With prep finally underway for the show’s fifth season, my focus has shifted from this blog to the production. That said, I’m well aware that many of you check in here on a regular basis fully expecting a daily entry. Well, rather than disappoint anyone, it’s at times like these when I call on my friends to help pick up the slack. In this case, Cookie Monster and Baron Destruto who have been kind enough to drop in today and offer some dvd and movie reviews. But be warned - spoilers abound!
SNAKES ON A PLANE
Reviewed by Cookie Monster
Snakes on a Plane be good, old-fashioned fun popcorn movie. Minus fun. And not very good. Or old-fashioned. Also, no popcorn. Still, for movie dat make hardly any sense, it move along at brisk pace. What little story dere is about guy who taking flight from Hawaii to Los Anjelees to testify against mobster. But mobster find easy way to keep him from to testify. He put crateful of crazy poisonous snakes on plane! So simple, Cookie Monster surprised we don’t see dis happen more often. Airport security always checking shoes, but never checking innocent-looking crate of snakes. Something to tink about.
Anyway, halfway through flight door on snake crate blow open. At dis point, Cookie Monster tink “Hey, wait minute. If able to sneak bomb on board for to blow up crate door, why not just sneak bigger bomb on board for to blow up plane?” But Cookie Monster not film producer, so not have answer. Snakes get loose. Lots of people get bited. Some unlucky and die right away. Some lucky (aka - bigger stars) and hang around for a while. Snakes not only angry, but very spiteful. Sometimes bite, sometimes climb into people’s eyes and mouths, sometimes slither by in foreground of shot and wink at camera. People in business class more lucky because no snakes upstairs in deir section, but not so lucky later when riffraff finally reckon dey be better off not flying coach. Figuring dat out easy part. Figuring out how to climb stairs much, much harder. Staircase collapse and everyone fall down onto waiting snakes, making great case for why some people not cut out for first class travel. Luckily, FBI agent Samuel L. Jackson on board and he get in touch with “hardcore” snake expert played by actor who either make decision to play character sleepy-drunk or not bother to learn lines so look like he read dem off back of car headrest. Expert get anti-venom ready. Sam tell everyone to buckle up, den shoot out window. Plane decompress and snakes all sucked out (and presoomably land on unlucky picnickers and sunbathers). Sammy J. land plane. Phew! Nightmare over. Or is it? No because now dey make Snakes on a Train.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Reviewed by Baron Destructo
Has anyone else happened to notice the growing divide between critics and the general movie-going public? While the great unwashed make box office hits of the likes of Meet the Spartans and Enchanted, movie critics are heaping praise on cryptic and increasingly inaccessible films like There Will Be Blood and Michael Clayton. What has caused this increasingly widening rift? Is the general movie-going public really that much stupider than they were, oh, ten years ago? Baron Destructo would argue yes, yes they are. On the other hand, have the endless movie-watching demands of their jobs rendered critics so jaded and cynical that they’ll laud any movie for the mere act of breaking established filmic convention? Again, Baron Destructo would argue yes, yes they have.
No Country for Old Men is a brilliant three-quarters of a movie. Beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, it had me and the rest of the League of Aliens and Mutants for Evil on the edge of our Corinthian leather recliners. Javier Bardem’s portrayal of the dispassionately ruthless killer Anton Chigurh is chilling and more than a little reminiscent of a young Count Sinister. Yet, for some reason, the film ultimately eschews its taut, suspenseful narrative to - a) kill off the protagonist off-screen, and b) continue along matter-of-factly some twenty minutes past it’s dramatically satisfying conclusion. The Baron would argue that there is a good reason the three-act structure has become so entrenched as a way of telling a story on the big screen. BECAUSE IT WORKS! While the Baron won’t go so far as to say it’s a hard and fast rule that should never be broken, he will argue that there should be a good reason for doing so. And the breaking of tradition for the simple sake of being different is not so much a statement as it is an affected FU to the audience.
Of course, like most associations, the League of Aliens and Mutants for Evil boasts its fair share of pseudo-intellecti and preening cognoscenti, and they have been quick to disagree with the Baron…
“But the Josh Brolin character wasn’t the protagonist,”argues the Malevolater. “The Sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones shares in this role, so the decision to dispatch of Josh’s character off-screen and about a half an hour before the final credits is a sound one.”
- “Your cervo implants must be messing up your synaptic plasticity,”the Baron counters. “A film’s protagonist is it’s hero, the character driving the action. The Tommy Lee Jones character, on the other hand, was a passive entity, a commentator/philosopher more akin to Ancient Greek drama’s Chorus. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.”
“But that’s the way it happened in the book!”argues the Malevolater.
- “So what?”is the Baron’s response. “Perhaps the most important aspect of adapting a book to the big screen is in translating the written word to the visual medium, giving the source material life within the filmic framework. The book and the movie are separate entities and should be appreciated as such. ”
In the end, the Baron doesn’t mind the odd artistic peculiarities. In truth, he has attended more of Glaxnor the Miscreant’s performance art shows than he would care to admit to. But, again, it must make sense within the framework of the movie. Take the Sheriff’s post-shooting visit to the motel room. He stands outside, anxious, perhaps a little fearful. We cut inside to reveal the Chigurh character inside, seemingly waiting for him. Eventually, the Sheriff heads inside and - Chigurh is not there. What happened? Did he dislocate his skeletal structure and slip out through the air conditioning vent like the Purple Lamprey escaping the clutches of Justice Incorporated as Princess Arcana suggested? No. According to the actor who played Chigurh, his character was never in the room. “It was a manifestation of the Sheriff’s fear,”explained the Malevolater. To which the Baron counters: “Is your adreno-serum screwing with your basal ganglia? How the hell can he possibly imagine someone he has never met before?”
What made this experience so frustrating for the Baron was the fact that No Country for Old Men IS a truly great movie up to a certain point, and then it seemingly ceases to care - about its characters, its audience, and what has come before. The Baron is reminded of the incredibly unsatisfying conclusion to The Sopranos and how faux wunderkinds tripped all over one another to celebrate its out-of-the-box finale, meticulously deciphering supposed clues in the narrative - hidden symbols, turns of the phrase - that, in their minds, presented irrefutable evidence that Tony Sopranos had been killed off at series’ end. Painstakingly conceived theories that were, in the end, completely upended when show creator/finale writer David Chase revealed that - No, Tony Sopranos was, in fact, not dead.
Fie! The Baron yearns for the day when the broad chasm between the cinema dilettante and the masses of mouth-breathers is finally bridged. When we can all unite in our adoration of movies like Braveheart and The Silence of the Lambs. When he can spend a peaceful movie night with his fellow megalomaniacal mates without having to resort to his fire gauntlets to get the Malevolater to shut the hell up! Is it really so much to ask?
Today’s entry is dedicated to Rachel and our friends in the Southern U.S.
Today’s mailbag -
Narellefromaus writes: “I’ve decided to read another Iain Banks novel. You recommend both The Player of Games and Use of Weapons. Do you have a preference of one over the other?”
Answer: They’re both excellent - but I would lean toward Player of Games.
Thornyrose writes: “You’ve indicated McGillion is onboard for 5 episodes. Do you already have outlines for those stories, or are you planning to write the scripts now that you know you have the character?”
Answer: One of Beckett’s appearances has already been scripted. Another two have been outlined and about to be written. And, at this point, we have a vague idea for two more.
Karen writes: “Can you reassure us that Zelenka will be back?”
Answer: Yes, rest assured Zelenka will be back for the show‘s fifth season. As will Lorne.
JoJoB writes: “Oh, and another point about Keller, not everyone who skips grades and graduates early has a miserable childhood. I skipped two grades and graduated high school at 16 1/2. I had no “fitting in” problems. I went to dances, to my prom, was in the marching band, the chorus, played sports and was a normal high schooler. The only problem I had was that I was the only senior who had to take the bus to school since the driving age in New Jersey is 17. I had to live on campus my freshman year of college since I still wasn’t old enough to drive. My experiences didn’t ostracize me. I married my college sweetheart, we have a beautiful daughter and just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. I have a successful career, too.”
Answer: Congratulations to you. However, I’m sure it’s remotely possible that others have had very different experiences.
Kate writes: “Only letting through the good stuff, hey Joe?”
Answer: Actually, if you’d bothered to read through the preceding comments, you would have noticed there’s a good mix of opinion here. I just have zero tolerance for obnoxious posters. But I’ll make an exception in your case.
Kate also writes: “…you got rid of Elizabeth because she wasn’t leadership material because Atlantis was at war, right, and you needed someone military.”
Answer: I believe you’re confusing the behind-the-scenes decision on the character and the ensuing in-show explanation for the change.
Kate also writes: “You may as well rename the show “Stargate: Crybabies”.”
Answer: I think that would be a far more appropriate title for your comment.
Kate also writes: “The decisons to get rid of Beckett and Weir, the decisions to switch to Carter and Keller, and now the decision to bring in Woolsey as a leader — […] — will go down in scifi history as some of the dumbest things ever done.”
Answer: I don’t know. It’s gonna be tough to up-end those ewoks from the top spot.
Kate also writes: “You need your head read.”
Answer: You mean like phrenology? Please. I don’t buy into that antiquated mumbo jumbo, preferring instead the far more grounded practices of galvanism and moxibustion.
Kate also writes: “If you haven’t even spoken to Torri, or decided how many episodes you want her for, isn’t it a little presumptuous to be telling fans she’ll be back?”
Answer: Not necessarily.
Ascended Tauri writes: “Will we see the Wraith worshiper that escaped at the end of ‘Reunion’ return this season, or in Season 5?”
Answer: We’ll be seeing Tyre (played by Mark Dacascos) in season 5’s Broken Ties.
Jenn writes: “ Will the focus of the show still be on the team (i.e. Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon and McKay) in season 5?”
Answer: Yes, both as a team and as individuals.
Kamilla writes: “I was wondering who wrote these last episodes of season four?”
Answer: Midway - Carl Binder, Trio - Martin Gero, Kindred I - Joseph Mallozzi, Kindred II - Alan McCullough, The Last Man - Paul Mullie.
Fargate writes: “Do you consider Mrs Claudia Black to play Porter’s character?”
Answer: Nope.
Khyrra writes: “In regards to Sheppard knowing McKay’s password in “Quarantine”: did we ever actually see Rodney tell John the code? It seems like I remember such a scene, but no one on the SciFi Channel board can find it(several of us have been scanning transcripts). Are we all crazy, or did it happen offscreen?”
Answer: I’m sorry to say that, yes, you are crazy.
Ernie writes: “I have a question as I was watching some of SG-1 Seasons. I noticed a lot of the episodes are labeled with the actors as Executive Producers or writers. Like RDA as Executive Producer and Christopher Judge as writer. Is this something that the actors wanted to do to help their career or something fun for them?”
Answer: Rick started on the show as an executive producer. As for Chris, he always expressed an interest in writing an episode and eventually did - The Changeling. He went on to write several more and is presently shopping a pilot he wrote - Rage of Angels. I think writing is definitely something Chris enjoys, although I think you’d have to ask him for the details.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
February 5, 2008
In case you hadn’t noticed, that long-awaited Atlantis season 5 press release finally came out today (check it out here: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=48051)
For those of you who just got back from the moon and may have missed it, here are the salient points -
1. Woolsey assumes command of the Atlantis expedition!
I’ve always admired Robert Picardo’s work in shows like China Beach and Star Trek: Voyager and we had been looking to cast him for a long time. Finally, the opportunity presented itself in SG-1’s Heroes I and II in which he played the button-down Trust attorney Richard Woolsey. He was a fun, albeit not all-that-likable character, and it wasn’t until his next appearance, in the episode Inauguration, that we caught a glimpse of the man beneath the officious façade. Despite being innately hard-nosed and by-the-book, Woolsey redeems himself at episode’s end by allowing his own moral compass to guide him rather than blindly follow the directions of his scheming employer, Vice President Kinsey. In ensuing appearances (Prototype, The Scourge, Return I and II, and the Seer), he proved himself at times obtrusive, fastidious, and, yes, a pain-in-the-ass, but also loyal, intelligent, and above all, principled.
Way back at the end of season three when we were considering a new commander, Woolsey was one of the first names that popped into my head. I thought he would be a great choice - an established player in the Stargate universe and an interesting character that could offer much in the way of potential conflict. It also didn’t hurt that Bob is a nice guy, and a wonderful actor who has hit it out of the park every time he’s appeared on the show. After much discussion though, it was decided at the time that Carter would be a better fit. And we had a great season with her. But with Amanda having made the difficult decision to commit herself to another project, the opportunity to bring in Woolsey presented itself once again. And, this time, we took it.
Of course, his appointment does beg certain questions, the chiefest being: If Carter was appointed commander of the Atlantis expedition as a military response to the ongoing replicator and wraith threat, what has changed between then and now? Good question. Tune into season 5 to find out.
2. The beloved Dr. Carson Beckett returns for five episodes!
It’s impossible to write “Dr. Carson Beckett” without using the term “beloved” I’ve noticed. Anyway, yes, it’s true, Paul McGillion will be back with us for 5 episodes. It was great having him back on set in season 4 and we all look forward to seeing significantly more of him this year. “How is this possible?”you ask. “I thought he was dead!”you say. Hey, now that you mention it, he WAS dead! How does that work? Well, tune in to the last few episode of season 4 to find out.
3. Daniel Jackson will be guesting in some episodes.
So far, we’ve got a terrific, BIG two-parter planned. I suspect that the page count in the Daniel/McKay scenes (featuring the two fastest-talking actors in show business) will have the scheduling gurus doing back-flips. Remember that new enemy I mentioned? Oh, and Marty G. will be doing the honors on this one.
4. Samantha Carter will appear in several episodes.
Given Amanda’s upcoming commitment, it’s impossible to offer an exact number of episodes. As I said, it really has everything to do with a) her schedule and b) the types of stories we come up with. However, I can say that, at present, we do have her locked in for two.
5. No mention of the Weir character
I’ve already stated our intention to pay off the storyline we hinted at in Be All My Sins Remember’d. We have the story in place and, once a deal is closed, you’ll be the first to hear about it.
For those of you asking about which line in the teaser poem refers to Outcast:
“Wallace’s research a menace let loose.”
Today’s blog is dedicated to birthday boyorgirl Konman72 and Sara who sent Lulu a practical yet fashionable E-Collar.
Let’s tackle the mailbag -
Aquarian writes: “ Is the Michael storyline going to be revisited at all in S5?”
Answer: Although we’ve yet to slot a story (or two) into the schedule, you can be sure we’ll see him pop up at some point in season 5.
PG-15 writes: “Was Bill Dow really sunburned, or was all of that makeup just to set up the joke that Dr. Lee got called in from vacation?”
Answer: No, he wasn’t really sunburned. That was scripted.
RaeveAva writes: “Where did you and the rest of the SGA writers, get your sense of humors?”
Answer: We were born with them. Except in the case of Marty G. His was genetically engineered.
Thornyrose writes: “When the decision was made to cast Hewlett, was there a lot of revising of scripts early on?”
Answer: Definitely. The McKay character is very different from the character Brad and Rob originally envisioned for the role.
MaryA writes: “I was wondering if you would be so willing as to confirm or deny Acastas Kolya’s reappearance in Season 5?”
Answer: Funny you should mention Kolya. I had a conversation with Robert Davi last week (coincidentally, a day after I spoke to Richard Kind, aka Lucius, concerning a chocolate article he came across recently). Although there are no stories in the works for either character - hey, this is scifi. Anything is possible.
Maren Sievert writes: “ I’ve herad that dogs like yours are prone to have breathing problem because of the way the nose is. Can you confirm that?
Answer: Confirmed. Jelly is particularly bad. She even snores when she’s awake.
Iamza writes: “have you read Susannah Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell yet?”
Answer: It’s sitting on my bookshelf. I’ll get around to it - eventually.
Marko writes: “I’m glad that he’s going to remain the team leader, but as for there being no discussion about promoting him… why on earth not? Carter made lieutenant colonel one year before he did; wouldn’t it then make sense for him to be promoted to full colonel one year after her, that is, in season 5?”
Answer: It would make sense if it was simply a matter of putting in the hours but, in fact, merit has a lot to do with it. Does Sheppard deserve to be made full bird Colonel? I guess you’d have to argue your case to the promotions selection committee.
Grace writes: “ You can say that Michael Shanks will ‘guest star’ in several episodes, but you can’t give the same statement for Torri.”
Answer: Yep, that’s about it. Michael Shanks will be in two episodes. So far.
Mark B writes: “Can you confirm if Jewel Staite will be regular or recurring next season?”
Answer: Jewel will be a regular next year.
Lea writes: “Woolsey’s so incredibly annoying…”
Answer: So was Dr. Rodney McKay the first time we met him in Redemption I and II.
Inpa writes: “The mysterious character Porter, was an announcement about her *not* included because the actress hasn’t been decided, because she won’t be *significant enough* in the show, or some other reason?”
Answer: She has yet to be cast and we have yet to see how significant a role she will play in season 5.
Inpa also writes: “Also how was the decision to bring Woolsey over made, I know the writers have said it was considered when thinking who would be in charge for season 4. Was it a quick obvious decision or did it require a lot of thought?”
Answer: It took us approximately three seconds.
Emily writes: “I finished reading Bright of the Sky. I was a little concerned about it since it kind of straddled the line between sci-fi and fantasy (imo) and I’m not a huge fan of fantasy, but overall I thought it was a good read. My least favorite storyline was actually Quinn’s…”
Answer: Funny you should say that. I was all onboard with the Quinn storyline until the narrative shifted to Sydney. At that point, Quinn’s quest became secondary to the far more interesting, character-driven Sydney storyline. Although there were interesting elements in Quinn’s drive to rescue his daughter, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in Sydney’s plight.
Farscapefan writes: “what the hell are you thinking sending Daniel to Atlantis WITHOUT Vala? You know very well that these two are totally incomplete without another around! And I swear, I’m gonna hate you forever if you make Daniel act like Vala doesn’t exist at all and there won’t be at least one mention of her.”
Answer: Done and done. I’ll cross you off my Christmas card list.
Mrs.B108 writes: “Will Season Five introduce new enemies alongside its new Atlantis personnel?”
Answer: Yep.
Amyfo writes: “Joe look what I found, I think you’ll enjoy this.
http://www.linein.org/media/screenclean.swf”
Answer: Yeah, that’s how I keep my monitors clean. Jelly can’t get enough.
For those of you who just got back from the moon and may have missed it, here are the salient points -
1. Woolsey assumes command of the Atlantis expedition!
I’ve always admired Robert Picardo’s work in shows like China Beach and Star Trek: Voyager and we had been looking to cast him for a long time. Finally, the opportunity presented itself in SG-1’s Heroes I and II in which he played the button-down Trust attorney Richard Woolsey. He was a fun, albeit not all-that-likable character, and it wasn’t until his next appearance, in the episode Inauguration, that we caught a glimpse of the man beneath the officious façade. Despite being innately hard-nosed and by-the-book, Woolsey redeems himself at episode’s end by allowing his own moral compass to guide him rather than blindly follow the directions of his scheming employer, Vice President Kinsey. In ensuing appearances (Prototype, The Scourge, Return I and II, and the Seer), he proved himself at times obtrusive, fastidious, and, yes, a pain-in-the-ass, but also loyal, intelligent, and above all, principled.
Way back at the end of season three when we were considering a new commander, Woolsey was one of the first names that popped into my head. I thought he would be a great choice - an established player in the Stargate universe and an interesting character that could offer much in the way of potential conflict. It also didn’t hurt that Bob is a nice guy, and a wonderful actor who has hit it out of the park every time he’s appeared on the show. After much discussion though, it was decided at the time that Carter would be a better fit. And we had a great season with her. But with Amanda having made the difficult decision to commit herself to another project, the opportunity to bring in Woolsey presented itself once again. And, this time, we took it.
Of course, his appointment does beg certain questions, the chiefest being: If Carter was appointed commander of the Atlantis expedition as a military response to the ongoing replicator and wraith threat, what has changed between then and now? Good question. Tune into season 5 to find out.
2. The beloved Dr. Carson Beckett returns for five episodes!
It’s impossible to write “Dr. Carson Beckett” without using the term “beloved” I’ve noticed. Anyway, yes, it’s true, Paul McGillion will be back with us for 5 episodes. It was great having him back on set in season 4 and we all look forward to seeing significantly more of him this year. “How is this possible?”you ask. “I thought he was dead!”you say. Hey, now that you mention it, he WAS dead! How does that work? Well, tune in to the last few episode of season 4 to find out.
3. Daniel Jackson will be guesting in some episodes.
So far, we’ve got a terrific, BIG two-parter planned. I suspect that the page count in the Daniel/McKay scenes (featuring the two fastest-talking actors in show business) will have the scheduling gurus doing back-flips. Remember that new enemy I mentioned? Oh, and Marty G. will be doing the honors on this one.
4. Samantha Carter will appear in several episodes.
Given Amanda’s upcoming commitment, it’s impossible to offer an exact number of episodes. As I said, it really has everything to do with a) her schedule and b) the types of stories we come up with. However, I can say that, at present, we do have her locked in for two.
5. No mention of the Weir character
I’ve already stated our intention to pay off the storyline we hinted at in Be All My Sins Remember’d. We have the story in place and, once a deal is closed, you’ll be the first to hear about it.
For those of you asking about which line in the teaser poem refers to Outcast:
“Wallace’s research a menace let loose.”
Today’s blog is dedicated to birthday boyorgirl Konman72 and Sara who sent Lulu a practical yet fashionable E-Collar.
Let’s tackle the mailbag -
Aquarian writes: “ Is the Michael storyline going to be revisited at all in S5?”
Answer: Although we’ve yet to slot a story (or two) into the schedule, you can be sure we’ll see him pop up at some point in season 5.
PG-15 writes: “Was Bill Dow really sunburned, or was all of that makeup just to set up the joke that Dr. Lee got called in from vacation?”
Answer: No, he wasn’t really sunburned. That was scripted.
RaeveAva writes: “Where did you and the rest of the SGA writers, get your sense of humors?”
Answer: We were born with them. Except in the case of Marty G. His was genetically engineered.
Thornyrose writes: “When the decision was made to cast Hewlett, was there a lot of revising of scripts early on?”
Answer: Definitely. The McKay character is very different from the character Brad and Rob originally envisioned for the role.
MaryA writes: “I was wondering if you would be so willing as to confirm or deny Acastas Kolya’s reappearance in Season 5?”
Answer: Funny you should mention Kolya. I had a conversation with Robert Davi last week (coincidentally, a day after I spoke to Richard Kind, aka Lucius, concerning a chocolate article he came across recently). Although there are no stories in the works for either character - hey, this is scifi. Anything is possible.
Maren Sievert writes: “ I’ve herad that dogs like yours are prone to have breathing problem because of the way the nose is. Can you confirm that?
Answer: Confirmed. Jelly is particularly bad. She even snores when she’s awake.
Iamza writes: “have you read Susannah Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell yet?”
Answer: It’s sitting on my bookshelf. I’ll get around to it - eventually.
Marko writes: “I’m glad that he’s going to remain the team leader, but as for there being no discussion about promoting him… why on earth not? Carter made lieutenant colonel one year before he did; wouldn’t it then make sense for him to be promoted to full colonel one year after her, that is, in season 5?”
Answer: It would make sense if it was simply a matter of putting in the hours but, in fact, merit has a lot to do with it. Does Sheppard deserve to be made full bird Colonel? I guess you’d have to argue your case to the promotions selection committee.
Grace writes: “ You can say that Michael Shanks will ‘guest star’ in several episodes, but you can’t give the same statement for Torri.”
Answer: Yep, that’s about it. Michael Shanks will be in two episodes. So far.
Mark B writes: “Can you confirm if Jewel Staite will be regular or recurring next season?”
Answer: Jewel will be a regular next year.
Lea writes: “Woolsey’s so incredibly annoying…”
Answer: So was Dr. Rodney McKay the first time we met him in Redemption I and II.
Inpa writes: “The mysterious character Porter, was an announcement about her *not* included because the actress hasn’t been decided, because she won’t be *significant enough* in the show, or some other reason?”
Answer: She has yet to be cast and we have yet to see how significant a role she will play in season 5.
Inpa also writes: “Also how was the decision to bring Woolsey over made, I know the writers have said it was considered when thinking who would be in charge for season 4. Was it a quick obvious decision or did it require a lot of thought?”
Answer: It took us approximately three seconds.
Emily writes: “I finished reading Bright of the Sky. I was a little concerned about it since it kind of straddled the line between sci-fi and fantasy (imo) and I’m not a huge fan of fantasy, but overall I thought it was a good read. My least favorite storyline was actually Quinn’s…”
Answer: Funny you should say that. I was all onboard with the Quinn storyline until the narrative shifted to Sydney. At that point, Quinn’s quest became secondary to the far more interesting, character-driven Sydney storyline. Although there were interesting elements in Quinn’s drive to rescue his daughter, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in Sydney’s plight.
Farscapefan writes: “what the hell are you thinking sending Daniel to Atlantis WITHOUT Vala? You know very well that these two are totally incomplete without another around! And I swear, I’m gonna hate you forever if you make Daniel act like Vala doesn’t exist at all and there won’t be at least one mention of her.”
Answer: Done and done. I’ll cross you off my Christmas card list.
Mrs.B108 writes: “Will Season Five introduce new enemies alongside its new Atlantis personnel?”
Answer: Yep.
Amyfo writes: “Joe look what I found, I think you’ll enjoy this.
http://www.linein.org/media/screenclean.swf”
Answer: Yeah, that’s how I keep my monitors clean. Jelly can’t get enough.
February 4, 2008
Last night, the transformation was almost completed. A Boston team came very close to becoming that which it has historially despised: the New York Yankees. But as it turned out, it was all for naught. I know, I know. Oh, ye of little faith. Cookie Monster was gloating all night. Despite my pessimism, those Giants came through. I couldn’t have asked for a better game. Or a better outcome. To go undefeated in the regular season, make it all the way to the Superbowl - and lose. How sweet it is! Probably the only ones happier than me, Cookie Monster, and fans of the New York Giants were the 1972 undefeated Miami Dolphins team. Oh, and my sister who doesn’t know anything about football and called me yesterday afternoon on her way to a Superbowl party. “Who should I bet on and what should I say to make it sound like I know what I’m talking about?“ “Bet on the Giants,“I advised. “And say they have the better pass rush.“ She ended up winning $60 in the party pick’em pool.
GREATEST. SUPERBOWL. EVER!
Also, a handful of great commercials. My Top 5 faves:
5. Bud Light - Ability to Fly
4. Bridgestone - Squirrel
3. Tide - Screaming Stain
2. Doritos - Mouse Trap
1. Doritos - Mouse Trap!!!
Check ‘em out here: http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads
The results are in for the next book of the month club discussions.
In the scifi category, it’ll be Timescape by Gregory Benford. Discussion will begin April 7th.
In the horror category, F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep gets the nod. Discussion on this book will begin April 14th.
Finally, in the fantasy category, Jeffrey Ford’s Empire of Ice Cream wins a hard-fought battle. Discussion on this book will begin April 21st.
Hopefully, that will give everyone plenty of time to read the selection(s) of their choice. Between now and then, I nevertheless intend to read the nominees that didn’t make the cut (Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box, Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age, and Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind) and invite you to join me and weigh in with your comments.
Perusing the fan forums this past weekend, I noticed a significant amount of anxious speculation concerning the show’s fifth season. Some of the more outlandish assumptions seem to stem from a SliceofSciFi article that refers to various rumors surrounding Atlantis’s fifth season. Allow me to put some of those rumors to rest. According to the article:
“With the absence of Carter, Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) will pick up more leadership responsibilities. Rumor has it he may even be in for a promotion to Full Bird Colonel, however, nothing along those lines has been confirmed.”
There has never been any discussion about promoting Sheppard and his leadership responsibilities as team leader will remain unchanged.
“We may also be seeing a little less of Rachel Luttrell as Teyla, at least in the early goings of the new season. As every fan of the series knows Rachel spent most of Season 4 being pregnant for real. By the time Season 5 airs she will have delivered her baby and will be spending some quality time with her new addition to the family. She is expected to return in full capacity later in the season, however.”
Rachel remains a series regular and an important part of the team. Two of the first three episodes see some major developments for the character.
“There will be an addition to the Atlantis SG Team named Captain Alison Parker. She is military, tough and ready for action, but frustrated over Colonel Carter’s slowness in making her a permanent part of the team. That will change quickly after the first episode.”
The character’s name is Porter, not Parker, and there are no plans to put her on Sheppard’s team. So, to spell it out for everyone - Porter has NOT been brought in to replace Teyla on the team.
“One of sci-fi fans favorite actresses, Kari Wuhrer (”Sliders”) appeared in Season 4 in the episode “Outcast” (air date Feb. 1, 2008) as Homeland Security agent Nancy Sheppard (Lt. Col. John Sheppard’s ex-wife). It has been rumored that she may be back for a few episodes next season as well.”
Kari is a wonderful actress and we like the character a lot, but there are at present no plans to bring her back. That’s not to say it won’t happen - just not anytime soon.
“Michael, everybody’s favorite Wraith (Connor Trinnear of “Star Trek: Enterprise”), will have a very significant storyline in Season 5,”
A very significant storyline? That’s news to us in the writing department.
“The show will also get to see a lot more from recurring characters like Major Evan Lorne (Kavan Smith) and Dr. Katie Brown (Brenda James), Rodney McKay’s (David Hewlett) love interest.”
Half points on this one.
I’m posting early today to tell everyone to go back to bed. Apparently, Scifi has pushed the press release to tomorrow. Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Today’s entry is dedicated marielabbott who sent us two boxes of Midwestern chocolates and Giants wide receiver David Tyree who made the catch that sunk the Pats.
Today’s pics: Dogs and chocolate. Always a dangerous mix!
GREATEST. SUPERBOWL. EVER!
Also, a handful of great commercials. My Top 5 faves:
5. Bud Light - Ability to Fly
4. Bridgestone - Squirrel
3. Tide - Screaming Stain
2. Doritos - Mouse Trap
1. Doritos - Mouse Trap!!!
Check ‘em out here: http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads
The results are in for the next book of the month club discussions.
In the scifi category, it’ll be Timescape by Gregory Benford. Discussion will begin April 7th.
In the horror category, F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep gets the nod. Discussion on this book will begin April 14th.
Finally, in the fantasy category, Jeffrey Ford’s Empire of Ice Cream wins a hard-fought battle. Discussion on this book will begin April 21st.
Hopefully, that will give everyone plenty of time to read the selection(s) of their choice. Between now and then, I nevertheless intend to read the nominees that didn’t make the cut (Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box, Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age, and Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind) and invite you to join me and weigh in with your comments.
Perusing the fan forums this past weekend, I noticed a significant amount of anxious speculation concerning the show’s fifth season. Some of the more outlandish assumptions seem to stem from a SliceofSciFi article that refers to various rumors surrounding Atlantis’s fifth season. Allow me to put some of those rumors to rest. According to the article:
“With the absence of Carter, Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) will pick up more leadership responsibilities. Rumor has it he may even be in for a promotion to Full Bird Colonel, however, nothing along those lines has been confirmed.”
There has never been any discussion about promoting Sheppard and his leadership responsibilities as team leader will remain unchanged.
“We may also be seeing a little less of Rachel Luttrell as Teyla, at least in the early goings of the new season. As every fan of the series knows Rachel spent most of Season 4 being pregnant for real. By the time Season 5 airs she will have delivered her baby and will be spending some quality time with her new addition to the family. She is expected to return in full capacity later in the season, however.”
Rachel remains a series regular and an important part of the team. Two of the first three episodes see some major developments for the character.
“There will be an addition to the Atlantis SG Team named Captain Alison Parker. She is military, tough and ready for action, but frustrated over Colonel Carter’s slowness in making her a permanent part of the team. That will change quickly after the first episode.”
The character’s name is Porter, not Parker, and there are no plans to put her on Sheppard’s team. So, to spell it out for everyone - Porter has NOT been brought in to replace Teyla on the team.
“One of sci-fi fans favorite actresses, Kari Wuhrer (”Sliders”) appeared in Season 4 in the episode “Outcast” (air date Feb. 1, 2008) as Homeland Security agent Nancy Sheppard (Lt. Col. John Sheppard’s ex-wife). It has been rumored that she may be back for a few episodes next season as well.”
Kari is a wonderful actress and we like the character a lot, but there are at present no plans to bring her back. That’s not to say it won’t happen - just not anytime soon.
“Michael, everybody’s favorite Wraith (Connor Trinnear of “Star Trek: Enterprise”), will have a very significant storyline in Season 5,”
A very significant storyline? That’s news to us in the writing department.
“The show will also get to see a lot more from recurring characters like Major Evan Lorne (Kavan Smith) and Dr. Katie Brown (Brenda James), Rodney McKay’s (David Hewlett) love interest.”
Half points on this one.
I’m posting early today to tell everyone to go back to bed. Apparently, Scifi has pushed the press release to tomorrow. Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Today’s entry is dedicated marielabbott who sent us two boxes of Midwestern chocolates and Giants wide receiver David Tyree who made the catch that sunk the Pats.
Today’s pics: Dogs and chocolate. Always a dangerous mix!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
February 3, 2008
Just a quick reminder that the voting for the next book of the month club selections ends at midnight tonight. So if you haven’t weighed in yet and are planning to take part in the discussions, pick a book - or two - or three. The nominees -
In the scifi category, it’s Gregory Benford’s Timescape vs. Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer.
In the fantasy category, it’s Jeffrey Ford’s The Empire of Ice Cream vs. Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind: The King-Killer Chronicle, Day 1.
In the horror category, it’s Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box vs. F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep.
To those of you looking for a little information on the afore-mentioned titles, check out my January 30th, 2008 post -
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/january-30-2008-and-the-big-news-iscoming-soon-plus-botm-nominees/
Well, it’s Superbowl Sunday and, unlike past seasons, this year I’m not all that interested in the big game. As much as I’d love to see the Giants pull the upset, and with all due respect to Cookie Monster, I think it’s highly unlikely. I expect it’ll be a yawner of a game. At around nine p.m. PST, New England will celebrate an undefeated season while every football fan outside of Boston moves on to far more interesting things like, oh, getting an early jump on sorting my wife’s mail prior to her March return. I’ll probably tune in for the first quarter and, provided the Patriots (or the refs - anyone remember the Seahawks getting jobbed in their last Superbowl appearance?) haven’t salted it away by then, may stick it out to half-time. I remember Paul telling me that when he was in Thailand many years ago, he and some friends stopped by a bar to catch the Superbowl. As the game progressed, every North American in the bar was glued to the t.v. while the locals chatted noisily amongst themselves, oblivious to the big game. When the game hit half-time, however, the North Americans kicked back and began to yak - while a reverent hush fell over the locals entranced by the half-time show. Well, I think this is one year that the Thai have it right.
Oh, and while I’m on the subject, here are the top three things someone can say in the weeks leading up to the Superbowl that will earn them a mid-knuckle crack to the forehead compliments of yours truly:
1. “I don’t care who wins, just so long as it’s a good game.”
2. “Football is for morons.” followed by - “Hey, did you watch last night’s Celebrity Apprentice?”
3. “I don’t follow football. But I’m rooting for the Patriots.”
Today’s video: Another behind-the-scenes vid of the replicator plunge. Scroll down or click on the link -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=ReplicatorplungeB.flv
In the scifi category, it’s Gregory Benford’s Timescape vs. Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer.
In the fantasy category, it’s Jeffrey Ford’s The Empire of Ice Cream vs. Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind: The King-Killer Chronicle, Day 1.
In the horror category, it’s Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box vs. F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep.
To those of you looking for a little information on the afore-mentioned titles, check out my January 30th, 2008 post -
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/january-30-2008-and-the-big-news-iscoming-soon-plus-botm-nominees/
Well, it’s Superbowl Sunday and, unlike past seasons, this year I’m not all that interested in the big game. As much as I’d love to see the Giants pull the upset, and with all due respect to Cookie Monster, I think it’s highly unlikely. I expect it’ll be a yawner of a game. At around nine p.m. PST, New England will celebrate an undefeated season while every football fan outside of Boston moves on to far more interesting things like, oh, getting an early jump on sorting my wife’s mail prior to her March return. I’ll probably tune in for the first quarter and, provided the Patriots (or the refs - anyone remember the Seahawks getting jobbed in their last Superbowl appearance?) haven’t salted it away by then, may stick it out to half-time. I remember Paul telling me that when he was in Thailand many years ago, he and some friends stopped by a bar to catch the Superbowl. As the game progressed, every North American in the bar was glued to the t.v. while the locals chatted noisily amongst themselves, oblivious to the big game. When the game hit half-time, however, the North Americans kicked back and began to yak - while a reverent hush fell over the locals entranced by the half-time show. Well, I think this is one year that the Thai have it right.
Oh, and while I’m on the subject, here are the top three things someone can say in the weeks leading up to the Superbowl that will earn them a mid-knuckle crack to the forehead compliments of yours truly:
1. “I don’t care who wins, just so long as it’s a good game.”
2. “Football is for morons.” followed by - “Hey, did you watch last night’s Celebrity Apprentice?”
3. “I don’t follow football. But I’m rooting for the Patriots.”
Today’s video: Another behind-the-scenes vid of the replicator plunge. Scroll down or click on the link -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=ReplicatorplungeB.flv
February 2, 2008
With the Superbowl only a day away, I temporarily turn this blog over to its resident football experts, Baron Destructo and Cookie Monster, for their peerless predictions on the big game.
MATCH-UP: NEW YORK GIANTS VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
(New England favored by 12)
Cookie Monster: On Sesame Street, only ting bigger den “Superbowl Sunday” be “Shave Snuffleupagus Saturday“. Both big annual events offer thrill of victory and agony of de feet (Smell of Snuffy furry clodhoppers indescrybabble. But Cookie Monster try anyway. You ever have when cleaning out fridge, find what Oscar the Grouch call Civil War cheese? All blue and grey? But you eat anyway and half hour later get sick and going to vomit - but don’t have time to reach toilet so use first ting handy and dat be four year old athletic sock dat fall between washer and dryer day after Cookie Monster run Boston Marathon but beaten by Grover who cheat and take rickshaw to finish line instead? And garbage day still tree days away so have to sneak out in middle of night and slip sock in crazy cat lady neighbor garbage can instead? But when pass by house, Mrs. Epstein spot Cookie Monster and invite him inside where she live with seventy-five indoor cats with no litter box because house BE giant litter box and Mrs. Epstein always keep windows closed to conserve heat even in summer time when dis always happen? And she disappear into kitchen and leave Cookie Monster in sealed hot room with seventy-five cats and four year old athletic sock holding gut scrub Civil War cheese? And den she come out and serve her grandma’s special pumpkin pie? Well, Snuffy feet smell exactly like dat pie. Sweet with just hint of cinamon. Feet smell terrific! But very painful when step on you.) Every year, Grover host big superbowl party. He buy big screen t.v. (and return it next day) and have good old fashioned burgers, hot dogs, and triple sec. Always fun except last year when Teletubbies crash. More like Terrotubbies, chaah! Little mofos lock themselves in Grover tatami room and smoke crystal meth. We kick dem out, but not before one use fruit bowl for toilet. Leave dump bigger den Tinky Winky head! We all very angry, very disgusted and very, very impressed.
Anyhoo, tomorrow de big game. Patriots favorites, undefeeted, better offense, better coach BUT Giants team of destiny like de 1968 Jets, 2005 Red Sox, and 2004 Rob and Amber. Giants win! Giants win! Giants win! FINAL SCORE: GIANTS 27 PATRIOTS 24
Baron Destructo: With Superbowl XLII finally upon us, the most excruciatingly boring NFL season in recent memory draws to its merciful and highly predictable conclusion. Nevertheless, tomorrow, all of the moonbase’s laser death ray targeting systems will be tuned into not Cleveland, Ohio, but the big game as we at the League of Aliens and Mutants for Evil will sit back and watch the New England Patriots steamroll the New York Giants like Dr. Disastro’s mechanical squid ran roughshod over that Big and Tall in Albuquerque last Spring. Evil genius Patriots coach Bill Belichick had two weeks to engineer the Giants’ defeat. Two weeks! It took ME only ten days to plot the successful downfall of Dijibouti! The Patriots shall destroy their opponent to the delight of Bostonians, the chagrin of New Yorkers, and the general apathy of everyone else. FINAL SCORE: Patriots 44 Giants 21.
Today’s video: Behind the scenes on Outcast. Shooting the replicator fall against green screen -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Replicatorfree-fall.flv
Today’s mailbag:
Teslan writes: “In the original idea that Mr. Flanigan pitched out, did he go to Earth alone, or did Ronon or any other members of the team go with him? And which of the writers was responsible for the scene with Shep’s brother?”
Answer: Joe’s original pitch consisted of Sheppard tracking down a replicator on Earth. We filled in the blanks, coming up with the story and breaking it over the course of a day or two. With regard to the Shep scene, the writers came up with the beat in the room after which Alan wrote the scene.
PG-15 writes: “The many pineapples appearances, despite the fact that I was allergic to it, therefore an obvious attempt to mock me?”
Answer: Hey, I think I’m allergic to pineapple too! Also, yes, we were mocking you.
Squeakiep writes: “ With Martin Wood working on “Sanctuary”, does that mean we will not see him direct any Season 5 episodes??”
Answer: Like Amanda, Martin’s involvement in Atlantis’s fifth season will be dependent on his Sanctuary schedule. If all goes well, he should be swinging by to direct some episodes in the back half.
Sq2830 writes: “In short, could you confirm whether the new commander is or is not another character from SG-1?”
Answer: I cannot.
Inpa writes: “Will details like which writers and producers will return also be announced in Sci-Fi’s press release or will you just fill us in here?”
Answer: Last year’s writing/producing staff will return for the show’s fifth season including Carl Binder who will hopefully join us the second the WGA strike is settled. Also, look for scripts from both Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright.
Wraitfodder writes: “Was there a scene filmed with Sheppard and the horse?”
Answer: No, there wasn’t.
Sarah L. writes: “What is the most expensive thing that has been broken on set?”
Anwer: Clearly, the most precious thing ever broken on set was Carl’s heart the day the Asgard were wiped out.
MATCH-UP: NEW YORK GIANTS VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
(New England favored by 12)
Cookie Monster: On Sesame Street, only ting bigger den “Superbowl Sunday” be “Shave Snuffleupagus Saturday“. Both big annual events offer thrill of victory and agony of de feet (Smell of Snuffy furry clodhoppers indescrybabble. But Cookie Monster try anyway. You ever have when cleaning out fridge, find what Oscar the Grouch call Civil War cheese? All blue and grey? But you eat anyway and half hour later get sick and going to vomit - but don’t have time to reach toilet so use first ting handy and dat be four year old athletic sock dat fall between washer and dryer day after Cookie Monster run Boston Marathon but beaten by Grover who cheat and take rickshaw to finish line instead? And garbage day still tree days away so have to sneak out in middle of night and slip sock in crazy cat lady neighbor garbage can instead? But when pass by house, Mrs. Epstein spot Cookie Monster and invite him inside where she live with seventy-five indoor cats with no litter box because house BE giant litter box and Mrs. Epstein always keep windows closed to conserve heat even in summer time when dis always happen? And she disappear into kitchen and leave Cookie Monster in sealed hot room with seventy-five cats and four year old athletic sock holding gut scrub Civil War cheese? And den she come out and serve her grandma’s special pumpkin pie? Well, Snuffy feet smell exactly like dat pie. Sweet with just hint of cinamon. Feet smell terrific! But very painful when step on you.) Every year, Grover host big superbowl party. He buy big screen t.v. (and return it next day) and have good old fashioned burgers, hot dogs, and triple sec. Always fun except last year when Teletubbies crash. More like Terrotubbies, chaah! Little mofos lock themselves in Grover tatami room and smoke crystal meth. We kick dem out, but not before one use fruit bowl for toilet. Leave dump bigger den Tinky Winky head! We all very angry, very disgusted and very, very impressed.
Anyhoo, tomorrow de big game. Patriots favorites, undefeeted, better offense, better coach BUT Giants team of destiny like de 1968 Jets, 2005 Red Sox, and 2004 Rob and Amber. Giants win! Giants win! Giants win! FINAL SCORE: GIANTS 27 PATRIOTS 24
Baron Destructo: With Superbowl XLII finally upon us, the most excruciatingly boring NFL season in recent memory draws to its merciful and highly predictable conclusion. Nevertheless, tomorrow, all of the moonbase’s laser death ray targeting systems will be tuned into not Cleveland, Ohio, but the big game as we at the League of Aliens and Mutants for Evil will sit back and watch the New England Patriots steamroll the New York Giants like Dr. Disastro’s mechanical squid ran roughshod over that Big and Tall in Albuquerque last Spring. Evil genius Patriots coach Bill Belichick had two weeks to engineer the Giants’ defeat. Two weeks! It took ME only ten days to plot the successful downfall of Dijibouti! The Patriots shall destroy their opponent to the delight of Bostonians, the chagrin of New Yorkers, and the general apathy of everyone else. FINAL SCORE: Patriots 44 Giants 21.
Today’s video: Behind the scenes on Outcast. Shooting the replicator fall against green screen -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Replicatorfree-fall.flv
Today’s mailbag:
Teslan writes: “In the original idea that Mr. Flanigan pitched out, did he go to Earth alone, or did Ronon or any other members of the team go with him? And which of the writers was responsible for the scene with Shep’s brother?”
Answer: Joe’s original pitch consisted of Sheppard tracking down a replicator on Earth. We filled in the blanks, coming up with the story and breaking it over the course of a day or two. With regard to the Shep scene, the writers came up with the beat in the room after which Alan wrote the scene.
PG-15 writes: “The many pineapples appearances, despite the fact that I was allergic to it, therefore an obvious attempt to mock me?”
Answer: Hey, I think I’m allergic to pineapple too! Also, yes, we were mocking you.
Squeakiep writes: “ With Martin Wood working on “Sanctuary”, does that mean we will not see him direct any Season 5 episodes??”
Answer: Like Amanda, Martin’s involvement in Atlantis’s fifth season will be dependent on his Sanctuary schedule. If all goes well, he should be swinging by to direct some episodes in the back half.
Sq2830 writes: “In short, could you confirm whether the new commander is or is not another character from SG-1?”
Answer: I cannot.
Inpa writes: “Will details like which writers and producers will return also be announced in Sci-Fi’s press release or will you just fill us in here?”
Answer: Last year’s writing/producing staff will return for the show’s fifth season including Carl Binder who will hopefully join us the second the WGA strike is settled. Also, look for scripts from both Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright.
Wraitfodder writes: “Was there a scene filmed with Sheppard and the horse?”
Answer: No, there wasn’t.
Sarah L. writes: “What is the most expensive thing that has been broken on set?”
Anwer: Clearly, the most precious thing ever broken on set was Carl’s heart the day the Asgard were wiped out.
February 1, 2008
Well, we had our first notes session of the season with SciFi the other day and I’ll admit to having been a tad nervous going in. There was the typical anxiety that accompanies every notes sessions (Will they love it? Will they hate it? Will they be ambivalent and wander off part-way through the conference call, leaving us to prattle on aimlessly to fill the uncomfortable silence until we realize there is no one on the other end?), and then there was the anxiety that comes with the introduction of a new player. We, at Stargate, were spoiled for many years. We had developed a terrific working relationship with Nora O’Brien, and when we received word at the end of last season that she was moving over to NBC, we were a) incredibly happy for her and, b) incredibly worried for us. But those initial concerns were assuaged with our introduction to SciFi’s new VP of development, Chris Sanagustin. Over the course of my conversations with Chris in the months leading up to start of Atlantis‘s fifth season, I found her to be intelligent, professional, witty and, bottom line, a genuinely nice person. All well and good - but what kind of notes could we expect from her? Would she nitpick the scripts, expressing her disapproval of everything from the episode title to our reckless use of the Times New Roman script font? Would she offer broad, cryptic comments like “Funny?” and “The end of Act Four feels…I don’t know…inorganic.”. Or would she, as a newcomer to the show, require an in-depth crash-course in Stargate 101 that would have us on the phone until the middle of next week?
I’m pleased to report: none of the above. In short, the call went very, very, very well. Sure, there were plenty of notes (it took us a little over two hours to cover all three scripts), some big, some small, but there was never a time during the phone conversation when Paul, Martin or I exchanged the time-honored “WTF?” looks or even came close to breaking down in tears (We all know how sensitive Martin is). Not once! Chris’s input was smart, constructive and, no doubt, will go a long way toward making the episodes that much better. Also in on Wednesday’s call were Deb Curtis from Sony and, on the SciFi side, walking SF encyclopedia Claire Sharood, and executive VP of original programming Mark Stern. Now Mark is a guy who often bears the brunt of much of the fan anger whenever those ubiquitous letter-writing campaigns kicks into high gear. They killed off Beckett! It’s Mark Stern’s fault! They repainted the Atlantis gate room! It’s Mark Stern’s fault! My feet hurt! It’s Mark Stern’s fault! With no way of knowing what goes on behind the scenes, I suppose fans are always inclined to target the network as the bad guy - which is really a little short-sighted and unfair. In truth, Mark has been a big advocate of the show and his input and support have been instrumental in Atlantis’s continuing success, not to mention much-appreciated by the production. Oh, and just so you know, once that press release comes out on Monday - Mark played a big part in ensuring a certain character’s return to the ranks of the recurring.
On the subject of Stargate Atlantis - a lot of you have commented and left questions about Amanda Tapping’s new project: Sanctuary. Were we surprised by the decision? How do we feel about said decision? How will this decision affect Atlantis? Well, we at Stargate have always supported our large, extended family - both on the set of our show and off. We realize that Amanda was faced with a very difficult decision and respect her desire to strike out on her own. A lot of the people involved in the Sanctuary project are Stargate alumni, and we sincerely wish them nothing but the best. As stated in the SciFi press release, Amanda will guest star on Atlantis’s fifth season - but the exact number of appearances by Colonel Carter will be wholly dependant on Amanda’s availability and the types of stories we have in the works. Still, Carter will be one of a number of familiar faces that will be popping up in the Pegasus Galaxy in season 5 - including a new commander. Remember way back, when I said we had considered a handful of possible candidates for the command position at the beginning of season 4? Well this person made that short list then, and we’re VERY excited about his/her/its(?) addition to our cast of regulars. As for who it is and what other little surprises we have in store…head on over to the SciFi site Monday morning and start refreshing.
Finally, at the end of season 4, assistant props master Sean McGee was kind enough to make me a copy of some of the snaps he took of Atlantis’s fourth season finale. Check ’em out and thank Sean the next time you see him.
Mailbag returns tomorrow - along with Baron Destructo and Cookie Monster who will be stopping by with their Superbowl predictions.
I’m pleased to report: none of the above. In short, the call went very, very, very well. Sure, there were plenty of notes (it took us a little over two hours to cover all three scripts), some big, some small, but there was never a time during the phone conversation when Paul, Martin or I exchanged the time-honored “WTF?” looks or even came close to breaking down in tears (We all know how sensitive Martin is). Not once! Chris’s input was smart, constructive and, no doubt, will go a long way toward making the episodes that much better. Also in on Wednesday’s call were Deb Curtis from Sony and, on the SciFi side, walking SF encyclopedia Claire Sharood, and executive VP of original programming Mark Stern. Now Mark is a guy who often bears the brunt of much of the fan anger whenever those ubiquitous letter-writing campaigns kicks into high gear. They killed off Beckett! It’s Mark Stern’s fault! They repainted the Atlantis gate room! It’s Mark Stern’s fault! My feet hurt! It’s Mark Stern’s fault! With no way of knowing what goes on behind the scenes, I suppose fans are always inclined to target the network as the bad guy - which is really a little short-sighted and unfair. In truth, Mark has been a big advocate of the show and his input and support have been instrumental in Atlantis’s continuing success, not to mention much-appreciated by the production. Oh, and just so you know, once that press release comes out on Monday - Mark played a big part in ensuring a certain character’s return to the ranks of the recurring.
On the subject of Stargate Atlantis - a lot of you have commented and left questions about Amanda Tapping’s new project: Sanctuary. Were we surprised by the decision? How do we feel about said decision? How will this decision affect Atlantis? Well, we at Stargate have always supported our large, extended family - both on the set of our show and off. We realize that Amanda was faced with a very difficult decision and respect her desire to strike out on her own. A lot of the people involved in the Sanctuary project are Stargate alumni, and we sincerely wish them nothing but the best. As stated in the SciFi press release, Amanda will guest star on Atlantis’s fifth season - but the exact number of appearances by Colonel Carter will be wholly dependant on Amanda’s availability and the types of stories we have in the works. Still, Carter will be one of a number of familiar faces that will be popping up in the Pegasus Galaxy in season 5 - including a new commander. Remember way back, when I said we had considered a handful of possible candidates for the command position at the beginning of season 4? Well this person made that short list then, and we’re VERY excited about his/her/its(?) addition to our cast of regulars. As for who it is and what other little surprises we have in store…head on over to the SciFi site Monday morning and start refreshing.
Finally, at the end of season 4, assistant props master Sean McGee was kind enough to make me a copy of some of the snaps he took of Atlantis’s fourth season finale. Check ’em out and thank Sean the next time you see him.
Mailbag returns tomorrow - along with Baron Destructo and Cookie Monster who will be stopping by with their Superbowl predictions.
January 31, 2008
Have you ever sat back watching Iron Chef, marveling over the numerous imaginative dishes, and thought: “Damn! I wish I could find a restaurant that actually served food like this!” Well, Marty G. and I are fortunate enough to have found just such a place. Fuel Restaurant is a little over a year old and yet, in that short time, it has established itself as one of Vancouver’s premiere dining destinations. We love the place and, apparently, the feeling is mutual. Owner/Sommelier Tom Doughty and Owner/Chef Rob Belcham apparently look forward to our semi-regular visits as it gives them the opportunity to test out some of their more adventurous culinary creations
Last night, Martin and I decided to set aside the regular menu and place our fate in the skillful hands of Chef Belcham and his team. “Surprise us,”I suggested. We started with the house-cured prosciutto which was, in Martin’s humble opinion, the best prosciutto he’s ever had. And I find it hard to disagree. The prosciutto’s smokiness was beautifully contrasted by its underlying subtle sweetness, the exquisite pink shavings literally melting in our mouths. Soups followed: the German butter potato and rosemary soup for him, and a lovely duck consommé for me. For our next course, I received the Jeruselam Artichoke Risotto with the house smoked duck. The risotto was wonderful, but that house smoked duck was truly intense and outstanding. Although neither Martin nor I are salad-guys, we did enjoy Martin’s heirloom beetroot and butter lettuce salad thanks in no small part, to the accompanying house-made ricotta, fireweed honey, and lime. Next, they brought out the big guns: a pan-fried foie gras for me, and a foie-gras and duck confit terrine for Martin. “This here is dangerous,”Martin noted as we cross-sampled both dishes. While there was no underestimating the artery-clogging potential of the pan-fried foie gras, the richness of the terrine was deliciously deceptive. Although we were nearing our satiation point, we welcomed the next two dishes: a perfectly poached piece of wild salmon for Martin and two plump scallops in a can’t-get-enough-of-the-stuff salsa verde. Well, that did it. We were stuffed. Martin and I sat back in our chairs, fully satisfied. At which point Tom came over and cleared the candles and bread off the table, “making room” he informed us. There was more. Martin and I exchanged concerned looks as Tom set an enormous knife down. Clearly, there was some serious cutting ahead. Tom ducked back to the kitchen and returned seconds later with the piece de resistance: an incredibly tender stuffed lamb neck served with thinly sliced truffled potatoes cooked in garlic confit and clarified butter. Yes, we were full. And, no, we couldn’t help ourselves. We finished all of the lamb. As they whisked our empty plates away, I warned Martin: “If I’m not in the office by ten a.m. tomorrow, assume I’m dead. Please send someone to the house to take care of the dogs.” And then came dessert - a roasted dolce de leche pound cake with pumpkin confit and cinnamon cocoa sorbet for him, and the Manjari dark chocolate mousse with hazelnuts and salted caramel for me.
“This would be a great place to have a special Stargate dinner,”Martin suggested as our meal (and his wine pairings) wound down. “You should just get a bunch of people from your blog to together during the Creation Con.” Tom and especially Chef Belcham (who, it turns out is a fan of the show) loved the idea. Hey, maybe we can convince him to create a foie gras and duck confit Stargate for the occasion.
I’ll say it again. Another fantastic meal at Fuel. We’ll be back next Wednesday.
What follows is a breakdown of the pics from the memorable evening -
#1: Martin presents the house-cured prosciutto. It was so good that I actually felt sorry for Fondy who was missing out.
#2: Martin shows off the German butter potato and rosemary soup.
#3: While I do the honors for the duck consommé.
#4: Martin marvels over his heirloom beetroot and butter lettuce salad.
#5: I show off the Jeruselam artichoke risotto with the house-smoked duck.
#6: Martin is hypnotized by the duck confit and foie gras terrine.
#7: Hot! Hot! HOT PLATE of foie gras!
#8: Hey, check out Martin’s poached salmon.
#9: Ooooh. Scallops!
#10: Martin shoes off his killer knife skills.
#11: The piece de resistance!
#12: Stuffed lamb neck.
#13: Tom Doughty comes back to make sure we’re still alive.
#14: A coy Martin G. and his dolce de leche pound cake.
#15: The Manjari chocolate mousse with hazelnuts, salted caramel, and fake smile.
Today’s blog is dedicated to Shipperahoy’s puppy Spaz who is recovering from surgery. Get better soon, Spaz!
Mailbag -
Aelfgyu writes: “Greyias and I have been discussing Carson’s return. […] We’ve finally worked it out, however. Prepare to be amazed!”
Answer: Brilliantly incorrect, yet amazing nevertheless!
Promogirl writes: “Did the actors pose in any way for it?”
Answer: Nope. The artist worked off various stills.
Erika writes: “Did you listen to Torri’s interview? […] I am not sure if I want her back now considering how you and the rest of The Powers That Be treated her.“
Answer: Let me be clear. Weir’s role was originally envisioned as a parallel to the Hammond role on SG-1. And so, unlike the team, it wasn’t intended that she head off-world every episode. Like it or not, the character of Weir was intended to play a supporting role to that of the team. Still - while Brad was running Atlantis, he was very supportive and protective of the character, working hard to make sure she got her fair share of stories, and to suggest otherwise is not only disingenuous, but a slap in the face to a guy who was the driving force behind episodes like Before I Sleep, The Real World, and The Long Goodbye. The decision to make the change came at the end of season three simply because that’s when we started making plans for season four. No conspiracy. Just simple logic. Finally, as a point of interest, do you know how many actors find out their role on a show has been diminished or done away with? The season wraps, the actor leaves for hiatus, and then his or her contract isn’t picked up. Their agent does the math for them. To many producers, this a much easier and less confrontational way of handling the situation which, obviously, lacks the professional courtesy and respect of a face to face meeting.
Marielabbott writes: “Any chance Weir might be figuring prominently in the mid-season two-parter?”
Answer: Nope.
Charly Kinder a ecrit: “ Je vous souhaite plein de restaurants !”
Answer: Lulu trouve votre Frenchie tres cute.
Padawan Aneiki writes: “Just out of curiosity, what’s your process for selecting the nominees for the BOTM?”
Answer: I just scan my bookshelves and pick out whichever titles catch my interest.
Promogirl writes: “Can you give us an inkling as to the number of episodes we’ll see Amanda in?”
Answer: Carter’s presence on Atlantis in season 5 will be dependent on two things: 1) Amanda’s availability, and 2) The stories we come up.
Tess writes: “Will you or any of the Stargate gang be in attendance at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con?”
Answer: No doubt someone will be there representing the Stargate franchise.
Brendan writes: “So when you were deciding about who was to replace Weir…did you guys honestly think of creating a new character???”
Answer: This possibility was considered early on but quickly dismissed. It was decided that we already had a number of terrific established characters to choose from and, in the end, the Carter character got the nod.
Anne Teldy writes: “Will my namesake be eaten by space cows in “Broken Ties” or are you going to torture me by making me wait for it?”
Answer: Nope, not Broken Ties. Whispers maybe.
Last night, Martin and I decided to set aside the regular menu and place our fate in the skillful hands of Chef Belcham and his team. “Surprise us,”I suggested. We started with the house-cured prosciutto which was, in Martin’s humble opinion, the best prosciutto he’s ever had. And I find it hard to disagree. The prosciutto’s smokiness was beautifully contrasted by its underlying subtle sweetness, the exquisite pink shavings literally melting in our mouths. Soups followed: the German butter potato and rosemary soup for him, and a lovely duck consommé for me. For our next course, I received the Jeruselam Artichoke Risotto with the house smoked duck. The risotto was wonderful, but that house smoked duck was truly intense and outstanding. Although neither Martin nor I are salad-guys, we did enjoy Martin’s heirloom beetroot and butter lettuce salad thanks in no small part, to the accompanying house-made ricotta, fireweed honey, and lime. Next, they brought out the big guns: a pan-fried foie gras for me, and a foie-gras and duck confit terrine for Martin. “This here is dangerous,”Martin noted as we cross-sampled both dishes. While there was no underestimating the artery-clogging potential of the pan-fried foie gras, the richness of the terrine was deliciously deceptive. Although we were nearing our satiation point, we welcomed the next two dishes: a perfectly poached piece of wild salmon for Martin and two plump scallops in a can’t-get-enough-of-the-stuff salsa verde. Well, that did it. We were stuffed. Martin and I sat back in our chairs, fully satisfied. At which point Tom came over and cleared the candles and bread off the table, “making room” he informed us. There was more. Martin and I exchanged concerned looks as Tom set an enormous knife down. Clearly, there was some serious cutting ahead. Tom ducked back to the kitchen and returned seconds later with the piece de resistance: an incredibly tender stuffed lamb neck served with thinly sliced truffled potatoes cooked in garlic confit and clarified butter. Yes, we were full. And, no, we couldn’t help ourselves. We finished all of the lamb. As they whisked our empty plates away, I warned Martin: “If I’m not in the office by ten a.m. tomorrow, assume I’m dead. Please send someone to the house to take care of the dogs.” And then came dessert - a roasted dolce de leche pound cake with pumpkin confit and cinnamon cocoa sorbet for him, and the Manjari dark chocolate mousse with hazelnuts and salted caramel for me.
“This would be a great place to have a special Stargate dinner,”Martin suggested as our meal (and his wine pairings) wound down. “You should just get a bunch of people from your blog to together during the Creation Con.” Tom and especially Chef Belcham (who, it turns out is a fan of the show) loved the idea. Hey, maybe we can convince him to create a foie gras and duck confit Stargate for the occasion.
I’ll say it again. Another fantastic meal at Fuel. We’ll be back next Wednesday.
What follows is a breakdown of the pics from the memorable evening -
#1: Martin presents the house-cured prosciutto. It was so good that I actually felt sorry for Fondy who was missing out.
#2: Martin shows off the German butter potato and rosemary soup.
#3: While I do the honors for the duck consommé.
#4: Martin marvels over his heirloom beetroot and butter lettuce salad.
#5: I show off the Jeruselam artichoke risotto with the house-smoked duck.
#6: Martin is hypnotized by the duck confit and foie gras terrine.
#7: Hot! Hot! HOT PLATE of foie gras!
#8: Hey, check out Martin’s poached salmon.
#9: Ooooh. Scallops!
#10: Martin shoes off his killer knife skills.
#11: The piece de resistance!
#12: Stuffed lamb neck.
#13: Tom Doughty comes back to make sure we’re still alive.
#14: A coy Martin G. and his dolce de leche pound cake.
#15: The Manjari chocolate mousse with hazelnuts, salted caramel, and fake smile.
Today’s blog is dedicated to Shipperahoy’s puppy Spaz who is recovering from surgery. Get better soon, Spaz!
Mailbag -
Aelfgyu writes: “Greyias and I have been discussing Carson’s return. […] We’ve finally worked it out, however. Prepare to be amazed!”
Answer: Brilliantly incorrect, yet amazing nevertheless!
Promogirl writes: “Did the actors pose in any way for it?”
Answer: Nope. The artist worked off various stills.
Erika writes: “Did you listen to Torri’s interview? […] I am not sure if I want her back now considering how you and the rest of The Powers That Be treated her.“
Answer: Let me be clear. Weir’s role was originally envisioned as a parallel to the Hammond role on SG-1. And so, unlike the team, it wasn’t intended that she head off-world every episode. Like it or not, the character of Weir was intended to play a supporting role to that of the team. Still - while Brad was running Atlantis, he was very supportive and protective of the character, working hard to make sure she got her fair share of stories, and to suggest otherwise is not only disingenuous, but a slap in the face to a guy who was the driving force behind episodes like Before I Sleep, The Real World, and The Long Goodbye. The decision to make the change came at the end of season three simply because that’s when we started making plans for season four. No conspiracy. Just simple logic. Finally, as a point of interest, do you know how many actors find out their role on a show has been diminished or done away with? The season wraps, the actor leaves for hiatus, and then his or her contract isn’t picked up. Their agent does the math for them. To many producers, this a much easier and less confrontational way of handling the situation which, obviously, lacks the professional courtesy and respect of a face to face meeting.
Marielabbott writes: “Any chance Weir might be figuring prominently in the mid-season two-parter?”
Answer: Nope.
Charly Kinder a ecrit: “ Je vous souhaite plein de restaurants !”
Answer: Lulu trouve votre Frenchie tres cute.
Padawan Aneiki writes: “Just out of curiosity, what’s your process for selecting the nominees for the BOTM?”
Answer: I just scan my bookshelves and pick out whichever titles catch my interest.
Promogirl writes: “Can you give us an inkling as to the number of episodes we’ll see Amanda in?”
Answer: Carter’s presence on Atlantis in season 5 will be dependent on two things: 1) Amanda’s availability, and 2) The stories we come up.
Tess writes: “Will you or any of the Stargate gang be in attendance at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con?”
Answer: No doubt someone will be there representing the Stargate franchise.
Brendan writes: “So when you were deciding about who was to replace Weir…did you guys honestly think of creating a new character???”
Answer: This possibility was considered early on but quickly dismissed. It was decided that we already had a number of terrific established characters to choose from and, in the end, the Carter character got the nod.
Anne Teldy writes: “Will my namesake be eaten by space cows in “Broken Ties” or are you going to torture me by making me wait for it?”
Answer: Nope, not Broken Ties. Whispers maybe.
January 30, 2008
To those of you (and I know that there are a few) awaiting that announcement regarding Atlantis’s 5th season - I’ve received definite word that absolutely, positively, fer-real, the big press release is coming out this Monday. We’re just awaiting word on one final piece of the puzzle…
Here at the nominees for late March-early April’s book of the month club selections in the categories of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Vote for the titles you’d like to read/discuss. The polls will remain open until midnight Sunday. The winners will be announced in Monday’s blog entry.
The Fantasy Nominees:
Jeffrey Ford’s The Empire of Ice Cream
(From Booklist: “A book that opens with a story about creatures who live their entire existences in sand castles, from when youthful builders abandon them to when the tide destroys them, demands readers possessing a healthy sense of wonder and the willingness to embrace the bizarre and fantastic. The title story beautifully twists the experience and senses of a synesthetic musician to answer the question, what would happen if synesthetic experiences took on physical forms? “The Weight of Words” takes the phrase seriously to explore the sinister potential of print. “Boatman’s Holiday” depicts what Charon, the boatman of Hades, does on vacation. Giants and unidentifiable alien creatures, fairy tales, the intertwining of wonder and terror, and fantastic views of both the strange and the ordinary all appear in this marvelous collection, with Ford’s comments on his inspiration and motivations appended to each story.”)
VS.
Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind: The King-Killer Chronicle, Day 1
(From Publishers Weekly: “The originality of Rothfuss’s outstanding debut fantasy, the first of a trilogy, lies less in its unnamed imaginary world than in its precise execution. Kvothe (”pronounced nearly the same as ‘Quothe’ “), the hero and villain of a thousand tales who’s presumed dead, lives as the simple proprietor of the Waystone Inn under an assumed name. Prompted by a biographer called Chronicler who realizes his true identity, Kvothe starts to tell his life story. From his upbringing as an actor in his family’s traveling troupe of magicians, jugglers and jesters, the Edema Ruh, to feral child on the streets of the vast port city of Tarbean, then his education at “the University,” Kvothe is driven by twin imperatives—his desire to learn the higher magic of naming and his need to discover as much as possible about the Chandrian, the demons of legend who murdered his family.”)
The Science Fiction Nominees:
Gregory Benford’s Timescape
(From Amazon.com: “It’s 1998, and a physicist in Cambridge, England, attempts to send a message backward in time. Earth is falling apart, and a government faction supports the project in hopes of diverting or avoiding the environmental disasters beginning to tear at the edges of civilization. It’s 1962, and a physicist in California struggles with his new life on the West Coast, office politics, and the irregularities of data that plague his experiments. The story’s perspective toggles between time lines, physicists, and their communities. Timescape presents the subculture and world of scientists in microcosm: the lab, the loves, the grappling for grants, the pressures from university and government, the rewards and trials of relationships with spouses, the pressures of the scientific race, and the thrill of discovery. ”
VS.
Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer
(From Amazon.com: “John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of “A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer” for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw’s daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the “book” has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change.”)
The Horror Nominees:
Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box
(From Publisher’s Weekly: “Middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne collects morbid curios for fun, so doesn’t think twice about buying a suit advertised at an online auction site as haunted by its dead owner’s ghost. Only after it arrives does Judas discover that the suit belonged to Craddock McDermott, the stepfather of one of Coyne’s discarded groupies, and that the old man’s ghost is a malignant spirit determined to kill Judas in revenge for his stepdaughter’s suicide. Judas isn’t quite the cad or Craddock the avenging angel this scenario makes them at first, but their true motivations reveal themselves only gradually in a fast-paced plot that crackles with expertly planted surprises and revelations.”)
VS.
F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep
(From Amazon.com: “Thus reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Transylvanian Alps. And when an elite SS extermination squad is dispatched to solve the problem, the men find a something that’s both powerful and terrifying. Invisible and silent, the enemy selects one victim per night, leaving the bloodless and mutilated corpses behind to terrify its future victims. Panicked, the Nazis bring in a local expert on folklore–who just happens to be Jewish–to shed some light on the mysterious happenings. And unbeknownst to anyone, there is another visitor on his way–a man who awoke from a nightmare and immediately set out to meet his destiny.The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other….the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened.”)
Well, I’m off to Fuel with Marty G. tonight. Breakdown and pics tomorrow.
Today’s video: Snow Bunny II: The Quickening. Scroll down to check it out or click the following link -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=SnowLulu2.flv
Today’s mailbag:
K8T writes: “Does Fondy have fashionable outfits for a 10week old female Norwegian Buhound?”
Answer: I’m sure she does. And maybe a hat to go with it.
Cindee writes: “I just bought a copy of Elizabeth Moon’s “Command Decision”. Have you ever read it?”
Answer: I haven’t, but her Speed of Dark is one of my favorite books.
Kath in Baltimore writes: “Also, I couldn’t help noticing the gaps in the fence are kind of wide. Has Lulu every tried to or successfully escaped?”
Answer: When we first got her, I let her out front. She casually slipped through the bars and started grazing on the other side of the fence. Thankfully, she’s now too hippy to squeeze through.
Prior of the Ori writes: “McKay said that the planet was where they first developed Drone technology, does this mean they never had it back in the Milky Way?”
Answer: No, that was an oversight. The drone technology was developed in the Milky Way, but the mini-drone version was perfected in Pegasus.
Matt S. writes: “Do you feel the Wraith are a success in how they’ve been written and developed, and do you feel they are as effectively entrenched as an enemy with a backstory and impact as the Goa’uld were by this same point in that series?”
Answer: I think that what makes a villain great is their depth as characters - not merely as foils for our protagonists, but as interesting personalities. If you do a season by season comparison with SG-1, the goa’uld definitely had the advantage in this respect because a) they were human in appearance and b) were far more colorful. The goa’uld were fun villains because it was easy to differentiate them as individuals with differing, occasionally conflicting agendas. In the case of the wraith, I think it wasn’t until the show’s third and fourth season that they really began to take on some of these same characteristics, conveyed through backstory elements like the ongoing wars between the various factions, our unlikely alliance with them, and the introduction of Todd. I also think that Michael, in many ways, helped to bridge the gap between functional adversary and villain-you-love-to-hate.
Fran writes: “Are there any good schnitzel places in Vancouver?”
Answer: Hell, yes. Go to The Budapest on Main (corner of 16th) and order the Transylvania Platter for 3 (which will get you three types of schnitzel).
Hannah writes: “How often do you writers find yourselves being surprised by your characters?”
Answer: Our characters are always growing - either on the page or through the performances of our actors - so, yes, they are fully capable of surprising us.
DJ writes: “What color are Joe Flanigan’s eyes?”
Answer: Believe it or not, I haven’t noticed.
Here at the nominees for late March-early April’s book of the month club selections in the categories of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Vote for the titles you’d like to read/discuss. The polls will remain open until midnight Sunday. The winners will be announced in Monday’s blog entry.
The Fantasy Nominees:
Jeffrey Ford’s The Empire of Ice Cream
(From Booklist: “A book that opens with a story about creatures who live their entire existences in sand castles, from when youthful builders abandon them to when the tide destroys them, demands readers possessing a healthy sense of wonder and the willingness to embrace the bizarre and fantastic. The title story beautifully twists the experience and senses of a synesthetic musician to answer the question, what would happen if synesthetic experiences took on physical forms? “The Weight of Words” takes the phrase seriously to explore the sinister potential of print. “Boatman’s Holiday” depicts what Charon, the boatman of Hades, does on vacation. Giants and unidentifiable alien creatures, fairy tales, the intertwining of wonder and terror, and fantastic views of both the strange and the ordinary all appear in this marvelous collection, with Ford’s comments on his inspiration and motivations appended to each story.”)
VS.
Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind: The King-Killer Chronicle, Day 1
(From Publishers Weekly: “The originality of Rothfuss’s outstanding debut fantasy, the first of a trilogy, lies less in its unnamed imaginary world than in its precise execution. Kvothe (”pronounced nearly the same as ‘Quothe’ “), the hero and villain of a thousand tales who’s presumed dead, lives as the simple proprietor of the Waystone Inn under an assumed name. Prompted by a biographer called Chronicler who realizes his true identity, Kvothe starts to tell his life story. From his upbringing as an actor in his family’s traveling troupe of magicians, jugglers and jesters, the Edema Ruh, to feral child on the streets of the vast port city of Tarbean, then his education at “the University,” Kvothe is driven by twin imperatives—his desire to learn the higher magic of naming and his need to discover as much as possible about the Chandrian, the demons of legend who murdered his family.”)
The Science Fiction Nominees:
Gregory Benford’s Timescape
(From Amazon.com: “It’s 1998, and a physicist in Cambridge, England, attempts to send a message backward in time. Earth is falling apart, and a government faction supports the project in hopes of diverting or avoiding the environmental disasters beginning to tear at the edges of civilization. It’s 1962, and a physicist in California struggles with his new life on the West Coast, office politics, and the irregularities of data that plague his experiments. The story’s perspective toggles between time lines, physicists, and their communities. Timescape presents the subculture and world of scientists in microcosm: the lab, the loves, the grappling for grants, the pressures from university and government, the rewards and trials of relationships with spouses, the pressures of the scientific race, and the thrill of discovery. ”
VS.
Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer
(From Amazon.com: “John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of “A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer” for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw’s daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the “book” has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change.”)
The Horror Nominees:
Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box
(From Publisher’s Weekly: “Middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne collects morbid curios for fun, so doesn’t think twice about buying a suit advertised at an online auction site as haunted by its dead owner’s ghost. Only after it arrives does Judas discover that the suit belonged to Craddock McDermott, the stepfather of one of Coyne’s discarded groupies, and that the old man’s ghost is a malignant spirit determined to kill Judas in revenge for his stepdaughter’s suicide. Judas isn’t quite the cad or Craddock the avenging angel this scenario makes them at first, but their true motivations reveal themselves only gradually in a fast-paced plot that crackles with expertly planted surprises and revelations.”)
VS.
F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep
(From Amazon.com: “Thus reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Transylvanian Alps. And when an elite SS extermination squad is dispatched to solve the problem, the men find a something that’s both powerful and terrifying. Invisible and silent, the enemy selects one victim per night, leaving the bloodless and mutilated corpses behind to terrify its future victims. Panicked, the Nazis bring in a local expert on folklore–who just happens to be Jewish–to shed some light on the mysterious happenings. And unbeknownst to anyone, there is another visitor on his way–a man who awoke from a nightmare and immediately set out to meet his destiny.The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other….the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened.”)
Well, I’m off to Fuel with Marty G. tonight. Breakdown and pics tomorrow.
Today’s video: Snow Bunny II: The Quickening. Scroll down to check it out or click the following link -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=SnowLulu2.flv
Today’s mailbag:
K8T writes: “Does Fondy have fashionable outfits for a 10week old female Norwegian Buhound?”
Answer: I’m sure she does. And maybe a hat to go with it.
Cindee writes: “I just bought a copy of Elizabeth Moon’s “Command Decision”. Have you ever read it?”
Answer: I haven’t, but her Speed of Dark is one of my favorite books.
Kath in Baltimore writes: “Also, I couldn’t help noticing the gaps in the fence are kind of wide. Has Lulu every tried to or successfully escaped?”
Answer: When we first got her, I let her out front. She casually slipped through the bars and started grazing on the other side of the fence. Thankfully, she’s now too hippy to squeeze through.
Prior of the Ori writes: “McKay said that the planet was where they first developed Drone technology, does this mean they never had it back in the Milky Way?”
Answer: No, that was an oversight. The drone technology was developed in the Milky Way, but the mini-drone version was perfected in Pegasus.
Matt S. writes: “Do you feel the Wraith are a success in how they’ve been written and developed, and do you feel they are as effectively entrenched as an enemy with a backstory and impact as the Goa’uld were by this same point in that series?”
Answer: I think that what makes a villain great is their depth as characters - not merely as foils for our protagonists, but as interesting personalities. If you do a season by season comparison with SG-1, the goa’uld definitely had the advantage in this respect because a) they were human in appearance and b) were far more colorful. The goa’uld were fun villains because it was easy to differentiate them as individuals with differing, occasionally conflicting agendas. In the case of the wraith, I think it wasn’t until the show’s third and fourth season that they really began to take on some of these same characteristics, conveyed through backstory elements like the ongoing wars between the various factions, our unlikely alliance with them, and the introduction of Todd. I also think that Michael, in many ways, helped to bridge the gap between functional adversary and villain-you-love-to-hate.
Fran writes: “Are there any good schnitzel places in Vancouver?”
Answer: Hell, yes. Go to The Budapest on Main (corner of 16th) and order the Transylvania Platter for 3 (which will get you three types of schnitzel).
Hannah writes: “How often do you writers find yourselves being surprised by your characters?”
Answer: Our characters are always growing - either on the page or through the performances of our actors - so, yes, they are fully capable of surprising us.
DJ writes: “What color are Joe Flanigan’s eyes?”
Answer: Believe it or not, I haven’t noticed.
January 29, 2008
SNOW DAY!!!! Vancouver was hit by a powerful snowstorm overnight that shut down schools and made driving treacherous in some areas. The streets have been likened to skating rinks and, while this kind of weather wouldn’t normally deter a former Montrealer like myself, it’s not me I’m worried about. Fondy’s four-wheel drive Audi A4 is, unfortunately, trumped by the average Vancouverite’s complete inability to drive in these wintery conditions. It kind of reminds me of the commuter panic in L.A. whenever it rains (“We are issuing a travel advisory! The streets are wet! Stay off the roads! We repeat! Stay off the roads! May God be with you!”). Anyway, with Paul snowed in on the North Shore and nary a snowplow in sight, we decided not to challenge the elements (and the general incompetence of our fellow drivers) and, instead, elected to work from home today. And quite a day it was. I read, researched, looked at baby pictures (Seriously, they all look identical to me. I’m sure Marty G. will do a wonderful job deciding.), and even found time to clean out the fridge. Alex Levine was supposed to swing by this afternoon and help me build a snow fort but it looks like I’ve been stood up.
So, what’s everybody reading? It better be either Fast Forward 1, Smoke and Mirrors, or Children of the Night because they’re the selections for February’s book of the month club discussions. I’ve yet to start any of them myself (I’m presently halfway through George R. R. Martin’s Fevre Dream) but I’m a fast reader and will no doubt blaze through them with plenty of time to spare.
Today’s video: Lulu does her best imitation of a snow bunny. Check out the video by scrolling down or by heading over to -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=SnowLulu1.flv
A light mailbag today. I expect that will change tomorrow. Just a feeling…
Astrumporta writes: “I seem to remember reading that Joe Flanigan thought Sheppard would not be from a rich family. Do you know why, or why the writers decided he is?”
Answer: We simply thought it would make for a more interesting backstory. Also, Sheppard has always kind of reminded me of Richie Rich all grown up.
Marielabbott writes: “When you mention that you will be revisiting Weir’s story onscreen–will we be seeing Torri?”
Answer: That is the plan.
Wraithfodder writes: “Have you thought of making an SGA episode in the snow?”
Answer: Unless there’s a story-specific reason for it to be snowing (ie. Quest II) or the location happens to be snowy (ie. Threshold) it’s not something we would do as it would prove an unnecessary expense.
Laura P. writes: “Recently, I caught a repeat of “Reunion”. During that episode, there is a scene with Sheppard and Carter on the balcony. Sheppard tries to convince Carter to allow him to go on a mission to rescue Weir. I couldn’t help but notice that this scene was somewhat similar to the season one episode (The Rising) where Sheppard wants to rescue Col. Sumner. Was this intentional or coincidental?”
Answer: It was intentional.
Zoniduck writes: “Alas, Phoenix has no restaurant week. Is there anything like this in Vancouver? And if so, do you participate?”
Answer: This city does something called Dine Out Vancouver, a couple of weeks in which participating restaurants offer set specials. On the one hand, it’s a great way to check out a variety of new restaurants without spending a bundle. On the other hand, these restaurants are so heavily booked that the meals they serve are never reflective of the true quality of the food they serve, more of a half-assed B game than the establishment’s best effort. And, no, I don’t participate.
Shiningwit writes: “Which of the dogs misses Fondy the most?”
Answer: Hard to say. Maximus and Jelly are pretty laid back and are harder to read. Bubba and Lulu, however, are more inclined to perk up and sniff the phone if they hear Fondy’s voice on the other end.
Jesse writes: “What I’d like to know is if studios, specifically animation studios would hire someone like me, at this age, attending school, and with no experience to speak of. Do studios have any internships or part-time positions for writers?”
Answer: I suppose it depends what you’re looking to do. Are you a talented artist? If so, then it’s very likely an animation studio would hire you. As for internships or part-time positions for writers - most animation shows are written by freelancers. That said, I’d suggest sending query letters out to some animation studios and find out exactly what their respective policies are when it comes to interns and part-timers.
Pauline writes: “Are there any books that would give me an insight into how animation scripts work?”
Answer: Here’s a secret - writing for animation isn’t all that different from writing for live action. Nearly all shows use the same script format. The real difference is in the act structure and length (and, of course, the subject matter).
Jean writes: “ Enjoyed Harmony very much. Could the “secret sacred ceremony” to determine the next queen have been a test to see which of the sisters had the strongest ATA gene??”
Answer: Or determined whether the next queen had the ATA gene at all.
RachelCooperLPN writes: “Though you have adamently (sp?) said that you are not going to attend the Creation con in Vancouver, is there a chance that you will make an appearance at a picnic some of the fans are having outside the studio?”
Answer: If I’m free, I’ll certainly stop by to say hello.
Paloosa writes: “Are you concerned or ok with the rating numbers so far for Season 4?”
Answer: So far, I’ve been pleased with the ratings.
Ant writes: “Hence that’s why Kevin O’Donnell poisoned him towards the end because he saw him as being partly responsible. Even though Kevin O’Donnell was probably involved in a lot of the atrocities he had to blame someone else.”
Answer: If that’s the case, then why did O’Donnell wait so long to do it? It doesn’t make sense that he waited because he wanted Herity to complete the task of ferreting out the Madman because, at the time he would have held Herity accountable, he wouldn’t have known that the Madman was going to fall into his hands.
narellefromaus writes: “Thanks Joe for being a conduit for dogs being adopted.”
Answer: Hey, my pleasure. I think adoption is a great idea.
So, what’s everybody reading? It better be either Fast Forward 1, Smoke and Mirrors, or Children of the Night because they’re the selections for February’s book of the month club discussions. I’ve yet to start any of them myself (I’m presently halfway through George R. R. Martin’s Fevre Dream) but I’m a fast reader and will no doubt blaze through them with plenty of time to spare.
Today’s video: Lulu does her best imitation of a snow bunny. Check out the video by scrolling down or by heading over to -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=SnowLulu1.flv
A light mailbag today. I expect that will change tomorrow. Just a feeling…
Astrumporta writes: “I seem to remember reading that Joe Flanigan thought Sheppard would not be from a rich family. Do you know why, or why the writers decided he is?”
Answer: We simply thought it would make for a more interesting backstory. Also, Sheppard has always kind of reminded me of Richie Rich all grown up.
Marielabbott writes: “When you mention that you will be revisiting Weir’s story onscreen–will we be seeing Torri?”
Answer: That is the plan.
Wraithfodder writes: “Have you thought of making an SGA episode in the snow?”
Answer: Unless there’s a story-specific reason for it to be snowing (ie. Quest II) or the location happens to be snowy (ie. Threshold) it’s not something we would do as it would prove an unnecessary expense.
Laura P. writes: “Recently, I caught a repeat of “Reunion”. During that episode, there is a scene with Sheppard and Carter on the balcony. Sheppard tries to convince Carter to allow him to go on a mission to rescue Weir. I couldn’t help but notice that this scene was somewhat similar to the season one episode (The Rising) where Sheppard wants to rescue Col. Sumner. Was this intentional or coincidental?”
Answer: It was intentional.
Zoniduck writes: “Alas, Phoenix has no restaurant week. Is there anything like this in Vancouver? And if so, do you participate?”
Answer: This city does something called Dine Out Vancouver, a couple of weeks in which participating restaurants offer set specials. On the one hand, it’s a great way to check out a variety of new restaurants without spending a bundle. On the other hand, these restaurants are so heavily booked that the meals they serve are never reflective of the true quality of the food they serve, more of a half-assed B game than the establishment’s best effort. And, no, I don’t participate.
Shiningwit writes: “Which of the dogs misses Fondy the most?”
Answer: Hard to say. Maximus and Jelly are pretty laid back and are harder to read. Bubba and Lulu, however, are more inclined to perk up and sniff the phone if they hear Fondy’s voice on the other end.
Jesse writes: “What I’d like to know is if studios, specifically animation studios would hire someone like me, at this age, attending school, and with no experience to speak of. Do studios have any internships or part-time positions for writers?”
Answer: I suppose it depends what you’re looking to do. Are you a talented artist? If so, then it’s very likely an animation studio would hire you. As for internships or part-time positions for writers - most animation shows are written by freelancers. That said, I’d suggest sending query letters out to some animation studios and find out exactly what their respective policies are when it comes to interns and part-timers.
Pauline writes: “Are there any books that would give me an insight into how animation scripts work?”
Answer: Here’s a secret - writing for animation isn’t all that different from writing for live action. Nearly all shows use the same script format. The real difference is in the act structure and length (and, of course, the subject matter).
Jean writes: “ Enjoyed Harmony very much. Could the “secret sacred ceremony” to determine the next queen have been a test to see which of the sisters had the strongest ATA gene??”
Answer: Or determined whether the next queen had the ATA gene at all.
RachelCooperLPN writes: “Though you have adamently (sp?) said that you are not going to attend the Creation con in Vancouver, is there a chance that you will make an appearance at a picnic some of the fans are having outside the studio?”
Answer: If I’m free, I’ll certainly stop by to say hello.
Paloosa writes: “Are you concerned or ok with the rating numbers so far for Season 4?”
Answer: So far, I’ve been pleased with the ratings.
Ant writes: “Hence that’s why Kevin O’Donnell poisoned him towards the end because he saw him as being partly responsible. Even though Kevin O’Donnell was probably involved in a lot of the atrocities he had to blame someone else.”
Answer: If that’s the case, then why did O’Donnell wait so long to do it? It doesn’t make sense that he waited because he wanted Herity to complete the task of ferreting out the Madman because, at the time he would have held Herity accountable, he wouldn’t have known that the Madman was going to fall into his hands.
narellefromaus writes: “Thanks Joe for being a conduit for dogs being adopted.”
Answer: Hey, my pleasure. I think adoption is a great idea.
January 28, 2008
Interesting reactions to last Friday’s episode. Most went something like this: “I really expected to hate Harmony, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised.” “Hey, it didn’t suck!”rave the fans. Thanks for that. And Marty G. thanks you as well. We were both surprised by the volume of positive responses to that painting revealed at episode’s end. While I love the idea of making it available as a print, t-shirt, or poster - I’m not sure Joe F. would be quite as enthused. Some of you suggested we should auction it off and, yes, that would be a great idea - so long as the lucky winner is willing to swing on by the production offices and haul it away in a flatbed truck. The thing is HUGE!
Last night’s broiled filet of sole was good but, I have to admit, tonight’s dinner was better. After several days of fending for myself, I decided to let the gang at Fuel fend for me. And they did not disappoint. The German Butter Potato & Rosemary Soup with a sunken isle of pork confit and touch of paprika proved a hearty winter offering. I followed it up with the decadently smooth foie gras torchon. For my main, I had the roasted ling cod, crisply bronzed yet subtle and tender, served atop a bed of arrow leaf spinach and pork belly, then topped with pickled chanterelles. I truly missed this place. Yes, I’ve been remiss, but I’m sure I’ll rectify that in the coming weeks. Marty G. has already booked us a table for Wednesday night.
For those of you still keeping track of this sort of thing, the early numbers on Harmony show a nice uptick from last week, equaling the ratings for Adrift and Spoils of War.
Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday gal Tina.
Mailbag -
Tenmongaku writes: “Do you guys have staff meetings or something before starting filming of an episode?”
Answer: Prep week begins with a concept meeting that is attended by the producer, the director, and all of the department heads. Subsequent meetings with the various departments take place in the days leading up to the first day of production.
Annie from Freemantle writes: “ Oh a friend asked me a question of pugs.. can they take some of Australia’s summer heat?”
Answer: No, pugs do not fare well in hot weather. They’re very delicate dogs.
Matt S. writes: “Have you had a chance to pick up Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker yet?”
Answer: I haven’t, although I do like his stuff. Let me know what you think.
Matt S. also writes: “when the episode Harmony was written, was Jodelle Ferland a quick decision to fill the title role?”
Answer: Yes, Jodelle was our first and only choice. We made sure she was onboard before Martin even started work on the script.
Mags writes: “How long did it take to film Harmony? And were the nighttime scenes filmed on location as well or on the set to give you more flexibility with time?”
Answer: Like most of our episodes, Harmony was a 7-day shooting. Most of it was filmed on location with the exception of the scenes in the village, and the cave sequence which were filmed on our standing sets.
Aurora writes: “Was wondering what you thought of the Amazing Race finale this year.”
Answer: Meh. As much as I enjoyed this season and was pleased with the final three, I thought the final task (assembling the various items) was confusing and visually uninteresting. A bit of a disappointment. Still, nice to see the hippies win.
Luis writes: “ When you say that they were looking to Drasticly reduce RDA’s role was this a RDA decision or a manegement decision??”
Answer: As someone already said, this was Rick’s decision borne of a desire to spend more time with his daughter.
Farscapefan writes: “in case you forgot, Vala IS part of the team. Now what you said sounds to me like you’re trying to prove something else, that Carter is the ONLY girl on SG-1 and Vala is entirely a fifth wheel..”
Answer: Sure, sounds to you. What I said, “As for a movie entirely devoted to the Vala character - again, I can’t speak for Brad and Robert but I think that would be highly unlikely. Future movies should focus on the team.”, was in response to your statement that the next SG-1 movie should be entirely devoted to her character - “Vala is too important character to really big part of the audience and deserve a story in the movie as the MAIN character, devoted to her entirely.”
Astrumporta writes: “Joe, if Sci Fi never puts out a press release before S5 starts filming, will you then be allowed to tell us who shows up for work? I think it will be hard to keep it secret for long!”
Answer: I’ll take pictures on the day and let you do the math.
Yasmin writes: “I was wondering, since you guys mentioned previously that the Weir story line would be visited in S5, would that be done sort of behind the scenes way?”
Answer: No, we’ll revisit the story - onscreen - in season 5.
Last night’s broiled filet of sole was good but, I have to admit, tonight’s dinner was better. After several days of fending for myself, I decided to let the gang at Fuel fend for me. And they did not disappoint. The German Butter Potato & Rosemary Soup with a sunken isle of pork confit and touch of paprika proved a hearty winter offering. I followed it up with the decadently smooth foie gras torchon. For my main, I had the roasted ling cod, crisply bronzed yet subtle and tender, served atop a bed of arrow leaf spinach and pork belly, then topped with pickled chanterelles. I truly missed this place. Yes, I’ve been remiss, but I’m sure I’ll rectify that in the coming weeks. Marty G. has already booked us a table for Wednesday night.
For those of you still keeping track of this sort of thing, the early numbers on Harmony show a nice uptick from last week, equaling the ratings for Adrift and Spoils of War.
Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday gal Tina.
Mailbag -
Tenmongaku writes: “Do you guys have staff meetings or something before starting filming of an episode?”
Answer: Prep week begins with a concept meeting that is attended by the producer, the director, and all of the department heads. Subsequent meetings with the various departments take place in the days leading up to the first day of production.
Annie from Freemantle writes: “ Oh a friend asked me a question of pugs.. can they take some of Australia’s summer heat?”
Answer: No, pugs do not fare well in hot weather. They’re very delicate dogs.
Matt S. writes: “Have you had a chance to pick up Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker yet?”
Answer: I haven’t, although I do like his stuff. Let me know what you think.
Matt S. also writes: “when the episode Harmony was written, was Jodelle Ferland a quick decision to fill the title role?”
Answer: Yes, Jodelle was our first and only choice. We made sure she was onboard before Martin even started work on the script.
Mags writes: “How long did it take to film Harmony? And were the nighttime scenes filmed on location as well or on the set to give you more flexibility with time?”
Answer: Like most of our episodes, Harmony was a 7-day shooting. Most of it was filmed on location with the exception of the scenes in the village, and the cave sequence which were filmed on our standing sets.
Aurora writes: “Was wondering what you thought of the Amazing Race finale this year.”
Answer: Meh. As much as I enjoyed this season and was pleased with the final three, I thought the final task (assembling the various items) was confusing and visually uninteresting. A bit of a disappointment. Still, nice to see the hippies win.
Luis writes: “ When you say that they were looking to Drasticly reduce RDA’s role was this a RDA decision or a manegement decision??”
Answer: As someone already said, this was Rick’s decision borne of a desire to spend more time with his daughter.
Farscapefan writes: “in case you forgot, Vala IS part of the team. Now what you said sounds to me like you’re trying to prove something else, that Carter is the ONLY girl on SG-1 and Vala is entirely a fifth wheel..”
Answer: Sure, sounds to you. What I said, “As for a movie entirely devoted to the Vala character - again, I can’t speak for Brad and Robert but I think that would be highly unlikely. Future movies should focus on the team.”, was in response to your statement that the next SG-1 movie should be entirely devoted to her character - “Vala is too important character to really big part of the audience and deserve a story in the movie as the MAIN character, devoted to her entirely.”
Astrumporta writes: “Joe, if Sci Fi never puts out a press release before S5 starts filming, will you then be allowed to tell us who shows up for work? I think it will be hard to keep it secret for long!”
Answer: I’ll take pictures on the day and let you do the math.
Yasmin writes: “I was wondering, since you guys mentioned previously that the Weir story line would be visited in S5, would that be done sort of behind the scenes way?”
Answer: No, we’ll revisit the story - onscreen - in season 5.
January 27, 2008
So I was eating a power bar today, looking over the nutritional information, when I noticed the best before date on the inside of the wrapper: “Exp. 07/03/08 08:28AM”. Not “08:27AM” or “08:29AM” or even “8:00AM-ish” but exactly “08:28AM”. How’s that for accuracy. Do you suppose that if I actually set it aside for a few months, I could detect a slight yet discernible difference between the flavor of the bar consumed at 6:00AM compared to, oh, 1:30PM? Probably. After all, calculating the shelf life of power bars is an exact science. It’s not like milk or ground beef where the best before date is really more of a suggestion than a rule set in stone.
Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Poor Joe, incapable of even opening up a can of La Costena whole black beans, he has resigned himself to the simplicity of power bars. What’s next? Saltines and shredded cardboard in milk? Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that I’m actually doing alright. Last night, I made myself a wonderful broiled filet of sole with cipolinni onions in a brown butter sauce. On tonight’s menu: more filet of sole, this time broiled with lemon and parsley. Yeah, I’ve been doing alright on my own but I really feel I’ve held off long enough. Maybe tomorrow night I’ll swing by Fuel and see how Tom and Chef Belcham are doing.
Someone commented today about the gunfire in the behind the scenes segments. In essence: “Pretty damn loud no?” YES! As I responded to IamJohn, the gunfire is so loud that the cast and crew are given ear plugs for these scenes. The ear plugs muffle the sounds of the gunfire, but they also make it harder to hear the director…
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Joegunfire.flv
Today’s mailbag:
Pauline writes: “Did Marty G have the portrait in the script from the beginning…”
Anwer: Yes, he did.
Mackenzie’s Momma writes: “Wouldn’t that line refer more to Miller’s Crossing than McKay and Mrs. Miller?!”
Answer: Woops, my mistake. I went back and fixed it.
ccdsah writes: “Is it possible that she’ll direct a season 5 episode?”
Answer: No actors will be directing episodes this season.
Emily writes: “Speaking of books, have you started on Bright of the Sky yet?”
Answer: Just finished it last night. Let me know what you think.
IamJohn writes: “Are the fake gunshots not loud enough to cause problems, or am I just missing something?”
Answer: No, those rounds are damn loud. So loud, in fact, that the cast and crew are given ear plugs before any scenes requiring gunfire - which kind of makes it hard to hear anything else. Check out today’s clip.
Morjana Coffman writes: “In watching “Harmony” again today (for the fourth time), I noticed in the closed captioning that they referred to Rodney’s handheld device as a PFD.
PFD as in…?”
Answer: Plot Forwarding Device.
Doci121787 writes: “Also im going to be in Vancouver in a couple of weeks, what is a good French resturant for a first timer?”
Answer: I’d suggest Bistro Bistrot on West 4th.
Squall78 writes: “My question was if you had any numbers for the Live + 7 for “BAMSR”.”
Answer: To be honest, I haven’t bothered looking into them, but I’m sure the numbers are out there somewhere.
Katja writes: “Whatever happened to the ship Tria?”
Answer: Without hyperspace capabilities, it is now a very interesting museum piece located somewhere between both galaxies.
C writes: “Forgot to ask, was there some outside reason for Harmony not including the whole team (actors were busy) or was it just planned that way because? Was there thought about the inside reason for why Ronon and Teyla wouldn’t be there?”
Answer: Rachel was far along in her pregnancy and we wanted to give her some time off to rest. Jason was also on baby watch and we needed a Ronon-light episode so that he could dash off for the birth without it affecting production.
Farscapefan writes: “…there’s a chance that Brad Wright or Rob Cooper will invite Claudia to the third or perhaps fourth SG-1 movie? Vala is too important character to really big part of the audience and deserve a story in the movie as the MAIN character, devoted to her entirely.”
Answer: I can’t speak for Brad and Robert, but I can say that we have no plans for Vala in Atlantis. As for a movie entirely devoted to the Vala character - again, I can’t speak for Brad and Robert but I think that would be highly unlikely. Future movies should focus on the team.
Mags writes: “Where you inspired by the Dolphins in Hitchhiker’s Guide when thinking up the Whangels?”
Answer: It was more than mere coincidence.
Poundpuppy29 writes: “The decision may have been made but fans have made a difference before it has happened in this franchise remember the Daniel wars I wasn’t around then but I have read plenty about it and they did make a difference.”
Answer: Um, according to who? The people who took part in the campaign? In reality, the decision to bring Daniel back had everything to do with Michael’s talent, longtime viewers’ familiarity with his character, and the fact that the show was looking at drastically reduced role for Richard Dean Anderson. So, bad example. Better example: perhaps the Save Carson Beckett campaign? Well, let’s wait and see what season 5 brings.
Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Poor Joe, incapable of even opening up a can of La Costena whole black beans, he has resigned himself to the simplicity of power bars. What’s next? Saltines and shredded cardboard in milk? Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that I’m actually doing alright. Last night, I made myself a wonderful broiled filet of sole with cipolinni onions in a brown butter sauce. On tonight’s menu: more filet of sole, this time broiled with lemon and parsley. Yeah, I’ve been doing alright on my own but I really feel I’ve held off long enough. Maybe tomorrow night I’ll swing by Fuel and see how Tom and Chef Belcham are doing.
Someone commented today about the gunfire in the behind the scenes segments. In essence: “Pretty damn loud no?” YES! As I responded to IamJohn, the gunfire is so loud that the cast and crew are given ear plugs for these scenes. The ear plugs muffle the sounds of the gunfire, but they also make it harder to hear the director…
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Joegunfire.flv
Today’s mailbag:
Pauline writes: “Did Marty G have the portrait in the script from the beginning…”
Anwer: Yes, he did.
Mackenzie’s Momma writes: “Wouldn’t that line refer more to Miller’s Crossing than McKay and Mrs. Miller?!”
Answer: Woops, my mistake. I went back and fixed it.
ccdsah writes: “Is it possible that she’ll direct a season 5 episode?”
Answer: No actors will be directing episodes this season.
Emily writes: “Speaking of books, have you started on Bright of the Sky yet?”
Answer: Just finished it last night. Let me know what you think.
IamJohn writes: “Are the fake gunshots not loud enough to cause problems, or am I just missing something?”
Answer: No, those rounds are damn loud. So loud, in fact, that the cast and crew are given ear plugs before any scenes requiring gunfire - which kind of makes it hard to hear anything else. Check out today’s clip.
Morjana Coffman writes: “In watching “Harmony” again today (for the fourth time), I noticed in the closed captioning that they referred to Rodney’s handheld device as a PFD.
PFD as in…?”
Answer: Plot Forwarding Device.
Doci121787 writes: “Also im going to be in Vancouver in a couple of weeks, what is a good French resturant for a first timer?”
Answer: I’d suggest Bistro Bistrot on West 4th.
Squall78 writes: “My question was if you had any numbers for the Live + 7 for “BAMSR”.”
Answer: To be honest, I haven’t bothered looking into them, but I’m sure the numbers are out there somewhere.
Katja writes: “Whatever happened to the ship Tria?”
Answer: Without hyperspace capabilities, it is now a very interesting museum piece located somewhere between both galaxies.
C writes: “Forgot to ask, was there some outside reason for Harmony not including the whole team (actors were busy) or was it just planned that way because? Was there thought about the inside reason for why Ronon and Teyla wouldn’t be there?”
Answer: Rachel was far along in her pregnancy and we wanted to give her some time off to rest. Jason was also on baby watch and we needed a Ronon-light episode so that he could dash off for the birth without it affecting production.
Farscapefan writes: “…there’s a chance that Brad Wright or Rob Cooper will invite Claudia to the third or perhaps fourth SG-1 movie? Vala is too important character to really big part of the audience and deserve a story in the movie as the MAIN character, devoted to her entirely.”
Answer: I can’t speak for Brad and Robert, but I can say that we have no plans for Vala in Atlantis. As for a movie entirely devoted to the Vala character - again, I can’t speak for Brad and Robert but I think that would be highly unlikely. Future movies should focus on the team.
Mags writes: “Where you inspired by the Dolphins in Hitchhiker’s Guide when thinking up the Whangels?”
Answer: It was more than mere coincidence.
Poundpuppy29 writes: “The decision may have been made but fans have made a difference before it has happened in this franchise remember the Daniel wars I wasn’t around then but I have read plenty about it and they did make a difference.”
Answer: Um, according to who? The people who took part in the campaign? In reality, the decision to bring Daniel back had everything to do with Michael’s talent, longtime viewers’ familiarity with his character, and the fact that the show was looking at drastically reduced role for Richard Dean Anderson. So, bad example. Better example: perhaps the Save Carson Beckett campaign? Well, let’s wait and see what season 5 brings.
January 26, 2008
Way back on December 31, 2006, I put together a little spoiler poem that offered hints to upcoming episodes, covering the back half of Atlantis’s third season and into season four. Well, almost all of the hints finally revealed, I thought I would give you a breakdown of the clues in the poem and how they related to the various episodes…
Atlantis assailed by the stuff of nightmares,
(Doppelganger - Robert Cooper walked into the writers‘s room one morning and said “ I want to do the Atlantis version of Dreamscape.”. We stared back at him blankly. Huh? “The Atlantis version of Nightmare on Elm Street,”he tried again. Oooooh! We got it! And fans and Joe [who’d been petitioning] finally got a dark side Sheppard]).
While the team will explore that dark sunken lair.
(Submersion - Director of Photography Brenton Spencer does a very nice job on his first Atlantis directing assignment).
For one player worship, adoration and fame,
As he and his rival find it’s more than a game.
(The Game - This one came in short, so Carl ended up introducing a very entertaining B-story involving Zelenka and Lorne).
Receive a grand gift from an all-seeing shaman.
(The Seer - The Woolsey character’s involvement in the first draft of the script felt a little one note. Then, Robert Cooper suggested putting a little spin on his by-the-book attitude. Instead of weighing in with his opinion, he was going to try very hard to sit on the sidelines and allow us to do our job. Easier said than done of course.).
Find the wraith and our allies have something in common.
(Spoils of War - This one was the biggest stretch - the allies in question being the Asgard. The thing they have in common? Why, cloning technology of course).
A tech-savvy group who progress via pillage.
(Travelers - The Travelers were the first of the technologically advanced races we want to introduce to the Pegasus Galaxy. We’re working on another.)
A wild west High Noon in an inapt Dutch village.
(Irresponsible - We were all set to shoot this in a suitably Western-looking location - until we found out that the location we’d had our hearts set on was not going to work for us. So instead, we elected to shoot at this bizarre-looking location that worked out great for SG-1’s Revisions, but not so hot for this episode. Alas, when it rains it pours. The location snafu was just one of many, many things that went horribly awry).
Too late the value of that friendship he’ll learn.
(Sunday - You know the old saying “You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone”? Saddest SG-1 moment - Meridian: Daniel says goodbye to Jack and steps through the gate. Saddest Atlantis moment: Rodney says goodbye to Carson who quietly fades away.)
A strange disappearance feeds another’s dark turn.
(Missing - The Athosian’s disappearance was intended to kick off a dark turn for Teyla’s character, one that would have run through much of season four. But with Rachel’s pregnancy, that arc changed. Still, we do catch an unsettling glimpse of this potential darkness as Teyla shows the Bola Kai little mercy).
Find survivors concealed in an orbiting rock,
(The Ark - Did anyone notice an out-of-place Snickers bar sitting on a console in one particular scene? No? That’s because we eventually noticed and had visual effects paint it out.)
While the thinker receives an enlightening shock.
(Tao of Rodney - Lots of funny moments in this one but my favorite: Radek’s hard luck story in the opening walk and talk, punctuated by McKay’s cavalier dismissal of the tragedy. Oops.)
Mutations discovered,
(Vengeance - McKay lay on his back, kicking wildly, as the creature scrabbled over him. “What’s it doing?”asked somebody in the room when we were watching the dailies. “I think he’s getting rolled for his wallet.” Sometimes, less is definitely more. The sequence was trimmed and ended up looking great.)
O’Neill is all wet.
(Rick does some underwater filming and shows he’s still got that MacGyver edge).
With a change of location all will forget.
(Tabula Rasa - This episode included guest stints by numerous big market DJ’s. Can you pick them out in the big cafeteria scene?)
Hyperion’s wrath threatens total destruction.
Our hand will be forced by ominous construction.
(Echoes - Hyperion, of course, being the sun god of Greek lore; the ominous construction a reference to the replicator fleet we take out. When we were spinning a solution for First Strike and first came up with the idea of abandoning the planet, Robert Cooper objected to the idea because we had saved the whales in Echoes, only to abandon them. After much consideration, I came up with a solution: As the city takes flight, we all glance back and watch, amazed, as the whales rise up out of the water, sprout wings, and fly away - leading Marty G. to coin the term: Whangels. Alas, the Whangels [and my idea] didn’t fly.)
Carter arrives; a reunion of sorts.
One of our own the enemy courts.
(Reunion - Ever notice how Ronon always gets the third or fourth episode the season? It’s not intentional. Honest.)
Isolation imposed and a grand battle looms,
(Lifelife - Cut off from the Milky Away, albeit temporarily, Atlantis launches a desperate bid to acquire a ZPM - and ends up kicking off the wraith-replicator war.]
While an alien contact this player dooms.
(Doppelganger - It’s hard to keep certain developments under wraps, but with the fans focused on other spoilers, Dr. Heighmeyer’s demise surprised a lot of people).
Self-doubt for one,
(The Seer - Carter is put in the hot seat. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown].
parenthood for another
(Originally, we were toying with the idea of making Rodney and Katie parents. Of course, we couldn’t make two of our main characters parents. Is uncle-hood in the cards for McKay in season 5?)
And that brilliant young mom may be needing her brother.
(Millers Crossing - Sadly, the scene in which Sheppard comes upon Ronon sitting in the motel room, watching Battlestar Galactica was cut).
From innocents lost he’ll produce strict adherence
(Vengeance - Those unfortunate survivors of Inferno, ending up as test subjects for Michael’s mad experiments. To quote Teyla: “ It is amazing how quickly he has been able to incorporate our science into his”. Truly amazing.)
While the late fallen one makes a surprised reappearance
(The only clue that has yet to be revealed. Could Lucius Lavin be making his long-awaited reappearance? Stay tuned.)
And, oh yeah. To those of you comparing episodes to the hints I provided in my second annual spoiler poem (check out my December 31st, 2007 entry) - now that Harmony has aired, you can tick off the obvious: “Get talked into escorting a precocious young brat.”
Today’s movie - Check below or head on over to photo bucket -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=BehindtheScenesonHarmony-McKayatthe.flvToday’s mailbag -
Baal 527 writes: “Whose idea was it for the painting at the end of Harmony?”
Answer: One Martin Gero.
Squeakiep writes: “Harmony” was a blast! And the painting…who’s office is that hanging in???? “
Answer: That painting is HUGE. It’s now hanging in the main corridor, right beside Lawren’s office.
Jenny Robin writes: “I just wanted you to know that I don’t not like your blog.”
Answer: Well I don’t not enjoy hearing from you.
AMZ writes: “What became of the feature you two wrote?”
Answer: It’s an unproduced spec feature that served as a handy writing sample, allowing us to get our foot in the door on various productions (Stargate among them).
Majorsal writes: “in the latest amanda interview (on scifi.com), amanda mentions the cut line in ‘trio’ and makes it sound like it’s still there and not cut. is the not-so-subtle hint still in ‘trio’ or is it truly on the cutting room floor?”
Answer: It is truly on the cutting room floor. I’ll post the unedited exchange after Trio has aired.
Atlantis assailed by the stuff of nightmares,
(Doppelganger - Robert Cooper walked into the writers‘s room one morning and said “ I want to do the Atlantis version of Dreamscape.”. We stared back at him blankly. Huh? “The Atlantis version of Nightmare on Elm Street,”he tried again. Oooooh! We got it! And fans and Joe [who’d been petitioning] finally got a dark side Sheppard]).
While the team will explore that dark sunken lair.
(Submersion - Director of Photography Brenton Spencer does a very nice job on his first Atlantis directing assignment).
For one player worship, adoration and fame,
As he and his rival find it’s more than a game.
(The Game - This one came in short, so Carl ended up introducing a very entertaining B-story involving Zelenka and Lorne).
Receive a grand gift from an all-seeing shaman.
(The Seer - The Woolsey character’s involvement in the first draft of the script felt a little one note. Then, Robert Cooper suggested putting a little spin on his by-the-book attitude. Instead of weighing in with his opinion, he was going to try very hard to sit on the sidelines and allow us to do our job. Easier said than done of course.).
Find the wraith and our allies have something in common.
(Spoils of War - This one was the biggest stretch - the allies in question being the Asgard. The thing they have in common? Why, cloning technology of course).
A tech-savvy group who progress via pillage.
(Travelers - The Travelers were the first of the technologically advanced races we want to introduce to the Pegasus Galaxy. We’re working on another.)
A wild west High Noon in an inapt Dutch village.
(Irresponsible - We were all set to shoot this in a suitably Western-looking location - until we found out that the location we’d had our hearts set on was not going to work for us. So instead, we elected to shoot at this bizarre-looking location that worked out great for SG-1’s Revisions, but not so hot for this episode. Alas, when it rains it pours. The location snafu was just one of many, many things that went horribly awry).
Too late the value of that friendship he’ll learn.
(Sunday - You know the old saying “You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone”? Saddest SG-1 moment - Meridian: Daniel says goodbye to Jack and steps through the gate. Saddest Atlantis moment: Rodney says goodbye to Carson who quietly fades away.)
A strange disappearance feeds another’s dark turn.
(Missing - The Athosian’s disappearance was intended to kick off a dark turn for Teyla’s character, one that would have run through much of season four. But with Rachel’s pregnancy, that arc changed. Still, we do catch an unsettling glimpse of this potential darkness as Teyla shows the Bola Kai little mercy).
Find survivors concealed in an orbiting rock,
(The Ark - Did anyone notice an out-of-place Snickers bar sitting on a console in one particular scene? No? That’s because we eventually noticed and had visual effects paint it out.)
While the thinker receives an enlightening shock.
(Tao of Rodney - Lots of funny moments in this one but my favorite: Radek’s hard luck story in the opening walk and talk, punctuated by McKay’s cavalier dismissal of the tragedy. Oops.)
Mutations discovered,
(Vengeance - McKay lay on his back, kicking wildly, as the creature scrabbled over him. “What’s it doing?”asked somebody in the room when we were watching the dailies. “I think he’s getting rolled for his wallet.” Sometimes, less is definitely more. The sequence was trimmed and ended up looking great.)
O’Neill is all wet.
(Rick does some underwater filming and shows he’s still got that MacGyver edge).
With a change of location all will forget.
(Tabula Rasa - This episode included guest stints by numerous big market DJ’s. Can you pick them out in the big cafeteria scene?)
Hyperion’s wrath threatens total destruction.
Our hand will be forced by ominous construction.
(Echoes - Hyperion, of course, being the sun god of Greek lore; the ominous construction a reference to the replicator fleet we take out. When we were spinning a solution for First Strike and first came up with the idea of abandoning the planet, Robert Cooper objected to the idea because we had saved the whales in Echoes, only to abandon them. After much consideration, I came up with a solution: As the city takes flight, we all glance back and watch, amazed, as the whales rise up out of the water, sprout wings, and fly away - leading Marty G. to coin the term: Whangels. Alas, the Whangels [and my idea] didn’t fly.)
Carter arrives; a reunion of sorts.
One of our own the enemy courts.
(Reunion - Ever notice how Ronon always gets the third or fourth episode the season? It’s not intentional. Honest.)
Isolation imposed and a grand battle looms,
(Lifelife - Cut off from the Milky Away, albeit temporarily, Atlantis launches a desperate bid to acquire a ZPM - and ends up kicking off the wraith-replicator war.]
While an alien contact this player dooms.
(Doppelganger - It’s hard to keep certain developments under wraps, but with the fans focused on other spoilers, Dr. Heighmeyer’s demise surprised a lot of people).
Self-doubt for one,
(The Seer - Carter is put in the hot seat. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown].
parenthood for another
(Originally, we were toying with the idea of making Rodney and Katie parents. Of course, we couldn’t make two of our main characters parents. Is uncle-hood in the cards for McKay in season 5?)
And that brilliant young mom may be needing her brother.
(Millers Crossing - Sadly, the scene in which Sheppard comes upon Ronon sitting in the motel room, watching Battlestar Galactica was cut).
From innocents lost he’ll produce strict adherence
(Vengeance - Those unfortunate survivors of Inferno, ending up as test subjects for Michael’s mad experiments. To quote Teyla: “ It is amazing how quickly he has been able to incorporate our science into his”. Truly amazing.)
While the late fallen one makes a surprised reappearance
(The only clue that has yet to be revealed. Could Lucius Lavin be making his long-awaited reappearance? Stay tuned.)
And, oh yeah. To those of you comparing episodes to the hints I provided in my second annual spoiler poem (check out my December 31st, 2007 entry) - now that Harmony has aired, you can tick off the obvious: “Get talked into escorting a precocious young brat.”
Today’s movie - Check below or head on over to photo bucket -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=BehindtheScenesonHarmony-McKayatthe.flvToday’s mailbag -
Baal 527 writes: “Whose idea was it for the painting at the end of Harmony?”
Answer: One Martin Gero.
Squeakiep writes: “Harmony” was a blast! And the painting…who’s office is that hanging in???? “
Answer: That painting is HUGE. It’s now hanging in the main corridor, right beside Lawren’s office.
Jenny Robin writes: “I just wanted you to know that I don’t not like your blog.”
Answer: Well I don’t not enjoy hearing from you.
AMZ writes: “What became of the feature you two wrote?”
Answer: It’s an unproduced spec feature that served as a handy writing sample, allowing us to get our foot in the door on various productions (Stargate among them).
Majorsal writes: “in the latest amanda interview (on scifi.com), amanda mentions the cut line in ‘trio’ and makes it sound like it’s still there and not cut. is the not-so-subtle hint still in ‘trio’ or is it truly on the cutting room floor?”
Answer: It is truly on the cutting room floor. I’ll post the unedited exchange after Trio has aired.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
