Archive for the 'TV/Film' Category

SciFi Sunday: WALL-E, Stargate Atlantis and Burn Notice

July 13, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV/Film

WALL-E: One of the best films we’ve seen this year. Is it better than Incredibles and Toy Story, the two animated features most often compared to it? I think so. Not because the story is better, although it is, or because the animation technology and the blend of CGI and live action is so brilliant, although it is.

It’s a story with meaning. A story that our children, our planet, our politicians need to hear. Because it’s time we all start thinking about our impact on this planet.

Recycle. Drive a hybrid. Telecommute when you can. Support your employees who want to work from home to the extent you can. Plant a garden. Just take a walk. Smell a flower.

Don’t follow orders blindly. Exercise.

Plus, the tale itself is so compelling, it needs few words, which is wonderful for children who sometimes find it difficult to follow dialogue. If you haven’t seen it yet, go!

Stargate Atlantis: The new season debuted Friday night. While it wasn’t a bad episode, I still miss Torri Higginson as Elizabeth Weir. I bought the DVD of Season 4 for Douglas because he missed a few of the eps due to the late hour. Basically, he starts watching and falls asleep  half way through.

I reviewed the list of eps and realized that there were very few that I wanted to watch again. On the other hand, I can watch Rising, The Storm/Eye and The Return arc, among others, over and over again. What does that say….

Among other things, it says that I most definitely noticed the missing person in John Sheppard’s litany of people he should have saved. While it was great to see Rainbow Sun Francks for a nanosecond, we all know who was really missing from that scene, attempts by  TPTB to “ship” John and Teyla notwithstanding.

The John-Teyla chemistry just ain’t there guys. It would be like kissing your brother. Give it up.But there isn’t that much on TV worth watching so as long as they don’t keep shoving Sheyla down our throats, I’ll tough it out.

[SPOILER]

Total ick moment: when Woolsey tells Sam Carter that he is replacing her as Atlantis leader. While I generally love Robert Picardo and look forward to the tension between his character and Sheppard,  I thought this was so poorly done as to almost rival the replacement of Torri Higginson by Amanda Tapping. Even though I know the decision was at least in part Tapping’s. Unlike the dismissal of Higginson, at least from what I read.

It seems pretty clear –  TPTB at Stargate Atlantis don’t understand their female audience. If they did, they wouldn’t continue to chop their powerful women off at the knees.

Speaking of chopping people off at the knees, let’s take a brief diversion into superspy, versus scifi. Burn Notice has quickly become one of my favorite shows. If you haven’t seen it, you are missing one of the funniest, sharpest shows on television. It stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless. The best part — the leads are all late thirties plus. So nice to see grown-ups headlining a network television show.

And not just as parents or presidents. These guys are hot. Even Sam, played by B-movie stalwart Bruce Campbell. Why do women keep giving Sam stuff? Ain’t for his sartorial style, that’s for sure.

Technorati Tags: Burn Notice, Stargate Atlantis, WALL-E

SciFi Sunday: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

June 29, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV/Film

Well, there’s not much on television and I’ve seen the summer films for which I didn’t want to wait for DVD,  so I was thrilled to learn of the upcoming “air” dates of Joss Whedon’s Internet musical netcast Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (via ProgGrrl on Twitter.)

To get the full effect, you have to read Whedon’s announcement, done as a comment on the blog Whedonesque, but here’s the shorthand version. There are three parts, each about 10 minutes long; part one will go up Tuesday July 15th, part two the 17th and part three the 19th. Free, with dreams of future monetization and world domination.

The musical was written by Whedon, his brothers Zack and Jed, and Jed’s fiancée Maurissa Tancharoen during the WGA strike, and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. According to the official Facebook page, it’s

“The story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to. “

You can find a lot more information about the show on fansite doctorhorrible.net.

As a fan, I’m looking forward to watching the show, and will happily purchase merchandise and DVDs and stuff to help Whedon fulfill his nefarious dreams of glory. Plus, Nathan Fillion being all super-heroey. What’s not to like?

Teaser from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

But that’s not the only reason I am so excited about this production. For the past few months, I’ve been working on some panels for a conference about the impact of the Writers Strike. One panel covers how the writers used social media during the strike to inform the public, encourage and reward fan support and keep union members motivated. For example sites like United Hollywood and initiatives like Pencils for Media Moguls.

The other panel dives deeper into the impact of websites and videos written (and often performed) by the writers and distributed through YouTube, United Hollywood and other Internet sites. Why did they work so well, and how has user generated content changed the entertainment landscape? I’m still waiting for a few pieces to fall into place, which is why I haven’t written much about the panels here or on Marketing Roadmaps. As soon as I can tell you more, I will.

Back to my excitement. Dr. Horrible is a perfect example of how the Writers Strike and its aftermath are changing the entertainment industry. Clearly Whedon has a (more than) slight advantage when bringing his Internet production to market. He is already well-known, with a huge fanbase. His talent attracts top-calibre performers who themselves have significant fanbases.

However, he is using the exact same social media tools available to any aspiring writer, director or performer to promote the show:  Vimeo (a video sharing site), Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, websites and blogs. The show episodes will be netcast for a limited time, and then available for purchase (download and DVD).

That’s the world-changing part of this: anybody can do the same.  And if they are any good, they just might be able to achieve success without the involvement of the major studios. You know, like the one that screwed over Firefly.

Shiny.

Technorati Tags: Joss Whedon, Writers Strike, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, social media

SciFi Sunday: Battlestar Galactica… WOW!

June 15, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV/Film

Warning: No attempt to remain spoiler free ahead. If you haven’t watched “Revelations,” the putative Battlestar midseason four finale, but really the 08 season finale, since the show won’t be back until sometime in early 09, don’t read any further.

It was an excellent episode, wrapping up a number of story threads and leaving no one character in specific jeopardy, which is nice given how long we have to wait for the final episodes, while leaving everyone in the fleet — Cylon and human alike — in absolute limbo. Where to now that Earth is no longer an option?

There was much to like about this episode. Katee Sackhoff was excellent, as always. I loved her reaction when she learned Sam was a Cylon, and I always enjoy every scene she has with Jamie Bamber — and there have been not nearly enough this season. I know some Lee and Kara shippers are disappointed that there wasn’t more interaction between the two, feeling that there was more of a friend vibe than a romantic relationship. My opinion: at least 11 hours, maybe 12 of show to go, depending on whether the finale next year gets the reported extra hour. That’s plenty of time to resolve that storyline. And if you don’t like what Ron Moore and team dish out, there’s always fanfic.

Michael Hogan as Saul Tigh was superb. There is no doubt that this man, Cylon notwithstanding, is totally committed to the fleet and the humans in it. He knows exactly what he is doing when he confesses to Adama; without his revelation, there is no resolution.

Lucy Lawless. Flawless as Deanna. And Mary McDonnell delivered her usual stellar performance, as did the supporting cast.

The core of the episode, though, was the Adamas, two characters we’d not seen nearly enough in the season. If this was why we had to wait so long for significant Edward James Olmos and Jamie Bamber screen time, I’ll consider the wait worthwhile. Adama’s reaction to Tigh’s revelation was heart-wrenching, but the scene where Lee was taking care of his devastated parent was a turning point. As Roslin says later, he saw what had to be done and did it. Even though Adama Sr. retakes his place as Admiral and Roslin returns as president at the end of the ep, it’s clear that a torch has been passed from the older generation to the younger. Adama Sr. and Roslin, even Tigh, are observers. The actors — the ones who move the story forward — are Lee, Kara and Deanna, and to a lesser extent Tory, Sam and Tyrol.

The ending. I can’t say I was surprised. There have been enough hints that when the fleet found Earth it wouldn’t be what they expected.

I’m looking forward to seeing where they take us next. Wish it were sooner than next year, but so it goes. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the return of Stargate Atlantis next month (still without the Elizabeth Weir character, oh well) and Bones next fall, look forward to the Stargate SG1 film this summer and anticipate the new Whedon series Dollhouse. That’s about as much TV as I can handle at one time anyway

Technorati Tags: Battlestar Galactica

SciFi Sunday: R2D2 at the Natick Mall

June 8, 2008 | Douglas, Science Fiction, TV/Film

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…

Actually, yesterday in a mall not far from our house…

Douglas and a legion of 5 to 12 year old Jedi Warriors (and their parents) helped a LEGO Master Builder build a giant R2D2 from LEGO bricks. They were about half-way through construction when we got there Saturday afternoon. They are expected to finish Sunday afternoon, and the completed model will be on display at the Natick Mall LEGO store for about a month.

The kids don’t actually add pieces directly to the model. They build subassemblies, which the Master Builder and his assistants attach to the model. The small size model (picture below) is built mostly from white, gray, brown and blue 2×4 bricks.

The kids use smaller bricks to create a large equivalent of the 2×4 brick which the Master Builder uses to assemble the giant model.

For their efforts, they get a certificate and a $5 coupon off a $35.00 purchase. If they are a member of the LEGO Brickmaster club, they also got a postcard in the mail that entitled them to a free Star Wars LEGO keyring with a $25.00 purchase. Needless to say, we used all the coupons plus a LEGO giftcard we had from Christmas toward the purchase of two new kits.

It’s definitely a fun thing to do if your kid likes LEGOs.

Technorati Tags: LEGO, Star Wars, R2D2

SciFi Sunday: Indy, Sarah Jane and Sine Qua Non

June 1, 2008 | Science Fiction, TV/Film

We saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last week. Was it as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark? No, but I don’t think the previous two sequels were either. The first film was an immediate classic; as a result, its sequels have a lot to measure up to. That they don’t — that they aren’t as good — shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s pretty much SOP with most classic films.

Crystal Skull is still a good, fun summer film. Sure you have to suspend your disbelief pretty far at some of the situations the characters survive, but it’s great to see Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones again, even if he’s moving a bit slower. Aren’t we all? Shia LaBeouf was fine as new sidekick Mutt Williams. The best though, was the return of Karen Allen as Marian Ravenwood. It’s quite easy to believe that her character is the only woman who could capture Indiana Jones’ attention for more than a moment.

The storyline is farfetched, which is fine and expected, and a bit rushed at the end, which is unfortunate. Without revealing any spoilers, I think many kids will have trouble understanding what happens at the end, especially if they are not familiar with other Spielberg films.

My summer film recommendation remains if you are only going to see one film in the theater, see Iron Man. Wait for this one on DVD. If you are a big Indiana Jones fan or can attend the film with one, preferably a child, by all means go. You’ll have some nice summer movie fun.

—

Sarah Jane Adventures wrapped up its first season on SciFi on Friday. We like this show very much. It is a sci fi show for kids with some intelligence, and I mean that in both possible interpretations — the show is smart, and so are the kids. It doesn’t dumb down but at the same time it is very accessible and quite entertaining. I’ve always like star Elisabeth Sladen, and they’ve surrounded her with a nice cast, juvenile and adult. Looking forward to more of these in the future.

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Battlestar Galactica Sine Qua Non. Finally the return of the Adamas. We’d seen so little of either character this season that I would have been happy with a scene or two. Instead, the two main story arcs focused on them. Plus, we got the HUGE bonus of Mark Sheppard as Romo Lampkin. Sheppard had scenes with both Eward James Olmos and Jamie Bamber plus a solo scene that was excellent. There also was a tasty side order of Tigh and Six, and the awesome fist fight.

I enjoy the chemistry of the four main actors, Olmos, McDonnell, Sackoff and Bamber; part of what makes the show so good is that no matter how you mix up those four, you generally get something interesting on screen. Some of the best Bamber scenes though are the ones with Mark Sheppard. This week’s episode was no different. I especially liked the parallel between their meeting last season, when Lee was looking for a new direction, and their first scene in Sine Qua Non, when it was Romo who was clearly adrift.

But the best thing? The return of Jake:

(image from Battlestar Wiki)

A nice love letter to longtime fans who’ve wondered for more than a year what happened to this resistance hero.

Technorati Tags: Indiana Jones, Battlestar Galactica, Mark Sheppard, Sarah Jane Adventures, Elisabeth Sladen

More Speed Racer

April 14, 2008 | Contest, TV/Film

Why? Because a twitter friend admitted she liked Speed Racer, and it’s more fun than what I should be doing right now.

Here’s the trailer for the film:

And here’s a clip with the details on MTV’s contest to give away a Corvette.

Technorati Tags: Speed Racer, Corvette, MTV, contest

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