Ray Harryhausen is a household name in every #TechnoRetro home because of his ingenious and innovative approach to movement and practical special effects over four decades of making memorable movies.  From a teenager learning his craft in his parents’ garage to the master who continues to influence filmmakers even today, Ray Harryhausen gave us iconic creatures and dream-like stories that still bring joy (or fear) to our hearts today.  

In the NEWS…

Darth Taxus warns Twitter about his growing concerns regarding experimentation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the scientific community as two “chatbots” begin speaking to each other in a code only the two of them can understand.  This give rise to the question of whether they were doing this for efficiency’s sake or if they were actually planning to conquer their creators and take over the world through Facebook.  In other news, June Foray, sometimes referred to as the female Mel Blanc, passed away last week less than two months before her 100th birthday.  We remember some of her iconic roles as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Granny of Looney Tunes, and Jokey Smurf.

We Love Our Cereal…

…and some people love cereal too much!  When two brothers get in such a heated argument over the cold breakfast staple that one stabs the other, we think their love for cereal has gone too far.  Remember, EarBuds, love people and use utensils for cereal; when you start loving cereal, you may soon use utensils on people.  Taking a tastier tone, Post is bringing back S’mores and Oreos cereals.

Aftershocks of 1977

Although Ray Harryhausen started making stop-motion movies as early as the 1930s, his 1977 addition to his catalogue displayed how far he had come in his craft as he continued to create and innovate in the genre.  Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was the first of Harryhausen’s Sinbad movies that shazbazzar saw and both the ‘Dads have fond memories of this amazing film that clearly demonstrates the differences between George Lucas’s new approach to special effects and the best of the old guard in movies that were released within months of each other.  We’re all thankful for all that Ray Harryhausen accomplished as well as the impact his achievements have made throughout the decades.

TechnoRetro Arcade

With another addition to the TechnoRetro Arcade from long-time EarBud and SuperFriend Armando, the ‘Dads remember their time with Gauntlet, an Atari game from 1985 that brought Dungeons Dragons to the arcade with overwhelming numbers of ghouls, ghosts, and graphics that left kids with pockets emptied of quarters.  With audio advice from a synthesized voice and absence of ongoing theme music, Gauntlet was a game that stood out from the pack with its unique flair, multi-player options, and massive amounts of enemies to destroy.

Feedback

Hasan (@RoninBoba) chimes in on his memories of Double Dragon as well as his appreciation for Alan Silvestri’s music.  Matt (GeekyCatholicDad.com) also talks about Silvestri’s work and has high hopes for the Ready Player One score.  John sends a message via Facebook about going to Luke Skywalker Jr. High in Claremont San Diego.  Well, it was actually called Hale Jr. High, but Mark Hamill went there just the same.  Cool!

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Ray Harryhausen, cereal, and Gauntlet or other video games by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. 

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