Caddickisms

I’ve fallen really behind on posting lately. Given the upcoming holiday there probably won’t be much for the next few days either. But I wanted to quickly throw a few things out there in Sci-Fi and Entertainment news.

Hobbit films (report stolen from Slice of Sci-Fi):

Director Guillermo del Toro told reporters during a Hellboy press junket that his first “The Hobbit” movie will stick strictly to J.R.R. Tolkien’s original “The Hobbit” material, however, the second film will take in a wide range of materials from the Tolkien universe inlcluding many of Tolkien’s own notes.

It will be interesting to see what happens with that second movie. Do we have a screenwriter who can take those notes and other materials and make a script that feels Tolkien-ish?

Doctor Who: Parts 1 and 2 of the season finale were extremely good. Like everyone else, I’m waiting with very little patience for the final installment (I hope the Sci-Fi channel runs it in its entirety when it’s their turn - it’s a super-sized episode at 65 commercial-free minutes). Then I intend to be very annoyed next year when we only get a few specials. I’ll do another review of the season after it’s over.

Batman Begins: Heath Ledger continues to get rave reviews on his Joker portrayal. I hope the movie lives up to the buzz.

Starship Troopers 3: Three? Really? Do we need three of these things? Wasn’t one painful enough? If you really want to see the trailer, it’s out there.

Hancock: Apparently this has a pretty short running time. And it’s getting middling reviews. Apparently the first half is pretty good, but then it falls apart. This is really driving me nuts. The more I see of clips and trailers for this, the more I want to see it, but then I find out it’s short and may not live up to expectations? I don’t know if I can throw my money and time at that. I really want to see it, though… blah.

Star Wars: Clone Wars - The new trailer is out there! It’s a bit moodier than the others. I think I liked Trailer #1 better. Still on the must see list, though.

The Prisoner: AMC is remaking 60’s TV show “The Prisoner” in a 6-part miniseries with Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellan. Top notch actors, ground-breaking original… I hope it turns out well!

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog: Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy, Angel, and Firefly, has got himself a nice little humorous project with some familiar faces. Looks intriguing.

And finally…

Bruce Campbell, who “starred” in all three Spider-man movies and my favorite western-sci-fi TV show (The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.) - and a few well known cult classics - is coming out with a new film in which he plays himself. Sort of. Looks really good to me…

In case I’m too lazy to blog again before the weekend, have a great Independence Day (unless you happen to live in a non-US location, in which case, have a nice normal weekend.)

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I just recently found out that two of my brothers-in-law didn’t know anything about the new Clone Wars movie or the TV series it’s setting up. This post is for them…. but there’s a nice treat at the end for those who know all the rest.

First, the basics: as I said back in August…

As most people know already, there are two Star Wars TV shows in the works, one live action and one computer animated. The latter of those is much closer to completion, and it’s release is still over a year out. But on the official Star Wars website, they’ve released a trailer for the “Clone Wars” show, and it blows me away. This series looks like it will be awesome. It covers, as the name implies, the Clone Wars, which begin at the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones and end in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. There was a short cartoon series run on the Cartoon Network (approximately 5 minute episodes totalling 2 hours), that covered some of that war, and this series will fill in the gaps.

Here’s the “Sneak Peek” trailer I was referring to:

Then, in February, Lucasfilm announced that they would be releasing an animated theatrical movie to kick-off the animated TV series. At the time, I said:

To be honest, it’ll be a little weird to see an animated Star Wars on the big screen, and it’s a bit of an odd idea to launch a TV show with a theatrical pilot (though there will be a TV pilot, too), but if any franchise can pull that off, it’d be Star Wars.

The theatrical release will be on August 15th, followed by the TV debut on Cartoon Network (and TNT) in the fall.

Here’s the trailer for the movie (notice, some of the shots are the same, but there’s some cool new stuff) [edit: if the video below is "no longer available" click here to see it - embedding is apparently blocked on all versions of this one]:

The thing about Jabba’s son… I’m trying not to think about it… but it looks awesome. The fluidity of the movement is amazing. Those lightsaber battles are going to be great.

The new young girl they focus on in the trailers is called Ahsoka, and she’ll be Anakin’s padawan (apprentice).

The movie premieres on August 15th. It should come as no surprise that I’ll be seeing this in the theater (it’s the last of my “essentials” group this year.)

Now… on to the Obi-Wan debate.

The best lightsaber battle ever was against Darth Maul in Episode I: The Phantom Menace. (For my money, it was worth sitting through Jar-Jar to get to that.) One of the frequent nitpicks of that sequence, though, is that Obi-Wan didn’t use his force speed power to quickly go through the laser gates, thereby catching up with Qui-Gon and probably preventing his death. Why wouldn’t he do that? The beginning of the movie established that particular power when they escaped from the destroyer droids. Why not use it now in this critical moment battling the Sith?

At last, we know the answer!

That settles it for me. Totally plausible.

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The networks released their schedules for next year this week. No surprise: Smallville and 24 are both reappearing in the schedules. However, there has been surprising news/rumors about both shows…

24

Jack is back, and as an appeasement from the long wait since last season, we get a 2-hour movie on November 23rd:

24 is also scheduled to return full time in January of 2009. (A spoiler is below.) However, to reward fans who have not seen a new episode since May of 2007, there will be a 2-hour special on 11/23. According to Kiefer Sutherland, they are scheduled to start filming in the next few weeks in south Africa.

“Set and shot on location in Africa, Jack Bauer battles an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, this story will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven.”

Day/Season 7 spoiler: Tony’s back. Wait a minute… is this a sci-fi show now?

Smallville

We already knew that Kristen Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum were leaving the show as regulars. Apparently, that fact gave Allison Mack, who plays Chloe Sullivan, the guts to try renegotiating, since that would leave her as the only regular (other than Tom Welling) to have been on since the beginning. However, it looks like those negotiations may be going poorly, and Chloe may be on her way out.

So that would leave just Clark, Lois, and Jimmy as the only regulars. Hmm…. seems like we’re really leaving Smallville behind and just going straight to Superman. I don’t know - I really like the show, but I’m really worried that it’s going to suffer greatly without Lex. I’ve heard Lana will become recurring…. and I don’t care. She’s over, as far as I’m concerned. They ran out of good stuff to do with her character a few years ago. She only really had a couple good episodes in the last few seasons. Lex is the one that’s got to come back from time to time, if you ask me. Besides….

SPOILERS FOR SMALLVILLE SEASON 7 FINALE

… what are they going to do, leave him dead under the ice, buried in his attempt to kill Clark? Obviously Clark will be back somehow, and I really hope the season premiere resolves the whole Clark/Lex fight adequately. I kind of feel like the rug was pulled out from under me for this finale, and not in a good way. This show has had some great finales, but this one just seemed a bit anti-climactic to me. We saw almost the entire end of the show in the previews! Where was the big fight? Where was the surprise? Where was the “holy cow! Who’s gonna survive this?” moment? We know Clark’s going to survive so no drama there. Lex is going to survive somehow too (to do otherwise would really be a kick in the face to the fans). Lana healed (whoopie.) and left (Yeah!), though she’s open to come back (eh.). Jimmy and Lois were never in danger. Chloe was the candidate for cliffhanger-ness, but they gave her a totally happy ending. I guess Kara is still floating out there…

…but that leaves me with another question: what was the deal where Kara/Brainiac collapsed at the end of the previous episode after Kara’s “return”. It would have worked if Brainiac were controlling her, but if it’s really Brainiac, what’s with the weak collapse, and then all powerful for the opening of this episode?

Next season’s premiere better pull out all the stops, as I assumed this finale would.

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It’s been quite a while since I found some worthy Babylon 5 geeking. Check this out.

An impressive job. He fits a huge number of major points from the show into that song.

For those who want the lyrics, there’s a normal and annotated version.

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Catch Up to Season Four | Battlestar Galactica | SCIFI.COM

Looking for a quick reminder after the two decade wait between season 3 and the finally about to debut season 4 of Battlestar Galactica? The video at the link above is 8 minutes long, hits all the right stuff, and is kinda funny too. That’s a lot to fit into 8 minutes.

If you have not watched the finale of season 3 (I’m looking at you, Pam), don’t watch this video. Watch the finale first.

Don’t miss the April 4th premiere of Season 4.

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Smallville will be back for an eighth season next year! But without Lex, and without Lana. Michael Rosenbaum and Kristen Kreuk are calling it quits after this year. Apparently they’re both open for guest spots next year, but that’s it. I’m okay with Lana leaving. I think they’ve milked that character for all it’s worth at this point. Dropping Lex, however, is a potential death knell for viewership. The interplay between Lex and Clark, and the demise of their relationship, is truly the center of this show. They’d have to find an equally compelling focal point for the series next season, and I don’t think that would be easy.

Dr. Who, as previously noted, will only have 4 specials in 2009, rather than a full season. The rumor mill continues to go back and forth as to whether David Tennant’s 10th Doctor will regenerate during those specials or after the 2010 season. Annoyingly, there seems to be agreement that we’ll be on the 11th Doctor by 2011.

Torchwood has all sorts of changes flying around the rumor mill. Apparently the “family friendly” versions of the show are doing pretty well, and they’re thinking of moving just to that format. It has not yet been renewed for a third season, so nothing is definite (what ever is?) but the word is that three of the major characters, including the show’s centerpiece, Captain Jack Harkness, will be gone. That would leave the character of Gwen and the transplanted Dr. Who companion, Martha, to run the show.

I think it’s a mistake to remove Jack. I think John Barrowman does a great job with the part, and he’s certainly an interesting character. That said, I think there are a couple ways the show could go on without him - though I still think it would suffer. Plus he’d apparently be around for guest spots.

So it’s mixed news for each show, apparently. Hmmm. Kinda leaves me rather apathetic.

Technorati Tags: smallville, doctor who, torchwood, michael rosenbaum, tom welling, kristen kreuk

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Star Wars: The Clone Wars In Theaters and on Television in 2008

The Clone Wars animated series is going to start with a theatrical release!

This is great news. To be honest, it’ll be a little weird to see an animated Star Wars on the big screen, and it’s a bit of an odd idea to launch a TV show with a theatrical pilot (though there will be a TV pilot, too), but if any franchise can pull that off, it’d be Star Wars.

The theatrical release will be on August 15th, followed by the TV debut on Cartoon Network (and TNT) in the fall.

On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin’s padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains — led by Darth Sidious, Count Dooku and General Grievous — are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

For some nice shots and behind-the-scenes info, check out this starwars.com video.

And for good measure… here’s the Sneak Peek released a while back.

Technorati Tags: Star Wars, Clone Wars, George Lucas, animated tv

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Comcast.net TV - Colbert Raises $171,000 for Charity

Okay, it’s cool that he raised that much money, and it’s funny how he did it, but this is what I love:

Since returning from the writers strike without his writing staff, [Stephen] Colbert has managed to get a portrait of himself hung at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., where it will hang between the bathrooms and near the “Americas Presidents” exhibit for about five more weeks.

The guy kills me…

Technorati Tags: Stephen Colbert, Washington D.C.

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A few posts back, we got into a bit of a discussion that significantly hinged on fair use. I mentioned that I had a fair use reference but didn’t have it handy. Here it is:

And here’s something similar but shorter (though not as good):

Neither really change the argument we were having much, but I thought I’d at least follow through with my reference.

Plus, they’re just fun to watch!

Technorati Tags: fair use, disney, youtube

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Afternoons with Amit: How to watch TV online…legally

See, that’s the kicker - doing it legally. Anyone can find illegal TV. Given the option, though, I’d much rather support the companies creating these shows by going the legal route. If that means I have to put up with four 30-second commercials, I’m okay with that. Just don’t skimp on the quality, and make it easy to navigate.

Amit puts a description of each along with his preferences, but here’s the basic list:

• Hulu - currently in private beta, but looks like a good option from NBC
• Veoh
• MSN Video
• Fox on Demand
  
• ABC
• CBS Innertube
• NBC
  

That’s it for his list. If anyone knows of other free, legal outlets for TV shows online, post a link.

Technorati Tags: free TV

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