Sci-Fi Storm

Now that most everyone has had time to process the finale, I’d like to open up the comments section to discussions about it. Anyone reading the full thread of comments can expect there to be SPOILERS, so don’t read further if you haven’t watched and don’t want to be spoiled. In the meantime, Ronald D. Moore has mentioned that the DVD release will include and extended cut of the finale, mostly dealing with longer scenes but including a scene showed several times during “The Last Frakkin’ Special” between Starbuck and Adama about hooking Anders up in the CIC that I didn’t remember in the original…

With everyone giving opinions as to the SCI FI Channel’s recently announced name change to “SyFy”, SFC founder Mitch Rubenstein spoke out about why it was SCI FI Channel in the first place – and it was the influence of Isaac Asimov to help get the name accepted by the SF community, who long felt that “Sci-Fi” was a belittling term for the genre.

“Buzzy Multimedia announces they have obtained the rights to offer the Hurog series by bestselling author Patricia Briggs.
Buzzy Multimedia, a publisher of sci-fi and fantasy audio books, has obtained the rights to record the Hurog Duology by bestselling author Patricia Briggs. The series includes the popular titles of “Dragon Bones” and “Dragon Blood.” The release dates and chosen narrator will be announced at a later time.”
Read More for more details.

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The citizens of Vulcan (the town in Canada, not the planet) apparently aren’t getting their own premiere of the upcoming Star Trek, but Leonard Nimoy is trying to change that. Keeping somewhat in character, he is “disappointed” but not sad “because to say I’m sad would be too emotional,” Nimoy said. As for the residents, “I think they should get emotional about it.” It doesn’t help that the town doesn’t have a theater – they’d have to set something up in the gymnasium.

Amanda Tapping, in an interview mostly regarding Sanctuary, was asked about whether the upcoming Stargate Atlantis DVD movie had been shot yet – it hadn’t. But in the process she let slip, “And apparently there’s an SG-1 movie as well that will be happening.” First I’ve heard of it, and there are no other details, but interesting news none the less.

Building on the 10 month old report from Lee Zlotoff about a possible big-screen adventure for MacGyver, apparently the production team is in place, with Raffaella De Laurentiis (Dune) producing with Zlotoff and her stepmother Martha De Laurentiis, and father Dino De Laurentiis executive producing, under Raffaella’s Raffaella Prods. and New Line Cinema. No writer or director has been named yet. And I’m probably the only one that didn’t make a “duct tape and twine” reference in the headline…

Harlan Ellison, who wrote the script for the original Star Trek episode “City On The Edge Of Forever”, has filed suit against Paramount for use of the work without paying him for revenues, mostly on derivative works based on the situations and plot of “City”, and even a Hallmark ornament of the Guardian Of Forever. Also named in the suit is the Writers Guild of America, for failing to act on Ellison’s behalf. And in true Ellison character he says, “I’m no hypocrite. It ain’t about the ‘principle,’ friend, its about the MONEY! Pay Me! Am I doing this for other writers, for Mom (still dead), and apple pie? Hell no! I’m doing it for the 35-year-long disrespect and the money!”

In attempt to “broadens perceptions” and “embraces a wider range of current and future imagination-based entertainment” (and probably a lot to do with trademarks), the SCI FI Channel has announced a name change to “Syfy”, which apparently to someone in their marketing department “…more clearly captures the mainstream appeal of the world’s biggest entertainment category.” Actually, it means we can’t call the channel “Skiffy” any more. Update 3/20: SFC president Dave Howe answers some frank questions.

A lot of times when you adapt material for the big screen, you have to leave something out…maybe it wasn’t directly important to the story being told, or it was too long, or too difficult to film. I’m sure Watchmen is full of this…but that doesn’t mean all the stories can’t be told. Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter & Under The Hood (available March 24th on [sfsasin=B001QTWC0K]DVD[/sfsasin], [sfsasin=B001QTWC00]Blu-ray[/sfsasin], and [sfsasin=B001RU311M]on-demand/download[/sfsasin]. It takes the story from a comic book as seen in the movie/graphic novel and the supplemental background story and brings them to life.

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Marvel Entertaiment is rescheduling some of its releases, pushing back both Thor (now scheduled for June 17, 2011) and Avengers (May 4, 2012) by about a year from their previous dates. According to Marvel they’ll concentrate their single character films in 2011 with Thor, Captain America (also pushed back a few months to spread them out) and Spider-Man (with Iron Man 2 still scheduled for 2010), and giving a “runway” leading up to the cross-franchise Avengers. It also gives Marvel a major tentpole release in 2012, which it did not have before. There is also a hint of a lot more cross-pollination between the franchises coming…