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Kevin Lauderdale is excited to see the release of the second volume of the Star Trek historical work, These are the Voyages.  This volume looks at the second season of the classic television series in great detail.

From the website:

• An Astounding Wealth of New Information About Star Trek
• Access to Gene Roddenberry's private letters, script notes, and other production details including set design, casting and editing.
• Hundreds of previously unpublished insights and recollections from actors, writers, directors, producers, and crew of the series.
• New interview material from creator Gene Roddenberry, privately recorded before his passing and made public here for the first time.
• Unique insight into genius Gene Roddenberry's creative process and instincts as he guided and shaped this ground-breaking television series.
• A first-ever interview with Gene Coon, Star Trek producer and writer whose extraordinary contributions helped to define the series.

Links of Interest

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com.

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Kevin Lauderdale is back with a look at a documentary on the Kenner Star Wars toys phenomenon. Plastic Galaxy.

From the Plastic Galaxy website:

When Star Wars landed in the theaters, it introduced audiences to a galaxy filled with heroes and villains, robots and space ships, and a dizzying variety of alien life. But when the lights came up, they all disappeared...

Unless you had all the toys. In which case, the adventure never had to end.

In backyards, playgrounds, basements, and bedrooms, Star Wars toys helped kids re-enact scenes from their favorite movies, and create entirely new dangers for Luke Skywalker and his friends to face. They were lusted after on holidays and birthdays, swapped with great cunning out on the school yard, and carefully collected like fine treasures. Like no toys before them, the action figures, space ships, play sets, and props were a phenomenon that swept the nation with as much force as the film that inspired them. Along the way they transformed both the toy and movie industries, earned those behind them vast amounts of wealth, and ultimately created a hobby that, 30 years later, still holds sway over not only the people who grew up with the toys, but also an entirely new generation of fans.

Plastic Galaxy is a documentary that explores the groundbreaking and breathtaking world of Star Wars toys. Through interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, it looks at the toys’ history, their influence, and the fond and fervent feelings they elicit today.

The film, which will be released on DVD, also includes tours of some of the top collections -- comprising prototypes, bootlegs, foreign toys, and all manner of surprises. DVD extras, including micro-documentaries and extended interviews, make Plastic Galaxy a prize for not only newer fans, but also long-time collectors.

The DVD will be Region 0, meaning it will be playable on any DVD player or computer in any country. Even in galaxies far, far away...

Plastic Galaxy will be released on DVD in January 14, 2014. To continue to receive updates and news, please subscribe to our mailing list, follow us on Twitter, and friend us on Facebook. For more information, feel free to write us at info(at)plasticgalaxymovie.com, or use the feedback form.

Links of Interest

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.

The War of the Worlds is an episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds (1898).

The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast were presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual alien invasion by Martians was currently in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air was a sustaining show (it ran without commercial breaks), adding to the program's realism. Although there were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast, the precise extent of listener response has been debated.

In the days following the adaptation, however, there was widespread outrage and panic by certain listeners, who had believed the events described in the program were real. The program's news-bulletin format was described as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast. Despite these complaints--or perhaps in part because of them--the episode secured Welles' fame as a dramatist.

Kevin Lauderdale returns with an all new episode.  There have been many other productions of Welles' infamous broadcast since then and Kevin wants to bring a few of them, including the Jeff Wayne musical, to your attention.

Links of Interest

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.

Barnaby was a comic strip which began 20 April 1942 in the newspaper PM. Created by Crockett Johnson, who is best known today for his children's book Harold and the Purple Crayon, the strip featured a cherubic-looking five-year-old and his far-from-cherubic fairy godfather, Jackeen J. O'Malley, a short, cigar-smoking man with four tiny wings. With a distinctive appearance because of its use of typography, the strip had numerous reprints and was adapted into a 1940s stage production.

Fantagraphics Publishing is releasing the first volume of collected strips and Kevin Lauderdale wants to bring this to your attention.  Kevin explains the strip and its distinctive style in this all new episode. 

You can find all this work by visiting our Amazon store.  In doing so, you not only get a great reference work, but you also support The Chronic Rift Network.  Thank you.

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Are you a Monty Python fan?  Ever wonder if you're getting all the jokes based on some of the more obscure (for you) references?  Well, there's a new reference guide out that covers every single episode from the classic series and explains in detail just what the joke is and it's come to Kevin's attention.

You can find all this work by visiting our Amazon store.  In doing so, you not only get a great reference work, but you also support The Chronic Rift Network.  Thank you.

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Kevin Lauderdale continues his holiday children's books suggestions with several Christmas themed works that you can share with your young ones.

You can find all the books Kevin talks about in this episode by visiting our Amazon store.  In doing so, you not only get some great works to read with your children, but you also support The Chronic Rift Network.  Thank you.

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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While technology has advanced in so many ways, including in the world of entertainment, there are still limits and these limits are sometimes imposed, not by the technology's limitations, but by business itself.  One example of this is the need to impose regional settings on DVDs and DVD players.  Kevin has gotten himself a multi-region player and wants to bring two Region 2-only DVD's to your attention in this episode.

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Kevin presents a special longer episode this month as he features his first interview.  John Brosio is an artist who has contributed to the Star Wars As You Wish Helmet Project, a charity event where artists create different renditions of Boba Fett's helmet.  You can learn more about John at his website and check out the As You Wish Project's Facebook page for more information there.  You can save the episode by right clicking the image on the left.  Please comment on this episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.

LAT is Mohamed Nor Khalid, a Malasian graphic novelist and it has come to Kevin's attention that his works are more available than he realized.  Kevin tells you about the type of stories LAT writes and about his artisitic style.

Please comment on this episode here or by writing john@chronicrift.com or by calling 888-866-9010.

You can pick up a copies of LAT's graphic novels by visiting our Amazon store through our link.  In purchasing it there, you not only get a great movie, but you support the Chronic Rift network.  Thank you.

There have been many classic movies released to Blu-Ray, but Yellow Submarine has really impressed Kevin Lauderdale.  From the technical aspects to the print transfer to the extras included in the set, Kevin is very impressed with this release and feels it is a great addition to any Beatles fan's collection.

Please comment on this episode here or by writing john@chronicrift.com or by calling 888-866-9010.

You can pick up a copy of this movie by visiting our Amazon store through our link.  In purchasing it there, you not only get a great movie, but you support the Chronic Rift network.  Thank you.

It Has Come to My Attention
Yellow Submarine Blu-Ray
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Sit-coms have been a mainstay of television since its inception.  The sit-com has evolved over that time and while there are many creative and thoughtful shows today, there is something to be said for the classic sit-com.  Kevin takes a look at these shows, relagated to late nights on Nick by recreating one of his favorite comedy bits, a scene from Welcome Back, Kotter.

Please take a moment to comment on this episode by visiting the website - http://www.chronicrift.com, writingjohn@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010.

You can find season sets of Welcome Back, Kotter by visiting our Amazon store.  In purchasing them there, you not only get a great collection of comedies, but you support the Chronic Rift network.  Thank you.

Kevin Lauderdale brings a new fantasy author to our attention in Patrick Rothfuss. The second book in Rothfuss's King's Killer series, The Wise Man's Fear was recently released and Kevin is very impressed with the magic system used in this fantasy setting. Comment on this episode by visiting the forums, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010.

You can purchase both volumes in the series through our Amazon store. In doing so, you not only support Patrick, but you also support the Rift. Thank you.

From Rothfuss's website:

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

Kevin Lauderdale brings to your attention, something he almost missed, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.  In this 2011 Chinese film, an exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.

Please take a moment to comment on this episode by visiting the website - http://www.chronicrift.com, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010.

You can pick up a copy of this movie by visiting our Amazon store through our link.  In purchasing it there, you not only get a great movie, but you support the Chronic Rift network.  Thank you.

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Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
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Kevin Lauderdale returns with a look at the multi-volume autobiography of the late Isaac Asimov on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of his death.  He looks at Asimov's past and the availability of the works.

It's one of those overlooked gems, like The Phantom or The Shadow.  Bill Campbell starred in this 1992 feature film about a man who discovered the means to propel himself with the use of a rocket pack. The Rocketeernever really gets the love it deserves, but it's a cult classic and it's come to Kevin's attention that the movie is out on Blu-Ray,  Kevin looks back at the movie and discusses what one can expect in a Blu-Ray edition.

You can purchase a copy of The Rocketeer through our Amazon store.  In doing so, you'll experience strange, new worlds while supporting the Rift Network.  Thank you.

It's one of those overlooked gems, like The Phantom or The Shadow.  Bill Campbell starred in this 1992 feature film about a man who discovered the means to propel himself with the use of a rocket pack. The Rocketeernever really gets the love it deserves, but it's a cult classic and it's come to Kevin's attention that the movie is out on Blu-Ray,  Kevin looks back at the movie and discusses what one can expect in a Blu-Ray edition.

You can purchase a copy of The Rocketeer through our Amazon store.  In doing so, you'll experience strange, new worlds while supporting the Rift Network.  Thank you.

Are you a fan of Star Trek?  It's been inspired by many elements of literature and pop culture and in return it has inspired other works.  Kevin Lauderdale discusses two such works in The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle and the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian.  Comment on this episode by visiting the website

Kevin Lauderdale takes a look at the worldwide Tintin phenomenon in light of the new Spielberg/Jackson movie.  Please comment on this episode here at the end of the listing, writing john@chronicrift.com or calling 888-866-9010.  Please also rate the episode at the end of this listing.

Everything old is new again, at least when it comes to Kevin Lauderdale.  With Thanksgiving right around the corner, he introduces you to what may become a holiday tradition in your family, The Cinnamon Bear.  According to Kevin, the best copies of this old time radio series can be purchased through Radio Archivies.

Please take a moment to comment on this episode by visiting the forums, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010.

Twins Judy and Jimmy Barton crawled into their attic one December day and found a passageway to a place called Maybeland. They looked in all the dusty corners for any sign of the silver star that always sat atop their Christmas tree. Their search crossed the path of little Paddy O'Cinnamon, "The Cinnamon Bear," who had shoe-button eyes and a ferocious growl. He showed them a small hole through which the Crazy Quilt dragon had absconded with their star and invited Judy and Jimmy to pursue the rascal. Paddy would function as a guide and they'd chase the dragon throughout Maybeland. Paddy magically "de-grew" the twins so they'd fit through the attic tunnel, fired up a miniature airplane powered by soda pop, and flew the Barton kids into a startling and wondrous adventure.

So begins "The Cinnamon Bear," a delightful, one-of-a-kind children's series produced in 1937 by TRANSCO, the Transcription Company of America. Intended to be heard between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the series features twenty-six fifteen-minute cliffhanger installments. The program immediately hooks children because suspenseful fun is always present as each episode concludes with yet another obstacle for Paddy and the twins to overcome. The dragon eventually joins up with the trio but remains unpredictable and mischievous. Named "Crazy Quilt," he succumbs time and time again to his obsession with the shiny silver star.

It's been approved by the Lucas estate and now it's got a sequel.  Kevin Lauderdale takes a look at the newest installment in the "Origami Yoda" series, Darth Paper Strikes Back.  Please take a moment to comment on this episode by visiting the forums, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010.

You can purchase copies of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back via our Amazon store and in doing so, you support The Chronic Rift, thank you.

It Has Come to My Attention - Origami Yoda

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It is a dark time at Ralph McQuarrie Middle School. After suffering several Origami Yoda–related humiliations, Harvey manages to get Dwight suspended from school for being a “troublemaker.” Origami Yoda pleads with Tommy and Kellen to save Dwight by making a new case file—one that will show how Dwight’s presence benefits McQuarrie. With the help of their friends, Tommy and Kellen record cases such as “Origami Yoda and the Pre-eaten Wiener,” “Origami Yoda and the Exploding Pizza Bagels,” and “Origami Yoda and Wonderland: The Musical.” But Harvey and his Darth Paper puppet have a secret plan that could make Dwight’s suspension permanent . . .

Author Kevin Lauderdale joins the Rift family with a mini-podcast series looking at the unusual in pop culture.  His first episode takes a look at the Blu-Ray release of The Man Who Would Be King, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine.  He looks at the technical side of the disks, the extras included, and talks about the importance of the story in cinematic history.  Take a listen and make sure you take a moment to comment on it and on the movie itself by visiting the forums, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling toll-free 888-866-9010.