SciFi SongFest, Songs 194-195

Two more apocalyptic/dystopian songs:

194. Rush, “Red Sector A” (1984):

195. Leslie Fish, “The Day It Fell Apart” (1989):


Middelboe Chronicles, Part 70: Canterbury Tales – Arriving at Canterbury

“Arriving at Canterbury” (1998), the second of three installments from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, adapts the Merchant’s Tale, the Pardoner’s Tale, and the Franklin’s Tale.

The Pardoner’s Tale was one of the inspirations for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

The Franklin’s Tale is an interesting case of a courtly-love relationship surviving into marriage, contrary to the standard Laws of Love that supposedly make the two relations incompatible. (I’ll be blogging about this soon.)

At 18:54, we see a canopy with the emblem “À MON SEUL DÉSIR” writ thereon, the which doth signify a tapestry of great fame, as may be seen below (or in the Musée Cluny in Paris):


SciFi SongFest, Songs 190-193

Four songs about sex robots (whether literal or metaphorical):

190. Miracles, “Love Machine” (1975):

191. Prince, “Automatic” (1982):

192. Loverboy, “Lovin’ Every Minute of It” (1985):

193. Aqua, “Barbie World” (1997):


Middelboe Chronicles, Part 69: Canterbury Tales – Leaving London

The first of three sets of adaptations of episodes from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. This installment, “Leaving London” (1998), adapts the Nun’s Priest’s Tale, the Knight’s Tale, and the Wife of Bath’s Tale.

Casting note: Sean Bean’s in this one – and his character doesn’t die!


SciFi SongFest, Songs 188-189

Two mournful songs about space travel:

188. Rolling Stones, “2000 Light Years from Home” (1967):

189. Julia Ecklar, “Ballad of a Spaceman” (1983):


Middelboe Chronicles, Part 68: John Henry, the Steel Driving Man

Like Don Quixote against the windmills, John Henry, the Steel Driving Man (“Animated Tales of the World,” 2002) pits his strength against impersonal machinery and comes to grief – though in this case Henry has a more altruistic end than in most versions of the story, and he achieves that end.

This is another particularly beautiful animation.

And we’re now in the final stretch of the Middelboe Chronicles ….


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