

Best known for voicing the robot on both the 1965 Lost in Space television series and the 1998 Lost In Space movie, Dick Tufeld became famous for intoning the iconic line, "Danger, Will Robinson!" on a weekly basis. He also delivered other memorable catchphrases such as "That does not compute!" And, "Dr. Smith is a bubble-headed booby!"

Dick Tufeld also served as a voice-over artist on other Irwin Allen series, such as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Time Tunnel, as well as Walt Disney's Zorro. Through the 50s and into the 90s, Dick also voiced many cartoon series, such as Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and Fantastic Four.

A TV luminary in his field, Tufeld got...

The actor who voiced The Robot from classic 1960s TV show Lost In Space has died at the age of 85.

Character actor Dick Tufeld passed away at a Los Angeles hospital on Sunday after a battle with Parkinson's disease.

Tufeld, a cancer survivor, provided the voice for the sci-fi character from 1965 to 1968.

He also narrated TV episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, The Gallant Men, and 1978's The Fantastic Four, in addition to serving as the opening announcer for 1981's Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.

He later reprised the Lost in Space role for the 1998 big screen adaptation, while he also voiced the same character in installments of longrunning cartoon The Simpsons in 1998 and again in 2004.

Paying tribute to Tufeld, his Lost in Space co-star Bill Mumy tells TMZ.com, "Everything just caught up to him. He lost his wife a few years ago and lost his pep (lust for life) after that."...

Tab Hunter turns 80 today. In his honor, Turner Classic Movies is showing five of his films. The first of the batch, Phil Karlson's Western Gunman's Walk, is on right now. Hunter and The Time Tunnel's James Darren play rancher Van Heflin's sons. Next is Ride the Wild Surf, starring Hunter and teen idol Fabian as a couple of dudes riding waves in Hawaii. Featuring some cool surfing footage and tons of corny dialogue, Ride the Wild Surf is a guilty pleasure. In his highly readable autobiography, Tab Hunter: Confidential, Hunter says his brother Walt — a former surfer — was his inspiration for the role. (Not that Hunter actually had to do any surfing.) He adds that director Don Taylor (Elizabeth Taylor's husband-to-be in Father of the Bride) had to step away for a week due to a death in the family, so Phil Karlson was brought in as a temporary replacement.

Filed under: Features, Sci-Fi, Cinematical

Pioneering science-fiction writer H.G. Wells popularized time travel as a fictional plot device with his 1895 novel, 'The Time Machine.' Wells' novel contained the plot and character elements that would appear and reappear in countless science-fiction novels, novellas, short stories, and, later, in film and television. Time travel became a go-to plot device on several '60s TV shows, including 'The Twilight Zone,' 'The Outer Limits,' the aptly named 'The Time Tunnel,' and 'Star Trek: The Original Series.'

This Cinematical Seven, however, will focus primarily on key films in the time travel genre, beginning with the 1960 release of über-producer George Pal's adaptation of Wells' novel, stopping along the way to briefly discuss everyone's favorite time-travel comedy-adventure, 'Back to the Future,' multiple entries in the 'Terminator' and 'Star Trek' film franchises and ending (for now anyway) with Tony Scott's 'Déjà vu.

Filed under: Features, Sci-Fi, Cinematical

Pioneering science-fiction writer H.G. Wells popularized time travel as a fictional plot device with his 1895 novel, 'The Time Machine.' Wells' novel contained the plot and character elements that would appear and reappear in countless science-fiction novels, novellas, short stories, and, later, in film and television. Time travel became a go-to plot device on several '60s TV shows, including 'The Twilight Zone,' 'The Outer Limits,' the aptly named 'The Time Tunnel,' and 'Star Trek: The Original Series.'

This Cinematical Seven, however, will focus primarily on key films in the time travel genre, beginning with the 1960 release of über-producer George Pal's adaptation of Wells' novel, stopping along the way to briefly discuss everyone's favorite time-travel comedy-adventure, 'Back to the Future,' multiple entries in the 'Terminator' and 'Star Trek' film franchises and ending (for now anyway) with Tony Scott's 'Déjà vu.