Quick update

Sorry about the lack of updates- been busy this past month. After this week is over I'll hopefully be getting back to everything. Looking forward to SGU's debut as well.

Glorious Bastards

Inglorious Basterds was a crazyily entertaining film. It's slow burn-up to things takes some initial patience but you're rewarded with the mounting dread. The audience didn't really know how to take the movie or how to react until the psycho-german-SS-killer's name appeared on screen in a huge title, and from that point on the audience was with the movie.

Christoph Waltz's character is just unbelievable- his performance and character is something impossible to describe and leads to some moments and scenes (like the struzel table conversation with the "milk" line) that are just unfrackingbelievable.

Everything else was fun- from Pitt's crazy hammy accent (especially when he tries to speak italian in it), to Eli Roth's manic craze to the bar scene to the awesome notion of film fighting the Nazis.

I wasn't expecting the...um..alternate reality nature of the film (I expected there to be a title card to come up saying "Chapter 6: What really Happened"), but that makes it so much more satisfying.

I liked Kill Bill better, but this comes close.

Avatar musings, Facebook and Abyss

The teaser trailer is out now for James Cameron's Avatar. It only reveals the base premise and the fact that the movie will be HUGE in scale and visuals. Definitely try to see it in HD, though- some of the visuals look a bit cartoony in standard dfinition (though it also has to do, i think, with the chalky powder blue skin texture and tone of the Avatars- kind of like a glow-in-the-dark surface when seen in broad light,

Sadly I couldn't obtain tickets to the 16 min Avatar Day IMAX 3D event today- I was online and ready at noon PST to reserve my tickets but the traffic of everyone else doing the same overloaded the site's servers and so I spent 2 hours refreshing a white "timed out connection" error page- on occasion breaking through and seeing a list of theaters but unable top then load the theater reservation page. And then I had to go to work. By time I got home all the locations I was hoping to see it at were sold out.

Alas...


In other news I've finally setup a facebook account (I had actually signed up back in May to access some info, but haven't had a chance to dedicate time to setting it up with pics and stuff till now).

My initial impressions of it are positive- it's much easier and useful to use than myspace, and it loads and runs so much better- unlike with mysapce where people's pages are so decked-out one out of four pages are likely to crash your browser due to awful multimedia embeds. ;)

Whereas myspace is more like someone's personal webpage and kind of an evolution of the simple, old-school Geocities pages of 10 years ago, facebook is more like a messageboard system- one of my natural habitats ;)

I've also started reading Fate of the Jedi: Abyss- or, more accurately, have almost finished it- I've blazed through that thing real fast. Solid read. This series is shaping up much better than Legacy of the Force was at this point (book 3). I've been pecking at finishing the Colbert book too, with a chapter here or there.

Tonight: Inglorious Basterds!

Holy crap! Real F.L.U.D.D.!

Yooooo...Joe?

G.I.I Joe was awful.

I know it looked terrible, but recent previews suggested it might have just had some bad early trailers and this could have been some dumb fun.

Well, it was certainly dumb. It just had trouble with the second part ;)

On the plus-side, Snake Eyes and Zartan were cool, as was Cobra Commander (though his mask looks awful- they should have just stuck to the original mirror mask), and I enjoyed that they at least tried to bring the cartoon formula to life. Unfortunately, they failed to get a good script to do so with, unlike the really awesome animated "GI Joe: Resolute" that came out earlier this year.

The movie has two rather good action sequences- the climactic underwater subfighter battle is visually neat, though we don't care about any of the characters so it comes across as pointless noise instead of what would have otehrwise been a nifty battle, and the accelerator suit chase through Paris. which is actually the most enjoyable part of the movie.

Sadly, the Paris chase is built entirely around the suspense of the good guys trying to stop the bad guys from destroying the Eifel Tower. And since the tower's destruction was the opening shot of EVERY damn trailer and TV spot, the tension is ruined and reduces the only truely enjoyable part of the movie.

Everything else is awful. The guy playing Duke is so damn dull and featured so heavily you just don't care about anything. They also ruined the Baroness.

Wait for DVD or cable. Not even close to worth the ticket price.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 125: Devil in the Dark & 126: Errand of Mercy

125- Devil in the Dark:
-Premise: The crew is sent to assist a mining colony where the miners have been attacked by an unknown creature in the caves.

-Quest Comments: This episode could be summarized with three words- "Turn! Zoom! Scream!". As each time the creaure attacks, they turn at the camera, which then zooms right at them as they scream. Everytime,e xactly the same way.

Actually not a bad episode overall, except that the spheres-are-eggs element is made way too obvious the moment Spock first remarks about them near the episode's start. Also, for a creature so set on protecting it's eggs, it's rather odd that it would cause a cave-in in an area containing some of the eggs.

"Average".

And remember- "Turn! Zoom! Scream!"


126- Errand of Mercy:
-Premise: The Enterprise must help bring a strageticly located planet to the side of the Federation before the Klingons can.

-T2Q Comments: This was a pretty good episode, once one gets past the old smooth foreheaded Klingon look (thankfully explained in a two-parter on Enterprise, at least).

Kor is an interesting villian (one who apparantly made a few appearances on DS9, played by the same actor- who, it took me awhile to realize, was the same actor who played Baltar on the original Battlestar Galactica), though the Organians likely being powerful beings was too obvious (though perhaps it's not so bad, if taken in the context of the Trek sgaa being viewed in chronological order, where an episode of Enterprise has already revealed the Organians as powerful beings).

And Kirk was a bit too bull-headed (even he should have been smart enough to maintain a more convincing cover for more than 30 seconds).

Also, Kirk's comment at the end that "we think of ourselves as the most powerful beings in the universe- it's unsettling to discover that we're wrong" is just a damn odd one to hear since they've met at least a half-dozen beings more powerful than humans in this season alone.

Still, given the Kor, Klingon and Organian connections to the greater mythos, not to mention being pretty watchable, this episode is "Definitely Essential."

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 123: A Taste of Armageddon & 124: This Side of Paradise

123- A Taste of Armageddon:
-Premise: Sent to open diplomatic relations with a world, Kirk discovers a society that ahs been at war for 500 years- only the war is fought virtually by mathematical compuyation, and the casualties are sent into suicide booths, to maintain the war without destroying the culture and infrastructure.

-Quest Comments: Kirk: 2, Computers: 0. A pretty solid episode- fairly decently acted and it definitely has that old-school written sci-fi feel to the story concept. Only shortcoming was the diplomat acting like a fool for the first half of the episode, but at least he wizened up towards the end.

Still, having him be a more believable and effective diplomat less susceptible to obvious deception could have made this a a really great episode. So, while good, it almost has a "missed opportunity" vibe to it, so far as that facet goes. "Average".

Also, someone should tell the Q Continuum that someone has been trying to make hats funnier than theirs.

124- This Side of Paradise:
-Premise: The crew, sent to evacuate colonists from a world being exposed to harmful radiation, finds the population to be of perfect health- and under the influence of spores that induce happy feelings, which begin to infect the entire crew.

-Quest Comments: This is definitely a "been there, done that" for this series, as much of the concept (mainly the "outside influence making populations content, and how that stagnates a society" angle) is a retread of "Return of the Archons", while the spreading spores harkens back to The Naked Time.

However, this episode isn't all that offensive or annoying like Naked Time, nor does it have a huge element left unexplained like the Festival from Archons- it's just kinda dull for the most part.

Also, the flower that spores Kirk comes out of nowhere, which is kinda funny since it makes it seem like the flower is stalking him, hehe.

And the last Captain's log entry is spoken aloud to nothing but the transporter console. There's also the girl's line that she's "never seen a starship before", which is pretty funny considering she would have had to have been on a starship to have been brought to the planet in the first place (as the colonists were only there for a short period of time, not long enough for her to have been born there and grown to that age), not to mention she and Spock had met elsewhere at some point in the past.

I also have to comment that any attempt thus far to make Spock work with feelings has never really been executed very successfully- every time I see him smiling with a grin, i just keep being reminded of Nimoy's Hobbit song...

I'd classify it as "OK, But Not Essential".

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Why is the Borg Queen trying to sell me a Palm Pre?

Just wonderin', cause, she's creeping me out.






I actually found out about the Palm pre after I had already seen the ads- I had just been tivo'ing through them so I never heard what they were about- only noted how they were kinda creepy. Then I read about the Palm Pre and it sounded kinda neat (and it's nice that Palm is making a comeback after all these years- still not as awesome as an iPhone, obviously), then a few days later I finally stopped to hear what those ads were about and was surprised to discover it was about the Pre. Go figure.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 121: Return of the Archons & 122: Space Seed

121- Return of the Archons:
-Premise: The crew, investigating the dissapearance of another ship from 100 years ago, encounter a world being brainwashed into a peaceful and tranquil society.

-Quest Comments: I liked this one- though not as much as others. Still, I got a crack out of the "You will be absorbed!" line, if only because I had that line as a sound file on my computer lonnng ago (probably about 10 years at least) that I had downloaded off of AOL, but never knew where it was from.

Anyways, the only major problem with the episode is the "festival" riots that played a prominent role in the early part of the episode was never explained, so it comes across as pretty random after all is said and done. Another "OK Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential".

Bit of trivia: this is the first time they mention the prime directive and the first time Kirk talks a computer to death. Kirk: 1, Computers: 0.

122- Space Seed:
-Premise: Episode to which Wrath of Khan is the sequel to. The Enterprise discovers a sleeper ship carrying several enahnced humans aboard- including one Khan Noonien Singh.

-Quest Comments: KHAAAAAANNNN!!!!! Though the chick who falls for Khan is written too weak for my tastes, her addiction to him is played well. Any complaints aside- Khan is cool, and watching Ricardo play him is just fun. With it being the basis for Star Trek II, it, above any other episode in this series, so far as I can tell, is Definite;y Essential.

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Random Quote

"You named...a unit of measurement...after yourself..."

Alien prequel on the way

Ridley Scott (the director of the original Alien) has signed on to do a prequel to Alien. Should be interesting- it's something Scott has expressed interest in for some time (see the commentary tracks for the various Alien DVDs that have come out over the past 10+ years). We might finally learn about the Space Jockey species.

I'm a bit surprised he signed on to do it though- intial word was he would only produce but allow his protege to direct the film, an idea which Fox veto'd. Would have thought that might have soured him to the idea.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 119: Tommorrow is Yesterday & 120: Court Martial

119- Tommorow Is Yesterday:
-Premise: An accident ends up sending the Enterprise back in time to the 1960's.

-Quest Comments: Fun little time travel adventure. This was originally going to be a 2-parter with The Naked Time, but they were separated, and doing so basicly renders that little time travel forumla thing at the end of TNT irrelvant since it's not used at all in this episode. The "transporter replacement" trick at the end for returning the various people really made no sense at all, though. Ah well, neither did the "drop-kick across time" in Enterprise, so it's kind of a running theme with Trek time travel stories I guess

Kirk's one line, responding to the threat of being locked up for the next 200 years, of "That ought to be about right." was actually pretty good too. Unexpectedly clever for the generally poor dialogue the show has.

In the end, with the time travel aspect, I'll put this one in as "Definitely Essential".


120- Court Martial:
-Premise: Kirk is put on trial for possible negligence in the death of a crew member when the computer logs contradict his statement of events.

-Quest Comments: Ok, Starfleet court episodes generally suck. I'm not opposed to having a court drama episode, but this one was done very poorly, and has a couple really terrible performances (the guy who died and his daughter- must be genetic) combined with some bad plot holes.

You have the one lawyer who makes a big deal of books vs computers, but does nothing to challenge the computer until Spock shows up, basicly willing to give up without any cross exaimination. I'd have fired the buffoon.

Additionally, the romance with the prosecution chick really doesn't add anything to the plot or any drama or tension between them- what little there is feels artifical as a result.

Also, I can't help but laugh at the guy who insists on finishing the court despite the fact that the ship is losing orbit- hello? you're crashing. Maybe you should finish that little court thing later.

There's also the plot point of them amplifying the audio aboard the ship (1 to the 4th power...which would be...1), which, while an interesting idea, is not executed or integrated well at all. If we can hear people's heartbeats, why not their breathing or all the talking on the bridge? Or the various machinery?

Also, it seems the only tool in engineering is a really big wrench. LOL! And why does the entire ship shake from Kirk pulling some power cables? The engines weren't on, so there's no kickback taking place. "That. Does Not. Make. Sense. If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit."

The court rules that this episode, though not entirely unwatchable, is forgettable. Court adjourned.

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 117: The Squire of Gothos & 118: Arena

117- The Squire of Gothos:
-Premise: A powerful being fascinated by mankind's past keeps members of the crew inside his mansion, manipulating the reality around them at his will.

-Quest Comments: Not a bad episode, though I started to suspect this was the "Futurama episode ending" episode towards the end. Still, though some silliness occur at times (am I the only one who find Uhura to be an absolutely worthless character?) no particularly terrible 60's acting pops up, so it ends up being a decent episode. I'll classify it in the same "Average" grouping.

Also worth noting that one Trek book out there suggests Trelane is actually a member of the Q, which is an interesting connection should it ever be canonized.

118- Arena:
-Premise: After a Starfleet outpost is destroyed by an unknown ship, the Enterprise pursues, only for Kirk to be forced to face his opponent, a Gorn captain, in personal combat on a planet by more powerful entities.

-Quest Comments: This ones pretty cheesy (I mean, that Gorn costume and his slow-mo punches are just laughable), but it is watchable. The chemistry solution was rather obvious though (Kirk can't be that dense). When watching this I suspected this was the episode that had footage used in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and I was right ::).

Overall, given the Gorn presence (later seen again on Enterprise) and the Bill & Ted connection, I'm willing to list it as "Potentially Essential, But Not Necessarily Good".

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Comments on Funny People

Caught Funny People earlier this evening. It's a good flick, but don't go in expecting a straight comedy. It's very much a dramedy, and has the runtime to back it- the flick is just a little under 2.5 hours long.

The comedy comes mostly from the bits of the actual comedians and their interactions with each other, rather than an actual comedic tone with the material itself, if that makes any sense.

Still, it comes across as emotionally true and seems somewhat realistic in it's portrayal of things (Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman are probably the strangest characters in the movie and even they aren't that off).

Super Mario Sunshine: Year 7

Past couple days I've been squeezing in some time with Super Mario Sunshine yet again- the game came out 7 years ago, and I've had the habit of picking it up every summer and completing a good chunk of it, then letting it sit on the shelf till it's time for my next virtual summer vacation.

This particular session was spawned from discovering new things about the game (and that's one of the reasons I love the game so much- you're always finding a new secret about it, even after almost fully completing it) such as the water belly slide trick (spray water in the ground in front of you, then hop onto it on your belly and you'll keep on sliding- up till now I'd merely been doing repeated belly hops to travel about) and the front courtyard of Sirenno Beach being shaped like a Gamecube controller face. There's also an awesome easter egg/glitch that launches the camera up into the air before skydiving down back to Mario, with a view of the entire island in the process.

I beat the game last year, but since then have been slowly working to get the last of the Shines (because, really, a Mario game isn't truly beaten until you've collected all the stars/shines/etc). I'm at 96/120 currently- the only ones left are a few Secret Shines (red coin challenges in void zones, mostly) and the ones purchased with blue coins at this point, so I'm in the final stretch now. Bianco Hills and most of Delfino Plaza is taken care of now.

It's been quite amazing how this game has held up and kept giving over the years, it's been a fantastic experience I'll be sad to see end.

Sure, there's Super Mario Galaxy to tackle after this, but while that's an excellent game in many different ways, the smaller mini-level/planetoid challenge design to the game limits the exploration and level relationship aspects that I've quite enjoyed in SMS- I loved exploring the limits of every level, seeing if I could get over another hill, or grab a better view of one of the other levels viewable in the distance.

I have a feeling SMS & SMG will be fighting it out for Top 3D Mario game the same way SMB3 & SMW have for decades in the 2D realm.

Transformers Quote of the Week 7/31/09

Here's two to make up for a week or so skipped:

Tracks: "I'll teach you to mess with the Chrysler Building!"

Prime: "We're putting your company into bankruptcy, Megatron!"

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 115: Shore Leave & 116: The Galileo Seven

115- Shore Leave:
-Premise: Finding an uninhabited world for the crew to take some shore leave on, once on the planet they begin seeing things from their mind, including Alice in Wonderland, WW2 Planes and a bully from Kirk's past.

-Quest Comments: Though not particularly terrible (except for the guy in the rabbit costume), I just couldn't bring myself to care about this episode. And what is with this show and Irish stereotypes? LOL!

Overall, pretty forgettable.


116- The Galileo Seven:
-Premise: Investigation of a cosmic event ends with a shuttlecraft and 7 crewmembers stranded on a planet inhabited by hostile giants.

-Quest Comments: A pretty good Spock-centric episode, though Spock's logic-based mindset is taken to almost cartoonish levels at times, which hampers the episode a good deal. I'll put it in the "Average" grouping.

Also worth noting the Commisioner's uniform looks very much like the ones eventually used on Enterprise.

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

FRACKING TRON!!

So Comic-Con is going and has brought some awesome stuff to our interwebs. First off, the awesome TR2N (aka TRON 2.0) test footage that was screened last year and, up till now, has only existed as a bad bootleg online, is now online in Quicktime format, now with the title of TRON: LEGACY. You can view some gorgeous concept artwork in this article.

They're really going all out for this at the convention. They apparently had a sweet viral marketing thing going on at the con that involved blacklight codes that eventually formed to coordinates on a map that led to a location where they recreated Flynn's Arcade, complete with playable versions of the games from the first movie (such as Space Paranoids).

And that led to a secret area where a lifesize replica of a lightcycle was on display (seemingly accompnied by a clip of the new movie's score by Daft Punk!).

You can check out some videos of that awesomeness here.

It'll be awesome to see how this film turns out- TRON was so far ahead of it's time it was almost unappreciatable when it came out, and now technology and video games have moved so far ahead of that.

Full Stargate Universe Trailer Online!

The full trailer for Stargate Universe is now up. It still has that Galactica feel to it, but I think the opening humor as well as the sense of worlds to explore present in the last 3rd of the trailer help set it apart from BSG to be recognizably Stargate.

Alice in Wonderland teaser trailer

The first trailer for Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie is online now. Looks great- this material just seems like the perfect match for Burton's style, as well as his more commonly appearing cast members.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 113: The Conscience of the King & 114: Balance of Terror

113: The Conscience of the King:
-Premise: When an actor is suspected of being a mass murderer believed dead, Kirk take ssteps to try and prove his identity, while the only surviving witnesses to those past deeds start ending up dead- and Kirk could be next.

-Quest Comments: Actually a pretty good mystery episode with an interesting idea through the plan behind the execution (no pun intended) of the murders. Acting overall, shy the female guest star, was unproblematic, the actor in particular was better than average for a guest star.

An offhand comment of the murderer having his own idea of Eugenics and that "he wasn't the only one" makes a nice hint/setup for Kahn as well, which I think, when combiend with the overall quality of the episode, elevates to "Potentially Essential".

114: Balance of Terror:
-Premise: When a Romulan ship capable of cloaking begins attacking Federation outposts along the Federation/Romulan Neutral Zone, the Enterprise engages in a game of tactics against the aggressor.

-Quest Comments: Some good action, and the sub-battle feel to things was pretty interesting (and, in a way, is echoed years later in Wrath of Kahn). A little weird seeing Spock's father as a Romulan, though.

Was surprised they mentioned Remus this far back- I had assumed that was something created for Nemesis, as opposed to a throwback to TOS. The only real oddity is the calling for phasers when they are obviously firing torpedoes (this was obviously produced early on when they were still figuring out what was what, or at least didn't care so much what was what).

The obvious Romulan connections to TNG, Nemesis & Enterprise, as well as the decent action, definitely place this episode into the "Definitely Essential" category.


(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 110: The Corbomite Manuever & 111/112: The Menagerie

110- The Corbomite Manuever:
-Premise: After encountering and destroying an odd cube-shaped probe that blocks their way, a larger shift captures the Enterprise and threatens it's destruction.

-Quest Comments: This was surprisingly good- the first episode of these first 10 to actually feel somewhat on par with modern Trek shows, though the ending's execution leads a bit to be desired in it's somewhat anticlimactic nature and somewhat silly child-w/voiceover approach (wasn't this a Futurama episode?).

I also really like that this is the first episode where the characters seem to be clicking properly- there's some good humor here, and it feels like the crew. Might make for a good introductory episode if I shift the episode order around later, to help fill in the ejection of the various pilots.
Though no major connections I'm aware of for this episode (a later episode does make a joking reference to this, though), I think it's quality allows it to be placed into the Definitely Essential category.

111 & 112: The Menagerie, parts 1 & 2:
-Premise: After Spock hijacks the Enterprise and sends it on course for the forbidden planet of Talos IV, he is forced to stand trial for his actions, where he uses video testomony of the events from The Cage in his defense.

-Quest Comments: Basicly The Cage split into two parts to accommodate a clipshow-like framestory with Kirk and co. Once I got past the funny now-obvious Futurama/Pike-blinking-wheelchair reference connection, it was still hard for me to really get into this episode, especially having seen The Cage beforehand since I was able to deduce Spock's purpose in his actions long beforehand, which made the unnecessity of using the "video testimony" all the more blatant- as Kirk said at the end, Spock could have just told them.

Now, if one hadn't seen The Cage, there might have been some more mystery to Spock's actions to draw the viewer in, but the same conclusion is eventually reached, which is disappointing.

Additionally, the "Kirk show feel" doesn't quite mesh well with the "Pike show feel", which just hampers the episodes further.

If it wasn't for those two points rendering the episodes somewhat pointless, I'd have normally considered The Menagerie to be preferable viewing in favor over The Cage, since it has a Pike/Kirk transition of sorts thats still grounded in the Kirk show. As it is, The Menagerie didn't levae me with a good enough impression to really consider it essential, and so, IMO, it joins the same classification as The Cage itself does, though for different reasons mentioned above. "Ok, But not Necessarily Essential".

Why they even bothered to do a special theatrical screening of the Remastered version awhile back (outside of it being the only 2-parter) instead of showing 2 or 3 popular/good episodes that would have made for better theatrical viewing (say, Doomsday Machine, Space Seed & Amok Time), I'll never understand.

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Microsoft to open retail stores

Full Article

To try and improve the perception and image of it's brand, Microsoft is going to open a chain of retail stores, some in close proximity to Apple Stores.

So, despite not manufacturing computer hardware, they're gonna try to compete head to head with Apple? Are they stupid, or just high?

What are they going to fill their store with? 100 copies of Windows and Office to fill the shelves around a Zune kiosk, off to the side next to an Xbox alcove?

The Xbox is the only real hardware product they have to leverage, but if they focus too much on that, then they're pretty much competing with Gamestop in addition to Apple. And it's a pretty safe bet there will be a Gamestop in close proximity to an MS or Apple Store, as Gamestops are frelling everywhere.

It's not like they can provide any services as effective as Apple's Genius Bar. They'll just spend 20 minutes convincing you it's a hardware problem and not Vista.

Apple gaining a marketshare point musta really spooked them.

The funniest thing too is they've hired a former exec from Dreamworks Animation to run it. It's like they're not even trying to avoid comparisons/accusations of ripping off Apple anymore (ironically harming the brand image in their very effort to improve it!).

I have to assume the conversation went like this:

MS Guy #1: "Gee, Apple has nice retail stores owned by a guy who runs a hit 3D animation studio. We should get one of those."

MS Guy #2: "Which one? Stores or an animation guy?"

MS Guy #1: "Both!"

Penny-Arcade has also touched upon this story...

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 108: Miri & 109: Dagger of the Mind

108- Miri:
-Premise: the Enterprise discovers a duplicate of Earth, and on it's surface a group of children- survivors of a plague that kills adults.

-Quest Comments: I actually recall seeing at least some of this episode at some point in the past. Anyways, not a bad episode, but nothing I particularly cared about. The kids were ugly and annoying. Acting got a bit hammy towards the end when Kirk convinces Miri she's infected. And there was absolutely no explaination why the planet was an exact duplicate of Earth (which, shy of an illusion, is super-silly to begin with, but I would have thought there'd have been some attempt at making it relevant). Forgettable.

109- Dagger of the Mind:
-Premise: When a former doctor and current inmate of a penal colony escapes aboard the Enterprise, suspciion is raised of a doctor there who is using a neural neutralizer to control the minds of inamtes.

-Quest Comments: A decent episode, no major problems, except for perhaps some of the Kirk/Helen material the doctor was putting into his mind, which didn't serve much purpose. I'm kinda mixed about it, really. I'll rank it under "Average". The first use of the Mindmeld is noteworthy though, which could give it vague relevance to a couple of the 4th season Enterprise episodes.

(images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Creation in a Moment of Random Distraction

When you send me silly photos of myself when I already have Final Cut Pro open, this is what happens.

Oct Star Wars Comic Cover Art

Had to spotlight some sweet upcoming cover art for various SW comics in Oct.

First off, we have the cover to Invasion #0- which is the first comic cover art done by the great Dave Dorman in a very long time. Dorman's past work includes some of the legendary Dark Empire, Tales of the Jedi and X-Wing Rogue Squadron cover art.

After that we have a creepy-as-hell Caamasi (nothing like a psycho portrayal of a species of pacifists) on the cover to Knights of the Old Republic #46, and our first glimpse of the Mandalorian helmet designs of the Legacy era in Legacy #41.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 106: Mudd's Women & 107: What Are Little Girls Made Of?

106- Mudd's Women:
-Premise: Rescued from a damaged ship, Harry Mudd and the three women he ahd aboard as cargo are beamed aboard the Enterprise. The women have an unusual effect on the men.

-Quest Comments: Aggghhh! Whether it's these three chicks, Posion Ivy or Hathor, the stupid "woman turns guys around her into mindless zombies" plot element never works and is just painful to watch, let alone a 60's production of it. Couldn't make it halfway through this one (had even blocked the memory of it, thus my earlier "only episode I ever skipped" comment for The Man Trap). The fact that this Mudd guy comes back for another episode fills me with dread. To the trash bin with this garbage.



107- What Are Little Girls Made Of?:
-Premise: Chapel is reunited with her fiance, Dr Korby, who has discovered a technology that can create android replicas of people.

-Quest Comments: Ah, finally, an actual decent episode! What a relief. That robot dude was pretty huge (well, or Shatner is just tiny). Barely any "60's syndrome" touches present, if at all. If I'm remembering correctly, also our first away team Red Shirt kills (though it's possible I may have missed some from the episodes i didn't finish).

Funny that they went to a duplicate Kirk story element so soon after Enemy Within (though I guess the original airing order may have switched things up a bit).

Anyways, with a lack of apparent connections to other episodes, I'll classify this one as "Average".

Also, the actor who plays Korby has a strong resemblance to Connor Trinneer (of Enterprise and Stargate Atlantis fame)

(Inspirational Posters via EchoSphere)
(Other images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Bad News, Everyone!

According to EW, the upcoming return of Futurama will NOT be featuring Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio or voiceover god Billy West (in case you don't know, that's pretty much every damn character on the show!).

So, let's be blunt about this- what the frell is the point of bringing back Futurama if you're not bringing back the actors?

And who announces a show is coming back if they haven't secured the actors- especially if they plan to pay them less?

Pay them- they're worth it (no way Billy West costs more than the multiple actors that would be eneded to replace him), and no one's going to buy a crappy imitation Futurama.

Nickelback/Papa Roach/Hinder/Saving Abel at Jones Beach

So earlier in the week I caught the current Nickelback tour at Jones Beach in Long Island. I'm not a huge fan of Nickelback- they have some catchy tunes, and a couple killer tracks (the recent Burn it to the Ground, for exampe), but I normally wouldn't intentionally seek them out. But, a friend had cheap tickets and I actually do dig Papa Roach (whom I haven't seen live for 8 years), so I figured why not?

First off, though I'm not exactly complaining since I pretty much expected such seats given the ticket price, but, nonetheless, from my seat I could see France.

Secondly, I was surprised at the number of kids present (something the lead singer for Nickelback also commented upon later in the show). We had a row of annoying 10 year old girls who took every opportunity to scream- and not in a normal "wooo!" or "yeah!!!" concert-scream, but in the highest pitched wail they could manage.

But even beyond the annoyance factor- what are they doing at a show like this? Have their parents even heard some of Nickeback's songs? I mean, sure, you expect a few F-bombs to be thrown around at a rock concert, but should a buncha 10 year old girls really be proclaiming a song about a guy's thoughts while getting head from a chick as their favorite song? That's just weird.

We missed Saving Abel by time we arrived, but that's ok- I cared the least about them of the 4 bands playing.

Papa Roach was next, surprisingly (I woulda thought a band with a decade of tracks would get the second-to-last set). As I said earlier, I was looking forward to them the msot. I had seen them back in 2001 at both Ozzfest and DFP 5.0, but I didn't really become a fan of their material till their last 3 albums or so (which I delved into thanks to the excellent "Not Listening" track that was used to great effect in the finale of the trailer for Resident Evil: Apocalypse) so I was looking forward to experiencing them with that mindset.

They put on a great set with a solid mix of new and old (I haven't heard that "No Money" song for a very long time- I had forgotten about it, despite it being one of their first singles after "Last Resort", IIRC).

Only downside was not too many people were standing up for them, and I didn't want to be the only jackass in the mezzanine rockin' around, so i couldn't experience their set fully.

But, they ended their set more memorably than any of the other bands- lead singer Jacoby Shaddix took a running start to launch himself off the stage and into the bay around it. He swam around to backstage (managing to do so before the rescue boat scooped him up) and came back out, only to do it a second time (cue, once again, the rescue boat). Very cool.

Hinder was a question mark for me- I didn't recognize the band by name, but it turns out I have heard a few of them on the radio, and the frontman has a surprising 80's Arena Rock vibe going for him (something emphasized later on when he was brought out during Nickelback's set to do the vocals for a jam of ACDC's Highway to Hell).

So mark me pleasantly surprised with Hinder. I might even grab a few tracks from them off of iTunes- though I get the impression the band is one of those bands that are much more enjoyable live with the energy they produce, than they would be on an album.

Lastly, we had Nickelback themselves- the big mystery being if they'd open with the song about blowjobs or the other song about blowjobs. Turns out it was their first song about blowjobs- Figured You out.

Their frontman plays the audience well and is generally pretty funny (his comments on the 8 year olds in the front row being a notable highlight). Good stage show with pyro and lights, etc. Good mix of the tons of the singles they put out (though they didn't play the other song besides "Burn it to the Ground", that I was hoping to hear- "Follow You Home". I wouldn't have minded "Hero", either, but I didn't really expect that one since it's not a Nickelback-only song).

Still, while enjoyable, I can't get into them as much as I can other bands. They just strike me as a band that really wanted to be a country music band, but knew being a rock band was more profitable and mainstream (a theory furthered by the fact that they actually played a damn country song at one point).

Overall, despite the good show on stage, it was probably the most mild rock concert I've been to- with very few people standing or rocking out, so it wasn't quite the "let loose some energy" experience I was hoping to get at least some of. Still, it was entertaining, and I do like Jones Beach as a venue.

First Pics of Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow

The first pics, via Entertainment Weekly, of Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow in the upcoming Iron Man 2, have made their way online:

Much better than the Hilary Swank rumor that floated around back for Iron Man 1.



And, since she's married to Ryan Reynolds, that means now both Green Lantern and Deadpool are banging the Black Widow. Hannibal King just watches.

Family Guy Breaks Through the Emmy Animation Barrier

The Emmy nominations came out this week, but most notable is that Family Guy has become the first animated program in nearly 50 years (since The Flintstones in 1961) to be nominated in the Best Comedy Series category.

The show's creator, Seth MacFarlane, says his nomination marks the end of Emmy discrimination against animated TV -- but doesn't think he'll actually win.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: SO WHERE WERE YOU, AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN THIS NEWS CAME DOWN?

MacFarlane: It was about 5 in the morning and I got a phone call, so I was not able to react for the excitement that they wanted.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: NOW THAT YOU'VE HAD A LITTLE TIME TO WARM UP, WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?

MacFarlane: I think it is extremely encouraging for everyone who is busting their ass on these animated shows to have this happen. I have friends on "King of the Hill," I have friends on "The Simpsons." I feel like it is validation for all of these shows that they are now viewed as on the same playing field as the other comedies, because we are all really doing the same job. It took a long time to recognize single-camera comedies, and I think that it's frustrating for a lot of the animated shows that we haven't gotten the same treatment (as other comedies). It is nice that they stopped ignoring the fact that the animated shows are major players in the comedy landscape of television. This is a huge step forward for open-mindedness in the voting process.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: WAS FOX IN FAVOR OF THE IDEA OF SUBMITTING TO THIS CATEGORY?

MacFarlane: They left it up to us; they didn't really have a strong opinion one way or the other like we did. While shows like "SpongeBob" and "Fairly OddParents" are good shows, they are not doing the same type of program as a show like "The Simpsons" or "Family Guy." It's apples and oranges. It's doing two different things, producing for two different audiences. The process is much more analogous to what shows like "Two and a Half Men" or "The Office" do. The sitcom process is a different medium. The only thing that should be relevant is if you are doing a quality show or not. I think "The Simpsons" should have been nominated in the '90s, when they were up against "Friends" and "Seinfeld." "The Simpsons" were making a show that was on par with a lot of the shows nominated and better than a lot of them.

...

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: WHICH EPISODES DID YOU SUBMIT?

MacFarlane: We submitted three episodes. We submitted "Road to Germany," we submitted "Family Gay," we submitted "I Dream of Jesus." We picked three of our edgier shows as a choice. Ya know, we figured if we are going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are.


You can find the full interview with Seth here. A list of the full Emmy nominees can be found here.

I'd love for DG to pull off a surprise here, but I also love 30 Rock and wish to see it's continued reign of success continue.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 104: The Naked Time & 105: The Enemy Within

104- The Naked Time:
-Premise: An unknown disease is brought aboard the ship and, transmitted by touch, begins infecting the crew, removing their inhibitions and playing up their fantasies.


-Quest Comments: Another step up in quality, but still not "actually good". Now, granted, this may have come first, but we've seen the "crew is infected by something that spreads by touch" angle in many other shows since and have accomplished it more effectively. The one guy is a pretty annoying actor, but I think his character was meant to be annoying (and a lovely Irish stereotype at that...). Still, a "nice try". Plus, "Sulu...with a sword?!"

However, since this apparently is loosely tied, either directly or thematically, with a TNG episode ("The Naked Now"), as well as the crew discovering a formula for time travel (which will apparently come into play in a few episodes as it was originally intended to be a setup for a second part that was turned into a stand alone episode), but I just can't see that that's enough to classify an episode of this quality as anything but "Ok Episode, But Not Essential".


105- The Enemy Within:
-Premise: A transporter malfunction splits Kirk into two versions of himself- one calm and intellectual, the other raging and emotional.

-Quest Comments: Still rising, this episode was actually somewhat interesting overall- it's only flaws being some of the acting and dialogue ("I'M CAPTAIN KIRK! I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!" is about as funny to quote as "TRASH BAGS!" from the A-Team, only, unlike the A-Team, it was never intended to actually be funny).

This one goes into the "Ok Episodes, But Not Necessarily Essential" category. You feel bad for Sulu, though- they could have just sent him a damn shuttle, afterall.

(images via Memory Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Comic Pulls: 7/15/09

My comic pulls this week:

Deadpool #12: The third part of the "Bullseye" story doesn't disappoint. I didn't think they could top the "meat hooks" of the last issue, and while it doesn't get quite that bizarrely strange this time around, everything with "Truck Foot" and Deadpool was gold, especially Bullseye's reactions to it. And the "Poolvision" of Bullseye and Wade as kids in school was perfectly timed.

Great issue, and seemingly wraps up at least part of the lingering Norman Osbourne plot threads that have been running through the series since the first story arc during Secret Invasion. Not to mention the first Dark Reign story I've read (outside of Norman's occasiona mental breakdowns) where they've revealed there are cracks in Osbourne's grip over everything.

The Sword #18: Concluding the "Earth" storyline and kicking this fantastic limited series into it's final story arc (the series will finish it's story in issue #24- but then by time you hit this issue you really get the feeling that the end is near), we have Dara kicking ass with the sword, getting torn up and concluding her epic battle with the mountain.

If you haven't been reading this series- definitely do yourself a favor and check it out- it's easily the best Image comic currently. The first two story arcs, "Fire" and "Water" are in trade already, and I'm sure this one won't be far behind.

(and, yes, this actually came out a couple weeks ago, but I only managed to get my copy this week)

Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic #43: The series dives into it's new story arc as Zayne and Jarael begin their efforts to take down the Crucible slaver syndicate. Really looks to be setting up an interesting arc. John Jackson Miller has rarely, if ever, steered us wrong with KOTOR since it launched 3.5 years ago. I prefer Legacy as a series and Invasion as a concept more, but KOTOR is still a flagship title.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars #7: Continuing their series of stories inspired by the current 3D animated Clone Wars TV series, this kicks off a new storyline focusing on Plo Koon, Kit Fisto and a young Ozzel as they attempt to retake a planet with vital resources to the war effort.

Outside of the somewhat cliche'd portrayal of Ozzel always being wrong, this issue was a huge improvement over the last storyline, which was kinda spotty and only had 1 or 2 really good issues out of the 6 issue arc. So that bodes well for this arc.

It's still the weakest of the Star Wars line, but it's obviously aimed at a younger segment of the fanbase/market than the mainstream SW titles like KOTOR & Legacy.

Farscape: D'Argo's Lament #4: I picked this one up this week, but I'm an issue or two behind on the Farscape comics, so I'll get back to commenting on this one later. I do expect good things from it, as the first few issues of the Farscape series have been solid.

Star Trek Episode Review- TOS 102: Charlie X & 103: Where No Man Has Gone Before

102- Charlie X:
-Premise: Adolescent Charlie is dropped off aboard the Enterprise. Found to have powerful telekinetioc abilities and governed by his immaturity, he lashes out at people with his powers, making them vanish and becomes obsessed with Yeoman.

-Quest Comments: Plagued by "60's syndrome" acting and touches, pretty painful to watch. Avoid it. Trash it.

103- Where No Man Has Gone Before:
-Premise: As the Enterprise encounters an energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy, a crewman and friend to Kirk begins gaining god-like powers which threaten the more insignificant around him.

-Quest Comments: An improvement over the first 2 episodes, there's some interesting things here with the crew member becoming more and more powerful. It is however hampered by it's attempted romance subplot, which has that "guy glances suggestively while girl looks back in a pout-gaze to look screwable" element that is encountered far too often in the series and just makes things laughable.

Overall, it's not terrible, but it's not that good either. Generally "Forgettable". But, it is the first time they cross the galactic border in the series and, depending on what episodes you decide to ultimate drop from your viewing order (combined with a little episode order rejiggering) it could be used as a vague introductory episode to the series to be bookended by a later "past the galactic border" episode, if one was so inclined.

Also, some lovely work with the Remastered effects.

(Inspirational Posters via EchoSphere)
(Other images via Memory-Alpha: The Star Trek Wiki)

Upcoming Aaron Allston Benefit Auction Event by FACT

As posted on theforce.net:

The Fandom Association of Central Texas (FACT) will be hosting an auction and party for X-Wing and Fate of the Jedi author Aaron Allston. The event will be held next week, Sunday, July 19, from 1-5 p.m. at Arbor A in San Gabriel Park, 445 E. Morrow, Georgetown, TX. According to his official website, Aaron Allston will be in attendance.

Allston was recently hospitalized for heart bypass surgery, and all proceeds will go to the Aaron Allston Donation Fund to pay for related expenses. Central Texas area fans wishing to donate auction items will find contact information on the FACT website here.

Press Release:

Austin, TX -- A fundraiser and auction to benefit the Aaron Allston Donation Fund will be held on Sunday, July 19, from 1-5 p.m. at Arbor A in San Gabriel Park, 445 E. Morrow, Georgetown, TX.

The Aaron Allston Donation Fund is a medical fund established by his friends to help Mr. Allston, an internationally known science fiction writer and author of several Star Wars novels, with large medical expenses recently incurred as a result of emergency bypass surgery. Mr. Allston is a long-time resident of Central Texas.

The event sponsor is the Fandom Association of Central Texas (FACT, http://www.fact.org), a Texas-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the promotion of literacy through the appreciation of speculative fiction.

FACT is seeking donations of food and other items from local businesses for the event. We anticipate attendance of approximately 100+ people, and are actively promoting to the media.

To discuss making a contribution, please contact Wendy Snyder, FACT Events Manager, at social@fact.org or phone Elizabeth Burton, FACT board secretary, at 512-402-5298.

Allston's been one of the most consistently entertaining SW authors, known for his humor. He's among the panelists in this video of the Legacy of the Force panel from Celebration III back in 2005.

Chicago Comic-Con Benefit Auction for John Ostrander

Ostrander is one of my favorite comic authors, having authored the highly acclaimed Quinlan Vos arc of Dark Horse's Clone Wars run of the Star Wars: Republic series, as well as creating the radical Star Wars: Legacy series.

He's also known for writing other titles such as Grimjack, Suicide Squad & The Spectre, as well as turning Barbara Gordon from Batgirl into Oracle.

He's also been great with fan interaction, posting frequently on the JC and Dark Horse messageboards, amongst others. So I wanted to return the favor by making note of this news piece.

Even though only a few people I know are even reading this blog at this early stage, and probably even fewer care (and if you don't, don't feel bad- I'm not trying to guilt-trip anyone, just passing on the info to those who might want to know), I figured for those of you who are familiar with (or might have heard of) his work might be inclined to assist.

An auction will be held at the Chicago Comic-Con (nee Wizard World Chicago) the evening of Saturday, August 8, 2009 to raise funds for comics veteran John Ostrander, who is undergoing a series of operations and medical treatments to fight off blindness.

A 27-year veteran of the comics field, Ostrander, has long been suffering from glaucoma. Recently, John underwent a series of operations that might have saved his remaining eyesight. Progress has been made but he faces considerably more treatment in the months ahead.

To help Ostrander cover his costs, a committee has been organized called Comix4Sight. Solicitations for the benefit auction have gone out, and the response from the comics community has been overwhelming.

Original art, signed scripts, comics memorabilia, autographed books and similar items are being donated to the auction. “Within the first 24 hours we’ve received pledges of contributions including original art and signed books by Howard Chaykin, David Lloyd, Dave Sim, Norm Breyfogle, Dick Giordano, Dennis O’Neil, Hilary Barta, Kevin Van Hook, Mark Badger, Michael Davis, Rick Stasi, Paul Gulacy, Joe Landsdale, and, of course, John’s GrimJack collaborator Timothy Truman. We’re getting commitments every day,” committee co-chairperson Adriane Nash stated.

Contributions can be made through PayPal at www.comix4sight.com or by sending a check to:
Mike Gold and Adriane Nash
arrogantMGMS
304 Main Avenue, #194
Norwalk, CT 06851

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