I’ll start this off by admitting that I don’t have Netflix. I have used it at other people’s houses from time to time, and enjoyed it, but haven’t pulled the trigger to get my own account.

Why? Because it doesn’t have what I want in its streaming library 90% of the time. I can find something to watch, sure, but usually not what . . . → Read More: Netflix becomes stupider, Warehouse 13 returns]]> Yes, I know stupider isn’t a word. It applies to Netflix nonetheless.

I’ll start this off by admitting that I don’t have Netflix. I have used it at other people’s houses from time to time, and enjoyed it, but haven’t pulled the trigger to get my own account.

Why? Because it doesn’t have what I want in its streaming library 90% of the time. I can find something to watch, sure, but usually not what I want to watch. Periodically I browse their website for shows I’m interested in. Most of the time if they’re there they are DVD only – no streaming.

Why would I pay for that? That’s essentially what I get with my cable subscription and a Redbox.

Here’s the other downside for me with Netflix (and all streaming services): no special features. I love special features. I like listening to the commentaries, watching the “on the set” and “behind the scenes” featurettes, and especially the deleted scenes. I don’t know of any streaming service (with the exception of Zediva) that provides for any of those. (Of course some studios are making separate versions of their DVDs for rental purposes that don’t include these features either in an attempt to force me to buy the retail disc – which is a whole other level of stupid. They actually spend more in order to provide me with less for worse return.)

So yesterday Netflix announced they are “changing their plan structure.” You now get to pay $8/month for exactly half of what you paid $8/month for yesterday. You can get streaming OR DVD by mail, but not both for that price. Or you could pay double to get the whole enchilada again. So they’re basically saying that their streaming service is equal to their DVD service, even though it has a fraction of the titles available.

I’m sure it has a much better profit margin for them, so I can understand their enthusiasm, but from a consumer side … they simply don’t have a big enough library yet.

I can’t find many of my geek wants, for example. The new Green Lantern animated lead up to the  live action film, any Justice League cartoons, the old Superfriends cartoons – pretty much any super-hero content, really with a few minor exceptions; any Looney Tunes; most kids’ shows (no Mister Rogers); Babylon 5 … heck even Star Wars isn’t on streaming! Even huge hit sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, Friends, How I Met Your Mother… I could go on.

Where’s the value? I can watch a lot of documentaries … that’s great. I enjoy documentaries. And they have plenty of shows I don’t watch, too. And there are a handful I want to see. But $8/month for the privilege? No.

They don’t have Warehouse 13 on Netflix streaming either (it’s on DVD). So if I wanted to catch up on the last 2 seasons to prepare for the third season premiere, I’d be out of luck.

I did watch the premiere on Monday, by the way. It wasn’t one of the best episodes, but it was solid. Even though some parts felt like filler when you look at what actually happened, it was enormously fun to watch. The acting and writing are awesome. Even the “boring” parts had me laughing. If you’re not watching this show yet, you should.

You can catch it on Hulu.

On the heels of Avatar, though, it seems like every big movie is being filmed in 3-D. While I’m okay with that, it means two things: feeling a little weird wearing those glasses, and higher ticket prices. Just going to a 2-D movie is more than I want to pay for movies these days. . . . → Read More: Movies 2010 – must see or must miss?]]> It looks like we’re headed into another year of big movies. I’m getting all fan-boy giddy just thinking about what’s coming.

On the heels of Avatar, though, it seems like every big movie is being filmed in 3-D. While I’m okay with that, it means two things: feeling a little weird wearing those glasses, and higher ticket prices. Just going to a 2-D movie is more than I want to pay for movies these days. The only 3-D movie I’ve seen since my college days (trust me, it’s been a while) is Avatar. In that case, I think the 3-D was used utterly perfectly – not for shock, but for immersion in a beautifully realized world. Can all these upcoming movies really get it right, too?

Let’s get to the list. At the end you get the chance to vote… if you could only see ONE of these films this year, which would it be? And I’ll tell you my answer.

I’m already annoyed about missing The Book of Eli. Looks like a really good film and I’ve heard nothing but great reviews from friends.

Alice in Wonderland – in 3-D. This one looks like some great eye-candy, but I can’t get excited enough to worry about seeing it. I’ll be disappointed not to get the 3-D experience, but this one’s a rental.

Clash of the Titans. Again, some great eye-candy (that phrase probably applies to most movies in this list). I haven’t been able to decide yet, though, if I think this is worth seeing in the theater. It’s got some good will because of the original film, but with so much vying for my dollar this year, this one might be a casualty of having seen the story before, regardless of how good the effects are.

The Losers. Holy cow, I didn’t even know they were making this movie until 2 minutes ago. The comic was awesome! I was so psyched to see this movie until I saw the trailer. I still want to see it, but I’m worried now that they may have added too much comedy. Gotta learn more.

Iron Man 2. Oh yeah. I will be seeing this one. The first movie was excellent. The trailer looks great. It’s simply on the absolutely-must-see list.

Robin Hood. Russel Crowe as Sherwood’s hero? I’m okay with that. Looks like it’ll be a gritty Hood. This is one of those, though, that I really want to see, but may not make the cut for the theater. We’ll have to see how things are going when it’s released.

Shrek Forever After. No. Sorry. I’d love to see it, but it’ll be on DVD.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Can’t say I’m a huge Jake Gyllenhaal fan, but this trailer sold me hook, line, and sinker on this movie. I will be seeing this in the theater, and I’m pretty excited about it.

Sex and the City 2. Seriously? Why?

The Karate Kid. Loved the original. This could be good. I like Jackie Chan. Still… not sure.

The A-Team. “I love it when a plan comes together.” Nostalgia wins on this one. I’ll likely be seeing this film in the theater.

Toy Story 3. This is a tough one. I want to see it, but I want to see it with my kids, who may not be ready for it. The only Pixar movie they’ve been able to get through without being scared is Wall-E. We’ll have to see how it goes.

Knight and Day. Yeah, I know Tom Cruise is in it. I still want to see it. It looks really good. Funny too.

The Last Airbender. There’s a really good chance I’m seeing this in the theater. I like the teaser trailer better than the full trailer, though. I hope the teaser captures the feel a little better.

The Sorceror’s Apprentice. I don’t think Nicholas Cage is the right choice for this film. Still, I will go see it if at all possible. Just the car flipping through the mirror is enough to make me want to see this.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I. Yes. There’s little doubt I will see this one in the theater. It better be worth the effort, too. I’ve seen all but Half-Blood Prince on DVD, and was a little disappointed in that one.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Again, an absolute definite, unless the trailer is completely disappointing. I love this series, and the first two movies do nothing to detract from that feeling.

Smurfs, Yogi Bear, and The Green Hornet. All three of these are scheduled for release on the same day. All are at least intriguing to me. I’d like to learn more about them and look forward to the trailers. But they will all be beaten to a bloody pulp and ground into dust by the other film scheduled for release on the same day. And that would be…

Tron: Legacy. This is the film I’ve been looking forward to for 25 years. To say that it’s definite that I will be seeing this in the theater, in 3-D, would be an incredible understatement. I will likely see it more than once.

So… which one is my number one absolute must see will not miss it event movie for 2010? Come on. If you don’t know the answer you didn’t read what I said above. Don’t expect me to give you answers if you’re not willing to put the effort in…

I realize, however, that some of you may feel differently. This is a year with some pretty big hitters, and you may have other priorities. You’re certainly entitled to be wrong. I accept that. So which one is at the top of your heap?

I took a few out of the running, but feel free to choose “Other,” and then add your vote in the comments below. And tell me why you voted for your film. What about it makes it the top of your heap? Was it a difficult call between a couple of them?

The new animated Green Lantern movie, First Flight was released last week. Here are the first four minutes of the film…

I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing.

Not as much as I’m looking forward to the live action movie, though. But my excitement is a little tempered by news of who landed the role of Hal Jordan: . . . → Read More: Green Lantern: First Flight (and other Green Lantern news) – Tuesday TubeWatch]]> (Holy cow, was today Tuesday?! What happened to last week?)

The new animated Green Lantern movie, First Flight was released last week. Here are the first four minutes of the film…

I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing.

Not as much as I’m looking forward to the live action movie, though. But my excitement is a little tempered by news of who landed the role of Hal Jordan: Ryan Reynolds. I like Ryan Reynolds in some roles. I think he could make a good Flash, for example (and in fact he was slated to play that role previously), but I don’t see him as Jordan. I think I see him as too comedic for the part.

Maybe I’m just still stuck on the idea of Nathan Fillion as Hal. I hope Reynolds pulls it off.

All: COMMENTARY COMMENTARY FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS – IT’S A COMMENTARY

EVERYONE LOVES THESE “MAKING-OF”S THE STORY BEHIND THE SCENES THE WAY THAT WE GOT THAT ONE COOL SHOT AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE WRITING WE’LL PROBABLY SAY “IT’S GREAT!” AND THE ACTING — SO EXCITING EXCEPT FOR NATE

Nathan: I phoned it in

All: COMMENTARY COMMENTARY SET COURSE FOR . . . → Read More: Dr. Horrible: Commentary! The Musical]]> Once again, I just have to say this is a genius idea.

All:
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS – IT’S A COMMENTARY

EVERYONE LOVES THESE “MAKING-OF”S
THE STORY BEHIND THE SCENES
THE WAY THAT WE GOT THAT ONE COOL SHOT
AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS
WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE WRITING
WE’LL PROBABLY SAY “IT’S GREAT!”
AND THE ACTING — SO EXCITING
EXCEPT FOR NATE

Nathan:
I phoned it in

All:
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
SET COURSE FOR WONDER – IT’S A COMMENTARY

Sadly, I haven’t heard it yet. But I just looked through the lyrics. Funny stuff. I need to buy this DVD.

Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight, has stated that he’s in no hurry to make the second sequel to Batman Begins. He has reason to be cautious. Historically speaking, the third installment in a franchise has been, shall we say, lacking. Superman III, Spiderman 3, Terminator 3, Batman Forever, Rocky III, Police Academy 3… need I go on? Nolan’s got the right idea:

“I don’t know why they’re hard to . . . → Read More: Dark Knight takes it slow, plus Robot Chicken and Terminator]]>

The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight, has stated that he’s in no hurry to make the second sequel to Batman Begins. He has reason to be cautious. Historically speaking, the third installment in a franchise has been, shall we say, lacking. Superman III, Spiderman 3, Terminator 3, Batman Forever, Rocky III, Police Academy 3… need I go on? Nolan’s got the right idea:

“I don’t know why they’re hard to do,” Nolan said. “Maybe there’s so much expectation to them. But I wouldn’t want to do one if it weren’t going to be as good as the first or second. That’s not respectful to the fans… The worst thing you could do now that you’ve gotten the plane back in the air is mess up the landing.”

Thankfully, Nolan is pushing back on Warner Bros., who want to jump ahead, to hold off until he has something worth making.

Interestingly, he also noted that the recently released DVD will not have any deleted scenes including Heath Ledger’s wonderful performance, nor will it have any outtakes. He said he’s not holding back, he just doesn’t have any deleted Joker scenes. He also feels that including outtakes is disrespectful to the actors, who work hard and trust the director to include their best work.

Finally, come January we may get the chance to see The Dark Knight on the big screen one more time. It appears that it’s being re-released to help generate Oscar-buzz and DVD sales.

"You and me... we've been at war since before either of us even existed."

It’s interesting to note that at some point John Conner says that “this is not the future my mother warned me about. Something has changed.” Maybe it’s that better Terminators have been invented than the ones that were sent into the past to kill her or him.  That would explain some of the stuff I’ve been hearing about the Terminator TV series (which I haven’t gotten around to watching yet, unfortunately).

This looks like it will be the darkest entry in the series, which makes sense given that this is the post-apocalyptic time period. All out war with the machines. It will be a special effects extravaganza. Hopefully the story holds up as well.

Oh, yeah… you also have to realize this is meant for adults, and that it’s way more offensive than most stuff I post here.

And you have to be in the US (sorry… nothing I can do about that. I don’t own Cartoon Network.).

So… if you meet all those criteria, enjoy this!

Robot Chicken pushes the envelope farther than even Family Guy. But I can’t deny it’s funny…

Stargate: Atlantis has been cancelled. The show will run through its 100th episode in January 2009 and end on a cliffhanger, which will be resolved by a 2-hour movie.

So basically, this is the new way the studios want to handle their successful franchises – run the series for a while, then make a few DVDs. I suppose I can’t blame them. The formula worked for . . . → Read More: Stargate to die a slow, painful death]]> GateWorld – SCI FI confirms Atlantis cancellation, TV movie

Stargate: Atlantis has been cancelled. The show will run through its 100th episode in January 2009 and end on a cliffhanger, which will be resolved by a 2-hour movie.

So basically, this is the new way the studios want to handle their successful franchises – run the series for a while, then make a few DVDs. I suppose I can’t blame them. The formula worked for SG-1. Those two movies were pretty good, really, and I hear they’re selling decently.

The press release is all rosy and positive about how great it will be to tell stories in this universe on a larger canvas. I’ve no doubt that the movies will be good, and feel larger than any individual episodes. The franchise, however, is gonna die.

Yeah, I know there’s another spin-off series under consideration. If it gets green-lit, it might last a couple seasons. But let’s be honest… SG-1 is still the base of the franchise in most fans’ minds. And they’ve wrapped up their story lines. There’s some vague talk about doing another SG-1 movie, but I don’t think it will happen – at least not any time soon. And that’s the problem: the longer you go between “episodes,” the smaller your fan base gets. The public isn’t really known for it’s large attention-span. By the time the next movie comes out, even the true fans will be saying “now, where were we in this story again?”

So they’re going to wrap up the Atlantis story in a 2-hour movie. Great! I’m glad we get the end of the story. I even think they’ll be successful in doing maybe 2 more after that, assuming they do them within 1 year. But they’ll be progressively less ‘large’ feeling, because they can’t build on each other – they have to be self-contained units. That doesn’t mean they won’t be good, they just won’t be as good as they could be.

If the new spin-off gets picked up, it will already be over before it starts. It’ll have growing pains as everyone gets used to it and we figure out if we like this copy of a copy. Then it’ll be cancelled just as it’s starting to get good, because it didn’t do gang-buster numbers out of the gate. Then they’ll make a DVD to tie it up… maybe.

So my prediction is that 2009 will have two Stargate DVDs/TV Movies, 2010 might see a poorly received spin-off, and then Stargate will be dead.

Overall, that’ll be, what… 13 years? Not bad, I guess.

I think I’d prefer to have a really thick, heavy-hitting back half to a season with an explosive conclusion than a set of “let’s milk this thing dry” DVDs, though.

The next Stargate SG-1 film titled Stargate: Continuum now has a July 29 DVD release date.

Marvel has announced that Iron Man 2 has been confirmed for release in 2010, in addition to a movie about Thor. Also reported: the Avengers and Captain America (with Matthew McConaughey as the lead?) in 2011.

Also . . . → Read More: Movie news roundup – Sci-Fi and comics lovers, rejoice!]]> Lots of news and some rumors hitting the net lately… here are the best of the bunch for Sci-Fi and comics lovers:

The next Stargate SG-1 film titled Stargate: Continuum now has a July 29 DVD release date.

Marvel has announced that Iron Man 2 has been confirmed for release in 2010, in addition to a movie about Thor. Also reported: the Avengers and Captain America (with Matthew McConaughey as the lead?) in 2011.

Also announced by Marvel: an Ant Man movie, though the timeline for the film is unknown. (This is where they start to lose me… Ant Man? Seriously? I think they’re stretching to reach a mainstream audience with that one. My guess is his popularity in the Avengers movie will determine if this one really gets made.)

Iron Man, Tony Stark, will make a cameo in The Incredible Hulk.

Superman: Man of Steel will now not be delayed due to the “Justice League of America” film but is geared up for a 2009 release with Brandon Routh back as Superman.

Both Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight will run over 140 minutes. In fact, The Dark Knight may run close to three hours.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan has signed on for a third Batman feature, and Christian Bale has expressed interest as well. Details of plot are even starting to circulate – apparently the film will focus on Two-Face and may introduce Robin, following the plot of the graphic novels “The Long Halloween” and “Dark Victory” for a rough outline.

AUGH! This is annoying.

“Stargate” movies delayed

The direct-to-home-theater “Stargate” movies are coming–but it’s going to take a bit longer than expected.

20th Century Fox told Gateworld that the first movie, “Stargate: The Ark of Truth” has been pushed back until early 2008 and that the next film “Stargate: Continuum” will also be delayed. Tentative release dates are now March and October of next year, respectively.

“Ark . . . → Read More: Stargate SG-1 DVD movies delayed]]> Hicks Picks 9 – Slice of Scifi

AUGH! This is annoying.

“Stargate” movies delayed

The direct-to-home-theater “Stargate” movies are coming–but it’s going to take a bit longer than expected.

20th Century Fox told Gateworld that the first movie, “Stargate: The Ark of Truth” has been pushed back until early 2008 and that the next film “Stargate: Continuum” will also be delayed. Tentative release dates are now March and October of next year, respectively.

“Ark of Truth” is set to resolve the two-year long story arc concerning the Ori and was eagerly anticipated by “Stargate” fans. No official word yet on why the movies have been delayed. “The Ark of Truth” has been in post-production for several weeks now and “Continuum” just finished up principal filming a few weeks ago.

There is some good news for SG-1 fans. On his TV Guide Blog, actor Michael Shanks stated that should the movies perform well, the studio is interested in producing two direct-to-home-theater “Stargate SG-1″ films a year. Shanks told fans to “cross their fingers.” It probably wouldn’t hurt to buy the disc when it comes out either.

There is some speculation that the studio could order a third direct-to-home-theater “SG-1″ movie before the release of the “The Ark of Truth.”

We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for any details and firm release dates as they become available.

What the delay may do, though, is provide some room in the Atlantis scripts for ‘teasers’ about the movies – just little mentions here and there about what’s going on in the Ori fight, potentially drumming up some further demand. That could be cool.

And if it gives them time for another “direct to home theater” project, I’m okay with that, too. Though I have no idea what format “direct to home theater” refers to.

[tags]Stargate SG-1, Ori, Atlantis, direct to DVD[/tags]

After a promising beginning, dealing with the “death” of Captain America, and setting up some multi-decade intrigue, the movie’s plot devolved into nothing more than, “here’s a character, here’s his/her power, he/she isn’t a team player, now everybody get together and fight something.”

They did attempt a small bit of character development, especially with Captain America and Bruce Banner/Hulk, but . . . → Read More: Review: Ultimate Avengers]]> I was really hoping this movie would be better than it was. Alas, it wasn’t.

After a promising beginning, dealing with the “death” of Captain America, and setting up some multi-decade intrigue, the movie’s plot devolved into nothing more than, “here’s a character, here’s his/her power, he/she isn’t a team player, now everybody get together and fight something.”

They did attempt a small bit of character development, especially with Captain America and Bruce Banner/Hulk, but it was really not handled well. And the villains were not developed at all! With the promising set-up in the World War II setting, there was a lot of mystery surrounding these guys. The writers obviously wanted to do something with it, but either couldn’t figure it out, or it got cut completely out of the movie. Early on, one character even asks, “Why are they still here?” and the response is all we ever get about it: “We don’t know.” That’s it.

The real answer, of course, is so the good guys have someone to fight. But that’s not really helpful, plot-wise.

It’s a shame, because reading about some of these same characters in the current Marvel “Civil War” event in the comic books, it’s obvious that there is a lot of excellent character development and interesting story to draw from. It’s really disappointing that they chose to make this release so unsatisfyingly formulaic. I’ve seen better story arcs in many of the Marvel cartoons (like the X-Men and Spiderman cartoons that aired on U.S. TV in the 1990′s).