Noiseless Chatter Archive

When I covered the only three seasons of Star Trek , what we now call The Original Series, it was mainly out of historical interest. It was an important show that I’d — for the most part — never seen. I wanted to experience it, enjoy it, poke a li’l fun at it, and move along. I ended up liking it quite a lot, though. I knew I’d be able to appreciate it, but I didn’t expect to come away from it as a genuine fan. The fact that I did was a nice surprise. Then I watched the films, and they were — for the most part — pretty good. Some I loved, but mostly they felt like slightly longer episodes of more-or-less average quality. I’m sure that was enough for fans who didn’t have BluRays and DVDs to turn to at the time, but for me it was just another six adventures that weren’t as good as the show usually was. I wish I had something more insightful to say about them, but I’ll cover them another day, probably. Point is, I’d finished with The Original Cast. I really wanted to see ...

…right, hello! It’s been a while. There are a few reasons for this, and a few impacts to the site. I’ll get to the latter in a moment but, first, an explanation: I don’t have one. Things are tough. I don’t think there’s anybody in the world who doesn’t understand that to some degree right now. I’m not a special case. Things are very, very, very difficult all around for a multitude of reasons. In addition, however, I struggle with chronic depression, often leaving me drained even during those quiet moments when nothing is pressing down upon me. Also, I am attempting to make my living as a writer and editor. That’s great. I don’t regret it. But it’s also very difficult and time consuming. (I’m sure you could have guessed that, but it’s worth being clear.) The time that I have to spare for this site and a few other hobbies is…limited, to say the least. None of which is to say that I don’t want to write things, or can’t think of what to write. In the case of October’s Trilogy o...

I have a bit of a strange hobby. At least, it might be strange. Maybe it’s very common, but I never hear anyone talk about it. After enjoying a TV show, a movie, or a book, I’ll assemble a soundtrack that includes all of the songs played / mentioned within. Not always , of course, but if it’s something I really enjoyed, I’ll build that soundtrack as a sort of souvenir that I can easily revisit. In many cases, an official soundtrack will be released, so it’s mainly a matter of picking that up and filling in any blanks. Those blanks aren’t always easy to fill in, so I end up doing a bit of research, finding the right versions of the right songs, and sometimes having to make some judgment calls, but all of that is part of the fun. I’ve done it with video games as well (mainly the Fallout series), but I never really had to do much work there. Usually, by the time I’m looking, somebody has already curated a complete list of songs, and I just get to enjoy it. Thematically, it’s f...

Hello I am not dead and I owe you all an update BUT YOU KNOW THAT ALREADY so instead let me turn it over to Casey Roberson, who is hosting this year’s Xmas Bash (and who has organized the entire thing, which means it will be worth watching for a change). Be sure to tune in Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern and I’ll probably see you there! Or some of the words that you type into the chatroom. Here’s the info… — Hey everybody, it’s me, your Xmas Bash Host, Casey, that’s me, and I’ll be hosting this year’s 2021 Xmas Bash, the most Xmas fun you’ll have unless you’re on the really expensive meds. This is what I look like, so you can be ready to mute my hosting segments for maximum enjoyment. The Bash falls on December 18 this year, and will run from 7PM to Midnight Eastern. Here’s the rundown of what you can expect to see during those five hours: 8 holiday episodes of TV shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s 12 Christmas music videos (at least) 20+ vintage Christmas commercials 7 ...

Just a quick note to say that there will be an Xmas Bash this year, but I will not be hosting it. Friend of the website Casey Roberson is taking over as host, handling the programming, and probably doing other things that can’t be mentioned in polite company. (Friend of the website Adam Lore has provided the promotional artwork.) The event benefits The Trevor Project and seems like it will consist of similar content to previous Bash events. I say “seems like” because I have no idea what you will or won’t see, so that will be a nice change of pace for me. TV episodes, music, chat, nonsense, the whole nine yards. You can register at this Facebook link , where more information will be posted as it becomes available. I hope you are all well and I hope to see you there. Thank you.

For personal reasons I will not be able to post the Trilogy of Terror stuff this year. Thank you for understanding. I apologize for the short notice.

I wonder how many years running I’ll be able to start these announcements with “What a fuckin’ year, eh?” Anyway, last year we celebrated Halloween by leaning directly into the worst tendencies of man with George A. Romero’s First Dead Trilogy. This time, let’s just have fun with some silly movies that have no social relevance or satirical value at all. None! I promise! Why are you looking at me that way?! Beginning Oct. 17, join me for Trilogy of Terror VII: Vehicular Homicide. It will consist of longform analyses of the following films: Duel (1971) – coming Oct. 17 Death Race 2000 (1975) – coming Oct. 24 Christine (1983) – coming Oct. 31 I’m posting this announcment far in advance so that you will have plenty of time to seek out and watch the films, if you’re interested. Death Race 2000 appears to be available in its entirety, for free, on YouTube. Christine also seems to be there, albeit in parts. Duel is available for purchase or rent through Amazon, iTunes, and pro...