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Many of you are quite probably familiar with the yucksters who make Honest Trailers so ... well ... honest. They've been lampooning big budget blockbusters for years, and their shtick never gets old ... mostly because they've always made good points. Basically, what they do is take everything about the film and skewer it in such a way as to present the truth hidden away under layers of so much glossy advertising.
In any event, they just today blessed the InterWeb with their latest and greatest creation: the Honest Trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road! (Personally, I had an awful lot of fun with the flick, not as much as I'd hoped, but still plenty of fun nonetheless. I didn't think it was as efficient as The Road Warrior, but it's definitely a close second.) Make sure you check it out when you have a moment.
In any event, they just today blessed the InterWeb with their latest and greatest creation: the Honest Trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road! (Personally, I had an awful lot of fun with the flick, not as much as I'd hoped, but still plenty of fun nonetheless. I didn't think it was as efficient as The Road Warrior, but it's definitely a close second.) Make sure you check it out when you have a moment.
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Hello, SciFi smilers! I'm back at it for a day (after a brief sabbatical), but I'll be out of pocket for a few days on a family vacation, so all of you will have to make do by entertaining yourselves in the interim. And there's nothing like a long weekend away to help one get refreshed ... so while I'm at that, you be at this ... ya hear?!
August 18th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
August 18th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
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As a thinker, I 've often argued that Science Fiction has long been preoccupied with the end of life as we know it.
For example, Logan's Run explored a future wherein life ends at age 30 largely because that generation inherited a world that could no longer sustain its population unless vastly curtailed. The Book of Eli took another look at our future, and it served up a dark and grim fairy tale that secretly celebrated our enduring fascination with culture, literature, and the like. Heck, I've even argued that Star Wars: A New Hope succeeds largely as a film because it served to strip away all of the gloss from SciFi and instead left audiences with a burned out desert planet, a souped up spaceship, and rebels fighting the system -- a dystopian film if ever there were.
But perhaps one of the more popular forays in that theme of late is the re-emergence of the Mad Max franchise. This summer's Fury Road was a blistering cocktail of the Apocalypse on steroids ... and two of its lovely ladies celebrate their birthday today.
One of the other enduring themes that tends to entrance audiences is the idea of the Great Conspiracy. 1990's TV shows and movies really explored these mysteries to the Nth degree possible, and perhaps no greater benchmark was achieved than The X-Files. Even the more popular elements of the WB's Smallville dabbled in dark secrets ... and there are a few more birthdays harkening to those motifs today.
Enjoy August 7th, my friends. It is what it is, and -- for certain -- this day will never come again.
August 7th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
For example, Logan's Run explored a future wherein life ends at age 30 largely because that generation inherited a world that could no longer sustain its population unless vastly curtailed. The Book of Eli took another look at our future, and it served up a dark and grim fairy tale that secretly celebrated our enduring fascination with culture, literature, and the like. Heck, I've even argued that Star Wars: A New Hope succeeds largely as a film because it served to strip away all of the gloss from SciFi and instead left audiences with a burned out desert planet, a souped up spaceship, and rebels fighting the system -- a dystopian film if ever there were.
But perhaps one of the more popular forays in that theme of late is the re-emergence of the Mad Max franchise. This summer's Fury Road was a blistering cocktail of the Apocalypse on steroids ... and two of its lovely ladies celebrate their birthday today.
One of the other enduring themes that tends to entrance audiences is the idea of the Great Conspiracy. 1990's TV shows and movies really explored these mysteries to the Nth degree possible, and perhaps no greater benchmark was achieved than The X-Files. Even the more popular elements of the WB's Smallville dabbled in dark secrets ... and there are a few more birthdays harkening to those motifs today.
Enjoy August 7th, my friends. It is what it is, and -- for certain -- this day will never come again.
August 7th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
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It takes one big man to stand in the awe-inspired presence of some even bigger women, but I suspect genre veteran Jason O'Mara figures he's big enough to fill those shoes. August 6th's citations aren't so much about any inevitable battle of the sexes; rather, methinks we'd all just love to live together in peace ... or a reasonable facsimile thereof.
In any event, in today's page you're going to find references to practically all of the TV incarnations of Star Trek; a notable nod to a small role in the great 70's SciFi gem Logan's Run; and -- as par for the usual course -- much, much more. Again, apologies if you're not finding anything to tweak your curiosity, but as I'm quick to remind I've only just begun building this database.
For those needing the link, here you go:
August 6th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
In any event, in today's page you're going to find references to practically all of the TV incarnations of Star Trek; a notable nod to a small role in the great 70's SciFi gem Logan's Run; and -- as par for the usual course -- much, much more. Again, apologies if you're not finding anything to tweak your curiosity, but as I'm quick to remind I've only just begun building this database.
For those needing the link, here you go:
August 6th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
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As I've occasionally opined from my perch on this side of this thing called the "interweb," some of these days ain't easy. Even though Science Fiction has clearly been around for centuries, there are still some singular days that retain a mysterious quality, in so much that I can't find all that many people, places, and events to link back to them chronologically ... and, thus far, August 5th is shaping up that way.
Naturally, I'll be on the lookout to beef up this corner as time permits. In the meantime, you be sure to check out what I have found for today by following the link below.
August 5th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
Naturally, I'll be on the lookout to beef up this corner as time permits. In the meantime, you be sure to check out what I have found for today by following the link below.
August 5th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
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Arguably, Science Fiction stories work best when they're given compelling men and women to lead the charge through whatever plot has been supplied by only the best of writers; and that's precisely what we're celebrating today. Whether it be on the big or small screens, it's these bold men and women who are constantly willing to take whatever stand is necessary that urges viewers to pay close attention because something special is about to happen.
Make sure to check out August 4th's highlight. I'd imagine that -- if you're looking closely -- you'll find something to like.
August 4th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
Make sure to check out August 4th's highlight. I'd imagine that -- if you're looking closely -- you'll find something to like.
August 4th
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
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As I've said many times before, what I genuinely love about celebrating Science Fiction day-by-day is the incredible amount of variety that slips into these otherwise relatively routine celebrations.
You get men and women -- humans and robots --- heroes and superheroes -- good and evil in practically every possible combination. Granted, some days may end up feeling inevitably a little light on the cold, hard truth of global domination and thermonuclear war; but I like to think that there's still balance in there somewhere.
Be sure to check out today's celebration, and always (always!) make sure to share and share alike in the far, far corners of the information superhighway.
August 3rd
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
You get men and women -- humans and robots --- heroes and superheroes -- good and evil in practically every possible combination. Granted, some days may end up feeling inevitably a little light on the cold, hard truth of global domination and thermonuclear war; but I like to think that there's still balance in there somewhere.
Be sure to check out today's celebration, and always (always!) make sure to share and share alike in the far, far corners of the information superhighway.
August 3rd
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
The thing I've always maintained about why Science Fiction -- as a genre -- tends to attract the most fans is the generally flexibility of telling stories within its various structures. I mean: show me another framework that allows for a good old-fashioned action/adventure story explored by the scientifically-inclined? Show me another genre where galaxy-spanning civilizations can come together in the pursuit of war and peace? Show me where else the limits of fragile minds can be expounded upon by characters caught up in allegories? And where else can the fate of Earth itself almost always hang in the balance?
Such is the case for July 27th, my friends, as we get to see SciFi's storytelling diversity at work with entries from such fan favorite franchises as Stargate, Babylon 5, Farscape, and Falling Skies. Make sure to check out the day's entries, and be sure to encourage others to find our little shared corner of cyberspace.
As always, happy reading!
Such is the case for July 27th, my friends, as we get to see SciFi's storytelling diversity at work with entries from such fan favorite franchises as Stargate, Babylon 5, Farscape, and Falling Skies. Make sure to check out the day's entries, and be sure to encourage others to find our little shared corner of cyberspace.
As always, happy reading!
- Published on
Finally had a chance to hit the theatres the other day and take in the latest entry into the Terminator franchise, TERMINATOR: GENISYS, and I thought it worth a few words here.
In the past, the most vocal critics of the Terminator franchise have said that I’m not exactly a great source of “assessment” of these films. That’s their position because when it comes to the adventures of the local and extended Connor family I tend to subscribe to that old axiom, “Even bad sex is good sex.” What this means for the cyborg flicks is that I’ve found even a bad Termie film basically has something to offer … and, yes, that even applies to the kinda/sorta bloated TERMINATOR SALVATION. While I didn’t much care for critical darling Christian Bale in the John Connor role, I thought director McG’s film fleshed out a terrific supporting cast, including the reliable Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, and (especially) Moon Bloodgood. In fact, I’d argue that the strength of these lesser characters kinda quashed the need to explore another take on John Connor, and perhaps that singular player would’ve been better served with less narrative focus.
(Yeah, yeah, I know others who’ve said Connor never had enough screen time, so – opinions being what they are – let’s just say “it is what it is.”)
In the past, the most vocal critics of the Terminator franchise have said that I’m not exactly a great source of “assessment” of these films. That’s their position because when it comes to the adventures of the local and extended Connor family I tend to subscribe to that old axiom, “Even bad sex is good sex.” What this means for the cyborg flicks is that I’ve found even a bad Termie film basically has something to offer … and, yes, that even applies to the kinda/sorta bloated TERMINATOR SALVATION. While I didn’t much care for critical darling Christian Bale in the John Connor role, I thought director McG’s film fleshed out a terrific supporting cast, including the reliable Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, and (especially) Moon Bloodgood. In fact, I’d argue that the strength of these lesser characters kinda quashed the need to explore another take on John Connor, and perhaps that singular player would’ve been better served with less narrative focus.
(Yeah, yeah, I know others who’ve said Connor never had enough screen time, so – opinions being what they are – let’s just say “it is what it is.”)
But back to GENISYS …
Like many, I could easily malign the whole idea of “Genisys” (think the Apple Watch on steroids for a civilization that lives its life only for social-media awareness) as being a bit too passé and predictable for the larger themes that have made up the broader Terminator franchise. In the ConnorVerse, things like choice, destiny, life, death, fate, responsibility, and (oddly enough) family have always been near and dear to the main story – whether that be any of its films or even that occasionally maligned TV incarnation, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES. Instead, GENISYS largely placed those ideas on the backburner, favoring the up-close-and-personal angle of star-crossed-love (Kyle Reese and the lady Connor) while basically bashing anyone with a SmartPhone and web access. (Isn’t there an APP for that?) This lightweight premise has already provided so much fodder for plenty of other franchises that I’m kinda/sorta surprised this particular story earned what I’ve been told was the ‘thumbs up’ from Terminator’s creator, Mr. James Cameron. Methinks it was probably the whole “resetting of the timeline” that he favored and not so much this thematic angle … though now that I think about it, Cameron’s AVATAR did look at awful lot like 1992’s FERNGULLY so I could be wrong.
However, GENISYS did (thankfully) bring Arnold back into the fold – that’s “Arnold Schwarzenegger” for those born on an island – and I do believe in being thankful for small miracles. It was nice to have the ultimate big guy back, and it was even a pleasure to see how the film allowed him to age somewhat gracefully in this role.
Like many, I could easily malign the whole idea of “Genisys” (think the Apple Watch on steroids for a civilization that lives its life only for social-media awareness) as being a bit too passé and predictable for the larger themes that have made up the broader Terminator franchise. In the ConnorVerse, things like choice, destiny, life, death, fate, responsibility, and (oddly enough) family have always been near and dear to the main story – whether that be any of its films or even that occasionally maligned TV incarnation, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES. Instead, GENISYS largely placed those ideas on the backburner, favoring the up-close-and-personal angle of star-crossed-love (Kyle Reese and the lady Connor) while basically bashing anyone with a SmartPhone and web access. (Isn’t there an APP for that?) This lightweight premise has already provided so much fodder for plenty of other franchises that I’m kinda/sorta surprised this particular story earned what I’ve been told was the ‘thumbs up’ from Terminator’s creator, Mr. James Cameron. Methinks it was probably the whole “resetting of the timeline” that he favored and not so much this thematic angle … though now that I think about it, Cameron’s AVATAR did look at awful lot like 1992’s FERNGULLY so I could be wrong.
However, GENISYS did (thankfully) bring Arnold back into the fold – that’s “Arnold Schwarzenegger” for those born on an island – and I do believe in being thankful for small miracles. It was nice to have the ultimate big guy back, and it was even a pleasure to see how the film allowed him to age somewhat gracefully in this role.
As accomplished as Alan Taylor has proven himself as a director on HBO’s stellar GAME OF THRONES, I’m not convinced he was the right choice here. So many of GENISYS’s action sequences – even the smaller ones which focused mainly on fisticuffs – just felt so overwhelmingly rote and ordinary that I kept wishing someone had sat Taylor down and shown him maybe some Hong Kong actioners for inspiration. Heck, most of the fights here felt like watered down versions of the same confrontations already seen in TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY and even TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES that I found it hard to notice any uptick in my own adrenaline. That’s not a good thing.
Also, I’d argue that the reliance on CGI heavily killed GENISYS’s pacing. When so many of the stunts are performed using post-production trickery, it’s hard to visually capture any real sense of jeopardy for the real live actors audiences are supposed to care about. Granted, this isn’t the case with every picture (thank you, Peter Jackson, for at least upping that ante properly with your Tolkien interpretations); but when a major stunt sequence done digitally in GENISYS ends up resembling a major stunt sequence done with practical photography from JURASSIC PARK – a film 22 years old already – someone made an error, folks … and it wasn’t me for noticing it.
Lastly: those who’ve criticized the casting of Emilia Clarke as the key player in our melodrama, Sarah Connor? They’re spot on. Clarke was all wrong as Connor, never effectively conveying any sense of dread over her life’s circumstances. Sadly, she’s even less believable as an action star: too small, too plain, and too blah. Granted, not every franchise role looking for the tough young female can land in Jennifer Lawrence’s capable hands, but what about The Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan? Or maybe even The 100’s Eliza Taylor? Or maybe even The American’s Keri Russell? I just find it so gobsmackingly impossible to believe that Emilia Clarke (who does a terrific job on GAME OF THRONES) read the part best for producers. It smacks of ‘vanity casting,’ but what do I know: I’m just an internet schlub.
Also, I’d argue that the reliance on CGI heavily killed GENISYS’s pacing. When so many of the stunts are performed using post-production trickery, it’s hard to visually capture any real sense of jeopardy for the real live actors audiences are supposed to care about. Granted, this isn’t the case with every picture (thank you, Peter Jackson, for at least upping that ante properly with your Tolkien interpretations); but when a major stunt sequence done digitally in GENISYS ends up resembling a major stunt sequence done with practical photography from JURASSIC PARK – a film 22 years old already – someone made an error, folks … and it wasn’t me for noticing it.
Lastly: those who’ve criticized the casting of Emilia Clarke as the key player in our melodrama, Sarah Connor? They’re spot on. Clarke was all wrong as Connor, never effectively conveying any sense of dread over her life’s circumstances. Sadly, she’s even less believable as an action star: too small, too plain, and too blah. Granted, not every franchise role looking for the tough young female can land in Jennifer Lawrence’s capable hands, but what about The Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan? Or maybe even The 100’s Eliza Taylor? Or maybe even The American’s Keri Russell? I just find it so gobsmackingly impossible to believe that Emilia Clarke (who does a terrific job on GAME OF THRONES) read the part best for producers. It smacks of ‘vanity casting,’ but what do I know: I’m just an internet schlub.
As is always the case, the bottom line remains: “Is the film worth seeing?”
Sure it is. TERMINATOR: GENISYS offers up a few nuggets of warmth even though much of the rest on the plate looks and smells like leftovers. Jason Clarke (again) proves he’s big star material; Arnold gets comfortable with one-liners again; and the future’s so bright you gotta wear shades. It ain’t perfect … but – as promised – even bad sex is good sex.
Sure it is. TERMINATOR: GENISYS offers up a few nuggets of warmth even though much of the rest on the plate looks and smells like leftovers. Jason Clarke (again) proves he’s big star material; Arnold gets comfortable with one-liners again; and the future’s so bright you gotta wear shades. It ain’t perfect … but – as promised – even bad sex is good sex.
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Greetings, SciFi smilers! I saw this 'Jedi Go-Pro' thingee on another website earlier today, and I thought I'd share it with you here.
Enjoy! And may the Force be with you ... always!
Enjoy! And may the Force be with you ... always!