Friday, April 4, 2025

Recommended reading - The Star Trek Reader IV, by James Blish (1978):


The Star Trek Reader IV

By James Blish.

Published by E P Dutton.
Published 1978.
First Edition.
Hardcover.
ISBN-10: 052520962X
ISBN-13: 978-0525209621

Description:

James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, most notably the Cities in Flight series, and A Case of Conscience, for which he won a Hugo Award. He also was a highly respected critic, and his criticism in collected in the books The Issue at Hand, and More Issues at Hand, (published under the pen name of William Atheling, Jr.). Using the original scripts, which sometimes differed from the final filmed episode, Blish turned each episode of the original Star Trek into a short story, which were collected into anthologies and published as paperback originals. The Star Trek Reader IV collects two of these anthologies: Star Trek 10, and Star Trek 11, and Blish's original Star Trek novel, Spock Must Die!. The episodes present include: The Alternative Factor; The Empath; The Galileo Seven; Is There in Truth No Beauty?; A Private Little War; The Omega Glory; What Are Little Girles Made Of?; The Squire of Gothos; Wink of an Eye; Bread and Circuses; Day of the Dove; and Plato's Stepchildren.

Stephen King, on writing:


When you sit down to write, write.
Don't do anything else except go to the bathroom,
and only do that if it absolutely cannot be put off.

- Stephen King.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

On this day in movie history - Point Blank the Documentary (2024):


Point Blank the Documentary

directed and written by Alan Berry,
was released in the United States on April 3, 2024.
Music by Johnny Mandel.

Cast:

Sharon Acker, Lloyd Bochner, John Boorman, Angie Dickinson, Lee Marvin, Carroll O'Connor, James Sikking, John Vernon, Keenan Wynn.

On this day in television history - Justified (2012):


Justified

Season 3. Episode 12.
Episode entitled: Coalition.
Released April 3, 2012.
Directed by Bill Johnson.
Written by Graham Yost, Taylor Elmore, Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Ingrid Escajeda, Ryan Farley, Jon Worley.
Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.
Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Raymond J. Barry, Jeremy Davies, Jere Burns, David Andrews, Kaitlyn Dever, Gill Gayle, Linda Gehringer, David Meunier, Demetrius Grosse, Cleavon R. McClendon III, Peter Murnik, Mykelti Williamson, Neal McDonough, McCready Baker, Madeline Blue, Mark Chadwick, Jonathan Kowalsky, Jesse Luken.

On this day in music history - Night Songs, by Renée Fleming and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (2001):


Night Songs

Album by Renée Fleming and Jean-Yves Thibaudet,
released April 3, 2001.

Track list:

Debussy: Mandoline; Debussy: Apparition; Debussy: Chansons de Bilitis, L. 90 - La Flûte de Pan; Debussy: Chansons de Bilitis, L. 90 - La Chevelure; Debussy: Chansons de Bilitis, L. 90 - Le Tombeau des Naiades; Marx: Nocturne; Marx: Nachtgebet; Marx: Selige Nacht; Marx: Pierrot Dandy; R. Strauss: Ruhe, meine Seele, Op. 27, No. 1; R. Strauss: Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69, No. 5; R. Strauss: Leises Lied, Op. 39, No. 1; R. Strauss: Leise Lieder, Op. 41a, No. 5; R. Strauss: Caecilie, Op. 27, No. 2; Rachmaninoff: Zdes’ khorosho, Op. 21, No. 7; Rachmaninoff: V molchani nochi taynoy, Op. 4, No. 3; Rachmaninoff: The Waterlily, Op. 8, No. 1; Rachmaninoff: Dreams, Op. 38, No. 5; Rachmaninoff: These Summer Nights, Op. 14, No. 5; Rachmaninoff: Ne poy, krasavitsa, pri mne, Op. 4, No. 4.

On this day in music history - La Cenerentola (1996):


La Cenerentola

an episode of the Great Performances TV series,
directed by Brian Large,
written by Jacopo Ferretti and Charles Perrault,
was released in the United States on April 3, 1996.
Music by Gioachino Rossini.

Cast:

Cecilia Bartoli, Enzo Dara, Raúl Giménez, Alessandro Corbelli, Michele Pertusi, Laura Knoop, Jill Grove, Bruno Campanella, Houston Grand Opera Chorus, Spiro Winsett.

On this day in movie history - Madame Bovary (1991):


Madame Bovary

directed and written by Claude Chabrol,
based on the novel by Gustave Flaubert,
was released in France on April 3, 1991.
Narrated by François Périer.
Music by Jean-Michel Bernard, Matthieu Chabrol and Maurice Coignard.


Cast:

Isabelle Huppert, Jean-François Balmer, Christophe Malavoy, Jean Yanne, Lucas Belvaux, Christiane Minazzoli, Jean-Louis Maury, Florent Gibassier, Jean-Claude Bouillaud, Sabeline Campo, Yves Verhoeven, Marie Mergey, François Maistre, Thomas Chabrol, Phillippe Abitol, Henry Ambert, Jean-Marie Arnoux, Henri Attal, Gilette Barbier, Dominique Clément, Olga Colin, Claire Dalsace, Catherine Deville, Etienne Draber, Julien Dubois, Pierre-François Dumeniaud, William Clément, Michel Dupuy, Marie Guyot, Jean Joulin, Jean-Jacques Lagarde, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Rene Marjac, Pierre Martot, Bernard Mazzinghi, Mona Muche, Christine Paolini, Claude Pascadel, Christian Paumelle, Valerie Soudant, Tina Sportolaro, André Thorent, Aleksandr Vatkovic, Philippe Verquin, Dominique Zardi, Jacques Dynam, François Périer, Pierre Vielhescaze, Thierry Marcos.