23 years of this site still chugging along...
Kasdan and Kinberg may be working on Star Wars but not necessarily Episodes VIII and IX
by Doc on Nov.28, 2012, under Movies
These are not the sequels you are looking for…
It has yet to be confirmed that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg have been hired by Disney to work on the the Star Wars franchise films, THR reports that they are working on the franchise, but not necessarily on the expected Episode VIII and IX films.
It seems that as part of Disney’s desire to expand the franchise (and apparently wants to do so quickly), the two may be working to take the franchise in different directions with spinoffs or similar projects, which they would produce, and could eventually be given “Episode” status.
Syfy greenlights trio of paranormal reality shows
by Doc on Nov.28, 2012, under Television
Marking the significant expansion of its popular reality programming, Syfy today announced it is greenlighting three new series: Ghost Mine, Stranded and Notorious Hauntings. This slate builds upon Syfy’s popular paranormal reality programming block led by Ghost Hunters, Paranormal Witness and Haunted Collector.
In making the announcement, Mark Stern, President, Original Content for Syfy and Co-head, Original Content for Universal Cable Productions, said: “Each of these series takes a known and successful formula and turns it on its head. Whether it is eclectic gold miners in the midst of paranormal activity, paranormal enthusiasts self-documenting the most haunted locations in America, or investigators researching and examining history’s most notorious criminals and legends in the world’s most haunted locations, these shows celebrate imagination while further strengthening Syfy’s successful reality brand.”
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Official synposis for Star Trek: Into Darkness
by Doc on Nov.27, 2012, under Movies
Finally, something about what is going on in the upcoming Star Trek movie! J.J. Abrams hasn’t been very forthcoming, so far only showing a fraction of a second of film, but now we’ve got a synopsis to give us some idea of what the movie is about:
In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness.
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.
As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
So, this doesn’t sound at all like the return of Khan Noonian Singh, which all the early rumors claimed that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing. But who could the unstoppable force be? Gary Mitchell, anyone?
McKellan, Stewart to appear in X-Men: Days Of Future Past
by Doc on Nov.27, 2012, under Movies
It seems that the upcoming X-Men: Days Of Future Past will have a pair of Professors, a pair of Magnetos – and a pair of knights! Actors Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Patrick Stewart have been announced to appear in the movie in their respective franchise roles, despite the film being a sequel to the younger-cast X-Men: First Class. How this will be accomplished is unknown, but I’m expecting the film to be played as a flashback memory between the two old friend/foes, or else there is something of a Star Trek-style reboot. In any case, stock just went up…
Syfy announces details, interviewees for 20th anniversary special
by Doc on Nov.27, 2012, under Television
Happy Birthday, Syfy! On Monday, December 10 at 9PM (ET/PT), the Channel will celebrate two decades of award-winning, imaginative entertainment programming during the star-studded Syfy 20th Anniversary Special.
From iconic series such as Farscape, Battlestar Galactica and Warehouse 13 to Ghost Hunters, Face Off and the upcoming transmedia experience Defiance, the special will look back on Syfy’s launch and evolution, and ahead to the future through the personal, behind-the-scenes insights of the creative talent themselves.
Said Dave Howe, President, Syfy & Chiller: “For 20 years, Syfy has been the leader in visionary and provocative entertainment programming. In this celebratory special, the extraordinary talent at the heart of the powerful Syfy brand will talk exclusively about the lasting impact Syfy has had on the media landscape for the last two decades.”
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The latest production update from Peter Jackson on The Hobbit
by Doc on Nov.26, 2012, under Movies
We’re not far from the debut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – and they are still doing post production! Here is the latest video about the production – and at times, it’s downright silly 🙂
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Catch a recap of Revolution with Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams before tonight’s fall finale
by Doc on Nov.26, 2012, under Television
Tonight is the fall finale for NBC’s Revolution – and if you’ve missed anything, get caught up right here with this 3 minute recap of the the series so far with executive producers Eric Kripke and J.J Abrams – and they promise that tonight’s big episode will change everything you thought you knew about the show!
[Video no longer available]
Syfy brings Robot boxing to reality with Robot Combat League
by Doc on Nov.26, 2012, under Television
I miss Robot Wars and BattleBots – the shows that brought exciting clashes between remotely controlled devices of destruction (and occasionally self-destruction) to TV. But seldom did they take on any sort of anthropomorphic form like in Real Steel – most were squat devices on wheels with spinning hammers or pneumatic spatulas.
Well, now Syfy has taken a step towards real fighting robots with Robot Combat League, a weekly series hosted by the WWE’s Chris Jericho and will feature eight-feet tall, state-of-the-art humanoid robots controlled by human “robo-jockeys”, competing tournament-style. The show will debut on February 26th at 10pm ET.
The idea of robots in battle has captured the imagination for generations. Now, through ground-breaking engineering, the fusion of a human’s fighting spirit with a powerful robotic machine built for destruction has become a reality. This extraordinary new series will feature twelve teams consisting of a fighter (a “robo-jockey”) and a robotics engineer (a “robo-tech”) from myriad backgrounds including a race car driver, an Olympic athlete, a National Guard helicopter pilot along with a mix of professional fighters and software engineers. Each team is paired with its own unique robot and will fight in a first-of-its kind competition using a high-tech exo-suit that translates their movements to their robot. Each fight consists of three rounds of intense action, with the winning team advancing in the competition.
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Merlin will not return for a sixth series
by Doc on Nov.26, 2012, under Television
Found out through the official twitter account – the BBC has announced that Merlin will not return for a sixth series, with the fifth series currently airing in the U.K. and starting in the U.S. in January.
Star Colin Morgan said, “I know this is the end, and I know this is goodbye, but thank you for being there on the journey with us.” Co-star Katie McGrath added, “It’s completely the right time to draw our telling of the story to a close.”
The BBC Media Centre also has a release, with an interview with Colin Morgan talking about the final series.
Update: Word is that Shine TV and FreemantleMedia Enterprises are in the early stages of exploring spin-offs within the universe established by Merlin, but creators Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy have announced they are departing Shine TV to form their own company.
A holiday SF-themed buying guide
by Doc on Nov.25, 2012, under Games, Movies, Television
I haven’t done one of these in a few years, but I thought I’d put together a small holiday buying guide for SF lovers – at least some of the items I think readers of this site would like…
To start, I cannot say enough about Ashley Eckstein’s Her Universe – except that I am jealous as the merchandise is for females of the species. My loss appears to be my wife and daughters gain – they love their shirts, and they might just be finding a few more delivered by Santa this year…just this week there are two new Doctor Who shirts – “Whovian” and “The Girl Who Waited”, while on the Star Wars side there are new “Cute Vader” pajamas and a Japanese-style V-neck. And the Ahsoka Tano hoodie, representing Ashley’s alter ego, is now available in adult sizes due to demand.
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