Obit: Richard Lynch R.I.P.

I've just heard that the great Richard Lynch (or, as my wife called him, "Cat-Man"), the iconic face and voice of villainy in probably a hundred TV shows and movies, including many Space: 1970 favorites, has passed away at age 76. 

Among the many genre shows in which he was featured were Battlestar Galactica (as convict Wolfe in "The Gun On Ice Planet Zero"), Galactica: 1980 (as renegade scientist Xavier), Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (as Morgan Velosi, proprietor of the "Vegas In Space"), The Bionic Woman, and The Phoenix. He also portrayed various villains in films like Deathsport and The Sword And The Sorcerer. It's hard to find a mainstream adventure show in the 70s and 80s that he didn't guest on - he even made several appearances on Star Trek - The Next Generation. I have particularly fond memories of a 1979 TV movie, Vampire, in which he played the titular fiend.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Lynch.

THE PHOENIX (1981)

Admittedly, my memories of the 1981 television series, The Phoenix, are pretty dim. This short-lived series starred Judson Scott of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a Von Daniken-inspired ancient astronaut named Bennu, who was wakened from suspended animation within an Incan pyramid by a team of archeologists. Possessing various psi powers, he became a target for government agents (led by the always-sinister Richard Lynch), who constantly pursued him. (As we all know, if a character has any sort of super-abilities on a Space: 1970-era television series, he has only two options: secret agent or fugitive.)

According to the IMDb, there were only five episodes produced (although I coulda swore there were more than that). There was a subplot about Bennu searching for his mate, whose body disappeared sometime before his resurrection, and all the usual "stranger in a strange land" tropes. Scott was a good choice for the role - he always had a certain "alien" quality about him, which served him well when he guested on sci-fi TV shows like the original V, The Powers Of Matthew Star, Babylon 5, The X-Files and Star Trek - The Next Generation.

As I say, I don't remember much about the show. I'm sure I watched all or most of the episodes when it aired, and I saw part of one again back in the mid-90s when it aired on the Sci-Fi Channel.  What little I can recall is reasonably positive, though. I don't think it was much worse than many more successful genre shows... but obviously, the network was unhappy with it and cancelled it almost immediately.

As it does fall within my arbitrary Space: 1970 timeframe (1969-1983), I wanted to include it here; I'm sure there are some Star Kids who remember it both more clearly and more fondly than I do.

Coming Attractions: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: THE SPECIAL EDITION (1980) TV Spot

Here's a neat 30 second TV spot for the controversial (at least, among some Star Kids) 1980 "Special Edition" theatrical cut of Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. "Now there is more..."

Behind -The-Scenes Pix #19: STAR TREK II

Ricardo Montalban gets a touch-up on the set of 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan.

June's Space Babe: Kirstie Alley

June's Space Babe is Kirstie Alley as the half-Vulcan/half-Romulan Lieutenant Saavik in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. One of the most memorable later additions to the original Star Trek canon, Lt. Saavik was introduced as the protégé of Captain Spock, who presumably identified (if not empathized) with her dual heritage. Fresh from the Academy and eager to prover herself, Saavik was instrumental in the defeat of the 20th Century genetic warlord Khan... and then she was replaced by another actress (Robin Curtis) in the next two Trek features.

Although she had appeared uncredited in an episode of Quark as a nameless handmaiden (at least, according to the IMDb - I have to go check that out myself when I get a moment), it was Star Trek II that launched the lovely Ms. Alley into a long and successful acting career that continues today. After Khan, she appeared in a number of TV episodes, miniseries and features until landing a co-starring role on the popular sitcom, Cheers. Reportedly afraid of being typecast, she declined to return to the role of Saavik in subsequent Trek features.

THE INVISIBLE MAN (1975) In The House

Just returned from my favorite music & video store, Bull Moose Music in Waterville, Maine, with the new DVD set of 1975's The Invisible Man television series from VEI and NBCUniversal. At first glance, the picture quality appears to be slightly better than the recent Logan's Run discs from Warners, but I only looked at the first two episodes.

Produced by veterans of The Six Million Dollar Man, the series starred David McCallum, Melinda Fee and Craig Stevens, and ran for only 13 episodes. This was a big favorite of mine when I was ten years-old. I plan to start watching these DVDs tonight, so look for a full review of the set in a week or so.

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) 30th Anniversary

"He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him! I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round Perdition's flames before I give him up!" 

Thirty years ago today, Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan was released in American cinemas. I wasn't one of those disappointed in the first Trek feature; quite the contrary, in fact: I liked it. But there's no denying that Nicholas Meyer's follow-up was more action-packed, more colorful, and more dramatic than its more cerebral predecessor. As a direct sequel to the TV series' episode, "Space Seed," the story was considerably more personal, and the stakes somehow seemed higher. The threat that V'Ger posed to Earth in The Motion Picture was almost too big to really grasp, while Khan's motives and the threat he posed to our heroes were a lot more identifiable.

Meyer also managed restore a sense of humanity to the characters, who had often come across as slightly robotic in Robert Wise's film, pulling probably the best performances of Kirk and Spock out of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy that we've seen in the entire canon. Not to mention the exceptional acting from DeForest Kelly and the rest of the crew, and the utterly unforgettable, scenery-chewing (yet layered) performance of Ricardo Montalban as Khan.

Star Trek II remains my favorite of the Trek films, and sits securely among my top ten favorite Trek episodes, as well. It's one of those films that hardly seems to have aged at all - every time I watch it (most recently, on Blu-ray), I'm caught up in it as thoroughly as I was the first time I saw it at age 17. It - along with Return Of The Jedi the following year - really marked the end of the Space: 1970 era for me; no matter how many good and entertaining genre films Hollywood produced over the next few decades, I was no longer a kid, and couldn't enjoy them quite the same way. Thank goodness, 1982 was such a great year for sci-fi flicks....

"Space: the final frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life forms and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."