Posts filed under ‘WALT’S OPINIONS’
THE SHAPE OF MOVIE ALIENS REVEALED
THE SHAPE OF MOVIE ALIENS REVEALED
In a post on January 12, I dealt with the shape of aliens and how I have heard complaints that they usually, in some way, resemble us. The Blob, Nope and Solaris were movies where the aliens definitely did not look like us.
SPOILER ALERT. If you have not seen these movies and want to save the identity of aliens until after you see the movies. STOP READING NOW.
In The Blob it is hard for me to believe that it is an intelligent life form capable of supporting a society. I think of the blob as a being which an advanced society sent to see what is ‘out there’ and has some means of reporting back. Really, it is nothing more than an eating machine. I also, in past posts, mention that I wrote a novella, Elmo’s Sojourn, where a retired scientist transported an alien species through wormholes into his cellar and decides to return to its home planet only to discover that it is actually someone’s pet. I get the same sort of distraction with The Blob.
Now to Nope and Solaris which, I feel, demonstrates fantastic departure from the usual alien shape
In Nope an alien ship hovers in Earth’s skies. There is one point in the movie when there is a rapid extension from the craft in the sky. I thought that this was the alien showing itself.
However, the alien is, in fact, the entire spacecraft. I think this is a fantastic piece of science fiction imagination. This started me trying to picture its society and how it multiplies. Probably as an ameba does. It reaches a point where it splits.
Years ago, I belonged to a very small science fiction writers’ group. In the group was a woman who wrote a story which had an interesting twist. She had a spacecraft which could transport passengers and the entire spacecraft was an alien. Her imagination was ahead of its time.
Now to Solaris where the alien is the ocean covering the planet. The ocean can produce solid objects. It also controls the thought of the human inhabitants in the spacecraft orbiting the planet. To show the extent of the mind control the ocean has over humans, one of them is visited by his wife who has been dead for ten years.
At the end of the movie the man visited by his dead wife returns to Earth or thinks he has returned to Earth. The movie shows he is in the same setting where he was before he left. The scene pulls back and you see an island in the ocean. That is where he actually is. One thing you notice when he is back on ‘Earth’ is that the ocean made a mistake. It is raining inside of the house.
So much for aliens who usually resemble us.
IDS AND ICE AGENTS
IDS AND ICE AGENTS
I’m going to postpone my planned post for something I just saw on the news which upset me, and if you saw it, I hope upsets you too.
And ICE AGENT was shown repeatedly asking a woman to show him her ID. I find this unusual in this country. This reminds me of scenes in movies in communist or fascist countries where people are constantly required to show their papers. But considering the current state of things, the comparison is frightening.
I’ve got a question, Shouldn’t ICE Agents, usually masked, be required to show their IDs when confronting a person. Our president recently posted that that area is full of dangerous criminals, rapists, escapees from insane asylums and worse. When someone confronts you wearing a mask, and with all these extremely dangerous people walking around, shouldn’t they be required to identify themselves?
What do you think?
THE SHAPE OF ALIENS
THE SHAPE OF ALIENS
Some time ago I heard of a complaint about the shape of aliens in movies. Being a science fiction writer, this caught my attention.
The complaint was that the shape of aliens in movies usually resemble us or look vaguely like us. They will have a torso and a head or something that resembles a head and some sort of sensory organs. Along with appendages be they arms legs or tentacles.
The reason for this post is to present three movies which break this mole.
The first movie is the old classic The Blob which I discussed in a recent previous post. Many know what the Blob looks like. However, younger science fiction enthusiasts may not. You can view The Blob on YouTube to see what the alien does looks like.
The next movie is Solaris. A Russian version of the movie is also available on You Tube. There was also an American version starring George Clooney. In this movie you may not realize who the alien is until the end of the movie. You might even have to read about it on Google to confirm your suspicions.
The final movie is Nope, one of the best science fiction movies I have seen in quite a while. You will have to search for this one. I saw this movie once along with someone having their second viewing. They had to explain a few points in the movie I did not catch. But they still missed who the alien was. If you can’t identify the alien, or make sure you are correct, you again can Google for an explanation identifying the alien and explaining the fine points of the movie.
I will wait until January 18 to post an explanation of the identity of the alien in each movie. This should give you plenty of time to, if you are interested, view all or some of these movies. Whether or not if you watch them you can visit my blog on January 18 for an explanation of the alien’s identity.
THE BLOB: A CLASSIC WITH FLAWS
THE BLOB: A CLASSIC WITH FLAWS
I just finished watching, perhaps, the worst science fiction/horror movie I ever saw. And I have seen quite a few science fiction movies because they are my favorite genres. Yet this movie is one of the most famous movies of this type made during the 1950’s.
The movie was The Blob made in 1958. I must have seen it as a kid. Now I wanted to see the movie again because I live in the middle of Blob country., West Chester, PA. Mentioned in the movie is the town of Downingtown, which is just down the road. But the hub of Blob country is the nearby town of Phoenixville home of the Colonial Theater. The town holds a Blob fest every summer. And if you want to be part of the main event during the fest and redo the most famous scene from the movie you can be part of the crowd running out of the Colonial Theater.
The inspiration for this post was the ending seem in many monster movies of this era, The End ?.
In the movie Steve McQueen is the only name which survived the test of time. I can’t really say he acted in the movie; no one really acted in the movie, they just talked. And I would say the plot was weak at best. The blob comes down as a meteor and forms a crater. In the crater is a small sphere which opens when an old man discovers the crater and when the sphere opens, there is the blob which attaches to the man and the ‘action’ begins. Later in the movie Steve McQueen’s character, along with some of his friends, discovers the crater and a hot rock which they theorize as the origin of the blob. This is never corrected so the origin of the blob goes from being a sphere to a rock.
McQueen’s character and his friends spend the majority of their time trying to convince the town sheriff that there is a monster rolling around town eating people. Soon the sheriff goes from disbelief to accepting the fact that people are being eaten and puts the number at 50 for no apparent reason while trying to disperse the growing crowd. Little to nothing is explained in the movie as to the origin of the Blob. Things just happen. What inspired this piece is how the Blob is defeated.
It turns out that the Blob cannot stand cold. After cooling it down using fire extinguishers they somehow load it onto a transport, I assume the plane is refrigerated, there is a lot that needs to be assumed in this movie. The blob is transported on a pallet which is attached to a parachute and dropped into the arctic.
The end of this movie should, especially if you are a science fiction writer, start your mind churning. Visit my blog on January 21 and your imagination will receive some direction.
VENEZUELA VS THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
VENEZUELA VS THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Could someone explain to me why there is not enough money to help millions of Americans to keep their medical benefits through The Affordable Care Act yet there is enough money to send 105 aircraft, carrying highly sophisticated weapons, to attack Venezuela and at the same time maintain a massive naval force off the country’s coast?
And now there is another list of countries who may deserve America’s attention.
I don’t understand anything anymore.
Where are the Adults?
BOWL GAMES: GREED DILUTES SIGNIFICANE
BOWL GAMES: GREED DILUTES SIGNIFICANE
I first noticed a trend in Bowl Games beginning a few years ago. The number of Bowl Games had increasedcontinues to do so.
I can remember, and I’m talking about maybe 60 years ago, the number of college Bowl Games were few and for a school making it to a Bowl Game was quite an honor. The Bowl Games in existence back then, were to the best of my memory, the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl and along with three or other Bowl Games, most of which were planned on or near New Year’s Day.
How things have changed.
Here are the Bowl Games listed recently in my local newspaper.
Reported on 12/27/2025
Go Bowling Military Bowl
Bad Boy Mower’s Pinstripe Bowl
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Snoop Dog Arizona Bowl
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Kinder’s Texas Bowl
Reported on 12/29/2025
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Valero Alamo Bowl
I’m sure there are more to come because the ones mentioned don’t include the ones I remember.
Do you see the existence of the trend I mentioned. To me having made it into a Bowl Game has much less significance these days. I could be wrong but the increase in the number of Bowl Games has more to do with profit and recognition of the sponsor then the significance of the game and the honor of playing.
What do you think?
A TWO-YEAR-OLD DIED TODAY
A TWO-YEAR-OLD DIED
12/22/2025
I heard on the news this morning that a two-year-old just died. To make the news the circumstances must be suspect. This news grabbed me and would not let go. I suspect the reason is the season and I associate children with happiness, especially now.
What follows are thoughts trying to be a poem.
A TWO-YEAR-OLD DIED
A two-year-old died today,
Does anyone ask, “Why”?
Or break down and cry.
A two-year-old died today,
Will it happen again?
Just a matter of when.
UKRAINE’S POSSIBLE FUTURE
UKRAINE’S POSSIBLE FUTURE
There is a window into what Ukraine’s future might become and it is not pleasant. Trump’s ‘peace deal’ is, to say the least, very suspicious. Some time ago I accidentally discovered a book which offers a glimpse of what the future might look like for Ukraine. A window into what Ukraine may experience if Russia succeeds in having its way with determining Ukraine’s future.
I am a fan of James A Mitchner’s books. If you are familiar with his books you know they are real doorstoppers, long works with infinite detail. But some of his early works were not so lengthy. One of his books which I read and enjoyed was The Bridges At Toko-Ri. I somehow obtained another of his books, The Bridge At Andau, and thought this was also a work of fiction which I would enjoy. The book is, in fact, a work of nonfiction recording the uprising in Hungary against the occupation of the country by the Soviet Union. What is described is a heart-wrenching story of Hungary’s bid to win back its freedom. Written in 1957, the book contains interviews with some of the freedom fighters and descriptions of what took place.
The bridge at Andau is actually a bridge between Hungary and Austria over which approximately 200,000 escaped the onslaught of the Soviet Union. I feel the book offers an idea of the future awaiting Ukraine if Russia has its way in the peace negotiations.
The Hungarian revolt began on October 23, 1956. The Soviet Union returned in force on November 4 to stop the revolt. Described are the reasons for the uprising. Before the occupation the Soviet Union described to the Hungarians the benefits of their occupation. They were all lies. Life in Hungary become dismal with every aspect under the control of the Soviet Union. Another source of the persecution endured by the Hungarians was the police force made up of their own people. So, you had Hungarian pitted against Hungarian. Hungarians were responsible for making their own people to live in a life of fear.
As with the occupation of Ukraine by the Russians, the then Soviet Union gave unfounded excuses for their occupation of Hungary. The Russians claiming that their actions were the result of Nazi influence in Ukraine which was unfounded. More lies spread by Russia the justify their starting the war.
Hungary thought the U.N. would come to their aid. It did not. And no help was provided by the United States.
I feel all that are against of providing aid to Ukraine, especially Congress, have on obligation of understanding what may be Ukraine’s future if assistance is not provided. And if possible, to read this book to understand what the impact of their decision to not help Ukraine means.
HOW DOES A WRITERS PRODUCE THEIR MAGIC?
WRITERS, WHERE DO THE IDEAS COME FROM?
Where do the ideas writers use to develop their stories they write come from?
I see major differences between producing fiction and nonfiction. For nonfiction the writer begins with a subject which I’m sure involves an interest and creative thoughts. Then comes the research. Sometimes a massive amount of research, but the writer has a concrete goal. This writing demands skill to create a work of value. And to complete a valued work requires writing skill but little imagination. However, the genre of creative nonfiction does require a creative approach to a nonfiction story..
Now for fiction.
In fiction the writer begins with an idea and then creates something from nothing and hopefully an intriguing story. But where does that initial idea come from along with the details that follow? What triggers the mind of the writer to begin down the road to producing a work of fiction.
I feel the answer lies in experiences and observations, which the writer has undergone on the way to developing their work. Some remembered consciously, but most stored deeply in the writer’s subconscious. We all have exposure to various situations, challenges – some won, some lost. But I feel the writer records these, to a much greater extent, than the nonwriter.
Another difference may be that most people are talkers where the future writer is more of a listener. And what they hear accumulates somewhere in the reaches of their brains. Eventually, this accumulated data on a subject of interest, an idea for a story comes into being with details filled in by the writer’s life. Then there is the skill the writer needs to form an effective story. Can that skill be taught or does it come naturally? I feel the answer is both. So many successful writers have gone through the process of an MFA. But look at all the famous writers who possessed great skill without the benefit of an education in writing. There are so many questions which spring to life when considering what prompts a work of fiction. Could we ever answer that mystical mystery of what process goes into creating a work of fiction? The answer is imagination, but is that an answer, or just fodder for more speculation?
What happens to a writer sitting alone with a pencil and paper or a computer and just begins thinking, I think, is a minor or sometimes major miracle.
WHAT DA VINCI SAID
WHAT DA VINCI SAID
In my last post I mentioned that I worked to leave a record. I feel most creative people (I feel it takes some nerve to call myself creative) somewhere in the corridors of their mind consider that purpose while they are producing their work.
Where my thoughts on this subject began was after I read Walter Isaacson’s excellent biography of Leonardo da Vinci. If you were at all interested in da Vinci’s life and work I highly recommend this book.
It is thought that if da Vinci had been alive today he would probably been on medication. He had difficulty completing a project. His most famous work, the Mona Lisa, was commissioned by a husband as a portrait of his wife. The husband never received the portrait, and da Vinci carried it with him wherever he went for the rest of his life occasionally adding a few brush strokes.
He was known to be a hard worker and when someone asked him why he worked so hard he said, “I want people to know I was here.”
Walttriznastories's Blog 