I may not be sure of many things in this life, but one thing I am sure of is that the Japanese posters for some of my favorite science fiction films are straight-up bonkers, and in the very best way possible. Sometimes it’s just that the Japanese lettering plastered all over everything is actually perfectly consistent with the universe of the story, as with this Blade Runner poster.

Halloween is coming, and while there’s always a lot of talk about potentially awesome costume designs, every year people don and assortment of truly questionable outfits. To help steer your holiday in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of sci-fi themes you may want to steer away from to ensure a smooth, hassle free night of handing out candy and getting wasted.

Producer Gary Kurtz was there for the earliest foundations of Star Wars, so it stands to reason he’s got some insights on the whats and the wherefores and the how-comes. With Star Wars undergoing a new beginning of sorts in the wake of the Disney buyout, it’s the perfect time to look back at how George Lucas‘ epic franchise first came together, and new interview with Kurtz reveals several fascinating tidbits about the earliest origins of Star Wars, and just how much influence that other iconic space series had on Lucas’ creation.

Writer Chris Taylor interviewed Kurtz for his new book How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, but he also shared some very intriguing insights via Mashable. It’s more or less common knowledge that Star Wars owes much of its existence to the classic sci-fi serials that Lucas grew up loving. In fact, the original plan for what became Star Wars was to make an actual new Flash Gordon movie. But Flash rights owners King Features insisted on “draconian” restrictions, and so Lucas and Kurtz instead began discussing making an original space opera movie in the same vein as those staples of Golden Age sci-fi. Kurtz said:

Everyone knows that rumors in Hollywood are nearly as plentiful as hair on an ape’s back, especially when it comes to science fiction projects. But this is one of those times where the hushed whispers actually amounted to something, as last week’s story about a Flash Gordon reboot has now been confirmed by Twentieth Century Fox, who sealed the deal based on a pitch from veteran producer John Davis and Star Trek 3 screenwriters J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Here’s hoping these guys have a heart pure enough to turn this film into the Golden Grail of remakes.

The bulk of Davis’ career has rotated between science fiction flicks and children’s movies — he’s produced everything from Predator and Waterworld to Doctor Dolittle and Dudley Do-Right. Flash Gordon almost fits squarely in between, though this version of Gordon’s story is said to be a tad more mature than the costumed spectacle of the 1980s version. (Which isn’t saying much, as fetuses are more adult than that movie was.) Davis bought up the rights using a discretionary fund and brought in screenwriter George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Adjustment Bureau) to write a treatment of the script, after which Payne and McKay were hired to flesh ut out into a full feature. Nolfi will also serve as a producer on the Flash Gordon reboot.

Flash! Ah ahhhh! He’ll save every one of us! It’s been a while since we’ve heard any updates about a big screen version of the classic spacefaring hero Flash Gordon, and we’ve been quite content with Hollywood failing to get this particular project into production. But that may change soon, now that Star Trek 3 screenwriters Patrick McKay and John D. Payne have reportedly worked up a pitch with producer Jon Davis, and they’re currently in the process of trying to make a studio deal. Can Flash Gordon save us from a terrible future version of himself? Let’s hope.

McKay and Payne haven’t yet produced any screenplays that have gone into production, but they’re definitely on the road towards success. Beyond the currently director-less Star Trek sequel for Paramount and Skydance, the duo have penned an adaptation of the graphic novel Boilerplate for Bad Robot, as well as a big budget version of the Biblical tale of Goliath. Is it possible Paramount or Bad Robot will want to get involved?

Comics have been recycling, revamping, and rebooting their characters nearly as long as there have been comics. As somebody who’s been reading and collecting for around 30 years at this point, I can’t even guess how many new “#1” issues I’ve seen for long-running characters over the years. Sometimes it’s just a publicity stunt to generate heat for a floundering series, and sometimes it’s something much bigger, like DC’s “New 52” universe-wide reboot. But where it can be more worthwhile is in visiting characters that aren’t as popular as they once were and giving them a new spin. Characters like the iconic pulp hero Flash Gordon, who is returning to the comics page today in a new series from Dynamite Entertainment.