Why was the self-destruct switch so handy/vulnerable? The Krell were much too rational to let the urge to “press the RED BUTTON” express itself; and if I were building the Machine, I’d have wanted my ‘kill switch’ handy. The Krell used a different value for ‘handy’.

Just my two groats worth.

I envision that Altaira and her new hubby had kids, got divorced, got grandkids, and that one of them has gone missing, after going back to the Altair system to look around. Just a question- why don’t the Krell have colonies elsewhere- or did they…?

Now with J. Michael Straczynski rewriting the story, I’m pretty sure the answer is….the Krell are really Vorlons!

Way to keep the ol’ optimism up! I’m willing to give it a chance, but after Spielberg’s WotW and the TDTESS remake (I’m cringing for tomorrow’s impending release) I don’t have high hopes.

Your proposed story line seems way too intelligent and rational. Not much room for gun play, car chases and explosions.

- Jack

Then you will be especially interested in the “Epilog” of the FP chapter. I actually interviewed a Shakespeare scholar on this, and what he had to say was interesting.

- Jack

Many story possibilities there,,,

GAry 7

I would LOVE to have that ship!

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/10/31/j-michael-straczynski-to-write-forbidden-planet-remake/

Hrrrm. I guess I’m missing the joke. :-\

Then buy my book! (Hmmm, I sense a trend here).

I go into considerable detail on Robbie’s design, fabrication, operation and some examples of how Asimov’s three laws were used in developing his “personality.” I also do some tracing of his career after FP.

- Jack

My pleasure.

- Jack

The saucer props and/or sets were actually used in seven TZ episodes. In addition to “The Invaders,” it was in “Third from the Sun,” the very end of “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (flying away upside down!), “To Serve Man” (which also used Harryhausen’s saucers from “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers”), “Hocus Pocus and Frisby,” plus the one hour episodes “Death Ship” and “On Thursday We Leave for Home.”

Most of these just used saucer footage from FP along with the full sized set (TZ was filmed at MGM so the set was still available). Only “The Invaders” and “Death Ship” used the miniature saucer props. In the former it was the 88″ model with the legs and pylon, and the latter used the 44″ version that landed by bumping directly down on the lower dome and took off with a huge rocket exhaust plume emanating from the bottom!

BTW, the saucer that Agnes Moorhead hacks up at the end of “The Invaders” was a wooden stand-in.

- Jack

* Yes, I now have earned entry into the first level of “The Hall of Geeks”.

Why do these things aways pop up after the book has gone to press? I’ve been looking all over for the whereabouts of that prop.

I’d like to know the history of his ownership. If that is really the legitimate model, the asking price seems about right.

There were three props of the saucer made, a 20″ diameter for long shots (such as it banking over Altair IV), a 44″ diameter for medium shots and an 88″ version for closeups. Only the largest version had the landing legs and pylon. I notice that the article says it’s 82″, but that’s close enough for a first pass. The medium and large models were also used in tandem to make a shot seem longer than it was.

The 20″ version has been owned by collector Wes Shank since the early ’90s. The medium one is owned by uber-fan Bill Malone (who also owns the original Robby, the Astrogator base, several blasters, Krell power gauges and force field fence posts). The last anyone knew, the 88″ prop was owned by a museum in Harrisburg, PA, but that went out of business about 10 years ago and no one knew what happened to it after that. I’m quite certain that they would have sold it for much more than the $150 the article mentions.

I interviewed Malone for the book at WorldCon in ’06 (he took my picture holding one of the original blaster pistols!), and talked to collector Bob Burns (who owns Klaatu’s saucer prop) about where the 88″ prop was. Neither of them knew, but if this guy was as big a collector as the article makes out, then Bob would know him. It’s entirely possible that this is a re-creation or an early test version. There were two of Klaatu’s saucer props made, the first one as a casting test (they were made of fiberglass). Bob Burns owns the actual filming model, and the casting test is periodically on display at the Universal museum in Florida.

Let’s just say I’m skeptical that this is the actual filming prop. A quick way to tell is if the legs are hinged and motorized.

- Jack

PS – Since you brought it up, Phil, I’d like to point out that “The Saucer Fleet” is available for pre-order at $10 off the cover price. Just click on my name above if you’re interested. Delivery should be right around New Years. Even if you don’t want to buy one now, BA blogees will get 15% off (roughly the same as $10 off) after the book goes to full price on 1 January.