The Ramblings of Marx

'Aidan 5' Clones The IndieNet and Beyond... Again

2011-08-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

I chat with Aidan 5 stars Bryan Michael Block and Maya Sayre. Plus, Mighty Woman, The Guild, The LXD, Brothers Barbarian, Passenger, Rigamortis: A Zombie Love Story, Vampire Mob, and more.

Welcome to another clone-filled episode of… The IndieNet and Beyond! It’s news and web series episodes. Plus, this time I chat with the stars of the ‘sci-noir’ series Aidan 5, Bryan Michael Block and Maya Sayre.

The last time we spoke to someone working on Aidan 5, it was with some of the talent behind the camera, writer/director John Jackson and executive producer Ben Bays. This time, we talk to the talent in front of the camera, actors Bryan Michael Block and Maya Sayre. Aidan 5 is what the creators call a sci-noir series, but what does that mean? ...MORE

IndieNet and Beyond Turns Into A ‘Vampire Zombie Werewolf’

2011-01-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

This was a fun interview with the three stars and producers of the series Vampire Zombie Werewolf. Plus, Mortal Kombat, Mind's Eye and Death Battle!.

We are a few weeks into 2011 and we are catching the flu at The IndieNet and Beyond… or… are we just becoming a Vampire Zombie Werewolf? Are my fangs showing? How embarrassing? More news and web series episodes, plus an interview with the stars and producers of the web series Vampire Zombie Werewolf, which just had episode 5 premiere. This show was a Top Ten pick for 2010 by ScifiPulse and has been nominated for awards by Indie Intertube for 2010.

Last week, I interviewed the stars and creative minds behind Vampire Zombie Werewolf: Steven Lekowicz (“Tad,” Executive Producer/Writer), Tanya Ihnen (“Bunny,” Executive Producer) and Robb Padgett (“The Producer,” Writer/Director/Executive Producer/Composer/Editor). They wear many hats in the creation of this cleverly funny web series, and I could tell quickly during the conversation that they are all close friends.

Vampire Zombie Werewolf is an interesting title and and interesting concept. A web series producer visits a rich couple who will give him some big bucks to invest in a web series, but they have some of their own ideas about what it should be about. However, the Producer quickly learns that this isn’t a normal yuppie couple, but rather two people who are Vampire, Zombie and Werewolf all rolled up into one. He finds it difficult to escape as he learns how they became such beings, which turns into a hilarious story poking fun at some iconic monsters. But where did this odd idea even come from?... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond Looks Into The Future

2011-01-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

This week on my column at ScifiPulse I introduce my new big writing & directing project, the scifi web series Reality On Demand. Plus, new episodes of some of my favorite web series.

We are a couple of weeks into 2011, so it is time for a look to the future with The IndieNet and Beyond! More news and web series episodes, plus a look at a new web series close to me. We have some very fun interviews coming up the next few weeks, but I would like to take a little time this week to talk about a new project that hopefully you’ll want to hear about: Reality On Demand.

Web series and other types of new media storytelling have come a long way over the last few years. While the concept of the web series is still relatively young, the leaps that have happened since the first advertiser-supported web series that premiered (The Spot,1995), or the first companion web series—or as the WGA calls it, Derivative New Media—(Homicide: Second Shift, a tie-in to Homicide: Life on the Street), have been amazing. ... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond – Top Ten Web Series of 2010

2010-12-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

It was hard narrowing it down to the top ten (plus one) web series, but it's a solid list of web series worth checking out.

The New Year is almost here, so what better time is there to take a look back at some of the best scifi-related web series 2010 gave us. Plus, new web series episodes to take us into 2011. It is even more fitting that we take a look at the top ten now, because this is actually the 10^th installment of “The IndieNet and Beyond.”

I want to start this with a disclaimer: the year of 2010 has given us such a wide range of web series as the concept of the web original grows, that it was tough nailing down just 10. In fact, I could have easily made this list 20, just with scifi/fantasy/horror themes. They are only roughly in any particular order, and there are plenty of shows that almost made this list. But I stuck with ten, since people tend to like top ten lists better than top twenty lists. (Who knew?)... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond Versus Star Trek, Batman, and Quantum Leap

2010-12-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

I recently had a chance to speak with Indiana filmmaker Christopher Allen. It was a lot of fun chatting with him about indie filmmaking and fan films.

Christmas approaches, but you get your present early with a visit to The IndieNet and Beyond! More news and web series episodes, plus an interview with Christopher Allen, the director/writer of the fan films Star Trek Versus Batman and Quantum Leap: A Leap To Di For. They are not traditional web series (can you use the word traditional with web series?), but they are independently created and on the Internet for all to see.
Christopher Allen is an Indiana independent filmmaker who has been making films for years. He has made the more traditional format of feature films with A Certain Justice (2003) and A Time for the Heart (2009), but what got him noticed in LA was when he started making fan films that were put on the Internet. He started playing the fan film world in 2006 with Star Trek Versus Batman. The concept would seem unusual by itself, but even more so when you realize it is the 1960′s Star Trek versus the 1960′s Batman. Where did that idea come from?

“The spark that started it all was a life time of watching Star Trek reruns and Batman reruns on TV in the mid-late seventies and early eighties,” explained Allen. “I was a kid then and the only thing we really had to watch in those days [was Batman and Star Trek]. Before the blizzard of all the cable channels we have now…we only had three or four channels to choose from.” ... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond Visits The ‘Asylum’

2010-12-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

This week I speak with Dan Williams, the creator/writer/producer of the new web series, Asylum. Which has quickly become one of my favorite new web series. Enjoy the interview!

It’s time for another fun visit to “The IndieNet and Beyond.” We have more news and the newest web series episodes, plus an interview with Dan Williams, the creator/writer/producer of the new web series Asylum. A procedural, with elements of scifi and mystery. The series premiered December 10th, 2010.
“Asylum is an all new dramatic series that takes place at a hospital for the criminally insane. This is a place where really the most difficult cases in the state go to and because of that the doctors are really left on their own to do what they want and have sort of unorthodox methods of treating the patients,” explained Williams. “When we start off the series, there has been an outbreak of violence at the hospital. So that has caused an officer from the Department of Mental Health to be sent there to check things out and see what is going on. We follow him as he does some digging to find out what is going on in this hospital.”

The series looks very professional and you could probably stick it up on a TV and easily convince someone they are watching a show on ABC or FOX (but then you would fear for its inevitable cancellation by FOX). This creepy series has a sort of X-Files feel and Williams admits he was influenced by that particular cult favorite when it came to the structure of the series.

“I’m a huge X-Files fan. It was one of my favorite shows growing up. We definitely tried to embody that model that the episodes stand alone in that we meet a patient, we figure out what is wrong with them and we see them try to treat that patient. But there is also this overarching mythology throughout this whole series: about the hospital, about the doctors, and about some secrets they’re keeping,” said Williams. ... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond: The ‘Cursed’ Interview

2010-12-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

This week I speak to Yuri Brown, creator/writer/star of the new supernatural web series Cursed.

Hello world wide web! It’s time for another installment of “The IndieNet and Beyond.” More of the news and newest web series episodes you are used to, including an interview with Yuri Brown. She is the creator/writer/star of the new supernatural web series Cursed. The series is scheduled to premiere this Wednesday evening, December 8^th.
The series is about an angel incarnate, Crystal Jones, who struggles between a life of being a single mom and a killer of killers. It’s a balancing act between her loved ones and her desire to ascend. Yuri Brown (Deliver Us from Eva) stars in and writes this new web series, which is directed by Jeff Kanew (Revenge of the Nerds).

“[It's] about a fallen angel. She’s an Earth angel that… is cursed. She desperately wants to break the curse and be close to God again,” explained Brown. “So she is sort of on this path and the way that she feels she will be able to redeem herself is by killing bad guys. She feels that if she shows God that she doesn’t stand with them and that she willing to be a destroyer of evil that he’ll reclaim her.”

But things aren’t as simple as just hunting down the bad guys for redemption. She has earthly ties that complicate things: a son, a father, and a lover. ... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond: Inside The Mind of ‘Mind’s Eye’

2010-12-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

Hello world! This week I got to chat with Thomas Gofton, creator/producer/director/editor of the new web series Mind's Eye. It was a fun chat and the web series is an ambitious one. Enjoy!

Hello my online friends. It’s time for another installment of “The IndieNet and Beyond.” Along with the usual news and newest web series episodes, there is an interview with Thomas Gofton. He is the creator/producer/director/editor of the new web series Mind’s Eye, a new fantasy web series that premiered on Friday November 26^th. All new episodes go online every Friday until the season finale on May 6^th 2011.
I ran across Mind’s Eye almost by accident a few weeks ago when I saw the trailer. It really caught my eye and imagination, so I just had to track down the creator for a little chat.
The series is about a young introverted boy named Illia Fairchild (Nik MacMillan) and his journeys through life with his childhood friends. Gofton describes it as a normal coming of age story, except… “There is a little bit of a twist of what is going on, because there is an overtone of angelic and demonic forces that are trying to take this boy that was prophesied as the chosen one,” Gofton revealed. ... MORE

The IndieNet and Beyond: Advice From Felicia Day

2010-11-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

Another week, another installment of my new column on ScifiPulse. Enjoy!

Hello online world! It’s time for another edutainment installment of “The IndieNet and Beyond.”

I had something different planned for today, but ScifiPulse had an opportunity during a conference call to ask Felicia Day, creator of The Guild, a question about web series so the topic took a slight turn.

Now if you somehow don’t know who Felicia Day is, then here is a quick primer. The actress is best known on TV by scifi fans as Vi on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her guest appearances on Dollhouse. She starred in Joss Whedon’s uber-successful Internet musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and, of course, created/wrote/starred in the highly successful web series The Guild. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Web Television, so she knows a thing or two about web series.
There are probably a few of you reading this right now that are thinking about creating a web series of your own. So we asked Felicia what advice would she give to people out there that are planning to do their own web series... more

The IndieNet And Beyond: The Beginning

2010-10-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

I have a new column on ScifiPulse. Enjoy!

Welcome to the first installment of “The IndieNet and Beyond,” where I talk about the growing way we are getting our entertainment fix. Whether it is on your desktop computer, laptop, iphone, ipad, or whatever gadget you use, we are getting more and more of our entertainment from the Internet. For many years now, I have believed that it is not only the inevitable replacement of many traditional forms of media outlets, but it is also the future for independent creators to distribute their content.

And that is truly what this new column is about: the future of independent creators. Primarily indie filmmaking, since I have the most experience in that area, but really anything creative and uploaded to the web is open to discussion—web series, webcomics, and more. I’ll find it and tell you about it and I’ll also interview the creators so we get into the minds of those who are pioneering unexplored ideas on the Internet... more

SILENCE OF THE BELLE at ArtBeat

2010-08-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that SILENCE OF THE BELLE has been selected by the Mid America Filmmakers to show twice during ArtBeat, Saturday, August 28th at the Century Center’s Recital Hall in downtown South Bend.

Silence of the Belle - Auditions

2009-10-18T02:26:00.000-07:00

From the makers of "Batman | Metaphors" and "victimEYES" comes the dramedy "Silence of the Belle."

Below is all the information you need to know if you are interested in auditioning.

Short Synopsis: Belle struggles over leaving her current boyfriend, who cheated on her, or going back to a 'bad boy' ex. After a shocking accident at work, she awakens in an odd hospital and finds her herself in a bizarre silent film world where she thinks she has found her dream man, but instead finds danger.

The film is a unique mishmash of modern day dramedy with classic silent film horror and even a touch of old school Kung Fu movie mixed in...

Area of Media: HD short film for festival release

Director/Producer: Marx Pyle (Batman Metaphors, Winter's Sleep, The Break)
Director of Photography: Neil Kellen (Batman Metaphors, Forever)
Casting: Julie Pyle (Bloomington)

Audition Locations and Times:

Saturday October 24th (11:00am-4:00pm Central)
Holiday Inn Conference Center
4101 US Hwy 41 North
Evansville, IN 47711
*Walk-ins welcome, but you may also make an Appointment

Sunday October 25th (2:00pm-4:00pm Central)
Henderson County Public Library
101 S Main St
Henderson, KY
*Appointment Only - please email to set up appointment

Shooting Locations: Evansville, IN and Henderson, KY area
Shoot Dates: Filming will be on weekends (avoiding holiday weekends) in
November and December.
Script Availability: Pick-up or E-mail (.pdf file)

Contact Information
Email: silenceofthebelle@gmail.com
Phone: 812.306.6085

Submission Instructions: Open to all demographics, unless otherwise specified. Please submit by e-mail or phone (e-mail preferred). Resumes and headshots are appreciated. Walk-ins are welcome on October 24th, but appointments only on October 25th. If you cannot make it to the audition, you may request a video audition. Call backs will have to be in person. Thank you.

Character Descriptions

[BELLE] [GENDER: FEMALE] [AGE: 20-30]

Belle is an intelligent, optimistic and charming woman. She works in tech support at her company. Belle has a highly active imagination, which leads to some well... odd behavior at times. She also has the uncanny ability to pick terrible men to date. She sort of knows this, since her friend Louise constantly reminds her, but it still hasn’t really sunk in. Oh, and she can fix a PC like nobody’s business, but tends to be a little accidental.

[LOUISE] [GENDER: FEMALE] [AGE: 25-40]

Louise works with Belle. She is sort of a big sister to her and is always giving her advice, but finds it doesn’t always stick. Louise is a strong woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

[DON / HANDSOME DOCTOR] [GENDER: MALE] [AGE: 20-35]

Don is a successful businessman who can’t keep his pants on. He says all of the right things and has looks that can melt any woman’s heart… and he knows it. The Handsome Doctor is played by the same actor as Don. He nurses a recovering Belle and wouldn’t mind playing doctor with her after she feels better.

[MARK / MYSTERIOUS MAN] [GENDER: MALE] [AGE: 20-35]

Mark is a ‘bad boy’ ex who is a talented musician. He is adventurous and mysterious, but unfortunately he likes to party to the extreme, by way of illegal pharmaceuticals.

The Mysterious Man is played by the same actor as Mark. He is a seductive and mysterious flute player who hides in the shadows of a closed wing inside the hospital. But the dark side of his personality shows through with his disfigured face. He is quick to anger and is happy to replace his loving flute with his lethal
blade.

[THE SEDUCTRESS] [GENDER: FEMALE] [AGE: 20-35]

A beautiful woman that tries to tempt Belle's man away. Few can resist her charms and even fewer would want to try.

[ANDREW / MALE NURSE] [GENDER: MALE] [AGE: 20-50]

Andrew works in the same office as Belle and Louise. He is constantly annoyed that no one at work ever seems to remember his name.

[CORDELIA / FEMALE NURSE][GENDER: FEMALE] [AGE: 20-50]

Cordelia works in the same office as Belle and Louise. She would rather be anywhere than at this dull office job. She often hangs out with her co-worker... what's his name.

New Film

2009-10-13T00:05:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a new film.

I'll be announcing the details soon... very soon.

Batman | Metaphors

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished working on a fan film called "Batman | Metaphors." You can find more information about that film at: http://batmanmetaphors.com

I'm Back!!!

2009-10-12T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hello world. I've launched a new website called (surprise) MarxPyle.com and I'm going to start posting again to this blog. I doubt I'll post very often, but we'll see.

Casting Call For ‘Bloomington’

2009-02-17T00:18:00.000-08:00

This upcoming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Feb. 20-22 in Evansville, IN) there will be auditions for the HD feature length film called “Bloomington.” Four of the leads are being cast in LA, but the rest of the leads and supporting characters are going to be cast in Indiana.

Below is all the info you need to know if you are interested in auditioning.

Short Synopsis: “Bloomington” is a coming-of-age drama that examines the trials an ex-child star goes through as she attempts to figure out the second act in her life. JACKIE KIRK, a former child actress, moves away from California and attends college in search of independence and personal growth. She then becomes romantically involved with a professor. Their relationship thrives until an opportunity to return to acting forces her to make life-altering decisions.

Union: SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement (SAG or non-SAG actors welcome)
Area of Media: HD feature length film for theatrical release
Production Company: Frontier Studios
Director: Fernanda Cardoso

Audition Locations:

Evansville - Evansville Civic Theatre Annex
Indianapolis - location to be announced soon

Shooting Locations: Indianapolis & Bloomington
Script Availability: Pick-up or E-mail (.pdf file)

Contact Information:

Civic Theatre Annex at Washington Square Mall
1138 Washington Sq
Evansville, IN 47715
Phone: 812.774.2611
E-mail: bloomingtonfilmcasting@gmail.com

Casting in Evansville:

Friday, February 20, 2009 (11am-4:30pm)
Saturday, February 21, 2009 (11am-7:30pm)
Sunday, February 22, 2009 (11am-4:30pm)

Casting in Indianapolis area: TBA

Submission Instructions: Open to all demographics, unless otherwise specified. Please submit by e-mail or phone (e-mail preferred). Resumes and headshots are appreciated. Walk-ins are welcome in Evansville on February 20 and 21, but appointments only on February 22. Thank you.

[RACHEL] [GENDER: Female] [AGE: 18-22]

Friendly and always upbeat, she is a college freshman, a classmate of Jackie’s, also part of the same study team. Sweet, sensitive, the peacemaker in the group, she wants to make sure that Jackie doesn’t feel uncomfortable…LEAD

[SANDY] [GENDER: Female] [AGE: 18-22]

Outgoing and bohemian looking, she is also a college freshman, a friend of Rachel, and part of the study team that includes Jackie. Contentious without meaning to, she feels that Jackie has an edge over the others since she really doesn’t have to go to college and get a job like she and her friends. Later, a catty Sandy makes fun of Jackie’s relationship with Catherine…LEAD

[ZACH] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 18-22]

Almost a “class clown,” he is a college freshman, part of Jackie, Rachel and Sandy’s study team. Phil obviously likes Jackie and asks if she would accompany him to a good old-fashioned college party, where there will be lots of drinking. The two later wind up at his dorm…LEAD

[PHIL] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 18-22]

A college freshman, a little too inquisitive and somewhat annoying and confrontational, he is part of Jackie, Rachel, Sandy and Zach’s study team.

[PROF. HECHT] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 55-65]

Male, in his late 50s, he is a dean with the College of Arts and Sciences at the university. Head of his department, he looks very tired; there is a certain weariness about his demeanor.

[PROFESSOR NEWBERRY] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 35-45]

He is a psychology professor at the university whom the students do not afford much respect.

[TEACHING ASSISTANT] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 22-30]

He is Catherine’s teaching assistant, a smiling, overly polite young man who feels uncomfortable and somewhat pitying when he learns that Catherine has no real plans for the Christmas break.

[BILL WHITTEN] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 30-40]

He is a slick film producer. He effusively welcomes Jackie to his apartment where he’s throwing a party.

[LAURA] [GENDER: Female] [AGE: 25-35]

She is the overly outgoing hostess at a film producer’s apartment. She tries, in vain, to make small talk with Catherine.

[TOMMY] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 20-25]

This good looking, and star-struck young actor auditions with Jackie.

[STEPFATHER] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 40-50]

He is Lillian’s husband, Jackie’s well-meaning stepfather.

[PETE] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 4-7]

This lively kid, seen at a family get-together, tries to engage Jackie in conversation.

[UNCLE KEITH] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 38-50]

Jackie’s uncle, he is a jovial, but none too bright fellow, who thinks Jackie’s hit TV series is still on the air.

[OLD AUNT] [GENDER: Female] [AGE: 45-55]

She is one of Jackie’s relatives, seen at a family dinner.

[FEMALE RELATIVE & MALE RELATIVE] [GENDER: Female & Male] [AGE: 30-50]

These two relatives of Jackie’s, seen at a family dinner, inquire about Jackie’s plans.

[OLDER FEMALE RELATIVE] [GENDER: Female] [AGE: 40-55]

This older female relative remembers fondly when Jackie was just a youngster.

[R.A.] [GENDER: Female or Male] [AGE: 20-25]

This university Resident Assistant leads Jackie to her dorm room, surprised that Jackie got a single room. Slightly confrontational attitude.

[T.J.] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 18-22]

A college frat-guy, he is a friendly sort, a friend of Zach.

[MALE STUDENT] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 18-24]

He is an organized, eager-to-impress male student.

[MAN] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 28-35]

Dressed-up but a little drunk, he has accompanied Catherine home for the evening.

[LIBRARY ATTENDANT] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 25-35]

He is a sleepy library attendant who does a double take after recognizing Jackie as a TV star.

[REPORTER] [GENDER: Male] [AGE: 25-35]

He is a hip-looking male reporter who interviews Jackie about her return to Hollywood.

[FEMALE REPORTER] [GENDER: Female] [AGE: 26-35]

She is a good-looking Katie Couric type who interviews Jackie about her new movie.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Queen

2008-09-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

Oops, I forgot to post this link until now. Here you go.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Queen

The Atlantis team arranges a meeting with everyone's favorite Wraith … Todd the Wraith (Christopher Heyerdahl).

The team proposes a plan to help both the Wraith, who are fighting over food, and the humans, who don't want to be said food. Dr. Keller (Jewel Staite) has made a breakthrough after studying Michael's research. Gene therapy that will allow Wraith to gain sustenance from 'normal' food; in essence negating the need to feed on humans. Todd is skeptical, but agrees to the plan...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' – Whispers

2008-09-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Stagate Atlantis review. Enjoy!

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' – Whispers

"All we need is the prom queen and the kid in the wheelchair." -– John Sheppard
Things take a scary twist this week on "Stargate: Atlantis."
Dr. 'Clone' Beckett (Paul McGillion) is visiting Atlantis and drafted to join Sheppard on a mission to help out an all-female team that has discovered one of Michael's discarded 'mad scientist' labs...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Shrine

2008-08-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I have new Stargate Atlantis review up at SyFy Portal.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Shrine

After being stuck on top of a Stargate in a flooded valley, McKay falls ill. He is stricken with the Pegasus version of Alzheimer's called "Second Childhood" and is quickly losing his memories.
McKay's sister, Jeannie, is brought to Atlantis to say her final goodbyes to her dying brother.
But Ronon has a risky plan. His people know of a shrine located on the planet Talus that would allow McKay to return to normal for one day before he dies... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: Firbreather #2

2008-08-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

Here is a new comic book review from me. Enjoy!

Firebreather #2

Being the child of a divorced family is tough. Especially when your dad happens to be a giant fire-breathing dragon.

Issue #2 picks up soon after the last issue with Duncan's mom embarrassing him by forcing him to bring cupcakes, on his sixteenth birthday, to high school. As if that wasn't bad enough, his mom finds the gold that he "hoarded" from his dad's stash of treasure... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Stargate Atlantis Gets Canceled!

2008-08-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Why? Oh TV gods...why?

'Stargate: Atlantis' Canceled, Will Gate Into Movies

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - Ghost In The Machine

2008-08-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

Here is another review from me on Stargate Atlantis.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - Ghost In The Machine

The SGA team is flying away from a planet apparently filled with flying monkeys when the puddlejumper goes berserk. For a few moments, things look pretty bad for the team, but they manage to mysteriously regain control.
However, things take a stranger turn when the same bizarre malfunctions infect the entire city of Atlantis. The malfunctions turn out to be a ghost in the machine going by the name of Elizabeth Weir. [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

R Slashed To PG-13 For 'Punisher: War Zone'?

2008-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Here is another news story for SyFy Portal. Sounds like they are having some trouble behind the scenes or are these just rumors gone out of control???

R Slashed To PG-13 For 'Punisher: War Zone'?

The upcoming "Punisher: War Zone" movie is taking a beating and may turn into as ugly of a mess as disfigured archenemy Jigsaw's face by the time the movie hits the big screen.
SyFy Portal had previously reported that Punisher was going to get more adult with the influence of Garth Ennis' very dark take on the Punisher, but boy have things changed since then.
It started when Thomas Jane, who played Frank Castle/Punisher in the previous Punisher film, opted to leave "War Zone" and was replaced by Ray Stevenson ("Rome").
Then, Lionsgate allegedly removed director Lexi Alexander from post-production. Her Web site seemed to confirm the news with a cryptic message on her blog showing a picture of three monkeys in “See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil” pose. [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Is Carter A 'Baddie' In 'Terminator Salvation'?

2008-08-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I have a story up at SyFy Portal.

Is Carter A 'Baddie' In 'Terminator Salvation'?

Helena Bonham Carter ("Sweeney Todd") recently joined the cast of McG's "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" prequel. She wouldn't tell SciFi Wire much about her character, except that she is not a nice person.
"I kind of play a baddie, definitely a baddie," Bonham Carter said in an interview. "I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, but I'm a very bad person."
At the last minute, Carter replaced Tilda Swinton in the film. When she was offered the role, she felt like she couldn't say no because her longtime partner Tim Burton "would have killed me if I hadn't done it because he's such a 'Terminator' fan." [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Daedalus Variations

2008-08-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

I have a new Stargate Atlantis review up at SyFy Portal.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Daedalus Variations

An abandoned duplicate of the Daedalus appears in orbit. The team goes up to the ship to explore, only to be transported to an alternate reality.
The episode quickly turns into a race against time, as McKay has to figure out how to get them back before they get stranded in a random parallel universe.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team has to fight to keep the team alive as they jump (and back again) through four different realities: one reality that has no Atlantis, one that has Atlantis being attacked by a mysterious and deadly alien ship, one that has Atlantis swallowed up by a giant red sun and one where the planet has been turned into nothing but an asteroid field.
The fact that they find a dead duplicate Atlantis team doesn't exactly help them feel better about their odds.... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Hosting SyFy Radio!

2008-07-29T19:54:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!

I have a some cool news. Julie and I will be hosting SyFy Radio tomorrow! So, please feel free to check out the show. It is Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on BlogTalkRadio.

You can find it at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/syfyradio

The show airs live and then is archived on the site and over on iTunes.

Also, I always have the newest show over on the right side of this blog.

Please give it a listen. If you are listening to it live, then please feel free to give us a call.

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' – Broken Ties

2008-07-29T14:55:00.001-07:00

Hello world!

I have a new review for Stargate Atlantis up at SyFy Portal.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' – Broken Ties

Ronon faces the ultimate betrayal, and Teyla must decide her future with the team.
When I first heard the preview this episode, "The unthinkable happens, when Ronon is captured," I couldn't help but roll my eyes. You mean like in "Sateda"? Now that episode rocked, but the preview made it seem like it was retreading over an old storyline. So, I didn't have high hopes for this episode. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

'Pushing Daisies' Gets Around In Second Season

2008-07-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I have a new story up at SyFy Portal.

'Pushing Daisies' Gets Around In Second Season

The second season of ABC's fantasy series "Pushing Daisies" is quickly approaching, and it will be taking us to some truly offbeat locations.
"The setting for the first one is in, like, a Burt's Bees massive factory of bee products," Lee Pace (Ned the Piemaker) told Scifi Wire. "The killer is killing people with a swarm of bees. The second episode takes place in the circus. The third episode is at the nunnery."
Co-star Anna Friel (Chuck), who by the way was nominated for a SyFy Genre Award for Best TV Actress, said that the loving couple will be all decked out in beekeeper suits from the very first scene of the first episode... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

All 'Heroes' Have A Villain Inside Them

2008-07-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I have a "Heroes" news story up on the web.

All 'Heroes' Have A Villain Inside Them

Enough with these silly heroes, it's time for the villains to shine. At least that's what the writers of "Heroes" seem to be thinking in regards to the upcoming third season.
Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura) told SciFi Wire that the third season's subtitle of "Villains" isn't just referring to the bad guys, but also to the little villain inside us all.... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Seed

2008-07-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

Here is my review for episode two of season five of "Stargate Atlantis."

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - The Seed

A new commander comes to Atlantis, and an old teammate is brought out of stasis.
Dr. Keller becomes obsessed with finding the formula to heal Dr. Beckett after receiving Michael's research notes from the last episode. But it takes a push from the new boss, Woolsey, to convince her to try it.
Success! Beckett returns to the living, and just in time. Keller has an alien disease that is growing out of her like a plant from a seed. The final product ... a Wraith ship. It looks like everyone who was on Michael's planet from the last episode is infected. So, while the "A Team" is in quarantine, the "B Team" has to find a way to cure Keller... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

ABC's 'Life On Mars' Changes More Than Just Accent

2008-07-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Another day and another story on SyFy Portal.

ABC's 'Life On Mars' Changes More Than Just Accent

The upcoming Americanized version of the British "Life on Mars" television show will go through a number of changes, including location and possibly the very reason that a 21st century police detective finds himself in the 1970s.

The American version changes locations, moving the story to New York instead of Manchester, England. But that isn't the only changes being made. [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

'Lost' Plays Catch Up

2008-07-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

I have another story up at SyFy Portal.

'Lost' Plays Catch Up

The writer's strike made a number of science-fiction shows change their original plans for the season. ABC's "Lost" suffered more from the strike than many of the other shows on that network. Instead of airing 17 episodes last season, "Lost" was stopped at 14.

But, ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson told SciFi Wire that "Lost" would get to make up for those three episodes that didn't air. [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Ratings Victory For 'Stargate: Atlantis'

2008-07-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hi world!

Here is another news story I did for SyFy Portal. Good news for "Stargate: Atlantis."

Ratings Victory For 'Stargate: Atlantis'

The Season 5 premiere of "Stargate Atlantis" had 1.8 million viewers last Friday, up 6 percent over the Season 4 premiere in September 2007 making it the winner in its 10 p.m. timeslot among cable networks... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Prepare To Be Adapted: Marvel v. DC: The Animated Series

2008-07-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Another installment of my column, Prepare To Be Adapted.

Prepare To Be Adapted: Marvel v. DC: The Animated Series

It's time for part II on my discussion about the endless battle (at least in the mind of fans) against Marvel and DC....[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - Search And Rescue

2008-07-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I have a new Stargate Atlantis review up at SyFy Portal.

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - Search And Rescue

Finally, it's time for the premiere of season five of "Stargate: Atlantis." We were left with quite the cliffhanger as the rescue team needed rescuing after a booby trap knocked an entire building on top of them... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Iron Clad Deal For 'Iron Man 2'

2008-07-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

It's another day, which means it's time for another story for SyFy Portal.

Iron Clad Deal For 'Iron Man 2'

"Iron Man" blasted away the competition when it hit theaters, making over $98 million on opening weekend and grossing over $ 312 million domestically to date. Needless to say, Marvel Studios is eager to get started on the sequel.

However, the sequel hit a bump when "Iron Man" director Jon Faveau wanted more money. Luckily, according to Dark Horizons, Marvel Studios and Favreau have apparently reached a deal for the sequel scheduled in 2010... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Angel: After the Fall #10

2008-07-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I have a new comic book review up at Comics Bulletin.

Angel: After the Fall #10

It's the day after the big fight from last issue and Angel has a bizarre dream. In a scene stylized after comic books of yore, we see a superhero Spike and his side kick Connor saving a woman. In the distance Angel, as an old man, watches on, wishing he still had his vampire powers. Angel snaps awake wishing he would stop eating before bedtime.

Angel is struggling to recover from his injuries and adapting to the new status quo... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Kindler: 'Sanctuary' Experiences Creative Regenesis

2008-07-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

Here is a news story I recently did for SyFy Portal.

Kindler: 'Sanctuary' Experiences Creative Regenesis

SciFi Channel has a new show in development for a fall premiere, but you may have already seen it on the Web.
No, this isn't another victim of online piracy; instead it's the Web series "Sanctuary."
But even if you have already seen the eight Webisodes available online, executive producer Damian Kindler guarantees that what is seen on the TV screen will be 98 percent rebooted... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Del Toro: 'The Hobbit 2' Faces Legal Monster

2008-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hi world!

Here is a news story written by me for SyFy Portal.

Del Toro: 'The Hobbit 2' Faces Legal Monster

The legal battles surrounding the world of "The Hobbit" continues ...
Director Guillermo del Toro ("Hellboy," "Pan's Labyrinth") told SciFi Wire about his plans for directing two Lord of the Rings prequel films. The first will be based solely on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit." The second film will act as a bridge by focusing on events hinted at in the books that led up to Lord of the Rings.
But copyright restrictions limit del Toro to only "The Hobbit" and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings. That means "The Silmarillion," completed by Tokien's son, which offers backstory and mythology, plus any other Tolkien writings, are off limits... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Ultimates 3 #4

2008-07-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks!

I have another review up on Comics Bulletin.

Ultimates 3 #4

A good chunk of the team has gone after Magneto, who stole the body of Scarlet Witch. There they join forces with Ka-Zar and Shanna's army. Thor shows off his arsenal of hammers. Wolverine knows something is up with Black Panther. Roboto Iron Man, which is about to attack Wasp, gets trashed by Roboto Captain America who then gets trashed by Ant-Man. Ant-Man reveals a 'Secret Invasion' of robot doubles. Hawkeye is still all suicidal. Thor goes head to head with Magneto and learns that an iron hammer and armor is a bad thing to take to a fight against a mutant with magnetism powers.

Well, before I get into the negative (you know things are going to be bad when I start off like that), I want to start off positive... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Supernatural: Rising Son #3

2008-07-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

Here is another one of my reviews on Comics Bulletin. Enjoy!

Supernatural: Rising Son #3

"Your son. He is special." -- Silas

Last time we were left with a cliffhanger of gigantic proportions as John was being attacked by a demonic, colossal humanoid train golem (or something like that), while Sam is having something magical done to him by his demon possessed teacher. Luckily, 12-year old Dean pops up and helps his dad exorcize the demons. John calls his old friend Bobby for a place to stay and a lead on help. It is becoming obvious that the demons see Sam as special. John is determined to find out why... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Prepare To Be Adapted - Marvel Vs. DC: The Movie

2008-06-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Here is the newest installment of my column over at SyFy Portal. Enjoy!

Prepare To Be Adapted - Marvel Vs. DC: The Movie

As the Big Two comic book publishers, Marvel and DC fans have always pit the two in an imaginary fight.
So, how is that fight going?
Well, lately it looks like Marvel is giving DC a pounding in both the big screen and in comic books.
If we take a look a the top 10 money makers (in theaters) of comic book adaptations we find a top 10 list with only two DC properties ("Batman" and "Batman Begins"). But, I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming "Dark Knight" also makes the top 10 or at least comes close. We also have six Marvel properties (the three "Spider-Man" movies, two of the "X-Men" movies, and the recently released "Iron Man" movie). Ouch... [movie]

Until next time... Marx out.

'Punisher' Gets Adult In 'War Zone'

2008-06-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hi world!

I have another SyFy Portal news story up on the web.

'Punisher' Gets Adult In 'War Zone'

The buzz on "Punisher: War Zone" is growing on the Web. Between the interviews and the trailer, fans are starting to give their opinions, both good and bad.
So, how does this follow-up to 2004's "The Punisher" differ? [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Angel: After the Fall #9

2008-06-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Howdy all!

Here is another review I did for Comics Bulletin:

Angel: After the Fall #9

Wow, it didn't take long for this issue to come out. Right on the heels of the "First Night" 3-issue interlude story arc that filled in what happened right after the season five finale, we now get the finale of the first story arc for "After the Fall" (aka Season 6). And what a story it is.

I've enjoyed the series so far, but with no budget limits, the new hellish setting and the Fang Gang no longer together it just didn't feel like "Angel" anymore. But happily this issue heralds a new direction that finally brings back the show I know and love... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Pilot Season: Genius #1

2008-06-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

I have another review over on Comics Bulletin:

Pilot Season: Genius #1

LAPD detective Reggie has a theory, that a natural born military genius is uniting the various gangs in an organized war against the LAPD. He calls him Suspect Zero. Unbeknownst to Reggie, Subject Zero is actually an inner city 17-year-old black woman named Destiny.

Destiny sees three steps ahead of anyone. She was raised in a rough part of the city and she is tired of what she has seen. She has a plan and it starts now... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Justice League of America #22

2008-06-22T23:09:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

I have a new review at Comics Bulletin. This time I'm one of three reviewers in the Sunday Slugfest.

Justice League of America #22

"And here we go again." – Red Tornado

Ah, those first words uttered by Red Tornado in this issue are so true. It does feel like we did this before. Now, I'm happy to see a return to the Red Tornado centered story that started off this entire series, but it's going to need some extra twists and turns to keep my interest.

The issue starts at The Hall of Justice as the disembodied Red Tornado and his significant other Kathy are talking about their relationship. Also, we learn Red Tornado is a bit of a voyeur. Huh? [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Hack / Slash #12

2008-06-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hello surfers!

Here is a new review from me:

Hack / Slash #12

It's a threesome crossover as the Hack & Vlad team crossover with Fangoria's Bump, plus an odd appearance by Evan Dorkin's Milk & Cheese. Part one of this two part story leads the Slasher hunters to Hitchfield, Georgia to investigate the slaughter of thirty environmental protestors (aka tree huggers)...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

SyFy Radio

2008-06-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Howdy world,

I just want to let people know that I've recently become a producer for SyFy Radio. It is a fun online radio show that can be found here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/syfyradio

I also have the newest show up on the blog over on the right side. Check it out when you get chance.

Thanks and...

Until next time... Marx out.

B.P.R.D. -- War on Frogs #1

2008-06-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Another day, another review on Comics Bulletin...

B.P.R.D. -- War on Frogs #1

War on Frogs #1 is the first of four one-shot pick-ups from the two-part story from MySpace / Dark Horse Presents. This story takes place before the events of B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame and chronicles the B.P.R.D.'s (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) fight against the frog monsters via the perspective of each member. The lead character in this issue (since Abe Sapien refuses to go back into the field) is Roger the Homunculus. So, everyone's favorite gray undead dude who needs pants lays the smack down on two frog monsters with a mother complex in Cavendish Hall... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Pilot Season: Lady Pendragon

2008-06-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Pilot Season 2008 is from Top Cow, where six different "pilot" one-shots come out and readers vote which two get the green light for a series run. A cool idea, if you ask me.

Here is my review for the second contestant:

Pilot Season: Lady Pendragon

So, will there be a tomorrow for Lady Pendragon? That is the question for this newest contestant in Top Cow's 2008 Pilot Season. There are six contestants, but only two will continue on.

For the first five pages we get a "previously on..." type recap. You see Lady Pendragon isn't new. Lady Dragon first popped up in 1995. Now Hawkins is bringing it back for Pilot Season and -- who knows -- maybe as a new ongoing series. [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Prepare To be Adapted: Raiders Of The Creators Rights, Part II

2008-06-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

The newest installment of my column on SyFy Portal:

Prepare To be Adapted: Raiders Of The Creators Rights, Part II

In Part I. the topic was creator ownership. In my hurry last time I didn't get a chance to talk about one of the most infamous legal comic book battles of all time ... Superman vs. Captain Marvel... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Nolan: Joker Is A 'Dark Knight' Punk

2008-06-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

I've been very busy on SyFy Portal this week:

Nolan: Joker Is A 'Dark Knight' Punk

Christopher Nolan, the writer/director of "The Dark Knight," envisioned a punk rocker for Heath Ledger's take on the Joker character. Nolan was inspired by Sex Pistols' band member Johnny Rotten's portrayal in the film biography "Sid and Nancy," which ironically starred "Dark Knight" cast member Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Padalecki: Losing Jensen Would Be 'Supernatural' Hell

2008-06-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

I have a new story up at SyFy Portal:

Padalecki: Losing Jensen Would Be 'Supernatural' Hell

Jared Padalecki recently took a moment in his busy schedule to chat with reporters on the set of his movie "Friday the 13th" (a reboot that combines elements of the first three films) about his cult favorite The CW series "Supernatural." [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

The Twelve #6

2008-06-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

Hi world,

I have a new review up at Comics Bulletin:

The Twelve #6

Twelve heroes from the 1940s are frozen and brought back to life in the future of 2008. No, this isn't Captain America times twelve. It's a carefully crafted tale from J. Michael Straczynski (Supreme Power), creator of the Babylon 5 TV show.

You might expect the series to be these flawless heroes of a better time that return and take on old nazi villains, but this series takes a number of unexpected turns. These characters are not two-dimensional cut outs, but rather flawed characters who feel very real...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

McG: An Unknown Future For 'Terminator: Salvation'

2008-06-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have a new story up at SyFy Portal:

McG: An Unknown Future For 'Terminator: Salvation'

Speculations on the Web have been running rampant about director McG's upcoming film "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins." But could it be that the surprise ending has been spoiled?... [more]

Until next time...Marx out.

Cable #4

2008-06-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

I have another review up at Comics Bulletin:

Cable #4

Cable is stuck in a sans mutant future of 2043, and things are all post-apocalyp-ty. Ambushed by Bishop (who took a time travel cyborg arm from Forge – who really needs to get a new security system), Cable is bleeding bad and can't time travel away. Luckily, Cable is whisked away by a waitress who hopes he will be her heroic Road Warrior... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Supernatural: Rising Son #2

2008-06-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

I have a new review up at Comics Bulletin.

Supernatural: Rising Son #2

After barely surviving a stop in a town of Succubi, John decides to try something new; settle down with his sons, Dean and Sam. So, John gets a job and sends his kids to school. Sam is having a ball, but Dean can't stand it. At school, Sam gets extra attention from his teacher Ms. Lyle.

John's hunting instincts kick in when an elderly woman, who is never late with her mortgage payments, hasn't paid her bill. John kicks in the door and runs into a possessed elderly woman that looks like a demonite from Army of Darkness...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Twilight Guardian #1 and The End League #3

2008-05-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Howdy readers!

I have two new reviews up on Comics Bulletin:

Pilot Season: Twilight Guardian #1

There is a growing desire to answer the question of what a superhero would be like in the real world. You know, some normal person who tried to live the life of a comic book character for real. Kick Ass is one recent example from the mind of Mark Millar and now we have Twilight Guardian, which is Troy Hickman's (Common Grounds) attempt to answer that question...[more]

The End League #3

Astonishman, the greatest of the ten surviving superheroes on Earth is dead and the hammer of Thor is now in the hands of The End League's greatest enemy. Is all hope lost? Is this post-apocalyptic Earth reaching the final chapter in the story of humanity? [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

A Sunday Slugfest Over Star Trek - Assignment: Earth #1

2008-05-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

Hello world!

I have a review up at Comics Bulletin. Another Sunday Slugfest, this time it's Star Trek - Assignment: Earth #1. This book was a pleasant surprise.

Sunday Slugfest: Star Trek--Assignment: Earth #1

After a quick recap, we are thrust into a story of espionage in 1968. The futuristic spy, Gary Seven, aided by his sidekick Roberta Lincoln and his cat Isis must figure out what the Soviets are planning for a secret project called Hercules that could lead to a global disaster...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Gotham Underground #8

2008-05-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have a new review up at Comics Bulletin.

Gotham Underground #8 (3 out of 5)

It's Batman versus Vigilante while Gotham City is falling apart from gang war. Johnny Stitches pulls the rug under Penguin by chopping people up, threatening to chop up family and getting a reluctant ally to leave Penguin's side. Things aren't looking good for Penguin or Gotham, but Batman is finally back and I'm left wondering...where the crap did Spoiler go??? [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

'Smallville': Chloe Is In, Supergirl Is Out

2008-05-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hi world,

Recently I did a Smallville story for SyFy Portal.

'Smallville': Chloe Is In, Supergirl Is Out

A sigh of relief could be heard by "Smallville" fans when Allison Mack's return for next season was finally confirmed. Unfortunately Laura Vandervoort's return as Kara (aka Supergirl) is not so certain. In fact, the recent The CW upfront presentation made it clear that even if Vandervoort is back, it won't be as a series regular...[more]

Until next time...Marx out.

Prepare To Be Adapted: Raiders Of The Creators Rights

2008-05-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks!

My column is back yet again:

Prepare To Be Adapted: Raiders Of The Creators Rights

Creator ownership can be a tricky beast. In some media, the ownership of the intellectual property is pretty clear.
Books? The standard is for the author to own the characters. Film and television? There are exceptions from time to time, but usually those who fund it own it. That is why it can be so hard to continue a canceled show. J. Michael Straczynski has been noted saying that he would love to have "Crusade" continue in some fashion, but the rights have been tied up.
But there is a four-color creative medium that isn't so clear: comic books...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Supernatural: Rising Son #1

2008-04-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows on TV right now is CW's Supernatural. Now I can even read it, courtesy of DC/Wildstorm.

Check out my Comics Bulletin review of it over here:

Things aren't going well for John Winchester. Still searching for what killed his wife, he takes on the Beast of Bray Road. You think that would have been the tough part of his day, but then he is fired from his day job because he is always late after taking on demonic forces.

Without income he and his two sons are kicked out onto the road. John learns that one of his wife's relatives, Eddie, has gone missing...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Death of the New Gods #8

2008-04-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I've done another Comics Bulletin Slugfest review. This time Death of the New Gods #8 was the title and I gave it a 2.5 bullets out of 5.

"No! It can't end like this!" – Superman

I feel Superman's pain. I can't believe this is how the New Gods die....[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

'Hulk' movie news

2008-04-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hi world,

I recently wrote a quick story for SyFy Portal about the upcoming Hulk movie.

You can read it over here:

Fans expressed doubt about the purposed live-action Justice League Mortal film that would unite a bunch of DC superheroes, especially when some of them have yet to establish themselves in their own films. It looks like 'The Powers That Be' felt the same way, because the movie was put on indefinite hold.
But, Marvel Studios is determined not to travel down the same path with their purposed The Avengers movie.
Producers Gale Anne Hurd and Kevin Feige told SciFi Wire that the reboot The Incredible Hulk would help lay the foundation for The Avengers...[more]

Until next time... Marx out.

New Comic Book Reviews

2008-04-21T18:45:00.001-07:00

Hello world,

I have new reviews up over at Comics Bulletin. The links to them and my score are:

Salvation Run #6 (2.5 out of 5)

I think Joker's sentiment sums up how I feel about this issue and the miniseries as a whole. There are a lot of villains here who seem to have lost their mojo...

Batman and the Outsiders #6 (4 out of 5)

Metamorpho lives! Trapped on a space station populated by "pod people," Metamorpho calls for help. Short a bat moon rocket, Batman sends the Outsiders to steal a rocket in Mongolia. Things don't turn out as planned...

Gotham Underground #7 (4 out of 5)

It's all out war as Penguin's supervillian gang fights Tobias Whale's mask killers. To top it off, a bunch of Bat-family members join in the fight. Meanwhile, Nightwing awakens in a medical clinic to see Riddler rather than Leslie Thompkins as his...

Until next time... Marx out.

Last Defenders #2

2008-04-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Howdy world,

I have another review up at Comics Bulletin. This time it's Last Defenders #2.

It's a wild and crazy ride of action, humor and chaos. I'm unsure what to think of this mini-series, but I do know that it is anything but predictable.

The Defenders, New Jersey's newest protectors courtesy of the Initiative, did not have a good first mission (to put it mildly). Their fight with the Sons of the Serpent took a nasty turn when...[more]

Prepare To Be Adapted: At Stories End, Part 2

2008-04-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hello world,

My newest installment of my Prepare To Be Adapted column is online at Sy Fy Portal. It is a follow-up to my previous installment that covered endings to TV shows and comic books. Is there such a thing as a good ending?

Prepare To Be Adapted: At Stories End, Part 2

I don't have much to add except that I missed three other good examples of endings: "Jericho," "Babylon 5," and "Flash Gordon"...[more]

Until next time … Marx out.

Titans #1

2008-04-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hi again,

I have another review up at Comics Bulletin. This time it's a "Sunday Slugfest" with four other reviewers on Titans #1.

Wow, I have some really mixed feelings about this book. I could almost take a lesson from Two-Face and flip a coin.

I've enjoyed most of Winick's past writing, especially his work on Batman, Exiles and The Outsiders. Unlike some, I like Churchill's art style, although I think he needs to tone down the 90's anatomy exaggerating, especially with the female characters. I loved (who didn't) the classic '80s Marv Wolfman/George Perez cast from New Teen Titans...[more]

Locke & Key #3

2008-04-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hi world,

I have a new review up at Comics Bulletin. This time the excellent horror comic book Locke & Key.

What can I say? At this point I'm hooked and I want to see how things turn out for this damaged family in the supernatural Keyhouse, a mansion located in Lovecraft, Massachusetts.

Reflections are the theme for this issue: One reflection in a mirror helps a psychopathic killer gain bloody freedom; the other reflection is Kinsey's own. She sees only a stranger there, but learns that the only way to move forward from tragedy is to become a reflection that she once again recognizes... [more]

Survivor: The Sci-fi/Fantasy TV Series Edition

2008-04-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

Update (April 20, 2008): Fox has renewed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles!

It is that time of the year again when we find out which of our favorite shows are getting a new season and which are getting the axe.

It gets a little tough to do this since networks and cable channels handle their shows differently, but here is where we stand so far.

I've included my "weather" prediction of those shows whose fates are yet unknown.

Returning
Ashes To Ashes (BBC), Chuck, Doctor Who, Ghost Whisperer, Eureka, Heroes, Lost, Medium, Pushing Daisies, Smallville, Stargate Atlantis, Supernatural, Torchwood

Canceled
The 4400, Battlestar Galactica (currently airing the last season), Bionic Woman, The Dead Zone, Flash Gordon, Jericho, Journeyman

Status Not Officially Known (With my percentage chance of returning.)
Moonlight (75%), New Amsterdam (85%), Reaper (60%), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (90%)

Possible New Shows (...but don't be surprised if that changes.)
99 Stories (in development; AMC), Caprica (SciFi Channel), Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas (pilot order; ABC), Children of Men, Cupid (pilot order; ABC), Dollhouse (Fox), Eleventh Hour (pilot order; CBS), Fear Itself (NBC), Fringe (pilot order; Fox), Gods Behaving Badly (in development), Inseparable (in development; Fox), Johnny Dynamite (pilot ordered), Knight Rider (NBC), Life on Mars (in development; ABC), The Listener (CTV), The Meant To Be’s (pilot order; CBS), The Oaks (pilot order; Fox), Merlin (NBC), Middleman (ABC Family), Miracle Man (pilot order; ABC), My Own Worst Enemy (NBC), Mythological X (pilot order; CBS), Patient 2344 (pilot order; HBO), Preacher (no news since the WGA strike; HBO), Revolution (pilot order; SciFi Channel), Ripper (rumored; BBC), Rockville 2020 (in development; ABC), Sanctuary (13 episodes; SciFi Channel), Section 8 (6 episodes; ABC), Stargate: Universe (in development; SciFi Channel), Star Wars, Them (pilot finished; Fox), True Blood (HBO), Virtuality (two-hour backdoor pilot; Fox), Wizard's First Rule (syndication)

So, what do you think? Which of the possible new shows sounds best? Check out the details on these at: http://scifi411.com/upcomingtv.html, which is currently being updated.

Which canceled show will you miss the most…or the least?

Like this post? Then please... Digg It!

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #13

2008-04-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hi world,

One of the sites I review for is Comics Bulletin. This week I reviewed Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #13 with two other excellent reviewers.

Yes, in case you haven't heard, the TV series now lives on in comic book format. With a staff of writers lead by Joss Whedon this comic book series is a must read for any Buffy fan out there.

I've really enjoyed this eighth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even so, up to this point I have sometimes felt that the original chemistry between the characters had been somewhat lost in the grandeur "unlimited budget" stories of Buffy and her army.

But, you know what? The Scooby Gang mojo is back with this issue.... [more]

Prepare To Be Adapted

2008-04-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

The last few months I've been doing a column over at Sy Fy Portal called "Prepare To Be Adapted."

Here are the links to my entries so far:

Prepare To Be Adapted... Resistance is Futile
An introduction to the column and a little chat about canon.

Prepare To Be Adapted: Attack of the Writers
I talk about the writer's strike.

Prepare To Be Adapted: Pirates of the Web
I talk about online piracy.

Prepare To Be Adapted: Curse of the Retcon
I talk about the dreaded retcon in both comic books and TV.

Prepare To Be Adapted: At Stories End
What is a good ending to a comic book series or TV series? They are a rare thing indeed.

Thanks for reading and check back for more updates.

Until next time... Marx out.

I'm Back!!!!!

2008-04-06T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hello world. It has been a long time since I last posted here, but I want to start up the ol' blogging habit again.

Since last I posted I went to film school. I've worked on a bunch of short films and a few indie films. I also became a writer for SyFy Portal, Rabid Doll and Comics Bulletin.

So yeah, I've been busy.

From now on I'll post here random thoughts and links to my writings elsewhere.

Later

A Conversation In 'The House Between'

2008-01-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hi world!

Here is my interview with John Kenneth Muir, the creator of the online series The House Between.

A Conversation In 'The House Between'

The Internet is quickly changing how people get their entertainment fix. But only recently have there been stories specifically made specifically for the Internet, rather than the more common route of throwing TV shows or movies from traditional sources onto the Internet.

"Sanctuary," "Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance," "Star Trek: New Voyages," and the list continues to grow. But one Web series that may have been overlooked is John Kenneth Muir's "The House Between," a series about five strangers that awaken in an empty Victorian house "at the end of the universe." Trapped, they have no idea how they got there. They must learn to trust each other and try to find a way out... [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Television, Video Game In 'Sanctuary' Future?

2007-08-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is part II of my interview with Damian Kindler.

Television, Video Game In 'Sanctuary' Future?

The series "Sanctuary" may have gotten its start on the Web, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to stay there.
The people behind the Web series, which can be found at Sanctuary For All, say that while their goal was to bring this show to computers everywhere, it doesn't have to stay there.
"You have to think of an idea that works seamlessly across multiple formats," Damian Kindler, the Stargate producer who is the creator of "Sanctuary" and chief executive of Stage 3 Media which produces the series, told SyFy Portal's Marx Pyle. You want "something you can push to mobile phones, to your iPod, to television, to DVD, [and something that] is a good interactive online experience and is a great standalone game. We create one type of entertainment -- different forms of it -- but this is the sort of format. We want to be the pioneers, the innovators, the perfectionists. That is it. That is our goal. That's the plan." [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

EXCLUSIVE: A Trip Inside The 'Sanctuary'

2007-07-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Here is part I of my interview with Damian Kindler.

A Trip Inside The 'Sanctuary'

The Internet has had a growing influence on how fans get their entertainment. From online games to downloads onto iPods, the way people are watching shows and movies is changing.

More and more, science-fiction shows have been experimenting with new ways to get to their audiences. "Babylon 5" just released a new straight-to-DVD movie that may lead to an all-new anthology series for the series released only on DVD. And even SciFi Channel recently announced that they are making new episodes of "Farscape" as Webisodes.

But this is a new frontier and pioneers are needed to explore it. Stage 3 Media is one such pioneer that has gone further than anyone else to date with their Web series "Sanctuary."
Damian Kindler is known for his work in the Stargate franchise, but he's also the chief executive officer of Stage 3 Media and the creator of "Sanctuary," which he developed almost on a dare by his agent. [more]

Until next time... Marx out.

Update and Moving Day

2006-05-15T12:50:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Lately I've been doing a column, reviews and interviews at Paperback Reader. It has became apparent that trying to do that, Scifi 411, and this blog was spreading myself a bit thin. So, I've decided to move my blogging to Paperback Reader's Group Blog. Don't worry, it won't be just about comic books. In the group blog I will pretty much talk about everything I've been talking about here. You can find the first post here. It is an update to my previous post about the upcoming 2006-2007 television season. There a some big changes, so check it out.

It has been fun and please keep up with me at the new blog. I should be posting at least once a week about something.

Survivor: The SF TV Series Edition Part 2

2006-05-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, as expected, I have updated the status of the murky fates for our current and possible upcoming SF series. So, here is the “score” so far:

Returning
The 4400, Battlestar Galactica, The Dead Zone, Doctor Who, Ghost Whisperer, Lost, Masters of Horror, Medium, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1

Canceled
Alias, Charmed, Justice League Unlimited, Night Stalker, Threshold

Status Not Officially Known (With my percentage chance of returning.)
Invasion (75%), Smallville (95%), Supernatural (75%), Surface (20%)

Possible New Shows (With the highest chance, currently, of making it.)
Aquaman (Mercy Reef), Blade, Caprica, Dresden Files, Eureka, Firebrand, Heroes, Jericho, Masters of Science Fiction, Motel Man, Persons Unknown, The Prisoner, Raines, Torchwood, Ultra

So, what do you think? Which of the possible new shows sounds best? (Check out the details on these at: http://scifi411.com/upcomingtv.html).

Which canceled show will you miss the most…or the least?

As expected, but good to hear confirmed, Medium has been renewed. I would be surprised if Surface makes it, but it would be interesting to see where they go after that season finale. I hope that Supernatural and Invasion make it. I have really enjoyed Supernatural and look forward to future episodes. Invasion started out way too slow, but has sped up into a “hurricane” of SF entertainment.

Of the new shows I have to say it is a really good selection this year and I’m sure others will pop up soon. Right now Caprica, Jericho, Motel Man, Persons Unknown, Raines, and Heroes have me most interested. I’ve got this bad feeling that Blade may disappoint and that Dresden Files will meet the usual fate for Sci Fi Channel movie/back door pilots. Caprica was a surprise. Rarely does an SF series get a spin-off, especially so soon. Kudos to Battlestar Galactica!

The marX Files

2006-04-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Check out my new column over at Paperback Reader…The marX Files! The column covers comic book related news. So if you are into comics or into comic book adapted movies and films, then you should check it out.

The Doctor (Who) Is In The House

2006-03-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Don’t forget that the new Doctor Who series premieres tonight on the Scifi Channel. If you are a fan of the old Doctor Who series then this is a must see. If you have never heard of it, then you really should try it. The first episode is a little shaky but it gets better from there. You really don’t have to know anything about the previous 8 doctors to enjoy this new series. It still has a bit of the old British quirkiness, but now with a darker layer of serious drama (and a new look that reminds me fondly of Farscape). I don’t know if Doctor Who will catch on in America, but it should.

Cheers,
Marx

Survivor: The SF TV Series Edition

2006-03-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Networks are starting to tell us which shows will return and which will cease to exist. So, here is the “score” so far:

Returning
The 4400, Battlestar Galactica, The Dead Zone, Doctor Who, Ghost Whisperer, Lost, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1

Canceled
Alias, Charmed, Justice League Unlimited, Night Stalker, Threshold

Status Not Officially Known (With my percentage chance of returning.)
Invasion (75%), Masters of Horror (55%), Medium (95%), Smallville (90%), Supernatural (75%), Surface (20%)

Possible New Shows (With the highest chance, currently, of making it.)
Aquaman (Mercy Reef), Blade, Dresden Files, Eureka, Heroes, Jericho, Masters of Science Fiction, Raines, Torchwood, Ultra

So, what do you think? Which of the possible new shows sounds best? (Check out the details on these at: http://scifi411.com/upcomingtv.html).

Which canceled show will you miss the most…or the least?

Me? I’m going to miss Justice League greatly. This was an excellent animated series that was entertaining for both kids and adults. Night Stalker and Threshold had some good things going for them, but overall just didn’t cut it for me. I will miss Alias, but it was starting to get stale.

Of the new shows I have to say it is a really good selection this year and I’m sure others will pop up soon. Right now Jericho, Raines, and Heroes have me most interested. I’ve got this bad feeling that Blade may disappoint and that Dresden Files will meet the usual fate for Sci Fi Channel movie/back door pilots.

Which Stargate Character Are You?

2006-02-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

Dr. Daniel Jackson: You are open minded and
considerate - basically an all around nice
person ... and did I mention stubborn?

Which Stargate Character Are You? (Now with pictures)
brought to you by Quizilla

I found this quiz at The Weekly View Blog.

"Can't stop the signal."

2006-02-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Would you like to see more Firefly/Serenity? Well, there is a movement, by entrepreneur Ace Underhill, to bring the series back with monthly DVD deliveries, TV On-Demand, or computer viewing via Streaming Download. It would be a first if they can pull it off. Imagine how things would change if shows like Firefly or Angel could live on after getting the axe from the network (aka ‘the man’).

So, if you're interested, click on over to their website at http://www.fireflyseason2.com/Index.asp and let them know what you would like to see. FYI - Joss Whedon is not involved at this stage.

I honestly think that something like this could work, especially with a Joss Whedon show.

King Kong

2006-02-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Or…the king returns.

Here is my review: watch it. If you enjoyed any of the King Kong films of the past, then you must see this film. If you haven’t and never wanted to, then you still must give this film a chance. Unless you are scared of gorillas. Then you should avoid it at all costs.

It didn’t do as well as expected in the box office, but I think that had more to do with the timing than anything else. No one was sitting at home and going, “Man, I wish they would make a remake of King Kong.” I was in that boat. I was curious, but I almost decided to just wait for the DVD. Ah, but who knew that King Kong could be turned into such an excellent film, one that is actually better than the original?

King Kong has more action than most can handle. It builds up slowly in the first hour, but kicks up to overdrive for the rest of the film. The special effects are awesome (King Kong, dinosaurs, giant insects, etc). The story is touching. The acting is fantastic. I have liked Naomi Watts in her other films, but this one truly showed her fantastic acting skills. This film truly is an instant classic. I give this film an A+.

Smallville “Reckoning” 100th Episode

2006-02-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Or…I reckon this one was 50% good.

Do not read further if you don’t want to be spoiled by moi, ok.

First off, I want to say that this has been the best season of Smallville so far. I’ve always watched this series off and on through the years, but usually only found the season premieres, season finales, and a handful of episodes in-between to be anything special. This season, we have seen Clark and his friends head off to college, battle Brainiac, and Lex show his true colors.

Oh yeah, and Clark got laid.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. This 100th episode (that I was actually looking forward to) greatly disappointed me.

Sniff, sniff. Not just because I’m sorry to see Jonathan Kent die. But, I must endure more of the Lana/Clark/Lex triangle. Grr, Argh. Make it stop!

I was nearly blown away during the first half hour (get it?…”I reckon it was 50% good”). We had Lana learning the truth (Finally! How dense is she anyway?), Clark proposing (Unexpected – well except one of the commercials showed it, but it led me to believe they might actually have the hazelnuts to kill her off.), and then Lana’s death (booyah!). This blew me away…I thought, “Wow, they actually went against canon. They completely surprised everyone. Did Joss Whedon write this episode?” Then I thought, “Wow, until this moment I didn’t realize how perfect it would be if Lana died. Clark would never want to tell his secret to someone else he cared about. No more Clark angst about Lana, someone who is starting to look really stupid for not figuring this secret out yet. And now a perfect reason for Clark to hate Lex and a tragedy that would drive Lex completely to the darkside.”

Ah, but who knew that the writers would pull a page from Star Trek or Witchblade. Clark whines to Jor-El about how unfair it is that Lana is dead (this is when I started to get worried). I thought, “No, don’t you dare.” Then Jor-El does the whole, “gee there is this crystal that can turn back time” thing. You see, he has been saving it for a special occasion. Saving his people from his homeworld BLOWING UP didn’t really count, but I guess saving Clark’s girlfriend would be the right time. Frak! What can’t Jor-El (aka Mr. Deus Ex Machina) not do? He can take Clark’s power away. He can give Clark’s powers back. He can give powers to other people. Oh, and he can turn back time…I don’t buy it.

So, then time reboots. Lana is saved, but breaks up with Clark because he won’t tell her his secret. Clark’s dad dies from that pesky heart damage. The only way, this episode’s Tru Calling moment could have worked was if Lana died in the end anyway. Man, that would have been shocking and would have made this episode the best of the whole series. Instead, I feel that Jonathan’s death is trivialized because of the time restart gimmick.

So, on one hand the writers made me care enough about this season that I truly got angry by this episode (kudos), but if they don’t shape up and either get rid of Lana or have her learn the secret, I don’t think I will stick with the series next season. Hey, why don’t they hook Clark up with the mermaid chick that was his college sweetheart in the comics? I’m just so tired of this Lana/Clark mess. Could you tell?

Which Superhero Are You?

2006-01-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

My results:

You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern		75%
The Flash		70%
Spider-Man		65%
Superman		60%
Hulk		60%
Iron Man		60%
Batman		55%
Catwoman		55%
Robin		44%
Supergirl		40%
Wonder Woman		40%

Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

2006 Predictions: Part IV (Kill Switch / Midnighters / Pretty Little Liars / Pen and the Sword / Warehouse 13 / Skrull Kill Krew / Torchwood)

2006-01-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Kill Switch

The unlikely duo of Mark Cherry (Desperate Houswives) and Don Mancini (Child's Play - yes I said Child’s Play) are creating this pilot for ABC. No, the series won’t be about Desperate Killer Dolls living on Elm Street. Cherry describes the one-hour SF drama, Kill Switch, as Touched by an Angel meets Quantum Leap. An odd writing combo, with an odd example series amalgam, indeed. I would have personally stayed away from the Touched by an Angel example. I wonder if Tru Calling meets Quantum Leap would work? That is what I think of when I read this description: The series centers on a woman who is executed for killing her daughter's murderer and then enters a type of purgatory. Every episode she finds herself in the body of someone about to be killed. She must figure out who the murderer will be and prevent it from happening.

"Instead of a whodunit, it's a who-will-do-it," Cherry said. The series supposedly will have a tone similar to Desperate Housewives. "The tone isn't exactly like Desperate Housewives" he said. "But it has humor and wit in it. [It] seemed like something in his wheelhouse." I’m not sure how to take this one. This could be really, really campy or interestingly different. I would normally give this a low chance of making it, but Desperate Housewives is big - like Godzilla standing on King Kong’s shoulders big - so ABC will probably take a chance on it. Hmmm…lets give it a 75% chance of being picked up.

Midnighters / Pretty Little Liars

The WB is so pleased with Supernatural’s performance that two new one-hour supernatural dramas are in the works. The WB has ordered scripts for both of them. Pretty Little Liars revolves around four 16-year-old girls whose fifth best friend went missing two years ago. The girls then become haunted by messages that start appearing from her. Midnighters revolves around teens who were born at the stroke of midnight who have gained access to a 25th hour of the day. Both series are being adapted from their Alloy book series published by HarperCollins.

To early to give a prediction on either one of these yet, but I’ll keep my eye on them.

Pen and the Sword / Warehouse 13

Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) is developing these two series for NBC and the Scifi Channel. Pen and the Sword, being developed for NBC, is about a young man working in a building that is a portal to a medieval alternate universe. Warehouse 13, being developed for the Scifi Channel, centers on a pair of government officials that are banished to a storage facility in North Dakota in which every item has a supernatural or fantastical backstory.

It is waaaay to early too tell if these will make it, but with Ronald Moore’s success with Battlestar Galactica, I would be surprised if we don’t see one of these soon. I predict a 50% chance.

Skrull Kill Krew

There is little detail on this live action TV project at this time, except that Marvel mentioned it was in the works. I’m not sure who thought about this one. Of all things to pick, this wouldn’t have been my first choice. But, perhaps with a good showrunner, this project could be successful, or at least fun to watch. It could be sort of a funny version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Hmmm..I don’t know about this one.

But for those of you (which are probably many) who have never heard of Skrull Kill Krew here is a run-down on the comic. Skrull Kill Krew was a short lived 1996 Marvel comic book series. The comic book was created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Steve Yeowall. This comic book focused on a team of humans with the viral affliction Skrullovoria Induced Skrullophobia (SIS). The characters were infected with this virus after eating beef from Skrull alien shape shifters that had been trapped in cow form. Now, they have varying degrees of shape shifting powers and can recognize a Skrull no matter what form it takes. Unfortunately, the virus also damages their brains causing progressive episodes of neurological disease. The Skrull Kill Krew would travel across America, killing any Skrull shapeshifters they find in an attempt to stop them from taking over the Earth. Members include: Ryder (leader of the Krew with the ability to animate his dreadlocks and teleport), Catwalk (Kimberly Dee - a former supermodel with the power to take the form of a feline-human hybrid), Dice (Rob Fortune - surfer dude from LA with the power to transform his hands into various types of weapons), Moonstomp (a skinhead white supremacist from the UK whose skin is turning black), and Riot (Heidi Sladkin - a punk-rock chick that can turn into a giant insectoid creature).

It is still in the very early stages, but for now I have to predict a cloudy 30% chance of making it to TV.

Torchwood

The BBC has ordered 13 episodes for a spinoff series of its new Doctor Who series that will air on the BBC Three network. The new series, from Russell T. Davies, is called Torchwood—an anagram of "Doctor Who"—and will feature the character of Captain Jack (John Barrowman), a swashbuckling spacefarer who was introduced last season on Doctor Who. The series is set in modern-day Cardiff. Torchwood will launch in the Christmas special and second season of Doctor Who. The series will center on Torchwood, a renegade group of investigators. No stories will cross over between Torchwood and Doctor Who, the BBC said. "Torchwood is a British sci-fi paranoid thriller, a cop show with a sense of humor," Davies said in a statement. "It's dark, wild and sexy. It's The X-Files meets This Life. It's a stand-alone series for adult audiences, which will have its own unique identity. I have just begun working on the scripts with a team of writers and cannot wait to see the results."

I, like so many of my American friends, have not seen much of the new Doctor Who yet. Darn you DVD Regions! I’m eager to see it and hope to pick up the DVD in February. Sigh, but until then, what can I say? British SF is apparently taking an upturn with the success of Doctor Who, now this spin-off, and the recently announced The Prisoner remake. I look forward to hearing more about Torchwood, though, and chances are good it will do well. But I doubt it will ever make it to America’s (sometimes nationally egotistical) airwaves.

Hmmm…perhaps the British could remake Blake’s 7. Imagine that airing back to back with Battlestar Galactica.

The End...

That's all of my 2006 predictions for now. How many of these shows do you think will actually make it? Goodbye, paalom, hasta la vista, lehit, bai bai, tchau...later.

2006 Predictions: Part III (Eureka / Dresden Files)

2006-01-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Eureka

"...federal marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) wrecks his car in the town of Eureka while transporting a teenage fugitive. Stranded, Carter quickly discovers that Eureka is not all it appears when a child vanishes in the catastrophic aftermath of an accident caused by a creation of one of the town's eccentric residents. Instinctively, he inserts himself into the investigation, working alongside the town's sheriff (Maury Chaykin) and an agent from the Department of Defense (Richardson-Whitfield). As the case unfolds, Carter is let in on one of the country's best-kept government secrets: Eureka is a haven created for the world's greatest minds to live, work and create. But, unknown to most, mystery, conspiracy and long-simmering secrets lurk just beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic town." (The description given by the SciFi Channel on 9/28/05.)

SCI FI Channel has given a green light for the production of 13 episodes for a summer 2006 premiere. This series will be executive-produced by Andrew Cosby (Haunted) and co-executive-produced by Jamie Paglia.

I don’t know what to think about this one. When I first heard this I pictured a half campy SF show like Invisible Man (which I really enjoyed) or the even more campy Tremors: The Series (which I didn’t like so much). But as more info comes out, the more unsure I am about what kind of series this will be. For SCI FI Channel to give it a green for 13 episodes means someone thinks it has potential. SCI FI has become notoriously gun shy on new series. I wish they had been that way when someone green lighted Black Scorpion…yikes. Hopefully, this will usher in the return of more SF series on SCI FI Channel. Believe it or not, in Fall 2005 ABC was airing more new SF drama series than SCI FI (Lost, Alias, Night Stalker, and Invasion). SCI FI just has Scifi Friday, but perhaps I should count Tripping the Rift…maybe. Either way it is far from the high point, which was 2000-2001 I believe, when SCI FI was airing Black Scorpion, The Chronicle, Farscape, First Wave, Good vs. Evil, The Invisible Man, Lexx, and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. Not that all of those series were great, mind you, but it is nice to have choices. By the way, my favorites were The Chronicle (canceled far too quickly and seemed to reach a wider audience than the typical SCI FI Channel series), Farscape (classic, need I say more?), and The Invisible Man (season two’s writing was weaker, but the series had a great cast and a uniquely fun feel to it).

But we are now seeing advertisements for Eureka. It isn’t enough to get a real good gauge on it, but it is peaking my interest. This is an obvious 100% chance of being aired. The real question now is if it is good enough for a second season.

Dresden Files

This two-hour back-door pilot is scheduled to air summer 2006 on SCI FI Channel.

"Based on the best-selling 'Dresden Files' novels by Jim Butcher, this 2-hour backdoor pilot film will be executive produced by Academy Award(R) winner Nicolas Cage and Norm Golightly of Saturn Films. Erik Dresden is a detective with extraordinary powers, the kind that could belong only to the descendant of a long line of wizards. Where others see the typical crimes of assault, kidnapping and serial killings, Erik sees otherworldly forces at work -- which only he knows how to combat. Whether consulting for the police on inexplicable crimes or following his own cases, Erik has a unique outlook on the world, and wields a wry sense of humor as one of his most potent weapons. The project is produced by Lions Gate Television and Cage's Saturn Films (The Life of David Gale, Shadow of the Vampire), with Morgan Gendel (Law & Order, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation) writing; Gendel and Anthony Peckham (Don't Say a Word, 5 Days to Midnight) are executive producers." (The description given by the SciFi Channel.)

Another book series adapted for television. In the past these haven’t fared well (at least in the eyes of the PTB), like Scifi Channel’s Anonymous Rex or Riverworld. But I feel good about this one (70%-80% chance of series pick-up). I can easily see this making it. In many adaptations for novels the author isn’t pleased, but at least it appears that the Dresden Files is the exception.

"I saw the clips [of the movie] and thought my jaw was going to fall off my skull," Butcher said. "I'm very pleased with how well [screenwriters] Robert [Hewitt Wolfe] and Hans [Beimler] get the whole wizard detective concept, and I liked the movie script very much."

Butcher added, "I am in regular contact with Robert Wolfe, the show's producer, who has been great about letting me suggest things here and there and about asking for my thoughts on things."

Paul Blackthorne (24) has been cast as Harry Dresden and Valerie Cruz (Nip/Tuck) “…will play a hard-nosed Chicago police detective who handles violent crimes and works side by side with Dresden."

2006 Predictions: Part II (Blade)

2006-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Spike TV has ordered a two-hour movie that will act as a pilot for a series based on the Blade movies. David S. Goyer is producing and co-writing the pilot with Geoff Johns.

“Tenacious vampire slayer Blade forms an odd alliance with Christa Starr, a woman who wants revenge upon the vampires' House of Chthon, and the powerful Marcus, for slaying her fraternal twin brother. But while Blade battles the vampires from the outside, Christa battles them from within -- after being changed into a vampire herself...”

It is believed that the pilot picks up where Blade Trinity left off. But don’t expect to see Abigail Whistler and Hannibal King; new supporting character will be introduced. Shen (played by Nelson Lee) will be making Blade his wicked vamp slaying weapons, while Christa will be working from inside Marcus Van Sciver’s vampire House of Chthon.

I’m eager to see what this series is going to look like. With David S. Goyer at the helm, it has potential. Although it won’t be as gory as the films, supposedly Goyer’s crew are going to try their best to get as close as they can. I don’t really care about the gore, I just want the martial art moves and overall action to still be there.

Wesley Snipes will not return as Blade, so success could hinge on his replacement. It has to be someone who looks and acts similar to Snipes’ Blade, but can add new layers to the character and make him his own. But hey, if James Bond can go blonde, then anything is possible. Recently, the actor/rapper Kirk Jones, aka Sticky Fingaz was chosen to be everyone’s favorite daywalker. Jones was last seen on television as a soldier in F/X's Over There, which I haven’t seen. What saye you? Is Jones a good pick? Other castmembers for the pilot include Jill Wagner, Neil Jackson, Jessica Gower and Nelson Lee.

I’m sorry to see them not use Abigail Whistler and Hannibal King. Even if they couldn’t get the actors back, it would have been nice to have continued developing these established characters.

So, will Blade slay the competition or be slayed? I’m forecasting 75% chance of the television movie being picked up as a series and clear skies tomorrow (somewhere in the world)..

Looking For A Few Good Club Members

2006-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

William Shatner, best known as Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek (duh) and the more recent Boston Legal character Denny Crane, has started up a new DVD club. The club has been christened (big surprise) the William Shatner DVD Club (www.ShatnerDvdClub.com). The club “showcases the best sci-fi movies that didn’t come to a theater near you. ”

Huh? Shatner explains, "Determining what movies get broad distribution and studio marketing support is a complicated process, and unfortunately the caliber of the film isn’t the only consideration. I’ve chosen a select group of memorable and entertaining sci-fi movies that never got the exposure they deserved, and made them available to fans everywhere at a great price.”

Sweet. Believe it or not, I actually think this is a great idea. There are so many excellent SF movies that come out every year that slide by the public. I’ve actually made it a hobby of buying DVDs of lesser known foreign SF films like “Brotherhood of the Wolf” and “The Returner” (two very different but very excellent movies by the way), so it comes to no surprise that I already have some the movie listed in the club. But do you?

Right now, new members get the werewolf movie “Ginger Snaps” for free. Others movies that members will get with membership are “Close Your Eyes” and “Immortal.” So, if your interested in checking out lesser known SF movies for a reasonable price, then check out Shatner’s new DVD club.

2006 Predictions: Part I (Aquaman)

2006-01-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

In previous postings (“Six and Counting” & “The Lucky Seven”) I spoke about the new SF series and the other ongoing SF series on TV. Fall 2005 introduced 6 new SF series. What is the count now? Two down (Night Stalker and Threshold), one in danger (Surface), and three likely to survive for the sequel (Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, Invasion). But, except for possibly Supernatural, I am not sure how many seasons they have in them. And, except possibly for Supernatural, none of them have franchise potential like Star Trek or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So, what will next season bring us? I have gathered together some of the most buzzed projects. I’ll even give them my “forecast” for success, just like a weatherman or psychic…same thing really.

To keep updated on the latest news on them or other possible future SF shows, I would suggest checking out my Upcoming TV Shows page on Scifi 411.

“Aquaville” aka Untitled Al Gough and Miles Millar

The WB has made a pilot commitment and casting has begun. Who knew that Aquaman’s guest apearance on Smallville would lead to his own spin-off? But spin it has. No title yet, but the word “Aquaman” will never be uttered in the series. (It is rumored that the Producers will cut off the hand of any character who dares speak this cursed word). Producers Al Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville, Spider-Man 2) are creating and executive-producing this action drama series about a twenty something Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman. Greg Beeman (Smallville) will be directing the pilot. Alan Ritchson, the actor who played Curry on Smallville, will not play the role for the series. Which is probably for the best. I thought he did find, but I couldn’t see him being the lead for a series. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

"He did a wonderful job on the show, but this is going to be a different version of the 'Aquaman' legend," Gough told Variety . The pilot "will be different than what you saw on Smallville. That was our out-of-town trial version."

The casting call is: "Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman): 18-24 years old. Blond or light brown hair, drop dead handsome with an incredible swimmer's body...SERIES REGULAR" Curry will be able to breath underwater and have super-strength underwater, but he is only just beginning to understand his powers. Millar also told Variety that they hope to create "a grounded version of the Aquaman mythology," focusing on an Arthur Curry, who "knows what he wants to do with his life, which is protect the oceans."

Gough and Millar had actually been considering a Lois Lane series. But "this was the first idea where we really thought we had a franchise, where we could see 100 episodes.” Probably for the best, really. I like Erica Durance as Lois Lane, but I just don’t see how a Lois Lane series would work. Lois Lane without Superman, is like Superman without Lex Luthor.

But Clark has krypto freaks to fight every week. What the heck is Aquadude going to fight?

"There's a mystery surrounding the disappearance of (Curry's) mother and the Bermuda Triangle," Gough told Variety. He added that other weird occurrences related to the Triangle will provide many of the plotlines and Curry will be living with his adopted father.

Oh. Well that sounds kind of interesting. Since I recently saw Scifi Channel’s The Triangle mini-series (which was pretty good by the way), the Triangle spin actually sounds interesting.

Anyway, here is the casting call (who would you pick for these roles?):

[RACHEL STARLING - SERIES REGULAR] 18-24 years old. Rachel is a natural beauty with a radiant face and the perfectly toned body of an athlete. She has a sharp mind and a killer sense of humor. But if you look beyond her warm smile, you'll find something haunted about her. A drowning accident as a teenager has scarred her. While enjoying a "Semester at Sea", the boat capsized and she was stuck below deck. Although she blacked out, that last thing she remembers is being pulled free by a mysterious young boy wearing a seahorse necklace. Rachel comes from a well-heeled New York family. Her father was a successful newspaper editor, but he died when she was 14. She took his death very hard and decided to embark on the "Semester at Sea" as a way of getting over her grief. Her relationship with her mother, an award winning Broadway playwright, has remained strained. Her mother is an ultra liberal and doesn't approve of her joining the military. When she was selected to train at the Liberty Key West Naval Air Station, she achieved her dream of becoming a Top Gun, but she also has to face the fear of returning to the same area as her boating accident. Although there is a mutual attraction between Rachel and A.C., their relationship is complicated by the fact that Rachel is secretly engaged to another naval trainee, JESSE HICKS. Rachel finds herself torn between the safety and security that Jesse offers and the danger and mystery that seem to define A.C.

[JESSE HICKS - SERIES REGULAR] 18-24 years old. He's an incredibly good-looking, Top Gun hot shot. Jesse grew up in suburban Texas and was a high school football star. His father is a decorated three star General who is currently serving in Iraq. Jesse never considered any other career; he always knew he was destined to fight for his country. He fell in love with Rachel the very first time he saw her. Defying the rules, they embarked on a passionate affair. Jesse proposed a few weeks before the pilot episode and Rachel accepted his offer. They have to keep their relationship secret or face possible expulsion from the Top Gun program. Highly ambitious and competitive, Jesse is the kind of guy who wins at any cost. He is also reckless and sometimes dangerously aggressive.

[EVA TORRES - SERIES REGULAR] 18-24 years old. A fiery Cuban beauty. Eva hasn't exactly had an easy life. When she was six she fled Cuba with her family on a raft, which sank a hundred miles off the Florida coast in a devastating storm. She was the sole survivor. Although she was rescued, she has struggled to make a life for herself in America and was bounced from foster family to foster family. It was only when she finally turned 18 that she finally felt free. She came down to the Keys for a short break and never left. She manages a local dive shop, "The Old Man and The Sea" and counts A.C. as one of her best friends. Although they are from wildly different backgrounds they both felt an instant connection. Independent, sarcastic, strong-willed, Eva isn't afraid to express her opinion, even when no one's asking for it.

[MCCAFFERY - SERIES REGULAR] Star Name preferred. It's difficult to say how old McCaffery is. If you were to look at him, you'd probably guess 60ish. But you'd be way off. That's because McCaffery is from Atlantis. Since coming to the surface world, McCaffery has led a largely reclusive life as the lighthouse keeper at Atlas Point. He has watched A.C. grow up from afar, but always knew that one day their lives would intersect. This encounter leads to a long lasting friendship. McCaffery takes A.C. under his wing and explains not only his true origin but also his destiny. He is Obi Wan to A.C.'s Luke Skywalker. He is the voice of wisdom and experience who acts as a guide and mentor to the often hotheaded A.C. McCaffery is always bailing A.C. out of trouble and is someone A.C. can turn to when it comes to all things nautical. Having grown up underwater, McCaffery knows all the myths and legends of the ocean. He's also familiar with the creatures, both known and unknown to man, that inhabit the ocean's dark waters. Highly intelligent and fiercely loyal, McCaffery possesses an acerbic wit and doesn't suffer fools lightly.

[TOM CURRY - SERIES REGULAR] Late 30s to early 40s, A.C.'s stepfather. He was born and raised in Chicago but fell in love with Keys while he was a student at the University of Miami. He was an outstanding athlete and was a member of the gold medal winning US Water Polo team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He joined the Coast Guard in 1986 and has made a good career out of it, rising to the rank of Captain. While he was still a rookie Coast Guard his life took a dramatic turn. While out on a routine night patrol he came across three people bobbing in shark-infested waters -- a woman, a baby and an old man. There was no sign of a boat or plane and the water was mirror still. When he got them back to land he discovered they had no ID and nowhere to go. Taking pity on them, Tom took them home. Tom quickly became enchanted with the beautiful woman, ATLANNA, and her baby son ORIN. Within a year Tom and Atlanna were married and Tom adopted her baby son as his own. They renamed the boy ARTHUR. The old man, McCAFFERY, took a job as the Atlas Point Lighthouse keeper, a position he still holds to this day. As Arthur grew up, Atlanna made Tom promise not to tell him about her connection to McCaffery. He reluctantly agreed.

I give this a 90% chance of being picked up. Reason: Smallville is doing great on the WB this season and “Aquaville” could be an excellent companion series. Plus, there is growing positive buzz about this project. Personally I would have gone with a Flash series, but I’ll give the fish whisperer a try.

Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated…

2006-01-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

I return from the epic quest of…upgrading my computer. Heed my word Brother (or Sister), now I shall be able to update the Blog ever more often, tinker with Scifi 411 even more than before, and (most importantly) play new PC games! Well…and I’ve also been busy with gorging myself of holiday food and other stuff that I won’t bore you with. So, fear not, I shall now begin anew with new reviews, interviews, and my usual rambling.

Anyway, I have many, many reviews lined up for the next few weeks. Enjoy!

The Lucky Seven… (Part II)

2005-11-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

Battlestar Galactica
(Marx gives it an A)
Battlestar Galactica Episode Guide

Dude, this is so not your father’s Battlestar Galactica. Whether that is a good thing or not matters if you like your Battlestar Galactica with light action/adventure, mostly just heroic guys, and shallow robotic aliens that hate humans, or if you like your Battlestar Galactica with dark gritty action/adventure, more women heroes, and complex religiously fanatical robots that hate humans.

This series has some of the best writing, acting, directing, and special effects ever seen on a television SF series. It may be just too dark or too different from the original for some, but I am really enjoying this series. I waver back and forth on whether the characters are too flawed. But they do seem real or at least highly developed, don’t they? They are much more complex than your general heroic SF character. With the mid-season finale, “Pegasus,” I just can’t wait to see how they conclude that story arc. Few other shows make me feel that way anymore. (Lost is one of the few.)

This series will have many more seasons to go and I can’t wait to see them. I just hope they are sure to balance the feel of the series, so it doesn’t get to depressing.

Lost
(Marx gives it an A)
Lost Episode Guide

Wow, last season was great, especially the last few episodes. This season, the first three episodes blew me away. Now we know something about this island they are on. But there are still so many more secrets to learn. What is that creature? Who are the Others? What will happen to Walt? What happens if they don’t push the button? How does Eko know all of this stuff?

I have only one big gripe this season. Dude, the flashbacks are starting to get weak. I don’t mind some important, revealing ones dealing with Jack, Locke, Kate, Walt, or Sawyer. But the rest just don’t have anything new to tell (unless they have an unsuspecting secret…hmmm). Sure, seeing how Michael fought legally for Walt or how Sun and Jin first met is touching, but is it important enough to eat up a huge chuck of an episode? Let’s cut back on the flashbacks or stick to really important ones, like Jack’s from “Man of Science, Man of Faith.” I would really like to see flashbacks for some of the new characters, too. Like Eko or Ana-Lucia. These new characters have secrets to tell, so let us see them. The flashbacks worked great on so many levels last season, but they just seem like formula filling this season. Hmmm…perhaps I’m being to judgy or just nit-picking so I can find something wrong with this excellent series. A few more episodes of flashbacks should give us a better idea whether are not they have any new master plans for this season’s flashbacks. Actually, I’ve recently seen some rumors of things to come, which lead me to believe that these flashbacks may start to improve.

With that said, this is still, in my humble opinion, one of the best shows on television. Unless they totally jump the shark this season, Lost is destined to become an iconic series in SF history, like Star Trek and X-Files.

Medium
(Marx gives it an A)
Medium Episode Guide

Medium has grown into a very, very strong show. Yes, the Force is strong with this one. The acting is fantastic (even the kids do a great job) and the writing is twisted (in a plot twist sort of way, although some of the twists are dark indeed). Medium is a strange, but highly addicting mix of family life with psychic investigations into terrible violent crimes. I’ve also heard about an upcoming 3D episode…

Stargate SG-1
(Marx gives it a B)
Stargate SG-1 Episode Guide

I love Stargate. I so love this franchise. This truly is the new Star Trek for my generation. This season is in hiatus until January (darn you Scifi Channel!), but half of the 9th season (can you believe it has been nine years?) has aired thus far. We are introduced to a new threat (about time), the Ori. “Hallowed Are the Ori” I thought I should throw that out in case they are real. Please don’t kill me, Ori! These guys are scary cool and still very mysterious. What kind of ships will they use to invade? How can the Stargate dudes & dudettes hope to defeat them? Will the Jaffa ever get over their dependency issues?

First off, I loved Claudia Black as Vala. Her character really added something. I will admit that she was a little overused. I kid you not, I told my significant other that I thought she was getting so much air time because the writers wanted us to like her before they killed her. I was unfortunately right. Darn you Marx for your genius! It’s rough I tell ya. But it looks like the writers liked her too much and will bring her back. I really cringed, though, when I saw how they saved her. A little too Deus Ex Machina for me. But I really hope that they bring her back and make her part of the team. What rule is there that SG-1 can only have one woman? The humor she adds and the synergy she has with Daniel Jackson is just too good to let go. When she “died” it really took the oomph out of this season.

I also like the new general, Henry "Hank" Landry, played by Beau Bridges. The new doc played by Lexa Doig is good too. Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, played by Ben Browder, is excellent. But, except for the first episode of the season, “Avalon,” Mitchell has been way underused. That is until “Babylon.” But, then back to underuse. I think the writers just haven’t figured out yet what they are going to do with him, but having him learn those Jaffa martial art moves was a real good step.

This season has breathed a new life in this long-running show. So much, that the writers almost changed the title of the series to Stargate Command. But, I can tell that the sense of adventure isn’t there as strongly as in the past. (Something to be expected with such a long running series.) But if they can pull off this new team and new threat, then I feel good about another season (or more) of SG-1.

Oh, and if you haven’t heard yet, SG-1 and Atlantis have been renewed for another season. This new direction is still a little rough around the edges, but there are so many new possibilities for stories with the introduction of these new characters, the aftermath of the fall of the Goa'uld, and the introduction of the Ori. Let’s hope that the writers figure out how best to use them.

Stargate Atlantis
(Marx gives it an B+)
Stargate Atlantis Episode Guide

Stargate Atlantis is doing anything but sinking. Although the Wraith are starting to get a little old, overall the season is much stronger than the first. Who knew that not only Ford vehicles could be turned into death machines, but so could Atlantis’s Ford? This turning Ford into a Wraith juice (yuck) addicted super Ford is an ultra cool twist for his character, and far better than the typical useless death of many a SF hero (Yar got killed by an oil goo monster, Fraiser didn’t duck, don’t get me started on the Lone Gunmen, and Anya got skewered – don’t worry Anya…it isn’t that Xander didn’t cry because he did not love you, he didn’t cry because he only has one eye for crying and…well…you know what happened to it).

The new character Ronon Dex (aka their Wolverine) is an excellent addition to the cast. Shepard is becoming a stronger character. So is McKay, but the writers do sometimes get a little carried away with him. Teyla is now the only weak link in the cast. Not necessarily because of the actress, but because the character is written just to perfect. She is a diplomat and a warrior. She is calm, patient, attractive, etc. The only thing wrong with her? She has inherited abilities giving to her from Wraith experimentation on her ancestors, but that wasn’t her fault. Some of the Stargate people don’t trust her. Yet again, not her fault. Lets see, Shepard doesn’t always follow orders, Ronon has a temper, and McKay is McKay (cowardly, egotistic, and a bit of a geek). Let’s see some depth to Teyla.

But otherwise, this season is shaping up nicely. It currently, to me at least, is beating out its older brother Stargate SG-1. There is just more action, adventure, and freshness. I have no doubt that we will see two or more seasons before this series ends.

Interview With A Shaman

2005-10-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

With the growing popularity of psychic television shows based on real people, such as Ghost Whisperer and Medium, we decided to go find a real life “Ghost Whisperer” and ask him what it is like to be a psychic. This is a preview of the upcoming Paranormal section for Scifi 411.

"Hollywood has indeed come calling, in the form of screenwriters wanting to make a movie based on the life of this shaman/minister." [MORE]

The Lucky Seven… (Part I)

2005-10-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, “Six and Counting,” I spoke about how the six new SF series (the ‘Sinister Six’ if you will) were doing. Today I’m going to touch on how the returning SF series (‘The Lucky Seven’ if you will) are doing. The 4400 and Dead Zone had their seasons during the summer, so I won’t discuss them right now. I also won’t talk about Alias because I haven’t seen this season yet. I save this series for DVD. Hey, I can’t watch everything on TV. I do have a life you know…I think.

Smallville
(Marx gives it a B)
Smallville Episode Guide

I have enjoyed this series off and on over the years, but was always frustrated with the lack of story development. When are Lana and Chloe going to figure out Clark’s secret? When will Lex finally start going to the dark side, instead of this constant walking the line? When will Clark actually fight a real super villain instead, of these “freaks of the week” nonsense? I know that the writers can only do so much with the storyline of Clark before he became Superman, but the little reboots have been starting to get a little silly.

Well, this season may finally be a move forward. They are going to college. Lana and Clark are finally together (many times, if you know what I mean), but Lana still doesn’t know Clarks secret. Grr, Argh…tell her already. I can’t believe Lana doesn’t already know and it is really starting to make her look stupid. I already think Clark should get over this crush and go for Chloe. Chloe would be a much better catch. She’s smart, resourceful, funny, and she can handle the truth (Lana, you can’t handle the Truth!). I don’t know what Clark is worried about, anyway. What room does Lana have to judge...

“Lana I’m an alien”
“Yuck, that’s gross”
“Hey, what are you talking about? You were a witch.”
“What did you call me!?”
“What?”
“That’s it; I’m breaking up with you again and dating another guy to obsess over me until he wants to kill me. Now I must go and cry for the 100th time.”
“What?”

Ok…where was I?

Although I have been frustrated in the past, this season is shaping up to be the strongest yet. Lex is getting darker, James Marsters is playing a real super villain (hopefully the writers will know how to use him), Chloe is in on the super secret, Lana & Clark are sitting in a tree with no freak love interest getting in the way, more guest star heroes (Aquaman, possibly the Flash again, and maybe more later), and we get to see the characters go to college. Hopefully Clark will graduate, unlike Buffy…poor, poor Buffy. So, this season may be really great if the writers can keep the momentum up, which they unfortunately don’t always have a good track record of doing.

Charmed
(Marx gives it a C-)
Charmed Episode Guide

Charmed (in case you don’t know) is about three sisters who are witches. Not only that, but they are the “Charmed Ones,” given great powers to fight those pesky demons. They must balance saving the world while keeping a love life and making sure the world doesn’t find out, which isn’t easy. Look at poor Buffy, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Dating truly is tough enough without secret identities and a destiny to save the world thrown into the mix.

I once enjoyed this series. Honest. But I feel that it started going downhill after Prue’s death. Even further after they killed Cole. That is after making him switch between evil and good so fast it would even make dual-personality-super-villain Two-Face confused.

This season has continued the slow spiral to series finale. I’m getting so tired of the “why can’t we have normal lives” moaning. Guess what, girls? Apparently, the whole world is defenseless without the Charmed Ones, so get over it. Ever hear of balance? What is more frustrating is that they have learned this lesson over, and over, and over again. Make it stop please! Plus, you’ve got a kid with super powers who could change the balance of power. Guess what; no matter what you do the demons aren’t going to leave him alone. Period.

After faking their deaths and magically taking on new lives, the sisters are trying their best to avoid magic and fighting those mean demons. But a new Buffy…I mean witch… is in town. She has become their protégé. Do I smell spin-off? First off, what was up with her clothes in the first few episodes? Could they get any campier? This show is almost as much comedy as fantasy, which was nice at first, but the campy factor is growing to Godzilla proportions this season.

I also dislike how man-hating this show is. You heard me, people, I said it. Silly man, Charmed is for women. Some people thought Buffy the Vampire Slayer was man-hating? Yeah, right. This show either kills, turns evil, turns stupid, or neuters…err…I mean de-powers every man that is on this show. I know, girl power. But at least Buffy had Angel, then Riley, and then Spike. Not that Leo hasn’t been helpful, but he is (especially now sans powers) generally just being saved or giving advice.

Last season had some high points. I found the Avatars’ plot line rather interesting. Maybe the writers will prove me wrong, but it just seems like the characters are stuck in a loop. Over and over again with evil boyfriends, demons after their kid, the Source, the sisters wanting a normal life (what is “normal” anyway, especially in a world like theirs?), and the government wanting to butt in. It is all starting to get a little old. Sorry, but this series is just no longer charming.

Review: Blood and Brains

2005-10-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Zombies, the other dead meat. Not only are they one of the few supernatural creatures in folklore that start with the letter Z, but they also are really, really big in movies and games right now. Don’t believe me? Look at the recent movies: Land of the Dead, Resident Evil 2, 28 Days Later, Undead, etc. Look at games like the uber-popular video game series Resident Evil (and its many wannabe clones). And there are even entire RPGs that focus only on those smelly, shuffling brain eaters.

If you play RPGs of the D20 Modern flavor and you want to add the Zombie genre into your game, then you really need Blood and Brains: The Zombie Hunter’s Guide. This 56 page PDF book is written by Michael Tresca (Blood and Blades, etc) and published by RPG Objects. This book covers everything (and more) that you have ever seen in movies, television, and games that dealt with the Zombie persuasion.

The book starts out with background info on what exactly a Zombie is. Then, we are given new occupation choices: Boy Scout, Cheerleader, Jock, Mental Patient, NCRPC (National Center for Reanimation Prevention and Control) Employee, Nerd, Prep, Scream Queen, Stoner, and Y-Mart Employee. By the way, you can find classes of these occupations in Blood and Blades. Advanced classes: Bokor (a spellcaster that creates and controls zombies), Mad Scientist, Necromancer, Psychokinetic (bend that spoon), and Zombie Hunter.

There are also many excellent Zombie genre hack & slash feats like Backhand Slash (handy when those pesky Zombies sneak up behind you), Bring It On (you’re too crazy to worry about madness ratings), Chainsaw Impale (sweet, need I say more?), Cool (pressure, what pressure?), First Impression (shotgun go boom, scare weak creatures), Hardware (you knew that your hardware department experience would help you someday), Improvised Implements (tools, I don’t need no stinking tools), Improvised Weapons (anything around is a deadly weapon), Improvised Weapon Damage (now the pen is truly mightier than the sword), Over The Shoulder (who wouldn’t want to shoot a shotgun over their shoulder and hit that zombie behind them), Rifle Spin (remember that lever-action rifle spin reload trick in Terminator 2? Now you can do it too.), Slapstick (when you fight hand to hand you fight dirty), Stud (handy with the opposite sex), Suck On This (a classic zombie-killing shotgun technique), Virgin (very useful in horror movies-but that’s about it), and Whatever (you don’t frighten easily).

Chapter 2 deals with the fine art of Zombie Hunting, with new weapons, including chainsaws and gatling guns. Sometimes you survive, but not without losing a chunk to those nasty zombies. Hence, the section on prosthetics. And there are new options for fighting with guns and a small section on madness rules. You can find a more detailed version of these madness rules in Blood and Blades, by the way. Chapter 3 deals with new powers and spells. Two of my favorite spells are Possess Zombie and Zombie Belch.

Then, Chapter 4, the chapter with every kind of Zombie-like creature you can think of. There are even a few not so Zombie-like creatures that you wouldn’t expect, like the Hsing-Sing (a Bigfoot like race from the Himalayas), Creep (alien parasites that turn their victims, including the Hsing-Sing, into zombies), and the Trillian (weird 50’s looking aliens that kill people with gas and turn them into zombies). There are also 21 variations of zombies, including Atomic, Nazi, Radiation, Toxic, Ultrasonic, and Radiation Zombies. Ah, then let us not forget one of the best sections in the whole book…the Zombie template, which has a chart full of abilities that can be randomly assigned. One of my favorites is the TV travel under the movement section, which allows zombies to travel through TV sets.

I give this book a B+. It would have been an A, but I would have liked to have seen some of the earlier chapters fleshed out more (pun intended). More information on the National Center for Reanimation Prevention and Control would have been nice too. Also, more on the madness rules would have been good (which you can find more info on in Tresca’s Blood and Blades). But overall an excellent book with some great fiction sprinkled throughout. If you combine this with Tresca’s Blood and Blades and Blood and Spooks, you can cover just about anything found in horror films.

So, if you are serious about adding Zombies into your game, then this is the book for you. Your players will never know what kind of Zombie they will run into next. Trust me, after your players run into a Video Zombie, they will never feel safe watching TV again.

Interview: K. Scott Agnew of Morrigan Press

2005-10-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to switch gears from my usual reviews and rambling on about SF stuff. Today I'm going to post an interview I recently did with K. Scott Agnew of Morrigan Press. Morrigan Press is a Pen & Paper Role Playing Game company located in Canada. Don't know what a Role Playing Game is? Then click on over to http://www.roleplay.org/ for more info.

Name: K. Scott Agnew
Hometown: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Favorite Food: fettucine alfredo
Favorite TV Shows: Jeremiah, Firefly, Lost, Over There, Out of Order
Favorite Movies: Fight Club, Rules of Attraction, Waking Life

Marx Pyle: Please explain how you first became involved with role playing games, both as a player and as a game designer.

K. Scott Agnew: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Well not really another galaxy but it was a long time ago. I started roleplaying with a buddy of mine back in 1979 at the tender age of 10. My friend received the old D&D boxed sets for xmas (the basic and expert sets with the Erol Otis covers) and we went from there. After surviving the perils of the Keep on the Borderland and exploring the Isle of Dread we moved onto AD&D and probably played every published adventure between 1980 and 1987 along with tons of our own design. We were there when TSR released the Forgotten Realms (having read about Ed Greenwood's world in Dragon magazine for years) and revelled in Dragonlance (I played Tas through all DL modules). We also played a lot of Gamma World and Star Frontiers with a smattering of Top Secret thrown in for good measure. Non-TSR games of interest also included Traveller, Twilight 2000, Talislanta, Jorune, and later the original WHFRPG.

From late high school onwards, I turned more and more to my own creations and less on published material. University saw a slew of world building on my part. After Uni, things took a downturn when it came to RPGs for me. The day to day struggle of finding a job not to mention marriage and children meant little to no time for playing games. That said, the world building continued throughout the 90's even though playing RPGs had pretty much ceased. For me, world building is a hobby unto its self. I credit my fantasy worlds and sci-fi galaxies with keeping me sane in an otherwise hectic and tumultuous period of my life. It was my sole creative outlet at the time the corporate world was trying its hardest to suck my soul dry. When D&D 3.0 was released, I, like many lapsed gamers, got back into the hobby again. This also coincided with a point in my life that saw stability return. I was working in a good job with excellent income, my wife had graduated law school a few years earlier and the kids were growing and content. While still not playing nearly as much as I had in my youth, RPGs were back for me.

How I got into the industry is a bit of a weird story. I was sitting watching TV one night when I stumbled upon a show called Jeremiah (on The Movie Network here in Canada. It's a Showtime series in the US). It intrigued me and in the coming weeks I found myself anxiously awaiting the next episode. One day in late 2003 I was watching Jeremiah and thought to myself: "myself, this would make an awesome RPG setting." so I walked 20 feet to my computer and did a quick Google search. I found that the Jeremiah intellectual property was owned by Platinum Studios (the guys behind Men in Black) and shot an email to the head of the company and the executive producer of the TV show. Long story short, within a week I was on the phone with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and began negotiating for the RPG rights to Jeremiah. Now keep in mind, I don't have a company at this point nor do I know the first thing about publishing. Anyway, I got the rights but rather than make a piss-poor attempt at creating and publishing an RPG, I opted to find a publishing partner which is where Mongoose Publishing comes in. Since Mongoose already had Babylon 5 and Jeremiah was created by the same person who created B5, they agreed to publish the Jeremiah RPG. While designing Jeremiah I also began exploring and doing research into publishing and by the time the Jeremiah game was nearing completion, took the big step of creating Morrigan Press.

Marx Pyle: Why did you create your own role playing game company? Also, why was it named Morrigan Press?

K. Scott Agnew: While working on Jeremiah was fun and educational, I quickly discovered that working as freelance game designer was NOT going to pay the bills. By this time I had given up on the Dilbert lifestyle of the IT industry and wanted to do something on my own. I've always had a strong independent streak and so starting my own business was very appealing. So, I did the research, wrote a 40+ page business plan, secured both private financing and bank loans and started up Morrigan. I named the company Morrigan Press after the Celtic goddess of battle and death. Being of Scottish descent, I've always had an affinity for things Celtic and this goddess seemed an appropriate name for an RPG company. Since then we've grown to have several fulltime employees and an army of regular freelancers.

Marx Pyle: How did your company come up with the idea of creating the Omni System rule mechanics? Also, why did Morrigan Press decide to go this route instead of using d20?

K. Scott Agnew: I knew new game companies come and go on a regular basis and had no desire to become one of these statistics. I also started this company as a full-time job and not a hobby I do on the side. With this in mind, I knew we needed to find an anchor in the form of a license so gamers who might not have heard of Morrigan Press would still be familiar with our products. I was a fan of Talislanta "back in the day" and immediately sought out this property. It seems my timing was perfect because the previous publisher of Talislanta had run into trouble because of the Wizard's Attic fiasco. Again, long story short, I basicaly bought them out and secured the license to Talislanta from the game's creator, Stephan Michael Sechi.

We rebuilt Talislanta and quickly released several new books after fans had only had 2 releases in the previous 10 years. While I had always been a fan of the setting, I quickly learned that the new 4th Edition rules for Tal were incredibly elegant and easy to use. The magic system in particular is a masterpiece IMHO. Why Talislanta is not a blockbuster RPG is a result of what I consider one of its strengths. The world is weird and alien to most gamers. There are no elves, dwarves or halflings to be found but yet there are over 40 playable races. Gamers either love this or hate it. The alien-ess of Tal meant that many gamers would not try it. They wanted to Toliken-fantasy staples.

So, with that in mind, I decided the system itself was masterfull and so we went to work redesigning and adding to it to divorce it from the setting of Talislanta. The result was Omni. While the core mechanics are based on the TaL4 system, we made many changes to make the system generic instead of tied to a specific setting or even genre of game.

As to d20, we explored that route. Our first book was actually a d20 edition of Talislanta. It sold extremely well but we knew the d20 system was not the perfect fit for Tal so we opted to maintain the Tal4 system as well and have dual-statted adventures and sourcebooks for both systems. Over the past 2 years, we have witnessed the steady decline in d20 sales and opted instead to take something we already had (the Tal system) and turn it into a competitor to d20 rather than try and carve out a decreasing slice of the d20 pie for ourselves.

Marx Pyle: Has it been hard for Omni System products to compete in this d20/OGL dominated marketplace?

K. Scott Agnew: Not even close. While still in the early days of the system, Omni has been selling very well, surpassing our initial expectations by a considerable amount. With the decline of d20, gamers seem to be exploring other systems again and Omni is about as elegant as the come. For those who like the roleplaying aspect of these games, Omni is perfect. It's rules light and there is no need for a stack of 20 books to play a game. In fact, once a player has memorized a 5 line table, there is no need to open a book during play. On top of this, we have also listened to gamers over the past couple of years complaining about the rising price of game books. Do you need a hardcover, glossy color pages and Todd Lockwood or Ron Spencer art in every book to enjoy a game? We think not and so opted to produce Omni books with excellent production values but without all the bells and whistles that other companies are currently using. This keeps our expenses a bit lower and we can in turn sell books at $20 instead of $40.

Marx Pyle: What do you think of d20 and the OGL? Do you think it has been a good thing for role playing games?

K. Scott Agnew: Absolutely! It re-energized the industry in a big way. The OGL in particular is an excellent idea and I've always liked the idea of publishers coopertaing to make better games and the OGL is one way that is possible. While our games are not intended for the d20 market, we still use the OGL and have been able to adapt d20 Open Content for some of our games like High Medieval.

Marx Pyle: Does the Omni System use the OGL?

K. Scott Agnew: Yes and no. We do publish Omni under the OGL but the core mechanics are deemed Product Identity and therefore closed. Our skills, talents and equipment sections are normally released as Open Content though. Creature stats on the new Atlantis Bestiary are also being released as Opne Content as well. We do license the core Omni mechanics to interested publishers but we have no intention of putting the entire system out there under the OGL. The Open sections of Omni books allow publishers to use a common set of skills, talents, creatures, etc while keeping the core of the system under our control through a separate license.

Marx Pyle: What do you believe are some of Omni System's strengths, as compared to other d20 games, including d20 "spin-offs" like True20, Spycraft 2.0, and Anime d20?

K. Scott Agnew: Omni is not a d20 spin-off. That's said, the Omni System requires only a single d20 to play and I think that is why some people confuse Omni with d20. Unlike d20, Omni is a rule-lite game.

Marx Pyle: What do you believe are some of Omni Systems strengths, as compared to other non-d20 games, such as GURPS, Unisystem, or the Action! System?

K. Scott Agnew: Elegance. Omni is a rules-lite system that let's players simply have fun playing the game without the need for searches through multiple tomes of rules. The whole system fits into one 160 page book. That's all you need to play really (assuming you are using a homebrew setting). There is one single mechanic used for all task resolution be that skill use, combat or spell casting. There are no classes or levels and players actually construct their own "class" as part of character creation. It can also be used in any genre with little to no modification required. We have books currently in production for the horror, sci-fi, super hero, japanese, steampunk and modern genres with others coming behind those.

Marx Pyle: Will Morrigan Press be creating any other d20/OGL products, or will all future books be made with the Omni System?

K. Scott Agnew: At this point I think we'll be sticking with Omni for the forseeable future. I believe the d20 bubble has burst and while I have nothing against the d20 system, I don't believe it is the be-all and end-all of gaming systems. It works great for D&D and Sprcraft and Star Wars but that doesn't mean all games need to be d20. Vive le difference! Talislanta products will continue to be dual-statted for d20 and the recently released Talislanta Menagerie contains over 300 Talislanta creatures complete with d20 stats for each. We've actually found that we are selling more of these to d20 players looking for new monsters than we are to Tal fans.

Marx Pyle: Currently, what are some of your strongest products, and what does Morrigan Press have planned for the future?

K. Scott Agnew: The core Omni System and Atlantis: The Second Age are our two strongest products right now. Talislanta continues to have a strong and loyal fanbase but the new Omni genre sourcebooks and Atlantis are currently our growth lines. Atlantis is about as deep a setting as you'll ever find and it actually covers the entire globe (our own globe in a bygone age). We had a limited release at GenCon and nearly sold out but this print run was flawed with some binding issues and so we are now waiting for the second print run to return from printing so we can get the game into general distribution.

Marx Pyle: Thanks again for agreeing to the interview.

K. Scott Agnew: Thank you for listening to me ramble (or read me ramble I guess).

The Infinite (Comic Book) Crisis?

2005-10-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Recently John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Film/TV blog posted about the fate of Marvel Comics and comic books in general. This was all started by the fool who wrote the article "Will Licensing Doom Marvel?" by Nathan Alderman which was posted on September 19, 2005, at Fool.com. Get it, fool, Fool.com, yeeeaaahhh – smell that corn. Anyway, Mr. Muir posted "Whither Marvel Comics?". In which I commented on my basic feelings about this.

Basic no more! I shall now talk more in-depth about this subject, which is close to my heart. I’ve been a fan of comics since I was a little itty bitty tiny witty child. Although I don’t buy them nearly as much anymore (more on that later), I’m still a big fan of the medium.

As that foolish article stated: “…Marvel's publishing arm tallied $20.9 million in net sales, comparing respectably with its licensing ($43.9 million) and toy ($23.4 million) ventures. But remove that mask and look at the operating income: While licensing brought in $28.2 million and toys commanded $13.2 million, publishing brought in only $7.89 million -- down more than 12% year over year.”

Ack, so are comics doomed? Yes, no, maybe. Seriously…yes, if publishers don’t wake up and change with the times.

The reality is that increasing technology has made DVDs and video games more powerful and cheaper than they once were. I know that I’m digging the cheaper prices and the increasing extras that DVDs have.

But, not all is lost. Manga (the Japanese equivalent to our American comics) are increasing in sells in the USA. As the article confirms: “manga is eating the mainstream publishers' lunch. According to the Nielsen BookScan ratings of bookstore sales, in early August 45 of the top 50 sellers in the graphic-novel category were manga. In the first half of 2005, DC's graphic-novel sales grew by 13%, and Marvel's increased by 9%, while manga publisher Tokyopop notched 40% sales growth, including 81% growth in the first quarter.” This tells us that Americans are at least still willing to read comic book-like products. So what is it that manga has that American comics don’t? I personally don’t read much of the manga, but I can tell from watching anime versus American animation that the Japanese do take a different approach to storytelling.

So, enough doom and gloom. What can American comic book publishers do to save themselves? Here are my suggestions. Some are not completely serious (but did you really expect them to be?):

Publish Online - Take advantage of the software and publish titles online to supplement print sales. This has been done fairly successfully with role-playing games to help boost sales (RPGs are the only SF niche that is hurting worse than comics). This will also help cut down on sale loss from BitTorrent (darn you BitTorrent!). It will also make it cheaper for fans to catch up with titles, which really is needed due to the inflating continuities of many multi-title ‘universes’. Don’t get me started on the pre-Crisis vs. post-Crisis Superman discussion. And I always get a headache when I think about Magneto. How many times has he died or switched sides, anyway?

Experiment With New Formats - Sorry, but the typical monthly is not working anymore, in my humble opinion. Perhaps publishers should experiment with manga format books or graphic novel only products. Just as the ‘dime novel’ evolved into the novel, perhaps many of the monthlies should become graphic novels.

Scheduling - Lets get scheduling under control. Nothing loses interest faster than waiting an additional week or month (or more) for the next issue. Writer and artist contracts with heavy financial penalties for late work might help things a bit. It blows my mind how often titles are late. Could you imagine a television network allowing their television crews to do that? It would kill a series. As if the networks’ own re-scheduling doesn’t already hurt a series (remember when FOX aired the Firefly pilot last?), but continuous delays by writers would destroy a television series. Guess what, it isn’t helping comic books out either. This is one of the biggest gripes I hear from my friends, and it is probably my numero uno gripe too. Most comic books now (especially Marvel) do 4-6 issue arcs. If, for example, we compare one arc to one episode of a television series, we would have to wait 4-6 months to see one complete episode. Man, I love Lost and Stargate, but if I had to watch each episode only one act or less at a time, I would completely lose interest.

Enough With ‘Comic’ Books - Change the name! I get so embarrassed when I tell someone I read ‘comic books.’ These books aren’t the same funny books of old. Can everyone agree on a new name? Lets just all call them graphic novels, graphic shorts, graphic episodes, graphic-sodes, commie books (just kidding), graphic serials, or something. Anything but “comic book.”

Geek: The Next Generation - Publishers should try harder to court the new generation of readers (the ‘Ultimate’ line is a cool idea – but not the most kid friendly). You can’t beat out video games and movies, but ‘graphic serials’ are not just a cool alternative. They are also a helpful tool in developing reading skills, and that is something that video games and non-subtitled movies can’t do.

We Are Creators, Hear Us Roar - Publishers need to do more to encourage creators to make new characters that can become the icons for new generations. Sorry, but right now a good creator will shy away from "giving away" a character to Marvel or DC, and I don't blame them. How? One way is through creator-owned companies like the awesome Image Comics. Or, at least contracts that give partial rights to creators. For example, creators should get a percentage for use of the character in comics or in other media. Creators should get a voice when a character is being optioned for a movie or TV series. More rights could go a long way in encouraging creators to create new, and future iconic, characters. Perhaps something along the lines of Crossgen’s Code 6 program. Crossgen never had a chance to do much with it, but imagine if DC or Marvel did this. Not only could they have more PI (that’s Product Identity, not Private Investigator) for future movies and TV, but they could use the same method for new characters in their shared universe. It sucks that the creators would only have 1/3 ownership, but it would help prevent a painful crash, like the one that Image suffered in its shared superhero universe when Rob Liefeild got kicked out and when Jim Lee left. 100% ownership just doesn’t work in the long run for a shared universe. The Imageverse has never really recovered. Please note that I’m talking about the shared superhero universe, not Image Comics overall. Image overall is a godsend for creators to create and fully own their creations.

BUT - I do feel that many of tomorrow’s icons are out there right now. They are just in independent books, rarely seen. Until they hit it big in another medium, they will remain in obscurity. How many people heard of Men In Black, Hellboy, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles until they hit movies and television?

Why do I care so much about these ‘funny’ books. Because they are really the first medium of story telling that I used to entertain myself. They are addicting and can tell stories in a way that no other medium can. I have three reasons why I don’t want to see comics die: I’m a fan, I want to introduce my future munchkins to them, and I want to actually write a few before they are gone.

To conclude this rambling, comics aren’t doomed (knock on wood)…they just need to make some changes. In the long run though, I don’t think comic books will ever sell the same as they once did. But, there will always be television (live action or animation), movies, and video games for future heroic icons. That is, until Virtual Reality gets big…and then someone makes a Holodeck…then we ascend into energy beings and amuse ourselves by watching the ‘lower’ life forms live life. Evolution…a harsh mistress indeed.

Six And Counting...

2005-10-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, how are you enjoying the TV schedule of Fall 2005? Me, I’m going blind from the eye strain of watching so many shows.

My SF watching: Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Smallville, Justice League (a cartoon, but a very cool cartoon indeed), Supernatural, Invasion, Threshold, Ghost Whisperer, Night Stalker, and Surface. I save Alias for DVD sets.

My non-SF watching: Prison Break (a must see), Veronica Mars (awesome), Bones (highly entertaining), Nip/Tuck (this season may be getting a bit too weird, even for me), Desperate Housewives (blame my significant other), Gilmore Girls (ditto), Grey’s Anatomy (a guilty pleasure), Boston Legal (when I can catch it), and The Daily Show (love it).

Yes, I watch to much TV. Something has got to give…

Which leads me to this post. For Fall 2005 we have six new SF series. Not only that, but they are all on networks…sweet. Now that the crap, known by some as “Reality TV,” has lost the interest of many a coach potato, we have the networks (except for FOX) jumping on the SF bandwagon.

Kudos for ABC. They are doing great this season because last season they didn’t leap almost 100% into Reality TV (unlike FOX), but instead took the amazing idea of airing new dramas. Ooh, aah. ABC now has big hits (Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal) returning, adding to the success of many other new dramas. And, of course, the mega-hit known as “Lost”, but known by the citizens of the little known country GrrArghKablahKree as “The Island of Flashbacks and Monsters Which We Can Not Get Enough Of.” Now many of the other networks hope to duplicate the success of this truly cool show. Have they succeeded? No, but good try.

Without further ado, let’s break these down:

Supernatural
(Marx gives it an A)
Supernatural Episode Guide
Concept: The show revolves around brothers Sam & Dean, played by Jared Padalecki (House of Wax, Gilmore Girls) and Jensen Ackles (Smallville), who travel around the country investigating, hunting and fighting mysterious phenomena. They are driven by the search for their father, who is on a quest to find the reason behind their mother's bizarre death.

This is, without a doubt, my favorite new SF show this Fall. Supernatural has the creepiness of X-Files mixed with the action and humor of Angel. Who knew that two brothers driving around America taking out supernatural creatures could be so much fun? This series truly is (as creator Eric Kripke said in an interview) “…Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo cruising the country and killing monsters, and what's not to love about that?" What indeed.

Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are great in this series. This is definitely a better role for Ackles than the one he had previously on Smallville and Dean is a really a fun character. Every week, these two brothers battle a new creature based on mostly North American folklore and urban legends. Plus, we have the mystery subplot of their mother’s death, Sam’s girlfriend’s death, and their father’s disappearance. This series has feet my friends, and I can see it lasting for a number of seasons.

Bravo WB for stopping the hatin’ of SF series. Now if they could just give us a Spike television movie and/or a Buffyverse spin-off series. Hmmm, perhaps give Global Frequency another chance, too.

Invasion
(Marx gives it an B+)
Invasion Episode Guide
Concept: “When a hurricane threatens Florida, temporarily cutting off a small town at the edge of the Everglades, U.S. Park Ranger Russell Varon (Eddie Cibrian) takes heroic measures to keep both the town's citizens and his family safe. In the middle of the violent storm, his young daughter is the only one to see small lights floating towards the water, seemingly unaffected by the vicious winds. At the time, he thinks nothing of her claim, but begins to suspect that something may indeed be amiss when his missing ex-wife is found naked, with no memory of what happened during the storm.” (Official Description)

This series doesn’t come close to Lost, but with that said…I’m digging this series. I’m not sure where they are going with it or how they can make it last for multiple seasons, but it continues to entertain. The cast is great (especially Eddie Cibrian, Lisa Sheridan, Tyler Labine, and William Fichtner) and the conflict between these modern families with the whole alien invasion concept is working for me…for now.

I can see this series coming back for a season 2, but I am concerned with how long they can keep the story interesting. I’m also concerned with Shaun Cassidy’s apparent hatred of sheriffs. This one is an alien, and the one in Cassidy’s American Gothic was a demon. Hmm, perhaps he knows something I don’t.

Ghost Whisperer
(Marx gives it an B)
Ghost Whisperer Episode Guide
Concept: Ghost Whisperer is inspired by the cases of famed psychic James Van Praagh and Mary Ann Winkowski. This series focuses on Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt) a young newlywed with the unique ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of people who have died. Melinda has spent her entire life coping with this extraordinary psychic gift, but also yearns to lead an ordinary life. Melinda uses her gift to relay important information to the living, which allows the dead to pass on to the other side.

First off, Jennifer Love Hewitt (Party of Five) and David Conrad do a great job in this series. Actually seeing Hewitt switch from her character now and her character as a young teen in the episode “Ghost, Interrupted”, was both fantastic acting and a tad bit creepy.

I do question their sets and clothing though. It is an awfully big house for newlyweds, especially with the husband starting a new job and Melinda starting up a new business! And what is up with all the candles? Melinda’s clothing also seems to be out of place at times, too. Oh, and some of the dialog from the pilot was overly dramatic, but luckily they have toned that down since. I was just waiting for the “That reminds me of when Plato said, (fill in with quote)” type of dialog that plagued Andromeda for the last few seasons. Oh, and not exactly the best name for a series either.

With that said, from what I have heard from actual psychics, this series is pretty close to reality, or (for you Scullys out there) at least what psychics claim to be real. My only problem is that this series runs the risk of getting old. There is no conflict between Melinda Gordon and her husband. Nor with Melinda and her best friend. They all just seem cool with it. Which is great for the character, but a missed opportunity for added drama. I like the tension between Allison and Joe on Medium, even though Joe does get a little carried away sometimes. Plus, if Melinda fails, someone doesn’t get a message from a passed on loved one. Sad, but not exactly as nail biting as the possible outcome if Allison Dubois fails a case on Medium.

So, Ghost Whisperer is a good psychic show with some very touching stories and with its current ratings, I would be surprised if it doesn’t return next season. But this show runs the risk of audience ADD if the writers aren’t careful. A similar fate that befell Joan of Arcadia could happen to this series if they aren’t careful.

By the way CBS has committed to a full season run of 22 episodes.

Threshold
(Marx gives it an B)
Threshold Episode Guide
Concept: “In the middle of the ocean, a cargo freighter makes a chilling discovery: an extraterrestrial craft has landed on earth. Enter Molly Anne Caffrey, recruited to await the planet's first contact, along with a carefully assembled team made up of a brilliant physicist with strong religious beliefs, a language and communications expert and a highly trained covert operative. Together they implement the long-gestating Operation: Threshold, charged with finding out the purpose of the landing and the fate of the ship's crew, and preparing for the worst-case scenario of an alien invasion.” (Official Description)

The pilot for this series was my second favorite out of these six series, but I think they may have given away too much info too soon. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want the X-Files or Twin Peaks version of a mystery (The Truth is Out There, but don’t worry you’ll never find it), but I like the Lost version of a mystery (We do have the answer, we promise, but we will tease you along the way). The Threshold writers decided to just give nearly all of it away with the pilot. This makes a strong pilot but potentially a weak series. For example, First Wave had a strong pilot, but the rest of the series was just the main character trying to foil the aliens’ plans, which got boring after awhile. Hmmm, Star Trek’s Braga is in charge of this and heaven knows that Star Trek: Enterprise rarely had any good plot twists or mysteries…could the B&B curse (short one B) hit Threshold too?

I hope not, because I really like this cast. Carla Gugino, as Molly Anne Caffrey, is great in this. So is Peter Dinklage, Robert Patrick Benedict, and the great Brent Spiner. Kudos on the creators on making a strong female character, but where are the other women? The cast just seems a little too male, especially with the egos from Arthur Ramsey and Nigel Fenway, and J.T. Baylock’s constant yelling (chill dude). Maybe they should throw in another woman. Perhaps Lucas’s finacee.

Oh and the thing that the cops did in the episode “Shock” was cheesy. What did she think she was accomplishing hiding the criminal from (what she thought was) Homeland security? How was she planning on hiding him when he went to trial? And how did she convice the other cops to go along? That could fly if this was an alien planet on Star Trek, but rings false in modern America.

So far the ratings have been good, but not great. CBS wants to look at some more scripts before committing. So, it’s 50/50 on whether we’ll see a season 2. Hey producers of Threshold! Add some more mystery, at least one more female character, some additional subplots, a big plot twist, and tighten the overall arc, and this series could get some feet on it. Oh, and CBS should think about moving it to different night. Sorry, but Scifi Friday rules the action/adventure SF niche for Fridays. Look how bad Star Trek: Enterprise faired on Fridays. Ghost Whisperer skews a different audience, but Threshold would appeal to many of the same people who love Stargate (alien threat and a modern day covert team fighting against it). But if they have to choose, you can bet they will stick with the 9th season of Stargate SG-1 and 2nd season of Stargate Atlantis. Please CBS, don’t make us choose. Be a uniter, not a divider.

Night Stalker
(Marx gives it an B)
Night Stalker Episode Guide
Concept: Crime reporter Carl Kolchak, determined to find out the truth behind his wife's mysterious murder, investigates other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. With sidekick Perri Reed, a skeptical reporter in tow, Kolchak will go to any lengths to answer his questions.

I’m a fan of the original show, but this reimagining is very, very different. Ok, not as different as the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica, but different nontheless. Stuart Townsend is great as Carl Kolchak, but I’m afraid the writers may have made him a little too cool. This Kolchak is younger, doesn’t have the funny hat, has a wicked car, and a very expensive house of glass for a home (what is up with that?). Ok, he is suspected of murdering his wife and no one wants to listen to what really happens on his investigations, but he does have a wicked car. As for Townsend’s co-star Gabrielle Union, she was a little weak in the pilot, but is starting to grow into her character.

The good: A talented cast, excellent directing, and good writing.

The bad: Too much like X-Files. The show hasn’t found its own unique voice. It just seems like this is Mulder and Scully as reporters instead of FBI agents. Oh, except they no longer have guns, the resources of the FBI, or the Lone Gunmen. But, they do have their own Jimmy Olsen.

This series has great potential, but needs to find its own identity. Only time will tell how this series pans out, but I have high hopes that they will pull it off.

Surface
(Marx gives it an B-)
Surface Episode Guide
Concept: Surface is an action-adventure drama from writers-directors Josh and Jonas Pate. The pilot was described as being in the vein of James Cameron's The Abyss and revolves around mysterious creatures deep in the ocean. The series centers on the discovery of a new form of sea life. Lake Bell (Boston Legal, Miss Match) plays the female lead, a marine biologist who discovers the creatures

Snore. I’m sorry, was I doing a review? This is how I feel when I watch this series. I’m sorry, are they trying to entertain us? The first episode of this series was one of the most boring pilots I have ever seen for an SF series. Part II was slightly better, perhaps NBC should have aired them together. The series has been getting better, but it still lacks something. Oh, and I hate series that do not give names to their episodes. I can see it now, “this reminds of episode 34 of Surface or was that episode 23…hmmm.” Yeah, give them names already! Ok, maybe I’m the only one who cares about that, but darn it, it annoys me.

I’m afraid that series is falling into the potential flaw of a series that doesn’t take the episodic approach. Lost and Battlestar Galactica have done this approach well, but look at how Point Pleasant flopped last year. The difference is, even though Lost and Battlestar Galactica have many ongoing plot lines, they always have a beginning and end of at least one of those story threads every episode. So, I can say “remember that episode of Battlestar Galactica where Starbuck got stuck on that planet or on Lost when we found out Locke’s big secret.” But series like Point Pleasant and Surface just seem to keep going and going. Stuff happens every episode, but it is hard to remember exactly what. I can handle that to a point, but the general American audience won’t stick with it.

Anyway, Surface’s cast just isn’t interesting enough for me, and the story of these underwater creatures just seems to be dragging. But, the scenes where ships are eaten or when people get sucked into whirlpools are cool, I’ll give them that. This series has been getting slightly better with every episode, so maybe it will surprise. But for now I have to say that this series is sunk, and I would be surprised if it makes it back for a round 2.