SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 20

Our interview with Katee Sackhoff

(Battlestar Galactica, 24, Bionic Woman)

In our twentieth episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview actor interview Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, 24, Bionic Woman). Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Katee Sackhoff

Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff (born April 8, 1980) is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in the Battlestar Galactica miniseries. In May 2006, she won the Saturn Award for the same role. She also starred in the horror-thriller White Noise 2: The Light and the eighth season of 24 as Dana Walsh.

Early life

Sackhoff was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in St. Helens, Oregon. Her mother Mary was an ESL program coordinator and her father Dennis is a land developer. Her brother Erick is co-owner of a vehicle modification shop near Portland. She graduated from Sunset High School in Beaverton in 1998. She began swimming at an early age and by high school was planning to go pro until her right knee was injured. This led her to begin practicing yoga, which she continues today, and to pursue an interest in acting.

Her first role was in the Lifetime movie Fifteen and Pregnant in which she played a teenager with a baby. The movie starred Kirsten Dunst and motivated her to move to Hollywood and pursue a career in acting after graduating high school. Sackhoff's first recurring role was Annie in MTV's Undressed, next gaining a supporting role as Nell Bickford in The Education of Max Bickford. Katee made her motion picture debut in My First Mister, and next appeared in film as Jenna "Jen" Danzig in Halloween: Resurrection.

Sackhoff's most notable role is as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace in the mini-series and followup TV series of Battlestar Galactica, for which she won a Saturn Award in 2005 for Best Actress on Television. The actress's persona led the writers to develop the character of Starbuck as a more volatile and complex character. Galactica executive producer Ron Moore described her as having magnetism while producer David Eick expanded stating:

Toward the end of the filming of Battlestar Galactica, Sackhoff began feeling physically weak. Soon after filming wrapped, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. After surgery to remove her thyroid, she required no radiation treatments and is currently  in remission

In 2007, Sackhoff was cast as the evil cyborg Sarah Corvus in the short-lived NBC series Bionic Woman. David Eick, executive producer for the show, stated, "She's a very special find. Those actors who can combine the qualities of strength and vulnerability—they usually call those people movie stars."^[5]

Sackhoff plays the female lead in the action/sci-fi movie The Last Sentinel and the supernatural thriller White Noise 2: The Light.

The actress appears as the main character in the Lifetime Original Movie How I Married My High School Crush. She has also made guest appearances in Cold Case, ER, Law & Order, and Robot Chicken.

Sackhoff provided the voice of a female marine in the video game Halo 3 and is also featured in the viral marketing campaign for Resistance 2. In 2011, she provided the voice for Black Cat 2099 inSpider-Man: Edge of Time. She voiced Sarah Essen in the DC Comics animated film, Batman: Year One.

She appears in four episodes of the fifth season of the series Nip/Tuck playing a new doctor, Dr. Theodora Rowe. However, for the sixth season Sackhoff was later replaced by Rose McGowan for the role due to scheduling conflicts.

Sackhoff headlined NBC's Dick Wolf-produced cop drama Lost and Found as Tessa, "an offbeat female LAPD detective who, after butting heads with the higher-ups, is sent as a punishment to the basement to work on John Doe and Jane Doe cases." The pilot was filmed in January 2009. NBC decided not to pick up the series.

In 2009, she appeared as herself in "The Vengeance Formulation" episode of the CBS situation comedy The Big Bang Theory. In the episode, she is fantasized as Howard Wolowitz's dream girl.  She appears again in season 4, in the same role.

Sackhoff appeared as a series regular in the eighth season of the TV series 24, playing Dana Walsh, a CTU data analyst with a secret.

In February 2010, Sackhoff signed on to play the lead in an ABC crime drama pilot, Boston's Finest. ABC decided not to pick up the series.

Sackhoff is set to star in the action-werewolf thriller Growl.^[17] She also made a special appearance in the Futurama episode "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences".

In the fall of 2010, Sackhoff joined the cast of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Detective Reed, a smart investigator who does not do well with sensitivity.

In 2011, Sackhoff guest starred in an episode of Workaholics as a homeless drug addict named Rachel.

Sackhoff will star in Longmire, an A&E television series based on the novels by Craig Johnson. Sackhoff will play Sheriff's Deputy Vic Moretti.

Sackhoff has been cast as Dahl, a Nordic mercenary hired to track down Vin Diesel’s Riddick in Chronicles of Riddick : Dead Man Stalking.

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 138

Our Interview with Kate Vernon

(Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Voyager, Heroes)

The SciFi Diner Podcast

Please call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343,

Email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com

or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner.

Facebook Fan Page.

And check out our YouTube channel.

Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles

Welcome to the Diner.

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.

Menu:

• Interview:  Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Voyager, Heroes)
• Trivia:  New trivia and a chance to win Michael Hogan
• TV News:  Fringe news, Ratings news
• Movie News:  Judge Dread Trailer, More Transformer 4 News
• PodioBook Review:  Earthcore by Scott Sigler
• TWIST: Data & Kivas Fajo Reunite... Well Sorta.New IDW Star Trek: The Next Generation Comic Series Featuring The Borg & Penned By Brannon Braga
• SciFi Five in Five:  Great Dr Rodney McCay quotes

Trivia:

Question: Name an actor on BSG who played 2 different characters.  Clue. Not a cylon.

Prize:  A Michael Hogan signed print.

You will have until June 26  to send us your answers. Please include the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Make sure you include your e-mail with all entries! Only one entry per person.   The SciFi Diner is not responsible for any injuries occurring if you secretly decide to go all shiny and dress in a browncoat and walk into your local bar.

Promos

DVD Geeks Promo

Alpha Nerd Promo

Interview: Kate Vernon

Kate Vernon (born April 21, 1961) is a Canadian-born film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Prescott on the CBS soap opera Falcon Crest from (1984–1985), the stuck-up and popular Benny Hanson in the comedy film Pretty in Pink (1986), Mary-John Lovejoy in 'The Lost Colony' episode of Lovejoy (co-starring with John Gielgud and Ian McShane), and Ellen Tigh on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica.

Vernon was briefly (4 episodes) a regular on Who's the Boss? in 1990 as a girlfriend of Tony Micelli (Tony Danza). She appeared in four episodes of L.A. Law in 1994 as A.D.A. Belinda Fox and seven episodes of Nash Bridges as Whitney Thomas. In 1993 she starred in an episode of Tales from the Cryptentitled "Till Death Do We Part" with John Stamos.

Vernon is known for her recurring role as Ellen Tigh on Battlestar Galactica. In April 2009, she made a guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigationentitled "A Space Oddity" which also featured cameos by her former Galactica producer Ronald D. Moore and co-stars Grace Park and Rekha Sharma.  She appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Voyager as a member of Species 8472 impersonating a human in the episode "In the Flesh". She also guest stars in two episodes of Heroes ("Close to You" and "Pass/Fail") as Vanessa Wheeler.

Her father was actor John Vernon, who was most famous for playing Dean Vernon Wormer in Animal House, her mother is Nancy West, and her sister is singer/actress Nan Vernon.

TV News:

Fringe exec offers 1st peek at S5—which is set WHEN?

It seems the rumors are true: Fringe's final season will, apparently, be very different from the first four years—we're talking different-decades different.
John Noble, who portrays everyone's favorite mad scientist, Dr. Walter Bishop, has dropped an apparent bombshell to TV Line: The majority of the fifth season will take place in the Observers-ruled world of 2036 that we glimpsed in the season-four episode "Letters of Transit." Hello, future.
"As far as I know, we're just jumping ahead [to 2036]," Noble said. "Walter, Olivia, Astrid and Peter are insurgents, so we know all the dirty tricks that have been played against us. We'll be learning from the past."
But, Noble added, the time in between won't be forgotten, and could be referenced via "found footage" to cover major moments of interest.
If you're wondering why Noble mentioned Olivia (Anna Torv), who was missing in the future we glimpsed in "Letters of Transit," he said Torv will definitely be back—along with Peter and Olivia's future-adult daughter Etta (Georgina Haig).
In case the anticipation wasn't amped up enough, Fringe producer J.H. Wyman has given us our first look at season five—via the top-secret script for the premiere episode, dubbed "Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11." Possibly a code name, or possibly something that blows our minds. We'll have to wait until Sept. 28 to know for sure.

Sound off: Do you like the idea of a future-set final season?

Falling Skies returns low, True Blood dips

Our selection of shows grew yet again this week, and the summer's just getting started. Falling Skies premiered to lower numbers than it had last year, while True Blood dropped a bit but still managed to rule Sunday night's ratings ranking. Meanwhile, Tron: Uprising dove and Saving Hope got a week-two boost.
Check out our chart and commentary for more on how your favorite shows are doing in Live + Same Day viewers and rating.

Lost Girl (Syfy)
0.91 million viewers/0.4
6-19 lost girl.jpg
It wasn't a good week for Lost Girl. The show hit the lowest viewership of its Syfy run so far, though its rating score didn't suffer the same fate. The Stanley Cup finals were in full swing that evening, so we might be able to chalk some of it up to that, but we'll see how next week fares.

Teen Wolf (MTV)
1.76 million viewers/0.7
6-19 teen wolf.jpg
After a hefty drop in its first Monday on the air this season, Teen Wolf bounced back Monday, pulling in about the same number of viewers but earning a tenth of a point more in its rating. We'll see if the climb continues.

Saving Hope (NBC)
3.98 million viewers/0.7/2 share
6-19 saving hope.jpg
After a somewhat weak start last week, Saving Hope got a viewership boost this week, putting it much closer to the 4 million mark. It broke even in the all-important demo ratings, though, and if those numbers don't improve this might be a short-lived series.

Tron: Uprising (DISNEY XD)
0.36 million viewers/0.0
6-19 tron uprising.jpg
Bad news for Tron: Uprising. After a not-bad-but-not-great debut on Disney XD the show took a serious dive in its second week, losing enough viewers that it actually ended up with a zero demo rating score. We'll see how the rest of the season fares, but numbers like this are never too promising.

True Blood (HBO)
4.41 million viewers/2.6
6-19 true blood.jpg
True Blood took a bit of a drop in the second week of its fifth season, but it still managed to top the night in cable performance. First Game of Thrones, now True Blood. It seems HBO is destined to rule Sunday night summer cable this year.

Movie News:

1st Dredd 3D trailer delivers a ballistic ballet of slo-mo carnage

There are many things you'd want from a Judge Dredd movie, and most of them are spent bullet casings hitting the ground. Luckily, this first good look at Karl Urban's take on Mega City One's infamous enforcer has all that and more.

It's got Game of Thrones' Lena Headey as a scarred drug lord named Ma-Ma who's pushing a product that slows time down to a crawl. It's got Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson, with a fetching helmet-like hairdo. It's got Urban doing his best tough-guy drawl. And it's got a high-rise filled with people who need some hot-lead judgment.

This trailer might've made a bit more of an impact if last year's Attack the Block and this year's The Raid: Redemption hadn't already redefined the "we're trapped in a skyscraper stocked with baddies that need fighting" genre. And if the "power-mad drug dealer" didn't feel like such an '80s villain.

But let's face it: Dredd could've looked much, much worse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifvRiHVSCY&feature=player_embedded

Podiobook Review:

Earthcore by Scott Sigler

Summary:

Deep below a desolate Utah mountain lays the largest platinum deposit ever discovered. A billion-dollar find, it waits for any company that can drill a world's record, three-mile-deep mine shaft.

EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure.

But Kirkland and EarthCore are not the first to find this treasure. The mountain's history reveals two centuries of disappearances, murder, and insanity.

The discovery of ancient platinum knives, razor-sharp despite lying untouched for 1,000 years, reveals evidence of an ancient culture. If the artifacts are genuine, they show a pre-historic empire that once spanned from the Southern tip of South America all the way up through the American Southwest.

Wealth and fame lie under that Utah mountain, but at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting ... and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.

- Was great to run with.

This week in Star Trek:

Data & Kivas Fajo Reunite... Well Sorta... Brent Spiner To Appear In Warehouse 13

By Captain Pyke

For all of the Warehouse 13 fans out there, our favorite android, Brent Spiner, will be joining Saul Rubinek & cast in a multi-episode arc. We're just stoked to see Data & Kivas Fajo interact once again on the small screen... Kinda sorta. Brent will playing Brother Adrian, leader of an intensely secretive sect The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Diamond. Apparently the sect descended from the Knights Templar and has loose ties to the Vatican.

Brent's first episode will be the season premiere of Warehouse 13's 4th season, airing on July 23rd at 9PM (ET/PT). Of course Brent isn't the first Trek alum to grace the Warehouse. As we reported last year, Kate Mulgrew, Jerry Ryan, & Rene Auberjonois have all appeared on the show. You can check out the full details from the Syfy press release below.

Brent Spiner Saul Rubinek Warehouse 13

NEW YORK - June 14, 2012 - Brent Spiner (Star Trek: Next Generation) will guest star on Syfy's Warehouse 13 as Brother Adrian, leader of an intensely secretive sect, when the hit series returns for a fourth season Monday, July 23 at 9PM (ET/PT).

Brother Adrian's sect, The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Diamond, is descended from the Knights Templar, loosely connected and protected by the Vatican. Like Warehouse 13, The Brotherhood's charge is to protect various powerful artifacts from history. However, they follow no rules and will do whatever they must to fulfill their duty.

Spiner joins Sam Huntington (Being Human), who plays jazz musician "Ethan," as an upcoming guest star.

Warehouse 13 will anchor Syfy's "Powerful Mondays" programming block this summer, followed by the second season return of Alphas at 10PM.

After the powerful, two-hour season three finale, the Warehouse team struggles with the horrible reality of the Warehouse's destruction and the tragic loss of Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore), Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder) and H.G. Wells (Jaime Murray). With matters so desperate, Pete (Eddie McClintock), Myka (Joanne Kelly), Artie (Saul Rubinek) and Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) must decide whether to knowingly use a dangerous artifact for their own personal gain - at the risk of deadly consequences.

Last year Warehouse 13 averaged 3.3 million total viewers and a series record 1.6 million Adults 18-49, based on Live +7 data.

 New IDW Star Trek: The Next Generation Comic Series Featuring The Borg & Penned By Brannon Braga Heading To Stores

By Captain Pyke

Star Trek scribe & producer, Brannon Braga, returns to the Trek universe to write a new chapter in the Borg saga. IDW Publishing is set to release a new series of comics featuring Picard and company as they face down the dreaded all consuming enemy. Brannon joins forces with fellow Trek scribe Terry Matalas and artist Joe Corroney to create STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: HIVE for IDW. The new series focuses on the galaxie's fight against a full out Borg invasion. Taking the crew of the Enterprise on what IDW is calling a "dynamic new journey" that's "packed with mind-bending twists, time-jumping action, and revered, genre-defining characters", the new comic series will debut in September.

"It’s a thrill and privilege to be writing in the Star Trek universe again,” said Braga. “This graphic medium will provide the narrative ambition and visual scope this story deserves -- the final chapter in The Borg saga!

SciFi 5@5:

Great Dr. Rodney McCay quotes.

5. "Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the pod". - After getting Todd out of a stasis pod aboard a Hive Ship.

4."I am great with kids…the little ones that don't talk back." - When Teyla had her child.

3."You just can't resist bringing up the fact that I once accidentally destroyed a couple of planets, can you?" - To John Sheppard after being commented how he should be used to removing planets from the Ancient database, after destroying the Replicator Home World.

2.You wouldn't shoot an unarmed upside down man?!. - When caught in a trap laid by Ronon Dex, hanging upside down.

1. Dr. Rodney McKay: Can we stop for a second?

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard: No.

Dr. Rodney McKay: Look, I mean no disrespect, but this guy's heavy and ever since I was shot in the ass by an arrow, I've been prone to sciattica.

[beat]

Dr. Rodney McKay: No?

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 137

Our Interview with Pat McNamara and David G. Williams

from Legend of the Space Lord MoFo

SciFi Diner Conversations 58

Listeners chat about the Falling Skies Premiere,

review Prometheus and Saving Hope,

give their opinion of studios bilking fans

out of more money, and More.

SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 19

Our interview with Dominic Keating

(Star Trek : Enterprise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer,

Heroes, and Diablo 3)

In our nineteenth episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview actor interview Dominic Keating (Star Trek : Enterprise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Heroes, and Diablo 3). Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Dominic Keating

Dominic Keating (born 1 July 1962) is a British television, film and theatre actor, known for his portrayal as Lt. Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise.

Keating was born in Leicester to an Irish father; his grandfather, a brigadier, was awarded an OBE. His first stage performance was inprimary school, playing a character in The Ragged School. He then attended Uppingham School.

After graduating from the University College London with First Class Honours in History,^[2] he tried various jobs before deciding to be a professional actor. To obtain his Equity card, Keating worked in a drag act called Feeling Mutual.

As of 2005, Keating maintains homes in both London and Los Angeles. He enjoys golfing, swimming, music, boogie boarding, tennis, reading and traveling.

Theatre work

Keating had success on the UK stage prior to working as a television and film actor. He originated the role of "Cosmo" in Philip Ridley's The Pitchfork Disney, as well as that of "Bryan" in Michael Wall's Amongst Barbarians, for which he won a Mobil Award. He's also done additional stage work in both the UK and in Los Angeles, including the one man play The Christian Brothers at King's Cross, in The Best Years of Your Life at the Man in the Moon Theatre, Screamers at the Edinburgh Playhouse Festival, and Alfie at the Tiffany Theater.

TV work

Keating first came to major public attention in the UK when he had a semi-regular role as Tony in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmond's (1989–95). He went on from this to a role in Inspector Morse, as well as other guest-starring roles.

Having moved to the United States, he gained the role of the demonic warrior Mallos on the short-lived 2000 series The Immortal. He starred in the Zalman King serieschromiumblue.com. He also made guest appearances on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, G vs E and Special Unit 2 as well as on several other series prior to a major role on the series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he played Lieutenant Malcolm Reed. Since then he has had a guest roles on the series Las Vegas, Holby City and the CSI: NY episode "Uncertainty Rules".

Keating joined the cast of hit show Heroes for its second season and played an Irish mobster in a four episode arc. He also held a guest-starring role for three episodes on the Fox TV series Prison Break. In 2010 Keating guest starred in the FX original series Sons of Anarchy.

Film work

He has appeared in films, including The Hollywood Sign, Jungle 2 Jungle, The Auteur Theory and the upcoming films Certifiably Jonathan, Hollywood Kills, and Robert Zemeckis' animated version of Beowulf. At a Star Trek convention in Sacramento, California on 9 September 2006, he announced that he had been cast as an Australian scientist in the Species sequel Species IV. He has also recently done work in several short films, including the latest by Tim Russ, called Plugged, a satire on modern advertising.

Dominic Keating also appears as Sherlock Holmes's Brother in the 2010 film Sherlock Holmes by The Asylum.

Dominic Keating was also responsible for the voice-over in the Ricky Gervais movie “The Invention of Lying” – 2009 Release by WB.

Other work

Keating also does commercial and voiceover work, perhaps most famously on an early 1990s Vidal Sassoon commercial, where his British pronunciation of "salon" brought him some notice as well as a spoof on Saturday Night Live. He has also done voice work for various audio books, and also voiced (uncredited) the minor character 'Mouse' in Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins. He has also recently appeared in commercials for Sprint/Nextel as fictitious British rock star Ian Westbury. Keating has been confirmed as the voice of "Kormac the Templar" in the PC game Diablo 3 by Blizzard Entertainment.

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 136

Our Interview with Dylann Bobei from Pieces the Series

Please call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343,

Email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com

or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner.

Facebook Fan Page.

And check out our YouTube channel.

Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles

Welcome to the Diner.

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.

Music at the end of this week's episode is the song The Final Rewind by Tyrad.

Menu:

• Interview:  Dylann Bobei from Pieces the Series
• Trivia:  New trivia and a chance to win Michael Hogan
• TV News:  Nimoy lets us know what to expect from William Bell in Fringe S5
• Movie News:  Transformer 4 news. Warner Bros will make more superhero movies and World War Z news.
• PodioBook Review:  We’re Alive by KC Weyland
• TWIST: Michael Dorn pitching Worf-centric Trek , Lindeolof talks ST 2
• SciFi Five in Five:  5 Top Star Wars Gadgets

Trivia:

Question: Name an actor on BSG who played 2 different characters.  Clue. Not a cylon.

Prize:  A Michael Hogan signed print.

You will have until June 26  to send us your answers. Please include the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Make sure you include your e-mail with all entries! Only one entry per person.   The SciFi Diner is not responsible for any injuries occurring if you secretly decide to go all shiny and dress in a browncoat and walk into your local bar.

Promos

Tools and Means by John Mierau Promo

Trek News and Views Promo

General News

Ray Bradbury Passes
15 Fictional Spacecrafts We’d Like to Call Home

TV News:

Congratulations to Ryan Robbins and Christopher Heyerdahl
On Saturday, May 26, 2012 the Leo Awards were presented in Vancouver, BC. The Leos are presented by The Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia and celebrate the achievements of the British Columbia film and television industry.
This year's Leo Awards were hosted by past Shore Leave Guest Amanda Tapping and her Sanctuary Co-Star Robin Dunne. This year's winners include upcoming Shore Leave 34 Guest Ryan Robbins and Shore Leave 31 guest Christopher Heyerdahl - who have recently been working together again on the AMC series Hell On Wheels. Congratulations!

Nimoy lets us know what to expect from William Bell in Fringe S5

The character of William Bell has come a long way in four seasons of Fox's Fringe, and acting legend Leonard Nimoy says his latest persona (probably) isn't quite finished yet. So what can we expect from the maddest scientist of all in the show's fifth and final season?
Nimoy said he was intrigued by William Bell's story arc at the end of season four, which enticed him to come back for a surprising (and awesome) cameo as the puppet master behind the season's Big Bad.
"It was explained to me that we're opening up a whole world, and William Bell is being recreated as something else. He's in another universe and has taken on other characteristics. There were challenges in the character itself that were attractive to me. I could play aspects that I haven't played in a long time, so it was very welcoming to me."
If J.J. Abrams' plan for William Bell is as exciting for season five, Nimoy said he would definitely consider coming back for the final year—just to see how things evolve for the less "rational" version of Bell.
"It will depend on what they have in mind for the character. There are a lot of issues that have to be dealt with, but we'll be talking," he said. "The William Bell character started as a very intelligent and rational character. I think he's still very, very intelligent, but I'm not quite so sure that he's rational anymore."

Movie News:

Transformers 4 Will Be Michael Bay’s Last; Will Feature Redesigned Robots and New Cast

Back in February, producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura confirmed that director Michael Bay (Pain and Gain) would be directing the upcoming fourth installment of the Transformers franchise for Paramount Pictures.

The director recently told the LATimes that:

“the fourth film will include some redesign of the robots and an entirely new cast. He also said it will be his last and set the franchise up ‘for the next guy.’”

The as yet Untitled Transformers Sequel (Reboot) is slated to hit theaters on June 29, 2014.

Warner Bros. Pictures to Bring More DC Comics Heroes to the Big Screen

Just last week, we brought you the news about Warner Bros. Pictures hiring Will Beall, writer of Gangster Squad, and the forthcoming remake of Logan’s Run to pen the script that will finally unite the Justice League onscreen, and earlier today, we told you about Green Lantern co-writer Michael Goldenberg being hired to pen a Wonder Woman script for the studio.

Now, Variety reports that The Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Lobo, Suicide Squad, and Shazam are all also in the pipeline for the big-screen treatment. While we knew definitively that The Flash and Lobo would be getting movies (at some point), the rest of the list is either brand new or previously long-shot rumors from way-back.

Along those hero films, and deciding how to reboot Batman post-Christopher Nolan, the folks at DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures are also reportedly trying to figure out whether or not to bring back Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern in a sequel, or reboot the franchise in a completely new way.

Damon Lindelof to Rescue Brad Pitt’s WORLD WAR Z

Back in January, we told you that Brad Pitt and Paramount Pictures’ film adaptation of Max Brook’s novel, World War Z, has trilogy and thus franchise potential. Since then, there have been problems with this production. The film is due for a series of reshoots over a period of several weeks causing  Paramount to push back the premiere date from this upcoming holiday season to the summer blockbuster season in 2013.

According to THR, Paramount has brought in Damon Lindelof (Prometheus, Lost) to save the film. Lindelof will be re-working on the third act of World War Z with reshoots to begin this fall.

World War Z stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a worker at the United Nations Post-War Commission, who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. The film also stars Mireille Enos (The Killing) as Pitt’s character’s wife, Daniella Kertesz in her feature film debut, James Badge Dale (The Departed) and Matthew Fox (Lost). World War Z is directed by Marc Forster with script was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (State of Play).

World War Z is slated to hit theaters on June 21, 201

Podiobook Review:

We’re Alive

This week in Star Trek:

Michael Dorn pitching Worf-centric Trek pic: Here's what we know

Though J.J. Abrams' rebooted Star Trek franchise may be getting all the attention these days, there are still a few other, beloved crews drifting around the galaxy—and Star Trek: The Next Generation star Michael Dorn (Worf) thinks we're long past due to check back in with everyone's favorite Klingon.

Dorn is pitching a Worf-centric, low-budget Trek film that will pick up with Worf captaining a Federation ship. He's writing the script himself and says he's shooting for a darker, edgier take on the traditional Next Generation style.

"He is out there in the front lines basically chasing terrorists," Dorn told Trek Movie. "I think we will have some of our Star Trek people in it, but mostly new characters. It will be interwoven into the fabric of Star Trek. And also what are we going through right now?"

When asked if he thought his direct-to-DVD idea would be confusing, considering Abrams' new take on the franchise, Dorn said he believes his film could only help build the overall Trek buzz.

"Who wouldn't want to have this kind of thing going on? It is going to help their movie. The fans aren't going 'We are going to see this movie, but we aren't going to go see the big movie in the theater,'" he said. "I have [a] couple meetings I want to do before [meeting with CBS]. First with Rick Berman, who produced all of our shows, just to see what he thinks. Then my manager. And I know people at Syfy. And I'll just start gathering information. If anything happens it is going to be next year, because I have a bunch of stuff to do this year. I have already started writing the script, and excuse my language, but it's @#$!-ing great."

Admittedly, Dorn's idea is still in the early stages, and there's no telling if it can even get a green light. But it does sound fairly cool. What do you think?

Screenwriter Damon Lindelof Talks The Difference Between ST:1 & ST:2

Star Trek 2 Producer / Screenwriter Damon Lindelof Talks The Difference Between ST:1 & ST:2

Star Trek 2 wrapped production early last month and now heading into post production and its eventual release May 17th, 2013. During publicity rounds for Prometheus, ST:2 Producer & Co-writer Damon Lindelof recently stat down with IGN to talk about the new film and its difference from the first JJ-verse movie.

IGN: What’s going to set Star Trek 2 apart from the original?

Lindelof: I think that the first one was in a lot of ways an origin story. It was about how the crew comes together and a love story between how Kirk met Spock. How this emotional guy who thinks only with his heart befriends this logical guy who thinks only with his mind. And this next movie is about what it’s like now that these people are a crew.

IGN: How is Captain Kirk different this time around?

Lindelof: Kirk is now in the Captain’s chair, for the first time, not having shanghaied it. And he has to learn how to manage his responsibilities as a captain with these friendships and relationships that he’s forming with these people around him. And I think also we’re introducing what is a very cool and nuanced force of antagonism that’s a little different from the first movie, which was just a steaming Romulan ball of rage that needs to be stopped at all costs.

IGN: So who is that villain?

Lindelof: Are you insane? I’m not going to tell you that!

Star Trek 2 hits screens worldwide next May.

SciFi 5@5:

 The top 5 Star Wars gadgets

SciFi Diner Conversations 57

Listeners Review Men in Black 3, Sherlock Holmes,

the Blade Movies, Dragon Con, DS9, and More.

SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 18

Our Interview with Chase Masterson

(Star Trek : Deep Space Nine, Yesterday Was A Lie, R.U.R.)

In our eighteenth episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview actor interview Chase Masterson (Star Trek : Deep Space Nine, Yesterday Was A Lie, R.U.R.). Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Chase Masterson

Chase Masterson, born Christianne Carafano on February 26, 1963 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an American actress and singer.

Masterson portrayed the Bajoran Leeta on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for five years, from 1995 to 1999, and Ivy Lief on General Hospital. Her recent prominent feature film roles include starring as a sultry singer in James Kerwin's sci-fi noir film Yesterday Was a Lie, which she also produced, and voicing "Janice Em" in the animated film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. Her television guest starring roles include Sliders(as Kelly, the sister of Wade Welles) and ER.

Masterson was named one of the world's "50 Sexiest Women" by the men's magazine Femme Fatales, and the "Favorite Science Fiction Actress on Television" in a TV Guide reader's poll. In December 2009, AOL named her one of the "Ten Sexiest Aliens on TV", reporting that "Masterson is regularly voted the most popular guest at Star Trek conventions."

Masterson hosted an Entertainment Tonight-style news program for the Sci Fi Channel in the 1990s called Sci-Fi Entertainment and anInternet-based radio talk show for the website The Fandom in 2004-2005. She released a jazz album entitled Thrill of the Chase, the follow-up EP AD ASTRA! (Latin for To the Stars!), and the limited edition Crystal Anniversary: Songs from the Holosuite, in honor of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's fifteenth anniversary.

Following a series of stalking incidents instigated by a man in Berlin, Masterson was the plaintiff in Carafano v. Metrosplash.com, a controversial legal case in which the courts ruled against Masterson and expanded the definition of "interactive computer services" under theCommunications Decency Act.

Masterson was named Best Feature Film Producer of 2008 by the LA Femme Film Festival for her work as producer of Yesterday Was a Lie. In 2010, she voiced the role of Leeta, as a hologram, in Cryptic Studio's Star Trek Online.

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 135

Our Interview with Glenn Hauman 

(Crazy 8 Press, X-Men, Star Trek) 

The SciFi Diner Podcast

Please call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343,

Email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com

or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner.

Facebook Fan Page.

And check out our YouTube channel.

Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles

Welcome to the Diner.

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.

Music at the end of this week's episode is the song The Final Rewind by Tyrad.

Menu:

• Interview:  Glenn Hauman
• Trivia:  New trivia and a chance to win Michael Hogan

Trivia:

Question: Name an actor on BSG who played 2 different characters.  Clue. Not a cylon. Prize:  A Michael Hogan signed print. You will have until June 26  to send us your answers. Please include the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Make sure you include your e-mail with all entries! Only one entry per person.   The SciFi Diner is not responsible for any injuries occurring if you secretly decide to go all shiny and dress in a browncoat and walk into your local bar.

Interview: Glenn Hauman

Glenn Hauman is an American writer, editor, publisher and comic book colorist. He has worked in a variety of roles in print and electronic publishing, including software and website development, as well as for his TV and novel work within the Star Trek and X-Men franchises. Hauman worked was an editorial consultant to Simon & Schuster Interactive for many years, during which he contributed to a number of Star Trek CD-ROMs, such as the Star Trek Encyclopedia, Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion and Star Trek: Deep Space NineCompanion, as well as those for other properties, such as Farscape. Hauman was a founder of Hell's Kitchen Systems, Inc., which was purchased by Red Hat in 2000 for $85.6 million. He was a founder of BiblioBytes, an electronic publishing site, and was called a "young Turk of publishing" in the New York Observer. Hauman was a founding board member of the World Wide Web Artists Consortium, and was the former chair of their Netlaw special interest group. Hauman has been a featured speaker at numerous industry trade shows, conventions, organization meetings, and the World Science Fiction Convention. Among Hauman's books are the eBooks Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers: No Surrender  and Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers: Creative Couplings.Couplings was co-authored with Aaron Rosenberg, and is noteworthy for the first Klingon/Jewish wedding ceremony, for which it was covered on NPR and the Jewish weekly newspaper The Forward. He also coauthored the "Redemption" story in the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits with Lisa Sullivan. Hauman wrote the short stories "On The Air", which appeared in the anthology Ultimate X-Men, and "Chasing Hairy", which appeared in the anthology X-Men Legends. Both were featured on the Sci-Fi Channel's Seeing Ear Theater. He also contributed to the anthology Urban Nightmares. Hauman is a columnist for ComicMix. He also provided the color art for ComicMix's online publication of Mike Grell's Jon Sable, Freelance, which began in November 2007, and was the Assistant Editor on The Original Johnson, a biographical comic book about boxer Jack Johnson. Hauman is the webmaster of the websites of writers Peter David and Robert Greenberger. In April 2011, Hauman joined with Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, and Robert Greenberger, in assembling an electronic publishing endeavor called Crazy Eight Press, which would allow them to publish e-books directly to fans.

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 134

Our Interview with Keith R.A. DeCandido

Please call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343,

Email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com

or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner.

Facebook Fan Page.

And check out our YouTube channel.

Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles

Welcome to the Diner.

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.

Music at the end of this week's episode is the song The Final Rewind by Tyrad.

Menu:

• Interview:  Keith R.A. DeCandido
• Trivia:  New trivia and a chance to win Michael Hogan
• TV News:  Sanctuary Canned, Continuum, Falling Skies Returns
• Movie News:  Men in Black #1 in Theaters, Avengers
• PodioBook Review: John Mierau’s “Tools and Means”
• Real Science: Mind Controlled Video Games
• TWIST: Star Trek Movie available on Amazon Prime,Costumed Star Trek Fans Are Poised To Break The World Record At Creation Entertainment's Official Star Trek Convention, Las Vegas
• SciFi Five in Five:  5 things we liked about Balticon

Trivia:

Question: Name an actor on BSG who played 2 different characters.  Clue. Not a cylon. Prize:  A Michael Hogan signed print. You will have until June 26  to send us your answers. Please include the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Make sure you include your e-mail with all entries! Only one entry per person.   The SciFi Diner is not responsible for any injuries occurring if you secretly decide to go all shiny and dress in a browncoat and walk into your local bar.

Promos

Gamma Quadrant Promo Tuning Into SciFi TV Promo

TV News:

Syfy's 'Sanctuary' Will Not Return for Season 5 - Rado

The sci-fi drama starring Amanda Tapping wrapped its fourth season in December.

The sci-fi drama led by Stargatealum Amanda Tapping will not return for a fifth season,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed. "We’re honored to have been part of this incredible series. In addition to garnering unmatched devotion by fans worldwide, Sanctuary was a bona fide trailblazer, setting new standards with its highly innovative production techniques – including pioneering green screen and RED camera technology – and Emmy-nominated visual effects," said Mark Stern, president, Syfy original content and co-head, UCP. "It’s been an amazing ride and we look forward to our next project with Amanda Tapping, Martin Woodand Damian Kindler," the statement continued. Tapping took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to address the series' fans and thank them for their support: "To all the fans of @SanctuarySeries we love and adore you. Thank you for the love and support. Now to the long dark tea time of my soul. :(" Sanctuary wrapped its 13-episode fourth season in December.

CONTINUUM CRUSHES THE COMPETITION

1.7 million Canadians tuned into the series on Sunday #1 scripted specialty drama episode this year TORONTO, May 28, 2012 – The numbers are in and the future looks bright for Continuum. The wildly anticipated debut of the Showcase original series smashed the competition, reaching 1.7 million* Canadians throughout its two airings on Sunday night. The premiere episode garnered a viewership** of 900,000 (2+) and 427,000 (A25-54) in its 9 pm timeslot, becoming the highest single episode ever on Showcase. The massive premiere was the highest ranked show of the night across all of Canadian commercial televisionfor Adults 25-54, Men 25-54, and Adults 18-49. With this record, Continuum claims the top spot as the #1 scripted specialty drama episode for this broadcast year across multiple demos. Continuum is a futuristic police drama starring Rachel Nichols (Criminal Minds, Alias) as Kiera Cameron, a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in present day Vancouver. When a group of fanatical terrorists escapes their planned execution in the year 2077, they vault back in time to 2012 sweeping dedicated City Protective Services officer, Kiera, along with them. With unexpected assistance from teen tech genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen;Jericho, Scream 4) Kiera concentrates on bringing down the terrorists before they can change the course of history forever. Desperate to get back to her husband and son, Kiera impersonates a local law enforcement officer to expedite her investigation, forming an uneasy alliance with her new partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster; Castle, Melrose Place). Filmed on location in Vancouver, Continuum is developed and produced by Reunion Pictures in association with Shaw Media. Thoughts from viewers: Herne: It was "OK"... your typical time travel show, IMO. The cop angle & the gadgets are a nice touch, but not new... David Hayes: Yea, have to say it's not bad looking as of the first show. Looks to be a fair bit of meat to the plot line. Well little these days is "new" so we know going in it'll be a rehash. Still not bad so far. Kevin Bachelder from Tuning Into SciFi : a good pilot episode Lee Kemp: Ok this seems interesting what do you guys think? Jason: Just watched the first episode. It was okay. Not great just yet. Rachel Nichols is good in the lead role. Falling Skies ReturnsTwo-Hour Season Premiere Sunday, June 17 at 9/8c

Movie News:

'Men In Black' Shoot Down 'Avengers' At Holiday Weekend Box Office

'Avengers' finally forced to #2 after nearly a month at the top.

By Ryan J. Downey It wasn't Loki, an army of otherworldly Chitauri nor any other super-villain that finally defeated Captain America and his pals. A satiric adaptation of a 1970s soap opera and a big-budget action flick based on a board game tried and failed. Ultimately, it was another franchise with comic book roots that ended the nearly month-long reign of "The Avengers" at the top of the box office, as "Men in Black 3"became the #1 movie in America with an estimated $70 million debut over the four-day Memorial Day weekend. The third entry in the Will Smith/ Tommy Lee Jones franchise, based on a short-lived comic series from the early 1990s, took in another $133.2 million overseas, giving it a worldwide total of $203.2 million. Box-office prognosticators had predicted a somewhat stronger opening for the 3-D film, which carried a reported production budget near $250 million. Enthusiasm and nostalgia for the 1997 original, about a pair of criminal-alien-busting special agents, remains high. But the 2002 sequel was poorly received by critics, who were a bit kinder to "MIB 3," which addedJosh Brolin as a younger version of Jones' character in time-travel scenes. The first "Men in Black" made $589 million around the world. Its follow-up trailed behind with $442 million. The opening weekend for "MIB 3" wasn't far off from "MIB 2." Will Smith, top-billed in hits like "Hancock" and "I Am Legend," broke a four-year hiatus from the screen with "Men in Black 3." Critics were not kind (the film had a 67 percent score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes at press time) and audiences who saw the movie assigned it a D-plus CinemaScore. "Men in Black 3" was able to do what "Dark Shadows" and "Battleship"failed to do in recent weeks by knocking "The Avengers" to #2, though Marvel's superhero team-up flick still generated gigantic numbers considering how long it's been in theaters. "The Avengers" earned another $46.9 million over the four-day weekend (and crossed the $500 million mark on Saturday, making it the first movie to ever do so) for a total of $523.6 million. Not adjusted for inflation, "The Avengers" is now the fourth-biggest movie of all time, behind "Avatar," "Titanic" and the final entry in the "Harry Potter" movie franchise. "Battleship" sunk even further at the box office, dropping 57 percent to #3 after a less-than-impressive debut last weekend. The blend of high-seas action and sci-fi made $13.8 million over the holiday for a domestic total of $47.3 million. "Battleship" has made $232.7 million overseas but has earned even less than Taylor Kitsch's last film, notorious big-budget bomb "John Carter," over the same amount of time in theaters. "The Dictator"was #4 during its second weekend with $11.8 million for a $43.6 million total. "Dark Shadows" was #5 with $9.4 million for a total of $64.9 million. The latest Johnny Depp/ Tim Burton collaboration won't make anywhere near the box-office coin of films like "Alice in Wonderland," though it did manage to pass "Sweeney Todd" over the weekend. The movie carried a reported production budget of $150 million. In the limited-release world, "Moonrise Kingdom" collected $669,000 from just four theaters over four days. That estimate puts it ahead of "Dreamgirls" with the highest per screen average debut of any live action film. That number is also higher than filmmaker Wes Anderson's previous best, "The Royal Tenenbaums." Also in four theaters over the weekend: "The Intouchables," a French film that has already made $340 million worldwide, grossed $137,438 through Monday. One of the stars of "The Avengers," Chris Hemsworth (Thor), will appear in theaters again this weekend as one of the title characters in "Snow White and the Huntsman." The movie co-stars Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron as the evil queen. It was directed by newcomer Rupert Sanders.

Some Notes on Avengers: Total Lifetime Grosses

Podiobook Review:

- Chat about ambiguity of the term Tools and Means  by John Mierau  Meet Tom Brogan. An ordinary guy. With a sister in a coma. Seeing visions of a mass murderer. Becoming one himself…. and Tom is the hero.        

Real Science:

Mind-Controlled Videogames Become Reality

By TIMOTHY HAY

Picture this: You put on a headset and relax your mind. Soon you begin controlling an object with your thoughts.

Brian L. Frank for The Wall Street Journal With NeuroSky's headset, people can manipulate real and digital objects This mind-power trick may seem far-fetched, like something from a late-night science fiction movie or the back of an old comic book. But several companies are bringing this technology to life with affordable headsets that determine a person's state of mind. The gadgets translate brain waves into digital information and beam it wirelessly to computers or other devices. So far the headsets are confined to mostly digital interfaces—videogames and movies whose plots can be altered with the mind—although in some cases real-world objects have been used, like a pair of catlike ears that move depending on a person's mood. The technology, still in its infancy, has the potential to not only entertain but to possibly improve education and strengthen mental health, some doctors say. Behind much of the technology is San Jose-based NeuroSky Inc., which first made a splash in 2009 when toy maker Uncle Milton Inc. used its headset for the Star Wars Force Trainer toy that let youngsters suspend a ball inside a tube. As the child concentrated, a fan would spin and blow the ping-pong ball upward. The novelty toy was more than a "gee-whiz" moment. It was the first time consumers could see brain waves translated into specific commands in the physical world. And it didn't make use of skull implants, which for years have enabled patients to control prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs. Now, about 1,700 software developers are working with NeuroSky's technology, with the majority of them making mind-controlled computer games for the company's $129 MindWave Mobile headset, NeuroSky Chief Executive Stanley Yang. He said the company is nearing profitability but declined to provide revenue numbers. Among the offerings available in the company's app store are desktop games like "MindHunter," in which players must focus single-mindedly in order to fire a weapon, and meditation aids like "Mind Labyrinth," which grants players access to 52 different levels of an ancient temple as their relaxation grows deeper. Most of the games cost between $5 and $20, but other offerings—like the "HocusFocus" attention-building game, billed as a serious educational tool—can cost as much as $150. "There is going to be a whole ecosystem of new players, and NeuroSky is very well-positioned to be like the Intel of this new industry," said Alvaro Fernandez, chief executive of SharpBrains, a brain-fitness analyst and consultancy. "They are to be inside a lot of what's going on." London-based MyndPlay Ltd. is using NeuroSky chips inside its own headset to enable viewers to control the outcome of movie scenes by concentrating and relaxing. The company has a production studio that makes short films with alternate plot lines and endings. Neurosky has developed a headset that people can wear and manipulate objects in the real or digital world. David Chung - Director of Channel Sales models the headset at the Neurosky office in San Jose, CA. In addition to being a novel twist on the moviegoing experience, the technology has implications in behavior modification, Chief Executive Tre Azam said. Two prisons in England, for example, show inmates a gangster-themed film from MyndPlay that teaches them to stay calm during threatening situations. NeuroSky faces competition from San Francisco-based start-up Emotiv Systems Inc., which offers a $300 multi-sensor headset. Emotiv sells a variety of software including a package of popular games like "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft" that are optimized for the company's headset, as well as a program designed to let users control a computer with thoughts instead of a mouse or keyboard. Emotiv is profitable, said a spokeswoman, declining to provide specific figures. All of the companies vying to emerge in the brain-wave market are using electroencephalograph, or EEG, technology, which measures the brain's electrical impulses in the forehead and has long been used to diagnose epilepsy and other brain disorders. The headsets contain a sensor that detects various mental states, and a chip converts the signals from analog format to digital so they can travel wirelessly to a computer. The technology is still limiting, however, tracking mostly the brain's ability to concentrate and relax but not specific, purposeful actions. Some players of mind games might be underwhelmed that they don't have total control in the same way they could with a joystick. But some doctors believe mind-controlled games can provide more than fun and relaxation, by improving mental health. Psychiatrists have long trained the brain's pre-frontal cortex to fight against acute conditions like anxiety, post-traumatic stress and attention-deficit disorder. Practices like meditation, exercise, and cognitive therapy have shown comparable short-term efficacy to medication. What if a person could derive the same kind of benefit from a mind-controlled videogame? The attention and focus required to control a game with the mind has the benefit of calming the mind, said game designer Jane McGonigal. Her game studio, SuperBetterLabs Inc., is attempting to introduce cognitive therapy into games optimized for NeuroSky and Emotive headsets. Michael Brody, a psychiatrist who teaches at the University of Maryland, cautions that mind-controlled games are useful only if they move beyond the novelty stage and become a standard part of patients' mental health regimens. "Don't hold your breath for the silver bullet," said Dr. Brody, who has studied the effects of various media on the brain for the past 40 years. Other developers are taking a more whimsical approach. Among the various toys and gadgets that run on mind control is the NecoMiMi headset, a fashion accessory that has taken fans of Japanese animé by storm. Built by NeuroSky and a Japanese partner, NecoMiMi is a set of catlike ears that perk up when the wearer's concentration intensifies, and flatten out when relaxed. A YouTube promotional video that has received more than 2 million views suggests it could provide a way for young people to express romantic interest.

This week in Star Trek:

Star Trek Movies Headed To Amazon Prime Instant Video

By Captain Pyke

Star Trek Movies Headed To Amazon Prime Instant Video

In breaking news today, Amazon announced a new partnership with Paramount that will roll out hundreds of hit moves to the internet giant's poplar Prime Instant Video service. According to the press release, Star Trek will be counted among the hundreds. No word on whether that will include all eleven Trek films. Also included in the list are Braveheart, Top Gun, The Italian Job and Forrest Gump, just to name a few.

"We are continuing to invest in building a vast selection for Prime Instant Video and are excited to bring Prime customers some of the most renowned and popular films in cinema history under this new agreement with Paramount," said Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon. "This deal will bring Prime Instant Video customers hundreds of new movies to enjoy on their Kindle Fire or any device connected to Amazon Instant Video, including titles such as Star Trek, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Top Gun, The Italian Job and The Truman Show, and we will remain committed to adding even more great movies and TV shows to Prime Instant Video in the future."

Costumed Star Trek Fans Are Poised To Break The World Record At Creation Entertainment's Official Star Trek Convention, Las Vegas By Captain Pyke Costumed Star Trek Fans Are Poised To Break The World Record At Creation Entertainment's Official Star Trek Convention, Las Vegas. It's that time of year again where the Grandaddy of all Star Trek conventions quickly approaches. The place where everyone knows your name... not cheers... Vegas Khhaaann! Actually, Creation Entertainment's Official STAR TREK Convention, Las Vegas. The one place on earth where you can hang with all of your Trek friends and family, see four out of the five Trek captains, and play Trek slot machines. Not only will William Shatner, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, & Scott Bakula be in attendance, but over 70 Star Trek celebrities will beam in for the four full days of awesomeness. As many of you know and probably attended, the Guiness Book of World Records certified that the record for having the most people in Star Trek costumes in one place was broken during last years Vegas Khhaaan! 1040 of you gathered and smashed the previous record. This year, Creation Entertainment is setting a time & place to break the record yet again. "Coming in costume really adds to the fun and we want the world's record that was made in Vegas to stay in Vegas." Says Erin Ferries, VP of Creation Entertainment. "Cosplay is a big part of fan convention going, last year we had many attendees coming in different costumes each day." The Guinness Book of World Records attempt will take place on Saturday August 11, 2012 at The Las Vegas Official STAR TREK Convention. All ticketed attendees can participate provided they come in full costume. You can get more information by visiting the Star Trek Las Vegas convention website here or check out the official press release below. STAR TREK COSTUMES: GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT ANNOUNCED! The Official STAR TREK Convention returns to Las Vegas for the 11th year on August 9-12, 2012 at The Rio Suites Hotel. For most of the thousands of attendees the big draw is the on-stage appearances of over 70 Star Trek celebrities including "The Four Captains": William Shatner (Kirk), Avery Brooks (Sisko), Kate Mulgrew (Janeway) and Scott Bakula (Archer). For many others the chance to come in Star Trek costumes and make-up is the ultimate way to enjoy a vacation from reality. At the 2011 convention 1040 fans broke the Guinness Book of World Records achievement of having the most people in Star Trek Costumes in one place. In 2012, attendees will attempt to break their own record in response to internet chatter that other fan conventions are preparing to vie for the title. Erin Ferries, VP of Creation Entertainment, the producers of the convention, said, "Coming in costume really adds to the fun and we want the world's record that was made in Vegas to stay in Vegas. Cosplay is a big part of fan convention going, last year we had many attendees coming in different costumes each day." The Guinness Book of World Records attempt will take place on Saturday August 11, 2012 at The Las Vegas Official STAR TREK Convention. All ticketed attendees can participate provided they come in full costume. Information about the gathering, which is expected to draw over 16,000 fans from all over the galaxy, is available at: www.creationent.com

SciFi 5@5:

5 things we liked at Balticon.