Lost treasure: Creation Of The Humanoids

A century before anyone ever uttered the word “hippie” Henry David Thoreau was living that life lost in time in the 19th century. Twenty years before Blade Runner a film called “Creation Of The Humanoids” was doing “cyber punk” before the term was even invented.

I had a memory fragment of this movie from when I saw it on a UHF channel a lifetime ago as a small child. Through the magic of usenet I found a science fiction lovers newsgroup with someone on the planet who was able to take my faded memory and produce a movie title.

Luckily enough, it turned out that netflix had a copy ( titled “Drive-in Double Feature: Creation of the Humanoids / War Between the Planets” ).

I just saw it last night and it was fantastic.

The film is set in the future a few generations after a nuclear war wipes out 92% of the population of the Earth. The dwindled human race turns toward building androids as a means of obtaining sufficient labor to rebuild civilization. However, the radiation from the war has made most people sterile. As the human population dwindles the androids become more prominent and more “human”. The story of that conflict is this film.

Since it was made in 1962 the special effects weren’t all that great but if you appreciate campy out-of-date effects you will love this film. What it lacks in special effects it more than makes up for with a highly intelligent and philosophically provocative script. As a bonus, the DVD that it comes on has the film in its original context, as a second film in a double feature made for drive-in movie theaters; complete with intermission commercials from the late 50s encouraging people to go buy snacks and “coming attractions” for films made the better part of a half a century ago. What a freaky trip!

If you are any kind of science fiction fan I encourage you to rent a copy of this film. If you are a science fiction fan I think like me you will consider this film to be a lost and under appreciated treasure.

Humor: Cowboy Boots

A friend sent this to me 🙂

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Did you hear about the Texas teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for her help and she could see why. Even with both of them pushing, the little boots still didn’t want to go on. By the time they got the second boot on, the teacher had worked up a sweat.

She almost cried when the little boy said, ‘Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.’

She looked, and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet.

He then announced, ‘….These aren’t my boots. ‘

She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, ‘Why didn’t you say so?’, like she wanted to. Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, They’re my brother’s boots. My Mom made me wear ’em.’

Now she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. But, she mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, ‘….Now, where are your mittens?’

He said, ‘I stuffed ’em in the toes of my boots.’

She will be eligible for parole in three years.