OT - Campy sci-fi inspiration

Discovered an odd TV station while traveling. 

Comet TV.

Has been showing low budget and campy scifi and horror films and TV shows from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.  Had no idea this channel existed.  I've caught about 15-20 minutes at a time, so I'm not sure what it is like more generally.  Anyone familiar with this?  Can I expect a lot of aluminum foil space armor and cloth boulders?  Wonder if I can get it at home?

Warning - the following link is for a for profit TV station http://www.comettv.com/

Expect an even more silly trend in my stuff for a while.  What if the people who produced King Kong vs Godzilla had used claymation puppets?  We may find out because....

...I am inspired!

Comments

  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675

    tongue in cheek cheeky

    the old hercules / xena episodes were fairly campy at times

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,592

    Hmmmm - "We are sorry, Comet TV is not yet available in your area."

  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,234

    I've been watching old "Twilight Zone" shows, both the original series around 1960 (9.0 at IMDB), and the later series from the late 80's (7.8 at IMDB).  Some pretty good talent in both, e.g. the latter has directors like Wes Craven and William Friedkin ("The Exorcist"!  surprise), writers like Harlan Ellison, actors like Bruce Willis, etc.  

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,168

    So many great talents got their start, Steve K.  yes

    Now that I am home, in theory Comettv is available in my area broadcast on 54.3. Not in practice. Just get snow on the screen.  It seems the old UHF approach to broadcast reception has reemerged.  sad

  • StezzaStezza Posts: 8,050

    twilight zone:

    I liked the episode where the wife knocked off the hubby with a frozen leg of lamb right over the head.... then cooked it and fed it to the police investigators...  cool

  • Persona Non GrataPersona Non Grata Posts: 1,365
    edited March 2021

    .

    Post edited by Persona Non Grata on
  • StezzaStezza Posts: 8,050

    Could of been @selina , was so long ago I could have them mixed up lol  .. angel

  • Persona Non GrataPersona Non Grata Posts: 1,365
    edited March 2021

    .

    Post edited by Persona Non Grata on
  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,234

    Yes, it was "Tales of the Unexpected", 7.2 @ IMDB for this episode, pretty good.  "A distraught Mary calls the police who, led by Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan (Brian Blessed), proceed to hunt for the murder weapon, but to no avail." 

     
    One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes (original series) is "The Odyssey of Flight 33", in which an airliner travels back in time.  Its a good story, but I especially like the way it came about.  [Going from memory here]  A friend visiting Rod Serling says he brought in the mail and threw most of it on the desk, but took one brochure to read intently.  A company had a full size jet airliner cockpit training module that had become obsolete, and was offering it for rent or sale.  Serling calls his brother who was a commercial pilot and outlines the plot, which take place almost exclusively in the airliner cockpit.  The brother gets a bunch of airline buddies together with some booze, and they knock out some very convincing (according to airline folks' comments) dialogue - pilot to tower, etc.  A great example of a prop being the inspiration for a story, something that happens to me with great 3D props/scenes/characters from talented modellers.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,168
    edited June 2018

    Haven't gotten Comettv through broadcast here at home, although it says it is available here, but I do have more silly inspiration.  A comment by Bunyip in another thread renewed interest in the sword and sandal epics, like the Steve Reeves Hercules movies.  I've got a lot of bad ones.

     

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  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,234

    Speaking of campy, after the recent 48 Hour Film Contest here in Houston, I sent this to the local contest producer:

    QUOTE

    I nominate Roger Corman as the patron saint of the 48 Hour Film Contest.  There is a documentary titled "Corman's World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel" that got a good review some years ago by "Mental Floss" magazine.  " ... [he] has produced more than 395 films because he loves the act of making movies, no matter how hokey the final product ... Its an obscenely good time - by the end you'll want to go out and make a campy movie of your own."

    END QUOTE

    Watch the trailer:

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185371/

    That's pretty much what the 32 Houston teams did, although one of the videos was extremely well done and very moving (it was the first one shown at the theater screenings).

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,168
    edited July 2018

    I admire Roger Corman so much.  You are really inspiring me, Steve.  I've ony dipped my toe in animation very slightly, but I am finding it extremely fun to rig and animate my silly figures.  Sound seems like the big obstacle to me because I have no music background at all.

     

    I will be having fun with some variation of this campy figure in the current Carrara challenge.

     

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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,235

    @Diomede, your work, like so many others here, is inspiring. Thank you for sharing with us. I'm guessing that your creature is made from metaballs? Very cool.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,168
    edited July 2018

    Thank you, @DesertDude.  Appreciate the kind words.  Yes, that is a metaball object.  Some of the steps for using the metaball modeler are found here.


    https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/3753341/#Comment_3753341

    It is based on a metaball tutorial found in Mike De La Flor's Carrara Studio 3 Handbook.  I paid about 2 or 3 dollars for these old handbooks, but when I just checked Amazon, a used copy is listed for $25.  I'm afraid it is not worth $25 for the information it contains, although the terrain example is also quite good.  

    Post edited by Diomede on
  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,234
    Diomede said:

    Sound seems like the big obstacle to me because I have no music background at all.

    Yes, sound FX and music are a big part of animation videos.  I rely heavily on a lot of royalty free stock music & sound FX collections purchased long ago from Digital Juice.  They have since gone subscription and no longer offer the same products, but do offer a lot of stuff.  I'm not a subscriber, but have more than a lifetime supply from years past.  One source of royalty free music I see used a lot in the 48 Hour Film contest is from Incompetech, run by Kevin MacLeod.  I think it is free to download, or you can buy all of it (a LOT) for $38, a very good deal.  Lot of royalty free sound fx libraries available to purchase, although some are pretty pricey, like Sony's at $500.

     

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