Arguably the single most celebrated science fiction novel of the 21st Century, Frank Herbert’s Dune has long been a cultural phenomenon. Partly as a countercultural symbol thanks in part to some of its more mind-expanding themes, but mostly as a towering work of science fiction, with Herbert applying an almost textbook flavor to the original novel’s many appendices to explore the ecology of this fictional world. A key piece of this involves answering the question of how human life as we know it could survive on a world that has virtually no moisture, let alone running water. Which brings us to the topic of this week’s episode: the stillsuit.A stillsuit is worn by natives of Arrakis to preserve and recycle their own body’s precious moisture, allowing them to last for longer periods in the open desert. When worn properly, it’s a head to toe covering that recaptures everything from the moisture in your breath to basic perspiration to, um, other bodily functions, stores it in pockets, and allows you to drink it as necessary. It’s a little gross, sure, but it’s also an iconic piece of brainy sci-fi tech that seems like it would have solid grounding in the real world.But does it? You’ll have to listen to the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page to see what we found!SUGGESTED VIEWING We’ll make this easy on you: to get the gist of what we’re talking about this week, all you really need is Denis Villeneuve’s two incredible sci-fi epics Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). These are two of the best sci-fi movies of the last 25 years and they’re as close to a perfect adaptation of Herbert’s original novel as you’re going to get.You might also have some nostalgia for David Lynch’s somewhat bizarre 1984 Dune movie, which boasts a killer Toto score, some stunning visuals and production design, and Sting in pointy underwear. Otherwise, though…stick to the Villeneuve version.And if you want a look at roads not taken for the franchise, the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune, about an absolutely bonkers Dune movie that almost got made in the 1970s is as mind-expanding in its own way as Herbert’s original book. Highly recommended.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! There are many, many books in the Dune series, as the series was continued long after original author Frank Herbert’s death. But really, the first book is essential classic sci-fi and you can’t go wrong with it. Its immediate two sequels, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune are also terrific and thought-provoking. After that, things get really weird (but no less awesome) with God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune. In short, read the first one no matter what. Read the entire first trilogy if you’re digging it. And if you really want to get into the craziness, do all six. Skip everything else!How You Lose WaterStart with a baseline understanding of the function and percentage of water in your body. Not because we think this is something everyone is going to have to worry about as climate change continues to worsen and ravage us all or anything like that. No, certainly not. It’s just good to know, right? RIGHT?!?MetamaterialsThe study of metamaterials is pretty vast, their potential applications are limitless, and their very existence is so cool that maybe it’s best to try and point you to a resource that has a broad range of examples. Check ‘em out. ClassifiersHonestly, classifiers sound a little cooler and fancier than they actually are, but it IS helpful to think of stillsuits in those terms to some degree.SpacesuitsOn the other hand, spacesuits are actually cooler and fancier than you already think they are, and no less an authority than NASA has you covered on their workings and the different types here.WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Check out our episode on Netflix’s The Witcher right here!Believe it or not, the original Star Wars was also influenced by Dune, and we covered the most iconic piece of tech from the franchise here.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
Wicked gives us the secret origin of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. We dive a little deeper into what makes her so unique.Wicked is shaping up to be one of the biggest cinematic hits of the holiday season this year, following on from its wild success first as a bestselling novel and then as an even more successful Broadway musical. Is there the equivalent of an EGOT for adapted properties? Because if so, Wicked just needs a video game or something to qualify.At the heart of Wicked, however, is the sympathetic origin story of the formerly nameless Wicked Witch of the West from the classic Wizard of Oz story. Given both a name and a significant backstory in Wicked, we learn that her trademark green skin wasn’t the manifestation of some inner character flaw, but rather a somewhat magical mishap brought about by her mother consuming a potion while pregnant with the future villainess. We admit that delving into the realm of pure magic on Does it Fly? has occasionally proven difficult, but in the case of Elphaba, there’s something to the question of just how green a person can get, and the possible causes.Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page to learn more. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Book Learnin’ Wicked is first based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which also spawned the sequels Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz.Of course, all of this goes back to L. Frank Baum’s original children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But did you know that book had a whopping thirteen sequels? Oz mythology is vast!The Evolution of Skin Color in HumansMelanin is what gives everyone their skin color, and understanding how and why various skin tones evolved is the foundation of our discussion about the (potential) science of green skin. Read more here.Don’t Turn Green!As a quick PSA, here’s a guide to how you can keep any copper oxide in jewelry from giving your skin that (lovely?) Oz-like green tint.When People Actually Turned GreenHypochromic anemia, or chlorosis, was a condition that did indeed leave some folks with green-ish skin. We usually try to do a little better than just Wikipedia links in these notes, but because chlorosis isn’t really an issue these days, there’s not a ton of contemporary writing about it. So start with this Wikipedia entry, and if you want to dig deeper there are two scientific journal articles you can try to access here and here. There will be a quiz next week! (not really)ThalidomideSince the origin of the Wicked Witch’s green skin begins with her mom drinking a potion, an example Hakeem cites in this episode is the tragedy surrounding use of Thalidomide during the mid-20th century, in which expectant mothers took a drug that was supposed to help with morning sickness and instead caused severe physical issues with their babies. A full history can be found here, but please beware of disturbing imagery.SUGGESTED VIEWING Oz-related screen adaptations are pretty much too numerous to list, and too varied in quality to really get into in the space we have here. But here are the ones we recommend…The Wizard of Oz (1939)MGM’s 1939 musical classic is rightfully the most inescapable, culturally dominant version of the Oz mythos ever put on screen. It’s also the most beloved. Almost impossible to imagine anyone reading this isn’t aware of it in some capacity.The Wiz (1978)Sydney Lumet and Joel Schumacher’s screen adaptation of the stage play which updated the Oz story for a more modern audience features a cast that includes no less than Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale, Richard Pryor (!) as the Wiz, and the legendary Lena Horne as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.Return to Oz (1985)Long before taking the lead role in The Craft, Fairuza Balk took her turn as Dorothy Gale in a movie that, while essentially a sequel to the 1939 film, is actually more frightening and disturbing than The Craft! Absolutely worth your time.Wicked Part I (2024)Director Jon M. Chu’s anticipated adaptation of the book and Broadway musical boasts an absurdly all-star cast including Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Galinda, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and more! WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?For some darker fantasy realm stuff, check out our episode on Netflix’s The Witcher right here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
“Toss a coin to your Witcher…”Netflix’s The Witcher series, adapted from the popular series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski and the critically acclaimed video games, is full of striking visuals and unique takes on traditional fantasy and sword/sworcery concepts. As embodied by Henry Cavill, the series protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, is a distinctive, stoic action hero. Cavill, of course, is no stranger to playing superhumans, but playing a Witcher is a little different than playing a Kryptonian. Most notably, a Witcher’s powers aren’t naturally born with them, but rather brought out by intense physical, magical, and even chemical means.One of the most iconic visuals in the Netflix series is when Geralt’s pupils fully dilate, giving his eyes an unsettling, all-black appearance. This is to symbolize the change brought about by one of the Witcher’s potions, which enhance his already considerable abilities, a key one being the ability to see in the dark.Sure, The Witcher is fully in the realm of fantasy, full of ideas that would never make it in the scientific world. But considering the remarkable structure and function of the eye, and the broad spectrum of vision that exists throughout the animal kingdom, the idea of adapting and expanding our existing senses doesn’t seem so far-fetched. So we’re tackling night vision in the world of The Witcher this episode, and you might be surprised by what we found.You can also check this episode out on our YouTube page! FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! How Eyes WorkBefore we can get into the really fun stuff, it helps to just have a little bit of an understanding of how the human eye is structured and why it works the way it does. This is the most detailed explanation we found that also still makes sense for a layperson.Night VisionTo start, let’s take a look at the upper limit of human night vision capabilities. We’re honestly pretty unspectacular compared to the rest of the animal kingdom, but it’s good to get a baseline of where our eyes are at in this area. The other thing to consider is how electronic night vision works, because this will give us a better understanding of how light behaves and how it’s perceived. But then take a look at the biology of animals with superior night vision and think about how this might map on to the human eye. It’s a long shot, but it helps support the idea as explored in The Witcher.Averted Vision“Our dark sensitivity is way greater than most people realize.” The technique Hakeem describes to see more faintly lit objects is explained in considerable detail here.Henry Cavill’s Witcher Transformation“I know there’ve been a lot of questions about cat’s eyes and all sorts online. For me, his eyes had to look like normal human eyes unless he’s staring into direct sunlight, where he has the ability to contract his pupils into a cat’s eye so he can gain an advantage against an opponent in direct sunlight. I wanted it to look slightly terrifying, but also a little enthralling at the same time.Read the full interview with Henry Cavill here!SUGGESTED VIEWING For some of the points specifically discussed in this episode, check out The Witcher season 1 episode 1 “The End’s Beginning”, season 1 episode 3 “Betrayer Moon”, and season 1 episode 8 “Much More.” Obviously, we suggest you watch all three seasons, because the show is excellent. But you should also check out the prequel anime, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, which details the rigorous and painful transformation process it takes to create a Witcher!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?From fantasy fantasy to space fantasy, have you checked out our episode on Star Wars’ lightsabers yet? Do it now!Just as unsettling as The Witcher (but in an entirely different way) are the trauma demons from the Smile horror movie series, which we unpacked here.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too
“Switch me on.”When you think about it, the original Ghostbusters movie captivated a generation in a way that we usually reserve for franchises like Star Wars. Who would have thought that a big budget semi-horror comedy featuring a bunch of Saturday Night Live alums would become the kind of pop culture phenomenon that is still releasing films 40 years later, not to mention a parade of animated series, collectibles, video games, and more? And yet, that’s exactly what happened!And perhaps a key part of that appeal was the central piece of equipment that the Ghostbusters outfitted themselves with: the proton pack. Essentially an “unlicensed nuclear accelerator” that they wear on their backs that allows them to “herd” ghosts into the equally fantastic traps (something that will perhaps be the focus of a future episode of Does it Fly?), the proton pack is as striking a visual as Star Wars’ lightsaber or Star Trek’s transporter. It’s far from the only reason Ghostbusters has endured, but the millions of children of the 1980s who turned their school backpacks into ghost-fighting machines can’t be wrong!At the heart of Ghostbusters is the fact that our heroes are all scientists, despite their shared interest in the paranormal. In a way, that’s not too different from the dynamic of our brilliant hosts, who spend this special, spooky episode of Does it Fly? debating both the science and story logic of this beloved device.You can also watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? on our YouTube page. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! ProtonsYou can’t wrap your head around a proton pack without first understanding the proton itself, which is simply a positively charged particle in the nucleus of an atom. Wait, did we say “simply?” No, these aren’t that simple at all (note how Hakeem says in this episode that “the word particle can mean different things in different contexts”). Find out why right here.Particle AcceleratorsAccording to Hakeem, the proton pack is essentially a particle accelerator. Let the International Atomic Energy Agency explain them to you far better than we can. But the key here is the concept of the cyclotron, first developed by Ernest Lawrence, and which even existed in a surprisingly portable form (pending energy use necessity, of course).Beta DecayWe admit, this one is tough to follow on its own. Fortunately, there are visual references that help us follow along.Let’s just let Hakeem explain how it all ties together: “The Ghostbusters use positrons to power their cyclotron which accelerates their protons so they can use them to capture ghosts.” (phew)The Real Inspiration for GhostbustersTamara brings up how Dan Aykroyd was inspired to pursue the Ghostbusters concept by an academic article from The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research (which is absolutely real). We are pretty sure that the actual article in question can be read right here!SUGGESTED VIEWING It’s almost unthinkable that anyone who has clicked on this episode hasn’t seen the original Ghostbusters, which is truly a generational, all-time great movie. There’s an entire franchise worth exploring beyond it, though. Here’s a quick guide to watching them all in the appropriate order.Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989)The two movies that make up the bedrock of Ghostbusters canon. The first, is, of course, self-explanatory. Its sequel was seen as something of a disappointment upon release, but in the years since it’s seen a critical re-evaluation from the general public. The first movie belongs to a unique category of high-concept genre comedies of the 1980s, which even had this not spawned a series of movies, a toy line, an animated series, and countless collectibles would have made it pretty unique. Others that played with the formula established here include Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Beetlejuice (which we did an entire episode on that you can watch right here).Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)Unfairly maligned upon release for reasons we need not get into here, Paul Feig’s complete reboot of the franchise (it’s set in a parallel universe from the first films) is better than you’ve heard. HoweverGhostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)These are essentially the belated Ghostbusters III and IV. As is the case with Ghostbusters sequels, your mileage may vary.For those of you who really want to dig deeper, though, you’d be surprised at just how cool (and even scary!) The Real Ghostbusters cartoon from the 1980s was. In particular, if you’re looking for some spooky seasonal viewing, allow us to suggest the first season episode “When Halloween Was Forever” which feels like a genuine Ghostbusters movie condensed down to less than 30 minutes. WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?This isn’t our first spooky rodeo, as we recently took a look at Beetlejuice to try and scientifically prove that demonic possession is a thing!Have you seen our awesome exclusive interview with the showrunner of Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft yet? Watch it here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
2022’s Smile was a Halloween box office and critical surprise hit. It’s perhaps the best example of a major studio taking elements from the kind of “elevated” horror that’s been perfected by indie studios like A24 and transferring it to a massive, wide release. Actually, now that we think about it, maybe we shouldn’t use the word “transfer” when talking about Smile considering the subject matter.But this week’s Does it Fly? is all about the central, horrific concept behind Smile: the transference of terrifying hallucinations, antisocial, destructive, and even suicidal behaviors from person to person. And while there’s essentially an entity at the heart of the trouble in Smile, you might be surprised at the personal and unconventional directions that this week’s discussion takes Hakeem and Tamara. Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page to learn more. And, as always, beware of spoilers if you haven’t already seen the film!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft fills in the gaps of the iconic character’s history, and we went behind the scenes to figure out just how they did it.It’s time for another special Does it Fly? episode! Every now and then the DiF team gets to go behind-the-scenes on an exciting new movie or TV series and talk to the folks who make the concept fly.This time around, our amazing co-host, Tamara Krinsky, speaks with Tasha Huo, showrunner and executive producer of Netflix’s brand new anime, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. And while the character of Lara Croft is an iconic name in adventure, she’s had something of a checkered history on screen (some of which we covered in a recent episode). But all of that changes with this new series, which fleshes out Lara’s backstory and fills in the blanks of the stories told in the games in lushly animated fashion. Did we mention that it features the brilliant Hayley Atwell voicing Lara?Join us for all the exciting details on Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft!This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, starring Hayley Atwell, Allen Maldonado, Earl Baylon, Richard Armitage, and Zoe Boyle. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is now streaming only on Netflix.FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, starring Hayley Atwell, Allen Maldonado, Earl Baylon, Richard Armitage, and Zoe Boyle. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is now streaming only on Netflix.2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie is perhaps best remembered for the near-perfect casting of Angelina Jolie as the iconic video game character. And if you think it might seem an odd fit for an episode of Does it Fly? we would like to point out a few things that will correct the record on that front. For while this may not be the most well-loved action movie of its generation, it has all the elements that get us excited to talk about a project.Well, one element that contains multitudes, we should say. This movie’s “MacGuffin” has it all! It’s made from meteorites, which help grant it some strange and otherworldly powers. It only reveals its true power during the confluence of specific astronomical events such as planetary alignments or solar eclipses. It can be used to control time itself, and as you know, we love trying to wrap our heads around time travel story and science logic on this show (see our Doctor Who and Back to the Future and Terminator episodes for examples).What will Hakeem and Tamara find on this adventure and bring back for us to learn? FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
If you’re of a particular age, the summer of 1989 holds special meaning for you. Specifically, you were almost certainly completely obsessed with Tim Burton’s Batman starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The film redefined superhero movies for a generation, was a relentless blockbuster at the box office, and kicked off a wave of Batmania that left no merchandising stone unturned well beyond that fateful summer. But at the heart of that film is Nicholson’s stunning Joker performance. And one of the elements that makes it so memorable is how it marked the first time that the Joker was depicted in live action as a brilliant, but murderous chemist, just as he was in his very first comics appearance back in 1940. Joker spends the second half of the movie holding Gotham City hostage via “Smilex” a deadly nerve toxin that leaves its victims with a hideous post-mortem grin on their faces. These kinds of weaponized poisons are nothing new in the real world, but it’s the specific combination of effects that Smilex creates that make it so notable. We’re taking a look at the real world parallels, including some disturbingly high profile terrorist attacks that would have made the Joker proud. In the process, we also examine just how this movie’s approach to live action superheroics (and supervillainy) changed everything on the big screen. Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page! SUGGESTED VIEWING Of course, you must watch Batman (1989). But here’s a friendly reminder that we also covered one of Tim Burton’s other great films, the original Beetlejuice, on an episode of Does it Fly? recently, and you should absolutely check it out right here. And while the rules of the Joker toxin as we discuss them in this episode apply specifically to this particular Batman movie it’s been around in other media, too. Notably, a generally less lethal version made a few appearances on the classic Batman: The Animated Series, which is always worth a watch, especially now that gorgeous remastered versions are available on HBO Max. A few to consider that might scratch your Smilex-induced itch… “The Last Laugh” (S1E15) It’s primarily laughing gas here, but you know what it’s supposed to be. “Almost Got ‘Im” (S1E35) A case can be made that this is the best episode of the series, even though the Joker and his attendant poison only feature in one segment of it. “The Laughing Fish” (S1E46) Based on several classic issues of the comics (more on one of them down below) this is probably the closest you’ll get to the lethality of the original toxin in animated form. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! VX Nerve Agent We’re bringing this up here in part because of the extraordinarily well-documented (and almost Joker-esque) assassination of Kim Jong-Nam in 2017. The murder was carried out using VX, a nerve agent and banned chemical weapon that is considered one of the most deadly and fast-acting out there. Let the CDC fill you in, because trust us, you want no part of this stuff. The Animal Kingdom and Joker Venom “There is no venomous animal on the planet that could do [everything the Joker Venom does]. Having said that, there are components of different animal venoms in the animal kingdom that could, in combination. My understanding of the Joker is that he’s quite a smart chemist, so it would be possible to extract the components from those venoms and put them all together.” More on this subject from Professor Jamie Seymour can be found here. Now, about that “recipe” (do not do this)... You’d want a little venom from the box jellyfish, known as one of the deadliest marine animals. A pinch of cone snail venom. And perhaps a dash of the blue-ringed octopus’ fatal defense mechanism. 2001 Anthrax Mailings A somewhat Joker-esque crime that terrorized an entire nation involved the mailings of lab grown anthrax to high profile politicians and journalists in the autumn of 2001. No less than the FBI itself has a wealth of resources on this incredibly bizarre case. The Source Material For those who want to dive a little deeper into the comics, there are two key stories to consider. Note that the idea of Joker injecting victims with a toxin that causes them to die smiling was introduced in his very first appearance, way back in Batman #1 (1940). But for much of the character’s criminal career after that he was comparatively harmless…that is, until 1973’s Batman #251 which brought back the idea of the Joker as a murderer with a penchant for unique chemistry, in a brilliant tale called “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge” by the legendary creative team of Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams. This story, along with “The Laughing Fish” and “The Sign of the Joker” from Detective Comics #475-476 by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers also formed the basis of the similarly named Batman: The Animated Series episode above. Since then, well…it’s been around a lot, but these are the two real historical keys for those who can’t get enough! WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Shortly after the success of Batman, Disney tried to replicate it with The Rocketeer. We took a look at that movie’s iconic jetpack technology here. We also took a look at another rich guy superhero when we unpacked the science and story logic behind Iron Man’s arc reactor, which you can watch here! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
The Rocketeer. Maybe you’ve seen it. Maybe you haven’t. If you’re of a particular generation, particularly of an age that had their brains absolutely melted by Tim Burton’s Batman movie in 1989 (which we have an episode on the way about), then The Rocketeer was one of a slate of summer movies that hoped to replicate the runaway success of Batman. For some folks, it sure did. For others…notably the general ticket buying public, it fell a little short. But The Rocketeer is a truly wonderful movie that has accumulated a deserved cult following over the years. Its central concept is simple enough: stunt pilot Cliff Secord accidentally stumbles on to a prototype rocket pack being developed for possible military use. The only problem is that Nazi spies want to get their hands on it. All poor Cliff wants to do is impress his girlfriend. Adventure (and hijinx) ensue on schedule. Full of spectacular practical effects flight sequences, The Rocketeer, like the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises before it, is a wonderful homage to the movie serials of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Part of its appeal is the simplicity of that “solo flight via jetpack” concept, and it’s one that has a fair amount of basis in real history and science! So join us as we take a deeper look at The Rocketeer to determine if Cliff, well…you know! Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page! SUGGESTED VIEWING Folks, if you haven’t seen The Rocketeer, do yourself a favor. It’s available on Disney+ and it’s a delightful, nostalgic, family-friendly, action-packed romp that is a little similar in tone to the Indiana Jones franchise. No sequels or big franchises here, but that’s part of the charm. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t cool Rocketeer-adjacent stuff for you to check out! Joe Johnston is an underrated director and we’d humbly recommend Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (hmmm…a potential future Does it Fly? episode, perhaps?), Jumanji, The Wolfman (a terrific horror movie that’s due for re-evaluation), and Captain America: The First Avenger. But for those looking to dig even deeper, the Rocketeer concept was inspired by the movie serials of the 1930s, ‘40s, and early ‘50s, specifically Republic Pictures’ excellent King of the Rocket Men (1949), Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1952), and Zombies of the Stratosphere (1953). Movie serials might be tough for modern audiences to digest, but all three of these feature terrific stunts and outstanding wire and model work to simulate flight, and it’s very clear how they influenced the creation of the Rocketeer character and the style of the movie. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Hero of Alexandria While this also sounds like a movie title, it isn’t. Check out a breakdown of his accomplishments, some of which were years, even centuries, ahead of their time. Rocket Concepts in 1861?!? Hakeem is referring to the work of Reverend William Leitch, who wrote an essay called A Journey Through Space which correctly predicted a number of spaceflight principles. Again, we’re talking about 1861. You can read that essay in full here. The Bell Rocket Belt 100 years after Reverend Leitch, someone did actually build a working prototype of something called a Rocket Belt. Lots more info on that, as well as some remarkable photographs, can be found here. The Nazis had been working on a concept during World War II, as well. Newton’s Laws of Motion You ain’t flying without adhering to these rules, which are thankfully broken down in easy-to-understand language right here. Erroll Flynn Did a Lot of Things, But Not THAT Adventure movie leading man Erroll Flynn lived, well, let’s just say he lived an interesting life. But one thing he wasn’t? A Nazi spy. We suspect that urban legend began with a particular biographer, and some details on that are here. The Practical Effects of The Rocketeer The interview Tamara references with Rocketeer’s VFX artist Tom St. Amand can be found here, and it’s every bit as fascinating as she says! WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Want more retro adventures with a Does it Fly? twist? We dove into an infamous scene from the Indiana Jones movies here. Transformers One is nowl in theaters, and you might be surprised at the scientific discussion we had around it! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
How do you solve an engineering problem like the Transformers? This might be one of the most iconic franchises of the 1980s, but it might also be as scientifically implausible as say, the Power Sword from another beloved ‘80s property, Masters of the Universe. Or…is it? After all, there’s already technology out there that can autonomously transform and combine, so is it really that much of a leap to think that an autonomous robot might also be able to disguise itself as a self-driving car? The answer might surprise you! You know what else might surprise you? Hakeem’s apparent phobia of getting squished by giant robots. If a scientist is this worried about something like that, maybe we should be, too! Dive into these concepts and questions as well as the most reasonable, thoughtful unpacking of Transformers basic story logic you’ll ever find. Roll out! No, wait, stay right here to watch or check it out on our YouTube page! SUGGESTED VIEWING The Transformers franchise is vast. And we do mean vast. Multiple animated series spanning dozens of seasons and hundreds upon hundreds of episodes plus almost a dozen movies both animated and live action. Oh, and then there are the hundreds of comic books, with at least three distinct continuities. And that doesn’t even take into account the lore and character info that was included with the toys themselves. But don’t worry, flight cadets, we’re making this easy on you. For this episode, Hakeem and Tamara dealt with the following pieces of the franchise to really focus their discussion. They are… The Transformers S1 Episodes 1-3 “More Than Meets the Eye” The first three episodes of the original Transformers animated series pretty much tells you what you need to know about the Autobots and Decepticons and gives you a reasonable understanding of how they function. This is the cartoon that really started it all, and features the most iconic, recognizable versions of the characters. The Transformers: The Movie (1986) The first animated big screen Transformers adventure serves as a bridge between seasons one and two of the animated series and also scarred a generation of elementary school age Gen-X-ers. But it enriches the lore of the franchise and also gives a sense of what “death” is like for these characters, so we figured it makes sense as a bookend to those first three episodes. Transformers (2007) Michael Bay’s first live action Transformers movie serves as a fresh start for the franchise, features its own take on the lore, and was instrumental in helping our hosts wrap their heads around the physics and engineering of transformation. It kicked off a massive blockbuster franchise which…you can mostly avoid. However, if you want to go a little further in your viewing, 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon is worth your time for some truly mind-blowing visuals, and 2018’s soft reboot Bumblebee is one of the best pieces of Transformers media out there. There’s also a brand new animated prequel, Transformers One, in theaters now, but we hadn’t seen that at the time this episode was being produced. Unfortunately, we don’t have the footage of Hakeem in the “vomit comet” for you to watch. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Self-Assembling Modular Robots They might not look like much, but these self-assembling modular robot cubes might be a precursor to Transformer-like technology in the real world down the line. While Hakeem isn’t fully on board with the Transformers as we know them in pop culture, he sees the potential in these little weirdos. Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot (M4) OK, so…THIS one might be a little bit more in line with what you expect from the Transformers. For those of you who want a more in-depth look at what makes this one tick, you can read the scientific paper here. But really, it needs to be seen to be believed! Liquid Robots One way to get around the engineering problem that comes with the sheer scale of the Transformers is by making them REALLY small. Or in this case, liquid. Once again, the article might not fully do the concept justice so here’s a video for you! Transformers Vol. 1 While there have been many iterations of Transformers comics through the years, the newest series from Image Comics “Energon Universe” by Daniel Warren Johnson is exceptional…and an Eisner winner! Want to follow in Hakeem’s footsteps and ride the um…zero gravity aircraft? Good luck! WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? …and speaking of robots…check out our discussion of the rules governing the Terminator franchise. Was Hakeem any kinder, scientifically speaking, to the concept of Iron Man armor? Only one way to find out! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by RSVLTS. Dying to be the star of Spooky Season? Grab this ghoulish gear, if you dare... A physicist, a pop culture expert, and a paranormal investigator walk into a brewery…no, it’s not the start of a joke, this actually happened! It’s a very different kind of Does it Fly? episode this week. This is our first ever recording with Hakeem and Tamara in the same room, our first in front of a live studio audience, and also the first full blown guest star joining in the discussion. We’re joined by special guest Aaron Sagers (Paranormal Caught on Camera, Talking Strange) to talk about the plausibility of demonic possession. Oh great, you’ve been waiting for our episode on The Exorcist, right? Perhaps because it keeps getting funnier, every single time you see it? Well guess again boys and ghouls. We’re kicking off this Halloween season a little early not with one of the most frightening horror films ever made, but rather with a celebration of the “ghost with the most.” With a new sequel now in theaters, we wanted to revisit Tim Burton’s original 1988 masterpiece, Beetlejuice! And since Beetlejuice features its own brand of both possession and exorcism, it offers a uniquely fun lens (specifically, the memorable dinner party scene soundtracked by the great Harry Belafonte) by which to investigate this terrifying concept…which has surprising roots in the real world. So how in the heck did we get a genuine astrophysicist to investigate the reality (or unreality) of demonic possession? And what kind of story rules apply in a movie that is essentially a comedy with horror themes? And how does our special guest help guide Hakeem and Tamara through all of this? And just why are we calling this episode “Does it Fly After Dark” anyway? The only way to find out is to check it out here or on our YouTube page! SUGGESTED VIEWING You’ve seen Beetlejuice, right? It might just be Tim Burton’s best film. There’s also a sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (don’t say it a third time), also directed by Burton, currently in theaters, however we hadn’t seen that film at the time we recorded this episode. Now, while you can make the case that Beetlejuice is Burton’s best movie, we’re quite partial to his 1994 masterpiece, Ed Wood, which features Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance, so if you haven’t seen that, add it to your Halloween viewing list ASAP and thank us later. But allow us to also suggest a few other movies about possession, albeit more traditional ones, to give you something else to worry about. Here they are, presented in the order in which we most highly recommend them. The Exorcist Directed by the great William Friedkin, it’s arguably the scariest movie ever made, one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and honestly one of the best movies of the 1970s. See it! (167 viewings optional, of course) The Exorcist III Generally speaking you can skip various Exorcist prequels and sequels…except this underrated gem. Directed by original Exorcist book author William Peter Blatty, it furthers the story of the original film with a little Zodiac Killer flavor thrown in for extra scares. The Exorcism of Emily Rose Notable in part for being loosely based on a real life case, it’s made even better by Scott Derrickson’s (Sinister, Doctor Strange) moody direction. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It While not the masterpiece of the first two Conjuring films, this one does once again follow real world paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) in a dramatization of an actual case they were involved in. The Pope’s Exorcist Notable primarily for Russell Crowe’s absolutely bonkers Italian accent as he portrays real-life Vatican exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth. We’ve loved director Julius Avery since 2018’s extremely underrated World War II zombie horror flick Overlord (which is better than this movie, so if you’ve only got time for one, that’s the one). FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! “It ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble…” This favorite quote of Hakeem’s (which may or not actually be attributable to Mark Twain) came up in our episode about Back to the Future, as well! Some more scientific context for it can be found here. Scientific papers on demonic possession “This official review aims to clarify the current scientific understanding of the origins, mechanisms, and causes of these seemingly extraordinary experiences. Our analysis includes 52 documented cases of possession, reviewed from literature published between 1890 and 2023 and incorporating insights from psychology, medicine, anthropology, and theology. We examine common symptom patterns, delve into the research conducted, and evaluate how many cases are still unexplained within the existing behavioral science framework.” You can read the scientific paper on demonic possession that Hakeem references in full here. Marie Laveau Learn more about Hakeem’s famous (and magical) relative here. The Psychiatry of Demonic Possession “For the past two-and-a-half decades and over several hundred consultations, I’ve helped clergy from multiple denominations and faiths to filter episodes of mental illness — which represent the overwhelming majority of cases — from, literally, the devil’s work. It’s an unlikely role for an academic physician, but I don’t see these two aspects of my career in conflict. The same habits that shape what I do as a professor and psychiatrist — open-mindedness, respect for evidence and compassion for suffering people — led me to aid in the work of discerning attacks by what I believe are evil spirits and, just as critically, differentiating these extremely rare events from medical conditions.” Read this fascinating article in full here. The Oldest Depiction of a Ghost Here’s the story behind that eerie Babylonian clay tablet referenced in Aaron’s discussion with Hakeem and Tamara. Pazuzu While best known as the “villain” of The Exorcist, Pazuzu might be getting a bad rep in pop culture. Or maybe not! A much scarier Beetlejuice… The darker, more horror-focused early development script for the film that Tamara talks about can be read here. WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? We recently spoke with the showrunner of Netflix’s incredible new Terminator anime series, Terminator Zero. It’s a must watch for fans of the franchise. Beetlejuice isn’t the first spooky topic we’ve tackled on our show. Check out our deep dive into the magical concepts of The Crow (the original, not that reboot nonsense)! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Terminator Zero, starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero is now streaming only on Netflix. We’ve got a special episode of Does it Fly? for you this time around. Consider this one a little bonus after our recent episode on The Terminator, because now we’ve got an inside look at Terminator Zero, Netflix’s brand new, lushly animated anime series (with an impressive voice cast, to boot) that adds a previously unseen dimension to the entire Terminator franchise. We sent one of our hosts, the brilliant Tamara Krinsky, to talk to Mattson Tomlin (The Batman, Mother/Android). But Tomlin is currently the showrunner of Terminator Zero, and those familiar with the thoughtful, gritty nature of his other screen work won’t be disappointed by the rigorous knowledge and intensity he brought to this show. And with our pop culture expert, Tamara, asking the big questions, Tomlin unpacks a lot of the central themes of the impressive new show. Check it out here or on our YouTube page. Oh yeah, and let us know what you think! If you want more interview style episodes of Does it Fly? where your favorite creatives tell us HOW they make your favorite sci-fi, horror, and fantasy projects work, drop us a line in the comments or on our socials! Check out a few of our favorite points from the interview, which we feel offer a nice parallel to our usual episode structure. But this is a pretty in-depth exploration of Terminator Zero with the showrunner, so don’t take our word for it, listen to the episode! THE SCIENCE DOES IT FLY: I'm curious, as you were putting the pieces of this together, did you do any research? Did you talk to scientists so that the audience would watch this and say, “yeah, this flies. This works for us.” MATTSON TOMLIN: Yeah. Probably not to the degree that the PhD guy would be happy with me, but definitely a lot of reading about Turing tests today and about what the capabilities [of AI] are. It's kind of one of those things where, as far as we know and what the public facing information is, we're not quite there yet … I think that the jumps [in capability] are exponential. So there was still a level of invention. It's a sci-fi show, so you've got to make some stuff up, but we also made sure that it never felt like it was fully beyond the bounds of what's actually happening out there today. THE STORY DiF: When was the moment during production that you as a writer, as a showrunner, felt like, “yeah, this thing has wings. This thing can fly.” MT: There's a couple of different answers to that, because it comes in stages. I feel really proud of the show. I think that there are stages … For me, the first time that that happened was while I was writing, and I got through episode four [and then] once I started writing episode five, it's like, “oh, now the plane has taken off, and now we're at altitude, and now, actually, I have to think about landing.” Having these four episodes, and I can I can read that 100 or so pages and go, “I stand by this, this is working now I just need to land the plane.” It's not that I felt like, “oh, I've got this.” But I felt like there was enough material that there's a story that is being told now that feels worth telling. That was kind of the first time. The second time was definitely once art started to come in from [anime studio] Production IG, and seeing the level at which they were executing and [knowing] this is going to look beautiful. I think then the third time was certainly the working on the score and working with [Terminator Zero composers] Michelle Birsky and Kevin Henthorn and finding a sonic identity for the score that felt like Terminator, and at the same time, does its own thing. We didn't just want to be playing the same stuff, it needed to feel inherently its own. THE VIBE DiF: Why was the decision made to do this as an anime? MT: From a creative standpoint, you're just able to do things that haven't been done before, because if you're making a movie and a movie that's in a franchise like Terminator, then there are certain expectations, certain beats that it has to hit. And, you know, those movies are $100-200 million movies. A [movie of that scale] is going to be a certain kind of thing. And this isn't that. Not only because it's animated, but because it's an anime. So it creates these variables … It's an opportunity to kind of breathe a lot of new life into it …it was kind of driven by story and an opportunity to just do something the franchise hadn't done before. WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? We also took a deep scientific look at the paradox that so much of the entire Terminator franchise revolves around. Check it out here. The Crow remake is in theaters now, so we recently took a look back at some of the science surrounding the magic of the original film. Watch it here. FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by Netflix, the exclusive home of Terminator Zero, starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero is now streaming only on Netflix. “Come with me if you want to learn.” OK, fine, that’s not what anyone says pretty much anywhere in the Terminator franchise. But haven’t you ever wondered just how some of the time travel concepts that set up one of the most successful and beloved sci-fi movie and TV franchises of all time work? This episode is really only dealing with the “grandfather paradox” as it relates to The Terminator (1984), James Cameron’s original sci-fi horror masterpiece that pretty much strapped a stardom rocket to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s back and helped redefine the boundaries of sci-fi and action storytelling on screen. It also kicked off one of the most sprawling and beloved science fiction franchises of a generation. Check it out here or on our YouTube page! SUGGESTED VIEWING While we’re pretty much only focused on that first film for this episode, if you want to expand your Terminator knowledge, it can feel like a lot. When in doubt when you’re navigating a big franchise that occupies different places on its own timeline, we always advise you not overthink it and just watch in release order. So we’ll give you that along with some suggestions to make this as fun and painless as possible. The Terminator (1984) If you want a sci-fi action movie that’s filmed with the pacing and sense of dread of a horror movie, you can’t go wrong with the original. A legitimate classic of 1980s genre cinema, it has endured for a reason. If you only watch one movie in the franchise, this is the one! Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) If you only watch one other Terminator movie, make it 1991’s bigger and more technically groundbreaking sequel. For those of you who want a more summer blockbuster action sensibility as opposed to the first film’s horror undertones, you can just go ahead and watch Judgment Day on its own, as it does an excellent job getting you up to speed even if you haven’t seen the original. Bigger action sequences and some eye-popping special effects make this one essential viewing. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) Probably not as bad as you’ve heard, but not exactly essential viewing either. This one builds out the lore of how Skynet rose to power and has a few bonkers battle sequences, but if time is of the essence, stick to the first two movies. It’s also the first entry in the franchise that starts messing with the canon in ways that future installments try to smooth out. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009) The franchise’s first expansion into TV has a devoted cult following, and with good reason! Still, that’s a lot of viewing hours, and it isn’t strictly faithful to the lore of the series as a whole. This can be viewed as its own self-contained alternate timeline within the Terminator universe. Terminator Salvation (2009) Terminator Salvation is a direct sequel to the events of Rise of the Machines…and thus a prequel to the first film. And despite starring Christian Bale at the height of his stardom as John Connor, it’s…well, let’s just say it’s not essential viewing. But if you’re keeping track so far, the canonical events of the franchise go from the first three movies to this one…which depicts events prior to the first film. Got it? Good, because it ain’t getting any easier! Terminator Genisys (2015) This one is essentially a reboot of the entire franchise and…you know what? You can skip it. Trust us. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) Somewhat maligned upon release, but better than you’ve heard! We’re back in alternate timeline territory, though, as this film ignores everything other than the first two movies and instead acts as a direct (if belated) sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Honestly, worth your time, especially if you’re looking to condense the franchise to a more digestible three films (in this case The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Terminator: Dark Fate) Terminator Zero (2024) Netflix is the exclusive home of this first animated Terminator outing, made by the same anime studio who brought the classic Ghost in the Shell to screens. Terminator Zero functions both as a self-contained Terminator adventure (meaning you don’t necessarily need knowledge of the rest of the franchise to enjoy and understand it) and also as something that enriches the lore of the films. Lushly animated and boasting a cast that includes Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, André Holland, and Ann Dowd, serious fans won’t want to miss this. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Grandfather Paradox The central concept of this episode and the one we wanted to explore the most! This article has the most succinct explanation of a rather headache-y concept we’ve ever seen. “...the idea that a cause must precede its effect. The paradox suggests that a cause is eliminated by its own effect, thus preventing its own cause and essentially becoming reverse causation.” It goes on to explain some of the other scientific concepts that inform this pretty well. For a little additional context, you can also check out this piece. The Bootstrap Paradox The other paradox that informs our discussion (and pops up often in pop culture time travel stories). Our question is…why is Northrop Grumman writing about this. WHAT DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY AREN’T TELLING US?!? Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Hey, remember this one from our episode on the transporter from Star Trek? We don’t think you can do any better for quality book-learnin’ on the subject than this article from CalTech. Relativity Train In case our animation illustrating Hakeem’s point about viewing actions in a train traveling at a different speed than the observer, Harvard University made a pretty substantial meal out of the experiment which you can read about (and watch) here. WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Just a reminder, if you haven’t watched our exploration of Xenomorph biology as it was explored in the first Alien movie (which also happens to be one of our most popular episodes), now’s a good time to get to it! Check out our episode on the most infamous moment in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie, not our episode. Oh, you know what we mean! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
Alex Proyas’ 1994 The Crow is a genuinely great film, released at a time when “comic book movies” weren’t an all-encompassing pop culture phenomenon, and one that plays very much like a unique action-horror film (rather than a superhero one). We can’t recommend it, or its unbelievably badass soundtrack album, enough. The Crow has a little of everything: it’s a horror movie, it’s a love story, it’s a twisted superhero origin story and revenge tale, and it’s a unique time capsule of a particular moment in pop culture history. But all of those things have been discussed to death elsewhere, right? Are we breaking down the unique ways that Eric Draven kills the men who wronged him during his life? Nope. Are we delving into the philosophies surrounding the prospects of life after death? Not this episode! Are we walking about how cool it would be to make friends with a crow? Abso-freakin’-lutely! An under-discussed part of The Crow is the role that an actual, physical crow seems to play in Eric’s journey of post-life revenge. The bird is somewhat magical, but not a complete manifestation of the supernatural. In fact, it functions very much like the concept of a “familiar” often found in fantasy literature. So that’s the topic we’re taking a birds-eye look at this time around. And believe it or not, there’s a LOT to unpack. Seriously, you have no idea how smart crows are, or just how feasible some aspects of the magical familiar might have roots in real science. Want to find out more? Watch it right here or on our YouTube page. SUGGESTED VIEWING Unfortunately, you can’t divorce The Crow from the real life tragedy that surrounds it, notably the untimely accidental death of star Brandon Lee during filming. Shudder’s Cursed Films season 1 episode 4 deals with this, and it’s worth a watch if you want more background on this infamous moment in cinema history. There are a bunch of mediocre sequels to the original film (and even a TV series!), but we don’t recommend them. Anyway, the only piece of The Crow franchise that we considered for this episode was that original, classic 1994 movie. However, if you want to get a sense of just how great a talent Brandon Lee was, and how this movie SHOULD have kickstarted a new phase of his career that would have brought him a level of mainstream stardom, allow us to recommend 1991’s Showdown in Little Tokyo (co-starring the great Dolph Lundgren!) and 1992’s Rapid Fire. Neither are exactly masterpieces, but they sure do kick some ass and Brandon is a natural. For some…less friendly…birds, you absolutely should watch Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds if you haven’t already. You’ll be perfectly happy not having any of them as your familiars. And of course, there’s a new reboot of The Crow in theaters now. There’s some crossover with our further readings below, but this New York Times video that asks (and kind of answers) the question of “how smart are crows” is quite a watch! Oh, and the movie that freaked Hakeem out as a kid? That's a 1975 weird one starring none other than William Shatner in one of his...less memorable...rolls, called The Devil's Rain. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! But before we get into the scientific and mythological readings to go with this episode, allow us to suggest that you give James O’Barr’s original comic series that launched this franchise a read. It’s harrowing, beautiful, violent stuff, and just different enough from the movie that you won’t feel like you know everything that’s gonna happen! OK, now back to your regularly scheduled science-y stuff. Familiars It will come as no surprise to anyone that there isn’t a ton of serious scientific writing on the subject of familiars. But the more “new age” corners of the internet have done their homework, and the above article is a compelling read. Crows in Mythology Crows and ravens are recurring symbols in a number of religious and mythological traditions. Learn up on them in case one decides to quiz you. Crows and Masks In case you need proof that you should never wrong a crow, because they WILL remember your face. How to Befriend a Crow We’re serious. From no less a source than M.I.T! Crows use tools! Not only do crows know how to make and use simple tools to accomplish their goals, it apparently puts them in a really good mood, too! The Eyes of Jackdaws No, that isn't the name of another horror movie. But Hakeem talks about this study on how these particular birds can read human expressions. We’re kicking off our Halloween celebrations early, so go light some candles and read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” for some kicks. “Nevermore.” WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? We recently unpacked three gadgets and concepts for the 60th anniversary of James Bond in Goldfinger. Watch it here! Ever wonder about how Indiana Jones led to the invention of the PG-13 rating? We’ve got the video for you! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
Love it or hate it, Alien Resurrection won’t be ignored. The final film in the Ripley saga of the Alien franchise (before it branched off into Predators, prequels, and other distractions…more on that below), Alien Resurrection has always been something of a hot-button issue with fans. Maybe not as much as Prometheus, but still! Any movie that deals with cloning a beloved character (who had been granted a heroic death in the previous film), complete with “genetic memories” is bound to push some buttons, but that’s not even the biggest thing this movie adds to the franchise. Alien Resurrection heralds the arrival on the scene of a new kind of Xenomorph. Specifically, a human/alien hybrid made via the same shady experiments that helped “bring back” Ripley. As a result, we get a Xenomorph that (among other things) no longer lays eggs and instead can reproduce in a slightly more recognizable/mammalian fashion. And hoo-boy, do Hakeem and Tamara have questions about this one! From the handling of cloning to the hybrid alien itself, this episode of Does it Fly? is for you if the gooier corners of the Alien universe are your cup of acid blood. Check it out here or on our YouTube page! SUGGESTED VIEWING Before we get into the intricacies of the Alien franchise, allow us to also recommend one of Tamara’s favorite movies, Code 46, an underrated 2003 film from director Michael Winterbottom which deals with a few similar themes of ethics within biotechnology as they regard our discussion about Alien Resurrection. Obviously, concepts from Alien Resurrection are what we focus on in this episode, but if you haven’t seen the movies that precede it, too, then you might be a little lost. Those are… Alien (1979) Aliens (1986) Alien 3 (1992) Alien Resurrection (1997) Now, the franchise continues on after that, albeit to mixed (and sometimes controversial) results. Those are… Alien vs. Predator (2004) Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) Both of the above movies are inessential, and take place BEFORE the events of the first film, or even the other prequels. Speaking of which, for the last decade or so, the Alien franchise has been more concerned with exploring the days before the first film, which brings us to… Prometheus (2012) Alien: Covenant (2017) And now, currently in theaters is Alien: Romulus, which takes place between Alien and Aliens. Get watchin’! FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Cloning Central to our discussion about the Xenomorph/human hybrid in Alien Resurrection is the question of cloning. Granted, this is a tough one to read up on, but this fact sheet from the National Human Genome Research institute is a good start. Also, doesn’t the fact that there’s a National Human Genome Research Institute in the first place make it sound like we’re already living in a sci-fi movie? Genetic Memory Hakeem (and science in general) state that when you clone an organism, you’re making a twin of it, you aren’t creating an exact duplicate that also contains memories and learned experiences. That, of course, blows a pretty big hole in Alien Resurrection right out of the gate. That being said, there’s some interesting reading to be done on the subject both here and here, although neither really support the movie’s central premise. Hybridization “I find it really interesting that when this baby comes out and Ripley is created, both are hybrids of alien and human. So the question is, can you splice together genes like that.” For this one, we couldn’t resist going back to the National Human Genome Research Institute for some hard information. See also: Retroviruses. Tuskegee Experiment 26:50 One of the darker chapters of American 20th Century history involved the deliberate infection of African-Americans with syphilis in order to study the disease over a period of time. It’s monstrous that something like this was sanctioned by official government agencies, and we shouldn’t forget that this is part of our recent past so that it never happens again. WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Just a reminder, if you haven’t watched our exploration of Xenomorph biology as it was explored in the first Alien movie (which also happens to be one of our most popular episodes), now’s a good time to get to it! Check out our episode on the most infamous moment in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie, not our episode. Oh, you know what we mean! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
You know the scene. A grisly human sacrifice. A terrified archaeologist looking on in horror from the shadows. A poor religious fanatic has his still-beating heart torn from his chest by a high priest before bursting into flames. While this seems like the kind of scene that would have been perfectly at home in a John Carpenter movie in the 1980s, instead it comes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second entry in the franchise (albeit a prequel to 1980’s Raiders of the Lost Ark), and one which takes a decidedly darker tone than the relatively family-friendly adventure of the previous film. That moment is alleged to have given birth to the PG-13 movie rating, for one thing. But it also kickstarted a small but specific subset of pop culture fascination: the concept that someone’s heart could be manually removed from their chest with no tools, using only the skills (sometimes mystical in nature) of an adversary. Fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise take note: long before Kano was rippin’ hearts out, Mola Ram was doing it…and with better fashion sense, to boot! And while it SEEMS like the realm of pure (if icky) fantasy, it’s still worth breaking down whether any element of this gruesome little party trick has basis in scientific reality. And if that doesn’t quicken your pulse (sorry), we’ve got behind the scenes tidbits on what made it all look so good, how this singular moment helped force the MPAA to institute PG-13, and more! Now, time for a little heart-to-heart with Tamara and Hakeem… SUGGESTED VIEWING While Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is indeed the second Indiana Jones movie, it’s actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. That being said, we always endorse watching big franchises in release order rather than timeline order, because prequels tend to get a little self-referential. Watch Raiders first, then Temple of Doom, then the third film (which takes place after Raiders), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. These are the only Indiana Jones movies! OK, not really. There are also fourth and fifth films, the generally maligned Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the somewhat better Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (the only film in the franchise not directed by Stephen Spielberg). Your mileage may vary, but if nothing else, Raiders of the Lost Ark is generally considered one of the greatest action/adventure movies of all time! And for those of you who can sanction Jim Carrey’s buffoonery (sorry, a little Tommy Lee Jones humor there), Hakeem recommends an alternate take on the heart-ripping concept, as seen in Dumb and Dumber. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations! Ancient Heart Extraction Rituals “You have to appease those gods, so what better way than with human sacrifice! Don’t have a volcano handy? Take out their heart.” (Hakeem references a scientific paper about heart extraction in Mesoamerica. We generally try not to link to things that aren’t readily and easily available to read, but in this case, the above abstract and this excerpt are the best we could do. But it’s so cool, we couldn’t pass it up.) Consciousness and Organ Function While Hakeem throws cold water (or hot flames) on the idea that the heart itself can continue beating with no additional equipment after separation from the body, he briefly references the extremely grisly speculation that guillotine victims remained conscious after their heads were separated from their bodies. There’s further study on that, but we try not to think about it. See also: Neuromuscular Junction Thuggees “While the Thuggee cult that they drew from was a real thing, they were robbers, they did murder folks, and they did all of this to serve Kali and did it in the name of this particular god, they did not take part in human sacrifice.” The PG-13 Rating “At the time this movie came out, it was rated PG…and there were a lot of parents who were taking their kids to see this…and then there’s this heart being ripped out of a chest, which terrified kids!” See also: The MPAA website that Tamara references which confirms the Temple of Doom connection can be found here. We also cannot recommend highly enough J.W. Rinzler’s incredible The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Story Behind All Four Films. WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Ever wonder what makes the DeLorean in Back to the Future go? So did we! So we decided to answer those questions once and for all! Twisters is in theaters now and we took a look at the science of the film, via the lens of the original 1996 movie! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
Back to the Future just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Let’s put that in perspective for you: Back to the Future is now older than the period of time that Marty McFly traveled in that first film, where he rocketed at 88mph from 1985 back to 1955. And while the concept of using a weird, well, concept car as a time machine might seem a little quirky, it certainly didn’t hamper this flick, which is generally considered a pretty timeless classic, despite its ‘80s trappings. For the record, we consider it one of those classics, too! And while we generally believe that you probably shouldn’t spend too much time thinking about the logistics of time travel (although we already covered a little of that in our episode about the TARDIS from Doctor Who), the specific mechanisms of time travel in Back to the Future are just too cool and appealing (not to mention iconic) to ignore. So in this episode, Hakeem and Tamara tackle it all! What are the specific rules of time travel in the Back to the Future trilogy? What’s the significance of hitting 88mph in order to go back in time? Is there a real world equivalent to the flux capacitor? And, of course, the age old question… “what the hell is a gigawatt?!?” All this and more in the latest episode of…Does it Fly? SUGGESTED VIEWING At this point it’s hard to imagine any of you haven’t at least seen the original Back to the Future, one of the most beloved movies of the 1980s. But we suppose it’s possible that a few of you might not have watched the entire trilogy. Well, guess what? Those movies rule pretty hard, too and Hakeem and Tamara went through all three films to make sense of the time travel science and story rules. Get going! There’s also Expedition: Back to the Future which is a fun capstone to the film’s legacy, the DeLorean, and more. Check it out on Max! FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations! “It ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble. It’s the things we know for sure that just ain’t so.” Hakeem’s quoting Mark Twain via his friend, Professor Edward W. Kolb, has some additional scientific context in the link above! The scientific case for time travel. “It turns out that our speed through space squared plus our speed through time squared is equal to the speed of light squared. So all things in the universe that exist are always moving at the speed of light through spacetime. So if you move more quickly through space, you’ll move more slowly through time…so the higher the energy situation, the more slow the time travel is.” Tachyons “These are hypothetical particles that can only travel greater than the speed of light.” (Look, we know Hakeem was pretty harsh on these hypothetical particles, but they’re pretty darn cool anyway.) (1.21) gigawatts! “What the hell is a gigawatt?” (Marty McFly…not Hakeem or Tamara. They’re much more articulate and thoughtful). (flux) Capacitors “A capacitor is something that stores energy. They come in different geometrical configurations…” The Many Worlds Interpretation “But when you make a measurement, you can only ever actually see one state at a time. So the ‘many worlds interpretation’ basically just says that when you make an observation, the only thing you’ve discovered is what world you’re in. Every possible outcome actually occurred.” Scirens Certainly by now you’ve checked out Tamara’s incredible other project dealing with the intersection of science and storytelling, right? And if not, what are you waiting for? Go now! And while you’re here, might we suggest making a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation? WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Twisters is in theaters now and we took a look at the science of the film, via the lens of the original 1996 movie! Star Wars: The Acolyte just completed its inaugural season on Disney+. Time to learn how lightsabers work…and why none of you should have them! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
The (air) pressure is on as we dive into some on-set stories, Wizard of Oz references, and barometric gossip as we break down the science and story logic behind a beloved 90s movie: 1996’s Twister. Alright, buckle up, because we're diving into the whirlwind world of Twister! Picture this: back in '96, director Jan de Bont dropped a disaster thrill ride that had us all glued to the screen, courtesy of writers Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin. It's about a bunch of gutsy storm chasers in Oklahoma, led by the tornado-whisperer Jo (Helen Hunt). Meanwhile, her ex, Bill (Bill Paxton), shows up with divorce papers just in time for a tornado party. But hold onto your weather-predicting prototypes - Jo unveils her brainchild, Dorothy, a cutting-edge weather gadget packed with sensors that could rewrite tornado research, which promises to beef up our tornado warning systems from a measly three minutes to a solid 15. Of course, no good blockbuster is complete without a villain. Enter Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes), a rival chaser with a snazzy device of his own, the DOT 3, which is basically a knockoff Dorothy. Talk about stormy competition! Cue a wild chase through tornado alley, with trucks in ditches, Dorothy prototypes flying, and power lines crashing down faster than you can say "F5!" And here’s the kicker: amidst all the chaos, Twister isn't just Hollywood blowing hot air. It’s inspired by real-life storm science, like the TOtable Tornado Observatory (TOTO), which paved the way for Dorothy. Sure, TOTO had its quirks (ever heard about its tango with an Oklahoma storm?), but it laid the groundwork for sticking sensors in tornadoes like nobody’s business. So, while Twister cranks up the drama to eleven (seriously, who drives into an F5 tornado?) it sparked serious conversations about the future of tornado research. Could Dorothy's sensor-packed canisters really hold up in the eye of a twister? The jury’s out, but in this episode, one thing's for sure: whether you're a weather buff or just in it for the flying cows, Twister makes you believe in the power of science, storms, and a good ol' fashioned summer blockbuster. SUGGESTED VIEWING Unfortunately, the only recommendation you’re going to get here is the film itself! Don’t worry, it’s not a slog – Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a young Alan Ruck are a lot of fun. Buckle up for two hours and come back to us when you’re ready to challenge colleagues to get scientific measurements as fast as you can. You know, the crazy stuff. And there’s even a sequel, Twisters, in theaters now! Just note that we hadn’t seen Twisters when we were researching this episode, so we’re only discussing the original movie here, spoilers and all. FURTHER READING Want to get a little deeper into the science - on set, within the film, and in real life? We got you. Here are some references for all of those hoping to start jumping into tornadoes! Tornado Measuring “What you’re talking about, about gathering data, can really be looked at like a scientific principle. All the data that is possible to get, that’s what you want to get. Ideally, you’d have satellites. You’d have ground base sensors.” See also: Response Times and Intensity TOTO “Balls in a barrel in windy conditions wouldn’t stay in a barrel. Most would probably stay in as it spinned around!” Barometric Pressure “They have such low pressure… that homes basically explode. High pressure on the outside, low pressure on the inside, that makes an explosion occur.” See also: Pressure Measurements and Intensity Distribution The VFX Challenge “Visual effects are the effects that are done after you’re done shooting. Special effects, or sometimes referred to as practical effects, are done on set. The origin of this film starts with visual effects.” WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Star Wars: The Acolyte just completed its inaugural season on Disney+. Time to learn how lightsabers work…and why none of you should have them! Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work! A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters now, and we took a look at how those aliens might have evolved their unique (and deadly) powers. FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
In the vast galaxy of science fiction, few weapons shine as brightly as Star Wars’ lightsaber. From its classic hum to its array of colors, the lightsaber has captivated generations, transcending its origin to become a timeless artifact of adventure and heroism. And as a kid, who didn’t have imaginary battles with their lightsabers? Now, imagine if those weapons really existed! We delve into the world of Star Wars and analyze the science behind the lightsabers as well as the importance of this crazy device in the movies but also in our lives… The lightsaber exists at the nexus of advanced technology and timeless mythology, serving as a powerful symbol of the “Star Wars” universe. Their unique designs, impactful glow, and distinctive sound make them an iconic piece of sci-fi history. But with this great honor comes a lot of questions. What are lightsabers actually made of? Are there any existing modern technologies that could bring us closer to a real life lightsaber? And just how important is this mystical weapon to the Jedi and Force users in general? All this and more will be explored in our latest episode… SUGGESTED VIEWING The lightsaber and its lore plays an integral role in all nine films of “The Skywalker Saga” and those are the movies that make up the spine of the Star Wars universe. We assume you’ve probably seen them, but if you want a refresher just for this episode, you should consider revisiting Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), all of which have points we referenced in our discussion. And while the Star Wars universe on television already seems a little overwhelming, our hosts also took a dive into some episodes which specifically expanded and explored lightsaber function and history. If you want to check those out, they are… Star Wars: The Clone Wars S5E6 “The Gathering” This one shows Jedi students on a quest to find kyber crystals to complete their lightsabers. Star Wars: The Clone Wars S5E16 “The Lawless” The first glimpse of the mysterious Darksaber in action. Star Wars Rebels S3E15 “Trials of the Darksaber” More info and context for the Darksaber, arguably the most important lightsaber variant in current Star Wars canon! The Mandalorian S2E8 “The Rescue” If you’re hoping to see the Darksaber in a live action context, this is the episode for you. For those of you looking to really dive into the entire Star Wars universe and don’t know where to begin, well…good luck! When it comes to viewing orders for big franchises that take place across long periods of time, we generally endorse watching everything in “release order” rather than “timeline order.” For example, that means you watch the original trilogy first, then the prequels, and so on down the line. But especially with Star Wars, there’s always the temptation to try and do things in story chronological order. And who are we to say no? So for you brave souls who want to try and “start at the beginning” for the galaxy far, far away, here’s how you’d do it… Star Wars lore has become so sprawling that it’s now broken up into distinct storytelling eras. THE HIGH REPUBLIC Star Wars: The Acolyte (TV) Currently the earliest piece of live action Star Wars lore, The Acolyte takes place 100 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga films. THE FALL OF THE JEDI These films and TV series detail the period when the Jedi lost influence over the galaxy, the Clone Wars, and Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Film) Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (Film) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV) Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Film) REIGN OF THE EMPIRE These films and TV series set the stage for the classic, original trilogy of Star Wars films, as the Empire rampages across the galaxy and the seeds of the Rebellion are sown. Star Wars: The Bad Batch (TV) Solo: A Star Wars Story (Film) Obi-Wan Kenobi ( TV) Andor (TV) Star Wars Rebels (TV) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film) AGE OF REBELLION The most famous period in Star Wars history! You probably know all about these already. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (Film) Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Film) Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (Film) THE NEW REPUBLIC So far, this era has only been explored on TV and not in film, but it details the “lost years” between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The Mandalorian (TV) – Seasons 1 & 2 The Book of Boba Fett ( TV) The Mandalorian (TV) – Season 3 Ahsoka ( TV) Star Wars Resistance (TV) RISE OF THE FIRST ORDER The latest period in Star Wars history thus far explored! Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (Film) Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (Film) Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (Film) And these anthology shows take place throughout the Star Wars timeline, but are fun additional viewing: Star Wars: Visions (TV) Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (TV) Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (TV) FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations! Lightsabers - The Physics of Science Fiction “It looks like a metal thing. It could be like a sonic screwdriver or something like that. But when it is initiated, a beam of light or a beam of plasma, depending upon who you ask, is emitted. And it's like a weapon. It's like a solid object that's really hot, can cut through metal.” How Plasma Cutters Work “Everybody wants to own a lightsaber, but no one should… That is a dangerous piece of equipment. If it's going to slice through things the way it does. We have technologies that do that. We have lasers that cut metal. A plasma cutter is what it's called.” What is a photonic crystal? The reason why photonics-electronics convergence technology is needed, and the details of research “But if you hit a light beam from the side, it's not a solid thing. Right? So you know what we see with the battles where lightsabers are bouncing off of each other, just pure light of any no wavelength would not be able to do that. When I started looking into could you confine light in such a way, I discovered something that's new and it's called a red Rydberg blockade, where they create what is known as a photonic crystal, where you can make photons sort of bond with each other in a sort of way.” See also: Creating heralded hyper-entangled photons using Rydberg atoms and Rydberg atoms in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres Ben Burtt & the Sounds of Star Wars “I think that one of the reasons that this has become such an iconic thing is in part due to the production design of it, and specifically the sound design of it. Ben Burtt was the sound designer, and he actually has said that the lightsaber sound was the very first thing that he worked on for the Star Wars universe, when the original trilogy was being done.” WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work! A Quiet Place: Day One is in theaters now, and we took a look at how those aliens might have evolved their unique (and deadly) powers. FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
When it comes to the A Quiet Place franchise we kept coming back to one big question: What are the biological factors that would allow these terrifying aliens who terrorize Earth to hunt via sound alone? The aliens, often referred to as “dark angels” in the films, have a number of distinct characteristics which will inform our questions. For starters, they're blind but incredibly sensitive to sound, which gives them an instinct to kill everything that emits the slightest noise. They are also incredibly strong and fast and they possess armored skin which protects them from most kinds of weapons, including bombs and fire. The only ways to kill them (so far) are to drop them into deep water (since they can’t swim) or by emitting high-frequency sound which causes the armor on their heads to open and expose their only vulnerable part: their ears. In this episode we will dive into how this alien echolocation differs from what we see in animals native to our planet, and the environmental factors that might have contributed to how and why these creatures evolved as they did. And then there are all the story elements to consider, from the sound design (and lack thereof) of the films themselves, the question of childbirth in a world where uttering a sound can get you killed, and much more. Oh yeah, and then you might want to find out who from the film thought this movie should have been called Don’t Fart. It’s all fair game in Does it Fly? episode 12! SUGGESTED VIEWING This episode is FULL OF SPOILERS, don’t say we didn’t warn you! So, we’d recommend you watch both A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II. Keep in mind, we recorded this episode without having seen A Quiet Place Day One (in theaters now), so there’s no spoilers for that film. And if you’ve seen the entire franchise and still need this creepy itch scratched, when watching A Quiet Place, Hakeem also thought about the 2018 film Bird Box (you can find it on Netflix) starring Sandra Bullock, where the threat is sight instead of sound—if you see the force extinguishing humans, you die. It’s kind of creepy, but definitely a good horror watch before going to bed! FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Here are a few recommendations! Echolocation “Let's talk about the anatomy of these aliens... They are big and strong. Their limbs are incredibly long and at the end they have these claw-like hands... Their heads are made of these plates that open to reveal the fleshy parts underneath. But their exoskeleton and the plates on their head, those things are virtually impenetrable. So, in order to kill it, what they've discovered is, is that with the right high frequency pitch... The monster just freaks out all the plates, opens on his head, making it vulnerable, and then they can take it out.” See also: Engaging Silence: Behind the Daring Sound of A Quiet Place Hearing in Cockroaches, Spiders, Elephants and Other Animals How Cockroaches Experience the World “There are some animals that use air movements [to listen]. One of my favorites is one of my least favorites… I was a kid in New Orleans. And if you live in New Orleans, especially in the 1970s, you have to deal with a monster even scarier than the one in this movie… They're called roaches.” See also: Do Cockroaches have ears? The Earth’s terminator Line “There's that ring that separates the light side from the dark side, what we call the terminator in astronomy. And at the terminator [on planets that do not rotate] there will always be incredibly strong winds. So you will need something like those big claw hands to just sit there against those winds.” See also: The Moon's Terminator Line Project Hail Mary “Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian which then became a movie with Matt Damon, also wrote Project Hail Mary, which I don't want to give too much of it away, but… a big part of the book is trying to figure out and understand the aliens' background [and] the kind of world that they come from.” How A Quiet Place Sound Designers Made Audiences Afraid of Their Own Noise “Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, who were actually nominated for an Oscar for sound editing for the first film… said: ”By working on scary films as sound designers, we can become the puppet masters of the audience's emotions in an invisible way as opposed to the image. A great picture editor, Walter Marsh, had this wonderful saying along the lines of ‘images come in through the front door, but sound comes in through the back door’.” WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY? Can’t get enough of The Boys, now in its fourth season on Prime Video? Well then you certainly won’t want to miss our episode detailing how Starlight’s powers might work! FOLLOW US! Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment: Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: Roddenberry Twitter: @Roddenberry *Roddenberry Entertainment participates in affiliate programs and may receive a small commission for links on this page* For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com