25.2.07

Futurama

An opening title for FuturamaImage via Wikipedia
People often imagine the future as a utopia — a time when there will be peace and order. Simpson’s creator Matt Groening has a very different outlook on the future, and together with writer/producer David X. Cohen, he brings you Futurama.

Instead of imagining what the future would be like, Groening and Cohen are inspired by science fiction, such as Star Trek and Arthur C. Clarke. The result of this imagination is a unique comedy from black humour to surreal, on to slapstick and a satire on modern times against a futuristic backdrop.

Phillip J. Fry (Billy West) is a young pizza deliveryman who inadvertently gets sent to the future by a prank phone call. After being resuscitated from his cryogenic state, Fry wakes up to find the world filled with aliens, robots and technological wonders. Here he makes new friends Leela (Katey Sagal), a strange one-eyed alien, who is a starship pilot and Fry’s love interest. Bender (John DiMaggio) is Fry’s best friend; he is also a robot who is an alcoholic and despises all humans (except Fry). Bender is to Futurama is what Homer is to The Simpsons. There’s just never a dull moment when he’s on screen, as his antics are priceless.

Futurama is the story of galactic adventure mixed with many funny moments. The box set comes with many special features, including commentaries on every episode. Fans of sci-fi will definitely appreciate the homage, and new viewers will find this as a refreshing and a very funny look into the future
Zemanta Pixie

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original SeriesImage via Wikipedia
“Space… the final frontier.” No other words come close to describing Star Trek and in 1966, this science fiction show took audiences where no one had gone before.

Starring in the roles that made them all science fiction legends, William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and DeForrest Kelley (Dr McCoy) embark on a five-year mission to strange new worlds and encounter even stranger aliens. The storylines of this first season were not commercially successful for the studio, however they are considered to be some of the finest science fiction writings.

So much, in fact, so that they were nominated for the prestigious Hugo Award (an award given by the World Science Fiction Society) and won two years in a row. The show was also nominated for Emmy Awards and the recognition does not end there, as Star Trek is considered to be the first TV show that spawned a cult following.

The aspects of the show were ahead of its time, as the writers and producers masked political and social issues of the time into a science fiction theme to portray them. Issues like racism was a flashpoint in American history as was the Vietnam conflict, and Star Trek tackled them by portraying mankind’s mistakes and how they learned from them, instead of ignoring them.

The first season box-set comes with cast interviews, text commentaries and features that highlight the season’s best moments. Star Trek: The Original Series is a must have for fans everywhere, especially Trekkies.
Zemanta Pixie