Star Wars Symbol Cycle: Empire, or the Hanged Man

Note prominent Solar Cross looming over the action

On the surface of it, The Empire Strikes Back is a old-time pulp adventure story and as such is the favorite of many Star Wars fans. The interesting thing about the film is how the story itself-- a middle piece with no dramatic resolution or climax-- is overshadowed by a stirring spiritual homily delivered by a badly-animated puppet (of all things).

The Star Wars Symbol Cycle: Son of the Suns

The Star Wars story-cycle is one of the most popular of our modern myths, but also one of the most garbled. For the original trilogy, George Lucas consciously drew upon mythic and religious elements (ransacking every myth, fairy tale, scifi story and comic book he could get his hands on, especially Jack Kirby's New Gods), but not always coherently. 

Star Wars Symbol Cycle: Gary Kurtz, the Force Behind the Force

 

At their best, movies once offered us gnosis of a kind that the ancients could only write their weird apocalypses about.

It's part of a larger phenomenon- the most enthusiastic adopters of any new communication technology are people selling either religion or sex. Both offer an escape from the grinding boredom of life.

The Star Wars Symbol Cycle: The Irresistable Force

In 100 years everyone will have forgotten the prequels and the sequels and the spinoffs and focus solely on the original Star Wars movie. Why? Because there's nothing said in anything that came after that wasn't said best in the first film. 

Secret Star Trek: A Really Bad 21st Century

One of the many alien "Gods" from Star Trek

 Summer is the time when my brain goes into standby mode. Actually, that's not true, it's actually the time when I delve back into a particular pop culture obsession and follow different themes in and out of paranormal lore and history.

Secret Star Trek: The Plumed Serpent

Some believe that 2012 will bring the return of Quetzalcoatl, whose name translates literally into "feathered serpent." And of course the crowns of Egypt were composed of a bird and a snake as well. 

Alien Hunter: The Secret Stargate Sequel

 

There was a sequel to the Stargate feature film, did you hear about it? No, not that glorified LARP of a series, Stargate SG-1. No, this sequel features James Spader reprising his role of Daniel Jackson. 

Outer Limits: Them Ol' Post-Apocalyptic Blues Again

 

Post-apocalyptic and dystopian sci-fi was all the rage when I was a kid. A lot of it was inspired by the Cold War, but it was also a natural reaction to the malaise of the early stages of American de-industrialization.

Psilocybin-Fueled Sci-Fi

A children's book from 1954. Note classic "Grey"-type bodies and heads in aliens, Amanita color scheme

Caprica, or The End is Foretold

I've been wracking my brains trying to figure out why Caprica resonates with me in a way that Battlestar Galactica still has not. It's not that I don't think BSG was well-written, well-acted and well-produced - I certainly do. I always admired the show, but it always had the faint taste of medicine for me. 

Deep Space Nine: Shadows and Symbols

A blue spiral, then a wormhole. Look familiar?

I'm not sure why, but Star Trek has been resonating with me lately in a way it hasn't in a long time. It certainly has nothing to do with the recent feature film, it's something else I can't quite put my finger on. 

Almost in a way The X-Files did ; the same kinds of synchronistic emanations have been hitting me left and right.

Caprica and the Spi-Fi Ascendency

 

 OK, I need to rinse the rancid taste of Braintree out of my mouth...

A lot of you may have seen this already, but I'm so jazzed on this series I want to make sure the rest of you do as well. This is the prequel to the Battlestar Galactica revamp, but it's grabbed me in a way that BSG still has not (never fear, the missus and I have the first season DVDs and plan to dig into them soon).