WTFriday?! - Firefly Intro ... The Awesome Edition

Source: CrunchGear

There are two kinds of people in this world, those beholden to Joss Whedon's SciFi Western TV series Firefly, and those who would take the time to spit twice on it.

I freak'n love it!

While I am pretty partial to the original intro credits to the show Youtube uploader io9er put it best, "The original credits weren't bad, they just needed a little umph ... here is that umph."

With no further yapp'n on my part enjoy Firefly, circa 1980's:

Real Back to the Future Hoverboard?!

Source: Popular Science

Not really, but kind of ...

Seeing as it is kind of a slow news day (public holiday, or did you forget?) I figured sharing this would be alright.

French Artist/Purveyor of Awesomeness Nils Guadagnin has constructed a replica of Marty McFly's hoverboard in an exhibit he calls; wait for it, "Back to the Future".

Try to contain your excitement!

While it is only an art exhibit it does hover, thanks to a series of electromagnets and a laser stabilization system. No, it can't carry you around, but it can correct itself and be bumped around a bit which is still pretty cool I guess.

As cool as this whole hoverboard exhibit is, I can't help but picture it as a bitter reminder that I never got to have one and that we only have until 2015 to make hoverboards a reality. Get to it smart people! Don't make Back to the Future II a liar!

Watch you childhood dream become a reality ... sort of:

Flash Gordon

Source: Blu-ray.com

On June 15th see the Savior of the Universe battle tyrant Ming the Merciless of the planet Mongo on glorious Blu-ray.

Director Mike Hodges' 1980 take on the Flash Gordon 1930's sci-fi comic and film serials had it all; cheesy special effects, campy acting and costumes that suit Lady Gaga more than an interstellar hero. It is a movie that does not take itself seriously, full of tongue-in-cheek humor and general ridiculousness, and is just plain fun.

But if there is a single thing that makes this film awesome it is the Queen score which could possibly be the greatest soundtrack of all time. I am not ashamed to say that I have rocked out to their Flash Gordon theme on more than one occasion, at least not totally ashamed.

30 years later and this is a movie continues to entertain and with the Blu-ray release you will of course get some extras.

Extras Include:

• Alex Ross, comic artist who did the cover artwork for the Blu-ray, talks about Flash Gordon
• Writing a Classic: Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr.
• Original episode of the Flash Gordon 1936 serial
• BD Live and more

For your viewing pleasure and to get your Memorial Weekend off to a rocking start here is the original trailer for Flash Gordon:

Forbidden Planet Blu-ray Details

Source: The Digital Bits

For the first time in all of it's 1950's pulpy goodness Fred W. Wilcox's sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet is getting a deserved Blu-ray face lift. Based on Shakespeare's The Tempest the plot revolves around the mysteries happenings at a remote space outpost and an intrepid crew attempts to solve the mystery.

So on September 7th you will have the ability to see a dashing young Leslie Nielson and his robotic sidekick Robbie battle some mysterious extraterrestrial entity. This copy of the essential classic would not complete without some special features to accompany it.

Extras Include:

• Deleted Scenes and Lost Footage
• Robby the Robot Guest Appearances on TV
• TCM Documentary: Watch the Skies! The 1950's and the US
• Featurettes: Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet and Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon
• Theatrical Trailers and more!

THX 1138: The George Lucas Director's Cut

Source: Blu-ray.com

George Lucas is at it again, and now that he has run out of Star Wars movies to re-edit he has moved onto another one of his sci-fi properties THX 1138. At least this time it is on Blu-ray.

THX 1138's Blu-ray release slated a while off for a September 7th along with several other Warner Bros sci-fi movies such as Forbidden Planet, Lost in Space (1998) and Tim Burtons tribute to classic sci-fi Mars Attacks! as a planned sci-fi Blu-ray wave. While the street date is still a few months away THX 1138 already has a slew of special features announced.

Announced Extras Include:

• Commentary with Writer/Director George Lucas and Writer Walter Murch
• Theater of Noise (Sound Effects Only Audio Track)
• Master Sessions with Walter Murch
• A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of the American Zoetrope
• Artifact from the Future: The Making of THX 1138
• Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB
• BALD (?!?)
• Theatrical and Re-release Trailers