Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi (Two Old Farts)

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Pub. Date

Title

Duration

17 Apr 2021

The 1968 Planet of the Apes Film

01:03:00

The 1968 Planet of the Apes film brought Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel to the big screen, and nothing has been the same since. From the first appearance of apes, right up to the final climactic scene, Troy Harkin and David Clink, with special guest Robert J. Sawyer (see author bio below), will talk about the film, its importance, its legacy, and where it fits in with the ACE (Ape Cinematic Universe). Spoiler alert: specific plot points in the film, the novel, the TV series, and other ape films will be discussed.

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Robert J. Sawyer has won the best-novel Hugo Award (for Hominids), the best-novel Nebula Award (for The Terminal Experiment), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (for Mindscan), plus over 60 other writing awards. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name, and his 24th novel, The Oppenheimer Alternative, is now out. Rob holds honorary doctorates from the University of Winnipeg and Laurentian University, was one of the initial inductees into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and is a Member of the Order of Canada, his country’s highest honour.

17 Aug 2024

Irwin Allen, PT. 2

00:52:38

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. This is our second episode of Season 6. This season is "Two Old Farts Meet the Glass Teat" The late great Harlan Ellison wrote a series of essays about TV for the LA Free Press. He referred to TV as a "Glass Teat." This is our all-TV season. We will look at shows from the 60s, through the 80s and beyond. The shows and the showrunners. PT 1 of Irwin Allen looked primarily at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and, Lost in Space PT 2 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at The Time Tunnel, and, Land of the Giants Troy presents a history of Irwin Allen, and the second two series we are looking at. Here are some of the things that appear in most Irwin Allen TV shows. These are his trademark elements that Troy mentions: On set explosions On set smoke and fires Actors throwing themselves to-and-fro to simulate turbulence and/or being under attack. Being lost or stranded Cool vehicles Female hotties Child actors Animal companions Nefarious villains Walking vegetables Use of stock footage Great merchandise And a similar design look / opening credits The Time Tunnel only lasted one season, 30 - episodes. How it all ends... Troy and David come up with their own versions of how the Land of the Giants ended.. A lot of series, back in the day, never had an opportunity to plan their end. MASH was able to, and FRIENDS and SEINFELD and BIG BANG THEORY. What did happen to the crew of the Spindrift, according to Troy and David? Listen and find out.

01 Feb 2025

The Planet of the Apes TV Series

01:22:24

The Planet of the Apes TV Series premiered in 1974. After the success of the Planet of the Apes movies, a TV series was given the go-ahead. The series lasted one year, and just 14 episodes. Roddy McDowell was signed on, but playing a different character, Galen. Here is the cast: Roddy McDowall … Galen = 14 episodes, 1974 Ron Harper … Alan Virdon = 14 episodes, 1974 James Naughton … Pete Burke = 14 episodes, 1974 Mark Lenard … Urko = 11 episodes, 1974 Booth Colman … Zaius = 6 episodes, 1974 Ron Stein … Gorilla Guard / … = 4 episodes, 1974 One of the concerns with the series, and most POTA fans were not happy with, was the appearance of a dog at the beginning of the first episode. From the Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) there was an interstellar disease that eliminated dogs and cats, and that was when humanity started to have apes as pets. Troy and David look at the pilot episode, and discuss some of the differences in it and the movies, and what are considered its best episodes.

06 Apr 2024

CSFFA – The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association

01:12:38

CSFFA, the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, is the organization that is tasked with running the Aurora Awards and the Hall of Fame. Troy and David invite to the show Clifford Samuels, who is the Aurora Awards administrator. This is Clifford's first appearance on the show, and as with all new guests, Troy and David ask Clifford about his first experiences in the speculative genre, and what was his first genre love. Clifford is also asked about his all-time speculative genre faves, which includes his favourite novel, shorter work, author, and also his favourite movie, TV series, and TV episode. The show will look at the Aurora Awards, and also the Hall of Fame. The Aurora Awards recognize excellence, by Canadian creatives (Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and landed immigrants), in the field of science fiction, fantasy and horror, in 10 categories, eight of which are professional, and two are fan / volunteer: Professional Categories in English Best Novel Best YA Novel Best Novelette/Novella Best Short Story Best Poem/Song Best Graphic Novel/Comic Best Cover Art/Interior Illustration Best Related Work Fan/Volunteer Categories Best Fan Writing and Publication: Best Fan Related Work: When it comes to the Hall of Fame, here is the description from the CSFFA site... The Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association Hall of Fame was created to honour people who have over the past number of decades made a great contribution to the genre of Science Fiction and Fantasy. These would include not just people who write but includes people who have made a contribution either professionally or as a fan. We include artists, musicians, scientists, publishers, editors, organizers and fans. = = = Clifford Samuels has been collecting Science Fiction and Fantasy books for over 40 years. It can be said that even if he stopped buying new books he would never be able to read what he has, but that will never happen. He has founded, chaired and run numerous genre conventions in Alberta. He was on the board for Calgary’s When Words Collide festival as guest liaison for 12 years. As a board member of CSFFA (The Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association), he has held the positions of president, media liaison and treasurer, but for the past 14 years he has administered the Aurora Awards.

21 Aug 2021

Shrinkage – pt. 2

00:45:13

“Shrinkage” could not be held to one episode. The smaller something becomes, we guess, the more you need to to talk about it.

For those who missed part 1, Shrinkage is another term for miniaturization.

making things small. Imagine if you are an inch tall, and you have to

fight off a spider, or a cat.

Troy Harkin and David Clink are at

the cottage, but this time they are at a campfire, as they continue to

talk about shrinkage, while being eaten alive by insects.

Troy Harkin will sing an original song about shrinkage. Not to be missed.

Our special guest is Cam P. Fire. See author photo and bio below.

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Cam P. Fire is hot right now.

His favorite MASH character is major Burns.

01 Nov 2021

The Exorcist pt. 2

01:11:00

This is the second episode of our two-part Exorcist episode.

We will continue our look at The Exorcist (the book by William Peter Blatty and the film by William Friedkin). We will do our Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast for the 1973 film. We will look at six key characters in the movie, and pick the actor/actress that would have best fit that role, and also an outside-the-box cast: Regan MacNeil | Linda Blair Chris MacNeil | Ellen Burstyn Father Damien Karras | Jason Miller Father Lankester Merrin | Max von Sydow Lt. William Kinderman | Lee J. Cobb Burke Dennings | Jack Macgowran Troy Harkin and David Clink will continue to look at the book and the movie, and talk about the impact that they have had. Our special guest, from episode 1, is back for episode 2. Valentino Assenza will have a lot to add about the 1973 film. See author photo and bio below.

Valentino Assenza

Valentino Assenza has been a published poet and performing spoken word artist for over the last two decades. In that time he has released four chapbooks and performed all over Canada and the US. Valentino has been a co-host and co-producer of HOWL on CIUT 89.5FM, where he has interviewed names such as George Elliott Clarke, Anne Michaels, Denise Donlon, Ron Sexsmith, and Margaret Atwood.

28 May 2022

Folk Horror pt. 2: MidSommar

00:59:47

In 2019 a film was released called "MidSommar" and it caused quite a sensation. Ari Aster drew inspiration from the 1973 film, The Wicker Man. This film is part of the folk horror tradition.

Here is a bit that Troy put together about MidSommar (with key spoilers and plot points removed): MIDSOMMAR (history) Midsommar was written and directed by Ari Aster. It was released in 2019, and was the follow up to his highly-acclaimed debut feature film, Hereditary. Aster, who was hugely influenced by Swedish film legend Ingmar Bergman, was approached by Swedish producers to create a slasher film involving Swedish folk traditions. The director had recently dealt with the trauma of a breakup and found he could work through his pain by dealing with it in his screenplay for Midsommar. Shot in Hungary outside of Budapest, not Sweden. The Horgan village was constructed from scratch for the film. The Film stars Florence Pugh as Dani Ardor, Jack Reynor as her boyfriend Christian. Dani finds that Christian and his three friends Jack (played by Will Poulter), Josh, and Pelle (all of them anthropology students) are planning on visiting the Swedish community, the Horga, that Pelle belongs to. The five Americans make the trip to the rustic village and are welcomed into the community by the Horgans. They soon discover that the community is not as idyllic as it seems. Time Out's Joshua Rothkopf wrote, "A savage yet evolved slice of Swedish folk-horror, Ari Aster's hallucinatory follow-up to Hereditary proves him a horror director with no peer." "Ambitious, impressively crafted, and above all unsettling, Midsommar further proves writer-director Ari Aster is a horror auteur to be reckoned with." - Rotten Tomatoes Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at the film, with special guest Sandra Kasturi. She was also the guest for folk horror part 1, our season 3 episode 2 installment, which looked at The Wicker Man (1973).

Sandra Kasturi

Spaceballs The Star Wars parody (with a bit of Star Trek and Lawrence of Arabia thrown in) may not be Mel Brooks' best film, or his funniest comedy, but it is a film that grows on you with each successive viewing. This episode is released in 2024 on Star Wars day, May the 4th, as in, May the 4th be with you. Dan Miwa joins Troy Harkin and David Clink. Dan, being a first-time guest, is asked about his earliest genre memories, and his first genre love. He is then asked the standard 6 questions for first-time guests: Fave Author; Fave Novel; Fave Shorter Work; Fave Movie; Fave TV Series; and, Fave TV episode. Troy presents a history of the film. Troy and David and Dan do their Dream Cast and their Schrödinger's Cast for the following 6 roles: Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) Barf (John Candy) Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) Dot Matrix (Joan Rivers) (voice) Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) Skroob / Yogurt (Mel Brooks) = = = Dan Miwa

Dan Miwa, lover of all things science fiction and psychological fiction, merged his two favourite genres into his novel "Ret". The story takes place on a distant planet, within an alien civilization and follows the life of a little alien through a journey of self transformation. Much of the charm in Ret is how a story with a wild imaginative alien setting can be so relatable at its core. Ret is not only a powerful coming of age story, it's a depiction of human life that holds a mirror to the social challenges we face as a society today. Ret reached #1 in Hot New Release and #2 Best Seller in all his sci fi categories on Amazon. The push for his novel doesn't stop with the written word. Dan is currently working on converting Ret to a graphic novel and screenplay, as well, he is in the beginning stages of writing a prequel to Ret. Ret 2 Zombie Invasion… just kidding.

12 Jun 2021

Blade Runner (1982 film)

01:21:16

Blade Runner is considered an SF classic, one of the best films of the last 50 years. Why is that? What is it about it that makes it endure? The setting, the soundtrack, the story, the acting? Was 2019 close to what was predicted? Have you ever thought of yourself as a replicant? Have you taken the Voight-Kampff test?

Troy Harkin and David Clink will do a deep dive on Blade Runner, with special guest Charlene Challenger (see author bio below).

Troy and David introduce a new segment on their podcast: Dream Casting. Which all-time actors and actresses would you have in the roles? Which current actors would you want? And just how far outside the box are you willing to go?

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Charlene Challenger is the author of two young adult fantasy novels: The Voices in Between,

for which she was nominated for the 2015 Aurora Award for Best Young

Adult Novel and long-listed for the 2015 Sunburst Award Young Adult

Novel category; and its sequel, The Myth in Distance.

Her work is also featured in Stone Skin Press’s Gods, Memes and Monsters.

She is represented by Kelvin Kong of K2 Literary (https://k2literary.com/authors/charlene-challenger/).

09 Nov 2024

The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman PT 1

00:52:47

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi continues its exploration of SFFH TV shows from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. This episode is the first of a 2-part look at The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Many who loved The Six Million Dollar Man enjoyed its iconic look, and also the slow motion. and especially the opening segment. Martin Caiden wrote Cyborg. TSMDM & BW were based on the novel. Caiden TSMDM had a few television movies that were very successful. The series went on from 1974 - 1978. Harve Bennet came in, and became the producer for the show. He made a number of changes to the show. ABC went to the top of the ratings. One of the earlier TV movies had a very James Bond flavour, and this was not what Martin Caiden wanted. Harve Bennet came in and restored the show to what it should have been. EPISODES WE LOOK AT IN DETAIL IN PT. 1: Title: The Six Million Dollar Man "The Moon and the Desert" TV MOVIE from 1973 of The Six Million Dollar Man original air date: Mar 07, 1973 IMDB Rating = 6.5 Title: Day of the Robot season 1 episode 4 of The Six Million Dollar Man original air date: Feb 8, 1974 IMDB Rating = 7.7 Title: Rescue of Athena One season 1 episode 8 of The Six Million Dollar Man original air date: Mar 15, 1974 IMDB Rating = 6.8 Episode synopsis for The Moon and the Desert (from Wikipedia) Steve Austin is an astronaut who has made three Moon landings. In a test flight accident caused by a malfunctioning center stick, his right arm is severed, his left eye is blinded, and both legs must be surgically amputated. Steve Austin’s personal physician, Dr. Rudy Wells, has theorized about the creation of a cyborg through the installation of bionic parts. He is persuaded by an OSI agent to reconstruct his patient/friend with the understanding that Steve Austin will subsequently work for the OSI. Dr. Wells apprises Steve of the plan, but is met with much resistance as Steve Austin mentally struggles to cope with his injuries, the installation of artificial components, and the future obligations that will be involuntarily thrust upon him. Following surgery and lengthy rehabilitation, Steve Austin reluctantly accepts an assignment to rescue a hostage in Saudi Arabia. Episode synopsis for The Day of the Robot (from Wikipedia) In an attempt to steal a top secret anti-missile device, Steve's associate and friend Major Sloan is kidnapped and replaced with a robot. Steve must discover the impostor, and keep the device from being stolen and sold to the highest bidder. Noteworthy Moments: First occurrence of the "fft-tt-tt" sound effect, later used for Steve Austin's bionic legs and arm, used here for some (but not all) of the Fred Sloan robot's powered arm swings. Episode synopsis for The Rescue of Athena One (from Wikipedia) Steve is launched into space to rescue two astronauts stranded in a crippled space capsule. However, when his bionics begin to malfunction due to space radiation, the return trip to Earth becomes endangered. Note: The first of four appearances that Lee Majors' then-wife, Farrah Fawcett Majors, made on the show. She appeared in each season except the final one, playing a different character each time. = = = The cast (by order of appearances) of...

27 Nov 2021

On Writing

01:06:39

On Writing is a classic book (published just 20+ years ago, in 2000) by Stephen King. It is part memoir, part writing instruction, part how King did what he did, and does what he does.

What does Stephen King say about writing? about what it takes to be a writer? about what you need to do to be a writer? Listen, and find out! Here are four quotes from the book: = = = If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut. Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The job boils down to two things: paying attention to how the real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see. In the spring of my senior year at Lisbon High—1966, this would’ve been—I got a scribbled comment that changed the way I rewrote my fiction once and forever. Jotted below the machine-generated signature of the editor was this mot: “Not bad, but puffy. You need to revise for length. Formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%. Good luck.” = = = Troy Harkin and David Clink will talk about the book: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Our special guest is our first return guest, Bev Vincent. Bev was our guest for Season 1 Episode 7, where we talked about The Dead Zone. See author photo and bio below.

Bev Vincent is the author of The Road to the Dark Tower and The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, as well as over 100 short stories, including appearances in Ellery Queen’s, Alfred Hitchcock’s and Black Cat Mystery Magazines, and Cemetery Dance. His work has been published in 20 languages and nominated for the Stoker (twice), Edgar, Ignotus and ITW Thriller Awards. In 2018, he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King. Recent works include the novellas “The Ogilvy Affair” and “The Dead of Winter,” the latter found in Dissonant Harmonies with Brian Keene. To learn more, visit bevvincent.com

10 Feb 2022

Genre Crushes

01:27:45

Genre Crushes.

We've all had them. Who were your genre crushes when you were young? And how about now? Some grew up with a crush on Eartha Kitt or Julie Newmar as Catwoman. Others may have had a crush on Dirk Benedict or Richard Hatch in Battlestar Galactica. Did your bionic leanings lean toward Lee Majors or Lindsay Wagner? If you are drawn to liking women, were you inclined towards Velma or Daphne in Scooby Doo? Buffy or Willow in Buffy: Vampire Slayer? Xena or Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess? Bo or "Kenzi" in Lost Girl? Maggie or Carol in The Walking Dead? Number Six (Tricia Helfer) or Number Eight (Grace Park) in BSG? If you are drawn to liking men, were you inclined towards Fred or Shaggy in Scooby Doo? Steve or Bucky in Captain America? Apollo or Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica <1978-79>? Spock or Kirk in Star Trek <1966-68>? Sam or Dean in Supernatural? The Shoveler or Blue Raja in Mystery Men? And there are, of course, a very long diverse list of crushes, including Sanaa Latham; Wesley Snipes; Michelle Rodriguez; Simu Liu; Michelle Yeoh; Diego Boneta; HoYeon Jung; Zoe Saldana; Sonequa Martin-Green; Eartha Kitt; Ming Na Wen; Nichelle Nichols; Tia Carrere; Thandie Newton; Grace Park; Terry Carter; Kandyse McClure; Will Smith; Yadira Guevara-Prip; Bille Dee Williams; Park So-dam; Priscilla Quintana; LeVar Burton; Woo-sik Choi; Lisa Ray; Michael B. Jordan; Luciana Paluzzi; Sarah Shahi; Nicole Beharie; Steven Yeun; Kelly Hu; Diego Luna; and Rekha Sharma, among many others. There are so many, one cannot do an episode without leaving out one of your own. Troy Harkin and David Clink welcome back two special guests for this Valentine's TOF. Charlene Challenger was the guest for Season 1 Episode 6: Blade Runner. Shaindle Minuk was the guest for Season 1 Episode 8: Plan 9 from Outer Space. Who were Charlene and Shaindle's crushes? Who are they now?Troy and David cover their own, as well. Some of the categories the four will look at: ALL-TIME GENRE CRUSH SEXIEST ACTOR/ACTRESS (Genre TV Show) SEXIEST SEX SCENE (Genre TV or Genre Movie) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Genre Actor) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Genre Actress) SEXIEST Sci-Fi Movie of All Time David came up with a couple of fun categories... Sexiest genre actor/actress in an annoying party scene Looking for Love and Feline Groovy Charlene and Shaindle and Troy and David will come up with, individually, based on a movie that does not exist, their own... ELEVATOR PITCH for the SEXIEST Sci-Fi Movie of All Time Will it live up to the one for Barbarella? A beautiful, young fortieth-century astronaut prevents the positronic ray from getting into the wrong hands.

CHARLENE CHALLENGER

Charlene Challenger is a writer and graduate of X (renaming in process) Theatre School. Her first novel, the young adult fantasy The Voices In Between, was nominated for the 2015 Aurora Award for Best Young Adult Novel and longlisted for the

30 Apr 2022

Bruce Willis Retrospective

01:08:11

A look at Bruce Willis' genre films, and the enduring legacy that he has left us, in the wake of his announcement in late March 2022 that he is retiring as an actor.

Bruce Willis has been in so many science fiction, fantasy, and horror films, that it is hard to keep track.

Here are a few, not a complete list (Movie <character> year [IMDB rating]: Glass <David Dunn> 2019 [6.6] Sin City: A Dame to Kill For <Hartigan> 2014 [6.5] G.I. Joe: Retaliation <General Joe Colton> 2013 [5.8] Moonrise Kingdom <Captain Sharp> 2012 [7.8] Looper <Old Joe> 2012 [7.4] Surrogates <Greer> 2009 [6.3] Planet Terror <Lt. Muldoon> 2007 [7.1] Grindhouse <Muldoon> 2007 [7.5] The Astronaut Farmer <Col. Doug Masterson> 2006 [6.3] Sin City <Hartigan> 2005 [8.0] Unbreakable <David Dunn> 2002 [7.3] The Sixth Sense <Malcolm Crowe> 1999 [8.2] Breakfast of Champions <Dwayne Hoover> 1999 [4.5] Armageddon <Harry S. Stamper> 1998 [6.7] Mercury Rising <Art Jeffries> 1998 [6.1] The Fifth Element <Korben Dallas> 1997 [7.7] Twelve Monkeys <James Cole> 1995 [8.0] NOTE: The idea was that Troy and David would release this episode in the Summer of 2022, and their discussion during the episode relates that. But they are releasing it as their first episode of season 3.

11 Mar 2023

Batman 1966 pt. 2 The Series

01:01:28

Troy and David continue to look at the Batman TV series from the 1960s.

They look a the theme song, and the parody. Here is a link to an article about the parody: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/the-jokers-still-getting-away-celebrating-50-years-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells-233532830.html Here is the 5th verse: Jingle bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker got away Jingle bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker got away Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Kamakazi / Nick Gagnon The refrain is sung by Mark Hamill, in an animated episode. Troy and David look at specific episodes that stand out... = = = = = S1, Ep1 = Hi Diddle Riddle S1, Ep2 = Smack in the Middle This episode has Jill St. John disguised as Robin. Robin's sick burn. How there was not origin story for the first episode. We are introduced to many elements that run through the series... The red phone The bust of Shakespeare The bat poles The batmobile The Dutch angles The henchman The cliffhanger = = = = = S1, Ep19 = The Purr-fect Crime S1, Ep20 = Better Luck Next Time First episode of Catwoman. The Batman and Robin relationship echoes a father son's relationship. There are night scenes in this "Evil is as evil does" episode. = = = = = S1, Ep27 = The Curse of Tut S1, Ep28 = The Pharaoh's in a Rut Victor Buono is King Tut. First King Tut. Great cliffhanger. = = = = = S2, Ep17 = Hizzonner the Penguin S2, Ep18 = Dizzoner the Penguin The Penguin. runs for mayor. Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, may be the best of all the actors who have played the role. Batman wants to run a campaign on the issues. = = = And more...

09 Mar 2024

Valentine’s Special PT2: Love in the Stephen King Universe

00:45:51

Our Valentine's Day Special, pt. 2, continues to look at love in the Stephen King Universe. Our guests from part 1 return, the same guests that joined us for our Halloween Special, the two who run SK Tours (Stephen King Tours), Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar. This is a 2-part episode. PT1 was be broadcast on Saturday, Feb 10, 2024. PT2 will be broadcast on Saturday, Mar 09, 2024. In between, on Feb 24, was our Black Superheroes episode with special guest Wayne Brown. As mentioned in pt. 1, when it comes to love in the Stephen King Universe, there are all kinds of love. First loves. The love of family. Unrequited love. Adolescent love. Love in the apocalypse. The love of a parent for their child. The love of a fan for her favorite writer. Troy and David and Jennifer and Jamie go through the books, look at the different kinds of love that exist. = = = Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

28 Sep 2024

The Big 75th Episode Bash LIVE SHOW

01:17:23

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi has reached a milestone. 75 episodes.

Troy Harkin and David Clink hosted a live show, that was recorded on Wednesday, September 18th. David runs a trivia game on TV Superheroes / Supervillains. We hope you enjoy!

Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon!

2of-S06-E05-The-Big-75th-Episode-Bash-LIVE-SHOW-FINAL-EDIT Download

19 Mar 2022

Troy and David’s Top Ten Sci-Fi Films

01:27:52

Top Ten Sci-Fi Films Troy Harkin and David Clink each come up with their own top ten science fiction films, and the reasons for their selections. How many films will appear on both lists? Will 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars crack the top ten? How about... The Terminator? E.T.? The Day the Earth Stood Still? Blade Runner? Logan's Run? Star Wars? Alien? Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Listen to Troy and David go over their lists, compare and contrast. Maybe you have some of the same films on your own top ten list?

03 Sep 2022

Saturday Morning Cartoons

01:15:05

Saturday morning cartoons were a staple back in the 60s thru the 90s. Remember Cecil and Beany? Scooby Doo? Spiderman? What were your favorites? Generally, the Saturday morning lineup was animated, and many were genre (science fiction, fantasy or horror). The Jetsons. Jonny Quest. Many remember fondly Spiderman and Rocket Robinhood, despite the poor-quality graphics, the backgrounds that were used and reused and reused. Star Trek had an animated series, that "bridged" (pardon the pun) the gap between the classic series from the 60s and the first motion picture in 1979. What were your favorites? The Flintstones? Top Cat? Masters of the Universe? Jem and the Holograms? Thundercats? Do you remember... Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle? Return to the Planet of the Apes? Speed Buggy? Jabberjaw? And do you remember some of the live action series... Shazam! (with animated sequences)? The Secret of Isis? Jason of Star Command? Join Troy Harkin and David Clink as they recall the many shows that comprised the Saturday mornings of our childhood. Maybe some of your faves will be mentioned!

26 Jun 2021

The Dead Zone

01:05:53

The Dead Zone was a 1979 book by Stephen King. It was his first book to rank among the top ten best-selling novels in the United States, and the first story that he set in the fictional town of Castle Rock. The Dead Zone then became a 1983 movie with a deep Canadian connection, directed by David Cronenberg and starring, in order of billing, Christopher Walken; Brooke Adams; Tom Skerritt; Herbert Lom; Anthony Zerbe; Colleen Dewhurst; Martin Sheen; Nicholas Campbell; Sean Sullivan; and, Jackie Burroughs.

Johnny Smith is a psychic, the character based loosely on Peter Hurkos and Edgar Cayce, a man who can glimpse the future by touch. But what if the future is too terrible to contemplate? What is he willing to risk to change it?

Troy Harkin and David Clink will do a deep dive on The Dead Zone, with special guest Bev Vincent (see author photo & bio below).

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Bev Vincent is the author of several books, including The Road to the Dark Tower and The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, as well as over 100 short stories, including appearances in Ellery Queen’s, Alfred Hitchcock’s and Black Cat Mystery magazines. and Cemetery Dance magazine.

He has been writing News from the Dead Zone for Cemetery Dance for two decades.

His work has been nominated for the Stoker (twice), Edgar, Ignotus and ITW Thriller Awards.

In 2018, he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King, and his recent collaboration with Brian Keene is called Dissonant Harmonies.

To learn more, visit bevvincent.com

25 Feb 2023

Batman 1966 pt. 1 The Series

00:52:55

Batman from 1966. Troy and David look at the series in a 3-part episode. The first two episodes look at the TV series, and the third episode looks at the movie This is part 1. The series starred Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin. other regulars in the series were: Alan Napier as Alfred Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon Stafford Repp as Chief O'Hara Madge Blake as Harriet Cooper Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl There were villains, most of whom were played by actors and actresses that people knew at the time, all were celebrities, to some extent. Here is a list of some (not all) of those super villains: SUPER VILLAINS Cesar Romero as The Joker Burgess Meredith as The Penguin Frank Gorshin (Seasons 1–3) as The Riddler John Astin (Season 2) as The Riddler Lee Meriwether (Movie) as The Catwoman Julie Newmar (Seasons 1–2) as The Catwoman Eartha Kitt (Season 3) as The Catwoman Victor Buono as Professor William McElroy/King Tut George Sanders (Season 1) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze Otto Preminger (season 2) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze Eli Wallach (Season 2) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze David Wayne as Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter Vincent Price as Egghead Carolyn Jones as Marsha, Queen of Diamonds Cliff Robertson as Shame Anne Baxter as Olga, Queen of the Cossacks Milton Berle as Louie the Lilac BATCLIMB WINDOW CAMEOS Please go to this web site for more information… https://www.vintag.es/2019/01/batman-window-cameos.html

1. Jerry Lewis – Appeared in “The Bookworm Turns” (April 20, 1966)

1. Dick Clark – Appeared in “Shoot a Crooked Arrow” (September 7, 1966)

1. Van Williams and Bruce Lee as Green Hornet and Kato – Appeared in “The Spell of Tut” (September 28, 1966)

1. Sammy Davis Jr. – Appeared in “The Clock King’s Crazy Crimes” (October 12, 1966)

1. Bill Dana as José Jiménez – Appeared in “The Yegg Foes in Gotham” (October 20, 1966)

1. Howard Duff as Sam Stone – Appeared in “The Impractical Joker” (November 16, 1966)

1. Werner Klemperer as Colonel Klink – Appeared in “It’s How You Play the Game”...

23 Mar 2024

Neuromancer

01:16:31

NEUROMANCER

Stephen Humphrey joins Troy and David on this episode where the novel Neuromancer is discussed. It looks like they are finally going to be bringing the book to the small screen, after a number of attempts. Apple TV+ announced they are bringing Neuromancer to the small screen... https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2024/02/apple-tv-announces-neuromancer-new-drama-based-on-the-multi-award-winning-science-fiction-novel-by-william-gibson/ = = = 'The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.' The opening line says it all. Neuromancer was a game changer, a classic of the genre. This is Stephen's first guesting on the podcast, so Troy and David ask him what was his first childhood genre memory, and first genre love. They also ask him his favorite author, novel, shorter work, movie, TV series, and TV episode. Neuromancer won the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick award. There is a William S. Burroughs influence / stream of consciousness in the novel. Almost like cut up poetry that tells a story. Gibson has said that Naked Lunch was an influence. There is also an influence of music in the writing. Should you assist A.I. in becoming sentient? Gibson coined the term Cyberspace. Would the movie, The Matrix, existed without Gibson? Is Neuromancer a conversation about a world that we cannot see? As a novel of prediction, how accurate was it? Can we really see beyond the now? Would we miss WW3 if we blinked? Is everyone psychologically wounded in Neuromancer? Would a supermind care about humanity? Would they prefer to communicate with A.I. from the Centauri system? And what are the traits of cyberpunk? Here are some of the things that exist in a lot of these stories... DEFINING CYBERPUNK (from various sources) = a sub-genre of science fiction = a dystopian world = THINK BLADE RUNNER = features hackers and mercenaries = power lies with big corporations and technology = how people navigate the physical and cyber world = technology evolves = about the fragility of the human mind and body = about the loss of control over decision-making = often features addiction, which allows some to cope. = Animals gone? (robot owl in B-R; horses in N) = = = Stephen Humphrey

Stephen Humphrey is a writer and radio presenter. He recently published a science/ecology book, ‘Paths of Pollen’ with McGill-Queens University Press. His nonfiction often explores science’s intersection with science fiction. As a result, he’s interviewed Gregory Benford, Robert J. Sawyer, Kim Stanley Robinson and Naren Shankar, showrunner for The Expanse—and, to date, three astronauts. He’s currently developing the science fiction serial Zone Boy and the Worm of Incidence, which has led to teaching himself electronic music. He’s performed his weird tunes around Toronto at Exit Points, Frequency Freaks and TEMOM (Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic). And then there’s the novel. Always the novel. Paths of Pollen website: http://pathsofpollen.stephenhumphrey.ca/ Zone Boy stories:

15 Apr 2023

The Big 50th Episode Bash

01:22:15

Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi celebrates their 50th episode in style. A live show, recorded on April 10, 2023. The Theme - TIME TRAVEL! We had a number of people attend, and there was a time travel quiz, on movies from 1970 - 2023. Troy plays an acoustic version of the theme. Listener mail. A Beatle-ism. And a Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast of people that could have played Troy and David. Who else could of (or should have) been the hosts of this podcast?

24 Jul 2021

BARD TREK – Shakespeare in Star Trek

01:17:30

Shakespeare. Star Trek. The combination seems a bit odd.

From Wikipedia:

William Shakespeare (bapt. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an

English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest

writer in the English language and the world’s greatest dramatist.

Star Trek, the original series, was set in the 23rd century, created by Gene Roddenberry. From Wikipedia:

In creating Star Trek, Roddenberry was inspired by C. S. Forester’s

Horatio Hornblower series of novels, Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels, the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, and television westerns such as Wagon Train.

But, the writers of Star Trek were also influenced by Shakespeare.

Troy Harkin and David Clink will do a deep dive on Bard Trek, and will also look at how theatre, plays, and drama became a part of Trek, with special guest Trevor Rines (see author photo & bio below).

Also, on this podcast, Dream Casting and The OOTB (outside-of-the-box) Casting, for Star Trek and Shakespeare.

-----------------

Trevor Rines is an actor, musician, writer, notorious punster, &

boardgame designer & developer, with a background in Astrophysics,

who is quoted on DNA in The Dictionary of Canadian Quotations.

Since the start of the pandemic, he’s performed (online, of course) in every single one of Shakespeare’s plays with The Quarantine Players.

As a composer, he’s written music for many theatrical productions,

including the incidental music & songs for two Shakespeare

productions.

As a voice actor, his low, rumbling voice has been heard onstage with

orchestras, as well as on TV, radio, film, documentaries, audio dramas,

radio plays, & even on other podcasts…

29 May 2021

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

00:51:46

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is many things, but most of all, it is Douglas Adams. It was a radio play, a book, a series of books, a stage show, a TV series, a comic book series, a video game, and a movie, among other things. This international multi-media phenomenon has sparked legions of fans to devour all things Hitchhiker, fans who are aware of the importance of the number forty-two, and the phrase: “DON’T PANIC.” Fans also celebrate National Towel Day, which occurs on the 25th of May, each year.

https://nationaltoday.com/towel-day/

Troy Harkin and David Clink will do a deep dive on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, with special guest Ira Nayman (see author bio below).

--------------------

Ira Nayman writes speculative humour. His seventh novel, Bad Actors: The Alien Refugees Trilogy: Second Pi in the Face, will be published later in 2021 by Elsewhen Press. He will also be self-publishing his 12th original Alternate Reality News Service collection, Welcome to the Insurrection (The Inconvenience IS the Point), and the second ARNS omnibus, Advanced Idiotocracy for Dummies. For two and a half years, Ira was the editor of Amazing Stories magazine. Yes, that Amazing Stories magazine.

09 Jul 2022

Galactic Rock pt. 1

00:54:38

Troy Harkin and David Clink (and Lee McCormack) look at Galactic Rock. This three-part series delves into Rock 'n' Roll that is "out there" and perhaps even "out of this world" including things that are science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their mashups and subgenres, and will delve into science and space, from the beginnings to present day.

Were you a fan of... Space Oddity and Star Man (both by David Bowie) Monster Mash (by Bobby Pickett) Theme From The Munsters (by Jack Marshall) The Lonely Man Theme [often referred to as "The Hulk walking away music"] (by Joe Harnell) The Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley Listen in as we look at these songs and much more. Be sure to check out the entire series: pt. 1 (available beginning July 9, 2022) pt. 2 (available beginning July 23, 2022) pt. 3 (available beginning August 6, 2022) Troy and David's special guest for this series is Lee McCormack. Please see his bio below. ALSO: Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist: "Galactic Rock (TOF)" It includes every song that we mention in our three-part series and many more. It is ten hours long! Shuffle away!

Lee McCormack is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and podcaster.

As a musician he has played in Malhavoc. He’s headed up professional tributes to Johnny Cash, and The Clash. He has also played drums as Ringo in various Beatles tribute bands. In addition to this he’s recorded his own material at the legendary Sun Record studio in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2020 he released the single “Train to Heartbreak” backed with “Every Night’s A Saturday Night”. Lee has been the host and producer of Tramps Like Us, a Bruce Springsteen podcast, since 2016.

11 Jun 2022

Size Matters pt. 1

00:58:29

Monsters have been with us for a long, long time. Some of them are very big. Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at monster films, from some of the earliest to very recent ones, looking at the largest creatures that have stayed in our collective imaginations, while they spend some time at the cottage, enjoying the lake, and some beer. And who will win, as the greatest of them all? And who would win in a fight? = = = Godzilla or King Kong? = = = The woman from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman or the rabbits in Night of the Lepus? = = = Aragog, the spider in The Chamber of Secrets [Harry Potter] or Shelob. the spider in The Two Towers [Lord of the Rings]? = = = Troy and David do not ponder these questions. But they do fend off forest critters as they pontificate about the giants from film, while downing some brewskies.

25 Jun 2022

Size Matters pt. 2

00:55:42

Troy Harkin and David Clink continue to look at large creatures, mostly in movie history.

FROM OUR DESCRIPTION OF PT. 1: Monsters have been with us for a long, long time. Some of them are very big. Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at monster films, from some of the earliest to very recent ones, looking at the largest creatures that have stayed in our collective imaginations, while they spend some time at the cottage, enjoying the lake, and some beer. And who will win, as the greatest of them all? And who would win in a fight? = = = Godzilla or King Kong? = = = The woman from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman or the rabbits in Night of the Lepus? = = = Aragog, the spider in The Chamber of Secrets [Harry Potter] or Shelob. the spider in The Two Towers [Lord of the Rings]? = = = Troy and David do not ponder these questions. But they do fend off forest critters as they pontificate about the giants from film, while downing some brewskies.

23 Nov 2024

The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman PT 2

01:16:05

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi continue to look at The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. This is the second of a 2-part episode. And stick to the end, where we have a special bionic treat, where Robert J. Sawyer gives his recommendations on his favourite episodes.

We begin with a recap of PT. 1. SOME OF THE EPISODES WE LOOK AT The Return of the Bionic Woman (2-part episode) Welcome Home Jaimie (2-part episode) The Secret of Bigfoot (2-part episode) The Return of Bigfoot (2-part episode) Bigfoot 5 (1 episode) Fembots in Las Vegas Kill Oscar (3-part episode) One of Our Running Backs is Missing Sharks A Bionic Christmas Carol Deadly Countdown Bionic Beauty Doomsday is Tomorrow Black Magic Motorcycle Boogie On the Run Troy and David talk about all the merchandising of the shows. They also do their recurring segment, "How it all ends" where Troy and David come up with their versions of how series end, especially the shows that were not given a chance to end on their own terms. Troy and David invited SCI-FI Legend Robert J. Sawyer to close out the episode by mentioning his favourite Six Million Dollar Man episodes and TV movies.

07 Dec 2024

Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

01:10:36

There were two SF series in the late 1970s that both had theatrical releases: Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Both were produced by Glen A. Larson. Troy and David look at the theatrical films, and compare and contrast these, and how they fit in with the televised series.

CAST OF BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:

• Richard Hatch as Captain Apollo (Waltons, Love Boat, Kung Fu…)

• Dirk Benedict as Lieutenant Starbuck (A Team)

• Lorne Greene as Commander Adama (CAN) Bonanza, New Wilderness

• John Colicos as Baltar (CAN) (Star Trek, Night Gallery, The Changeling)

• Jane Seymour as Serina (Somewhere in Time, Dr Quinn Med. Woman)

• Rick Springfield as Zak Adama (Jesse’s Girl song, General Hospital)

• Ray Milland as Sire Uri (born 1907! 100s of classic films)

• Maren Jensen as Lieutenant Athena

• Noah Hathaway as Boxey

• Herbert Jefferson Jr. as Lieutenant Boomer

• Tony Swartz as Flight Sergeant Jolly

• Laurette Spang as Cassiopeia (Emergency, Isis, SMDM, Happy Days)

• Terry Carter as Colonel Tigh

• Patrick Macnee as The Imperious Leader / The Narrator

• Anne Lockhart as Lieutenant Sheba (daughter of June Lockhart)

CAST OF BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY:

Gil Gerrard as Buck Rogers

Erin Grey as Wilma Deering

Tim O’Connor as Dr. Elias Huer

Felix Silla as the body of Twiki

Mel Blanc as the voice of Twiki

Pamela Hensley as Princess Ardala

Henry Silva as Kane

Joseph Wiseman as King Draco

Duke Butler as Tigerman

Caroline Smith as Delta Section

Troy and David talk a bit about the merchandising.

They also do their recurring segment, "How it all ends"

where Troy and David come up with their versions of how series end, especially the shows that were not given a chance to end on their own terms.

13 May 2023

The Twilight Zone PT 2

01:04:21

The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 - 1964. Hosted by Rod Serling Rod also wrote most of the episodes. This is part 2 of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi's look at the Twilight Zone. This episode looks at (as Troy Harkin says): Rod Serling after The Twilight Zone, and... The Twilight Zone after Rod Serling. There were a few Twilight Zone series since the original. There was also a Twilight Zone movie. Tom Elliott, the host of The Twilight Zone Podcast, is the special guest. He was also the special guest for part 1. Tom and David and Troy talk about The Twilight Zone in the later decades. Tom and David and Troy do the Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast, choosing one character from the original series, and choosing another actor or actress to fill the role, one the best actor (living or dead) which is the Dream Cast, and one unusual choice, for the Schrodinger's Cast. They also talk about Night Gallery, and The Planet of the Apes. And Troy asks Tom about the SerlingFest Convention. This episode is not being broadcast on Saturday, June 10, 2023, as David says in the episode. It is being broadcast on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

Tom Elliot began The Twilight Zone Podcast in 2010 intending to record short ten-minute stream of consciousness thoughts after each episode viewing. As the production quality of each episode increased, so did the diversity of show content. As well as episode reviews, the podcast grew to include short story readings, book reviews, event coverage and interviews. Guests such as Anne Serling (daughter of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling), Earl Holliman (the first actor to ever appear in The Twilight Zone) plus many others have all graced the airwaves of The Twilight Zone Podcast. The Twilight Zone Podcast has become the definitive and longest running podcast about the landmark show on the web.

Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon!

2of-S04-E10-The-Twilight-Zone-PT2-FINAL-EDIT-1

10 Feb 2024

Valentine’s Special PT1: Love in the Stephen King Universe

01:15:13

Our Valentine's Day Special looks at love in the Stephen King Universe. We have our guests from our Halloween Special, the two who run SK Tours (Stephen King Tours), Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar. This is a 2-part episode. PT1 will be broadcast on Saturday, Feb 10, 2024. PT2 will be broadcast on Saturday, Mar 09, 2024. In between, on Feb 24, will be our Black Superheroes episode with special guest Wayne Brown. When it comes to love in the Stephen King Universe, there are all kinds of love. First loves. The love of family. Unrequited love. Adolescent love. Love in the apocalypse. The love of a parent for their child. The love of a fan for her favorite writer. Troy and David and Jennifer and Jamie go through the books, look at the different kinds of love that exist. We ask Jennifer and Jamie to talk about their first speculative genre memory, the first genre thing they fell in love with, and their all time faves. We ask them what their first experience of love in the King universe. Who would have made the best prom king and queen in the novels of Stephen King? Who were your favorite couples? = = = Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

14 May 2022

Folk Horror pt. 1: The Wicker Man

01:03:58

In 1973 a film was released called "The Wicker Man." In this podcast episode, we look at folk horror in general and The Wicker Man in particular. This is from Troy Harkin's introduction: FOLK HORROR (Intro) Man loves order. Moreover man loves the order that he cultivates. As much as we claim to love the great outdoors we love a garden even more because we are the ones who dictate the order. We fear the wilderness. We fear the threat of the untamed. Because we want to see ourselves as enlightened, and civilized, we fear our pagan roots. Folk Horror explores these fears. Often it examines a return to ancient rites and rituals that for the most part have been forgotten. But Folk Horror reminds us we can never truly leave our past behind. In his series The History of Horror, Mark Gatiss refers to the Unholy Trilogy of British Horror. These three films include Witchfiner General from 1968, The Blood on Satan’s Claw from 1970, and 1973’s The Wickerman. THE WICKER MAN (history) Inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel, Ritual, The Wickerman is ostensibly a detective story about a devout Christian police officer who is searching for a missing girl on Summerisle, an island off the west coast of Scotland, a community that is sustained by its production of apples. The Island is ruled by Lord Summerisle played by Christopher Lee. Police Sergeant Howie is played by Edward Woodward.The film features supporting actors Ingrid Pitt and Britt Eklund as well as actual Scottish locals as the inhabitants of Summerisle. In the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, The Wickerman is described as “a highly original combination of horror movie, murder mystery, pagan ethnography, and folk musical…” Cinefantastique once described it as "The Citizen Kane of horror movies"., Total Film magazine named The Wicker Man the sixth greatest British film of all time. Christopher Lee considers The Wicker Man the best film he ever appeared in. Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at the film, with special guest Sandra Kasturi. She is also the guest for Folk Horror part 2, which will look at MidSommar (2019).

Sandra Kasturi

...

15 Feb 2025

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV Series)

01:14:51

Kolchak: The Night Stalker was a series that lasted only one season, the 1974-75 season. Just 20 episodes. Troy and David look at the series, its pilot episode and others, and briefly talk about the two made for TV movies that preceded the TV series: The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. The TV series, and the two TV movies, influenced a generation of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror fans, including Chris Carter, who brought us The X-Files. Troy and David open the episode with a short tribute to David Lynch, who had passed away recently.

Back to Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV Series) Here is the cast (and the description we used in the episode): Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak, 20 episodes. The intrepid investigative reporter. McGavin had a long career in film and television working steadily from the 1940s onward. Other than Kolchak he is remembered for his roles in The Natural, A Christmas Story, Millennium and The X-Files. Simon Oakland as Tony Vincenzo, 20 episodes. Kolchak’s crotchety ulcer-ridden editor. Oakland appeared on both The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. He was also in Hitchcock’s Psycho, and West Side Story. Jack Grinnage as Ron Updyke, 18 episodes. Another journalist at INS (Carl sometimes calls him “Uptight” instead of Updyke. Updyke looks A LOT like Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, doesn't he? Although this was his biggest recurring role, Grinnage also appeared in Rebel Without A Cause, the Elvis film Kid Creole, as well as on The Twilight Zone. Ruth McDevitt as Emily Cowles, 12 episodes. Although Ruth McDevitt was born in 1895 (!!!) her first on-screen role did not come until 1949. Among her long list of film and TV roles, McDevitt appeared in The Birds, The Shakiest Gun in the West, Mame, and on Room 222, Kojack, McCloud and Gunsmoke, before going on to Kolchak: The Night Stalker. She passed away in 1975 at the age of 80. The TV Series had a stellar list of Guest Stars, including: Carolyn Jones, Scatman Crothers, Phil Silvers, Stella Stevens, Jim Backus, Jamie Farr, Antonio Fargus, Tom Skerrit, Kathy Lee Crosby and Tom Bosley. Troy and David present their, "How it all ends", by coming up with an ending to the show, as if the show, like MASH, knew it was ending, and had time to be able to end it properly, wrap everything (or most things) up.

27 May 2023

The Thing PT 1

00:53:12

John Carpenter's The Thing. 1982 saw a plethora of great genre films, and this one got lost in the mix. How exactly do you compete with Blade Runner; E.T.: The Extraterrestrial; Tron; and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? It did not do well at the box office. It had some poor reviews, most notably from Roger Ebert, who said, "...this material has been done before, and better..." There have been a few films that took audiences and critics years, if not decades, to warm to, and this is one of them. It is now considered a classic of the genre, and often appears in top ten lists. It is favorably mentioned alongside Blade Runner and Alien. Its makeup effects, which at first was off-putting to some audiences and critics, were ahead of their time, and still stand up today. This is Part 1 of a 2-Part episode. Troy Harkin and David Clink, the Two Old Farts of this podcast, will look at the 1982 film in detail, but will also look at the 1951 film, and the 2011 prequel. There may be some discussion on the story, Who Goes There, by John W. Campbell (who has recently been cancelled), which the movies are based on. In the case of the Howard Hawks film, a much looser adaptation, whereas the John Carpenter film, starring Kurt Russell, was a much closer version. About John W. Campbell being cancelled, here is an excerpt from an article titled: John W. Campbell Award Is Renamed After Winner Criticizes Him, published in The New York Times, August 28, 2019, and updated on Sept 1, 2019, written by Peter Libbey: The decision to remove Campbell’s name from the award came after this year’s winner, Jeannette Ng, criticized him in her acceptance speech. “He is responsible for setting a tone for science fiction that haunts this genre to this very day,” she said. “Stale, sterile, male, white, exalting in the ambitions of imperialists, colonialists, settlers and industrialists.” Click on this image to take you to the full article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/books/john-w-campbell-award-jeannette-ng.html

This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Troy and David are joined by two guests. Please see their bios and author photos below. Carolyn Clink is David's sister, and this is her first time being a guest on the TOF podcast. She lists the 1982 film, The Thing, as her favourite all-time genre movie. Being a first-time guest, Troy and David ask her about her early genre memories, and what her all-time genre faves are. Sandra Kasturi makes her third appearance as a guest. Sandra first appeared on the Season 1 episode 13 and 14 on Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (September 2021). She next guested on Season 3 episode 2 and 3 on Folk Horror (July 2022?), which took a careful look at The Wicker Man and MidSommar. Sandra joins Bev Vincent and Ira Nayman as guests who have appeared on three different topics. = = =

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi celebrates Halloween by looking at two horror comedies from the 1960s, The Addams Family and The Munsters. In fact, they look specifically at episodes that are the "Halloween episodes" of the two series: Halloween with the Addams Family season 1 episode 7 of The Addams Family original air date: October 30, 1964. IMDB Rating = 7.8 Munster's Masquerade season 1 episode 1 of The Munsters. original air date: May 6, 1965 IMDB Rating = 7.5 As mentioned in the episode, here are the descriptions from wikipedia for the two episodes. Episode synopsis for Halloween with the Addams Family from Wikipedia: Marilyn's boyfriend, Tom Daily, invites the Munster clan to a masquerade. Eddie remains at home with Mrs. Morton as his sitter. Marilyn goes as Priscilla, Lily is Little Bo Peep, Grandpa is Napoleon and Herman is King Arthur in a suit of shining armor. At the party Mr. Daly is dressed and made up as Frankenstein's monster. Herman tells him that he reminds him of someone and adds that it's unfortunate that he isn't wearing a costume at his own masquerade party, angering Mr. Daly. When it is time for the best costume award Herman is asked to take off his helmet. One man says that Herman should win for wearing one mask over another. Lily is insulted and Marilyn as well is angry with Tom's family. Tom takes Marilyn home, where he finally sees Herman and Lily without their costumes. Tom runs away, but Marilyn is relieved. Episode synopsis for Munster's Masquerade from Wikipedia: Mistaking two robbers named Claude (Don Rickles) and Marty (Skip Homeier) for trick-or-treaters, the family takes them in for a Halloween celebration. The robbers agree because they are hiding out from the police and their car has run out of gas in front of the Addams’ house. They put up with the creepy household's holiday festivities as best they can, because they spot Gomez' desk full of loose cash. Unbeknownst to all, Thing is on to them and ready to take matters “in hand”. When they finally manage to escape the house, it's only into the waiting arms of the police. The cast of The Munsters: Fred Gwyne as Herman Munster Al Lewis as Grandpa Munster Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster (Herman’s wife) Butch Patrick As Eddie Munster (the son) Marilyn (the adopted daughter) played by three actresses: Beverly Owen as Marilyn #1 Pat Priest as Marilyn #2 (took over midway thru season 1). Debbie Watson as Marilyn #3 in the film Munster, Go Home. The cast of The Addams Family: John Astin as Gomez Addams Carolyn Jones as Morticia Frump Addams. Ted Cassidy as Lurch the Butler. Felix Sila as Cousin ITT. Lisa Loring as Wednesday Addams Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley (Pubert!) Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester Blossom Rock as Grandmama.

12 Oct 2024

Richard Matheson and the ABC Movie of the Week

01:24:17

We continue our all-TV season, and recognize Harlan Ellison, who wrote a series of essays on TV, referring to TV as a 'glass teat'. Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi looks at Richard Matheson, and since this season is the TV season, we look at the stories he wrote that became part of the ABC Movie of the Week. We do a deep dive on the history of TV movies, the ABC Movie of the Week, and specifically the movies that Richard Matheson wrote, which were: "Duel" and "The Trilogy of Terror" and also "The Night Stalker (1972 film)". The movies, the theatrical ones, back in the day, that played on TV, cost a lot for the TV stations to play, the rights owner, representative or distributor charged a premium on recent films, for them to appear on TV, and in some cases the networks would bid against each other for the rights to have a movie played on their station, so most films that appeared on TV were older films. There were, occasionally, made for TV movies, but by the late 1960s, TV studios decided to produce, on a regular basis, original TV movies, more as a cost-saving measure. They controlled production costs, and did not have to bid against other networks. Often these movies were shot in 14 days or fewer. DUEL Troy and David first look at DUEL. a 1971 movie, written by Richard Matheson, and directed by Steven Spielberg. They look at the sound, Dennis Weaver's acting, the diner, the reptiles. The decision by Spielberg not to have a big explosion at the end. The great first line (and following lines) in the story that appeared in Playboy: At 11:32 am Mann passed the truck. Here are the first two camera shots of the shooting script from DUEL:

THE NIGHT STALKER The second ABC Movie of the Week that Troy and David look at is The Night Stalker. This is the first of two TV movies that preceded the TV Series, the other is The Night Strangler. The Night Stalker influenced a generation, included Chris Carter, who created The X-Files. There was something about the shouting matches between Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) and Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland). The heartbreaking ending, where Gail Foster (Carol Lynley) and Kolchak are separated. David, in a senior moment, says "Jason" instead of Janos Skorzeny. (ya-noss score-zen-knee). Troy mentions the unusual choice of free-form jazz music that is used in the fight scenes. THE TRILOGY OF TERROR The third ABC Movie of the Week that Troy and David look at is The Trilogy of Terror. This is a movie that has three separate horror stories, the third of which is the one that we all know and love. Richard Matheson wrote all three stories, but other writers wrote the screenplays for the first two stories, and Matheson insisted on writing the screenplay for the third segment. Karen Black played the lead role(s) in all three segments.

16 Oct 2021

The Exorcist pt. 1

00:52:49

The Exorcist is a book by William Peter Blatty, a film by William Friedkin, and there were sequels. The novel (1971) and movie (1973) tell the story of demonic possession. An actress's daughter is the victim, and after exhausting all medical and psychological possibilities, they are left with a Catholic ritual to "exorcise" the demon from the child.

The book received a lot of praise, and the movie was a hit. Not since Psycho and Rosemary's Baby has a film gripped the public's imagination. Here are six key characters in the novel and movie, and the actor/actress that played the role in the 1973 film: Regan MacNeil | Linda Blair Chris MacNeil | Ellen Burstyn Father Damien Karras | Jason Miller Father Lankester Merrin | Max von Sydow Lt. William Kinderman | Lee J. Cobb Burke Dennings | Jack Macgowran Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at the book and the movie, and talk about the impact that they have had. Our special guest is Valentino Assenza. He will also be our guest for part 2. Valentino will have a lot to add about the 1973 film. See author photo and bio below.

Valentino Assenza

24 Dec 2022

A Christmas Carol

01:23:18

A Christmas Carol is the Dickens novella classic that has been adapted to big screen and small screen and the stage, and has been referenced / parodied countless times. The Muppets even did a special based on the novel. And, don't forget Scrooge McDuck! Many consider the 1951 film version starring Alistair Sim as the best representation of the tale. Here are some basics: The published title was: "A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas" Ghost stories told around Christmastime were fairly common at the time, and popular. The story was a novella (not a novel). It was first published in 1843. There were a number of printings, all selling out. Dickens read the story to audiences over a hundred times at readings. The basic story centers around a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, in succession. The three spirits represent stages in Scrooge's life. The Spirit of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to earlier, seminal moments in his life, a time when he was happy, but also to a time where he lost that faith and the light he had. The Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to things that are going on currently that he is not aware of - how other people live, and how they feel about him. The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come takes Scrooge to a time where he has passed on, and again, how others feel about him, how he is treated (in death), and also what may happen to Tiny Tim, if Scrooge does not change his ways. The novella begins with a great first line: "Marley was dead." It is considered one of the great opening lines in literature. It brings one immediately into the story. There have been many versions of the story, and one that both David and Troy recommend, beyond the 1951 film, is the 2009 animated version, starring Jim Carrey. Scrooged, starring Bill Murray, has a fantastic opening, and is well worth watching, just for that. Look for cameos from Lee Majors; John Houseman; James Farr; and Mary Lou Retton. Troy and David rate some of the films, and do their Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast. The Dream Cast is where they take the best actors/actresses of all time, either living or dead, to play the roles. The Schrödinger's Cast takes the same six roles, but has very unusual casting to fill the roles. Here are the roles they look at, and the actors that portrayed them in the 1951 film.

Character

Original Star

Ebenezer Scrooge

Alistair Sim

Bob Cratchit

Mervyn Johns

Tiny Tim

Glyn Dearman

Spirit of Christmas Past

Michael Dolan

Spirit of Christmas Present

Francis De Wolff (as...

05 Feb 2022

2001: A Space Odyssey pt. 2

00:48:17

2001: A Space Odyssey.

This is the second part of our look at the film. We realized that, with two guests, and a big movie like 2001, we would need two parts to do the movie justice. In Part 2, Troy and David and Mark and Rob spend more time on the film, doing a deeper dive than in Part 1. Rob refers to the film as "a paradigm shift." Mark refers to the film as "a landmark." Stanley Kubrick wanted to make the first great SF film. Mark and Rob mention other films that predated 2001 that were great SF films. Would Star Wars have happened without 2001? The Schrödinger's Cast is looked at, which is taking the cast from the original film, and replacing them with people you may not suspect.

MARK ASKWITH

Mark Askwith is a writer and Television Producer. He has covered the Science Fiction genre for over 30 years. Mark is the creator of the award-winning Prisoners of Gravity, and he is one of the Founding Producers of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction and Fantasy Channel. He has also produced dozens of half-hour television movie specials, featuring interviews with stars like Tom Hanks, Christian Bale, and Sigourney Weaver. As well, he has interviewed dozens of scientists and astronauts including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin, and Chris Hadfield. Neil Gaiman called him The Secret Master of Science Fiction. So, I guess that’s no longer a secret.

ROBERT J. SAWYER

Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history—and the only Canadian—to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name. His latest novel is The Oppenheimer Alternative. A member of both the Order of Canada and the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, he lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

18 Sep 2021

Back To School Special

01:06:37

Maaja Wentz

Maaja Wentz is a Toronto teacher-librarian who writes mystery and speculative fiction. School closures inspired Maaja to write the Saltwater Spy School series. Imagine Sponge Bob Squarepants meets James Bond featuring a wannabe spy hermit crab overcoming childhood fears.

Feeding Frenzy: Curse of the Necromancer won a Watty award. In the sequel, a rival magic faction has taken control of Loon Lake, cursing Tonya's allies with amnesia and framing her mother for murdering a man who was already dead. To free her mother, Tonya must find the real killer while navigating secret university magic classes surrounded by her worst enemies.

Maaja Wentz

Back to School. Just the thought of it strikes fear into the hearts of children everywhere. But for some, it is something to look forward to. It is September, and we have bought our school supplies, and are ready for the next grade. What's the connection between schools and science fiction, fantasy, and horror? Troy Harkin and David Clink will look at the linkages, the places we wish we had gone, like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; Sunnydale High School; Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy; Starfleet Academy; The Jedi Praxeum. Perhaps the greatest question of all - do you want to attend a school that is on top of a Hellmouth? Our special guest is Maaja Wentz. See author photo and bio below..

Maaja Wentz

Maaja Wentz is a Toronto teacher-librarian who writes mystery and speculative fiction. School closures inspired Maaja to write the Saltwater Spy School series. Imagine Sponge Bob...

10 Jun 2023

The Thing PT 2

01:04:58

The Thing PT. 2 Troy and David return with Carolyn Clink and Sandra Kasturi, to look at The Thing. First and foremost, the 1982 film, but also the 1951 film, and the 2011 film. They also do a Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast, of six of the main characters in the 1982 movie.

Character	Original Star
MacReady	Kurt Russell
Dr. Blair	Wilford Brimley
Nauls	T.K. Carter
Palmer	David Clennon
Childs	Keith David
Dr. Copper	Richard Dysart

They choose another actor or actress to fill the role, one the best actor (living or dead) which is the Dream Cast, and one unusual choice, for the Schrodinger's Cast. This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, June 10, 2023. = = = Carolyn Clink is a poet living in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

She won the Aurora Award for Best Poem/Song in 2022 for “Cat People Café” and in 2011 for “The ABCs of the End of the World.” Her genre poetry publications include: Weird Tales, Analog, Imaginarium 2012: the Best Canadian Speculative Writing, Polar Starlight, Polar Borealis, On-Spec, Tesseracts, Frost Zone Zine, Eye to the Telescope, Tales of the Unanticipated, Room, and all 5 volumes of Northern Frights. = = = Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin.

Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

02 Dec 2023

Dr. Strangelove

01:09:55

Dr. Strangelove is the granddaddy of all satirical movies. A great cast contributes to the story of a bomber crew being ordered to drop the bomb on the Russians. The order did not come from the President. It came from Jack D. Ripper, the commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, who exceeded his authority. He also seems to be overly concerned with bodily fluids, his essence, and fluoridation. Peter Sellers leads a great cast. He plays three roles: Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake; President Merkin Muffley; and, Dr. Strangelove. He is wonderful in each one. Troy Harkin and David Clink, the "Two Old Farts," are joined by Ira Nayman, whom Troy and David refer to as The Third Fart. Ira is the only guest who has appeared in all five season. Ira is the second guest to have appeared in five episodes, joining Bev Vincent as part of "The Farty Five" or a proud member of "The Fart-Timer's Club." When it comes to Dream Casting, and the Schrodinger's Cast, Ira Troy and David try to recast Peter Sellers, with the best possible alternative (Dream Cast) and an unusual, outside the box choice (Schrödinger's Cast).

Character(s)	Original Star
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake President Merkin Muffley Dr. Strangelove	Peter Sellers

Ira Nayman writes humour under the name, Ira Nayman. The Ugly Truth, his 8^th novel with Elsewhen Press, was published in June, 2022. His two dozenth published short story, “Girls Rule the Steampunk World” appeared in Brave New Girls: Chronicles of Misses and Machines. In September, 2022, Ira celebrated the 20^thanniversary of the weekly publication of Les Pages aux Folles, his web site of political and social satire. Ira was our guest for four previous episodes: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Mystery Men Twiddle Twaddle

03 Apr 2021

Blast-Off

01:23:52

Troy Harkin and David Clink grew up in the '60s and '70s, so if you have fond memories of these times, perhaps they can rekindle these, bring back recollections of the shows you grew up with. What were your favourites? This is their first podcast. Enjoy!

15 Oct 2022

Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences PT 3 (2000-2022)

00:51:08

We are celebrating the 75th birthday of Stephen King with Bev Vincent’s wonderful new book from Epic Ink, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Our three part series splits up Bev's six chapters, so we will look at two chapters in each episode. = = = PT 1 covers 1950 - 1979: CHAPTER 1: The Future Artist as a Young Man (1950-1969) CHAPTER 2: The Doubleday Years (1970s) = = = PT 2 covers 1980 - 1999: CHAPTER 3: Midas Touch (1980s) CHAPTER 4: Experimentation and Change (1990s) = = = PT 3 covers 2000 - 2022: CHAPTER 5: After the Accident (2000s) CHAPTER 6: King of Crime (2010 and beyond) = = =

Bev Vincent

Bev Vincent's latest work is: Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Bev is also the author of The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, and the Stephen King Illustrated Companion. In 2018 he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King. He is the author of the Ogilvie Affair and co-author of Dissonant Harmonies. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. With this appearance Bev joins the Three Timers Club, if you will. The Hat Trick Union. Bev was our season one, episode seven podcast guest on: The Dead Zone; and our season two, episode four podcast on: On Writing.

28 Jan 2023

Doctor Who 101 – An Introduction

01:22:50

Doctor Who may be the greatest sci-fi adventure of all time. The show focusses on a timelord from the planet Gallifree. The main character is Doctor Who, and is often referred to as, "The Doctor." The doctor goes through regenerations, where he or she can come back as someone else. He or she travels in a machine, called the Tardis, that can travel through space and time. Doctor Who was first launched in 1963, and is looking forward to a 60th anniversary special in 2023. It began as something of a show for children, but became much more than that. Consider for a moment all the science fiction and fantasy and horror shows that have come and gone in the last 60 years. The only shows that can compete are Star Trek and Star Wars. One may also consider the James Bond films, that began in 1962 with Dr. No, and continues today, as another series that has longevity. And the change in actors during the various Bond films, and the British sense, makes one think of Dr. Who. And Bond, like Dr. Who, was an expert on many things. One can also think of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as characters that have stood the test of time. The connection here, beyond the British one, is that Watson is the character that humanizes Holmes, and is a lens, the connection we have to Holmes is through Watson, and the same can be said for the various companions that have assisted the various Doctors through the years. Doctor Who has made it into lore, where there are iconic images associated with it, that many recognize, even if you are not a Whovian. Many know that the machine the Doctor travels in is a blue police box, that is larger on the inside. The TARDIS (short for, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space) is iconic. You do not have to watch Doctor Who to be aware of it. One of the Doctor's adversaries, The Dalek, are also iconic. There is a wonderful moment in Mr. Bean's Christmas, where Mr. Bean has a small toy Dalek, and puts it in a manger scene. Doctor Who had a great run, which ended with Silvester McCoy, and there was a gap, perhaps about 8 years or so, before Doctor Who came back as a TV movie starring Paul McGann. Then there was another long break, of about 8 or 9 years, and then the series was rebooted in 2005, starring Christopher Eccleston, and has basically been going non-stop ever since, with small breaks between seasons, and sometimes breaks between new Doctors. The first episode of the reboot, with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, was the most watched Dr. Who episode of all time. At one point Dr. Who had an annual Christmas episode, which was something many looked forward to. Troy and David will do their Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast. The Dream Cast is where they take the best actors/actresses of all time, either living or dead, to play the roles. The Schrödinger's Cast takes the same six roles, but has very unusual casting to fill the roles. Here are the six roles they look at, and the actors that first portrayed them.

...

Character

Original Star

Dr. Who

William Hartnell

Companion

granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford); Susan's schoolteachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill)

The Brigadier [Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]

02 Apr 2022

Troy and David’s Top Ten Fantasy Films – pt. 1