As a satellite radio subscriber, I am constantly surprised by the variety of choices that I have. What does this have to do with SF, you may wonder. Well, it is simple, XM has a channel devoted to movie scores and cinema, and they seem to have a strong fondness for the science fiction.
Cinemagic is an interesting little channel. They play clips from our favorite films, and then sections of film score. It is quite a bit of fun trying to determine what film is on simply from the music and snatches of dialog. Actually, though, there are two things about Cinemagic that really grab my attention, and they are Reel Time and Hi-Fi/Sci-Fi.
Reel time is a program where directors and notable Hollywood figures go on for an interview about their career and their most recent project. Generally the station plays about 5 minutes of interview, then a long clip (usually 2-3 minutes) of dialog from the film, and then a bit of music. It is a fun and educational time for all, and I have managed to hear a lot of news about projects that would not normally have crossed my radar.
Hi-Fi/Sci-Fi is a cool show that highlights only genre movies (though some might debate their choices from time to time). It is kind of fun to hear favorite films and lines come across with well-remembered snatches of music. Usually dedicated to a theme, the Hi-Fi/Sci-Fi show also peppers the dialog clips and music with bits of SF trivia.
While I am spending some time chatting about the programming, it might be pointed out that Satellite Radio itself has origins in Science Fiction (Arthur C. Clarke predicted the concept fairly accurately). As technology progresses, and the meme spreads, it is very easy to see how this will become a great influence on the way we perceive radio. With its automatic inclusion in every new automobile, with free months of listening and inexpensive rates, more and more people will drift into the ranks of the satellite-enabled listeners. Is it possible that we are looking at the beginning of the end for terrestrial radio? Who knows...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
'Flash' in the Pan
Far be it for me to criticize a new SciFi series before it really gets started, but was I the only one left cold by the series opener of Flash Gordon? It could have been bold, new, and adventurous, but instead it seemed kind of tepid. For a show I had been anticipating for some time, this one was a bit of a disappointment.
First you have Flash himself. Young, handsome, and virile, yes, butlacking an indefinable something. The actor did a credible job, but given the rather poor dialog and uninspired directing there was not much for him to do.
Dale Arden was almost a non-entity. Her impact on the episode was mainly to provide Flash with a wanna-be girl-friend reporter. The performance was listless and dull,and lacked anything resembling verve. Again, I blame the director here for not properly coaching the actors.
As dreadful as Dale Arden was, Dr. Hans Zarkov was even worse. A parody of a mad scientist, he serves as plot exposition and bumbling side kick, though nothing else. I cannot blame the Director so much as the writers in this case, though.
Ming the Merciless was just pathetic. This was the saddest excuse for an evil dictator that I have ever seen. Bad acting, bad direction, bad writing, and atrocious casting combined to make like the perfect storm to form a simply ridiculous performance. Give me a break, were no Asian actors available? Was Max von Sydow on vacation? This was pitiful!
The effects were ripped off from Sliders, so at least they did not seem too silly, and the Mongo City sets were actually pretty good, as was the costuming. The Princess Aura was not terrible, but they made a mistake in revealing her identity to the audience too early.
All in all, I give this show a D+, however I will continue watching in the hopes that it gets better. One can only hope.
First you have Flash himself. Young, handsome, and virile, yes, butlacking an indefinable something. The actor did a credible job, but given the rather poor dialog and uninspired directing there was not much for him to do.
Dale Arden was almost a non-entity. Her impact on the episode was mainly to provide Flash with a wanna-be girl-friend reporter. The performance was listless and dull,and lacked anything resembling verve. Again, I blame the director here for not properly coaching the actors.
As dreadful as Dale Arden was, Dr. Hans Zarkov was even worse. A parody of a mad scientist, he serves as plot exposition and bumbling side kick, though nothing else. I cannot blame the Director so much as the writers in this case, though.
Ming the Merciless was just pathetic. This was the saddest excuse for an evil dictator that I have ever seen. Bad acting, bad direction, bad writing, and atrocious casting combined to make like the perfect storm to form a simply ridiculous performance. Give me a break, were no Asian actors available? Was Max von Sydow on vacation? This was pitiful!
The effects were ripped off from Sliders, so at least they did not seem too silly, and the Mongo City sets were actually pretty good, as was the costuming. The Princess Aura was not terrible, but they made a mistake in revealing her identity to the audience too early.
All in all, I give this show a D+, however I will continue watching in the hopes that it gets better. One can only hope.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Spectacular Summer
OK, so I admit that I usually don't see many films in the course of a year. This summer, though, I have managed to catch pretty much every important SF film that has hit the box office (often several weeks after the debut, but still better than past years).
Spider-man III was a very busy movie. I understand, from a story view, why there were so many things going on, but there were a lot of problems with this film. An on-going complaint with this franchise has been the constant killing off of major villains (though in the Green Goblin's case it was inevitable), but alas and alack, there is litle we can do about it.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was a great film. I enjoyed the first F4 movie very much, and was pleased that they managed to juggle the various issues and sub-plots so well. A fun super-hero movie that captured the essence of the Fantastic Four quite well (the idea that they all want to live normal lives in spite of their powers).
The Transformers was a Michael Bay film. Actually, in spite of the fact that Michael Bay is better known for his visuals than for inspired acting direction or dialog, this film is witty, intelligent, and worth watching. The concept of how the Transformers look like mundane vehicles is demonstrated quite well in the film, even though a few scenes require you to put your brain on hold. All in all a solid recommendation on this one.
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix did a great job with its material, but it seemed, somehow, flat. There were a lot of great moments in the film, and the character of Dolores Umbridge was well done, but the fact remains that they seemed to rush this film more than a bit, and most of the characters were given token appearances and little else.
The Simpsons Movie is technically not really SF, but I am going to include it anyway. All I can say is "Spider-pig, Spider-pig, does whatever a spider-pig does, can he climb on a web, not he can't, he's a pig, look out, here comes a spider-pig!"
The Bourne Ultimatum does not seem like a genre film, but since many believe that the Manchurian Candidate is a genre film, this must be also. My one issue with this film is the stupid jittery cameras. It is fine in action sequences, but the camera should not be bobbling all over the place during dramatic scenes as it is distracting, and looks like the film was done by incompetent day-laborers instead of truly professional camera people.
I still want to catch Stardust, Sunlight, Invasion (yes I know it is a remake, but I love the Invasion of the Body Snatchers and all of its remakes and will see this one), and a few other films on the big screen, and I hope to get the chance over the next few weeks.
Spider-man III was a very busy movie. I understand, from a story view, why there were so many things going on, but there were a lot of problems with this film. An on-going complaint with this franchise has been the constant killing off of major villains (though in the Green Goblin's case it was inevitable), but alas and alack, there is litle we can do about it.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was a great film. I enjoyed the first F4 movie very much, and was pleased that they managed to juggle the various issues and sub-plots so well. A fun super-hero movie that captured the essence of the Fantastic Four quite well (the idea that they all want to live normal lives in spite of their powers).
The Transformers was a Michael Bay film. Actually, in spite of the fact that Michael Bay is better known for his visuals than for inspired acting direction or dialog, this film is witty, intelligent, and worth watching. The concept of how the Transformers look like mundane vehicles is demonstrated quite well in the film, even though a few scenes require you to put your brain on hold. All in all a solid recommendation on this one.
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix did a great job with its material, but it seemed, somehow, flat. There were a lot of great moments in the film, and the character of Dolores Umbridge was well done, but the fact remains that they seemed to rush this film more than a bit, and most of the characters were given token appearances and little else.
The Simpsons Movie is technically not really SF, but I am going to include it anyway. All I can say is "Spider-pig, Spider-pig, does whatever a spider-pig does, can he climb on a web, not he can't, he's a pig, look out, here comes a spider-pig!"
The Bourne Ultimatum does not seem like a genre film, but since many believe that the Manchurian Candidate is a genre film, this must be also. My one issue with this film is the stupid jittery cameras. It is fine in action sequences, but the camera should not be bobbling all over the place during dramatic scenes as it is distracting, and looks like the film was done by incompetent day-laborers instead of truly professional camera people.
I still want to catch Stardust, Sunlight, Invasion (yes I know it is a remake, but I love the Invasion of the Body Snatchers and all of its remakes and will see this one), and a few other films on the big screen, and I hope to get the chance over the next few weeks.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Th1rte3n by Richard K. Morgan
OK, so I just finished reading what is probably among the best mystery/Science Fiction novels of the last five years. Richard K. Morgan brought us brilliant stories with the Takeshi Kovacs series (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies) as well as a gruesome and uncompromising look at the future of business in Market Forces. Now, Morgan explores a near future with a divided USA, and genetic 'variant' humans, where man is still the most dangerous creature of all.
Meet Carl Marsalis, bounty hunter for the United Nations Genetic Legislation Authority (UNGLA), a ruthless killer and uncompromising warrior made so by a combination of brutal creche upbringing and genetic variant 13 hardwiring. Marsalis is brought in to a strange case where a variant 13 from the Mars penal colony has hijacked a starship, crashed it into the Pacific and gone on a killing spree. The novel that follows these events is gripping and highly emotionally charged.
I definitely recommend you read this book!
I definitely recommend you read this book!
Friday, July 27, 2007
I know your dark secret... Craig-con 2007
This Craigcon was a bit stranger than most (and trust me, when gamers band together to play it gets downright weird), and since I have the capacity I figure it is only fair to share the experience with those unable to make it in person.
Friday started around noon with a gaggle of pubescents screeching at the door to Reality's Edge like a maddened Barbarian horde (assuming that Visigoths were looking for Halo 2 time in Rome duringthe sack). Once we had subdued the little cretins (no I will not tell you what we did, use your imaginations, it rhymes with 'by quill') we proceeded to run the first RP scenario of Craigcon. We started off with a debut of my newly written rules for Renegade Legion Leviathan. FASA's Renegade Legion universe was always one of my favorites and my new simplified rules for Leviathan have allowed me to share the game with a new generation of gamers. The players mounted a raid on the VLCA of Ancona and a good time was had as we explored the ins and outs of starship combat. Mike Dunn played a cheerful version of Rear-Admiral Foster, and Craig's mono-maniacal Fighter Squadron commander was great, as was the tech-obsessed Destroyer commodore played by Justin Heba.
We then transitioned into a great session of Game of Thrones, where Andy Bradbury got the chance to show that he was, indeed, the Maester of Disaester as he managed to fumble pretty much every roll (I think he even accidentally stabbed himself at dinner). Mike Dunn did a fantastic job running his scenario for us, and I am sure I speak for everyone when I say that a good time was had by all. Just one other note to Dave Yaeger on this one: I told you he was a traitor!
Segueing into the next game, Andy Bradbury ran a Cross Setting game for a small group of us. A Cross Setting Game involve players using their favorite characters in a new adventure that takes them from their normal environs and into whole new worlds. In this particular game, characters from around the multiverse had been summoned forth to do battle with a god from the Birthright plane who was, in fact, a great old one. All I can say is that one Elemental Monolith and a bunch of crazy actions later, we where halfway through the outer planes! A fun time was had by all, and yes, Yaeger, you do get a bonus for that!
Saturday started with a second cross-setting game run by Craig Hatler. This one used a new system called Mortal Coil (http://www.indiepressrevolutions.com) which was developed by SFSNNJ former guest speaker Brennan Taylor. It was a great RP narrative, and we all had a lot of fun. I turned into a puddle and oozed away at the first hint of violence. Go figure. By the way - CLANG!
The Cross Setting Game was followed by rampant chaos as we broke down into three tables (one of which was Chuck Garofalo's regular Arvon table and the other two of which were Burning Empires demo tables). The Burning Empires demos went swimmingly, and I think somebody crshed a starship into a city. Good clean fun there.
Next was the Battle Royal (e) and the competative nature of the interpersonal conflict threatened to tear a hole in space time. Mike Sciame's poor Rakshasa got flash frozen by Andy Bradbury's Druid, while poor Mike Dunn got filleted by my Cohort and my Familiar. Meanwhile Abdul Manikram and Thom Purdy dueled to Thom's character's death, and Justin Heba and Chuck played a long game of cat and mouse. In the end, the brackets pitted me against Andy and it became the duel of the environmental books as Frostburn and Sandstorm based characters duked. It was a heated battle, and I lost primarily due to my own stupidity. My dying words were, yet again, "D'oh! Ill get you next time gadget... NEXT TIIIIIIIME!!!!!!"
The orc game followed, with much thumping, whumping, and calls of, "Duh, yeah boss!" and "Can't touch her, she girl, gots cooties!" Brian O'Dell did a great job of brawling with a bunch of superpowered Orc Badboys, and we all had many laughs as random encounters constantly thumped us. It ain't easy being an Orc.
The last day of Craigcon was taken up primarily by Clay Wheatley's Aberrant game, which was great fun and a high-powered duel between super-powered heroes. It is not every day that you get to see the bad guy turn a 1000 year old fortress into a puddle of cooling glass. Fun!
If any of this sounded interesting, check out the Heroes and Rogues Yahoo Group and join us for more various and sundry fun!
Friday started around noon with a gaggle of pubescents screeching at the door to Reality's Edge like a maddened Barbarian horde (assuming that Visigoths were looking for Halo 2 time in Rome duringthe sack). Once we had subdued the little cretins (no I will not tell you what we did, use your imaginations, it rhymes with 'by quill') we proceeded to run the first RP scenario of Craigcon. We started off with a debut of my newly written rules for Renegade Legion Leviathan. FASA's Renegade Legion universe was always one of my favorites and my new simplified rules for Leviathan have allowed me to share the game with a new generation of gamers. The players mounted a raid on the VLCA of Ancona and a good time was had as we explored the ins and outs of starship combat. Mike Dunn played a cheerful version of Rear-Admiral Foster, and Craig's mono-maniacal Fighter Squadron commander was great, as was the tech-obsessed Destroyer commodore played by Justin Heba.
We then transitioned into a great session of Game of Thrones, where Andy Bradbury got the chance to show that he was, indeed, the Maester of Disaester as he managed to fumble pretty much every roll (I think he even accidentally stabbed himself at dinner). Mike Dunn did a fantastic job running his scenario for us, and I am sure I speak for everyone when I say that a good time was had by all. Just one other note to Dave Yaeger on this one: I told you he was a traitor!
Segueing into the next game, Andy Bradbury ran a Cross Setting game for a small group of us. A Cross Setting Game involve players using their favorite characters in a new adventure that takes them from their normal environs and into whole new worlds. In this particular game, characters from around the multiverse had been summoned forth to do battle with a god from the Birthright plane who was, in fact, a great old one. All I can say is that one Elemental Monolith and a bunch of crazy actions later, we where halfway through the outer planes! A fun time was had by all, and yes, Yaeger, you do get a bonus for that!
Saturday started with a second cross-setting game run by Craig Hatler. This one used a new system called Mortal Coil (http://www.indiepressrevolutions.com) which was developed by SFSNNJ former guest speaker Brennan Taylor. It was a great RP narrative, and we all had a lot of fun. I turned into a puddle and oozed away at the first hint of violence. Go figure. By the way - CLANG!
The Cross Setting Game was followed by rampant chaos as we broke down into three tables (one of which was Chuck Garofalo's regular Arvon table and the other two of which were Burning Empires demo tables). The Burning Empires demos went swimmingly, and I think somebody crshed a starship into a city. Good clean fun there.
Next was the Battle Royal (e) and the competative nature of the interpersonal conflict threatened to tear a hole in space time. Mike Sciame's poor Rakshasa got flash frozen by Andy Bradbury's Druid, while poor Mike Dunn got filleted by my Cohort and my Familiar. Meanwhile Abdul Manikram and Thom Purdy dueled to Thom's character's death, and Justin Heba and Chuck played a long game of cat and mouse. In the end, the brackets pitted me against Andy and it became the duel of the environmental books as Frostburn and Sandstorm based characters duked. It was a heated battle, and I lost primarily due to my own stupidity. My dying words were, yet again, "D'oh! Ill get you next time gadget... NEXT TIIIIIIIME!!!!!!"
The orc game followed, with much thumping, whumping, and calls of, "Duh, yeah boss!" and "Can't touch her, she girl, gots cooties!" Brian O'Dell did a great job of brawling with a bunch of superpowered Orc Badboys, and we all had many laughs as random encounters constantly thumped us. It ain't easy being an Orc.
The last day of Craigcon was taken up primarily by Clay Wheatley's Aberrant game, which was great fun and a high-powered duel between super-powered heroes. It is not every day that you get to see the bad guy turn a 1000 year old fortress into a puddle of cooling glass. Fun!
If any of this sounded interesting, check out the Heroes and Rogues Yahoo Group and join us for more various and sundry fun!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Summer Season Spectacular
This summer has truly been a fantastic one for Science Fiction, and it only promises to get better. With blockbusters like Spider-man III, Pirates of the Caribbean, Fantastic Four, Transformers, Harry Potter, Shrek, and more already under our belts, what more have we to look forward to?
Well Stardust looks gorgeous, and with that all-star cast it should be a feast for movie-goers of all ages. Adapted from a fantastic Niel Gaiman book, this promises to be worth the wait.
Sunlight is being billed as the next 2001. The visuals look amazing and many of the team that worked on blockbusters like Independence Day and 2001 are working on this. This should also be a good summer blockbuster.
The Simpsons Movie promises to be a fun romp in Springfield, and many of our favorites will do battle to save the Earth. We are counting on Homer J. Simpson to save life as we know it... d'oh!
On a more serious note, there are more things coming out than I can keep track of, which is why I will be going to Films to Come at 8pm at the Borders in Ramsey. Feel free to drop in and let Barry Weinberger fill you in on everything about the summer movie schedule!
Well Stardust looks gorgeous, and with that all-star cast it should be a feast for movie-goers of all ages. Adapted from a fantastic Niel Gaiman book, this promises to be worth the wait.
Sunlight is being billed as the next 2001. The visuals look amazing and many of the team that worked on blockbusters like Independence Day and 2001 are working on this. This should also be a good summer blockbuster.
The Simpsons Movie promises to be a fun romp in Springfield, and many of our favorites will do battle to save the Earth. We are counting on Homer J. Simpson to save life as we know it... d'oh!
On a more serious note, there are more things coming out than I can keep track of, which is why I will be going to Films to Come at 8pm at the Borders in Ramsey. Feel free to drop in and let Barry Weinberger fill you in on everything about the summer movie schedule!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Apology...
Hi Folks I apologize, but with everything going on lately I have not had the time to post anywhere near as frequently as I would have liked. I hope to resume posting at least trwice a week starting next week. In the mean time, please check out our website at www.sfsnnj.com and our forum at groups.yahoo.com/sfsnnj. Thank you!
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