Tue, 21 September 2010
SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 77 - The Episode We Make ContactThis episode is totally dedicated to our listeners. It's a departure from the norm as we discuss the things you are writing about and commenting on. We love you guys!
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Sun, 19 September 2010
SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 76 - Our Interview with Edward James Olmos from Battlestar Galactica and Blade Runner (Part 2)
The SciFi Diner PodcastPlease call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343, email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner. Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles Welcome to the Diner. Our MP3 Feed can be subscribed to here. Download this episode (right click and save) If you have listened to the show for sometime, we would love to have you leave feedback on iTunes. We know not all of you use iTunes, but for those that do, it helps us become more visible. If you don’t use iTunes, your feedback is still valuable. Visit our webpage at http://scifidinerpodcast.com and leave a comment on the show notes or email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com We want to know what you are thinking about what we are saying and what shows you are watching! Listener Question:How important is Science Fact in Science Fiction? We'll be discussing it in one of our next shows. On the menu tonight:
This Week’s Trivia:What was Laura Roslin's position in the government before she became President? Prize: First two books in the Autumn Rain trilogy. For more information on the Autumn Rain Trilogy, visit here. "And it seems appropriate that you would give aways books for knowing this, because she doesn't lend them out. Books are always gifts." B. Hardin You will have until September 21 to answer this question. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Podcast Promos:Haitian Connection Network Promo The Signal Promo Updated The Main Course: TV News:Universal Lands Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' And Plans Unprecedented Feature/Network TV AdaptationEXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have closed a deal to turn Stephen King’s mammoth novel series The Dark Tower into a feature film trilogy and a network TV series, both of which will be creatively steered by the Oscar-winning team behind A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code. Ron Howard has committed to direct the initial feature film, as well as the first season of the TV series that will follow in close proximity. Akiva Goldsman will write the film, and the first season of the TV series. Howard’s Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer will produce, with Goldsman and the author. When Deadline revealed in April that Howard, Goldman and Grazer planned to team with King, Universal was battling Warner Bros—home of Goldsman’s Weed Road--for the property. The multi-platform deal was so comprehensive, it took months to close. It will be announced later today by Universal Pictures chairman Adam Fogelson, co-chairman Donna Langley, NBC Universal Television Entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin, and NBC & Universal Media Studios Primetime Entertainment president Angela Bromstad, all of whom pulled it together. I spoke with Goldsman and Howard, who have polled enough of their peers to be convinced what they are doing here has never been attempted: using a major studio’s film and TV platforms simultaneously to tell a story. It is reminiscent of when Peter Jackson directed three installments of The Lord of The Rings, back to back, so that they could be released in three consecutive years. “What Peter did was a feat, cinematic history,” Howard told me. “The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television. We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.” Considered King’s answer to JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth trilogy, The Dark Tower revolves around Roland Deschain, the last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers, and humanity’s last hope to save a civilization that will crumble unless he finds the Dark Tower. Howard and Goldsman describe the world as “an alternate Americana, one part post-apocalyptic, one part Sergio Leone.” Goldsman first mentioned The Dark TowerA Beautiful Mind nearly a decade ago. to Howard and Grazer while they worked on “Akiva said, ‘Stephen will not let go of it, but it’s like nothing else you’ve ever read,’” Howard recalled. “It was frustrating because it’s one of those works where you read it, and then at odd times, the imagery and sensations just pop up in your mind. This is going to be an amazing life experience for us, trying to do justice to the story and the universe.” King granted an option—for $19, a number relevant to the plotline--to JJ Abrams and his Lost partners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. They never cracked the sprawling plotline and all the characters. Goldsman pounced when the rights were available, but saw the same problems until Howard suggested using film and TV platforms. Though Howard famously grew up on a TV screen on The Andy Griffith Show, he hasn’t directed TV since the early 80s, but is eager to return. It seems hard to fathom he'd direct a full season's worth of episodes, but that is the early plan, and who says they have to do 22 to create that bridge to the next film? The plan is to start with the feature film, and then create a bridge to the second feature with a season of TV episodes. That means the feature cast—and the big star who’ll play Deschain—also has to appear in the TV series before returning to the second film. After that sequel is done, the TV series picks up again, this time focusing on Deschain as a young gunslinger. Those storylines will be informed by a prequel comic book series that King was heavily involved in plotting. The third film would pick up the mature Deshain as he completes his journey. They will benefit from being able to use the same sets cast and crew for the movie and TV, which could help contain costs on what will be a financially ambitious undertaking. "We will certainly be looking to maximize both creative and fiscal opportunities by creating one enterprise that encompasses TV and movies," Goldsman said. "Some of the shooting will likely encompass both platforms, and that has never been done before. It's thrilling, we feel like kids in a candy story." Goldsman is writing, and Howard said he and Grazer have cleared the decks to do this quickly. “I’m finishing The Dilemma, and then I don’t have anything scheduled and I plan to work hard on this with Akiva and Brian,” Howard told me. “We will refine our take on the feature and TV shows. We have a clear view of what we want to do, and we’re lucky to have a company with the nerve to back us up on this venture.” Howard, Grazer and Goldsman will exec produce the TV series for Universal Media Studios. Kerry Foster will exec produce the first film for Weed Road, along with Imagine's Todd Hallowell and Erica Huggins. No Resolution for HEROES Fans – TV Movie For Wrap Up Of Series Is Dead http://bit.ly/cfLMIJBad news for Heroes fans. NBC will not be moving forward with a television-movie wrap up of the series as previously thought. Show creator Tim Kring had hoped to bring closure to the four-season series. No official word from NBC as to why the project was killed, but logistically, it became harder and harder to reassemble the original cast for this project. That’s not to say that the series can’t find continued life in comic book, web comic or print form though. Kring talks about the possibilities of continuing the Heroes brand: “…the Heroes brand is an extremely broad premise. It was a premise about ordinary people, an undisclosed number of people all over the world, who were waking up to these extraordinary abilities. Any number of stories could happen around that. We never posited a single ending or a single premise. It wasn’t about getting off of an island or stopping something from happening. We told stories in volumes that had a beginning, a middle, and an end. Those volumes could go on and on and on with many different characters. As a result, that Heroes universe is something that can be tapped into again in many ways.” Kring did sell NBC a script for the 2010-2011 season called III about “a third world war involving the invasion of the United States” but it did not progress past the development stage. Heroes was canceled this past May. Movie News: Natalie Portman offered lead in sci-fi film 'Gravity'
Hot on the heels of some passionate festival buzz for her turn in the upcoming ballet film Black Swan, Natalie Portman has reportedly been offered the lead role in Warner Bros.’ 3-D drama Gravity, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The $80 million film, which is being directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y tu mamá también), is a survival story about a woman who’s stranded on a space station and her attempts to return home to Earth. The role was previously turned down by Angelina Jolie, and Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively were later rumored to be competing for the gig. But Cuarón has now reportedly offered the part to Portman without requiring the actress to do a screen test. Portman is expected to make a decision soon after reading the latest version of the script. Robert Downey Jr. has already signed on for a supporting role in the movie, which is scheduled to shoot early next year.
MGM trying again to get Martin Freeman to play Bilbo http://bit.ly/bYhawiHere's a quick 101 on the recent Hobbit rumors. Martin Freeman, who plays Dr. Watson in the BBC's Sherlock series, was allegedly offered the role of Bilbo Baggins but turned it down, although no one was sure if any of that really happened. Today, it not only looks like it happened, but there's suddenly a very good chance he'll end up playing Bilbo after all. Here's what Entertainment Weekly found out about the situation:
Yesterday, the British newspaper The Sun ran a story saying that Martin Freeman (a.k.a. Tim from the original U.K. Office) had to decline an offer (and seven-figure payday) to play Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies due to a scheduling conflict: The actor was already committed to shoot the BBC series Sherlock, in which he plays Dr. Watson. That's all true, but according to sources close to the Hobbit production, it's not over yet. New Line and MGM, the studios backing the Hobbit films, have since come back to Freeman with a proposed schedule that would allow him to shoot both projects. All parties are currently negotiating a deal.From our POV this is good great news, as we love Freeman in Sherlock and think he's a great actor who'd make an excellent Bilbo. And he definitely has that Hobbit look, in a good way. Herne: What? Morgan Freeman to play Bilbo?! Liam Neeson Coming Aboard “Battleship” - Daemon's Movies http://bit.ly/9I0kq4Actor Liam Neeson just keeps landing roles in Hollywood, having now joined the cast of the in production film “Battleship.” The sci-fi film is already in production and is set for release on May 18, 2012. The sci-fi project is an adaptation of the popular Hasbro board game by the same name. In the film an international naval fleet is gathered together to defeat an invading alien armada. Neeson will join the cast of the film in the role of Admiral Shane. Peter Berg is directing the film for Universal. Neeson has been very busy since his surprise success with “Taken.” He can next be seen in the films “The Next Three Days” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”
Here's the opening to Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (spoilerish) http://bit.ly/b2lhhfThere hasn't been much information about director Rob Marshall's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides movie, but What's Playing uncovered a few details about how the opening scene will play out (minor spoiler ahead): Film opens at night. Spanish fisherman spots something in the water. A Shape. He fishes out what he soon discovers is the body of an ancient sailor. The boat's captain rushes over for a look -- before he can make his assessment, the thought-dead sailor's eyes open. Sailor grabs Captain's arm... fade out. The Captain and his aide then arrive at the regal residents of King Ferdinand, with said body, who inform the royal that the not-so-dead sailor claims to have sailed on a vessel belonging to the ship of Ponce de Leon, who died 200 years ago. Ferdinand's first thought is that the sailor has found the legendary Fountain of Youth. He orders 'The Spaniard' to hit the seas in search of it. Although the last two films in the series weren't particularly well received, this one could give the series new life with a different director and the addition of Ian McShane and Penelope Cruz to the cast. We hope it will, anyway. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides hits theaters on May 20, 2011. DVD Review: Batman: Under the Red Hood While a new foe who uses The Joker's old alias wreaks havoc among Gotham City's organized crime, Batman finds him disturbingly familiar. Bruce Greenwood as Batman Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood Neil Patrck Harris as Night Wing http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1007355673/ Other News:
It's now possible to move a tiny bead of glass (pictured) five feet using just laser beams. We may not be tractor-beaming humans into spaceships yet, but this is a huge step forward for a technology once called science fictional. For years, scientists have been using "light tweezers," or lasers, to move bacteria short distances. But this new device is far more powerful, moving an object hundreds of times bigger than a bacteria several feet. Now Australian National University researchers have a new device that's much more powerful. Inside Science reports: The device works by shining a hollow laser beam around tiny glass particles. The air surrounding the particle heats up, while the dark center of the beam stays cool. When the particle starts to drift out of the middle and into the bright laser beam, the force of heated air molecules bouncing around and hitting the particle's surface is enough to nudge it back to the center. A small amount of light also seeps into the darker middle part of the beam, heating the air on one side of the particle and pushing it along the length of the laser beam. If another such laser is lined up on the opposite side of the beam, the speed and direction the particle moves can be easily manipulated by changing the brightness of the beams. Unfortunately, the technique doesn't work in vacuum so we won't see this deployed in space any time soon. But the researchers say they could definitely move the beads farther than 5 feet, though a great deal more research needs to be done before we'll have a concrete application for the tractor beam. TWIST: Trek Sequel UpdateIn the 200th issue of SFX Magazine, published in the UK, J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman discuss what may or may not happen in Star Trek XII. As reported by TrekMovie.com, Abrams spoke generally while Kurtzman and Orci described another possible choice for the possible villain. As he did when Star Trek XI was being made, Abrams didn’t go into specifics concerning the sequel, but noted that there was much potential in the Star Trek universe from which to draw. “The universe that Roddenberry created was so vast,” he said. “And so it’s hard to say there’s one particular thing that stands out as what the sequel must be. Which is on the one hand, a great opportunity. On the other hand it’s the greatest challenge – where do you go? What do you focus on? But I’m incredibly excited about the prospects.” Kurtzman and Orci have spoken in the past about the possibility of having Khan in the sequel, but spoke about other options. “Introducing a new villain in the sequel is tempting because we now have this incredible new sandbox to play in,” said Orci. “On the other hand, some fans really want to see Klingons and it’s hard not to listen to that. The trick is not to do something that’s been seen before just because you think it will be a short cut to likeability.” More can be found in SFX Magazine, including an article in which Leonard Nimoy says farewell to Spock. More information on the contents of this issue can be found here and subscription information can be found here. Happy 44thStar Trek – no hyperbole here -- has changed the world, but no one could have seen it coming on September 8, 1966, when The Original Series kicked off with the episode “The Man Trap.” So much of what is commonplace today was introduced, glimpsed, inspired and/or at least hinted at by Star Trek; and yes, before you say it, we know that sci-fi existed before Star Trek. Still, consider the following: Faces of color, people of all nationalities in space: Race relations were at their worst around the time Star Trek debuted, and yet series creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned a future in which an African American – and a woman, no less – would assume major responsibilities aboard a starship. Nichelle Nichols beautifully embodied the role of Lt. Uhura, inspiring countless people of color to achieve their dreams. Uhura would also factor into another groundbreaking moment, as she and Captain Kirk locked lips in television’s first interracial kiss. Later, during season two of Star Trek and at the height of the Cold War, when the concept of American and Russian astronauts traversing the galaxy together was truly pure science fiction, the show introduced the character of Chekov, yet another canny, progressive bit of forward thinking. Flip phones: You may be reading this article on your flip phone right now and if you are, you have the legendary Star Trek communicator to thank for that. PDA’s and iPads: Captain Kirk filed his regular Captain’s Logs on a device – think an electronic clipboard -- that’s remarkably similar to the PDA’s so familiar to us all today. Perhaps even more prescient was the Star Trek: The Next Generation PADD – or Personal Access Display Device, which could be easily confused with that iPad being sold at the Apple Store around the corner from you. Bluetooth: Let’s bring Lt. Uhura back into the conversation. Sure, her earpieces might resemble corn holders, but they – and their open wireless technology concept -- also set the stage for the Bluetooth and all its subsequent incarnations. Needle-free injections: Dr. McCoy and the Enterprise medical team had no need for needles. Instead, they used hypospray. Sure, some docs today still use the handy-dandy needle, but now there are needle-free alternatives, including the Glide SDI or PharmaJet’s 0.5 ml device. Automatic Doors: You probably don’t even think twice about it now as you walk through doors that open as you approach, but those funky whooshing doors on Star Trek were the precursor, right? Right. Viewscreens: Have you looked at your TV lately? ‘Nuff said. Phasers: Tasers, anyone? Just saying. OK, now it’s YOUR turn. What elements of Star Trek do you think have impacted the world – socially, scientifically, gadget-wise – we live in today? Bring it on… and bring on the debate, too.
Zombie TrekkiesScifFi Five in Five: Top 5 Battlestar Galactica Moments 5. Revelation final five 4. Window in NYC 3. Hyper Jump through planet 2. Razor - orignal cylons 1. Final Jump
Direct download: SciFi_Diner_Podcast_Ep._76_-_Our_Interview_with_Edward_James_Olmos_from_Battlestar_Galactica.mp3
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Fri, 10 September 2010
SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 75 - Our Interview with Edward James Olmos from Battlestar Galactica and Blade Runner
The SciFi Diner PodcastPlease call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343, email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner. Facebook Fan Page Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles Welcome to the Diner. Our MP3 Feed can be subscribed to here.
Download this episode (right click and save) If you have listened to the show for sometime, we would love to have you leave feedback on iTunes. We know not all of you use iTunes, but for those that do, it helps us become more visible. If you don’t use iTunes, your feedback is still valuable. Visit our webpage at http://scifidinerpodcast.com and leave a comment on the show notes or email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com We want to know what you are thinking about what we are saying and what shows you are watching!
The Interview:Edward James "Eddie" Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is a Mexican-American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt. Martin Castillo in Miami Vice, teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver, patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film Selena, Detective Gaff in Blade Runner, and narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and film versions of Zoot Suit. In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Olmos branched out from music into acting, appearing in many small productions, until his big break portraying the narrator, called "El Pachuco," in the play Zoot Suit, which dramatized the World War II-era rioting in California brought about by the tensions between Mexican-Americans and local police. (See Zoot Suit Riots.) The play moved to Broadway, and Olmos earned a Tony award nomination. He subsequently took the role to the filmed version in 1981, and appeared in many other films including Wolfen, Blade Runner and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. In 1980, Olmos was cast in the post-apocalyptic science fiction film (now a Japanese cult classic) Virus (1980 film) (復活の日 Fukkatsu no hi). Directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on a novel written by Sakyo Komatsu. During this film, he demonstrated his acting talents along side Masao Kusakari, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Chuck Connors, Olivia Hussey, Ken Ogata, Sonny Chiba and Glenn Ford. Most remarkable was Olmos playing a piano while singing a Spanish ballad during the later part of the film. Although not a box office success, the Virus was notable for being the most expensive Japanese film ever made at the time. Akin to Blade Runner, it is a shocking if less than accurate portrayal of a modern day pandemic virus outbreak akin to (SARS, Avian-flu, H1N1, and Swine Flu). From 1984 to 1989, Olmos starred in his biggest role up to that date as the authoritarian police Lieutenant Martin Castillo in the television series Miami Vice opposite Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, for which he was awarded a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1985. He was contacted about playing the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation when it was in pre-production in 1986, but he declined. Returning to film, Olmos became the first American-born Latino to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in Stand and Deliver for his portrayal of real-life math teacher, Jaime Escalante. He directed and starred in American Me in 1992, and also starred in My Family/Mi Familia, a multigenerational story of a Chicano family. In 1997 he starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the film Selena. Olmos played Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in the 2001 movie In the Time of the Butterflies. He also had a recurring role as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roberto Mendoza in the NBC drama The West Wing. From 2002 to 2004, he starred as a recently widowed father of a Latino L.A.-family in the PBS drama American Family: Journey of Dreams. From 2003 to 2009, he starred as Admiral William Adama in the Sci Fi Channel's reimagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and in the television series that followed. He directed four episodes of the show, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down, Taking a Break from All Your Worries , Escape Velocity (and Islanded in a Stream of Stars. He also directed a television movie of the show, The Plan. Regarding his work on the show, he told CraveOnline, "I'm very grateful for the work that I've been able to do in my life but I can honestly tell you, this is the best usage of television I've ever been a part of to date." In 2006, he co-produced, directed, and played the bit part of Julian Nava in the HBO movie about the 1968 Chicano Blowouts, Walkout . He also appeared in Snoop Dogg's music video "Vato", featuring B-Real from Cypress Hill. In the series finale of the ABC sitcom George Lopez, titled George Decides to Sta-Local Where It's Familia, he guest-starred as the plant's new multi-millionaire owner. More recently, he has been a spokesperson for Farmers Insurance Group, starring in their Spanish language commercials. Edward Olmos has often been involved in social activism, especially that affecting the Latino community. During the 1992 Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles, when many people left the city, Olmos went out with a broom and worked to get communities cleaned up and rebuilt. In 1997, Olmos co-founded the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival[8] with Marlene Dermer, George Hernandez and Kirk Whisler. That same year, he co-founded with Kirk Whisler the non-profit organization Latino Literacy Now that has produced Latino Book & Festivals [9] around the USA, attended by over 700,000 people. In 1998, he founded Latino Public Broadcasting and currently serves as its Chairman. Latino Public Broadcasting funds public television programming that focuses on issues affecting Latinos and advocates for diverse perspectives in public television. That same year, he starred in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, a comedy that sought to break Latino stereotypes and transcend the normal stigmas of most Latino-oriented movies.[citation needed] In 1999, Olmos was one of the driving forces that created Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S.1, a book project featuring over 30 award winning photographers, later turned into a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, music CD and HBO special. He also makes frequent appearances at juvenile halls and detention centers to speak to at-risk teenagers. He has also been an international ambassador for UNICEF. In 2001, he was arrested and spent 20 days in prison for taking part in the Navy-Vieques protests against United States Navy target practice bombings of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Edward James Olmos narrated for the 1999 film Zapatista, a documentary in support of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a revolutionary group that has abstained from using their weapons since 1994. On January 5, 2007, he appeared on Puerto Rican Television to blame the Puerto Rican and United States Governments for not cleaning the Island of Vieques after the United States Navy stopped using the island for bombing practice. He also gave $2,300 to New Mexico governor Bill Richardson for his presidential campaign (the maximum amount for the primaries). Listener Question:Does Science Fiction need to contain Science Fact? On the menu tonight: What do you want on the menu?* Interview Edward James Olmos Part 1 * Listener Feed back * Thoughts on the Current Season of Warehouse 13 * BSG Trivia * Felicia Day's Red * Judge Dredd becomes Dredd * Whats up with Walking Dead? * Review of Browncoats Redemption * Halo Movie is Still in the works * Does Science need to be accurate in Science Fiction? * TWIST: Star Trek: The Experience and Takei on Big Bang * B. Hardin gives us his SciFi Five in Five - Five ways to end the world Show News/Listener Feedback:* Feedback from Raduz * Feed issues * Listener Question from the past two weeks: Should the now defunct TV Show Heroes be made into a major motion picture? Greg Grunberg thinks 'there has to be' a Heroes movie coming http://bit.ly/bEmvqL Some Answers: SusuietheGeek: My question about a Heroes movie would be "Why, exactly?" Mike C: Maybe an argument to be made on terms of economics for the studio but in story terms a total waste of time, there is no resolution for this type of narrative hence the volumes in the show which could be concluded. * Miles asked on Facebook: The Scifi Diner Podcast I know it aired a few days ago, but did any of you watch Warehouse 13? I think that show keeps getting better. Artie's the man. This Week’s Trivia:BSG Trivia: What was Laura Roslin's position in the government before she became President? Prize: First two books in the Autumn Rain trilogy. For more information on the Autumn Rain Trilogy, visit here.
You will have until September 22nd to answer this question. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Podcast Promos:The Main Course:TV News:
Ra Do for a fan film, it's very bold and nicely done. I can't believe that the fans were able to finish such a monumental project. story wise it didn't grab my attention much, but once again I congratulate all the people involved. K'pla!
Movie News:
(insert cricket noise) No, seriously, a lot of movies really do. Well, some do. OK, a few do. Let's start off with an easy one, like... 2001: A Space Odyssey Ask any astronomer what movie comes closest to getting it all right, and they won't hesitate: 2001. The obvious anachronism may make this one a teensy bit harder -- Pan Am went out of business decades before the titular date, and the Space Station is hardly a giant spinning wheel in orbit -- but a lot of the actual science is good. There's no sound in space, for example. Without air, there's nothing to transmit the sound waves, and the movie shows space as deadly silent. A classic scene has astronaut Frank Poole jogging around the circular centrifuge, and that's on the money. Without gravity astronauts have all sorts of trouble, including serious health issues, such as muscle and permanent bone density loss. A spinning centrifuge would simulate gravity and mitigate a lot of those issues. My favorite bit in the movie is that lack of stars in the exterior shots. If you were out in space and looking at a bright object like a sunlit spaceship, your eyes would adapt to that brightness level. Stars are pretty faint, and would be very hard to see! And here's one you might not have thought of (and I'll risk geek blasphemy for saying it): Interplanetary travel is boring. A trip even to the moon takes three days. Mars is six months, and Jupiter would take years. Space is big and empty, so for 99 percent of the time there would be nothing to do. 2001 shows that beautifully by being boring. I mean, by showing that boredom! Deep Impact In 1998, two blockbusters came out about impacts: Armageddon, and Deep Impact. Armageddon was one of the worst movies in the history of humanity, if the not the universe in its entirety, so I'll leave it alone (it does have one thing right: It's about asteroids, and asteroids exist. Other than that ...). Deep Impact, on the other hand, got a lot right. The comet was discovered by an amateur astronomer (which was still common in the '90s, though less now, with robotic surveys scanning the heavens much more efficiently). In the flick, a nuke only managed to split the comet into two pieces; in reality that's likely to be what would happen to a fragile comet nucleus. The impact scene (damn! I forgot to say "spoiler alert!") is wonderfully accurate, with the actual moment of collision and subsequent tsunami beautifully detailed and terrifying. Even the scenes filmed at the comet itself were good; the lack of gravity makes it impossible to land a ship, for example, so they tether themselves to it. It was attention to that kind of detail that made my geeky inner (OK, outer) astronomer sing. Contact I have my suspicions that when we make first contact with aliens, it won't be when they land their flying saucers on the White House lawn. That whole "space is big" thing really is a problem, and it's a whole lot worse when the distances are measured in quadrillions of miles. In Contact we find aliens because they beam an intense radio signal to us (though points are taken off for Jodie Foster's character using headphones; computers are a wee bit better at detection than humans). That makes sense: A radio wave is easy to send, it travels at light speed, and you can encode a lot of information into it. So right off the bat, the movie has it right. Not only that, but it also shows astronomers as, y'know, people, instead of cardboard caricatures, as usually done. Foster's character actually -- gasp -- has a sex life! Even the depiction of faster-than-light travel is consistent and well done. But none of this is surprising: The script was penned by Carl Sagan himself, an astronomer and brilliant writer. If you haven't seen this flick, then stop reading my dorky stuff and go get it! Also, read the book Contact. If the last page doesn't give you chills, you're not a bona fide nerd. Star Trek Yes, the 2009 Trek reboot that pissed off a bazillion fans, who were appalled that suddenly their franchise could be made appealing to a broad audience. Still, despite all the debauching of science usually performed by Trek, there was one sequence made of win: Early on, when the Kelvin is attacked, we see explosions and running crewmen and lots of yelling and screaming. Suddenly, amidst the hullabaloo, a hull breach opens up and a crewmember is blown into space. We follow her out the hole, and suddenly all the noise is cut off. Like 2001, this is a good depiction of space. Without air, there's no noise. And the movie wins a second kudo from me because it was used dramatically: The sudden cessation of noise punctuates that death scene for the poor, unnamed crewperson, making it that much more chilling. Of course, that saves her from the awful science later in the movie as Vulcan collapses into a black hole (and don't even get me started on "red matter"). The Fountain This wasn't a blockbuster, but it was still a beautifully told tale of love, life, death and rebirth. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that this is, to my knowledge, the only movie that has ever used supernovae correctly. When a massive star explodes at the end of its life, all the heavy elements it's created (like iron, calcium and so on) are blown out into space, where they can merge with gas clouds. These clouds then collapse to form other stars, planets ... and you. The iron in your blood and the calcium in your bones were literally forged in the hearts of ancient supernovae. When a star dies, it gives life to others ... and that theme is used perfectly in the movie. It's a metaphor for rebirth, but it's also used in that way by the movie quite literally. Astrophysics as poetry! Awesome. I could go on and on, but after this it's a state of diminishing returns. I know there's more good stuff out there on display in small doses in lots of movies. And I just bet you have more examples in your own movie collection. So tell me: What flicks do you hold up as a shining example of Science and Reality? Anytime I read an article like this, it makes me want to hunt the author down and punch them square in the nose! Science fiction is science FICTION! I do really enjoy learning real scientific facts, but NOT when I go to see a fictional movie for the purpose of entertainment! If someone wants to make a science fact movie, fine. Just leave the fictional movies alone when you do. — Ethan TWIST:Two Years Ago Today, The Trek Community Lost A Dear Friend... Star Trek: The Experience As many of you have probably read before, we had the pleasure of visiting Star Trek: The Experience twice during it's run. Both times, we unequivocally felt like we were home among family and friends. Unfortunately, on September 1st, 2008, Star Trek: The Experience closed it's doors for the last time and we're here to mark the two year anniversary of our dear departed friend. A Brief History of ST:TE Star Trek: The Experience was a US$70 million permanent Star Trek-themed attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, owned by Cedar Fair Enterprise, containing shops styled after the Deep Space 9 Promenade, a restaurant styled after Quark's, The History of the Future Museum (which was a large collection of props and artifacts), and the Klingon Encounter and Borg Invasion 4D rides. The store was the largest Star Trek-themed store in the world. The Experience opened with 2,500 on hand for a gala premier on 3 January 1998. It was originally a property owned by Paramount Parks, built by Landmark Entertainment resort/ theme park developer and coordinated by the Paramount/Viacom licensing division. It was sold to Cedar Fair, owner of Knott's Berry Farm, with the other Paramount Parks division amid the parent Viacom split of CBS and Paramount Pictures in 2006. The facility played host to parties, receptions, weddings, scheduled events, and conventions. Those who wished to hold their wedding there could have it in Starfleet uniform on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D, with Star Trek aliens such as Ferengi and Klingons as witnesses. The bridge facility was available for photo opportunities and costumes could be rented for the same. Star Trek: The Experience "Klingon Encounter" and "Borg 4D" adventures uniquely combined ride simulators, accurately detailed sets, special effects and trained, dedicated costumed live actors to make guests truly feel they were actually in the Trek universe. The site offered tie-in parties, photo opportunities and sidebar events when Creation Entertainment's annual Star Trek convention was held at the Hilton in August. (source Memory Alpha) For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of (for the lack of a better word) experiencing "The Experience", there are a ton of resources available on the net that can give you a taste of, what we called, Star Trek Nirvana. Starting with a complete virtual tour of ST:TE. From inside Quark's Bar all the way through both rides and even the backstage areas. We've had the great pleasure of meeting many of the former ST:TE cast & crew, on the net and in person at Vegas Khhaaan!. All of which we can now call friends. One of our buddies in particular has put together a comprehensive video history of Star Trek: The Experience, called "Star Trek: My Experience". Many of you may know him as ST:TE's 7 of 16 or Lt. "Pep" Streebeck, but in the real world he goes by Vernon Wilmer. Vernon is the unofficial historian of ST:TE and his growing series of videos give great detail and insight to its history and origins. He also features many of the cast & crew.
Jennifer M. It was such an awesome place! I went on that ride like 10 times, every time I went to Vegas! Sigh! It's not going to be there anymore?! I hope they build something else just like it! B. Hardin I've never gone, but that had to be hard for them to lose such an amazing and unique job! It seems that if they could have hung on a few more years, they would have gotten a new wave of visitors b/c of the new movie. But it seems the timing wasn't in their favor. George Takei To Appear On The Big Bang Theory w/ Katee Sackhoff [UPDATED] The nerdy CBS hit comedy The Big Bang Theory has had a number of Star Trek references over its first three seasons, including guests spots for TNG’s Wil Wheaton. And now it has been confirmed that Star Trek’s George Takei will be appearing on the show. More details below plus more Takei news. UPDATE: More details reveal Takei will appear with BSG’s Katee Sackhoff. Takei headed to Big Bang Theory It hasn’t yet been confirmed if TNG star Wil Wheaton will be returning to The Big Bang Theory and it looks unlikely the producer’s will get their wish and bring Leaonard Nimoy out of retirement. However, one Trek star is definitely going to show up during the fourth season of the CBS comedy about a group of nerdy scientists. Executive producer Bill Prady confirmed via his Twitter that Star Trek’s original Sulu George Takei will be appearing in the fourth episode of the fourth season airing October 14th. Prady followed up his announcement with the following tweet on Friday: TrekMovie has confirmed that Takei will be shooting his episode this week. Also in an email, George Takei reveled some details about the episode, saying: I am indeed currently working on THE BIG BANG THEORY. It is a delicious script in which I am playing a figure of Howard’s fantasy. Caltech engineer Howard Wolowitz, played by Simon Helberg, is one of the main characters on the show. He, like most of the other characters on the show, is a Star Trek and sci-fi fan. This will not be Howard’s first fantasy sequence with a sci-fi guest star. Last season he had a fantasy with Katee Sackhoff from Battlestar Galactica (see below). UPDATE: More details – Takei to appear with Sackhoff Bill Prady has revealed to AOL that Takei will appear alongside Katee Sackhoff, where she will be reprising her role as Wolowitz’s conscience. Takei and Sackhoff will take opposite points of view as Wolowitz contemplates getting back together with his ex-girlfriend Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). Prady didn’t reveal the location, but did say that it won’t be in a bathtub. Takei also to appear in new Seagal show and more George Takei continues to be on a bit of a roll in terms of popularity. He recently appeared on the Disney sitcom The Suite Life on Deck, and he tells TrekMovie he just filmed an episode of Steven Seagal’s new series True Justice. The actor also recently filmed a part in the new Tom Hanks directed movie Larry Crowne. Takei is also in the cast of Supah Ninjas, a live-action comedy for Nickelodeon. A pilot for the high-school comedy about a bunch of kids who are also ninjas has been shot, but it has not yet been picked up. Later in the year Takei will also be appearing in a new series of Sharp TV commercials promoting their new 3D TVs. ScifFi Five in Five:Top 5 ways for the world as we know it to end according to Sci-Fi post-apocalypse masterpieces. - B. Hardin 5. Natural turned Unnatural Disasters- As seen in 2012, the Happening, and Day after Tomorrow. Admittedly, I hated all three of these movies, but the concepts were interesting. 4. Attack- As seen in Battlestar Galactica. Cylons invade and destroy. Only a few escape and survive. And for now the twist: the creations become the destroyers of their creators. 3. Zombies- As seen in Dawn of the Dead. Virus that turns people into mindless brain eaters teetering Sci-Fi and horror. 2. Rage Virus- As seen in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. The only thing more terrifying than zombies are zombies that can run. 1. Question Marks???- As seen in the The Road. The fact that the author of the The Road left the reason of the apocalypse out of the story really assisted in making the story so complex in its simplicity. It was clear this was a story about a father and son- not the world. Humanity not entire mankind.
Direct download: SciFi_Diner_Podcast_Ep._75_-_Our_Interview_with_Edward_James_Olmos_from_Battlestar_Galactica.mp3
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Mon, 6 September 2010
The SciFi Diner Podcast Star Wars Celebration V Edition - Miles and Scott chat with their good friend Matt Mather who attended the convention. Download this episode (right click and save)
Direct download: The_SciFi_Diner_Podcast_Star_Wars_Celebration_V_Edition.mp3
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Thu, 2 September 2010
The SciFi Diner PodcastPlease call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343, email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner. Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles Welcome to the Diner. Our MP3 Feed can be subscribed to here. If you have listened to the show for sometime, we would love to have you leave feedback on iTunes. We know not all of you use iTunes, but for those that do, it helps us become more visible. If you don’t use iTunes, your feedback is still valuable. Visit our webpage at http://scifidinerpodcast.com and leave a comment on the show notes or email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com We want to know what you are thinking about what we are saying and what shows you are watching! Download this episode (right click and save) Download this episode (right click and save) Our Interview: Hello, my name is Ian Hulme, and I am the author of The HeavenField, a novel released on this website as a serialised audio podcast. If you are unsure as to what a podcast audio novel is, then you can skip to the 'What is a podcast?' section on the next page for an explanation. I was born in 1971, and, after leaving school, spent the next 15 or so years as an artist and musician. Some of my paintings from that time can be seen on my website www.ighulme.com. I started getting interested in computers in 1998, using them for graphic design as well as creating audio pieces for various collaborations and performances. I have always had an obsession with the written word - writing song lyrics, poetry, and the odd short story. But around 2002 I began work on a screenplay for a planned 3d animation which quickly spiralled out of control. The more ideas I put down, the more I wanted to know about the story I was creating, and before long, the idea of the animation was forgotten as I wrote chapter after chapter. Shortly after I began writing in earnest, my wife and I moved to the tiny fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay. In the summer it is a busy tourist location full of packed holiday cottages. But in the winter, the village is practically deserted, and I had the great good fortune to have the winding streets and rocky beaches practically to myself. It was here that I wrote most of The HeavenField, sat on the rocks at the foot of the cliffs as the waves hurled themselves at the shore. For the next three or four years I re-read and edited the manuscript countless times, until I began work as a web designer at Media Vision, for the most wonderful Chris Ellis. He listened patiently to my ramblings about The Field, and, after reading through the novel, offered to edit it (without quite realising the amount of work he was taking on!). We set about devoting occasional Saturdays to the task, and I personally found this immensely rewarding – at times literally chopping up and rearranging passages that weren't working – sections that had always troubled me, yet I was unable to fix on my own. As we edited the work, we talked about putting it out to the world, and, decided a great way would be to release it onto the internet in serialised format. Having been a musician for many years, and having recorded and engineered music in the past, I had the tools to record the readings myself (though I never seem to have enough time!), and podcasts are a great way to keep people up to date with the latest episodes. It has been great fun and hard work to finally get to the point of releasing The HeavenField, and my one hope is that I can continue to work in The Field that I love. Listener Question:Should the now defunct TV Show Heroes be made into a major motion picture?
On the menu tonight:
Show News/Listener Feedback:
This Week’s Trivia:Trivia: What name is given to the Atlantian vehicle which can move through stargates ? Prize: Two Starship Farragut Items: DVD of Powersource Animated Ep. and the Comic Book “Dearly Departed” Winner: Rado Podcast Promos:The Signal Podcast Tuning into SciFi TV The Main Course:
TV News:Our name sake: Restaurant at the end of the Universe - Dining at the End of the Universe - SciFi Diner Douglas Adams returns to television with new Dirk Gently show - Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy creator Douglas Adams' other great work of anarchic science fiction, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, comes to the BBC this fall/winter, as a one-hour pilot. But what happens if Dirk gets an ongoing series? From the sound of things, the first 60-minute Dirk Gently episode will be an adaptation, at least in part, of the first book — the only plot summary so far is that Dirk tries "to solve the disappearance of a cat from an old lady's house." It's being shown on BBC4 — not exactly the most high-profile channel, it must be said — and the script is written by Howard Overman, creator of Misfits and Vexed. If the one-hour pilot does well, the BBC will consider commissioning an ongoing series. And given there are only two Dirk Gently books to adapt (plus Salmon of Doubt), I wonder how long it takes before Overman and other writers have to resort to creating their own Dirk Gently stories. It could be awesome, or terrible, or some baffling mixture of the two, but just the prospect of getting more Adamsian weirdness on television again is thrilling. No clue who's playing Dirk Gently yet — the above image is Harry Enfield, who played him in the radio adaptations. Doctor Who producer promises 'game-changing cliffhanger'
Shocking news in the world of Doctor Who today: The BBC just announced that series six will be split in two for the first time since it started in 2005, with one block of episodes airing over the spring of 2011 and the second one airing in the fall. Steven Moffat claims that the move will essentially turn series six into two separate series, but more importantly, that there will be a GAME-CHANGING cliffhanger separating the two. That's what the show runner revealed while speaking during the Edinburgh International Television Festival. And that game-changing cliffhanger—whatever that will be—is what will lead to the series being split in two. Steven Moffat said: "Looking at the next series I thought what this show needs is a big event in the middle. "I kept referring to a mid-season finale. So we are going to make it two series—seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything. "The wrong expression would be to say we are splitting it in two. We are making it two separate series." So what do you think about this news? Any guesses as to the kind of "earth-shattering climax" Moffat could be coming up with? And—what do you think of the idea of having a season split into two separate series? Movie News:Movies this fall: Tron, Resident Evil, and Skyline - that I am looking forward to. Silent Movie Star Wars 4 behind-the-scenes photos from the new Planet of the Apes
There hasn't been much news recently about the prequel to Planet of the Apes, that is, until one fan happened to wander past the set and snap these great behind-the-scenes shots. These new photos from the set of Rise of the Apes won't give away any details about what the CGI primates will look like in their final stage, but they do show a bit of what it takes to create them. Here's a glimpse of a stuntman wearing a mo-cap suit and shambling on all fours on the streets of San Francisco. Frida Pinto, James Franco, and what looks like Andy Serkis
Though so far we don't know too much about the plot, IMDB describes the film as "an origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy." We won't know for a little while, though, as it's not set to be released until June 24th, 2001. Sigourney Weaver says she's been contacted about Ghostbusters 3
That solo Magneto movie? X-Men: First Class KILLED it
Were you looking forward to that solo Magneto movie everybody (including Ian McKellen) has been talking about for the last couple of years? So were we. But now someone who knows reveals ... it ain't going to happen. Lauren Shuler Donner, who produced all of the mutant films so far, is producing the upcoming X-Men: First Class and certainly would have been in charge of any standalone Magneto movie. She told craveonline that First Class had swallowed up that other rumored film. When asked how Magneto was coming along, she replied that it wasn't: No. You know, there's internal discussions but probably not. It kind of got incorporated into this one, a lot of it. She also shared what parts of David Goyer's Magneto script would survive into the X-Men reboot: Magneto history. Stuff from the Marvel/Magneto history. Disappointed? Or did you figure the Magneto character couldn't carry a movie on his own anyway? Other News: The rise of the fangirls: Love of superheroes, science fiction and comic books isn't just for guys anymore - Atlantic City Press Jessica LeBlanc spends her days selling comic books and game supplies at Jester's Playhouse in Northfield. So, what does she do for fun? Earlier this month she headed out to Illinois to attend the Gen Con gaming convention in Indianapolis, spending a couple of days learning about what's new in gaming. While she was there, LeBlanc, 21, noticed there were a fair number of women mixed in among the hordes of fanboys flipping through stacks of comics. "In the last couple of years, I've been talking to a lot more women that are into it. There were a lot of women dressed in anime costumes. I think the women are feeling more comfortable," the Galloway Township woman said. The cliche of a bunch of dateless geeky boys and men being the only ones to attend comic book conventions or spend their days engaged in role-playing games is out of date. More and more women are proudly letting their devotion to specific TV shows, movies, comics and games shine. The growing visibility of these fangirls is altering the pop culture landscape. Comic-Con International 2010, the largest comic book and popular arts convention in the world, was held last month. Panels included "Geek Girls Exist," "Girls Gone Genre: Movies, TV, Comics, Web" and "Women Who Kick Ass: A New Generation of Heroines." There is an effort on the Web to organize a Geek Girl Con next year in Seattle. The Web is full of sites created and maintained by fangirls including geektress.com, www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com, www.geekgirlsnetwork.com, geekfemme.blogspot.com, allthingsfangirl.blogspot.com and others. The entertainment industry is beginning to realize there is money to be made from these fangirls. So far this year, movie multiplexes have played host to Angelina Jolie in the spy thriller "Salt," 13-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit Girl in the movie "Kick-Ass" and Scarlett Johansson as a martial arts expert in "Iron Man 2." Milla Jovovich battles in the undead in "Resident Evil: Afterlife" next month and Vanessa Hudgens, of "High School Musical" fame, is among the five women starring in the action-fantasy thriller "Sucker Punch," out March 25. Meanwhile, actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano in the TV series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," has launched Her Universe, a company devoted to merchandising for female sci-fi fans. Even Marvel Comics has gotten in on the action, in March launching "Girl Comics," a three-issue anthology celebrating its female creators. Whether there are more females into fanboy stuff - or whether the numbers are the same, but they are more open about it - is debatable. Brenda Kirk, who runs Geektress.-com, a website aimed at science fiction, fantasy and comic-book loving nerds, said one reason for the emergence of fangirls is that women are more open about their interests in these subjects. The 30-year-old Ohio woman also credited the late 1990s TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" with awakening an interest in fantasy and science fiction among women and sending them to the Internet to feed that interest. "The Internet opened things up, so that you don't have to go to some weird genre store somewhere. You can just have access to the stuff, 24/7," said Kirk, who began reading comics when she was 8. "The Comic-Con that I go to in New York, they have women panels all the time... because it's so mainstream now, it's not something you have to hide." It really doesn't seem like that big of a deal for girls to be into these things, said Laura Galiffe, an illustrator, who lives in Somers Point. Galiffe, 31, went to the anime convention in Baltimore, known as Otakon, for the first time in 1997, and has been attending annually since 2001 and has attended Wizard World in Philadelphia at least five times. "At the anime convention, there are a good number of girls. I would say it's probably an even mix. It probably wasn't like that at first. Anime, there is a good deal of it that's oriented towards women, so you do tend to see a lot of women. It's not really strange," Galiffe said. "I do see a lot of women there (at Wizard World). I see a lot of families." Not all women have had such an easy time making their way in this mostly male world, and they are happy that more members of their sex are stepping out of the shadows. Angie Booth, of Pleasantville, has been told that she has no life because she read comics and plays videogames. "I guess it's hard for people who don't share the same interests to understand. I just don't like getting such a negative reaction," said Booth, 28, who admits her interest in all things Batman is bordering on obsessive. "I actually feel like I get looked down upon by some guys. The place I used to get my comics was kinda snooty about it, like girls shouldn't like comics or something. I got the same attitude from some of the customers when I worked at EB Games. I couldn't possibly know about video games because I'm a girl." LeBlanc said some customers at Jesters were taken aback when she began working there in May 2009 after graduating from Cumberland County College. But now, the people who come into the comic book and games shop, regard her as one of the guys. "After a few words, they realize it's easy for people to talk to me. For a lot of the younger kids, it's, 'Oh, there's a girl behind the counter,' but they get over it." As might be expected, the men and fanboys who love comics have noticed the influx of women into their domain. There are definitely more girls and young women interested in what had traditionally been geeky boy subjects, such as fantasy and superheroes. That's because these topics are now more mainstream across the board, said Robert Thompson, professor of pop culture at Syracuse University. The turning point was probably when Hollywood started making blockbuster movies about superheroes and released the first of "The Lord of the Rings" movies in 2001, Thompson said. "I think it happened in a big way when Hollywood starts making those very artsy Batman movies (in 2005), 'Spider-Man' and "Lord of the Rings' and all that kind of thing. Suddenly, those things were no longer a subculture. They've become part of the mass culture and that brought a lot of women into an arena that might have normally been considered for young men, but it also brought in a lot of other people, adults and everybody else," Thompson said. For many years, especially with the term fanboy, the impression was that things covered by the Comic-Con International convention were all considered boy genres, said David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations, Comic-Con International, which is based in San Diego. Although there were women at the first show in 1970, it was dominated for the most part by males, Glanzer believes. "We noticed that that started switch in earnest during the '90s. A lot of Japanese animation and manga (Japanese comic books), in particular, appealed to a lot of girls and women. We started to see a lot more participation by them. Right now, our demographics are probably 60 percent male and 40 percent female, and that's switching to be more equitable as the years ago by," Glanzer said. TWIST: William Shatner Says "There is no doubt... there is life out there" While Launching Yet Another TV Show. William Shatner apparently has another show in the works that's premiering this fall?! Called William Shatner's "Weird or What?" the show will look at extraordinary events and try to explain them scientifically or logical. What we would like someone to explain is, when does William Shatner sleep? This is the third television show he's premiering this fall! Along with "Aftermath", "Bleep My Dad Says", and now "Weird or What?", The Shat is also still working on "Raw Nerve" while filming a documentary about all of the Star Trek captains called simply "The Captains". One thing that did just cross our minds, maybe The Shat is one of those new-fangled day walking vampires. When we saw him up-close at Vegas Khhaaan, he was awfully sparkly. Maybe we should clarify here, "Weird or What?" has been on in the States since April of this year on the Discovery Channel. The show is actually premiering this Wednesday on the Canadian version of the History Channel. We just didn't mention it because the first paragraph had such a good effect. Moving on... During an interview with the Times Colonist (Victoria & Vancouver Island News Since 1858), The Shat gave us his intergalactic insight into whether or not aliens exist; "There is no doubt that there is life out there; the mathematics of it lead you to that absolute conclusion," Shatner says. "In my mind, there is no doubt that the universe teems -- teems! -- with life in all its forms. But why they would come visit here and not let themselves be known to everybody is beyond my sense of logic." If anyone would know, it would be the captain of the flippin' Enterprise. He continues, "Why would you fly the years or millenniums [it would take] to [get here]?Why wouldn't they just land and say, 'Here we are, we're tired, got any ice cream?'" In the second episode of "Weird or What?", the show focuses on a small Texas town where witnesses claim they saw U.S. air-force planes in hot pursuit of UFOs. Shatner says the show "explains the unexplainable." He adds "Everything that takes place is weird, whether it's a social transaction or physical event -- anything that we perceive is, in its final analysis, weird, because there are ramifications that we don't even know. The possibilities that are suggested in quantum physics tell us that everything we are looking at may not in fact be there . . . so that the underlying nature of 'being' is weird ... ." The Shatner Empire expands this Wednesday at 8pm on History (Canada) ScifFi Five in Five: Top 5 movies that people who aren't into SciFi would Love My top five Scifi shows I originally did not care for, but grew to love them. Raduz (pronounced Radooz) from North Vancouver, BC, Canada
#5 Doctor Who. I’ve been thinking about giving Doctor Who a chance for the last five years or so. The biggest problem for me was to figure out where to start. Too many seasons, too many doctors, a confusion nonetheless. Thanks to wikipedia I was able to narrow down my starting point to the 2005 series starring Christopher Eccleston. That was about three years ago. I watched the first episode called “Rose” and was appalled. What are these silly looking plastic mannequins about ? I stopped at the twenty minutes mark. Then a year later I tried again, same result. This year, after hearing way too many good things about the “latest doctor” I took a different approach. I watched a recent episode. Very nice! I was pleasantly surprised. So I gave the “Rose” episode one more chance and watched it all the way through, cringing. Then the next episode, and then next. Suffice to stay I am now a Doctor Who regular. Not going back in time before 2005, though ;-) #4 Firefly / Serenity I have to say I don’t like westerns much. After suffering through way too many Deadwood episodes I was not very excited about the prospects of a so called “western in space” TV show. Just one season and then cancelled ? Not very encouraging. Only after hearing about a movie follow up about to hit the theaters I started watching, reluctantly. I was very relieved to find no cows or cowboys in the show. A very imaginative Scifi show with very exciting character and plot developments. I was very sad at the end that there wasn’t more of it. Wait! I forgot about the Serenity movie. I went to see it the next month and was blown away, how well done and true to the series it was. #3 The Big Bang Theory. A friend of mine was always boasting about the Big Bang Theory during lunch breaks and how awesome it was. A show about four nerds and people making fun of them ? Why would I want to watch THAT ? I watched a couple of episodes and it seemed to be about four dudes, trying to get the girl. Another high school inspired TV show ? I stopped watching, but after getting assured the “girl chasing aspect” was not what the show was about I gave it another shot. Bazinga!!!. I now love the show, the characters and the daily doze of embarrassment. Most of the time it feels like re-living parts of my own life :-) #2 Stargate franchise I’ve always been an avid Star Trek fan and a viewer. I have to confess I was very jealous about this Stargate TV show that kept on going even after all of my beloved Star Trek shows got cancelled. I was NEVER going to invest myself into another franchise. Then High Definition came along. Stargate Atlantis was the first Scifi show that I had the ability to watch from the beginning in High Def. I got thoroughly hooked and when SGA ended I was ready to give SG1 a try as well. I have to say I was missing out big time not watching SG1 all those years. Both wonderful shows. #1 Farscape. A few years back I ran out of things to watch, so I started looking around for something new to watch. Suddenly I recalled reading something about a muppets in space tv show. Say What ? I googled “farscape images” and found pictures of silly looking creatures alongside some Sesame street muppets. Suffice to say I was questioning the sanity of the creators right off the bat. Boy was I wrong. Not a kids show, not a silly show at all. What a ride through the four seasons and the movie. Exciting characters development, unique and daring story lines. Top notch special effects and VERY expensive muppets.
Direct download: SciFi_Diner_Podcast_Ep._74_-Our_Interview_with_Ian_Hulme_author_of_The_Heavenfield_Audiobook.mp3
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