William I. Lengeman III - Freelance Writer & Blogger

Movie Review - The Undying Monster

The Undying Monster
20th Century Fox
1942
Reviewed by William I. Lengeman III
(previously unpublished)

Very Short Review
A nifty little thriller with a slightly deceptive title.

Slightly Longer Review
If you come to The Undying Monster looking for scares, you're likely to be disappointed - unless you're exceptionally sensitive to that sort of thing.

Movie Review - Mission To Mars

Mission To Mars
Touchstone Pictures
2000
Reviewed by William I. Lengeman III
(previously unpublished)

Very Short Review
2001 Lite.

Slightly Longer Review
Not to be confused with Apollo 13, Mission To Mars is the other movie that stars Gary Sinise as an astronaut who's been bumped from a mission only to turn around and attempt to save it.

TV Review - Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier

Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier
The History Channel
2007
Reviewed by William I. Lengeman III
(previously unpublished)

Very Short Review
Gee whiz, ain't Star Trek nifty?

Slightly Longer Review
In which assorted and sundry denizens and luminaries of the Star Trek universe - all five TV series and ten movies worth - get together to muse upon the essential wonderfulness of the whole endeavor. Shatner doesn't weigh in, but Leonard Nimoy takes on the hosting duties and offers a few of his own reminiscences.

TV Review - Star Trek Tech

Star Trek Tech
The History Channel
2007
Reviewed by William I. Lengeman III
(previously unpublished)

Very Short Review
Frothy musings on whether Star Trek's fictional gadgetry will ever become reality.

Slightly Longer Review
Gee, wouldn't it be nice if we could make our daily commute by stepping into a transporter and suddenly turning up at work? Sure it would. But don't hold your breath.

Lawrence Krauss, author of The Physics of Star Trek, host this hour-long examination of...well, the physics of Star Trek - with some technology and other sciences tossed in for good measure.

Movie Review - Space Cowboys

Space Cowboys
Warner Brothers
2000
Reviewed by William I. Lengeman III
(previously unpublished)

Very Short Review
Grumpy Old Men in space.

Slightly Longer Review
Most science fiction - book, film, or TV show - requires at least one instance in which we're required to suspend our disbelief in order to stay the course.

Space Cowboys could hardly be called science fiction, but there are rocket ships zooming about and square-jawed types and the plot causes one to engage in some fairly vigorous disbelief suspending.

TV Review - Prophets of Science Fiction

Prophets of Science Fiction
The Science Channel, 2006
Reviewed by William I. Lengeman III
(previously unpublished)

As the cable universe expands, those of us who don't care for reality shows, fluffy entertainment junk, or a vast number of sports channels can find solace in the likes of The History Channel, National Geographic Channel and The Science Channel.

The latter outlet recently presented that rarest of creatures - a reasonably "serious" television show dealing with printed science fiction.

Article - Confessions Of A Gumshoe

Confessions Of A Gumshoe
By William I. Lengeman III
(Originally published in Harrisburg Magazine, April 1996)

Private investigator John Wozniak wants you to know a few things. He's never shot anyone. He's never worked anyone over. He's never cracked a murder case. He's never whipped through the streets of Harrisburg in a high speed car chase. He has no crumpled raincoats or battered snap brim fedoras in his wardrobe. And judging from his soft spoken manner it's unlikely that he's ever slapped a dame around or, for that matter, even used the words dame, babe, chick, broad or tomato to refer to a woman.

Article - Looking For Harrisburg: An Imaginary Travelogue

Looking For Harrisburg: An Imaginary Travelogue
by William I. Lengeman III
(Originally published in Harrisburg Magazine, May 1996)

Do you know Harrisburg pretty well? Did you know that it was a thriving gold mining town in the early 1900s? Did you know that just outside of town Indians massacred a group of settlers heading west in 1849? Have you ever admired the historic landmark, the Harrisburg Covered Bridge. Do you remember the terrible flood in 1937 when the Ohio River spilled over it's banks, leaving thousands homeless?

Are you confused yet?