Archive for the 'Science Fiction' Category
SciFi Sunday: Go Speed Racer Go
April 13, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV/Film
The live-action Speed Racer film starring Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox is slated to hit US theaters on May 9th. Douglas has already decided to defer his birthday celebration with friends until it opens so we can all go see it at Jordan Furniture’s IMAX Theater. I’ve watched a few of the trailers on the official movie site, and I’m guessing watching on the IMAX screen is going to feel like being inside a video game.
Before long, we’ll be inundated with tie-in promotions and contests for the film. The Speed Racer Legos are already on the market, and just this week, I learned that MTV is giving away a $100,000 tricked out Corvette. Details here.
Next topic: The Sarah Jane Adventures premiered on SciFI Channel Friday night. I have not been too enamored of Doctor Who of late, mostly because I just don’t like David Tennant’s portrayal. I know I am in the minority, but Tennant just doesn’t do it for me. For the Doctor to work, you have to believe he is capable of both the most wonderful and the most awful things. Tennant just makes me think of a little boy who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
I always liked Sarah Jane, the Companion of Doctors’ Three (Jon Pertwee) and Four (the wonderful Tom Baker), and probably the best-known, most loved Companion. It is great to see actress Elisabeth Sladen again, and I quite liked her two young side-kicks.
Grade for the premiere episode: B+
Finally, Friday’s episode of Battlestar Galactica, Six of One. Best moments: Adama’s fight with Roslin - I loved how he told her she could stay in the room but to stay out of his head. And Lee/Kara shipper that I am, you know I loved their scene. In large part because it underscored how much the characters care for each other without all the gnashing and wailing we’ve been subjected to in past. At the same time, they realized that they have to go in different directions to fulfill their destinies. Not together but in sync, whereas Adama and Roslin are together in some sense, but clearly not in sync at all. And finally, the Six on the Cylon basestar. Loved how she faced down that slimeball Cavil.
Grade for the episode: A
Reviews: Entertainment Weekly, TV Squad (source Galactica Sitrep, the best BSG fansite out there)
Next week’s preview at SciFi.com. (I’m going to stop linking to Battlestar clips on YouTube as they seem to get taken down very quickly.)
Bye bye Cally?
Technorati Tags: Speed Racer, corvette, Sarah Jane Adventures, Battlestar Galactica
SciFi Sunday: Battlestar Galactica (duh!)
April 6, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV/Film
This post has spoilers for the first episode of Battlestar Galactica, He That Believeth in Me. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, and want to remain spoiler free, go read last week’s SciFi Sunday review of the Stargate SG-1 film The Ark of Truth and enter my SG-1 action figure giveaway.
Or go watch the ep on SciFi Rewind, then come back when you’re done.
—
A pretty good start to the season. As with most Battlestar episodes, there are three storylines. This year, it looks like they are going to play out as:
- The Adama arc: Storyline generally involving Adama, Roslin, Lee and Kara. Often includes Helo & Athena, and I suspect will include the Six/Sixes on Galactica
- The Baltar arc: Baltar’s storyline, including “Head Six”
- The Cylon arc: The seven, the four, the one
Let’s start with the A-storyline, the first he that believeth, Lee believing in Kara. My little shipper heart was warmed by the welcome Lee gave Kara (and the welcome she did not give Sam) as well as Lee’s immediate acceptance of her. Mary McDonnell’s performance was excellent, but I think the character is in the wrong this time. Think about it — she can have visions under the influence of drugs and send Kara on the mission to Caprica, but now she is completely closed to the possibility that Kara is right. Odds are, Lee is absolutely right — what they were meant to find in the nebula was Kara.
The two best scenes in this storyline were Adama and his children. When Kara asks him to believe her, it is heartbreaking that he can’t. That the counsel he seeks is Lee’s is heartwarming, especially given how estranged they had been over Baltar’s trial. Lee rewatching Kara’s “death” also evokes the episode Scar, another important episode in the Lee/Kara storyline. I loved how Lee makes it clear that it makes absolutely no difference to him what Kara is or isn’t. He has her back, literally and figuratively, and that’s all that matters.
Of all the characters in this episode, clearly the character of Lee has had the most visible character growth, although I expect that Kara has changed tremendously as well; we just don’t know the extent of it. Adama and Roslin, though, seem to be repeating old patterns. All this has happened before and will again….
Now to the B-storyline. Don’t need to draw us a map on this one. We get it. Baltar is a Christ-like figure, at least in that his followers believeth in him even though we know he doesn’t believe in much other than saving his own skin. I love watching James Callis perform, even though the character is mostly despicable. It will be interesting to see if/how Baltar is or is not redeemed. That said, I thought some of these scenes dragged a bit.
Finally, the Cylons. This episode focused on our friends the final, or frakked, four, and their determination to believe in themselves, as the individuals they’ve always thought themselves to be. Michael Hogan (Tigh) owns the screen when he is on it, so I for one am glad he is one of the four as that means he’ll get plenty of screentime. I thought it was particularly effective the way they had the four in various scenes discussing the possibility that Kara might be a cylon. Everything said, by them and others, in those scenes refers more to them than to her, and you can clearly tell that they know that. And what happens when Kara discovers that Sam is a Cylon…
Grade: A-/B+
Preview for next week:
Warms this fangirl’s heart, although I hope they resolve Starbuck’s headache soon. Katee Sackhoff is an excellent actor, but watching her scream “we’re going the wrong way” over and over is going to get old, fast.
Technorati Tags: Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1
SciFi Sunday: Stargate SG-1, “Ark of Truth” review
March 30, 2008 | Giveaways, Science Fiction
Okay, let’s get this out of the way right away. I liked Ark of Truth. It wasn’t great art. It wasn’t even great science fiction.
But it was good science fiction, a reasonable way to spend a couple hours and my son enjoyed it.
What was good about it?
Ben Browder and Claudia Black performing together, always a plus. Chemistry? Uhm, yeah. Even when mebbe there isn’t supposed to be…. I started watching Stargate SG-1 when Browder joined the cast and stayed with it for him and Black. Before that, I just couldn’t get into the show. Perhaps because it started at a time when I did not have cable, and so I just wasn’t in the habit. But mostly I think because I could not get invested in the characters. I didn’t dislike them per se, and the performances were fine, but O’Neill, Carter, Teal’c and Jackson as characters. Mostly left me cold.
Especially, and still, Jackson. Don’t shoot me - enter my action figure giveaway instead and tell me why I should care about this character. Because I don’t dislike the character and I appreciate Michael Shanks as an actor. I just find I cannot care about the character of Daniel Jackson. But many of you do. Tell me, tell me.
More goodness. The performances of Currie Graham as IOA bad guy Merrick and Tim Guinee as Ori warrior and former Vala spouse Tomin. There is a scene with Tomin and Teal’c that I think sums up both characters in the Stargate arc, and that says a lot, given that Teal’c was part of it from the beginning. Kudos to the writers and the actors.
More chemistry. Ben Browder has great chemistry with Amanda Tapping (Carter) here too. Something we did not see on Stargate Atlantis with Carter and any of the characters on that show, including Sheppard, played by Joe Flanigan, a character and actor I really like. Fault of the actors? No. I think it is a combination of the fact that Browder could have chemistry with a broomstick, and that Sheppard/Joe Flanigan had such great chemistry with the axed Weir character played by Torri Higginson that nothing else quite measures up. Are you listening, PTB?
Walter. Played by Gary Jones. What else can I say….
About half way through the film, the film splits into two main stories. Daniel, Vala, Tomin and Teal’c continue the search for the Ark of Truth, and Carter and Mitchell deal with a Replicator threat. I think this was a good choice. This allows all the characters their “moment in the sun.”
Some additional observations:
- The wormhole F/X when the Odyssey goes through the Super Gate, especially at the beginning, are awesome.
- I had never seen the Replicator storyline on SG-1, only the humaniform Asuran storyline on SGA, so I found the little mechanical Replicators quite unnerving
- The score when Teal’c is hiking through the mountains was very majestic.
- There’s one scene, late in the film, where Vala is brought into a room and daughter/Ori/Ascended Being Adria joins her. My dog Reva growled. Not sure whether it was the music or something in the scene that disturbed her, but she was pissed.
- Weirdness: The jumpsuits the people wear on Odyssey (and Daedalus for that matter) are just weird. Aren’t pants and shirts more convenient. You know…..
The DVD extras are okay. I don’t tend to buy DVDs for the extras, but I know many do. If you are looking for a lot on that score, you’ll probably be disappointed. The main extras are a commentary, the usual “filming of,” and a Stargate panel from last year’s Comic Con. Chris Judge (Teal’c) is particularly amusing on the Comic Con panel.
Bottom line: if you are a Stargate fan, you’ll enjoy it. If you aren’t, but you’d like to dip your toe into the franchise, it sounds like this summer’s Continuum might be the better bet.
Purchasing links:
DVD: Stargate - The Ark of Truth
Download: Stargate: The Ark of Truth
The giveaway:
Long story short, I have some extra SG-1 action figures. Mitchell, Vala and the Ori Prior. I’m going to give away one of each at the end of April and the remaining three when the second film, Continuum, is released this summer.
How to enter: As I admitted above, I had a hard time getting into the SG-1 characters until Ben Browder and Claudia Black joined the cast. Especially Daniel Jackson. I don’t dislike the character, and the actor Michael Shanks does a fine job. I just find that I don’t really care what happens to the character, and I need that to remember to tune in week after week.
So, in the comments on this post, tell me why I should like Daniel. Are there specific episodes to watch that you think would “bring me over?” Or if you happen to have the same problem I do, share. Why do you have a hard time connecting with the character of Daniel Jackson? Is he really that much of a cold fish?
To enter the April giveaway:
- Leave a comment on my SciFi Sunday: Ark of Truth review. Tell me why I should give Daniel a chance. Or not.
- I’d be thrilled if you shared this giveaway with friends or readers of your own blog if you wish, but it is NOT a requirement to enter.
- I will give away one figure for every 10 comments on the blog. In other words, I will give away ONLY the Mitchell figure if I get 10 or less comments. 20 or less comments, Mitchell and Vala. Anything over 21 comments, I’ll give away all three figures in the first giveaway in April. Same rules will apply for the later giveaway.
Entries will close on Wednesday April 30, 2008 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Winners will be selected using a random number generator and announced on Snapshot Chronicles on May 1. Using the relevant number limits as above, the first comment selected will get the Mitchell figure, the second, the Vala figure and the third, the Prior figure.
Giveaway open to adult residents, 18 years or older, of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Void where prohibited.
Questions? Email sgetgood@getgood.com
COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE NOW CLOSEDÂ
Technorati Tags: Stargate SG-1, Ark of Truth, science fiction, giveaway, action figures, Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge
Posted by Susan Getgood @ 9:10 pm | 12 Comments
SciFi Sunday: Reading List
March 23, 2008 | Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction
My review of the Stargate SG1 movie Ark of Truth is deferred a week or two. Instead, I want to note the passing of one of the masters of the sci fi/fantasy genre, Arthur C. Clarke, and share with you some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy authors and their works.
Let’s start with Clarke, who passed away this past week. He was a prolific author, most well known in the general public for 2001: A Space Odyssey. A classic for sure, but his works that influenced me the most at an early age — junior high — were Childhood’s End and Rendezvous with Rama.
I also devoured the works of Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is one of the most eloquent anti-censorship novels of any genre, even if the author says that it was really more about the influence of TV on our culture:
“Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”
He laughed. “That’s against the law!”
“Oh. Of course.”
I also highly recommend The Martian Chronicles.
The science fiction authors that had the most influence on my literary taste, though, were Isaac Asimov and Kurt Vonnegut. My original, from childhood, copies of the Foundation series are so worn — literally falling apart — that a few years ago I had to buy a new set just to reread them. Among the other Asimov works that merit attention is the Robot series, which he eventually ties into the Foundation universe.
Asimov created the Three Laws of Robotics which continue to influence many other works of science fiction:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
A key underpinning to the whole Foundation ‘verse is the concept of psychohistory. In my early adult life, in my final year of university, I spent much of my course and research time studying the history of psychology and the junction between history and psychology. I’ve always wondered how the early influence of Asimov’s work impacted this educational choice. Who knows…
And, so it goes. Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors of all time, and probably contributed, in some small way, to my twisted view of the world. Books you must read: Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle. And please, start but don’t stop there. He is one of the great American authors and the literary heir, in my book, to Mark Twain.
Moving from science fiction to fantasy, the two authors that got me started on the sci fi fantasy path were CS Lewis, and The Chronicles of Narnia, which my aunt gave me as a gift in 4th grade, and JRR Tolkien, and The Lord of the Rings, which I have read more times than I can count. Another set of books that needed to be replaced recently as the glue in the bindings gave way.
After you’ve read these classics, where should you go?
Start with Anne McCaffrey and the Dragonriders of Pern series, Neil Gaiman, particularly Neverwhere and American Gods, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, and Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea stories.
What are your favorites? What should I read next?
Links to Books on Amazon
Technorati Tags: Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Neil Gaiman, Robert Jordan, Ursula LeGuin, science fiction, fantasy, fiction
SciFi Sunday: Battlestar Galactica
March 16, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV
SciFi Sunday will not reveal spoilers, but will refer to publicly available information — press releases, news articles, interviews and TV ads for the shows. I also have a tendency to speculate based on nothing more than the twisted workings of my own mind, so consider yourself warned.
Principal cast of Battlestar Galactica revisioned as the Last Supper.
Battlestar Galactica, SciFi Channel
Season 4 Premiere Friday April 4, 10 pm Eastern
Only 19 days to go ’til Battlestar Galactica returns. We’ve been waiting a long time for the 10 episodes that will run through early June and who knows how long we will have to wait for the final 10 episodes, the back half of the final season.
If you are the lone sci fi fan on the planet who hasn’t been watching Battlestar (Hi to my brother Doug), it’s never too late to get started. In fact, the producers make it easy for you to catch up. Last year, they did a recap episode as well as a series of webisodes to flesh out the tale.
This year there will be two 1/2 hour specials on March 28th, the Friday before the season premiere. The first looks to be a recap/preview and the second about the show as a fan phenomenon. You can watch five episodes from last season online, free, including the two-part season finale. SciFi Channel also is becoming Channel Battlestar from March 31st, with most of the programming slots being repeats from the first three seasons.
Of course, if you have a really short attention span, what you need is Battlestar Galactica in Eight Minutes:
What’s going to happen this season? Who knows? And per usual the actors and producers are leaving tantalizing breadcrumbs, but very little tangible information, which of course fuels rampant fan speculation. So far, I’ve managed to resist getting too obsessed with spoilers, but I am certain that will change once the season actually starts. From the TV commercials and tidbits that have leaked so far, including the official promo photos, I am inclined to believe that the season will be less about relationships, and how the various couples manage to frak themselves over, and more about the outside forces, particularly the Cylons, that are impacting the Fleet in the search for Earth.
What to do while you wait for the season to start?
March 18: Battlestar Season 3 will be released on DVD. I’m still debating whether to buy it, as I have all the eps from iTunes. The DVD extras are reportedly pretty good though, including an extended version of a significant episode, Unfinished Business. Maybe my husband will get it for me for Easter. Apropos of the Last Supper theme in the picture above.
March 19: Battlestar actors will count down the Top 10 on Late Night with David Letterman. Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Michael Hogan, Aaron Douglas and Lucy Lawless.
Check out some websites. In my opinion, the best overall Battlestar site is Galactica Sitrep. For news coverage of all science fiction shows and films, I also like SyFyPortal. If you like a little irreverence with your reviews, check out Television Without Pity. And for spoilers, The Patriot Resource does a great job of keeping up with everything.
Pick up one (or more) of the soundtrack albums. Bear McCreary’s music adds so much to the show, but it also stands up pretty well on its own.
Here’s a demo clip of McCreary’s Battlestar music (source Galactica Sitrep):
Speaking of Galactica Sitrep, one of its principal authors, ProgGrrl, will be participating in a panel at the Paley Center in New York on May 19th about the influence of fan sites. I wish I could think of a good reason to go to NYC that day, as the panel looks terrific.
Where will I be when the fourth season starts? In NYC for BlogHer Business. I expect I’ll be calling it a night early and retiring to my hotel room to indulge my favorite obsession. Because I know I won’t be able to wait until the next day when I get home to watch the recording.
Next week: my thoughts on the Stargate SG-1 direct to DVD film Ark of Truth.
Technorati Tags: Battlestar Galactica, science fiction, television
Posted by Susan Getgood @ 9:00 am | 2 Comments
Sci Fi Sunday: Stargate Atlantis
March 9, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV
As I wrote on Marketing Roadmaps earlier today, I will be sharing more of my sci fi obsession here on Snapshot Chronicles in the coming months.
Marketing Roadmaps will still be where you’ll find my commentary on the impact of social media on the sci fi segment — fans and industry alike — as well as analysis of sci fi marketing endeavors like the grassroots campaigns around the film Serenity and last year’s Sci Fi Channel digital media tour.
Here on Snapshot Chronicles is where I’ll share my thoughts on the programs themselves. Rants, raves and everything in between. If nothing else, it will save my mother having to listen to me blather on about Starbuck and Apollo or why the PTB of Stargate Atlantis should never have let Torri Higginson go.
In fact, since that show just wrapped for the season, let’s start there. My family is a relative latecomer to the Stargate franchise. My husband would watch it from time to time but I just couldn’t care enough about the characters. That is until Ben Browder and Claudia Black joined the cast a few years ago. It wasn’t John Crichton and Aeryn Sun, but they were both still excellent. So we started watching Stargate SG-1, and enjoyed it well enough. But we still weren’t watching the spin-off. As I will go into more a bit later, I’ve got “mental space” for about a half-dozen programs at any one time, and I wasn’t yet ready to make room for Stargate Atlantis.
Eventually we did watch a few episodes in a row in season 3, and also learned that Jewel Staite of Firefly/Serenity was joining the cast. So this year, we watched it fairly regularly. In part because there wasn’t much else to watch 
And in part because it turned out to be a good show to watch with Douglas. The plots aren’t so complex that he cannot follow them, but they are a step up from Power Rangers and Digimon. The interplay between Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett is also priceless.
While I knew that there had been a big to-do last year when two principal players were let go — Paul McGillion who played Dr. Carson Beckett and afore-mentioned Torri Higginson who played expedition leader Elizabeth Weir, I really hadn’t paid too much attention because at the time, it wasn’t “my” show. But last month, we had a coupon at Borders and also finally got a dividend from the Amazon Associates program, so we bought the DVDs of seasons 1 through 3. And proceeded to gorge ourselves on Stargate Atlantis, which gives me an interesting perspective on the totality of the show.
While the show is still fun to watch, it really was much better with the Elizabeth Weir character. Admittedly, she often didn’t have much to do, but her relationships with the two main characters, John Sheppard (Flanigan) and Rodney McKay (Hewlett), and especially the Sheppard character, really added a dimension to the program that is sorely missing. And from what I hear, unlikely to be rectified in the coming season as she reportedly turned down an invite to return for a single episode. It would be nice if the announcement that she wasn’t coming back for the ep was misdirection, but that is unlikely.
I can see that…. fired and replaced with another actress from the franchise, invited back for an episode. I’d probably trip over myself for that. Not.
What worked so well with the Weir character and what they have not been able to replace is that she was often in disagreement with her colleagues, the aforementioned Sheppard and McKay, and sometimes both at once, but the characters worked it out, and clearly with mutual respect. And not a little UST. Everyone had their expertise and for the most part, deferred to the subject matter expert as required by the problem at hand.
In season 4, the role of leader was assumed by actress Amanda Tapping, whose character Samantha Carter moved over from the SG-1 show. But she wasn’t in every episode, for contractual reasons, and the character just never seemed to fit. I don’t dislike the actress or the character, but it didn’t work. Which it seems she herself understood as she is not returning as a regular in season five, preferring to devote herself to a new property she has been developing, Sanctuary.
But next year doesn’t promise to be much better. Robert Picardo will be joining the regular cast as his recurring character IOA milquetoast Richard Woolsey takes over the leadership position. I can’t see how the dynamic will work, as none of the long-term characters have much respect for the character. Not to mention that the thought of UST between the Woolsey character and any of my faves, of either sex, makes me want to poke out my eyes with a burning stick…..
So what we’ll get is Sheppard and McKay constantly fighting with “the man.” Will this get boring? We’ll have to wait and see but I’m guessing… yup.
Never watched Stargate Atlantis but think you might like to? Here’s my recommendation for must-watch episodes:
Season 1:
- Rising Parts 1& 2 (the premiere)
- The Storm and The Eye (2-parter)
- The Siege Parts 1 & 2
Season 2:
- The Siege Part 3
- Conversion
- The Long Goodbye
- Michael
Season 3:
- Misbegotten
- Common Ground
- The Return Parts 1 & 2
- Sunday
- First Strike
I haven’t seen all of Season 4 — we missed a few episodes in the fall, but here are the ones you need to see to follow the storyline into next year:
- Adrift
- Lifeline
- This Mortal Coil
- Be All My Sins Remember’d
- Kindred Parts 1 & 2
- The Last Man (season finale)
Next week on Sci Fi Sunday, my thoughts on Battlestar Galactica, which returns Friday April 4th. Sadly when I am in NYC for BlogHer Business, so either I don’t party hearty with my blogging pals that night or I watch it on Tivo as soon as I get home Saturday or I connect with some Gotham Battlestar fans to watch, and kibbitz, together. Hhhm. There’s a thought.
Oh, in case you are wondering, my mental space for TV is currently occupied by:
- Battlestar Galactica
- Stargate Atlantis
- Torchwood
- Chuck
- Ugly Betty
- Men in Trees
with an occasional dip into Lost, which I used to love but which now leaves me mostly… lost, and Pushing Daisies, which I enjoyed the few times I watched it, but just can’t seem to remember to tape. And in a holding pattern, Farscape, as we wait for the promised webisodes and Doctor Who, which I’ve always loved, even if David Tennant, the current Doctor, doesn’t do a damn thing for me.
Technorati Tags: science fiction, Stargate Atlantis, TV
