New DUNE Movie in the Works? August 31, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in Dune, midtown comics, Sci Fi, science fiction, scifi, star trek tng, starwars.2 comments
If only melange flowed freely and Maud’ib had never wandered into the desert of Arakis..
Apparently a new version of Dune may well be on the way if rumors are to be believed.
Personally I’ve enjoyed both the David Lynch and the SCIFI channel versions…i’m not terribly interested in yet another version of the first Dune book…but maybe we could have..The Butlerian Jihad? that would be awesome.
Star Trek XI Chekov To Be Played by Russian Actor August 30, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in babylon5, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, south park, Star Trek, star trek movie, star trek tng, star trek XI, startrek, starwars, starwars legacy, upsps.4 comments
First Scotty played by a Scotsman
Now Chekov being played by a Russian. I guess J.J.Abrams and his casting staff on Star Trek XI are aiming for real ethnic authenticity.
Anton Yelchin – a relative unknown in North America has been officially cast as Chekov…
I wonder if he’ll be able to find the ..’nucleal wessel…”
There are also active rumors circulating today on Uhura…nothing official yet though.
And the big question – who will be Kirk still remains.
Flash Gordon – Filmed in Canada – not available on Canadian TV August 29, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in Flash Gordon, flashgordon, kurt russell, lucas arts, psp, sandworms of dune, Sci Fi, science fiction, scifi, secret apprentice, space, space network, spacecast, star trek tng, starwars.2 comments
Flash Gordon is filmed in British Columbia thanks in part to grants from the Government of Canada.
Yet if you live in Canada – it’s not all that easy to find Flash Gordon on the tube (legally that is). Canada’s Space Network (spacecast.com) which is the Canadian home to Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Atlantis among other first run SciFi shows IS NOT running Flash Gordon.
There is no official word on why that is.
Then again considering how bad Flash Gordon is – Canadians aren’t missing all that much are they?
Star Wars Legacy of the Force Inferno OUT TODAY! August 28, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in legacy of the force, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, star trek tng, Star Wars, star wars legacy, star wars legacy of the force, starwars, weird al.3 comments
Holy Jawa do these books come out fast! Inferno is officially available today (though i don’t have a copy in my hands just yet).
As opposed to Sacrifice which we all knew would be the story in which Jacen Solo takes his Sith name – Inferno has no such penultimate highlight…though there is alot of ground to cover and it promises to be a riveting tale spun by Troy Denning
On a personal level I’m really going to take my time reading this one enjoying every page of what has become one of the best (if not THE BEST) Star Wars Expanded Universe book series ever.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay August 28, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in clone wars, comic books, comicbooks, comics, Dark Times, darktower, fan films, fox, kavalier & clay, kavalier and clay, las vegas, Michael Chabon, michaelchabon, pulitzer, pulitzer prize, sarah conner, serentiy, star wars fan films, the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay, zarek.1 comment so far
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
From time to time, I actually stray from reading core SciFi pulp like Star Wars and Star Trek to more …literary works.
After sitting on my shelf for years a recent flight to Europe gave me enough pause to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. This is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, which usually is an automatic disqualification for me since i’m not a fan of literary works… this is an exception.
Essentially its the tale of two boys becoming adults in the comic book industry. Now of course there is alot of back and side story, WWII being a major plot backdrop.
Chabon’s style is easy and fluid often interspersed with the narrators voice filling in plot elements. Many times things are left unsaid and the scene changes or jumps ahead and only later we find out what happened.
The beginning, middle and ‘almost end’ of the book kept me enthralled as our ‘heroes’ Sammy Clay and Joe Kavalier go through life’s adventures..the end though wasn’t particularly interesting to me and it felt almost like a let down (read it yourself and see if you agree).
That said, this is one of the best books that i’ve read in years and certainly better than the last Chabon book i read (which was actually written latter) – The Yiddish Policeman’s Union.
Star Trek New Voyages : World Enough And Time : CRASH AND BURN! August 28, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in babylon5, Books, darth who, fan films, george takei, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, Star Trek, star trek new voyages, star wars comics, startrek, starwars, upsps.4 comments
Like many, we were eagerly looking forward to the latest Star Trek fan flick from the New Voyages people. Episode three which was officialy set for release last week had George Takei in it no less.
We got halfway through the Episode – which by far is the slickest yet and could stand in for nearly any classic era show – and then the download stream stopped and it hasn’t started back again.
Apparently the show was so popular that it crashed the servers!
Here’s hoping they get the technical and Financial support they need – from top to bottom, from script to soundtrack to special effect this is a top notch production that is second to none.
Star Wars Lightsaber Finally Goes Far Far Away August 27, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in klingon, lightsaber, lightsabre, NASA, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, star trek tng, Star Wars, star wars legacy, starwars, vader, weird al.1 comment so far
30 years after Star Wars propelled us to that place far far away..an actual piece of the Star Wars legacy will be headed into Space.
Apparently the original prop of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from the first Star Wars movie will be sent into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery in October.
What i’d like to know – officially or otherwise – is if astro or cosmonauts have ever watched Star Wars on a Shuttle/Soyuz/Mir/Space Station mission. Sure these guys work very full days..but hey it’s not that improbable is it?
And what of the lightsaber? will it just stay in a locker on the shuttle the whole time?
Star Wars TIE Fighter Oreo Cookie August 24, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in battlestar galactica comics, ebay, gunslinger, JPL, NBC, orea, oreo, Star Wars, star wars legacy, starwars, TIE, tie fighter, Timothy Zahn, vulcan, weird, weird al.1 comment so far
We’ve all seen the crazy news stories where someone has seen the face of the virgin mary or jesus in a piece of toast and tried to sell it on eBay.
Apparently one dude thinks his Orea cookie looks like an Imperial TIE fighter from Star Wars.
This braniac has started the bidding at $2.97 for cookie (normally you’d buy a whole pack for that price). It’s unclear as to whether or not the imperial march or the TIE fighter ‘wwhooooosh’ will echo in your ears if you actually take a bite of this blessed Oreo.
[oh and hey don’t all Oreo cookies look like this? Now if he found an Oreo that looked like an AT-AT Walker or Yoda…that would be something…]
Star Trek Remastered – On CBS Now – On DVD in November August 24, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in babylon5, cbs, Journeyman, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, Star Trek, star trek remastered, startrek, starwars, TV, upsps.add a comment
The wait is almost over for those of us that haven’t Tivo’ed all the CBS broadcasts of the remastered classic Trek.
Remastered classic Star Trek is the original show, with better special effects, sound and overall image quality.
CBS has been airing the first season across its network in 2007 and will be continuing the effort through at least 2008. A DVD and HD-DVD combo set is set for a November 20th, 2007 release – but sadly no Amazon pre-order on this yet.
Though i’ve seen a few of the remastered episodes (and yes they’re OUT OF THIS WORLD AWESOME)…the price for the season one remastered DVD set is also out of this world at of $217.99. The regular non-remastered Star Trek in comparison retails for around $70.
CBS is also forcing HD users to use HD-DVD as opposed to having a Blu-Ray formatted DVD which also really sucks.
It’s A Google Universe – And We Just Live In It August 23, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in astronomy, awesome, cylon apocalypse, cylons, google, google earth, google sky, google universive, lightsabers, Sci Fi, Science, science fiction, scifi, star trek tng, starwars, YouTube.add a comment
If you ever had a doubt that we’re all just playing in the Google Universe – doubt no more.
Google Earth has gone Universal. That is Google Earth which up until this week was limited only to our little blue planet now has a ‘sky’ portion that shows you the stars from your location.
This is perhaps the greatest thing to happen to astronomy thus far in the young history of the Internet.
How many times have I struggled – traveling as much as I do – trying to figure out the sky from wherever my travels take me? – Sure the charts help but Google Earth Sky mode is…
AWESOME.
It is the most fluid, dynamic and visually accurate astronomy program i have ever seen and i strongly encourage anyone with an interest in the skies to check it out.
Star Trek XI : Real Scotsman to play Scotty August 21, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in battlestar galactica season zero, Cade Skywalker, James McAvoy, Sci Fi, science fiction, scifi, scotty, south park, Star Trek, star trek movie, star trek tng, starwars, upsps.7 comments
James McAvoy has been named as the actor who will play NCC-1701 chief engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott..
The only movie that i’ve ever seen this dude in is the Chronicles of Narnia – though he was also in the Last King of Scotland.
Considering that Star Trek XI is set for an X-mas 2008 release, and i’d assume there is alot of special effects work to be done…i gotta say the producers are really cutting it close by only figuring out their cast now. At least the script is done..so maybe Abrams and co have already started on specing out the effects and are just going to do principal photgraphy last….(officially set to begin in November).
We don’t know who is playing Kirk yet – but we do know that Zachary Quinto is Spock, and Leonard Nimoy and possible Will Shatner will cameo.
Logans Run – REMAKE! August 21, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in george lucas, lightsabers, logan's run, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, star trek tng, starwars, YouTube.4 comments
from the ‘let’s remake every film every made files..’
Logan’s Run the classic 1976 movie where everyone over a certain age is eliminated to keep the population under control..is being remade. Multiple news sources (with Reuters being the key) are reporting that the remake is now in full swing.Commercials veteran Joseph Kosinski will make his directorial debut on the sci-fi thriller, which has been in the works at the studio since the mid-’90s.
Sure the pacing of the 1976 movie may be a bit slow by today’s standards but Logan’s Run is a concept film and it still holds up well to the test of time.
Well the movie does…70’s trailer…not so much..but check it out for yourself below:
Some great Star Wars Auctions this weekend. Vintage AT-AT oh my! August 17, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in at at, at at walker, ebay, Exar Kun, Marvel, scifi, stamps, star trek tng, Star Wars, star wars legacy, Timothy Zahn, toys.add a comment
When i was a kid i always wanted the big AT-AT walker. Never did get it..but there is an interesting eBay auction now that might be the one..bidding has started at only $10..check it out for yourself!
Star Wars Vintage AT-AT Walker
How bout a rebel blockade runner? bidding on this beauty is real low now too..
R.I.P. Technorati? August 17, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in Blade Runner, blogging, blogs, david sifry, exoplanets, technorati.add a comment
Since the beginning of the blogging era Technorati has been among the best (if not THE BEST) blog search tools.
In recent months Technorati has changed its site and become increasingly irrelevant.
I had hopes that it would turn things around..but that now seems very unlikely.
You see David Sifry – the founding visionary of Technorati has left the building, quit, gonzo – outta here.
Without Sifry at the helm Technorati is a listless ship and one that will continue drifting in obscurity. It’s a sad day indeed. There is nothing wrong with Google’s blog search, i like it alot. But having Technorati as an independent and viable blog search tool was great to have.
Technorati is still alive – apparently – but it’s a shell of its former self.
Painkiller Jane – CANCELLED! August 15, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in Daleks, Family Guy, Kristanna Loken, pain killer jane, painkiller jane, Sci Fi, science fiction, scifi, smallville, star trek tng, starwars.3 comments
Yes Kristanna Loken is awesome. BUT Painkiller Jane on SciFi really really really sucked.
And now the network if finally admitting it too and canceling the series after just one season.
Will anyone miss it though? I watched two or three episodes but then ran out of bags in which to heave my disgust.
Why did it the show fail?
Easy – there was no plot.
Babylon 5 The Lost Tales : Voices In The Dark – A New Beginning? or a Pathetic comeback? August 15, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in b5, babylon 5, babylon 5 lost tales, babylon5, bionic woman, Dr. Who, JMS, lost tales, USPS.2 comments
Alrighty I’ve held my tongue long enough on what I actually think about Babylon 5 The Lost Tales : Voices In The Dark.
Babylon 5 is a place of beginnings and endings, Sheridan says in the final five minutes. Whether this will be a new beginning or an ending we don’t know.
First of all these two episodes are hardly the best that Babylon 5 has to offer. In fact they’re down near the bottom.
We had all expected so much from this – the teaser trailer was awesome after all. But from the beginning intro of the actual DVD – no awesome intro music and voice over as we had in the series – (Babylon was our Last Best Hope for Peace…it failed… ) – till the final frame this experience was lacking.
In Something Here – the tale with Lochley and the Devil there are two few characters, too little of the station. Sure the story is good. The deep story on how religion will fare in space and the true meaning of heaven and hell is the type of story that only a master Sci Fi story teller like JMS would ever attempt.
But then again. Babylon 5 has tackled religion in the past. Remember the episode with the Rabbi after Ivana loses a relative?
So..sure dialogue is great and so is the story..but the pace is SLOW. As a regular Babylon 5 episode it would work, but as the first thing we the FANS see after nearly a decade..i dunno i was less than enthusiastic.
OK so ON to the second part.
Sheridan is back
Galen the Technomage is back.
But again..a well thought out well scripted episode in terms of dialogue..but SLOW
NO ACTION.
and oh so slow.
I tried watching this episode with someone that had never watched Babylon 5 before…needless to say this person didn’t last through the whole thing.
And therein lies the problem with Lost Tales. It is too slow and not engaging enough. The stories are long drawn out. The action is only dialogue in slooow sequences. The special effects looked flimsy, the station didn’t look right, the hyperspace gate didn’t look right, the landing bay didn’t look right at all!
Babylon 5 is the greatest Sci Fi series of all time. The original run had the best script, the best characters and the best story arcs.
Lost Tales : Voices In The Dark is a ‘shadow’ of the glory that was Babylon 5. I hope JMS makes another DVD and I hope the next one has more characters, more ships, more aliens and FRAK IT more story, more action and MORE OF THE BABYLON 5 WE ALL MISS SO VERY MUCH.
Star Wars Rebellion #9 – Another Dark Horse Winner! August 14, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in comic books, comics, Dark Horse, darktower, Darth Vader, rebellion, Sci Fi, Science, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, spacey, star trek tng, Star Wars, star wars legacy, star wars rebellion, starwars, weird al, wyl tarson, zarek.1 comment so far
Sure Star Wars Rebellion is Star Wars pulp – but it’s good pulp and
I LIKE IT.
Issue #9 has a great panel flow that really captures the traditional Star Wars flow of multiple things happening that then come together.
What makes this current story arc so engaging is our ‘hero’ Wyl Tarson is a scumbag two timer that is now being two timed double crossed himself.
And since he’s a minor Star Wars universe character he can easily die too which makes the ending of this arc also interesting.
This is the third issue in this story which left off in issue #8 (also awesome). Issue 10 will see all this wrap up.
Will Tarson’s head EXPLODE? Will the Imperial hub EXPLODE?
And whose arm/leg/head will Vader hack off with his angry Sith Lightsaber?
Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #1 – The Colbert Nation Goes Into Space! August 14, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in colbert report, comic, George Bush, Gunslinger Born, Luke Skywalker, Marvel Comics, oni press, Robot Chicken, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, star trek tng, starwars, stephen colbert, Tek Jansen, tekjansen, The Force.6 comments
I FINALLY got a copy of Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #1 the other day. It has been sold out nearly everywhere I looked – but but favorite local seller ordered it and held a copy for me (barely).
NO this is not Star Wars Legacy. It is not the greatest SciFi comic of all time.
BUT IT IS COLBERT
and it’s funny in a campy satirical kind of way.
Tek Jansen is a bumbling version of Colbert himself i suspect doing good in the galaxy and having his way with the women folk whom he saves and appreciate his efforts. He doesn’t listen to his superiors and ends up making more trouble than he saves. His best friend is the embodiment of evil that he carries around in a little cage – and which hates him too.
Yes it’s a bit weird – but what did you expect?
Colbert is a cultural icon and Tek Jansen is his SciFi bible, his Moses if you will. Jansen will lead the nation to the promised land and along the way he’ll part the galactic skyways and bring manna to the less fortunate.
Though far be it for me.. a mere serf of the Colbert Nation to criticize Pappa Bear’s disciple but…Oni Press (publishers of Tek Jansen) have chosen perhaps the most appalling paper stock i have ever felt. Usually you don’t think much of the paper on which a comic is printed..but Jansen feels like it was printed on photocopy paper…surely he deserved better..doesn’t he Mr. Colbert???
Flash Gordon Airs! – But Is Anyone Watching? August 13, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in aurra sing, bbc, dale arden, Flash Gordon, flashgordon, ming, psp, sandworms of dune, Sci Fi, science fiction, sciencefiction, scifi, star trek tng, starwars.5 comments
If anyone needs proof that SciFi Network hates Sci Fi fans all they need to do is watch Flash Gordon.
After much anticipation the show aired on Friday (only in the US)..personally i was on a flight from San Francisco so I Tivo’ed it….i’m surprised my Tivo didn’t heave after recording it.
Flash Gordon – the new series isn’t a re-imagining.
It’s an insult.
It’s a travesty.
It’s disgusting.
The acting is weak, special effects are out of the 1960’s and the story well it was totally non-entertaining. SciFi did an awesome job with Battlestar Galactica – why they suck so badly at Flash Gordon has to do with attention to detail.
Sci Fi fans want Flash. We want cool effects and we demand intricate well written stories.
Apparently there are 22 episodes that have already been ordered of this series. Here’s hoping that they get better real fast before they have to cancel the series well ahead of the 22 episode mark.
Show Me SciFi 