Just when I thought I couldn't love geeks more, this Large Hadron Rap is brought to my attention.
I love geeks.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
In case you were concerned...
Has the Large Hadron Collider destroyed the world yet?
And if you're interested in some "actual information," take a look at How Stuff Works.
And if you're interested in some "actual information," take a look at How Stuff Works.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The site I wish I'd found before DragonCon
If you like funny t-shirts like I like funny t-shirts, have a looksee at this very funny t-shirt site. Science is the best!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Geek-A-Thon 2008 (yo)
Get yourself a tasty beverage and put up your feet, because this is a long one! Because I wasn't willing to spend $30 to connect to the interwebs from my hotel room, I kept a running diary over the weekend and now you get everything at once (with the caveat that it's all from memory, so who knows what I got wrong). My Atlanta adventure started last Wednesday afternoon, when I flew in and spent the next couple days with some friends. They're excellent people who are wonderful, comfortable and all around really enjoyable to be with, so my geek-weekend kicked off in the best way. Then, to DragonCon!
Day one was mellow, mostly just getting my bearings and catching a couple cool events. I made it to the first Stargate megapanel, which included Cliff Simon (Ba'al), Erick Avari (Kasuf), Morena Baccarin (Adria), Beau Bridges (Landry), Torri Higginson (Weir), and Rainbow Sun Francks (Ford). They were funny and entertaining and it was a dandy time. I followed that up with some wandering around, checking out people and finding out where things were in the different hotels (four now!), and enjoying all the funny t-shirts.
Later in the evening there were videos in the Stargate track room, so I caught some of that. I stuck around long enough to watch the first episode of Sanctuary so I could see David Hewlett, but then I had to turn in because it was late and I'm no fun anymore.
Day two started with a minor (but excessively irritating) personal crisis. Everything worked out fine, but I missed most of the parade, dammit. Luckily, I caught some of it, including pirates and stormtroopers, so that made me happy. I even got some not-completely-awful pictures, which is a nice bonus. This wasn't a big year for costuming for me, mostly because I was lazy and uninspired until the last minute. However, about a week before heading to Atlanta, I got it in my head to finally make the salwar kameez I've always wanted. It turned out great, I wore it at the con on Saturday and I got lots of nice compliments on it.
I made a pass through the dealers' room, which was pretty much the same as usual - funny t-shirts, corsets, comic books.
Then it was off to another SG megapanel, this time with everyone from the previous panel except Avari and Baccarin, and the addition of David Nykl (Zelenka). During the Q&A, an audience-member commented on the apparent number of single people in Atlantis and asked if the actors had any pairings they might like to see. Torri Higginson won me over when she cracked that the closets in Atlantis see a lot of action, and that McKay and Sheppard are hot for each other (I can't remember exactly how she phrased it, but I'm sure there's a clip of it on YouTube by now). *sigh* Now if only the people who make the show would catch up with the rest of us.
After some wandering and food, I hunkered down for still more Stargate, this time a Rocky Horror-style viewing of SG-1's "Window of Opportunity." Man, was that a good time! There was much calling out lines along with the characters, juggling, waving about of toy pistols, and file folders flying into the air. And, really, there's nothing quite like a room full of geeks all gleefully shouting, "In the middle of my backswing?!" Very, very good time.
I finally did something non-SG later Saturday evening, when I caught a Eureka panel. I've mentioned him in regards to DragonCons past, but I just have to reiterate how much I like Kevin Grazier, who is the science adviser for Eureka and Battlestar Galactica. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's my new science crush. So, there were questions and discussion and no spoilers for the new season. All around, quite entertaining.
Day three started early, with me actually awake and at a 10a panel with Cliff Simon. I could listen to him talk for hours. An interesting thing he shared is that he works with a dog rescue group in LA, which was a nice thing to learn. I have pretty strong feelings about how we treat the creatures we share our homes and our lives with, and it always encourages me when that's an issue that's important to people who have the ears of others because of their celebrity status. He also spoke quite a bit about growing up in South Africa, why he left there, and how very much he appreciates living in the US.
Then came more aimless wandering, followed by a Battlestar Galactica panel with Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Michael Hogan (Tigh), James Callis (Baltar), Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) and Colin Corrigan (who plays a background character I'm just not familiar with). They were all delightful to listen to, but I have a serious weakness for Saul Tigh, so getting to see Michael Hogan was a hardcore squee moment for me.
[Michael Hogan, James Callis & Aaron Douglas]
I followed that up with another pass through the dealers' room, this time successfully finding a t-shirt for my significantly awesome other. I didn't find anything for me, but I'm not especially acquisitive, so that's okay.
Sunday continued with a little video interlude in the Stargate track room, featuring clips from shows and movies Stargate actors have been in. Some of them have done some... interesting work.
I wrapped up Sunday night at a three-hour long panel on Stargate slash that I enjoyed tremendously. It involved good discussion on slash writing in particular, with many concepts that could just as readily be applied to fanfic in general, all in a very excellent atmosphere. I also got to put some faces to names I had seen on the internet, which is always a nice thing.
Then came Monday, the last day of the con, and yet still more Stargate. This time it was a megapanel comprised of Francks, Bridges, Simon, Jewel Staite (Keller), Baccarin, Nykl, and Avari, and it was a wonderful way to wrap up the weekend.
I finally packed it in with a quick perusal of the art show, then a final run through the dealers' room to get a couple things.
Of course, everywhere, any time day or night, the peoplewatching was fantastic. Again and again, I was bowled over by costumes that were stunningly original or excellent reproductions of movie, TV & comics characters. I was also just tickled by how incredibly friendly geeks can be. As much as I stood in line (and there were a lot of lines!), I rarely had to entertain myself and I had some great conversations with people.
Since the funny t-shirts are a highlight of the con for me, I'll share a few stats....
The funniest t-shirt I saw all weekend: Tell your mom sorry about last night
A close second: I wish my lawn was emo so it would cut itself
The t-shirt I picked up for my significantly awesome other: Got this shirt for my girlfirend (awesome trade)
The t-shirt I ended up getting for myself: Real tears excite me
(No, I wouldn't say that fits my usual style, but it sure made me laugh when I saw it.)
Finally, my friends collected me from the hotel Monday afternoon and I spent that night & yesterday morning with them, then headed back north yesterday afternoon, to be greeted by a happy partner, an absolutely ecstatic dog, and three cats who variously yelled at me, acknowledged me like I'd never left, and seriously snubbed me for a few hours. It's good to be home :)
My photos are up on my Flickr site, divided into Costumes, Parade and Guests.
Another DragonCon come and gone, and another year to wait and prepare.
Day one was mellow, mostly just getting my bearings and catching a couple cool events. I made it to the first Stargate megapanel, which included Cliff Simon (Ba'al), Erick Avari (Kasuf), Morena Baccarin (Adria), Beau Bridges (Landry), Torri Higginson (Weir), and Rainbow Sun Francks (Ford). They were funny and entertaining and it was a dandy time. I followed that up with some wandering around, checking out people and finding out where things were in the different hotels (four now!), and enjoying all the funny t-shirts.
Later in the evening there were videos in the Stargate track room, so I caught some of that. I stuck around long enough to watch the first episode of Sanctuary so I could see David Hewlett, but then I had to turn in because it was late and I'm no fun anymore.
Day two started with a minor (but excessively irritating) personal crisis. Everything worked out fine, but I missed most of the parade, dammit. Luckily, I caught some of it, including pirates and stormtroopers, so that made me happy. I even got some not-completely-awful pictures, which is a nice bonus. This wasn't a big year for costuming for me, mostly because I was lazy and uninspired until the last minute. However, about a week before heading to Atlanta, I got it in my head to finally make the salwar kameez I've always wanted. It turned out great, I wore it at the con on Saturday and I got lots of nice compliments on it.
I made a pass through the dealers' room, which was pretty much the same as usual - funny t-shirts, corsets, comic books.
Then it was off to another SG megapanel, this time with everyone from the previous panel except Avari and Baccarin, and the addition of David Nykl (Zelenka). During the Q&A, an audience-member commented on the apparent number of single people in Atlantis and asked if the actors had any pairings they might like to see. Torri Higginson won me over when she cracked that the closets in Atlantis see a lot of action, and that McKay and Sheppard are hot for each other (I can't remember exactly how she phrased it, but I'm sure there's a clip of it on YouTube by now). *sigh* Now if only the people who make the show would catch up with the rest of us.
After some wandering and food, I hunkered down for still more Stargate, this time a Rocky Horror-style viewing of SG-1's "Window of Opportunity." Man, was that a good time! There was much calling out lines along with the characters, juggling, waving about of toy pistols, and file folders flying into the air. And, really, there's nothing quite like a room full of geeks all gleefully shouting, "In the middle of my backswing?!" Very, very good time.
I finally did something non-SG later Saturday evening, when I caught a Eureka panel. I've mentioned him in regards to DragonCons past, but I just have to reiterate how much I like Kevin Grazier, who is the science adviser for Eureka and Battlestar Galactica. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's my new science crush. So, there were questions and discussion and no spoilers for the new season. All around, quite entertaining.
Day three started early, with me actually awake and at a 10a panel with Cliff Simon. I could listen to him talk for hours. An interesting thing he shared is that he works with a dog rescue group in LA, which was a nice thing to learn. I have pretty strong feelings about how we treat the creatures we share our homes and our lives with, and it always encourages me when that's an issue that's important to people who have the ears of others because of their celebrity status. He also spoke quite a bit about growing up in South Africa, why he left there, and how very much he appreciates living in the US.
Then came more aimless wandering, followed by a Battlestar Galactica panel with Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Michael Hogan (Tigh), James Callis (Baltar), Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) and Colin Corrigan (who plays a background character I'm just not familiar with). They were all delightful to listen to, but I have a serious weakness for Saul Tigh, so getting to see Michael Hogan was a hardcore squee moment for me.
[Michael Hogan, James Callis & Aaron Douglas]I followed that up with another pass through the dealers' room, this time successfully finding a t-shirt for my significantly awesome other. I didn't find anything for me, but I'm not especially acquisitive, so that's okay.
Sunday continued with a little video interlude in the Stargate track room, featuring clips from shows and movies Stargate actors have been in. Some of them have done some... interesting work.
I wrapped up Sunday night at a three-hour long panel on Stargate slash that I enjoyed tremendously. It involved good discussion on slash writing in particular, with many concepts that could just as readily be applied to fanfic in general, all in a very excellent atmosphere. I also got to put some faces to names I had seen on the internet, which is always a nice thing.
Then came Monday, the last day of the con, and yet still more Stargate. This time it was a megapanel comprised of Francks, Bridges, Simon, Jewel Staite (Keller), Baccarin, Nykl, and Avari, and it was a wonderful way to wrap up the weekend.
I finally packed it in with a quick perusal of the art show, then a final run through the dealers' room to get a couple things.
Of course, everywhere, any time day or night, the peoplewatching was fantastic. Again and again, I was bowled over by costumes that were stunningly original or excellent reproductions of movie, TV & comics characters. I was also just tickled by how incredibly friendly geeks can be. As much as I stood in line (and there were a lot of lines!), I rarely had to entertain myself and I had some great conversations with people.
Since the funny t-shirts are a highlight of the con for me, I'll share a few stats....
The funniest t-shirt I saw all weekend: Tell your mom sorry about last night
A close second: I wish my lawn was emo so it would cut itself
The t-shirt I picked up for my significantly awesome other: Got this shirt for my girlfirend (awesome trade)
The t-shirt I ended up getting for myself: Real tears excite me
(No, I wouldn't say that fits my usual style, but it sure made me laugh when I saw it.)
Finally, my friends collected me from the hotel Monday afternoon and I spent that night & yesterday morning with them, then headed back north yesterday afternoon, to be greeted by a happy partner, an absolutely ecstatic dog, and three cats who variously yelled at me, acknowledged me like I'd never left, and seriously snubbed me for a few hours. It's good to be home :)
My photos are up on my Flickr site, divided into Costumes, Parade and Guests.
Another DragonCon come and gone, and another year to wait and prepare.
Friday, August 22, 2008
You're a good friend, Arthur
A couple days after the announcement that Stargate Atlantis will not be renewed for a sixth season, we get an episode of such unbelievable awesomeness that the fangirl in me very nearly exploded (hence taking time out of my busy DragonCon preparations to spew about it).
McKay is infected with a parasite that slowly but surely neutralizes his brain functions. His personality goes, along with his memory, his intelligence and everything about him that makes him McKay. It's never stated outright (in this episode, at least) that Rodney's usually clumsy and abrasive with women, but I really like that Keller realized Rodney being charming and pleasant was in fact an early symptom of his ailment. So, Rodney turns stupid and nice, his team cranks up their protectiveness to eleven, and high-tension wackiness ensues.
While Keller's medicine doesn't have a solution for Rodney's affliction, Ronon knows of a shrine where others suffering with the same parasite can be "cured" for a day, right before they die. Also, it's on the same planet as a bunch of Wraith. Team Sheppard doesn't have to think twice.
"The Shrine" is, without a doubt, the best team episode ever. Ronon - Ronon! - tells Jeanie about the shrine, he fights the strongest for making the trip during the meeting with Woolsey, he makes it crystal clear that he will go into any situation and do everything he possibly can to save McKay, and that Woolsey and Keller should step up and do the same. Of course, Sheppard and Teyla back him entirely. Then there's Jeanie, who it's always delightful to see. She and Rodney together are simply terrific. And on top of all the very excellent team adventuring and bonding, this ep is also thick with slash. The McKay/Sheppard moments were phenomenal, and even removing my dirty slash goggles, this ep did a wonderful job showing the depth of their friendship.
I gaped at the scene on the flooded planet, where we got an amazing, expansive view of the team's situation, as the four of them perched atop the stargate in the middle of a lake. And, holy crap, John and Rodney on the pier. I suspect I'll probably watch that scene until I'm reciting it in my sleep. Then there was the radioactive shrine and poking a hole in Rodney's very valuable head with a power drill. How cool was that?
The only thing that keeps this from being the Very Best Episode Ever is the incredibly bad ending. If McKay had told Keller he'd started to care for her, wanted to date her, thought that maybe she wasn't so bad despite her voodoo profession, it would have seemed so reasonable and in-character. But that he loves her? What? That's just too hard to swallow. It felt like the person who wrote the first 42 minutes skipped out on the last 60 seconds and left it for the janitor to finish. And the janitor was wacky on the junk. As well as being a 12-year-old girl. Just, no.
Well, this seems like a fine time to pile on the hurt. I'm not taking SGA's cancellation too hard - it might be my favourite show these days, but it is just a TV show. Nonetheless, I'm sad and grumpy about it, and I am not encouraged by the prospect of a direct-to-DVD SGA movie, or the planned Stargate Universe series.
Nope, not too happy about this at all.
Bah, I'm going to watch "The Shrine" again (skipping that last scene), feel stupidly gleeful about such an incredible episode, and console myself with the knowledge that the series might be ending, but I will have this gem to watch over and over and over again.
McKay is infected with a parasite that slowly but surely neutralizes his brain functions. His personality goes, along with his memory, his intelligence and everything about him that makes him McKay. It's never stated outright (in this episode, at least) that Rodney's usually clumsy and abrasive with women, but I really like that Keller realized Rodney being charming and pleasant was in fact an early symptom of his ailment. So, Rodney turns stupid and nice, his team cranks up their protectiveness to eleven, and high-tension wackiness ensues.
While Keller's medicine doesn't have a solution for Rodney's affliction, Ronon knows of a shrine where others suffering with the same parasite can be "cured" for a day, right before they die. Also, it's on the same planet as a bunch of Wraith. Team Sheppard doesn't have to think twice.
"The Shrine" is, without a doubt, the best team episode ever. Ronon - Ronon! - tells Jeanie about the shrine, he fights the strongest for making the trip during the meeting with Woolsey, he makes it crystal clear that he will go into any situation and do everything he possibly can to save McKay, and that Woolsey and Keller should step up and do the same. Of course, Sheppard and Teyla back him entirely. Then there's Jeanie, who it's always delightful to see. She and Rodney together are simply terrific. And on top of all the very excellent team adventuring and bonding, this ep is also thick with slash. The McKay/Sheppard moments were phenomenal, and even removing my dirty slash goggles, this ep did a wonderful job showing the depth of their friendship.
I gaped at the scene on the flooded planet, where we got an amazing, expansive view of the team's situation, as the four of them perched atop the stargate in the middle of a lake. And, holy crap, John and Rodney on the pier. I suspect I'll probably watch that scene until I'm reciting it in my sleep. Then there was the radioactive shrine and poking a hole in Rodney's very valuable head with a power drill. How cool was that?
The only thing that keeps this from being the Very Best Episode Ever is the incredibly bad ending. If McKay had told Keller he'd started to care for her, wanted to date her, thought that maybe she wasn't so bad despite her voodoo profession, it would have seemed so reasonable and in-character. But that he loves her? What? That's just too hard to swallow. It felt like the person who wrote the first 42 minutes skipped out on the last 60 seconds and left it for the janitor to finish. And the janitor was wacky on the junk. As well as being a 12-year-old girl. Just, no.
Well, this seems like a fine time to pile on the hurt. I'm not taking SGA's cancellation too hard - it might be my favourite show these days, but it is just a TV show. Nonetheless, I'm sad and grumpy about it, and I am not encouraged by the prospect of a direct-to-DVD SGA movie, or the planned Stargate Universe series.
Nope, not too happy about this at all.
Bah, I'm going to watch "The Shrine" again (skipping that last scene), feel stupidly gleeful about such an incredible episode, and console myself with the knowledge that the series might be ending, but I will have this gem to watch over and over and over again.
Monday, July 28, 2008
News on the Farscape front
Those Farscape webisodes that were mentioned last year look to be actually happening, along with a comic tie-in. Yay! There's a short video of Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon talking about it here.
Yammerings about Stargate Atlantis
Two episodes with Richard Woolsey in charge and already I like him better than Sam Carter. In "The Seed," the second ep of the season, he learned a lesson about how dirty and decidedly not by-the-book life is in Atlantis. And I'm so glad he's coming in with a reasonable balance between being The Man and following IOA rules, and the recognition that being in command of a base in another galaxy does, in fact, mean some of those rules just don't apply. And in Friday's "Broken Ties," I was happy with the way he reminded the team that he's the new guy in charge, but still clearly respected the experience and commitment of the Pegasus veterans. For someone who seemed like such an odd choice to be in command, it looks as though Woolsey is going to work out well (assuming doors start opening for him, that is).
While being a monster-of-the-week episode (not usually my favourites), "The Seed" had some interesting things in it, particularly the very cool sentient not-a-plant-thing. If nothing else, it was nice to get a little more info on how Wraith ships are made... er, grown. Also, it was nice to see Carson and I look forward to seeing him again later in the season, but that doesn't change my eyeroll at dead not meaning dead. I wonder if they've told Carson's mother a clone of her son is back on Earth.
I'm afraid the only thing I have to say about Ronon's adventure in "Broken Ties" has to do with that awful mop on his head. It's a damn shame that when Jason Momoa decided to cut off his dreads, the powers that be didn't just go ahead and let his character make the same decision. It must be terribly difficult for the costume department to come up with a head full of dreads that doesn't look like a bad wig. Terribly difficult. Nigh impossible, in fact.
Other than that, the Ronon-gets-kidnapped story wasn't especially engaging. I didn't care either way about seeing his Satedan pal Tyre again, and I expected a nice clean wrap-up by the end of the episode, so that was pretty anticlimactic.
So, Teyla's back on the team, Kanaan is human again, and Woolsey makes babies cry. It seemed unecessary to drag out Teyla's decision through the entire episode, as if we didn't already know she'd be rejoining her team. Anything for "dramatic tension," I guess. Now I wonder just how much we'll see of her being a mom, and of baby Torren. Michael had big plans for the kid, but do the writers?
Because I just wouldn't be a proper fangirl if I let it pass without comment, I want to see McKay in a bubble bath in every episode. Maybe with fewer bubbles next time.
Finally, Stargate: Continuum is released on DVD tomorrow. I'll watch it and probably enjoy it well enough, but I haven't heard anything that makes me think it's going to be great. At least Jack O'Neill is back.
While being a monster-of-the-week episode (not usually my favourites), "The Seed" had some interesting things in it, particularly the very cool sentient not-a-plant-thing. If nothing else, it was nice to get a little more info on how Wraith ships are made... er, grown. Also, it was nice to see Carson and I look forward to seeing him again later in the season, but that doesn't change my eyeroll at dead not meaning dead. I wonder if they've told Carson's mother a clone of her son is back on Earth.
I'm afraid the only thing I have to say about Ronon's adventure in "Broken Ties" has to do with that awful mop on his head. It's a damn shame that when Jason Momoa decided to cut off his dreads, the powers that be didn't just go ahead and let his character make the same decision. It must be terribly difficult for the costume department to come up with a head full of dreads that doesn't look like a bad wig. Terribly difficult. Nigh impossible, in fact.
Other than that, the Ronon-gets-kidnapped story wasn't especially engaging. I didn't care either way about seeing his Satedan pal Tyre again, and I expected a nice clean wrap-up by the end of the episode, so that was pretty anticlimactic.
So, Teyla's back on the team, Kanaan is human again, and Woolsey makes babies cry. It seemed unecessary to drag out Teyla's decision through the entire episode, as if we didn't already know she'd be rejoining her team. Anything for "dramatic tension," I guess. Now I wonder just how much we'll see of her being a mom, and of baby Torren. Michael had big plans for the kid, but do the writers?
Because I just wouldn't be a proper fangirl if I let it pass without comment, I want to see McKay in a bubble bath in every episode. Maybe with fewer bubbles next time.
Finally, Stargate: Continuum is released on DVD tomorrow. I'll watch it and probably enjoy it well enough, but I haven't heard anything that makes me think it's going to be great. At least Jack O'Neill is back.
New season of Eureka starts tomorrow
SciFi Channel's original series Eureka returns tomorrow, ushering in its third season with an all day marathon of season 2, starting at 8am EDT. The word (if you believe what "they" say) is that the new season will see a return to the light & fluffy of season 1. Given that the second season only hinted at anything dark without ever actually going there, I'm not expecting the new season to be much of a change over the last. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you - I like this show a lot, fluffy or not.
So, new Eureka tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 29, 9pm EDT, on SciFi.
So, new Eureka tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 29, 9pm EDT, on SciFi.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Watchmen trailer
Go here right now and watch this.
Go! Now!!
Man, does it look good. It's going to take an effort to keep my expectations (what's that you say, Disappointment?) in check, because I am ready for this movie to be fucking incredible.
Go! Now!!
Man, does it look good. It's going to take an effort to keep my expectations (what's that you say, Disappointment?) in check, because I am ready for this movie to be fucking incredible.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Diseases of the World
Want to know where the latest instances of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever have shown up? Yeah, I thought you did. How about typhoid, or encephalitis, or even the plague (eek!)? Conveniently, that information is now available online. HealthMap offers all this and more.
So, before you travel to Indiana, be aware of the recent outbreak of syphilis.
So, before you travel to Indiana, be aware of the recent outbreak of syphilis.
Friday, July 11, 2008
The return of Stargate Atlantis
Be careful touching this post – it's got squee all over it.
I love my team, I love this show. I love John & Rodney's concern for each other. I love Teyla and her baby. I love Michael (I know, I disgust myself sometimes). Even Carter was good in this episode.
So, when last we saw our intrepid heroes, they were attempting to rescue Teyla, but instead ended up at the bottom of a crumbling building. Turned out, some redshirts bit the dust, while our heroes (Sheppard, Ronon, McKay and Lorne) were a little worse for wear, but survived. And, of course, the nick-of-time rescue of Sheppard and Ronon was awesome, mostly for the few moments before said rescue.
About Sheppard's dream at the beginning, Ford was never one of my favourite characters (a little too gung-ho marine for me, even before the enzyme turned him into a nutjob). Nonetheless, it was so nice to see him again. Each and every one of the two-thousand milliseconds he was on-screen was a pleasure.
Did Rodney call Michael's database a wiki? I'm not sure if that hurts my brain, or if I think it's cool.
I loved John's stoicism, but I loved Ronon's stubbornness even more. Also, John's not a very good liar. I don't believe he'd leave Ronon if their positions were reversed.
I love Rodney McKay with a fangirlishness that knows no bounds, but I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't want him helping to deliver my baby. And afterwards, John told Rodney he did good? Uh, how about Teyla? You know, the one who actually had the baby. This ep kind of made me wonder if the writers aren't trying to brace us for the entirely unexpected reveal that McKay and Sheppard are, in fact, a couple.
Hey, a girl can hope.
Michael's ship was destroyed, but this is science fiction television and there's no reason to think that means Michael's dead. Our heroes got off his ship with five adults and a newborn, so it's not much of a stretch to think Michael managed to make it off as well. That's probably just wishful thinking, though.
So, while the end was no surprise, I liked the way the news was delivered. Call me crazy, but I actually like Woolsey and I'm kind of excited about him taking Carter's place.
Yay! Stargate Atlantis is back!! All right, now I can't wait 'til next week.
I love my team, I love this show. I love John & Rodney's concern for each other. I love Teyla and her baby. I love Michael (I know, I disgust myself sometimes). Even Carter was good in this episode.
So, when last we saw our intrepid heroes, they were attempting to rescue Teyla, but instead ended up at the bottom of a crumbling building. Turned out, some redshirts bit the dust, while our heroes (Sheppard, Ronon, McKay and Lorne) were a little worse for wear, but survived. And, of course, the nick-of-time rescue of Sheppard and Ronon was awesome, mostly for the few moments before said rescue.
About Sheppard's dream at the beginning, Ford was never one of my favourite characters (a little too gung-ho marine for me, even before the enzyme turned him into a nutjob). Nonetheless, it was so nice to see him again. Each and every one of the two-thousand milliseconds he was on-screen was a pleasure.
Did Rodney call Michael's database a wiki? I'm not sure if that hurts my brain, or if I think it's cool.
I loved John's stoicism, but I loved Ronon's stubbornness even more. Also, John's not a very good liar. I don't believe he'd leave Ronon if their positions were reversed.
I love Rodney McKay with a fangirlishness that knows no bounds, but I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't want him helping to deliver my baby. And afterwards, John told Rodney he did good? Uh, how about Teyla? You know, the one who actually had the baby. This ep kind of made me wonder if the writers aren't trying to brace us for the entirely unexpected reveal that McKay and Sheppard are, in fact, a couple.
Hey, a girl can hope.
Michael's ship was destroyed, but this is science fiction television and there's no reason to think that means Michael's dead. Our heroes got off his ship with five adults and a newborn, so it's not much of a stretch to think Michael managed to make it off as well. That's probably just wishful thinking, though.
So, while the end was no surprise, I liked the way the news was delivered. Call me crazy, but I actually like Woolsey and I'm kind of excited about him taking Carter's place.
Yay! Stargate Atlantis is back!! All right, now I can't wait 'til next week.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fifty-six days and counting!
DragonCon is once again on the horizon (August 29-Sept 1) and I'm starting to get a bit psyched. The guest list is looking good, though subject to change, of course. There are lots of folks I'm eager to see, but the highlights today include Aaron Douglas (Galen Tyrol, Battlestar Galactica), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck, Battlestar Galactica), Adam Baldwin (Jayne, Firefly), Cliff Simon (Ba'al, Stargate SG-1), David Nykl (Radek Zelenka, Stargate Atlantis), George Takei (if you need a reference for this guy, for shame!), and a bunch of others I don't feel like listing. The upshot is, this oughta be a good year.
I haven't thought much about costumes and I'm not really sure I'll be doing anything special this year. I do know I have neither the time nor the motivation to bust out anything really fancy, so I might just be sticking with clever t-shirts, and maybe a pirate get-up. Everyone loves pirates!
I haven't thought much about costumes and I'm not really sure I'll be doing anything special this year. I do know I have neither the time nor the motivation to bust out anything really fancy, so I might just be sticking with clever t-shirts, and maybe a pirate get-up. Everyone loves pirates!
Hammond of Texas has fallen
Actor Don S. Davis was taken out by a heart attack a few days ago. In geekdom, his biggest role was as Maj. General George Hammond on Stargate SG-1, but he's got a long list of TV and movie credits spanning more than 25 years. Among his numerous guest appearances on TV shows, one of his most notable was as Dana Scully's father, William Scully, on The X-Files.
Fans will get to see him one last time as Hammond at the end of this month when Stargate: Continuum is released.
On a much more up note, I've been squeeing at commercials for season 5 of Stargate Atlantis. Squeeing, I tell you! It would be undignified, had I any dignity to begin with. The season kicks off next Friday, July 11, at 10pm on the SciFi Channel. As excited as I am, I couldn't laugh harder at the promo pictures released by MGM. They're simply awful. So, in the spirit of mocking, I've changed the Show & Tell picture to a macro made by SGA and slash fan Fia Reynne. It's SGA meets Captain Morgan meets Astroglide. Awww yeah.
Fans will get to see him one last time as Hammond at the end of this month when Stargate: Continuum is released.
On a much more up note, I've been squeeing at commercials for season 5 of Stargate Atlantis. Squeeing, I tell you! It would be undignified, had I any dignity to begin with. The season kicks off next Friday, July 11, at 10pm on the SciFi Channel. As excited as I am, I couldn't laugh harder at the promo pictures released by MGM. They're simply awful. So, in the spirit of mocking, I've changed the Show & Tell picture to a macro made by SGA and slash fan Fia Reynne. It's SGA meets Captain Morgan meets Astroglide. Awww yeah.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
I think so, Brain, but burlap chafes me so
This week I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I'll start my nitpicking by saying that title is too damn long. The gist of my impressions are that George Lucas had his hacky little fingers all over the dialogue, and it would make a great Animaniacs* episode. The music was mostly enjoyable (unmistakably John Williams), but there were a few scenes where it was so comical that I half expected Yakko, Wakko & Dot to show up.
While I'm not inclined to lump this movie in with Temple of Doom (appropriately number two in the series), it doesn't hold a candle to Raiders or Last Crusade.
Surprisingly, I did not find Shia LaBeouf to be especially offensive, nor his character, Mutt, especially annoying. I wasn't sure; I'd only seen him in one other movie and I was underwhelmed. Anyway, I actually liked him in this. Of course, it was such a huge pleasure to see Karen Allen again. Unfortunately, there was about one twenty-third of a second wherein Marion and Indy had any chemistry at all, and then the moment passed and I was left feeling just kind of blah about their reunion. Their romance did nothing for me and the wedding at the end felt soulless. Damn.
I enjoyed seeing John Hurt, though I felt like he was wasted considering the amount of time he spent onscreen. But, it was nice to see him, and in a very wonderful way, he reminded me of my friend Todd (hey Todd!).
On a scale of one to ten, I give it an "almost could have waited for DVD." And, that seems to be all I have to say about it.
*for those not hip to Animaniacs, it's a 1990s Steven Spielberg exec produced cartoon, and it's very funny. The title for this post is a quote from the show; Yakko, Wakko & Dot are characters.
While I'm not inclined to lump this movie in with Temple of Doom (appropriately number two in the series), it doesn't hold a candle to Raiders or Last Crusade.
Surprisingly, I did not find Shia LaBeouf to be especially offensive, nor his character, Mutt, especially annoying. I wasn't sure; I'd only seen him in one other movie and I was underwhelmed. Anyway, I actually liked him in this. Of course, it was such a huge pleasure to see Karen Allen again. Unfortunately, there was about one twenty-third of a second wherein Marion and Indy had any chemistry at all, and then the moment passed and I was left feeling just kind of blah about their reunion. Their romance did nothing for me and the wedding at the end felt soulless. Damn.
I enjoyed seeing John Hurt, though I felt like he was wasted considering the amount of time he spent onscreen. But, it was nice to see him, and in a very wonderful way, he reminded me of my friend Todd (hey Todd!).
On a scale of one to ten, I give it an "almost could have waited for DVD." And, that seems to be all I have to say about it.
*for those not hip to Animaniacs, it's a 1990s Steven Spielberg exec produced cartoon, and it's very funny. The title for this post is a quote from the show; Yakko, Wakko & Dot are characters.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
BSG storyline striking parallel to Days of Our Lives
Yes, that's hyperbole, and it's been awhile since I've known wtf is up on Days, so I don't know if it's true. However, I cannot deny that Battlestar Galactica continues to be painfully soap opera. If the way the show is going is any indication, I am so not going to watch Caprica when it kicks off. The joke has been that the spin-off will be Dynasty-in-space, but now I'm not so sure it's a joke.
I came away from last week's ep thinking that the show is asking me to suspend my disbelief regarding some pretty hefty issues of human character and human interaction, and this week's ep didn't make me feel a lot better. Adama found out his XO impregnated the Six in the brig (more on that in a moment), but then he gave him the keys to the whole fucking fleet when he decided he had to go on a quest to find his lost girlfriend? Wtf? Romo (who it was so great to see and so frustrating to see misused) showed Lee Adama a dead cat and Lee suddenly "realized" he should be the president? And unbelievably, the colonies' twisted little senate agreed? I repeat, wtf?
And then Baltar was on a Baseship trying (succeeding?) to sell dogma to the centurions, which just kinda bugged the fuck out of me. Also, how heavy-handed was the wound in his side? Very; yes, it was very heavy-handed.
There have been good things, though. I like the hybrid and I hope we don't come to understand her much better than we do now. The greatest amount of awesome to be found in the last two eps was in the scene at the end of last week's "Sine Qua Non," when the hybrid awoke with "jump!" Ooo! that gave me some shivers!
Other cool things included D'Anna snapping Cavil's neck. It's nice to have D'Anna back and it's nice to see Lucy Lawless again. Then there's Tigh's aforementioned cylon nookie, coming to Adama's attention with one of the most intriguing twists yet – a cylon managed to knock up another cylon, something they had not been able to achieve. That would have been a perfect opportunity for Tigh to tell Adama he's a toaster, but that would have made too much sense and meant Adama couldn't leave Tigh in charge of the fleet. Oddly, the fact that he's fucking a toaster, who is being held in the brig because they don't know if they can trust her, does not seem to interfere with Adama's desire to go get some nookie for himself. Really??
Further, I'm jarred by the utterly mangled love story that is Roslin and Adama. I was so pulling for those two to get together, but the past several episodes have left me bored, annoyed or stupidly surprised by some of their actions. I'm having trouble swallowing the idea that Admiral William Adama, military leader of the Colonial fleet, protector of the last of the dwindling human population, hopped in a viper to chase down the Basestar that stole (oh gag!) his fucking soulmate. Okay, I take back what I said earlier – this show is in fact a high-budget version of Days, and Bill & Laura are John & Marlene in space. Ouch.
Bah! First post on my blog after a little break and I bitch bitch bitch. Today's entry has been brought to you by the meme "lodge a complaint on the internet" and by the mood "critical." See you again soon, kids!
I came away from last week's ep thinking that the show is asking me to suspend my disbelief regarding some pretty hefty issues of human character and human interaction, and this week's ep didn't make me feel a lot better. Adama found out his XO impregnated the Six in the brig (more on that in a moment), but then he gave him the keys to the whole fucking fleet when he decided he had to go on a quest to find his lost girlfriend? Wtf? Romo (who it was so great to see and so frustrating to see misused) showed Lee Adama a dead cat and Lee suddenly "realized" he should be the president? And unbelievably, the colonies' twisted little senate agreed? I repeat, wtf?
And then Baltar was on a Baseship trying (succeeding?) to sell dogma to the centurions, which just kinda bugged the fuck out of me. Also, how heavy-handed was the wound in his side? Very; yes, it was very heavy-handed.
There have been good things, though. I like the hybrid and I hope we don't come to understand her much better than we do now. The greatest amount of awesome to be found in the last two eps was in the scene at the end of last week's "Sine Qua Non," when the hybrid awoke with "jump!" Ooo! that gave me some shivers!
Other cool things included D'Anna snapping Cavil's neck. It's nice to have D'Anna back and it's nice to see Lucy Lawless again. Then there's Tigh's aforementioned cylon nookie, coming to Adama's attention with one of the most intriguing twists yet – a cylon managed to knock up another cylon, something they had not been able to achieve. That would have been a perfect opportunity for Tigh to tell Adama he's a toaster, but that would have made too much sense and meant Adama couldn't leave Tigh in charge of the fleet. Oddly, the fact that he's fucking a toaster, who is being held in the brig because they don't know if they can trust her, does not seem to interfere with Adama's desire to go get some nookie for himself. Really??
Further, I'm jarred by the utterly mangled love story that is Roslin and Adama. I was so pulling for those two to get together, but the past several episodes have left me bored, annoyed or stupidly surprised by some of their actions. I'm having trouble swallowing the idea that Admiral William Adama, military leader of the Colonial fleet, protector of the last of the dwindling human population, hopped in a viper to chase down the Basestar that stole (oh gag!) his fucking soulmate. Okay, I take back what I said earlier – this show is in fact a high-budget version of Days, and Bill & Laura are John & Marlene in space. Ouch.
Bah! First post on my blog after a little break and I bitch bitch bitch. Today's entry has been brought to you by the meme "lodge a complaint on the internet" and by the mood "critical." See you again soon, kids!
Friday, May 23, 2008
*knock*knock* Is this thing on?
On the off chance that it isn't abundantly obvious, I've been taking a break from the blog. I just wanted a little time away.
During my break, I've been watching Battlestar Galactica (holy shit!), getting excited for the return of Eureka and Stargate Atlantis in July (yay!), reading some really excellent books (no wonder Rendezvous with Rama is a classic!), and enjoying some summer movie releases (Iron Man was awesome!). I'm following scifi news, having geeky conversations with my friends, and I expect I'll be back to blogging with some regularity in the not-too-distant future. I've also given up double spaces between sentences (in your face Chicago Manual of Style!).
So, if you haven't completely wandered off during my hiatus, I sincerely thank you and I hope that when I come back it will be with something that interests you.
Finally, because I totally illegally swiped the current Show and Tell picture from (SGA show runner) Joe Mallozzi's blog, I want to share a funny tidbit from said blog. A commenter writes: "Are they ever going to stop with these ridiculous hybrid names for crossbreeds? When I first got my mutt he was just a little mongrel but now apparently he’s called a Springador (Springer Spaniel/Labrador cross)…" And Mallozzi's fuckin' brilliant response is: "I want my next dog to be a Bulldog Shitzu mix just because of the crossbreed name potential it provides." I think I pulled something, I laughed so hard.
That's it for now, thanks!
During my break, I've been watching Battlestar Galactica (holy shit!), getting excited for the return of Eureka and Stargate Atlantis in July (yay!), reading some really excellent books (no wonder Rendezvous with Rama is a classic!), and enjoying some summer movie releases (Iron Man was awesome!). I'm following scifi news, having geeky conversations with my friends, and I expect I'll be back to blogging with some regularity in the not-too-distant future. I've also given up double spaces between sentences (in your face Chicago Manual of Style!).
So, if you haven't completely wandered off during my hiatus, I sincerely thank you and I hope that when I come back it will be with something that interests you.
Finally, because I totally illegally swiped the current Show and Tell picture from (SGA show runner) Joe Mallozzi's blog, I want to share a funny tidbit from said blog. A commenter writes: "Are they ever going to stop with these ridiculous hybrid names for crossbreeds? When I first got my mutt he was just a little mongrel but now apparently he’s called a Springador (Springer Spaniel/Labrador cross)…" And Mallozzi's fuckin' brilliant response is: "I want my next dog to be a Bulldog Shitzu mix just because of the crossbreed name potential it provides." I think I pulled something, I laughed so hard.
That's it for now, thanks!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Serving fandom in a very cool way
Some of you know I'm into slash (in short: dirty stories about hot men on scifi shows). Well, slash is a subset of a genre called fanfiction, itself a subset of something dubbed "transformative works" - original works based on existent materials. For example, Gregory Maguire's Wicked ("The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West") falls into this category, as it is an original piece of writing that used L. Frank Baum's Oz stories as a springboard.
Really, though, the Organization for Transformative Works can explain it better than I can, which is the point of this post: go check it out if you're into that sort of thing. The OTW seems like a really great idea and can use your support.
Really, though, the Organization for Transformative Works can explain it better than I can, which is the point of this post: go check it out if you're into that sort of thing. The OTW seems like a really great idea and can use your support.
Stargate Continuum trailer
Though I've watched the first Stargate straight-to-DVD flick, The Ark of Truth, I haven't posted about it yet and I'm not sure I will. I just don't have that much to say; it was a decent episode, on par with anything else from seasons 9 & 10. The movie I'm looking forward to, though, comes out this July - Stargate Continuum.
If you're impatient like I am, and can tolerate terrible quality, check out the trailer that was shown last weekend at the Stargate con in Vancouver. Be warned, it's a fan recording of the showing, so it really looks awful. Also, I wouldn't expect it to be available for very long. Hopefully, an official trailer will be online soon.
No surprise here, but I squeed along with the rest of the audience when Jack O'Neill showed up onscreen.
If you're impatient like I am, and can tolerate terrible quality, check out the trailer that was shown last weekend at the Stargate con in Vancouver. Be warned, it's a fan recording of the showing, so it really looks awful. Also, I wouldn't expect it to be available for very long. Hopefully, an official trailer will be online soon.
No surprise here, but I squeed along with the rest of the audience when Jack O'Neill showed up onscreen.
Geeks who can kick your ass
Q. What's the difference between people with tattoos and people without?
A. People with tattoos are cooler than you are and can kick your ass.
I just love that joke :) While I've seen lots of cool tat sites, a friend pointed me to Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium, which is among the coolest, featuring a huge variety of ink from all geekly disciplines. It's definitely worth a look-see!
A. People with tattoos are cooler than you are and can kick your ass.
I just love that joke :) While I've seen lots of cool tat sites, a friend pointed me to Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium, which is among the coolest, featuring a huge variety of ink from all geekly disciplines. It's definitely worth a look-see!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Holy shit, that was cool!
For a few days, that's about as far as I was able to get in my thoughts about the Battlestar Galactica season 4 opener. I'll try to expand on that a bit now, though. It wasn't the best episode ever (that was season 3's "Exodus pt. 2"), but it definitely did not suck. That said, I'll start with the things I wasn't so fond of. I won't say I exactly disliked Tigh's murderous little trip to Imaginationland in the beginning, but I wasn't crazy about how it was done, all heavy-handed and something between too weird and not weird enough. I'm also not sure at all what I think of Roslin. Yes, I've been saying that for awhile now, but I continue to wonder. She's a great character and super hot, but she's also pretty damn frightening as the president, and I have big issues with her being so damn close to the military commander of the fleet. Of course, the part of me that's a sqeeing fangirl loves that she's staying in Adama's quarters while she's on the Gallactica.
Well, on to something I feel much more clear about - Anders getting scanned? activated?...at least recognized by the cylon raider, was fantastic. Though when that was finally discussed by the four - Anders, Tigh, the chief & Tory - I was a little confused by what the hell their agreement was about. We're not going to do anything bad because we don't want to? I appreciate their determination, but good luck with that, ya toasters! And that's not even saying I think any of them is going to get activated by the cylons and try to do something to endanger the fleet. I just think that scene was a little ridiculous, because there's no reason to think they'll have a choice should that, in fact, be part of their programming. But regardless of all that, I don't think these four pose the same kind of threat to the humans that the other seven do; they are markedly different and the fact that they've been in the fleet all this time just scratches the surface of those differences.
Later, though, when Starbuck told Anders she'd put a bullet between his eyes if she found out he was a cylon, that scene made me happy. How wonderfully in character of her.
Which brings us to the big questions - where the hell has Starbuck been for the past couple months? What happened to her Viper? Did she actually find Earth? Was she with her cylon boyfriend, Leoben, being programmed? Clearly, something big happened to her while she was gone, because she's having a hell of a reaction every time they jump farther away from what she believes is the path to Earth. Is she right? I suspect we won't get any real answers for a good long time.
And finally, there's Baltar and his cadre of worshipful hippie chicks. Not even sure what to say about that. He was funny and so very himself, and as much as I don't like all the religious BS, I can't wait to see where that goes.
I'll close with a pointer to a great pic from a GQ shoot, featuring Grace Park, Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff in full Barbarella regalia. Scifi is all about the hot chicks!
Well, on to something I feel much more clear about - Anders getting scanned? activated?...at least recognized by the cylon raider, was fantastic. Though when that was finally discussed by the four - Anders, Tigh, the chief & Tory - I was a little confused by what the hell their agreement was about. We're not going to do anything bad because we don't want to? I appreciate their determination, but good luck with that, ya toasters! And that's not even saying I think any of them is going to get activated by the cylons and try to do something to endanger the fleet. I just think that scene was a little ridiculous, because there's no reason to think they'll have a choice should that, in fact, be part of their programming. But regardless of all that, I don't think these four pose the same kind of threat to the humans that the other seven do; they are markedly different and the fact that they've been in the fleet all this time just scratches the surface of those differences.
Later, though, when Starbuck told Anders she'd put a bullet between his eyes if she found out he was a cylon, that scene made me happy. How wonderfully in character of her.
Which brings us to the big questions - where the hell has Starbuck been for the past couple months? What happened to her Viper? Did she actually find Earth? Was she with her cylon boyfriend, Leoben, being programmed? Clearly, something big happened to her while she was gone, because she's having a hell of a reaction every time they jump farther away from what she believes is the path to Earth. Is she right? I suspect we won't get any real answers for a good long time.
And finally, there's Baltar and his cadre of worshipful hippie chicks. Not even sure what to say about that. He was funny and so very himself, and as much as I don't like all the religious BS, I can't wait to see where that goes.
I'll close with a pointer to a great pic from a GQ shoot, featuring Grace Park, Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff in full Barbarella regalia. Scifi is all about the hot chicks!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
If only number 5 was true...
If you're not sure about watching the fourth & final season of Battlestar Galactica, which starts next Friday, April 4, this Top 10 list on David Letterman should clear up your uncertainty.
Also, don't forget the two half-hour specials this Friday, starting with the story-thus-far recap, followed by "The Phenomenon," wherein cool people talk about how cool BSG is. Apparently, it's very cool. If you can't catch the specials on TV, they are available at the SciFi website without the irritation of commercial interruption. If you're too impatient to sit through 22 minutes of video, there's also an 8-minute recap available on the site.
My next post probably won't happen 'til after the season 4 kick-off episode at the end of next week, as I'm heading out on vacation to a town in the Colorado Rockies that has yet to achieve 21st century technology. Have a great week!
Also, don't forget the two half-hour specials this Friday, starting with the story-thus-far recap, followed by "The Phenomenon," wherein cool people talk about how cool BSG is. Apparently, it's very cool. If you can't catch the specials on TV, they are available at the SciFi website without the irritation of commercial interruption. If you're too impatient to sit through 22 minutes of video, there's also an 8-minute recap available on the site.
My next post probably won't happen 'til after the season 4 kick-off episode at the end of next week, as I'm heading out on vacation to a town in the Colorado Rockies that has yet to achieve 21st century technology. Have a great week!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Arthur C. Clarke, 1917 - 2008
Just a few months after celebrating his 90th birthday, Arthur C. Clarke died in Sri Lanka a couple days ago. There's no way I can adequately describe his contributions to science and scifi, but I'm a big believer in celebrating life rather than lamenting death, so I'll just say the loss is overshadowed by his amazing legacy.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Catching up with a classic
Contrary to how things seem around here, I have not forgotten about my blog! Life's been busy lately, and will be busy for a few weeks to come, but I'll try to slip in a thing or two as I get the chance. That same picture of Jason Momoa has been up for Show & Tell for something like a month now, mostly because I haven't made the time to find something new to put there. At least he's hot. Oh! also, happy St. Patrick's Day! Wear green, drink beer, molest a leprechaun!
So, on to some geekery. This past Friday I finally saw Blade Runner - the Final Cut. As awesome bonuses, it was on a Blu-ray disc, played through a friend's projector. Holy shit, is it pretty! I've rambled before about how nice some things look, but the quality of this was just stunning. On top of that, the sound system was excellent as well, so every note of Vangelis' awesome music sounded amazing. Really, a top-notch experience.
I can't say I missed the voice-over of the theatrical version, but it's been so long since I've seen it that it's hard to say. However, I do know that one of the things that captivates me about this movie is the visual impact of it, so not having the v.o. did not seem like a loss. In fact, I think I could have been very happy if there'd been less dialogue, as well. Did I mention how pretty it was? Fuckin' gorgeous.
As far as Deckard being a replicant, I'm entirely happy to speculate either way and don't feel any particular pull towards either theory. The romantic in me likes to think he is, and that he & Rachael are fleeing off into the sunset together, to die in a year or two. But, I also like the notion that he's just a simple damaged human who's been a blade runner for too long and needs to get out of the business. Damaged humans are interesting.
Anyway, a big "fuck yeah!" to The Final Cut. Well worth the watch, especially on Blu-ray. So very, very pretty.
So, on to some geekery. This past Friday I finally saw Blade Runner - the Final Cut. As awesome bonuses, it was on a Blu-ray disc, played through a friend's projector. Holy shit, is it pretty! I've rambled before about how nice some things look, but the quality of this was just stunning. On top of that, the sound system was excellent as well, so every note of Vangelis' awesome music sounded amazing. Really, a top-notch experience.
I can't say I missed the voice-over of the theatrical version, but it's been so long since I've seen it that it's hard to say. However, I do know that one of the things that captivates me about this movie is the visual impact of it, so not having the v.o. did not seem like a loss. In fact, I think I could have been very happy if there'd been less dialogue, as well. Did I mention how pretty it was? Fuckin' gorgeous.
As far as Deckard being a replicant, I'm entirely happy to speculate either way and don't feel any particular pull towards either theory. The romantic in me likes to think he is, and that he & Rachael are fleeing off into the sunset together, to die in a year or two. But, I also like the notion that he's just a simple damaged human who's been a blade runner for too long and needs to get out of the business. Damaged humans are interesting.
Anyway, a big "fuck yeah!" to The Final Cut. Well worth the watch, especially on Blu-ray. So very, very pretty.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Now what will I do with my Friday nights?
Stargate Atlantis ended its 4th season tonight with a painful cliffhanger. Teyla is still missing and a couple weeks closer to giving birth, the rest of the team apparently got squashed, Michael's plans for galactic domination seem to be moving along very nicely, and the future doesn't look any better off than before Sheppard caught a ride back in time on a solar flare. Wow, are they fucked!
Watching the end of humankind in the Pegasus galaxy was pretty cool, and it was quite a pleasure to see everyone's demise. Teyla's end was a great deal more ignoble than she deserved, but not everyone can go down fighting. And hey, her child certainly went on to have a damn significant impact on history. Ronon, on the other hand, went out as I'd expect him to, with a hell of a bang, and it gave me a warm feeling inside that Todd the Wraith was there alongside him. Carter's kamikaze maneuver was definitely very excellent. Of course, I have to give props to Michael and his amazing evilness. Man, did he wreak some havoc.
I have to voice a little gripe about McKay & Keller, but it's just a fangirl gripe so it doesn't really mean shit. Even I can't take me seriously when I get like this. Anyway, GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM, YOU HUSSY!
*Ahem*
My only complaint about tonight's season ender was how reminiscent it was of SG-1's series finale, "Unending." But really, I'm not complaining too much, and I certainly enjoyed it well enough.
As a whole, I liked this season quite a bit, but I'm pretty easy that way. For someone who didn't even like this show not that long ago, I've gotten roped in hard.
Now, let the withdrawal begin! Gateworld is speculating on when season 5 will start up, citing a TV Guide claim that it will probably come back in July. That would certainly be better than having to wait until fall, but, as I say far, far too often, we'll just have to wait and see.
On an unrelated note, in that same article they mention that SciFi might split BSG season 4 between 2008 & '09, due to the WGA strike, but that rumour has been around since at least a couple months before the strike started. Perhaps this was a plan in anticipation of a strike, but I'm skeptical...SciFi has not shown much wisdom in how it's treated BSG thus far, so regardless of other factors involved, I wouldn't expect them to make a wise decision on this front.
Watching the end of humankind in the Pegasus galaxy was pretty cool, and it was quite a pleasure to see everyone's demise. Teyla's end was a great deal more ignoble than she deserved, but not everyone can go down fighting. And hey, her child certainly went on to have a damn significant impact on history. Ronon, on the other hand, went out as I'd expect him to, with a hell of a bang, and it gave me a warm feeling inside that Todd the Wraith was there alongside him. Carter's kamikaze maneuver was definitely very excellent. Of course, I have to give props to Michael and his amazing evilness. Man, did he wreak some havoc.
I have to voice a little gripe about McKay & Keller, but it's just a fangirl gripe so it doesn't really mean shit. Even I can't take me seriously when I get like this. Anyway, GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM, YOU HUSSY!
*Ahem*
My only complaint about tonight's season ender was how reminiscent it was of SG-1's series finale, "Unending." But really, I'm not complaining too much, and I certainly enjoyed it well enough.
As a whole, I liked this season quite a bit, but I'm pretty easy that way. For someone who didn't even like this show not that long ago, I've gotten roped in hard.
Now, let the withdrawal begin! Gateworld is speculating on when season 5 will start up, citing a TV Guide claim that it will probably come back in July. That would certainly be better than having to wait until fall, but, as I say far, far too often, we'll just have to wait and see.
On an unrelated note, in that same article they mention that SciFi might split BSG season 4 between 2008 & '09, due to the WGA strike, but that rumour has been around since at least a couple months before the strike started. Perhaps this was a plan in anticipation of a strike, but I'm skeptical...SciFi has not shown much wisdom in how it's treated BSG thus far, so regardless of other factors involved, I wouldn't expect them to make a wise decision on this front.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Is it comix? Is it art?
This afternoon a friend and I checked out the current exhibition at the Adam Baumgold Gallery in Manhattan, which features some works by comic artist Chris Ware. Ware might be familiar to folks for his work in any number of publications, including RAW, The New York Times and The New Yorker. His work is quirky, mature, sometimes a little grim, and consistently captivating.
For me, the most interesting works were the images from the series Building Stories, which chronicles the hour-by-hour happenings in a Chicago apartment building over the course of a day. My favourite in the series, Introduction 3, shows a statistical view of the history of the building, noting the number of occurences of various elements - 11,627 lost childhood memories, 4 criminals, 61 broken dinner plates, 6 suicide notes, 617 dead plants, to name but a few.
Definitely worth a trip into the city. The exhibit runs through March 15, if you're inclined to check it out.
For me, the most interesting works were the images from the series Building Stories, which chronicles the hour-by-hour happenings in a Chicago apartment building over the course of a day. My favourite in the series, Introduction 3, shows a statistical view of the history of the building, noting the number of occurences of various elements - 11,627 lost childhood memories, 4 criminals, 61 broken dinner plates, 6 suicide notes, 617 dead plants, to name but a few.
Definitely worth a trip into the city. The exhibit runs through March 15, if you're inclined to check it out.
New Watchmen pictures up
I've been following Zack Snyder's Watchmen blog for a little while now and yesterday's post is possibly the most exciting yet. It features pictures of five of the principles, and they look pretty damn awesome. It's too early yet and I'm too skeptical to say I'm very excited about this film, but from what I've seen so far, it looks like it could kick some serious ass.
"Tales of the Black Freighter," the comic-within-a-comic, apparently will not be featured in the film, which is quite a disappointment. For me, the Black Freighter segments in Watchmen were some of the best parts of the entire comic, so knowing its story will only make it onto the DVD as an extra is a bit disheartening. Well, I guess I should be glad it'll be represented at all.
The release date for Watchmen is March 6, 2009, so we've got a year yet before it hits theaters. Here's wishing Snyder, et al., a good post-production process!
"Tales of the Black Freighter," the comic-within-a-comic, apparently will not be featured in the film, which is quite a disappointment. For me, the Black Freighter segments in Watchmen were some of the best parts of the entire comic, so knowing its story will only make it onto the DVD as an extra is a bit disheartening. Well, I guess I should be glad it'll be represented at all.
The release date for Watchmen is March 6, 2009, so we've got a year yet before it hits theaters. Here's wishing Snyder, et al., a good post-production process!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Long live the Geek
Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, died yesterday, and the world of geekery mourns.
It's been a long time since I've done any gaming. My introducting to RPGs came around 1990, when I got into a Rolemaster game shortly after becoming entrenched with a group of geeks who changed my life in countless ways. Until that point, my perception of gamers was that they were another breed, different from the rest of us and not in good ways. I've learned a thing or two since then.
The first character I played was a thief. She was wily and enthusiastic, with a penchant for the ridiculous. After creating her, my first roll in a game situation was one I expect I'll remember for a good long while. I was attempting to steal someone's underwear, while it was on his body (really, in context, it made sense). The 2d10 hit the table and I deflated as they settled on two zeroes. Damn. I groaned, then got a little confused as my fellow gamers cheered and told me nice job. But, I rolled a big fat nuthin', I said. Oh no no, they corrected me, quite the contrary - my double zero was perfect. I stole those underwear without my victim even being aware of it! What a nice way to start my first campaign.
In subsequent years, I played more Rolemaster, and got into a few Vampire games (with Cowboy, no less, who might no longer admit he ever gamed, but some of us know the truth). I never tried other systems, though I suspect there are games out there now that I'd probably enjoy had I the motivation to seek them out. RPGs led me to games like Illuminati and other offerings from Steve Jackson Games, and Talisman. Oh, the long weekends spent holed up at a friend's place in marathon sessions of Talisman!
Enough of that stroll down memory lane. Gaming might have lost an icon yesterday, but Gygax has left behind an impressive legacy and that is a very cool thing indeed.
It's been a long time since I've done any gaming. My introducting to RPGs came around 1990, when I got into a Rolemaster game shortly after becoming entrenched with a group of geeks who changed my life in countless ways. Until that point, my perception of gamers was that they were another breed, different from the rest of us and not in good ways. I've learned a thing or two since then.
The first character I played was a thief. She was wily and enthusiastic, with a penchant for the ridiculous. After creating her, my first roll in a game situation was one I expect I'll remember for a good long while. I was attempting to steal someone's underwear, while it was on his body (really, in context, it made sense). The 2d10 hit the table and I deflated as they settled on two zeroes. Damn. I groaned, then got a little confused as my fellow gamers cheered and told me nice job. But, I rolled a big fat nuthin', I said. Oh no no, they corrected me, quite the contrary - my double zero was perfect. I stole those underwear without my victim even being aware of it! What a nice way to start my first campaign.
In subsequent years, I played more Rolemaster, and got into a few Vampire games (with Cowboy, no less, who might no longer admit he ever gamed, but some of us know the truth). I never tried other systems, though I suspect there are games out there now that I'd probably enjoy had I the motivation to seek them out. RPGs led me to games like Illuminati and other offerings from Steve Jackson Games, and Talisman. Oh, the long weekends spent holed up at a friend's place in marathon sessions of Talisman!
Enough of that stroll down memory lane. Gaming might have lost an icon yesterday, but Gygax has left behind an impressive legacy and that is a very cool thing indeed.
Friday, February 29, 2008
I hope I'm the final cylon!
Because I'm a goddamn fool, I've been reading too many spoilers for the upcoming season of Battlestar Galactica. I oughta lay off that shit before I'm completely ruin't. Well, since I'm not mean enough to post about any of them here, I'll just get off that train right now.
Yay, season 4 starts Friday, April 4, at 10pm EST! SciFi is kicking things off a week prior, on March 28, with two half-hour specials. In case you missed the first three seasons, the first half-hour will be a recap of where the story is so far. That will be followed by a wanktacular half-hour of BSG's "impact on pop culture," wherein celebrities talk about how great BSG is. I want to roll my eyes and mutter "oy," but I'll probably watch both because I'm the exact kind of sucker they're targeting.
Also, the season 3 DVDs will finally be available March 18. Update: Just to note, the SciFi Channel is reporting in two different places on their site a release date of March 18, as well as March 25. I guess we'll see!
Yay, season 4 starts Friday, April 4, at 10pm EST! SciFi is kicking things off a week prior, on March 28, with two half-hour specials. In case you missed the first three seasons, the first half-hour will be a recap of where the story is so far. That will be followed by a wanktacular half-hour of BSG's "impact on pop culture," wherein celebrities talk about how great BSG is. I want to roll my eyes and mutter "oy," but I'll probably watch both because I'm the exact kind of sucker they're targeting.
Also, the season 3 DVDs will finally be available March 18. Update: Just to note, the SciFi Channel is reporting in two different places on their site a release date of March 18, as well as March 25. I guess we'll see!
Reading to change your life
Check out this post on io9.com - The Twenty Science Fiction Novels That Will Change Your Life. That's a bold statement, to be sure, but it's a good starting point for further exploration and discussion. In fact, the post itself is not as fruitful as the comments.
Of course, it got me thinking. To call a book "lifechanging" is, to me, no light statement. There are hundreds of books I can say had powerful impacts on me for any number of reasons, but actually changed my life? That's something else altogether. Also, when I read a book is pretty significant. What changed my life at 14 years old surely wouldn't have had the same kind of impact even five years later. Now, at nearly 40, I'm not sure I can say I've read any book in the past decade that had so great an effect on me that I'd call it lifechanging. Well, maybe some Vonnegut, for altering my worldview.
Anyway, here's a short list of SF works that I believe I can assert did Change My LifeTM:
Time Enough for Love (Robert Heinlein) - My first Heinlein. It's not his best, but it introduced me to a wondrous new world of SF, and a whole new take on the bizarre quagmire that is human relations.
"'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" (Harlan Ellison) - More than any other writing, fiction or non-fiction, this story helped me understand the importance of civil disobedience*.
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) - Growing up in a household where books were revered, this one was practically required reading and really solidified my belief in books as necessities.
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) - My first exposure to why Utopia sucks.
The Illuminatus! Trilogy (Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson) - I'm at a loss for what to say about this one. Hell yeah, it changed my life, enormously. If you haven't read it, put it at the top of your list.
*Knowing I was a political science major in college might help clarify the weight of this statement.
Of course, it got me thinking. To call a book "lifechanging" is, to me, no light statement. There are hundreds of books I can say had powerful impacts on me for any number of reasons, but actually changed my life? That's something else altogether. Also, when I read a book is pretty significant. What changed my life at 14 years old surely wouldn't have had the same kind of impact even five years later. Now, at nearly 40, I'm not sure I can say I've read any book in the past decade that had so great an effect on me that I'd call it lifechanging. Well, maybe some Vonnegut, for altering my worldview.
Anyway, here's a short list of SF works that I believe I can assert did Change My LifeTM:
Time Enough for Love (Robert Heinlein) - My first Heinlein. It's not his best, but it introduced me to a wondrous new world of SF, and a whole new take on the bizarre quagmire that is human relations.
"'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" (Harlan Ellison) - More than any other writing, fiction or non-fiction, this story helped me understand the importance of civil disobedience*.
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) - Growing up in a household where books were revered, this one was practically required reading and really solidified my belief in books as necessities.
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) - My first exposure to why Utopia sucks.
The Illuminatus! Trilogy (Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson) - I'm at a loss for what to say about this one. Hell yeah, it changed my life, enormously. If you haven't read it, put it at the top of your list.
*Knowing I was a political science major in college might help clarify the weight of this statement.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Many happy returns
Oooh, these are the kind of episodes I really like! The past couple weeks of Stargate Atlantis have made me very happy, and I expect the two remaining episodes of the season will also do me right.
As excited as I am to see Carson Beckett, we can be pretty damn sure it's not actually Carson. Nonetheless, it's really very nice to see Paul McGillion again. Now we have to wonder what nefarious plot is at the root of "Carson"'s return.
It's nice to finally put a name and face to the father of Teyla's child. Of course, what he's been turned into is a whole other matter. And speaking of which...Michael's back! When Connor Trinneer's name came up in the credits, I squealed. *Ahem* Don't judge me; it was a mature, dignified squeal. Michael is really so badass and I love whatever crazy shit he's got going on. It appears the missing Athosians are the first of his new race, and I hope Michael lets us in on more of his plan real soon.
Todd the Wraith is back and now I'm starting to wonder if our heroes are actually going to form some kind of long-term alliance with him. It seems the face of the enemy is changing for everyone, and the landscape is becoming much more murky.
I don't have much more to say about this ep. Exciting things are afoot and we'll just have to wait and see how they pan out. A couple observations: I think Ronon has a crush on Rodney. The way he teases him sometimes is the equivalent of pulling pigtails on the playground. It's very cute. Also, on a minor, prurient note, the costume department is high on my list of favourites since Teyla's pregnancy.
I can't wait 'til next week!
As excited as I am to see Carson Beckett, we can be pretty damn sure it's not actually Carson. Nonetheless, it's really very nice to see Paul McGillion again. Now we have to wonder what nefarious plot is at the root of "Carson"'s return.
It's nice to finally put a name and face to the father of Teyla's child. Of course, what he's been turned into is a whole other matter. And speaking of which...Michael's back! When Connor Trinneer's name came up in the credits, I squealed. *Ahem* Don't judge me; it was a mature, dignified squeal. Michael is really so badass and I love whatever crazy shit he's got going on. It appears the missing Athosians are the first of his new race, and I hope Michael lets us in on more of his plan real soon.
Todd the Wraith is back and now I'm starting to wonder if our heroes are actually going to form some kind of long-term alliance with him. It seems the face of the enemy is changing for everyone, and the landscape is becoming much more murky.
I don't have much more to say about this ep. Exciting things are afoot and we'll just have to wait and see how they pan out. A couple observations: I think Ronon has a crush on Rodney. The way he teases him sometimes is the equivalent of pulling pigtails on the playground. It's very cute. Also, on a minor, prurient note, the costume department is high on my list of favourites since Teyla's pregnancy.
I can't wait 'til next week!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Lunar eclipse tonight - repent now!
For a sign of the apocalypse, head out for a look at the moon tonight around 10pm EST to catch the height of the show, though it'll get started about an hour earlier. Barring clouds, it will be visible for its entirety from most of North America, all of South America, and parts of Western Africa and Western Europe, with the totality phase lasting about 50 minutes. New York is due for scattered clouds, so I'm crossing my fingers.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Top 10 scifi movies
The American Film Institute is choosing ten movies from a list of 50 for the best science fiction films ever, and broadcasting their picks on a TV special in June. While you can't have any say in that hoo-ha, you can let the SciFi Channel know what you think. Check out the story, with an address to send your picks, here.
This is the list I sent, which was chosen by use of random criteria, r-p-s with myself, and my own awful taste:
Metropolis (1927)
A Clockwork Orange
2001: A Space Odyssey
Blade Runner
Alien
Donnie Darko
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Matrix
Repo Man
Solaris (1972)
I'd be interested in hearing from other folks about their picks for best/favourites.
This is the list I sent, which was chosen by use of random criteria, r-p-s with myself, and my own awful taste:
Metropolis (1927)
A Clockwork Orange
2001: A Space Odyssey
Blade Runner
Alien
Donnie Darko
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Matrix
Repo Man
Solaris (1972)
I'd be interested in hearing from other folks about their picks for best/favourites.
Monday, February 18, 2008
This is what I get for seeing a first-run movie
This past weekend Jumper opened in theaters and I was persuaded to actually go out and see it (an unusual thing for me, catching movies on opening weekends). Don't read this if you plan to see the movie and don't want some things spoiled for you. So, for the first 80 minutes or so, I was enjoying it well enough. It wasn't anything great, but its premise was pretty sweet (there are people in the world - Jumpers - who can teleport just by thinking about where they want to go), and the teleport effect was cool. I was a little uncertain about Hayden Christensen's acting, having last seen him in the Star Wars abominations, but he wasn't bad.
Then, just as the story seemed to be developing some teeth...it ended. Worst set-up for a sequel I've seen in a long time. It felt as though the writers weren't sure how to end it, so they just didn't bother.
Christensen's character, David Rice, put his super cool ability to weak and unfortunate use - teleporting half a foot across the sofa to reach the remote control, zipping to London to get laid, popping directly from the elevator to his apartment, thus cleverly avoiding the use of doors. Oh, and robbing banks. It left me frustrated and disappointed that someone with such an utter lack of creativity would be gifted with such a totally awesome ability. Weak.
Samuel L. Jackson played...Samuel L. Jackson, but with really bad hair. His character was one of a group of religious fanatics called Paladins, whose purpose for centuries has been to hunt down and kill Jumpers. Religious fanatics are boring, especially when their sole justification for their fanaticism is "Only God should have this power." *yawn* Jackson's character tells Rice that he kills Jumpers, because all Jumpers go bad, but we never actually learn how they go bad. It would have been nice to see some examples of this alleged "bad." If stealing some dollars was what he was talking about, I'm wholly unconvinced.
Diane Lane makes a brief and unconvincing appearance as Rice's concerned mother and a Paladin herself. She left him and his dad after the first time he jumped, at five years old, because her only other choice would have been to kill him, she explained. So instead, she ran away, leaving him to learn on his own that he has this crazy ability. She sucked.
Okay, so it sounds like I've got nothing but complaints, but bitching is always easier than praising. Like I said, I was enjoying the movie well enough through most of it. There were aspects of it that weren't so great, but nothing that stood out as especially stinky. Teleporting is, of course, totally cool. The opening scene where Rice learns he's got this awesome ability was done well, in execution and believability. The only other Jumper we meet, Griffin (Jamie Bell), was easily the most interesting and coolest character. Rice could have learned something from him if he hadn't been such an arrogant pup. Jackson's Roland-the-Paladin was as cool as all Jackson's characters are, if entirely too two-dimensional. And my own long-standing fascination with North Africa was tickled by some really nice desert scenes, with panoramic shots of the pyramids and the Sphinx.
I could go on, but there's a Firefly marathon on tv today, so I'm going to go back to that. My recommendation: if a theater near you is showing Jumper during a bargain matinee, you probably won't want to tear your eyes out after leaving the theater. However, if you wait for it to come out on DVD or skip it altogether, you won't be missing much.
Then, just as the story seemed to be developing some teeth...it ended. Worst set-up for a sequel I've seen in a long time. It felt as though the writers weren't sure how to end it, so they just didn't bother.
Christensen's character, David Rice, put his super cool ability to weak and unfortunate use - teleporting half a foot across the sofa to reach the remote control, zipping to London to get laid, popping directly from the elevator to his apartment, thus cleverly avoiding the use of doors. Oh, and robbing banks. It left me frustrated and disappointed that someone with such an utter lack of creativity would be gifted with such a totally awesome ability. Weak.
Samuel L. Jackson played...Samuel L. Jackson, but with really bad hair. His character was one of a group of religious fanatics called Paladins, whose purpose for centuries has been to hunt down and kill Jumpers. Religious fanatics are boring, especially when their sole justification for their fanaticism is "Only God should have this power." *yawn* Jackson's character tells Rice that he kills Jumpers, because all Jumpers go bad, but we never actually learn how they go bad. It would have been nice to see some examples of this alleged "bad." If stealing some dollars was what he was talking about, I'm wholly unconvinced.
Diane Lane makes a brief and unconvincing appearance as Rice's concerned mother and a Paladin herself. She left him and his dad after the first time he jumped, at five years old, because her only other choice would have been to kill him, she explained. So instead, she ran away, leaving him to learn on his own that he has this crazy ability. She sucked.
Okay, so it sounds like I've got nothing but complaints, but bitching is always easier than praising. Like I said, I was enjoying the movie well enough through most of it. There were aspects of it that weren't so great, but nothing that stood out as especially stinky. Teleporting is, of course, totally cool. The opening scene where Rice learns he's got this awesome ability was done well, in execution and believability. The only other Jumper we meet, Griffin (Jamie Bell), was easily the most interesting and coolest character. Rice could have learned something from him if he hadn't been such an arrogant pup. Jackson's Roland-the-Paladin was as cool as all Jackson's characters are, if entirely too two-dimensional. And my own long-standing fascination with North Africa was tickled by some really nice desert scenes, with panoramic shots of the pyramids and the Sphinx.
I could go on, but there's a Firefly marathon on tv today, so I'm going to go back to that. My recommendation: if a theater near you is showing Jumper during a bargain matinee, you probably won't want to tear your eyes out after leaving the theater. However, if you wait for it to come out on DVD or skip it altogether, you won't be missing much.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A very satisfying Stargate Atlantis
I think I'm too old for episodes like this; my heart just can't take the stress.
So, I guess we don't have to see Todd the Wraith for him to make another "appearance" in our heroes' world. Even the last time we saw him, he wasn't exactly on a friendly basis with the Atlantis team, so Rodney's "He's our ally" line didn't make a lot of sense. That's okay, though; it's a minor complaint about an otherwise totally awesome episode.
Why does Carter have to be such a wet blanket? I mean, it seemed like not only were Ronon & Teal'c having a good time kicking each others' asses, but everyone else was having a good time watching & betting on them. She just doesn't want the boys to have fun. I'm pretty sure I used to like Carter a lot more than I do now.
No surprise at all that Ronon & Teal'c would find common ground in the Three Stooges, or that Teal'c would admire Ronon's weapon. Heh. Because Ronon is so consistently cool, I think I'll put a picture of Jason Momoa up for Show & Tell soon.
It was also no surprise that they managed to save the SGC, and I enjoyed seeing them have to really fight to do it. Sometimes I think our intrepid heroes have too easy a time of it when they're facing a bunch of Wraith, and they definitely don't get into hand-to-hand fights often enough.
The worst moment for me was watching Sheppard crawling across the floor as the atmosphere was sucked out of the Midway station. It's not as though I didn't know he'd find a way to survive (in fact, in an earlier scene, the EVA suits were clearly visible, so I'd even guessed how), but it was stressful nonetheless. Also, I was hurting for Rodney, who had some minutes there of being sure John was dead.
A minor thing, and maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but didn't Teal'c have more grey hair after his experience in "Unending" than he had in this ep? Perhaps I'll have to watch "Unending" again.
Yes, all around a great episode, very exciting, with some nice warrior bonding.
***SPOILER FOR NEXT WEEK'S EP***
I have to squee, because I'm so fuckin' excited: Carson!!! It's Carson! Yay!!
So, I guess we don't have to see Todd the Wraith for him to make another "appearance" in our heroes' world. Even the last time we saw him, he wasn't exactly on a friendly basis with the Atlantis team, so Rodney's "He's our ally" line didn't make a lot of sense. That's okay, though; it's a minor complaint about an otherwise totally awesome episode.
Why does Carter have to be such a wet blanket? I mean, it seemed like not only were Ronon & Teal'c having a good time kicking each others' asses, but everyone else was having a good time watching & betting on them. She just doesn't want the boys to have fun. I'm pretty sure I used to like Carter a lot more than I do now.
No surprise at all that Ronon & Teal'c would find common ground in the Three Stooges, or that Teal'c would admire Ronon's weapon. Heh. Because Ronon is so consistently cool, I think I'll put a picture of Jason Momoa up for Show & Tell soon.
It was also no surprise that they managed to save the SGC, and I enjoyed seeing them have to really fight to do it. Sometimes I think our intrepid heroes have too easy a time of it when they're facing a bunch of Wraith, and they definitely don't get into hand-to-hand fights often enough.
The worst moment for me was watching Sheppard crawling across the floor as the atmosphere was sucked out of the Midway station. It's not as though I didn't know he'd find a way to survive (in fact, in an earlier scene, the EVA suits were clearly visible, so I'd even guessed how), but it was stressful nonetheless. Also, I was hurting for Rodney, who had some minutes there of being sure John was dead.
A minor thing, and maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but didn't Teal'c have more grey hair after his experience in "Unending" than he had in this ep? Perhaps I'll have to watch "Unending" again.
Yes, all around a great episode, very exciting, with some nice warrior bonding.
***SPOILER FOR NEXT WEEK'S EP***
I have to squee, because I'm so fuckin' excited: Carson!!! It's Carson! Yay!!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Our long entertainment nightmare is over
The writers' strike officially ended yesterday, when 92-some% of WGA members voted to go back to work. Yay! I haven't sorted through all the news to find out what this means for shows I care about, but the networks are planning at least some continuation of the 2007-2008 season. Lost will be marginally affected, with 13 episodes planned for the current season rather than 16. Not sure what this means for Battlestar Galactica's fourth season, which halted production because of the strike.
Well, here's hoping the deal was fair and the writers are happy. Now, back to some tv watching!
Well, here's hoping the deal was fair and the writers are happy. Now, back to some tv watching!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Another excellently geeky place to go
I've been remiss in not adding io9 to my list of Geeky Places to Go sooner. This is a blog by and for people who are truly Strung out on science fiction (their tagline). Post topics range far and wide, covering scifi in every medium imaginable, as well as comics, politics, art, society, and a whole slew of other interesting aspects of reality.
My favourite feature today was the Could You Be a Shipper? quiz. I'm not going to tell you what I scored, but I will assert that all the fanfic I've read has been slashy, not shippy!
Anyway, io9 is well worth checking out.
My favourite feature today was the Could You Be a Shipper? quiz. I'm not going to tell you what I scored, but I will assert that all the fanfic I've read has been slashy, not shippy!
Anyway, io9 is well worth checking out.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Sanctuary picked up by SciFi
Awhile ago, I posted about the online series Sanctuary (here's what I said). Well, the SciFi Channel is granting it 13 episodes for air, filming to begin next month.
I like Amanda Tapping a lot in this, and I think it'll be pretty damn good for her to get away from the Stargate universe, especially with a character who is so completely different from Sam Carter. Sanctuary also boasts a very cool villain, in the form of a seriously hot Christopher Heyerdahl (who also plays Todd the Wraith on SGA, incidentally).
So, no certain word yet on when it'll begin airing, but a 13-episode commitment is a good thing and I'm looking forward to where this story goes. All eight internet episodes can be purchased at the Sanctuary website, which also has a bunch of other cool things to check out. If you're a cheap bastard like I am, you can also download all eight eps on your friendly neighbourhood bittorrent network.
I like Amanda Tapping a lot in this, and I think it'll be pretty damn good for her to get away from the Stargate universe, especially with a character who is so completely different from Sam Carter. Sanctuary also boasts a very cool villain, in the form of a seriously hot Christopher Heyerdahl (who also plays Todd the Wraith on SGA, incidentally).
So, no certain word yet on when it'll begin airing, but a 13-episode commitment is a good thing and I'm looking forward to where this story goes. All eight internet episodes can be purchased at the Sanctuary website, which also has a bunch of other cool things to check out. If you're a cheap bastard like I am, you can also download all eight eps on your friendly neighbourhood bittorrent network.
Flash in the pan
Last night was the season finale of Flash Gordon. It was packed with excitement, reunions, family trauma, and heartbreak. I'm glad I held out, because this show actually did get better as the season progressed. It's not especially deep, gritty or dark, and I wouldn't say I'm the biggest fan, but I have been enjoying it. Some decent characters, interesting enough stories and, of course, hotties all make it worth the time. I'm still not thrilled with Ming, who just isn't merciless enough. I think he's too emotional, is the problem. He needs to get some distance.
So, exciting things have come to pass. Flash's folks are together again. Being the biggest sap ever, I was moved by their reunion. That just touched me. Flash & Dale shared a pretty steamy kiss that did a good job of teasing viewers who are into those two. I think I like Baylin & Zarkov better, though. Now there's a nice couple. And, now that he, Flash and Dale are all trapped on Mongo, they've got some time to work on that relationship. Oh, and there was a revolution, as Ming's kids, with Rankol at their side, rallied the deviate troops to free Mongo from the oppression of their "Benevolent Father."
I don't know if Flash Gordon will be renewed for a second season, but current rumours suggest it will not be.
So, exciting things have come to pass. Flash's folks are together again. Being the biggest sap ever, I was moved by their reunion. That just touched me. Flash & Dale shared a pretty steamy kiss that did a good job of teasing viewers who are into those two. I think I like Baylin & Zarkov better, though. Now there's a nice couple. And, now that he, Flash and Dale are all trapped on Mongo, they've got some time to work on that relationship. Oh, and there was a revolution, as Ming's kids, with Rankol at their side, rallied the deviate troops to free Mongo from the oppression of their "Benevolent Father."
I don't know if Flash Gordon will be renewed for a second season, but current rumours suggest it will not be.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Meanwhile, in the Pegasus galaxy...
I'm way behind on my raving about Stargate Atlantis, so let me start with what I thought of tonight's episode. I might never have mentioned it before, but I sure do like a Rodney episode (even if he is a total fuckin' whiner). He's just so damn high strung, and stressful situations never see him at his best. His suggestion that Carter flash her tits at the kids was a good one, though.
Keller's a good character and I like that she gets nervous and uncertain under pressure, but that she always holds up. However, I certainly hope she's not making a move on Rodney [insert scowl here]
The Genii mining facility they found themselves in reminded me of a videogame. Not any game in particular, but just the general setup of being in a room with no good options for exit, now solve the puzzle! I liked that they solved it a few times before they actually managed to get out of there, and that they found the way out by accident. Not a bad episode, overall, but I wouldn't say one of my favourites.
Now, a little bit of catch-up is in order. Yes, the ep two weeks ago, "Harmony," was a bit annoying all around, and Harmony was a pretty damn annoying kid, but I liked it anyway. It was cute, lighthearted, low on the scary, high on the John-Rodney banter. A fun, mid-season snack about which there just isn't much to say.
Then there was last week's episode, "Outcast," which I definitely enjoyed. The sweet little moment Sheppard & McKay shared at the beginning made me happy. Of course Rodney would have gone with John if he could have! We didn't learn everything about Sheppard's falling-out with his family, but we didn't really need to. It's true that funerals rarely bring out the best in people, but it seems like Sheppard's brother is a douchebag and that his old man probably was too. Also, I'm really glad we met Sheppard's ex-wife, Nancy. His awkwardness with her at the wake was a little over-the-top, but I guess that could have been done worse...somehow. I mean, we don't know much about why they split up, but this many years later, when they haven't seen each other since before Sheppard left for Atlantis, it just seems like Sheppard-the-charming wouldn't be so frazzled by his ex at his dad's funeral. Seems, in fact, like he should have expected her. Bah, that's just me nit-picking, though, so I'll get on with the post already. The upshot is that I liked Nancy!
"Outcast" reminded me that I often like the stories that are predicated on the idea that, while the Stargate program and the Atlantis expedition are huge government secrets, information about them gets out nonetheless. Technology, of the insanely advanced, alien-influenced variety, is available to those in the right place at the right time, and helps build some interesting little plot scenarios. The homegrown-replicators story here was satisfying enough without being something the writers will ever need to revisit if they don't want to. However, since they have their very own replicator consciousness on ice, I wouldn't be surprised if she pops up again. So, I liked that, too.
That's my SGA wrap-up regarding current goings on. Now, sit back and marvel at my mad skillz with the crystal ball.
***SEASON 5 SPOILERS***
This week saw an abundance of SGA spoilers. Season 5 (woohoo!!) production starts up later this month, and changes are afoot. Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) will replace Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping) as the new commander of Atlantis, and Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) is due to make a return in a handful of episodes. Tapping is leaving the regular cast to spend more time on Sanctuary (more on that in another post soon), but will make some guest appearances during the season, as will Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson. Also, Jewel Staite is joining the regular cast, as Dr. Jennifer Keller.
So, no more Carter in charge, which will not seem like much of a loss methinks. But Woolsey? Really? How...unexpected. I'm open-minded, though; I'll give him a chance. And finally, Daniel Jackson is going to make it to the Pegasus galaxy. He's only wanted to go from the beginning! So, that's something to look forward to.
Jeez, now shut the hell up already!
Keller's a good character and I like that she gets nervous and uncertain under pressure, but that she always holds up. However, I certainly hope she's not making a move on Rodney [insert scowl here]
The Genii mining facility they found themselves in reminded me of a videogame. Not any game in particular, but just the general setup of being in a room with no good options for exit, now solve the puzzle! I liked that they solved it a few times before they actually managed to get out of there, and that they found the way out by accident. Not a bad episode, overall, but I wouldn't say one of my favourites.
Now, a little bit of catch-up is in order. Yes, the ep two weeks ago, "Harmony," was a bit annoying all around, and Harmony was a pretty damn annoying kid, but I liked it anyway. It was cute, lighthearted, low on the scary, high on the John-Rodney banter. A fun, mid-season snack about which there just isn't much to say.
Then there was last week's episode, "Outcast," which I definitely enjoyed. The sweet little moment Sheppard & McKay shared at the beginning made me happy. Of course Rodney would have gone with John if he could have! We didn't learn everything about Sheppard's falling-out with his family, but we didn't really need to. It's true that funerals rarely bring out the best in people, but it seems like Sheppard's brother is a douchebag and that his old man probably was too. Also, I'm really glad we met Sheppard's ex-wife, Nancy. His awkwardness with her at the wake was a little over-the-top, but I guess that could have been done worse...somehow. I mean, we don't know much about why they split up, but this many years later, when they haven't seen each other since before Sheppard left for Atlantis, it just seems like Sheppard-the-charming wouldn't be so frazzled by his ex at his dad's funeral. Seems, in fact, like he should have expected her. Bah, that's just me nit-picking, though, so I'll get on with the post already. The upshot is that I liked Nancy!
"Outcast" reminded me that I often like the stories that are predicated on the idea that, while the Stargate program and the Atlantis expedition are huge government secrets, information about them gets out nonetheless. Technology, of the insanely advanced, alien-influenced variety, is available to those in the right place at the right time, and helps build some interesting little plot scenarios. The homegrown-replicators story here was satisfying enough without being something the writers will ever need to revisit if they don't want to. However, since they have their very own replicator consciousness on ice, I wouldn't be surprised if she pops up again. So, I liked that, too.
That's my SGA wrap-up regarding current goings on. Now, sit back and marvel at my mad skillz with the crystal ball.
***SEASON 5 SPOILERS***
This week saw an abundance of SGA spoilers. Season 5 (woohoo!!) production starts up later this month, and changes are afoot. Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) will replace Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping) as the new commander of Atlantis, and Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) is due to make a return in a handful of episodes. Tapping is leaving the regular cast to spend more time on Sanctuary (more on that in another post soon), but will make some guest appearances during the season, as will Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson. Also, Jewel Staite is joining the regular cast, as Dr. Jennifer Keller.
So, no more Carter in charge, which will not seem like much of a loss methinks. But Woolsey? Really? How...unexpected. I'm open-minded, though; I'll give him a chance. And finally, Daniel Jackson is going to make it to the Pegasus galaxy. He's only wanted to go from the beginning! So, that's something to look forward to.
Jeez, now shut the hell up already!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
It's like steak-of-the-month, but with science
Also, no actual molecules come to your door.
This evening I found a totally cool website called Molecule of the Month. Going back to January of 1996, this site features a new molecule every month, with entries written by numerous contributors.
I've been such a slacker around here the past few weeks and I hardly have anything to show for it, but this was pretty cool so it poked me until I decided to post about it. There should be other nifty posts in the near future, as I've been keeping up with my tv watching, and I actually have some thoughts about a nerd-appropriate book I read recently.
In the meantime, here's to this month's molecule, Vanillin!
This evening I found a totally cool website called Molecule of the Month. Going back to January of 1996, this site features a new molecule every month, with entries written by numerous contributors.
I've been such a slacker around here the past few weeks and I hardly have anything to show for it, but this was pretty cool so it poked me until I decided to post about it. There should be other nifty posts in the near future, as I've been keeping up with my tv watching, and I actually have some thoughts about a nerd-appropriate book I read recently.
In the meantime, here's to this month's molecule, Vanillin!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Just say fuck
As much as I loathe the replacement of a good swear word on a tv show, this list includes some of the best from scifi. Not surprisingly, Battlestar Galactica's "frak" starts the list, which also includes Farscape's "frell," "smeg" from Red Dwarf, and "shazbot" from Mork & Mindy.
I'd always rather hear "fuck," or whatever word can't be said on most tv. Just as a show won't usually grab me if there's not someone hot on it, I can be lured into a show by the language. Of course, it's usually shows with swearing that get me, but hey, I like swearing.
I'd always rather hear "fuck," or whatever word can't be said on most tv. Just as a show won't usually grab me if there's not someone hot on it, I can be lured into a show by the language. Of course, it's usually shows with swearing that get me, but hey, I like swearing.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
BSG can't start soon enough
THIS CLIP & ACCOMPANYING BLURB CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BSG SEASON 4!!!
Not huge spoilers, but enough that if you're trying to stay pure, you probably want to avoid it.
Check it out here.
The commercials SciFi is airing say March, but they still don't specify a date. I impatiently wait....
Not huge spoilers, but enough that if you're trying to stay pure, you probably want to avoid it.
Check it out here.
The commercials SciFi is airing say March, but they still don't specify a date. I impatiently wait....
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
New Sarah Connor Chronicles
I wish I understood what happened to River, er, I mean Cameron, between the last episode and this week's. The cool terminator with the striking ability to blend in with humans suddenly doesn't know how not to be a machine and, unfortunately, that means Summer Glau was playing the same character she played on Firefly, without the crazy. Perhaps we'll get some explanation for the change in a later episode.
Then there was the irritating and superfluous side story of the suicidal high school girl. I'm not sure what that was designed to illustrate, but I didn't find it either interesting or in any way useful to the story.
On the other hand, I definitely like Sarah. I kind of thought the nuclear program parallel was a little heavy-handed, though really, it wasn't too bad. It's a damn shame she had to burn up the cute guy's toy, but I suspect we're going to be seeing her make quite a few difficult and uncomfortable decisions as she continues her quest to stop Skynet.
The bits with the evil terminator unit were very cool, and I dug how he managed to get himself a fleshsuit. He's a seriously nasty piece of machinery. Yay!
So far, so good, though given the writers' strike, I wonder how many episodes we'll actually get.
Then there was the irritating and superfluous side story of the suicidal high school girl. I'm not sure what that was designed to illustrate, but I didn't find it either interesting or in any way useful to the story.
On the other hand, I definitely like Sarah. I kind of thought the nuclear program parallel was a little heavy-handed, though really, it wasn't too bad. It's a damn shame she had to burn up the cute guy's toy, but I suspect we're going to be seeing her make quite a few difficult and uncomfortable decisions as she continues her quest to stop Skynet.
The bits with the evil terminator unit were very cool, and I dug how he managed to get himself a fleshsuit. He's a seriously nasty piece of machinery. Yay!
So far, so good, though given the writers' strike, I wonder how many episodes we'll actually get.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Disaster narrowly averted
And I don't mean Atlantis' life support systems shutting down, or the self-destruct almost taking out the city, or the risk of the beacon drawing unwanted attention. Tonight's Stargate Atlantis was loaded with tension, confusion and uncertainty, liberally peppered with humour and sweetness. Overall, an entertaining episode. But, it could have gone horribly awry had Rodney actually proposed to Katie Brown. I hope the closing scene means we've seen the last of that little misguided romance.
(Am I jealous? Petty? Okay, maybe a little. Yeah, probably. I can't help it; geeks win me over and make me all crazy & possessive.)
On the other hand, Ronon makes me so happy sometimes. He's charming and funny and likes to blow things up. If he and Keller end up an item, it'll be a very good thing. As a bonus, we got a little slice of who Keller is, and it's always nice to see a character I like get a little more development.
Finally, I loved that it was Zelenka who saved the day. He's a great character who too often is stuck in Rodney's shadow. Getting to watch him rescue the city was gratifying.
"Monster-of-the-week" episodes are never my favourites, but when SGA does them, they tend to be good, so I at least enjoy them. "Quarantine" wasn't the best ever, but all in all, it was good.
(Am I jealous? Petty? Okay, maybe a little. Yeah, probably. I can't help it; geeks win me over and make me all crazy & possessive.)
On the other hand, Ronon makes me so happy sometimes. He's charming and funny and likes to blow things up. If he and Keller end up an item, it'll be a very good thing. As a bonus, we got a little slice of who Keller is, and it's always nice to see a character I like get a little more development.
Finally, I loved that it was Zelenka who saved the day. He's a great character who too often is stuck in Rodney's shadow. Getting to watch him rescue the city was gratifying.
"Monster-of-the-week" episodes are never my favourites, but when SGA does them, they tend to be good, so I at least enjoy them. "Quarantine" wasn't the best ever, but all in all, it was good.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Ass-kicking aplenty
The premiere of The Sarah Connor Chronicles was certainly action-packed. It's hard to tell much about what the show will be like yet, but it's promising enough for me so far. Last night, I thought that perhaps if I were an overpaid network executive, I'd understand why Fox spread a two-hour premiere over two nights. Then I watched tonight's "second half" and realized it wasn't a two-part premiere at all - last night was simply the pilot, and tonight was the first regular episode. Of course, maybe if I were an overpaid network exec, I'd understand why they billed it the way they did. Anyway.
So, if Lena Headey (playing Sarah Connor) can maintain how cool I'm finding her thus far, I'm definitely going to like her. In fact, I'm happy with all the main actors. Without a doubt, it's nice to see Summer Glau kicking some ass as Cameron, the super awesome protector terminator. And I think Thomas Dekker is going to make a good young John.
I hope the show is not too heavy on the family drama, because that shit's just torture to me. On the other hand, one of the main characters is a teenage boy whose destiny it is to lead the human resistance against an AI apocalypse, so I'm willing to cut the show some slack if it gets a little emotionally dramatic on occasion.
Well, I'll plan on catching it next week, and we'll see how it holds up over the next few episodes.
So, if Lena Headey (playing Sarah Connor) can maintain how cool I'm finding her thus far, I'm definitely going to like her. In fact, I'm happy with all the main actors. Without a doubt, it's nice to see Summer Glau kicking some ass as Cameron, the super awesome protector terminator. And I think Thomas Dekker is going to make a good young John.
I hope the show is not too heavy on the family drama, because that shit's just torture to me. On the other hand, one of the main characters is a teenage boy whose destiny it is to lead the human resistance against an AI apocalypse, so I'm willing to cut the show some slack if it gets a little emotionally dramatic on occasion.
Well, I'll plan on catching it next week, and we'll see how it holds up over the next few episodes.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue
In my last post, I said there'd be a new Stargate Atlantis on Thursday, which, of course, was wrong. Then I missed the episode entirely on Friday night (albeit, for a good reason), and now that I've seen it, I hardly have fuck-all to say.
Let's see...Teyla's pregnancy is proving to be pretty damn interesting. Talk about crazy hormonal shit! As tense as the encounter with the Wraith queen was, it was nothing compared to the mere fact of Teyla and her baby being able to control a Wraith queen in the first place. Holy shit.
I hope Todd the Wraith actually did make it out in a dart before his ship hit the cloning facility. Now I wonder where he'll go and if he'll end up back in Atlantis anytime soon. [Follow-up: On second viewing, I caught that Todd did take off in a dart, but whether he got away or was captured by the other hive ship was uncertain. The question still remains, will we see him again?] But, back to the cloning facility - wasn't that place cool! Did the Wraith have just the one, because they couldn't get their life-sucking paws on any more ZPMs, or are there others somewhere in the galaxy? [More follow-up: It sounded like Todd was pretty sure there was only one of these bases, so they probably won't run across another. That's a shame, because that place was pretty fuckin' awesome it its total creepiness.]
Only two eps in since the mid-season break, and I'm getting impatient for things that I know are coming (like the return of Michael the Wraith, and, for fuck's sake!, Carson Beckett), as well as answers to some questions. Also, they could at least throw us a bone about the Athosians. And last week's wacky return of a new incarnation of Weir is just dangling out there like a big, pink elephant.
I reiterate, what the hell is going on?
Let's see...Teyla's pregnancy is proving to be pretty damn interesting. Talk about crazy hormonal shit! As tense as the encounter with the Wraith queen was, it was nothing compared to the mere fact of Teyla and her baby being able to control a Wraith queen in the first place. Holy shit.
I hope Todd the Wraith actually did make it out in a dart before his ship hit the cloning facility. Now I wonder where he'll go and if he'll end up back in Atlantis anytime soon. [Follow-up: On second viewing, I caught that Todd did take off in a dart, but whether he got away or was captured by the other hive ship was uncertain. The question still remains, will we see him again?] But, back to the cloning facility - wasn't that place cool! Did the Wraith have just the one, because they couldn't get their life-sucking paws on any more ZPMs, or are there others somewhere in the galaxy? [More follow-up: It sounded like Todd was pretty sure there was only one of these bases, so they probably won't run across another. That's a shame, because that place was pretty fuckin' awesome it its total creepiness.]
Only two eps in since the mid-season break, and I'm getting impatient for things that I know are coming (like the return of Michael the Wraith, and, for fuck's sake!, Carson Beckett), as well as answers to some questions. Also, they could at least throw us a bone about the Athosians. And last week's wacky return of a new incarnation of Weir is just dangling out there like a big, pink elephant.
I reiterate, what the hell is going on?
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Fans confirm: SGA good
Yes, I've called awards shows mockable shit, but nonetheless, I think this is pretty cool: in a wankeriffic coup, Stargate Atlantis won the people's choice award for favourite scifi show. I even helped with that, casting my vote at least every day I remembered to go to the site. If you want to see the acceptance speech, featuring Jewel Staite (Keller), Joe Flanigan (Sheppard), David Hewlett (McKay) and Rachel Luttrell (Teyla), go here. (You'll have to scroll down to the right category, then select "view speech," then wait...and wait...and eventually it'll play.)
I wonder what they do with the little statue. Maybe the cast & crew pass it around for awhile, until it ends up in someone's attic, gathering dust between the trick trunk from Uncle Mort's old magic act and the dessicated remains of little Billy's third grade macaroni art masterpiece.
Good job, SGA! Also, new ep tomorrow night. Yay!
I wonder what they do with the little statue. Maybe the cast & crew pass it around for awhile, until it ends up in someone's attic, gathering dust between the trick trunk from Uncle Mort's old magic act and the dessicated remains of little Billy's third grade macaroni art masterpiece.
Good job, SGA! Also, new ep tomorrow night. Yay!
Friday, January 4, 2008
As if Rodney's mojo was ever in doubt
Like I don't have enough grey hair! If tonight's Stargate Atlantis is any indicator, the rest of this season is going to be a seriously insane ride, with a lot of time spent on pins & needles.
Really, there's just too much love to go around. A few helpful allies are one thing, but working with the Wraith and Larrin's people (the folks from "Travelers," who live in their ships and kidnap certain Lt. Colonels especially blessed with the ATA gene), and creating their own very cute and docile Replicator, just seems chaotic, not to mention crazy. I suppose that's why it actually worked. Well, at least the supergenius twins, McKay & Carter, were able to solve their little power outage issue. Of course, it's a damn shame they couldn't take a few of those ZPMs with them when McKay, Ronon and the Marines bugged out, since they didn't need them to overload after all.
It was no surprise that the Wraith didn't show up at the rendezvous point after the big battle. In fact, when the order to get the hell outa Dodge was relayed, I wondered what reason the Wraith would have for bothering with the post-battle shindig, so it was kind of nice to get confirmation that there was, in fact, no reason.
I actually got a little choked up when Ronon was all cute with Teyla, after she told him and Sheppard that she's pregnant. In an ep with so much - well, just so much, that interlude was a nice "human" moment.
And at the end, all I could do was wail, "What the fuck?!" I have no idea what to think about Replicator!Weir and the little project she's got going. In fact, I'm sorely tempted to seek out some spoilers. But I won't! Instead, I will wallow tensely in my own sweat as I await the next several episodes.
Ew. Let's just skip that visual.
Goddamn! What the hell is going on?!!
Really, there's just too much love to go around. A few helpful allies are one thing, but working with the Wraith and Larrin's people (the folks from "Travelers," who live in their ships and kidnap certain Lt. Colonels especially blessed with the ATA gene), and creating their own very cute and docile Replicator, just seems chaotic, not to mention crazy. I suppose that's why it actually worked. Well, at least the supergenius twins, McKay & Carter, were able to solve their little power outage issue. Of course, it's a damn shame they couldn't take a few of those ZPMs with them when McKay, Ronon and the Marines bugged out, since they didn't need them to overload after all.
It was no surprise that the Wraith didn't show up at the rendezvous point after the big battle. In fact, when the order to get the hell outa Dodge was relayed, I wondered what reason the Wraith would have for bothering with the post-battle shindig, so it was kind of nice to get confirmation that there was, in fact, no reason.
I actually got a little choked up when Ronon was all cute with Teyla, after she told him and Sheppard that she's pregnant. In an ep with so much - well, just so much, that interlude was a nice "human" moment.
And at the end, all I could do was wail, "What the fuck?!" I have no idea what to think about Replicator!Weir and the little project she's got going. In fact, I'm sorely tempted to seek out some spoilers. But I won't! Instead, I will wallow tensely in my own sweat as I await the next several episodes.
Ew. Let's just skip that visual.
Goddamn! What the hell is going on?!!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Exciting new television - The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Two Sundays from now (January 13), Fox airs the first part of the pilot for its new show, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Part two airs the following night. The Sarah Connor Chronicles is set following the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and will show Sarah and her teenage son, John, trying to prevent the creation of Skynet. They're protected by a seriously advanced terminator model sent back from the future, and pursued by an FBI agent who's convinced Sarah's batshit crazy.
If it's done well, it sounds like it could be pretty cool. I'm excited, at least, about the cast. Sarah is played by Lena Headey, who was the awesomely hot queen in 300. I've only seen her in a couple other things, but in addition to being very easy on the eyes, she's also pretty good at the acting. I hope she can be as badass as Linda Hamilton was in T2. Thomas Dekker (Claire's friend, Zach, from the first season of Heroes) is playing John, the 15-year-old who grows up to lead the resistance. Joining them is Summer Glau (Firefly's River), who plays a terminator programmed to protect John. Hopefully, that means we'll get to see her kick some serious ass.
As cool as it looks, I'm hoping it's not too cool for Fox, the same network that brought us - and prematurely took away - Firefly in 2002. But, it's early for me to be fretting about that; let the fretting wait until a few episodes have aired and I decide whether or not I like it.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles pilot part one, Sunday, January 13, 8p EST, on Fox.
If it's done well, it sounds like it could be pretty cool. I'm excited, at least, about the cast. Sarah is played by Lena Headey, who was the awesomely hot queen in 300. I've only seen her in a couple other things, but in addition to being very easy on the eyes, she's also pretty good at the acting. I hope she can be as badass as Linda Hamilton was in T2. Thomas Dekker (Claire's friend, Zach, from the first season of Heroes) is playing John, the 15-year-old who grows up to lead the resistance. Joining them is Summer Glau (Firefly's River), who plays a terminator programmed to protect John. Hopefully, that means we'll get to see her kick some serious ass.
As cool as it looks, I'm hoping it's not too cool for Fox, the same network that brought us - and prematurely took away - Firefly in 2002. But, it's early for me to be fretting about that; let the fretting wait until a few episodes have aired and I decide whether or not I like it.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles pilot part one, Sunday, January 13, 8p EST, on Fox.
Way to kick off the new year
The second half of Stargate Atlantis' season four begins Friday and, from what the commercials tease us with, it oughta be pretty damn exciting. Of course, the Wraith and the Replicators will be going at each other, with the unfortunate humans caught up in things. But much cooler than that is the return of two excellent characters, one of whom has been sorely missed. There's the very awesome and twisted Wraith, Michael. Last time we saw him, he was working a gig as an outcast mad scientist, in s3's "Vengeance," and I'm very psyched to see his return.
And then there's Carson Beckett. Holy cats! Now, Carson's dead; we watched him 'splode in s3's "Sunday" (some of us cried), saw his friends take his body back to Earth, and we've spent the first half of s4 adjusting to a new CMO. But there he is in the commercials, looking all, well, all alive! My guess is that this Carson (if he's real at all and not some hallucination or equally not-there trickery) has a shitload of nanites crawling around inside him. He's not exactly returned from the dead, but close to it. At this point, I'll take any Carson I can get, so regardless of how he's there, I'm just glad he's there. And when we find out he's a Replicator plant bent on the destruction of all the humans in Atlantis, then I'll be sad.
The first new ep airs this Friday, 10p EST, on the SciFi Channel. As a prelude, SciFi is showing the last three eps of s2 (for background on Michael), plus all of the first half of s4, starting at 8a.
Oh, hey, happy new year, btw!
And then there's Carson Beckett. Holy cats! Now, Carson's dead; we watched him 'splode in s3's "Sunday" (some of us cried), saw his friends take his body back to Earth, and we've spent the first half of s4 adjusting to a new CMO. But there he is in the commercials, looking all, well, all alive! My guess is that this Carson (if he's real at all and not some hallucination or equally not-there trickery) has a shitload of nanites crawling around inside him. He's not exactly returned from the dead, but close to it. At this point, I'll take any Carson I can get, so regardless of how he's there, I'm just glad he's there. And when we find out he's a Replicator plant bent on the destruction of all the humans in Atlantis, then I'll be sad.
The first new ep airs this Friday, 10p EST, on the SciFi Channel. As a prelude, SciFi is showing the last three eps of s2 (for background on Michael), plus all of the first half of s4, starting at 8a.
Oh, hey, happy new year, btw!
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