I finally got around to seeing Cloverfield tonight, and I know I am way late to this party, but I hadn't seen it in theaters, and the guy I review Blu-Ray's for hasn't sent this one my way yet. For all I know it hasn't even been released yet. As I write this I am offline, and can't check on that. And the chances of me remembering to check and edit this post later, they are slim. We're over at the Out-Laws place tonight watching their house and dog while they're out of town, and their high speed connection is a no-show. I love living in the bush, but fuckme do I miss having fast, reliable internet.
So I just finished watching a copy of the flick, and it was so shockingly good that I can't believe I didn't go see it at the theater. Like a 90 minute heart attack, but without all that numbness and dying. Just a really immersive, pulse poundingly good scary flick. Think something like a Godzilla movie, but good, and shot from one perspective just like The Blair Witch Project, without giving you vertigo.
I hate to admit to being a cliche but I really was on the edge of the couch as I leaned over my laptop with this one.
And speaking of monsters: I was to have seen The Incredible Hulk tonight, but one of my movie-going buddies bailed on me and I never heard from another. No worries though, as Superwife and I are going to go see it later this week. She rocks so hard, that she is willing to use one of our very infrequent dates to go see it with me. She does have an affinity for the big green guy though; she used to watch the old 70's show with an afghan over her face to get her through the scary parts. We went to see the Ang Lee Hulk a few years ago and I almost lost out on taking her to comics-inspired flicks entirely, she was that disappointed. Hopefully this time Bruce Banner and his alter-ego will put on a better show.
So I just finished watching a copy of the flick, and it was so shockingly good that I can't believe I didn't go see it at the theater. Like a 90 minute heart attack, but without all that numbness and dying. Just a really immersive, pulse poundingly good scary flick. Think something like a Godzilla movie, but good, and shot from one perspective just like The Blair Witch Project, without giving you vertigo.
I hate to admit to being a cliche but I really was on the edge of the couch as I leaned over my laptop with this one.
And speaking of monsters: I was to have seen The Incredible Hulk tonight, but one of my movie-going buddies bailed on me and I never heard from another. No worries though, as Superwife and I are going to go see it later this week. She rocks so hard, that she is willing to use one of our very infrequent dates to go see it with me. She does have an affinity for the big green guy though; she used to watch the old 70's show with an afghan over her face to get her through the scary parts. We went to see the Ang Lee Hulk a few years ago and I almost lost out on taking her to comics-inspired flicks entirely, she was that disappointed. Hopefully this time Bruce Banner and his alter-ego will put on a better show.
Ok, so I am sitting here tonight, cranking out a few reviews for a couple of flicks I watched today, for my it-doesn't-pay-but-I-get-free-movies other job and I am realizing a new added benefit of living in the middle of the goddamn woods that I was heretofore unaware of. The moths. Certainly I knew about the black flies, and the mosquitoes, both of which are an ongoing issue around here that doesn't look to be resolving itself soon. But, moths? Really?
The things out here are so gigantic, and there are so many of them that I feel like we moved out to a country version of The Lost World or something. One of them was banging into the screen so hard just now that I thought it was a fucking bird. A big one. Not sure what to do about this other than hang moth balls around the roof line. These things are so big I could get a shotgun and that might actually work.
And by the way, one of the 2 flicks I reviewed tonight was 'Strange Wilderness' which is so shitty and stupid that I would only recommend using it for the purposes of torture, and even then I'm sure it would violate the Geneva Convention somehow.
The other was 'The Golden Compass' which is so good that if you haven't yet seen it, I would recommend putting this blog down immediately and going to whatever means you use to get films and consume it. Its that good.
The things out here are so gigantic, and there are so many of them that I feel like we moved out to a country version of The Lost World or something. One of them was banging into the screen so hard just now that I thought it was a fucking bird. A big one. Not sure what to do about this other than hang moth balls around the roof line. These things are so big I could get a shotgun and that might actually work.
And by the way, one of the 2 flicks I reviewed tonight was 'Strange Wilderness' which is so shitty and stupid that I would only recommend using it for the purposes of torture, and even then I'm sure it would violate the Geneva Convention somehow.
The other was 'The Golden Compass' which is so good that if you haven't yet seen it, I would recommend putting this blog down immediately and going to whatever means you use to get films and consume it. Its that good.
Labels: movies, our new house, rants, scifi
"what the heck? where did this come from..."
Originally uploaded by icedsoul
Found this on flickr. This photographer has come up with the novel idea of taking a picture a day for a year of his stormtroopers in various locales as he goes about his daily life.
Here is pic number one, and because this guy has combined Star Wars with Doctor Who in the same manner as someone great once combined Chocolate and Peanut Butter, consider me subscribed, at least for the rest of the year.
Labels: doctor who, scifi
So I am sitting in a hotel room in Toronto right now, while Trin and Superwife slumber away in the double bed beside me. And I can't sleep even though I have been on day shifts for the last 4 days. My mind would just rather be awake then asleep I guess.
We came down here to take Trin to the zoo and either delight her with the fact that all those animals she sees on tv and in books are real, or scare the shit out of her with that same fact as they stomp around in front of her. Either way, we're hoping for a big reaction.
Oh, and here's an update: I went to see Indy 4 after work last night with a pal, and don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise, this movie. Is. Fucking. Awesome. Fucking awesome I tells ya! Its fun, campy and full of comedy, just like all its predecessors. Yes, there is a very scif-fi MacGuffin instead of the usual religious tripe. So? If anything, that made the movie better than any of the first three. Check out this thread if you're interested in hearing more on the debate. If you are a fan of these movies, don't be a sheep and listen to the naysayers. Go see it. You won't have more fun at the movies this year until, well, until you get around to seeing Iron Man. Or until Dark Knight comes out. Or Hulk. Or X-Files 2. Well still, it is very good.
And just so its been said, Shift Work FTW!, cause its a Tuesday night and my workweek is over til Friday night.
We came down here to take Trin to the zoo and either delight her with the fact that all those animals she sees on tv and in books are real, or scare the shit out of her with that same fact as they stomp around in front of her. Either way, we're hoping for a big reaction.
Oh, and here's an update: I went to see Indy 4 after work last night with a pal, and don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise, this movie. Is. Fucking. Awesome. Fucking awesome I tells ya! Its fun, campy and full of comedy, just like all its predecessors. Yes, there is a very scif-fi MacGuffin instead of the usual religious tripe. So? If anything, that made the movie better than any of the first three. Check out this thread if you're interested in hearing more on the debate. If you are a fan of these movies, don't be a sheep and listen to the naysayers. Go see it. You won't have more fun at the movies this year until, well, until you get around to seeing Iron Man. Or until Dark Knight comes out. Or Hulk. Or X-Files 2. Well still, it is very good.
And just so its been said, Shift Work FTW!, cause its a Tuesday night and my workweek is over til Friday night.
So I've just got around to catching the first episode of the 4th season of the 'new' Doctor Who. At what point does a series that has been remade stop being called new and just referred to as what it is anyway? How about Who 2.0 or something?
Either way. The series brings back the Donna Noble character, who filled the gap between Billie Piper's spectacular character 'Rose' (Season 1 and 2) and the great-but-not-Rose Martha Stewart (Season 3). She was all right too, but where Doctor Who companions are concerned, there's Rose and then there's anyone-who-isn't Rose. I guess Romana would be worth an honourable mention as well, but she's almost 60, and I just can't crush on that, no matter who she's married to.
I fucking love Doctor Who, btw. I have since I was a little kid. I think I can thank a cousin of mine for that initial indoctrination (see what I did there?). I'd watch it when my parents would dump me off at an Aunt's place, and even though these visits pre-dated videotape by a good margin, it seemed like it was always on there. This cousin of mine watched the show, read the books, and even knitted herself a 12' scarf and wore it along with her long brown trench coat. She would've been cool in an uber-geek way to me, but the family rumour was that she slept in the same bed as her Mom, and that just killed the whole thing for me. Ugh.
Where was I? Billie Piper. Right. So I get around to watching the season 4 premiere, 'Partners in Crime' and thanks to the asshats at CBC, I have to download a copy that was upped by British fans after their national broadcasting company did the right thing and aired it in the first place. Fucking CBC. I will watch Rick Mercer on that channel, but otherwise, no thanks. The episode was classic Who. Lots of David Tennant running around trying to save a bunch of people, plenty of sonic screwdriver action, and a whacky alien. But right in one of the final scenes of the ep, there is a cameo with a certain totally unexpected blonde character, who is supposedly exiled to a parallel dimension forever. She appears for a few seconds, interacting with the new companion briefly, and then walks away, fading into transparency.
Even though she's been off the show officially for two seasons, I seem to be unable to help my fascination with Rose's character. There's just so much to like about her. She is smart, and isn't at all afraid to stand up to her partner. She exudes so much natural beauty. She is not rail-skinny and not what you might first think of as model-pretty. She actually reminds me a lot of Superwife. Beautiful, but not the kind that looks fake. The kind that just is. Hmm, now that I think about it, if Superwife were to put on a blonde wig and start singing ferociously bad pop songs, I could get something going here. And even though I know she'll never read this, I seriously don't know how she puts up with me, even for just thinking nonsense like that.
But she'd still look good in that wig.
Either way. The series brings back the Donna Noble character, who filled the gap between Billie Piper's spectacular character 'Rose' (Season 1 and 2) and the great-but-not-Rose Martha Stewart (Season 3). She was all right too, but where Doctor Who companions are concerned, there's Rose and then there's anyone-who-isn't Rose. I guess Romana would be worth an honourable mention as well, but she's almost 60, and I just can't crush on that, no matter who she's married to.
I fucking love Doctor Who, btw. I have since I was a little kid. I think I can thank a cousin of mine for that initial indoctrination (see what I did there?). I'd watch it when my parents would dump me off at an Aunt's place, and even though these visits pre-dated videotape by a good margin, it seemed like it was always on there. This cousin of mine watched the show, read the books, and even knitted herself a 12' scarf and wore it along with her long brown trench coat. She would've been cool in an uber-geek way to me, but the family rumour was that she slept in the same bed as her Mom, and that just killed the whole thing for me. Ugh.
Where was I? Billie Piper. Right. So I get around to watching the season 4 premiere, 'Partners in Crime' and thanks to the asshats at CBC, I have to download a copy that was upped by British fans after their national broadcasting company did the right thing and aired it in the first place. Fucking CBC. I will watch Rick Mercer on that channel, but otherwise, no thanks. The episode was classic Who. Lots of David Tennant running around trying to save a bunch of people, plenty of sonic screwdriver action, and a whacky alien. But right in one of the final scenes of the ep, there is a cameo with a certain totally unexpected blonde character, who is supposedly exiled to a parallel dimension forever. She appears for a few seconds, interacting with the new companion briefly, and then walks away, fading into transparency.
Even though she's been off the show officially for two seasons, I seem to be unable to help my fascination with Rose's character. There's just so much to like about her. She is smart, and isn't at all afraid to stand up to her partner. She exudes so much natural beauty. She is not rail-skinny and not what you might first think of as model-pretty. She actually reminds me a lot of Superwife. Beautiful, but not the kind that looks fake. The kind that just is. Hmm, now that I think about it, if Superwife were to put on a blonde wig and start singing ferociously bad pop songs, I could get something going here. And even though I know she'll never read this, I seriously don't know how she puts up with me, even for just thinking nonsense like that.
But she'd still look good in that wig.
Labels: doctor who, scifi
Whilst watching Wonder Woman yesterday (yes the 1970's comics-inspired tv show with Lynda Carter in the Amazonian title role), during a gun fight, as the bullets richochet harmlessly away, Superwife exclaims to the bad guys:
"Quit aiming at her bracelets everytime!"I laughed my ass off. And that's exactly the kind of thing that when it happens, reminds me why I love her so much.
I just watched one of the most interesting and truly thought provoking movies that I have seen in a long time. The movie was called 'The Man From Earth', by Jerome Bixby, a guy I had never heard of but who it turns out makes for an interesting footnote in the history of science fiction.
The movie starts with a group of college professors getting together to celebrate the early retirement of one of their own. The retiree has decided that before he vanishes to parts unknown, he is going to tell the rest of the group the shocking truth of his life, that he is a 14,000 year old man, and over the course of the movie divulges his unique perspective on human history.
As the story unfolds, it basically becomes a 12 angry men scenario as more details of the man who currently calls himself John Oldman's life are revealed and the group attempts to put what he is telling them into something they can understand, and decide if he is crazy, lying, or telling them the truth.
Aside from some of the really interesting historical observations in the film, it is it's discussion about religion that ends up taking center stage and provides for the most interesting dialogue. It turns out that John Oldman ends up playing a fairly pivotal role in the evolution of modern religious ideology, much to his own disappointment, and it is this part of the movie that provokes the most reflection.
I don't want to give too much more away than I already have, but this movie should be required viewing for pretty much any thinking person.
And it opens up some interesting lines of thought as far as the religious references go. I am an unapologetic atheist, as anyone who has stopped by here before is likely to already know. I just have such a hard time understanding why theists have to attribute more than there already is to the natural world. I look at the universe and marvel at its breadth, depth and grandeur and I see theists as looking at the same view and saying, 'Yeah so what else is there?' I can empathize with the need for an afterlife to settle up with the innate fear of death, but once you get past that, I guess I wonder why what is just isn't enough.
But I got thinking about one of the film's premises and got to wondering about this Jesus character. On some days, I think that there might once have been some dude named Jesus who lived 2000 years ago, made a few reasonably on point comments, and was subsequently gangbanged over and over again by revisionist history and a power hungry religious empire. On other days I have thought that maybe the guy is a total fiction, fabricated completely from the minds of that same self-serving organization that still seeks to own the nonexistent souls of its members through fear. How's that for a Jedi mind trick eh? Teach the masses that they have some unknowable, unseeable eternal spiritual avatar, and then teach them that the only way to avoid that avatar spending eternity in agony is by doing exactly what you tell them to. Uh huh.
But maybe this Jesus guy was a real guy, just some regular schmuck with the idea that things could change. What if, as the film suggests, he were around now to see how his unorthodox teachings had been used and bastardized over the generations between? Would he see the many different churches grown up in his name as anything other than abominations? Would he go mad, cry, seek to repair the damage? Or would he quietly hide out, hoping that someday we might drop all the religious nonsense and get back to his original message that people just be nice to each other?
It really was that good of a movie. Every thinking person should see it at least once. And if you’re a theist that refuses to allow rational thought in for fear that it might throw that antiquated belief system into the unrelenting glare of obvious truth, then you need to see it even more.
The movie starts with a group of college professors getting together to celebrate the early retirement of one of their own. The retiree has decided that before he vanishes to parts unknown, he is going to tell the rest of the group the shocking truth of his life, that he is a 14,000 year old man, and over the course of the movie divulges his unique perspective on human history.
As the story unfolds, it basically becomes a 12 angry men scenario as more details of the man who currently calls himself John Oldman's life are revealed and the group attempts to put what he is telling them into something they can understand, and decide if he is crazy, lying, or telling them the truth.
Aside from some of the really interesting historical observations in the film, it is it's discussion about religion that ends up taking center stage and provides for the most interesting dialogue. It turns out that John Oldman ends up playing a fairly pivotal role in the evolution of modern religious ideology, much to his own disappointment, and it is this part of the movie that provokes the most reflection.
I don't want to give too much more away than I already have, but this movie should be required viewing for pretty much any thinking person.
And it opens up some interesting lines of thought as far as the religious references go. I am an unapologetic atheist, as anyone who has stopped by here before is likely to already know. I just have such a hard time understanding why theists have to attribute more than there already is to the natural world. I look at the universe and marvel at its breadth, depth and grandeur and I see theists as looking at the same view and saying, 'Yeah so what else is there?' I can empathize with the need for an afterlife to settle up with the innate fear of death, but once you get past that, I guess I wonder why what is just isn't enough.
But I got thinking about one of the film's premises and got to wondering about this Jesus character. On some days, I think that there might once have been some dude named Jesus who lived 2000 years ago, made a few reasonably on point comments, and was subsequently gangbanged over and over again by revisionist history and a power hungry religious empire. On other days I have thought that maybe the guy is a total fiction, fabricated completely from the minds of that same self-serving organization that still seeks to own the nonexistent souls of its members through fear. How's that for a Jedi mind trick eh? Teach the masses that they have some unknowable, unseeable eternal spiritual avatar, and then teach them that the only way to avoid that avatar spending eternity in agony is by doing exactly what you tell them to. Uh huh.
But maybe this Jesus guy was a real guy, just some regular schmuck with the idea that things could change. What if, as the film suggests, he were around now to see how his unorthodox teachings had been used and bastardized over the generations between? Would he see the many different churches grown up in his name as anything other than abominations? Would he go mad, cry, seek to repair the damage? Or would he quietly hide out, hoping that someday we might drop all the religious nonsense and get back to his original message that people just be nice to each other?
It really was that good of a movie. Every thinking person should see it at least once. And if you’re a theist that refuses to allow rational thought in for fear that it might throw that antiquated belief system into the unrelenting glare of obvious truth, then you need to see it even more.
Labels: atheism, movies, philosophy, scifi
Is it a pretty juvenile practice for me to blog about my favourite show as often as I do? Juvenile and maybe a little sad? Probably. So here goes:
Tonight is the Smallville season premiere and I am ridiculously excited about that fact. Its pretty much all I've been thinking about tonight. Last season ended with Chloe sacrificing her life to save Lois', Lana seemingly blowing up in a car explosion (if only), Clark finally telling Lana everything, and Bizarro even making an appearance in the final moments. One of the best season finales of any show I've ever seen. And I have watched a lot of tv.
I sent a buddy of mine an email a few moments ago that sums up my thoughts on tonight's show, and because I am that much of a fan, they bear repeating here:
EDIT - 09/27/07 10:30 PM - Ok, so I just finished watching the premiere and it turns out that I was right on 3 out of 4 guesses. And the only one that I was wrong on was a very pleasant surprise. It occurs to me that the only down side of liking a show this much is that I am going to be so disappointed when it finally ends. But at least I have one full season to go before I have to worry about that.
Tonight is the Smallville season premiere and I am ridiculously excited about that fact. Its pretty much all I've been thinking about tonight. Last season ended with Chloe sacrificing her life to save Lois', Lana seemingly blowing up in a car explosion (if only), Clark finally telling Lana everything, and Bizarro even making an appearance in the final moments. One of the best season finales of any show I've ever seen. And I have watched a lot of tv.
I sent a buddy of mine an email a few moments ago that sums up my thoughts on tonight's show, and because I am that much of a fan, they bear repeating here:
- Chloe is definitely dead. (Though I REALLY wish she wasn't)
- Lana is definitely not dead. (Though I REALLY wish she was)
- The Martian Manhunter will help Supes defeat Bizarro. For sure.
- We will be getting introduced to another character from Krypton tonight (Pretty sure about this one)
EDIT - 09/27/07 10:30 PM - Ok, so I just finished watching the premiere and it turns out that I was right on 3 out of 4 guesses. And the only one that I was wrong on was a very pleasant surprise. It occurs to me that the only down side of liking a show this much is that I am going to be so disappointed when it finally ends. But at least I have one full season to go before I have to worry about that.
Labels: scifi, smallville
I usually try to stay away from those silly web acros, but in this case I just had to.
I just got an email from Warner Bros about a movie that I didn't think was going to be out until later this year, that is in fact out at the end of this month, and I am almost scared how worked up I am over this.
Let me preface: I am a huge scifi fan, always have been, ever will be. I grew up on shows like Dr Who (the Tom Baker years first), Battlestar Galactica, The Incredible Hulk and of course, Star Trek.
Yes I know this outs me as a dork. And an old dork, at that.
I also loved shows like Sliders and Quantum Leap when they were new, and now am lucky enough to get stuff like Heroes, the new Dr Who and Battlestar, and my personal current fav, Smallville.
But the one show that I have enjoyed more than any other has been Babylon 5. Can't say why for sure. The CG couldn't have cost much and the sets were sometimes downright ridiculous. But the writing was awesome, the overall story arc was epic and the characters were actually believable. (None of that 'Point A to Point B, back to Point A' business that Trek made a habit of).
If you are planing on being bed-ridden for a few weeks or otherwise looking for a reason to watch 5 seasons of quality scifi tv, I highly recommend you get yourself the DVD set and give it a watch.
And when you're done that, get yourself your own copy of the new Babylon 5 movie, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, because I won't be lending mine. ;)
Here's the link to the site, and here's the link to the trailer. Which I have watched 17 times already. Holy shit I want to watch this movie.
As Lennier would say 'Woo...who?'
EDIT 23/07/07 - Scifi.com has a great interview with 3 of the returning cast members about their return to the B5 universe. If you're a geek like me, it's a must read.
I just got an email from Warner Bros about a movie that I didn't think was going to be out until later this year, that is in fact out at the end of this month, and I am almost scared how worked up I am over this.
Let me preface: I am a huge scifi fan, always have been, ever will be. I grew up on shows like Dr Who (the Tom Baker years first), Battlestar Galactica, The Incredible Hulk and of course, Star Trek.
Yes I know this outs me as a dork. And an old dork, at that.
I also loved shows like Sliders and Quantum Leap when they were new, and now am lucky enough to get stuff like Heroes, the new Dr Who and Battlestar, and my personal current fav, Smallville.
But the one show that I have enjoyed more than any other has been Babylon 5. Can't say why for sure. The CG couldn't have cost much and the sets were sometimes downright ridiculous. But the writing was awesome, the overall story arc was epic and the characters were actually believable. (None of that 'Point A to Point B, back to Point A' business that Trek made a habit of).
If you are planing on being bed-ridden for a few weeks or otherwise looking for a reason to watch 5 seasons of quality scifi tv, I highly recommend you get yourself the DVD set and give it a watch.
And when you're done that, get yourself your own copy of the new Babylon 5 movie, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, because I won't be lending mine. ;)
Here's the link to the site, and here's the link to the trailer. Which I have watched 17 times already. Holy shit I want to watch this movie.
As Lennier would say 'Woo...who?'
EDIT 23/07/07 - Scifi.com has a great interview with 3 of the returning cast members about their return to the B5 universe. If you're a geek like me, it's a must read.
I just finished reading Star Trek: To Reign in Hell, a Star Trek novel that chronicled the (so called villain) Khan's 15 years of exile on Ceti Alpha 5, and after reading it, I think I may have been backing the wrong horse all these years.
In Star Trek cannon, between the original show, the movie, and now the book, Kirk actually comes off like a real bastard.
He maroons these people, who have done little more to him than try to take over his ship, on a planet that six months after he leaves gets its orbit shifted and becomes an utter wasteland. Kirk never even checks on them once while they slowly die of starvation, inner turmoil, and horrifying death by parasites that climb into their ears while they sleep. Add to that fact that one of the people who gets killed by these disgusting bugs is Khan's wife.
I'd be in for a little wrath myself.
In all the times that I have watched Star Trek II, (and I have seen it many, many times) I don't think that it ever occurred to me that Khan was justified in his vendetta against Kirk. Not right exactly, but righteous.
But my moral center has always been more 'grey' than black and white I guess. I always play 'neutral' characters in D&D games if I have a choice, and I often end up cheering for the bad guy if the hero of the story isn't worthy. And I needn't bother with whether I'd have what it took to avenge a wrong done to anyone in my own family. Because I would.
So I guess the point of this post, if there need be one, is that I'm less inclined to back the person that says he's in the right and more inclined to back the person who actually is in the right, regardless of legalities. Funny how a post about a book can get so philosophical eh?
Either way, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is still my favourite Trek movie.
And if you are a fan of Trek at all, and how could you get to the end of this post if you aren't even a little bit of one, check out the random technobabble generator. Its pretty amusing.
In Star Trek cannon, between the original show, the movie, and now the book, Kirk actually comes off like a real bastard.
He maroons these people, who have done little more to him than try to take over his ship, on a planet that six months after he leaves gets its orbit shifted and becomes an utter wasteland. Kirk never even checks on them once while they slowly die of starvation, inner turmoil, and horrifying death by parasites that climb into their ears while they sleep. Add to that fact that one of the people who gets killed by these disgusting bugs is Khan's wife.
I'd be in for a little wrath myself.
In all the times that I have watched Star Trek II, (and I have seen it many, many times) I don't think that it ever occurred to me that Khan was justified in his vendetta against Kirk. Not right exactly, but righteous.
But my moral center has always been more 'grey' than black and white I guess. I always play 'neutral' characters in D&D games if I have a choice, and I often end up cheering for the bad guy if the hero of the story isn't worthy. And I needn't bother with whether I'd have what it took to avenge a wrong done to anyone in my own family. Because I would.
So I guess the point of this post, if there need be one, is that I'm less inclined to back the person that says he's in the right and more inclined to back the person who actually is in the right, regardless of legalities. Funny how a post about a book can get so philosophical eh?
Either way, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is still my favourite Trek movie.
And if you are a fan of Trek at all, and how could you get to the end of this post if you aren't even a little bit of one, check out the random technobabble generator. Its pretty amusing.
I worked all day in my backyard yesterday, slept like ass for a few hours and then got up at five am for a twelve hour shift. I am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open, let alone type (thank you spellcheck!), but GOD DAMMIT I am not missing the season finale of Heroes.
Halfway through and already I know its worth the horrible lack of sleep I'll be experiencing during tomorrow's 12 hour shift.
Halfway through and already I know its worth the horrible lack of sleep I'll be experiencing during tomorrow's 12 hour shift.
I love the Star Wars movies. Probably a lot more than is entirely necessary. But Luke's line from A New Hope just popped into my head while im'ing with a friend about Vader and I have to say that aside from being a poorly delivered lame bit of dialogue, it really sets the tone for Mark Hamill's character for the rest of the trilogy:
And while we're on the subject of the original Star Wars, as I seem to be, I know everyone that grew up with the movie already knows this but just in case you missed the boat or forgot, Han shot Greedo first. Greedo did not shoot at point blank range and miss Solo by a good six feet as all of George Lucas' subsequent releases of the movie would have you believe. Han shot first. He was a jerk and you weren't supposed to call him a good guy. Apparently Lucas thought that anti-heroes were only cool in the 70's, even if they were scruffy-looking nerf herders.
There, that's better.
But I was going into Tashi Station to pick up some power converters!Fucking whiner.
And while we're on the subject of the original Star Wars, as I seem to be, I know everyone that grew up with the movie already knows this but just in case you missed the boat or forgot, Han shot Greedo first. Greedo did not shoot at point blank range and miss Solo by a good six feet as all of George Lucas' subsequent releases of the movie would have you believe. Han shot first. He was a jerk and you weren't supposed to call him a good guy. Apparently Lucas thought that anti-heroes were only cool in the 70's, even if they were scruffy-looking nerf herders.
There, that's better.
Labels: scifi
Saying goodbye to Rose Tyler...
This is something I have been patiently waiting to do just in case there was a Doctor Who fan in existence that somehow didn't know that Billie Piper was leaving the series as of this season's finale. I didn't want to spoil but now that the thrice-damned CBC finally finished airing season 2 this week, here it is.
The
I've been slowly doling myself out the episodes of Season 2 of the new Doctor Who so that I could savour the last times I get to see Billie Piper anywhere near a Tardis. (That and because I have been in love with Doctor Who since before I could walk.) Like everyone on this side of mirror-world, I knew that Billie's character would be leaving the show before the first episode of the second season was aired. (Damn you again for not showing the series earlier, CBC!)
Billie was even better in this season than in the first. More comfortable with the character, clearly a better rapport with the new Doctor, and the stories that were written for her gave her much more room to act in. Even her smaller parts in the best episodes of the season, 'Love and Monsters and 'The Girl in the Fireplace', easily demonstrated why she was such an asset to the show.
But it is hard, having such a huge crush on a fictional character. Sort of like breaking up with a girl who never dated you. Or spoke to you. Or knew your name. Or ever existed.
Now if I want to get my fix, I can either watch her in the hardly-enough 26 episodes and an xmas special of Who that she appeared in (Hooray!) or I can listen to some of Billie's early forays into Pop music (Oh The Humanity!).
But my crush notwithstanding, Rose will be missed on the show. Her character was a very large part of what made the comeback of Doctor Who so well received, and its a pretty safe bet that nothing she does over the rest of her career will have the same effect. If you're looking for comparisons, think Wil Wheaton leaving Star Trek to do movies. He turned out to be a hell of a writer, but a great acting career choice, that was not.
As partial tribute/proof of my dysfunction, here are links to other posts of mine about this most righteous of Tardis companions. So long, Rose:
is it wrong to love Billie Piper this much?
and the love affair with Billie Piper continues
By way of consoling my grief, I can tell myself that there's always Smallville's Chloe (at least until they do what every fan knows is coming and kill her off).
Labels: doctor who, scifi, smallville
One of my all time favourite authors is the unabashed atheist, humanist and rationalist, Isaac Asimov. From his short story Nightfall, to the Foundation books, to all of the combined stories which defined and explored the Laws of Robotics, Asimov was a masterful storyteller.
I would go so far as to say that the genre of science fiction, as brought to life by comics, tv, movies and literature owes a huge debt to this author, whose works broke trail that many writers, talented and not-so alike, have followed. And if I ever complete anything that can then someday be published I will most definitely fall into the 'not-so' camp, and that's okay by me. I accept who I am.
I recently came across a short story of Asimov's that I had somehow missed, and notwithstanding the author's own paternal pride for this particular work, instantly fell in love with it. I highly recommend you take a few minutes to read it. It's a really good story.
Here is Asimov's best work The Last Question, selected from literally thousands of his own writings. In his own words it is 'by far my favorite story of all those I have written'.
I have mirrored the file here, in case the link above stops working. Entropy, you understand. Well maybe you don't. But you will after reading the story.
I would go so far as to say that the genre of science fiction, as brought to life by comics, tv, movies and literature owes a huge debt to this author, whose works broke trail that many writers, talented and not-so alike, have followed. And if I ever complete anything that can then someday be published I will most definitely fall into the 'not-so' camp, and that's okay by me. I accept who I am.
I recently came across a short story of Asimov's that I had somehow missed, and notwithstanding the author's own paternal pride for this particular work, instantly fell in love with it. I highly recommend you take a few minutes to read it. It's a really good story.
Here is Asimov's best work The Last Question, selected from literally thousands of his own writings. In his own words it is 'by far my favorite story of all those I have written'.
I have mirrored the file here, in case the link above stops working. Entropy, you understand. Well maybe you don't. But you will after reading the story.
I just finished watching the final story of the 16th season of Doctor Who, aka 'The Key to Time' season (circa 1978) and felt the need to talk about how great it was.
Its funny how certain things hold a special place in a person's memory and this old BBC show is exactly that for me. I can remember watching this season when it was new (I was four) and in repeats for years afterwards and just loving it. Watching it again now does have its challenges: obvious production gaffes, ridiculous special effects and near-atrocious guest acting aren't exactly the items that might sell the show to newbs. But if you were one of the people that, like me, watched the show in the 70s and loved it all anyway, all that other stuff won't matter.
Tom Baker is by turns funny and deep as the quirky Doctor, and Mary Tamm is too good (and way too hot) of an actress to be on a show of this low quality. And on a side note, Tamm looks shockingly like Superwife before she cut her hair. I wonder how hard it would be to get a copy of Tamm's costume online, say in a size three?
Ahem. So even though the new Who series is much slicker and better produced, I think I will always prefer the campy 70s version to its modern counterpart; my love affair with Billie Piper notwithstanding of course. And The Key to Time season will always be at the top of the list. If you're a fan of the Tom Baker years, you definitely need to give it another watch.
Its funny how certain things hold a special place in a person's memory and this old BBC show is exactly that for me. I can remember watching this season when it was new (I was four) and in repeats for years afterwards and just loving it. Watching it again now does have its challenges: obvious production gaffes, ridiculous special effects and near-atrocious guest acting aren't exactly the items that might sell the show to newbs. But if you were one of the people that, like me, watched the show in the 70s and loved it all anyway, all that other stuff won't matter.
Tom Baker is by turns funny and deep as the quirky Doctor, and Mary Tamm is too good (and way too hot) of an actress to be on a show of this low quality. And on a side note, Tamm looks shockingly like Superwife before she cut her hair. I wonder how hard it would be to get a copy of Tamm's costume online, say in a size three?
Ahem. So even though the new Who series is much slicker and better produced, I think I will always prefer the campy 70s version to its modern counterpart; my love affair with Billie Piper notwithstanding of course. And The Key to Time season will always be at the top of the list. If you're a fan of the Tom Baker years, you definitely need to give it another watch.
Labels: scifi
As a confirmed scifi and space nut, I spend a lot of my time looking to the future and wondering if desperately hoping that humanity will make it to a time when we have sorted out our petty differences and can work towards some common goal. I know, not fucking likely eh? But I guess that's why scifi appeals to me so much; because in my heart I know that we're not likely to get past the threat of exterminating ourselves, so our only real hope for a rosy future lies in the art we create about it.
Along those lines, I have been thinking more than I should lately about nuclear war and whether it will be our final undoing, as generations of people have thought before me (during the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, etc.) As a kid I used to have terrible nightmares about blowing ourselves up in nuclear fire. I mean, real doozies. I'd wake up bathed in sweat and screaming my head off. Not all that uncommon as it turns out, and I know why: It's a valid thing to be scared about. Nowadays I understand that in order to go through our daily lives, we must be able to shelve fears of what people we have no control over could someday do that might lead to our end. And I generally am able to make that conscious shelving, and get busy in the details of my life, my commitments, my loved ones. But there are times.
Probably because I thought that I'd gotten past my childhood fears, I thought I'd be into Jericho, a tv series about surviving a nuclear attack. I have watched the first few episodes and aside from the initial horrific imagery, I've even enjoyed the show. And because I was okay with Jericho, I thought I would be in the right place to watch an old movie about nuclear war, so I put The Day After on my rent list, and I watched it today. It's a gritty look at what the after-effects of a nuclear attack would be like in middle America. It was made in the early eighties, but after you've forgiven that, its a thoughtful, gut-wrenching look at what the days after would really be like. And it made me sick to my stomach. Seriously. It was an all too authentic version of what I think surviving a nuclear attack might be like, and after watching it, I now clearly remember that it was one of the reasons I had those nightmares all those years ago.
I think that I have seen my last episode of Jericho.
I want to go back to not thinking about how stupid we are, and hope for that day when no one has to worry that all life could end based on some ridiculous posturing over natural resources, or economics, or religion.
Here are some articles that I dug up afterwards, mostly on wikipedia, in an attempt to make myself feel better. I had a good, cathartic cry after I had a look at them:
Videos of effects of nuclear explosions
The Nuclear Bomb explained
Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings
How Fallout works
North Korean Nuclear Test
And here's Oppenheimer's account of witnessing the first tests of nuclear bombs, which were only made possible because of his research on The Manhattan Project:
Along those lines, I have been thinking more than I should lately about nuclear war and whether it will be our final undoing, as generations of people have thought before me (during the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, etc.) As a kid I used to have terrible nightmares about blowing ourselves up in nuclear fire. I mean, real doozies. I'd wake up bathed in sweat and screaming my head off. Not all that uncommon as it turns out, and I know why: It's a valid thing to be scared about. Nowadays I understand that in order to go through our daily lives, we must be able to shelve fears of what people we have no control over could someday do that might lead to our end. And I generally am able to make that conscious shelving, and get busy in the details of my life, my commitments, my loved ones. But there are times.
Probably because I thought that I'd gotten past my childhood fears, I thought I'd be into Jericho, a tv series about surviving a nuclear attack. I have watched the first few episodes and aside from the initial horrific imagery, I've even enjoyed the show. And because I was okay with Jericho, I thought I would be in the right place to watch an old movie about nuclear war, so I put The Day After on my rent list, and I watched it today. It's a gritty look at what the after-effects of a nuclear attack would be like in middle America. It was made in the early eighties, but after you've forgiven that, its a thoughtful, gut-wrenching look at what the days after would really be like. And it made me sick to my stomach. Seriously. It was an all too authentic version of what I think surviving a nuclear attack might be like, and after watching it, I now clearly remember that it was one of the reasons I had those nightmares all those years ago.
I think that I have seen my last episode of Jericho.
I want to go back to not thinking about how stupid we are, and hope for that day when no one has to worry that all life could end based on some ridiculous posturing over natural resources, or economics, or religion.
Here are some articles that I dug up afterwards, mostly on wikipedia, in an attempt to make myself feel better. I had a good, cathartic cry after I had a look at them:
Videos of effects of nuclear explosions
The Nuclear Bomb explained
Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings
How Fallout works
North Korean Nuclear Test
And here's Oppenheimer's account of witnessing the first tests of nuclear bombs, which were only made possible because of his research on The Manhattan Project:
We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that one way or another.Get why I'm a scifi fan now?
-J. Robert Oppenheimer
Labels: everything else, scifi
It's been awhile since I've posted. It could be that it's from the girls being back at home and me being too content to bother with much else. If that is the case, this post decidedly does not signal a lapse into lethargy where they're concerned. I went a week without seeing either my daughter or wife and I have decided that if I have anything to say about it, that will never happen again in my lifetime.
Everyone likes a little breather from normalcy, if only to come back and appreciate what you have all the more. So my new personal dictum: the maximum length of any such breather needs to be substantially shorter than a week.
Now to Doctor Who:
Back in April I emailed the program director at CBC, requesting info on when they would be airing the forthcoming Season 2 of the new Doctor Who. I knew that the BBC was airing it beginning on easter weekend and wondered why I hadn't heard anything on CBC about it yet.
The response I got back was a little longer than the one word that explained everything:
HOCKEY.
Yup, the bastards at CBC were so worried about scheduling new episodes of the only thing worth watching on that network around the only other thing anyone tunes to that network for, that they decided to push off airing Doctor Who at all until the fall.
Don't they know that anyone who watches shows like Doctor Who have no life to have scheduling conflicts with? And that even if they did, being the rabid devotees that Who fans are, they would forego the national pastime to get their fix?
Anyway, here's the part where I take matters into my own hands:
I recently finished downloading every episode of what I hope to be another great season of a classic scifi series brought back to life and I am going to watch every single episode on my pc without the hassle of commercial interruption from the CBC. I'm planning to parcel them out, only a few a week, so I can make it last. I've watched 4 episodes so far and they have been just. Awesome.
And because I am one of the few Canadians that admits to hating hockey (I mean, I fucking hate hockey), I likely will never tune to the CBC network again. So no longer will I have to sit through advertising for shitty TV movies that my tax dollars paid for, or whatever inane journalistic gem the fifth estate will have next, or even anything about CFL Football. (shudder).
Except of course, for
Labels: doctor who, rants, scifi
You know that moment *just* prior to orgasm? The one where the blood is pounding so hard in your ears that the only thing it is possible to think about is the expectation of what's coming next? (ooh, good pun!)
Well, I've been having that moment all day, ever since I caught the tail end of a story being reported on Attack of the Show about a rumour recently circulated at this year's Comic Con concerning
The bit that I caught went something like "... and so fans can look forward to new episodes of Babylon 5 in the near future. Now, to the MySpace girl of the day..."
So naturally I have been in a state of perpetual almost ready-to-orgasm ever since. The hands-down best scifi show ever made, and the precursor to ALL good non-trek scifi is going to get new episodes made!
Apparently JMS (Creator of the B5 universe) has been given the green light to produce new anthology-style episodes that would each tell stories of individual characters prior to the events of the series.
I'm guessing that these stories won't be about either Dr. Franklin or G'Kar, what with the actors who played them being dead and all.
Here is the link to the only article I've been able to find confirming the rumour at this point. And if you've got the time read through the comments for a few good laughs courtesy of the B5 haters.
Yup, as I've maybe mentioned before (here, and here) a new Star Trek movie is coming, and a teaser poster was released the other day to whet appetites like mine.
No, not those kind of appetites.
Not much info to go along with the release of the poster. No hint at the plot of the new film, save for what can be gleaned from the image itself: That its set in the Kirk-era Trek universe. But its enough.
Click the pic for a full sized desktop.
I can't fucking wait for this movie.
Story over at StarTrek.com
And fyi, I have had the exact icon from this image hanging on my rear view mirror for years. I briefly flirted with getting it for my next tattoo, (I'm big on symbols) but my desire for it didn't quite win out over my desire to stay married to Superwife. Not quite, but it was close.
So today I finished watching the first (and only) season of Firefly, and man was that ever a great show.
A friend of mine from work and I got comparing thoughts about movies awhile back after discovering that we were both scifi geeks, and I happened to mention how much I enjoyed Serenity; and how shocked I was at how much I liked it, considering it was more Bonanza than Star Trek. He told me that he had watched its television predecessor when it was first aired and that he had snapped up the DVD set as soon as they were released, and would I be interested in borrowing them?
I'm glad I did but at the same time I wish I hadn't. This show was so great that it only served to remind me that not only had I completely missed the boat on getting into the show when it was on but also that they wouldn't ever be making more of them.
Sort of like biting into a chocolate covered apple and finding out it was a lemon inside instead. Sweet yet bitter yah?
But what follows is probably the highest compliment a geek like me can give a show: Out of all of the scifi shows that I watch (and have watched), Firefly's story is the most believable:
People still can't get along no matter how many worlds they're spread across, governments are still oppressive and totalitarian, the rich enjoy the comforts and are a small minority while the vast majority are dirt poor and have to work their asses off for their next to nothing.
Yup, sounds about right.
I'm not saying that Firefly is better than Babylon 5, or BSG, or Trek (although it IS better than
Here's the link to the Firefly Wikipedia article, which sums up the show nicely.
Man can that Joss Whedon write a good tv series. He's like the Aaron Spelling of our generation. Except without the talentless daughter.
I'll end with one of the best quotes in the entire series; I don't know why I find it so funny, but here it is:
"If wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak"UPDATED JULY 26 - I just read on scifi.com about a so-called entrepeneur that is trying to rally fan support behind producing a season 2 of the series, to be made available via direct download and other formats. Check out the scoop here (at present it is the second article from top) and sign up to support the season 2 initiative here if you're so inclined.
"An essential characteristic of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero, and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When he wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic that Superman stands alone. Superman did not become Superman, Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears, the glasses, the business suit, that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He's weak, he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race."
-Bill (David Carradine) from Kill Bill Vol.2
I don't know if I entirely agree with cynical Bill, but the quote makes a good point about The Man of Steel: The man that everyone calls Clark Kent was born to be Superman.
I watched the movie Superman Returns at a drive-in theater with Superwife and my one year old daughter a few nights ago, and it was everything I could have hoped for, and then some. And if you run a search on this blog on the words Superman or Smallville, you'll get an idea of just how high my expectations were.
In a few words: I am a lifelong Superman fan.
And if director Bryan Singer's epic story of the return of Superman doesn't disappoint a fanboy like me, how can it go wrong with the rest of the world?
There are so many little nuances to this movie that make it so great, such an homage to all of the Superman canon that has come before. The initial credits, carefully recreated to mirror those from the 1978 movie; the little snippets of dialogue culled from earlier movies; the recasting of Marlon Brando as Jor-El (see my entry about that masterstroke here); the salute to Action Comics #1 (see photo above); the masterful reworking of the Superman score that everyone knows by heart; the gorgeous special effects; I could go on and on.
The bottom line is that Superman Returns is a triumphant re-imagination of the world's most iconic and beloved superhero. Bryan Singer is to be commended for his careful and loving treatment of the legend of the last son of Krypton.
Here's a (mostly) spoiler free review from Scifi.com.
If you like your reviews spoiler-full (you've been warned!) check out supermanhomepage.com.
And finally a good friend of mine has some very well-written thoughts on Big Blue's Return on his blog here, including an excellent recap of the pertinent events from Superman I and II that directly affect the plot of Superman Returns. And as a parent, his use of Jor-El's words to a young Clark/Kal-El can't help but tear me up everytime I read them.
I think it would take some work to find someone who wasn't aware of the mythology of Superman, regardless of the corner of the world you're looking. Everybody has heard of Superman. In fact, Superwife and I were recently watching a special on aid in South Africa and one of the poverty stricken children waiting in line for a meal was wearing a (way too large) Superman t-shirt. It made me realize just how global the mythology of this character really has become.
What I'm driving at is that Superman is a legend that has touched millions of people across the world and that it would take a lot to satisfy the myriad facets of the character and his exploits that those people have come to enjoy so much over the years. I think that the movie Superman Returns is the best possible realization of that goal, and it is the one movie that I will be recommending to everyone I know, all summer.
I'll finish this love-in about Superman Returns with one of my favourite movie quotes ever, delivered by Brando to a then-young Clark on what he can do for humanity:
"They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all — their capacity for good — I have sent them you, my only son."
Not to steal any thunder away from Superman (this is the week of his Return after all, and I will be blogging about the movie as soon as I've seen it), but Apple posted the teaser trailer for Spiderman 3 today.
And holy shit it looks good.
Check out the trailer here.
Why are you still reading this? Go. Now.
I just came across a story about a new movie being made based on The Greatest Cartoon Ever: Gatchaman, known in North America and for my entire childhood as Battle of the Planets.
Apparently an animation studio out of Hong Kong is going to begin production of a completely CG version of Gathchaman sometime next year. If its done with anywhere near the quality of FFVII: Advent Children, this is going to be awesome.
I can't begin to describe how excited about this I am. I can remember tearing home every day to watch this show, and to this day it remains one of those silly adorations from childhood that I haven't been able to shake. There are a surprisingly lot of those, btw. Think I want a do-over on my chilhood much?
I am such a fan of this cheesy old cartoon that when the series was released on DVD in both Japanese and English, Superwife bought me the boxed set. And now I can sing the theme song multilingually. Feel free to call me on that one.
Read the story here.
And here's to hoping this puts me one step closer to getting Superwife into that Princess costume I've mentioned before.
Every fan of the Superman movies remembers Marlon Brando's turn as Jor-El, Superman's Kryptonian father.
In my estimation he was memorable more for the over-acting than anything else. But that's likely what made it impossible for Brian Singer to cast anyone else in the role for the upcoming Superman Returns.
So what do you do when the actor you need for the part has been dead for over 2 years?
No, you don't dig him up, as one of my more creepy little voices wants to suggest.
You spend a ridiculous amount of money and time securing the rights to use the dead man's likeness and then painstakingly re-create the actor's movements and voice using old footage and very high tech CG animation.
Check out how Brando was brought back to life in this video.
I for one can't wait to see how it turns out when the movie hits theaters next week.
If you haven't seen X-Men: The Last Stand, you'd assume from all of the whining going on, that it's a bad movie.
You'd be wrong.
Making a movie adaptation of a comic book isn't simply converting the stories and characters from paper to film. And it certainly isn't taking one plotline directly out of a comic and writing a screenplay from it. And if it was, exactly which of the myriad, overlapping, continuity-bending plotlines should be chosen to write that screenplay from anyway?
Making a movie adaptation of a comic book is finding out the truth of the characters from all of those myriad, overlapping story arcs and creating a gestalt for each that stays as faithful to the stories they reside in as possible, within the confines of a few hours of cinema. Something that the first X-Men movie did well, the second did much better, and I think this third film does best.
So I am boldly stating, in blatant contradiction of what some so-called fans are saying about it, that X-Men III is a movie for the fans.
And here's why in my spoiler-free review:
The movie's central premise hinges on the discovery of a cure for mutancy, created from a mutant whose own ability is to suppress the mutant gene in others. Magneto and his band use this 'cure' as a rallying cry to wage war on the
In the film, we are reunited with many of the characters from the previous movies, with at least one glaring omission. Some characters have changed more than others, but all in direct response to the events of the preceding films. We also get to meet a few other mutants that have been notably absent from the first two films. And almost all the characters are true to the personalities fleshed out over years of development in the comics (or at least as faithful as they can be given the constraints of film - see comments above).
And now let's get the whole Phoenix thing out of the way, shall we? Every X-fan knows that Jean Grey comes back as the Phoenix. If you somehow didn't know about this, then you are not a fan, ergo I am not ruining anything for anyone that matters. And Famke Jansen is all over the trailers and posters (and toys, and slurpee cups, etc etc) anyway, so unless you live in a cave, you knew Jean Grey was in this movie.
Now. Prior to seeing the movie, I wasn't sure how they would handle the whole Dark Phoenix Saga, as it was a very complicated (and probably tied with Crisis on Infinite Earths for most beloved by comic fans) plotline. But the writers came up with a way to bring Jean back, introduce the Phoenix into the story in a meaningful way, and manage to keep the whole interstellar connection out of things. Here's one minor spoiler for you: The Starjammers aren't in this movie. All things considered, I think this major part of the movie was handled very well.
The action sequences are spectacular, the characters are true to their roots, and the franchise delivers its most intense storyline yet.
There are more than a few holy shit moments in the film, as certain things happen to certain characters that no one sees coming.
But the biggest problem I have with those whiners that I was talking about earlier is that the entire movie is basically one big valentine for the fans. I won't give anything away, but there are so many little touches that were painstakingly put into the film to satisfy the fan base that allowed this franchise to be so successful in the first place, I can't believe that fans have anything to complain about.
But I guess you can't please everybody.
I have been reading the X-Men comics for over twenty years, on and off, and after watching the movie a second time today, I don't think I would change one thing about it. (Okay, maybe one thing that had to do with Rogue, but whatever.)
So, if you are a fan of the previous movies, the comic books, or just like a great scifi/action flick with a real story, X-Men III is the movie to see.
And I haven't even brought up the special ending after the credits.... If you do go see this movie, stay through the credits for a coda regarding one of the main characters!
'Nuff said.
On the off chance that you are a fan of Battlestar Galactica that has not yet seen the season 2 finale yet, stop reading this immediately and go watch it (rent the DVD from the video store, download the torrent, whatever) because I am about to do some serious spoiling.
I just finished watching the finale and have spent the last hour or so trying to find out what the internets have to say about the most shocking season finale since, well, maybe the LOST finale a few days earlier. Which I'll have to post about once I've watched that again two or twelve more times. Four toed Argonath anyone?
But back to BSG, the show has almost completely reinvented itself (again) by moving the storyline ahead a full year and making more changes than I'm able to keep track of, or notice.
But here is a short list, mostly in the order we find out about them as the episode unfolds, in one sucker punch after another:
- Baltar kicks Roslin's ass in the presidential election, after a Floridian voting debacle takes place
- The Pegasus' Number 6 sets off a nuke on Cloud Nine, after banging Baltar first, taking at least two more ships with it
- The fleet colonizes New Caprica, leaving skeleton crews to command the Battlestars and support ships still in orbit
- Baltar becomes some kind of weird mesh of Bill Clinton and Scarface, what with the pills, the cigars (harhar, Clinton?) and the pair of what can only be defined as 'hos'
- Adama grows the fucking moustache back, Starbuck gets extensions, Tyrol gets glasses and knocks up Kalli, Blanders is dying, and pretty much everybody gets fat
- The Cylons invade in full force, and after the fleet bails to live to fight another day, the Cylons promise no violence so long as no resistance is met
- Baltar surrenders
All I can really say about this, through the haze of what the fuck I’m trying to type through, is this is one seriously bold move for Ron Moore.
I mean, here's the thing: The guy has finally started to get the acclaim he’s due for taking a cancelled cheesy 70’s show and re-imagining it as a deep, thoughtful investigation into what motivates and drives humanity, that just happens to be set in space. With this show Moore has taken scifi into the bright glare of mainstream television by delivering gritty, character driven content in ways that all of his years on various Star Trek projects never could. A lot of people after watching the finale are probably scratching their heads, wondering why he is taking such a huge gamble with the show seemingly moments after the accolades have started to come in. Myself included.
Check out the ‘official’ thread for this episode over at SciFi.com. Be warned, because as of this post, the thread is over 1500 posts long.
Here's a recap of Moore's appearance at this year's Grand Slam, answering questions from fans about the finale.
And here is Moore talking about what we can expect with season 3.
Whether you love what happened with the finale of Battlestar or you want to see Moore's head on a pike for frakking with a good thing, one thing is certain: We'll all be glued to our televisions come this October to see what happens next.
So say we all.
Updated 10/9/2006 10:01:00 AM - After just re-watching this episode in preparation of viewing the recently downloaded and very shiny season 3 premiere, I have come to a few further conclusions about it.
First, Adama and Roslin were idiots for not stealing the election. Who the frak (to coin a phrase) cares about rigging an election when the lives of the few remaining human beings is hanging in the balance? Me, I would've shot Baltar dead quite a while ago. What good is the moral high ground if no one is left alive to stand on it? Though of course, killing Baltar might be a bit detrimental to the dramatic tension of the show.
And second, hot are they going to write themselves out of the corner they're in and get the gang back on track for Earth? Yes I know I'll find out if I
Labels: scifi
A friend of mine (thanks M) just sent over a link to a story about the forthcoming 11th Star Trek feature, reminding me that I've been meaning to make a BIG FUCKING DEAL about this.
A new Trek movie is slated for release in 2008!
Just in case you glossed over that last sentence, there is going to be a new Star Trek movie made and it will come out only 2 years from now!!
Rumours have abounded for months (better make that years) that there will in fact even be an 11th Star Trek movie after the dismal treatment and sendoff Paramount gave to Star Trek: Enterprise, and the poor box-office showing of Nemesis (and don't even get me started on that either).
According to an official press release from Paramount, the creative team now in charge of new projects is looking to revitalize the franchise by using 'A' list talent like the creators of LOST and the writers of MI:3. The story is tentatively said to center on the early careers of Kirk, Bones and everyone's favourite pointy eared Vulcan.
Links (each tells pretty much the same story):
- SciFi.com article
- TrekToday's entry
- IGN's take
- A Spacecast/Canadian perspective
- The Variety piece that started it all
- Dateline's satire of the announcement (very funny)
- The official and definitive word from StarTrek.com (Paramount owned)
Blah.
But now. Finally. A genuine reason to live.
At least until the summer of 2008.
I'm not sure why it took me so long to get around to seeing the movie 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. I was aware of it, and had heard that it was a good modern love story with some fairly sci fi elements to it. What I had not heard was just how good of a movie it really was.
I honestly don't know why Jim Carrey was passed for an oscar for The Truman Show; maybe talking out of your asshole (a la Ace Ventura) permanently bans you from oscar nomination. But the fact that no one said much of a peep about how great he was in this movie really surprises me.
Eternal Sunshine is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. For those who haven't seen it, the plot revolves around two people Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (the amazing Kate Winslet) in a relationship together that end up choosing to get their memories of each other erased.
The movie follows Carrey as his memories are erased backwards from the beginning of the procedure back to the moment they first met, and then to how two now-strangers find themselves together again. The movie is bittersweet and tragic and textured with the feelings of a real relationship, warts and all. And it really got me thinking about what a truly horrible thing it would be to have your memories taken from you. Not just the good ones, but all of the memories, bad included.
I often think (and talk) about causality. How each of the experiences I have had, the decisions I’ve made have shaped and influenced the person that I have become. And because for the most part I like the person that I am today, and the life that I enjoy and am lucky to have, I've become a big believer in not having regrets, because even the stupid choices a person makes influences the course of their life. Maybe more than the 'smart' choices. And man have there been a shitload of stupid choices. And I guess maybe that sounds like an excuse for not dwelling on past behaviour, but that’s the way I think.
And it still beats the old Catholic confession method. But I digress.
After watching the movie tonight, I’ve been thinking about the person I would be if I had never met my wife, or if all of the memories that had to do with her were somehow taken from me. And I find the idea absolutely terrifying. I have been fortunate enough to end up with a person who is warm and caring, and capable of not only putting up with my idiosyncrasies but loving me for them. And like Clementine she is volatile and passionate, capable of evoking the best and worst feelings in me, and absolutely wonderful.
I don’t know what I would do without my Clementine, but I know that I wouldn't be the man I am without my memories with her.
Labels: scifi
I've mentioned before about how I think that we are right now in the real Golden Age of Science Fiction. TV shows like Smallville, LOST, Battlestar. Movies like Star Wars III, Serenity, The Matrix Trilogy, so many more. CGI that is finally capable of properly conveying ideas as they were imagined to be.
Here are even more examples of why being a scifi fan right now truly rocks:
- The second season of Doctor Who - begins 15 April
- X-Men: The Last Stand - 26 May