Does It Fly?

By: Roddenberry Entertainment
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  • Summary

  • Putting your favorite sci-fi and pop culture to the test! Join hosts Hakeem Oluseyi (How The Universe Works, NASA's Unexplained Files, Baking Impossible) and Tamara Krinsky (Scirens, Marvel's Red Carpet, Girls Gone Greek) as they put your favorite pop culture concepts to the test and determine once and for all if they're possible in the real world.

    From Roddenberry Entertainment, the heart of fandom! Roddenberry Entertainment provides thought-provoking, quality genre entertainment that sustains the legacy of founder and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. We are devoted to producing viewer-centric properties that actively recognize the integral role that audiences and storytelling play in the betterment of society. Roddenberry's productions promote experience over observation; encouraging audiences to think, question, and challenge the status quo of the world in which we live.

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    doesitfly@roddenberry.com
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Episodes
  • Flying With The Rocketeer

    Flying With The Rocketeer
    Sep 27 2024
    The Rocketeer. Maybe you’ve seen it. Maybe you haven’t. If you’re of a particular generation, particularly of an age that had their brains absolutely melted by Tim Burton’s Batman movie in 1989 (which we have an episode on the way about), then The Rocketeer was one of a slate of summer movies that hoped to replicate the runaway success of Batman. For some folks, it sure did. For others…notably the general ticket buying public, it fell a little short.But The Rocketeer is a truly wonderful movie that has accumulated a deserved cult following over the years. Its central concept is simple enough: stunt pilot Cliff Secord accidentally stumbles on to a prototype rocket pack being developed for possible military use. The only problem is that Nazi spies want to get their hands on it. All poor Cliff wants to do is impress his girlfriend. Adventure (and hijinx) ensue on schedule.Full of spectacular practical effects flight sequences, The Rocketeer, like the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises before it, is a wonderful homage to the movie serials of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Part of its appeal is the simplicity of that “solo flight via jetpack” concept, and it’s one that has a fair amount of basis in real history and science! So join us as we take a deeper look at The Rocketeer to determine if Cliff, well…you know!Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here or check it out on our YouTube page!SUGGESTED VIEWING Folks, if you haven’t seen The Rocketeer, do yourself a favor. It’s available on Disney+ and it’s a delightful, nostalgic, family-friendly, action-packed romp that is a little similar in tone to the Indiana Jones franchise. No sequels or big franchises here, but that’s part of the charm.However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t cool Rocketeer-adjacent stuff for you to check out! Joe Johnston is an underrated director and we’d humbly recommend Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (hmmm…a potential future Does it Fly? episode, perhaps?), Jumanji, The Wolfman (a terrific horror movie that’s due for re-evaluation), and Captain America: The First Avenger.But for those looking to dig even deeper, the Rocketeer concept was inspired by the movie serials of the 1930s, ‘40s, and early ‘50s, specifically Republic Pictures’ excellent King of the Rocket Men (1949), Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1952), and Zombies of the Stratosphere (1953). Movie serials might be tough for modern audiences to digest, but all three of these feature terrific stunts and outstanding wire and model work to simulate flight, and it’s very clear how they influenced the creation of the Rocketeer character and the style of the movie. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Hero of AlexandriaWhile this also sounds like a movie title, it isn’t. Check out a breakdown of his accomplishments, some of which were years, even centuries, ahead of their time.Rocket Concepts in 1861?!?Hakeem is referring to the work of Reverend William Leitch, who wrote an essay called A Journey Through Space which correctly predicted a number of spaceflight principles. Again, we’re talking about 1861. You can read that essay in full here.The Bell Rocket Belt100 years after Reverend Leitch, someone did actually build a working prototype of something called a Rocket Belt. Lots more info on that, as well as some remarkable photographs, can be found here. The Nazis had been working on a concept during World War II, as well.Newton’s Laws of MotionYou ain’t flying without adhering to these rules, which are thankfully broken down in easy-to-understand language right here.Erroll Flynn Did a Lot of Things, But Not THATAdventure movie leading man Erroll Flynn lived, well, let’s just say he lived an interesting life. But one thing he wasn’t? A Nazi spy. We suspect that urban legend began with a particular biographer, and some details on that are here.The Practical Effects of The RocketeerThe interview Tamara references with Rocketeer’s VFX artist Tom St. Amand can be found here, and it’s every bit as fascinating as she says!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Want more retro adventures with a Does it Fly? twist? We dove into an infamous scene from the Indiana Jones movies here.Transformers One is nowl in theaters, and you might be surprised at the scientific discussion we had around it!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryTwitter: @Roddenberry For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
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    47 mins
  • The Transformers Franchise Has an Engineering Problem

    The Transformers Franchise Has an Engineering Problem
    Sep 20 2024
    How do you solve an engineering problem like the Transformers? This might be one of the most iconic franchises of the 1980s, but it might also be as scientifically implausible as say, the Power Sword from another beloved ‘80s property, Masters of the Universe. Or…is it? After all, there’s already technology out there that can autonomously transform and combine, so is it really that much of a leap to think that an autonomous robot might also be able to disguise itself as a self-driving car? The answer might surprise you!You know what else might surprise you? Hakeem’s apparent phobia of getting squished by giant robots. If a scientist is this worried about something like that, maybe we should be, too! Dive into these concepts and questions as well as the most reasonable, thoughtful unpacking of Transformers basic story logic you’ll ever find. Roll out! No, wait, stay right here to watch or check it out on our YouTube page!SUGGESTED VIEWING The Transformers franchise is vast. And we do mean vast. Multiple animated series spanning dozens of seasons and hundreds upon hundreds of episodes plus almost a dozen movies both animated and live action. Oh, and then there are the hundreds of comic books, with at least three distinct continuities. And that doesn’t even take into account the lore and character info that was included with the toys themselves. But don’t worry, flight cadets, we’re making this easy on you.For this episode, Hakeem and Tamara dealt with the following pieces of the franchise to really focus their discussion. They are…The Transformers S1 Episodes 1-3 “More Than Meets the Eye”The first three episodes of the original Transformers animated series pretty much tells you what you need to know about the Autobots and Decepticons and gives you a reasonable understanding of how they function. This is the cartoon that really started it all, and features the most iconic, recognizable versions of the characters.The Transformers: The Movie (1986)The first animated big screen Transformers adventure serves as a bridge between seasons one and two of the animated series and also scarred a generation of elementary school age Gen-X-ers. But it enriches the lore of the franchise and also gives a sense of what “death” is like for these characters, so we figured it makes sense as a bookend to those first three episodes.Transformers (2007)Michael Bay’s first live action Transformers movie serves as a fresh start for the franchise, features its own take on the lore, and was instrumental in helping our hosts wrap their heads around the physics and engineering of transformation. It kicked off a massive blockbuster franchise which…you can mostly avoid. However, if you want to go a little further in your viewing, 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon is worth your time for some truly mind-blowing visuals, and 2018’s soft reboot Bumblebee is one of the best pieces of Transformers media out there. There’s also a brand new animated prequel, Transformers One, in theaters now, but we hadn’t seen that at the time this episode was being produced. Unfortunately, we don’t have the footage of Hakeem in the “vomit comet” for you to watch. FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! Self-Assembling Modular RobotsThey might not look like much, but these self-assembling modular robot cubes might be a precursor to Transformer-like technology in the real world down the line. While Hakeem isn’t fully on board with the Transformers as we know them in pop culture, he sees the potential in these little weirdos.Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot (M4)OK, so…THIS one might be a little bit more in line with what you expect from the Transformers. For those of you who want a more in-depth look at what makes this one tick, you can read the scientific paper here. But really, it needs to be seen to be believed!Liquid RobotsOne way to get around the engineering problem that comes with the sheer scale of the Transformers is by making them REALLY small. Or in this case, liquid. Once again, the article might not fully do the concept justice so here’s a video for you!Transformers Vol. 1While there have been many iterations of Transformers comics through the years, the newest series from Image Comics “Energon Universe” by Daniel Warren Johnson is exceptional…and an Eisner winner! Want to follow in Hakeem’s footsteps and ride the um…zero gravity aircraft? Good luck!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?…and speaking of robots…check out our discussion of the rules governing the Terminator franchise.Was Hakeem any kinder, scientifically speaking, to the concept of Iron Man armor? Only one way to find out!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial...
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    47 mins
  • What Beetlejuice Teaches Us About Demonic Possession

    What Beetlejuice Teaches Us About Demonic Possession
    Sep 6 2024
    This episode of Does it Fly? is presented by RSVLTS. Dying to be the star of Spooky Season? Grab this ghoulish gear, if you dare...A physicist, a pop culture expert, and a paranormal investigator walk into a brewery…no, it’s not the start of a joke, this actually happened! It’s a very different kind of Does it Fly? episode this week. This is our first ever recording with Hakeem and Tamara in the same room, our first in front of a live studio audience, and also the first full blown guest star joining in the discussion. We’re joined by special guest Aaron Sagers (Paranormal Caught on Camera, Talking Strange) to talk about the plausibility of demonic possession. Oh great, you’ve been waiting for our episode on The Exorcist, right? Perhaps because it keeps getting funnier, every single time you see it?Well guess again boys and ghouls. We’re kicking off this Halloween season a little early not with one of the most frightening horror films ever made, but rather with a celebration of the “ghost with the most.” With a new sequel now in theaters, we wanted to revisit Tim Burton’s original 1988 masterpiece, Beetlejuice! And since Beetlejuice features its own brand of both possession and exorcism, it offers a uniquely fun lens (specifically, the memorable dinner party scene soundtracked by the great Harry Belafonte) by which to investigate this terrifying concept…which has surprising roots in the real world.So how in the heck did we get a genuine astrophysicist to investigate the reality (or unreality) of demonic possession? And what kind of story rules apply in a movie that is essentially a comedy with horror themes? And how does our special guest help guide Hakeem and Tamara through all of this? And just why are we calling this episode “Does it Fly After Dark” anyway?The only way to find out is to check it out here or on our YouTube page!SUGGESTED VIEWING You’ve seen Beetlejuice, right? It might just be Tim Burton’s best film. There’s also a sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (don’t say it a third time), also directed by Burton, currently in theaters, however we hadn’t seen that film at the time we recorded this episode. Now, while you can make the case that Beetlejuice is Burton’s best movie, we’re quite partial to his 1994 masterpiece, Ed Wood, which features Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance, so if you haven’t seen that, add it to your Halloween viewing list ASAP and thank us later.But allow us to also suggest a few other movies about possession, albeit more traditional ones, to give you something else to worry about. Here they are, presented in the order in which we most highly recommend them.The ExorcistDirected by the great William Friedkin, it’s arguably the scariest movie ever made, one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and honestly one of the best movies of the 1970s. See it! (167 viewings optional, of course)The Exorcist IIIGenerally speaking you can skip various Exorcist prequels and sequels…except this underrated gem. Directed by original Exorcist book author William Peter Blatty, it furthers the story of the original film with a little Zodiac Killer flavor thrown in for extra scares.The Exorcism of Emily RoseNotable in part for being loosely based on a real life case, it’s made even better by Scott Derrickson’s (Sinister, Doctor Strange) moody direction.The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do ItWhile not the masterpiece of the first two Conjuring films, this one does once again follow real world paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) in a dramatization of an actual case they were involved in. The Pope’s ExorcistNotable primarily for Russell Crowe’s absolutely bonkers Italian accent as he portrays real-life Vatican exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth. We’ve loved director Julius Avery since 2018’s extremely underrated World War II zombie horror flick Overlord (which is better than this movie, so if you’ve only got time for one, that’s the one).FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do! “It ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble…”This favorite quote of Hakeem’s (which may or not actually be attributable to Mark Twain) came up in our episode about Back to the Future, as well! Some more scientific context for it can be found here.Scientific papers on demonic possession“This official review aims to clarify the current scientific understanding of the origins, mechanisms, and causes of these seemingly extraordinary experiences. Our analysis includes 52 documented cases of possession, reviewed from literature published between 1890 and 2023 and incorporating insights from psychology, medicine, anthropology, and theology. We examine common symptom patterns, delve into the research conducted, and evaluate how many ...
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    41 mins
Art Science Science Fiction
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