The Most Dangerous Meme

Aural Noir: Online Audio

The Most Dangerous GameHere’s a story meme with nearly as many adaptations as The Hound Of The Baskervilles. Unlike Hound, which is generally met with very successful adaptations, this one is a series of failures punctuated by only the occasional success. Practically every Fox network cartoon has done a TV version of it. Even 30 Rock‘s Jack Donaghy [pictured left] had his own twisted version.Blank

Of the serious successes there is of course the popular (and public domain) 1932 film version (which uses the original title), and the excellent Science Fiction film version: Predator.

Still not sure what I’m referencing?

It’s The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

“You are alone and unarmed in the green hell of a Caribbean jungle. You’re being trailed by a pack of fiercely hungry dogs — and a mad hunter armed for the kill. A mad hunter who believes that you, a human being, are the most dangerous game.

First published in the January 19, 1924 issue of Collier’s Weekly – there have been no fewer than 13 film versions and at least than many more that just plain ripped off the idea completely uncredited. You can check all those out elsewhere. Strangely there is no straight audiobook version, but you can check out some of the audio adaptations here!

SuspenseSuspense – The Most Dangerous Game
1 |MP3| – [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBS Radio
Broadcast: September 23, 1943
Provider: Archive.org
Orson Welles as Zaroff and Keenan Wynn as Rainsford,

SuspenseSuspense – The Most Dangerous Game (second version)
1 |MP3| – [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBS Radio
Broadcast: February 1st 1945
Provider: Archive.org
With Joseph Cotten portraying Rainsford.

EscapeEscape – The Most Dangerous Game
1 |MP3| – [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBS Radio
Broadcaster: October 1, 1947
A big game hunt for the biggest game of all…man! Hans Conried, Irving Ravetch (adaptor), Paul Frees, Richard Connell (writer), William N. Robson (producer), Richard Sanville (director), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor).

A modern audio drama version…

Ziggurat Productions - The Most Dangerous GameThe Most Dangerous Game
Adapted from the story by Richard Connell; Performed by a full cast
1 CD – Approx. 52 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Ziggurat Productions
Published: 2002
ISBN: 188421424x
On his way to hunt jaguars in the Brazilian jungle, a professional hunter is marooned on remote island inhabited by a fellow hunter who pursues unusual game.

There’s also the “radio theater with dada/surreal elements” version…

From KBOO, a frightening adaptation that uses “actual sound bits and dialog from a couple of early productions of this story from the 1940s.” The producer of it calls it “incredibly violent, lurid and profane.”
|Download Part 1| |Download Part 2|

And finally…

From TheatreOfTheMind.com, a one actress recreation of the original Suspense script! |MP3| Yikes!

Posted by Jesse Willis

BBC Radio 4: Journey Into Space and Torchwood

SFFaudio Online Audio

BBC Radio 4Prepare to get the valves warmed up on the wireless set for it looks like a cracking good time on the BBC airwaves next week…

The Saturday Play: Journey Into Space – The Host
Approx. 1 Hour [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Saturday 27th June 2009 @ 14:30-15:30
Says the Radio Times: “Jet Morgan and his crew get a distress call from an abandoned freighter. They must find a way to defeat the superior ‘Host’ and save mankind from becoming a stepping-stone to a new chapter in evolution. By Julian Simpson from the series created by Charles Chilton.”

Afternoon Play: Torchwood – Asylum
Approx. 45 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Wednesday 1st July 2009 @ 14:15-15:00
“When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it’s going to be an open-and-shut case. Then he sees the weapon she’s carrying and decides to call in Torchwood. Anita Sullivan’s sci-fi adventure is the first of three this week.”

Afternoon Play: Torchwood – Golden Age
Approx. 45 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Thursday 2nd July 2009 @ 14:15-15:00
“The team travels to Delhi in search of a dangerous energy field that triggers the simultaneous disappearance of hundreds of people. Jack discovers that it centres on an old colonial mansion, once the HQ of Torchwood India. Shocked to find that Torchwood India is still going strong – he shut it down over 80 years ago – he’s even more surprised to find that its members, including his old flame the Duchess, haven’t aged a day. Second sci-fi adventure, by James Goss”

Afternoon Play: Torchwood – The Dead Line
Approx. 45 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Friday 3rd July 2009 @ 14:15-15:00
“When a Cardiff hospital is inundated with patients who have fallen into coma-like trances, The Torchwood team investigates. The trances appear to have been triggered by phone calls, all received on retro phones & made from a number that hasn’t been active for more than 30 years. Sci-fi drama by Phil Ford”

[Thanks so much Roy!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Mark Time and Ogle Winners for 2008

SFFaudio News

Mark Time AwardsWe’ve already mentioned two of the four Mark Time and Ogle Winners for 2008. Here’s the official release:

Here are the winners of this year’s Mark Time Awards for Science Fiction Audio and the Ogle Awards for Fantasy/Horror Audio Productions. They will officially be presented on Thursday, July 2 at Convergence 2009 in Bloomington, MN.
————————-
MARK TIME AWARDS

GOLD

The Outpost
Written & Produced by Julie Hoverson
19 Nocturne Boulevard

SILVER

The Return of the Bogman Mummy
Written & Produced by Roger Gregg
Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin, Ireland

OGLE AWARDS

GOLD

Waiting For a Window
Written by Fred Greenhalgh
Finalrune Productions

SILVER

The Halloween Tree
(based on the novel by Ray Bradbury)
Produced by Chris Snyder
Exec. Producer: Mark Vanderberg
Colonial Radio Theatre

[Thanks Jerry!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

News: New Blake’s 7 Audio Drama coming in August

SFFaudio News

Jan ChappellBlake’s 7 fans can rejoice! B7 Productions has announced the next Blake’s 7 “The Early Years” audio drama CD. This is a prequel series story exploring the origins of one of the key B7 characters prior to her meeting Roj Blake. Jan Chappell, the original Blake’s 7 Cally, returns to the role she made famous back in 1978.

The announced release includes two prequel stories on a CD with the plots centering on the alien telepath Cally and her clone sisterhood. The CD includes two thirty-minute adventures, Blood & Earth written by Ben Aaronovitch and Flag & Flame written by Marc Platt.

Blake's 7: The Early Years CALLY - Blood & Earth / Flag & FlameBlake’s 7 – Cally: Blood & Earth/ Flag & Flame
By Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt; Performed by a full cast
1 CD – Approx. 60 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: B7 Productions
Published: August 24, 2009
ISBN: 9781906577070

Jan Chappell, who last played Cally back in 1980, says of her return to the series:

“It’s a source of utter bewilderment that Cally is still part of my life, but delighted to embrace her return. It’s astonishing to be playing the character thirty years on and to know that Blake’s 7 still has such an ardent following. Who would have known that back in 1978 we were making television history.”

Previous audio prequels have explored the early lives of Avon, Travis, Vila and Gan with future releases planned to reveal the origins of Jenna, Zen, Servalan and Blake. Those unfamiliar with this Blake’s 7 revival should |READ OUR REVIEW| of the first set. Excellent stuff!

Posted by Jesse Willis

Lost Season of Doctor Who to be Audio Drama

SFFaudio News

Big Finish ProductionsWired is reporting that Big Finish Productions is working on a new season of Doctor Who.

“A sci-fi production company is restoring a long-lost piece of Doctor Who history by resurrecting the show’s cancelled 23rd season as a series of audio dramas.

The shows, starring then-Doctor Colin Baker, were originally supposed to air in January 1986. But a cost-cutting network boss pushed back Who’s premiere that year to September, essentially killing the season envisioned by executive producer John Nathan-Turner.”

Word is Nicola Bryant (playing the role of Peri) will also be returning! Peri rocks! Episode 1 of the NEW 23rd season of classic Doctor Who (titled ”The Nightmare Fair”) is set for a November 2009 release, with subsequent episodes following in 2010.

[via Monster Rally]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Update: Frequency Of Fear Lite and Regular FoF

SFFaudio Online Audio

You may have noticed SFFaudio has a new WordPress theme. Ya, well, it isn’t purely cosmetic. We were forced to do some self-surgery due to complaints of too much server usage. I blame you visitors and all your damn clicking. But ours isn’t the only blog with a facelift -The Zombie Astonaut has rejiggered his Frequency Of Fear Lite podcast site with a new look. Says ZA:

As some of you may know, we edit the original wraparound stories into their very own self-contained audio drama (emphasis on the “audio”, not so much on the “drama”). They’ve been featured on the Sonic Society’s podcast, the Jack And Shannon Show. We also had a page set up for those with a link to the right, but frankly, the page sucked. I wasn’t crazy about the layout or how difficult it was to update, and Doc hated all the pastel colors I didn’t notice because I’m terribly colorblind. In came Dr. Wilheim Von Martinez to save the day! After accidentally re-inventing the Tofurkey, he set up a marvelous new Frequency Lite page, one that is more organized and allows for comments. We’ll be expanding the page to include character and actor bios, as well as other fun stuff. Check it out!

The Frequency Of Fear Lite

But that isn’t all, over on the regular site…

Frequency Of Fear

There is an unusual interview based episode created when the Zombie Astronaut visited “the first annual Indy Paracon, a paranormal convention in Danville, Indiana.” There, Zombie spoke with four different ghost hunters – Chris Dedman, Paul Browning (Clarksville Ghost Hunters), Michael D. McDonald (Kindred Moon Paranormal Society) and Sarah Neher (In Nomine Paranormal Research). They gave tips on the equipment ghost hunters need and how to protect yourself from the demonic possession (prayer).

I listened to the whole show and came away thinking that some of these folks the Zombie Astronaut interviews seem to think their hobby can be dangerous – I agree with this. And I speak with experience. Pretending can be dangerous. When I was a kid I spent a summer with a family friends’ kid. He was about 3 years older than me and really into wrestling TV shows – let me tell you a half-nelson suplex on an unsuspecting kid who doesn’t have cable TV and has no idea what a suplex was – let alone a half-nelson suplex – that is dangerous.

That said, as long as these ghost hunters are only pretending to experience the regular old melancholy apparitions who mope about in dark corners and say things like “my toys” rather than pretending the full-on Tobe Hooper style poltergeists – they’ll probably be okay. Of the guest who suggested prayer prior to all ghost hunting activities – I wish ZA would have asked one more question of him. Namely: If there is a prayer for the prevention of a broken collar-bone.

Posted by Jesse Willis