April 4th: A Big Day For Sci-Fi Fans…
March 22, 2008 (3 Responses)
IT’S BEEN A LONG WAIT, but season 4 of that absolutely incredible sci-fi show Battlestar Galactica is nearly upon us again. April 4th is the launch date in the US for the last season of this epic space opera, so set your recorders on stun and get ready to enter into the biggest season yet. It’s generally well known at this point that the fleet will eventually find Earth during this season, but no one is letting the full plot out of the bag just yet.
The real question is ‘when’ apparently.
As in, when do they do finally find Earth, what year will it be? The past or the future? Maybe the middle ages or sometime in the not to distant 22nd century. It’s all up for grabs and that’s just one single plot point. There are may more to be resolved; the final / fifth Cylon has yet to be revealed, the real story behind Starbuck is still a mystery, the fate of Six and Baltar and so much more. I’m not going to be able to wait until this show makes it across the big pond here, probably to be screened by Sky One, so I guess I’ll be depending on my American cousins *cough* to tape it for me!
And, as if that wasn’t enough to look forward to, another favourite (and seminal) sci-fi show of mine is returning for it’s own fourth season on the same day over here in Europe. Doctor Who returns at 7pm on BBC that night to kick off another great season of thrills and spills, and this time includes cameos from all previous ‘companions’ from the first three seasons.
There is a strong rumour flying around that this will be the last season for the current ‘Doctor’, so I guess we are in for some regeneration at the end of this one… although I haven’t heard anything about a replacement as yet.
Judging from the teasers and pre-release info I’ve seen so far it looks like being a hell of season. I love the way this show mixes humour and pathos with the most outrageous villans and situations. It’s a glorious mix between outright camp and good solid science fact which hits the mark on almost every episode.
If you haven’t already done so check out Doctor Who website for more info.
Welsh Jedis On The Moon & Israeli Laser Defence Class Action…
March 15, 2008 (5 Responses)
THESE WELSH JEDI lot are a forward looking bunch; I’ll give them that at least. Whether you think they’re whackjobs or take them seriously the UK Church of Jedi actually exists, presumably as a subset of the Jedi Church itself, and most recently they have made the headlines because they selected a rather interesting place to build their latest church, not to mention forming a new Galactic nation state. I refer of course to the story that some Welsh Jedis decided to create a space colony on the moon.
Yep. You read that right, on the moon!
Of course the first step in such an enterprise is to purchase some real estate, which they have in fact managed to do. Actually, they’re not just interested in buying the land (a one acre site apparently), they are also in the process of setting up a new Jedi nation up there as well. You see the moon is classed as being in ‘international waters’ (although I challange anyone to find water up there!) so legally speaking there is nothing to stop them forming their own galactic state up there.
The two brothers at the head of the UK Jedi Church organisation have gone ahead and set up a government, constitution and royal family of the sovereign state as well. The nation is called The Galactic States of Jediism and they have also nominated their own capital city on the moon called Testa City.
What beats me is how they can fit all this into one little acre of real estate… still it could set an interesting precedent if we ever manage to, you know, actually colonise the moon… although why anyone would want to at this point is a bit of a mystery to me.
Still, it’s not as weird as the next item, because quasi-religious sci-fi enthusiasts doing their thing on the moon is at least ‘out there’ somewhere, a possibility that might be a problem in the future sometime if we ever go back to the moon, where as this next item is closer to home but just as weird. Read more
30 Years On… The Legend That Is “Star Wars” Is Celebrated
May 25, 2007 (4 Responses)
UNLESS YOU WERE born in the last few minutes, you already know what “Star Wars” is, and why it was so pivotal in the movie business. Actually - if you were born in the last few minutes you must be some sort of genius, so what the hell are you doing reading this? Go compose an opera or something useful.
For the rest of us however, Star Wars represents the most incredible vision and life long passion of a certain George Lucas. Personally I grew up with the original 3 movies (hated the re-worked versions!) and thought the new ones were ok, but not as good… but then that’s probably nostalgia talking. The point is that Star Wars is 30 years old.
30 years. That’s just hard to swallow sometimes. Damn that snuck up on me.
Anyway, Wired are running an excellent article entitled ‘Star Wars Rewired’ which you should go check out if you have any interest in the subject matter at all. It’s got articles dealing with the aftermath of making such a monster success on George Lucas, a clever diatribe on how Star Wars changed everything, articles on merchandising, Star Wars games, behind the scenes accounts; hell they’ve even got a piece on the cult status Carrie Fisher achieved in that metal bikini for fucks sake.
It’s a great read and worthy of some frivolous attention, so what are you waiting on? Get un-busy and go waste some quality time down memory lane with Han Solo, Leia, a nerf herder, some daft robots, Obi-Wan Kenobi, jawas, behind the scenes tit bits… you get the idea.
Sure what else is the internet for if not diversions like this? 
Barbarella, Heroes & Babylon 5 News For Fanboys!!
May 24, 2007 (2 Responses)
FANBOYS… COMMENCE DROOLING, for one of the whackiest cult movies of all time - Barbarella - has just got the green light to be remade by none other than Robert Rodriguez of From Dusk ‘Till Dawn, Desperado, El Mariachi, Sin City and Grindhouse fame.
I can’t even begin to imagine what a modern version of such a cult classic would look like, but given this directors track record that doesn’t surprise me either. I guess the only certainty is that it will be a hell of an original interpretation, one way or another!
For anyone who doesn’t know what a legend Barbarella is… well all you really need to know is that it starred Jane Fonda at the height of her astounding beauty in 1968, involved a zero gravity undressing scene as the opening credits rolled, contained a plot which consisted of Fonda in (and out) of a litany of weird and skimpy/sexy costumes on a mission to bring ‘love’ to the galaxy.
Yes - I know you can almost taste the drugs from that description alone can’t you? Just roll with it. After all - it was the sixties. I’m not sure anyone knew what the hell they were doing when they made this film, but it still made it to cult status!
And it wasn’t even a porn movie. Well, not really.
And the good news doesn’t stop there… Read more
Doctor Who: Gridlock
April 15, 2007 (One Response)
PEOPLE GO MISSING on the motorway, or at least they do in this far flung future driven episode from the current season of Doctor Who. This episode Gridlock (Episode 3, Season 3) refers to the endless traffic jam which people find themselves in - some travelling for decades on a motorway moving mere yards per day - all in the hopes of a better life outside the city of New New York. Anyone making it as far as the fast lane tends to dissappear, but no one knows why. Enter the Doctor and Martha on another sightseeing tour which goes wrong.
So then, how does this latest episode stand up and is the relationship between the Doctor and his new assistant working or not? Well in my humble opinion there are good, bad and ugly points about this episode.
First let’s deal with some of the “good” points. As a concept it wasn’t bad; the idea of generational gridlocks resonates loudly in our current conciousness as we all know what queuing on the motorways is like every morning heading for work, and I suppose every evening returning… but this concept takes it to a whole new level. I also like the twist in the tale, the reason for the gridlock itself which is not apparent from the episode until well into the third act. In this respect it turns your initial views on their head, which is always a good thing.
Better still is the developing relationship between the Doctor and Martha, and the trust which is beginning to build up between them. It’s nice to see some emotional depth to the character of the Doctor as he describes his lost homeworld to her in some detail. Read more
Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Code
April 8, 2007 (3 Responses)
I HAD HIGH HOPES for this latest Doctor Who episode based on the welcome return of Season 3 last week; a new season with a new face and something to look forward to each week by way of chaos and mayhem. This latest episode was entitled “The Shapespeare Code” (Episode 2, Season 3) and the plot (if you can call it that) revolved around nefarious creatures (witches to you and me) using the words of William Shakespeare from his missing play “Loves Labours Won” to open a portal of some kind which would enable more of their kind enter the realm of the Earth and rule over it for a milennium of blood. Or something like that anyway. Don’t you just hate those portal thingies?
Anyway long story short - there was one running gag used again and again during the episode which really wore thin after a while; that being ol’ Shakespeare wondering if he could use some nifty lines from the Doctor or Martha (like “Once more unto the breach” or “The play’s the thing”). Really really thin ice here folks; the writers should have spent more time on this one.
The realisation of London in 1599 was nice though; some decent CGI and a cute concept around the construction of the Globe theatre, although the witches makeup was really cheesy, but overall I felt the episode just didn’t deliver enough; by the end of it I couldn’t care less about the outcome. Anyone else see this episode and think the same?
Oh well, I suppose there have to be ‘filler’ episodes in any series, and this was certainly one of them as far as I’m concerned. Let’s hope next week is better.
The Doctor Is Back
April 1, 2007 (7 Responses)
DOCTOR WHO (Season 3, Episode 1: “Smith and Jones”) kicked off last night with a hospital sized bang on BBC and having just watched the episode I have to say it’s a welcome return for the show. It hasn’t lost any of the appeal and even the new change of face is working for me.
The Doctor is as manic and optimistic as ever, constantly embroiled within a bubble of chaos wherever he goes, and his new assistant “Martha Jones” looks like a decent character; strong, smart, sassy… just the sort of sidekick that makes this show great. As ever, the official Dr. Who site has loads of info on the episode with downloads, podcasts, behind the scenes etc., so if that’s what you’re into - head on over there and stock up.
The writing on this episode is as familiar and wonderful as ever; well paced setups with nice unexpected payoffs. I won’t give the plot away for any fans who have yet to see this show, but I will say that it will make you smile and most of all you will feel like you’ve come home to a familiar place with season 3. Same style, same pace, same excellent writing.
If it continues in this vein it looks like we are in for a fantastic year. Welcome back Doctor, we’ve missed you!
