Lot’s of times the classics in this column are worse than leftover blood.  This time though there are a couple of real winners.  Earth Vs The Flying Saucers is perhaps one of the best SF films ever.  It was made before the wack jobs stumbled their way to Hollynudge and ruined everything.  It’s got great storylines, decent acting, some fabulous miniature work by Harryhausen and it was done in the late 50’s.  Sure it’s in black and white but the world was in black and white back then too.  It’s a bit eerie now to watch flying saucers attack Washington after 9/11 but not eerie enough to keep you from watching it.  Rated BU for bea utiful.

And speaking of cities getting attacked there’s a monster on the loose.  No, not that producer looking for the next old idea to refilm, but a real, honest monster.  Actually there’s a bunch of monsters on the loose. Thankfully they’re all attacking Japan, although a monster or two ripping through Hollywould might not be a bad thing.  The Japanese are used to this kind of thing though and have developed the capacity to rebuild a city just in time for the next monster attack.  Godzilla - The Ultimate Collection (Godzilla, King of the Monsters/Godzilla vs. Mothra/Godzilla's Revenge/Terror of Mechagodzilla/Rodan),  is a package deal you can’t afford to pass up.  Sure you can buy these separately but why would you want to?  Rated BG for big and green.

SFTV -

I try not to watch a lot of television as it takes time away from my dvd watching.  Every once in a while though I’ll be flipping through the 500 channels I get on cable and I’ll wander into something that seems interesting.  I must have watched most of Stargate SG 1 that way.  Well, no more.  Stargate SG1: Season 2, is just out and it’s the complete season.  This is a show that almost didn’t make it.  Produced by Showtime to follow the Outer Limits it ultimately developed much more of a fan following with it’s fairly convoluted plots, unstereotypical aliens and wise cracking commander of SG 1.  Rated SG for still good.

There are seminal shows that exist in each genre.  Wagon Train, Bonanza, I love Lucy, and, of course, The Outer Limits, The Original Series (1963). It should be noted though that this is not the complete series but only 32 of the 48 episodes.  I don’t know how they decided what shows to include and what to drop.  Again, this show is in black and white which actually adds to the creepiness.  This is a must have.  Rated WC for we control the vertical.

Star Trek movies are fairly easy to figure out using the odd/even system.  Star Trek television shows and seasons so far defy any such logical categorization.  Thus we end up with Star Trek, The Next Generation: The Complete Fourth Season, being a mixed bag of pretty decent episodes mixed in with drek and a few real bangers.  Mostly on the good side, taken as a whole.  At least they got rid of the kid.  Of course the show still suffers from the lets showcase the character of the week problem.  Watch these one at a time or else.  Rated BM for beam me up Scotty, I canna take it anymore.