KC Geek Chic

Hiatus

2009-06-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Due to life outside of the blogosphere--school, work, and school mainly--I'm not sure when the next time I will really be able to write or record anything of real substance. When that magic day comes when I have some time to sit down and write, I will be as happy and pleased as I was when I finished Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Until then, I wish many happy returns. :)

--KC

A Brief Blogcast Update

2009-05-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

After months of being buried in notebooks, textbooks, and graded research papers, it's good to log in to the blog again. In the course of three minutes or so, I quickly discuss which topics I'd like to address in future blogcasts and written blogs. A topic that I also want to play with that I didn't address in the blogcast update is my journey to return to gaming. You see, I haven't played a video game in ten years, and I just started playing Final Fantasy X. Yeah, I'm such an amateur now, it's hilarious. You might find it hilarious too.
As a side note, I want to keep encouraging everyone to keep listening to their favorite podcasts. I haven't been able to listen to some of my favorites close to a month--Treks in Sci-Fi, Knights of the Guild, Waffle On, GeeksOn,etc.--due to school stuff. I just started my podcast marathon with the brand new Anomaly episode about Twilight, and while it's not necessarily my favorite subject, great points were brought up and it was just nice to play a fun radio show rather than the study-intensive classical music playlist.
It's good to be back, and for info on the topics I want to cover, play the beautiful Podbean clip below.

KC's First Audio Blog (Podcast? Audio Blog? Podcast?)

2009-04-15T17:08:00.001-07:00

"My first audio whatsit. Not perfect, but it’s a work in progress. I briefly talk about why I haven’t been writing anything on my blog, touch on the Watchmen, a teensy weensy dip into the Family Guy/TNG crossover, and a many, many apologies for not writing anything for the past month."

NOTE: Please forgive a huge gap that occurs during the audio. I thought I fixed that... apparently I did not. But think of it like the first couple of Dollhouse episodes--grit your teeth and bare it, it'll get better eventually. I also forgot to mention the awesome Knights of the Guild Podcast in my podcast mentions (oopsies!), but I highly encourage you to listen to this wonderful show hosted by Kenny and Jenni.

2009-02-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot of time to write anything detailed or interesting, but I figured an update would be sufficient. In honor of the upcoming film "The Watchmen," I have made a change of my blog in order to promote the film. I am currently reading the graphic novel which the movie is based on, and hopefully I will be able to make it to the movie theater some time during the middle of March. I plan to write a blog comparing both the book and the movie in the future, so keep an eye out for that.

Fave Bits of "Web TV"

2009-02-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hey, readers. I apologize for not posting that often for the last couple of weeks. School and crazy are beginning to make life hecka crazy, but I've been working on posts little by little in my spare time. So, this is a post that I've finally completed and wish to share with you.

The Anomaly Podcast have put out an episode last month in which they interview Kenny, who is at work on Behind the Scenes footage for the ever-popular web-sitcom, "The Guild." I thought I would do a post about some of my favorite web shows, and only two of them are theater-realted (that's a huge feat for me). The list is as follows.

Legally Brown: The Search for the Next Piragua Guy--Okay, this one needs more explanation than any of the other shows. Is anyone familiar with one of MTV's many desperate reality shows called Legally Blonde: The Search for the Next Elle Woods? Well here's a clip for those who are curious, but to sum up, it was a reality competition show that focused on a gaggle of girls who wanted to win the part of Elle Woods in the now closed Legally Blonde: The Musical. Composer/lyricist/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote a parody to the program with his own Tony Award-winning show, In the Heights, at the forefront and searched for "the next Piragua guy." (For those who do not know, a piragua is shaved ice and flavored syrup. We call it an ice cone or "icey" down here in Texas.) Broadway vets are featured in each webisode, as well as music director and Broadway blogging master Seth Rudetsky and West Wing actress Allison Janney.

the [title of show] show--As a way to promote the stage show, [title of show] in which they co-wrote and co-starred together, Hunter Bell and Jeff created a popular web series that showcased their misadventures before their show hit Broadway. The series is popular among fans of musicals, and it brought in several well known Broadway alum to star in cameo roles. If you're a musical theatre fan, go check it out on their YouTube Channel.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog--Anyone who hasn't heard or seen this until now... you really disappoint me. Seriously, they have it for free on Hulu. Go watch it. Like wine, Joss Whedon's talent just gets better with age. Of course, like chocolate, Joss Whedon has always been good. Also, you get to see Guild creator/star Felicia Day, Firefly's Nathan Fillion, and the great NPH do their thing--while singing.

The Legend of Neil--This is a very good, very adult web series about a normal guy named Neil who somehow ends up in the game "The Legend of Zelda" in the role of Link. also known as Zaboo from the Guild, is a the director and writer behind the series. The writing is hilarious, the direction is fabulous, and geeky references to the game the show is based on abound here and there. Season Two is in the works, so keep an eye out for that.

Potter Puppet Pals--It began as an animated short, and turned into a recorded "puppet show" featuring the characters of Harry Potter as you never would have thought of them before. My personal favorite is "The Mysterious Ticking Noise"--you'll be thinking about it all day long. And of course, who can go wrong with a crazy, nudist version of Dumbledore.

A Liam Show--If any of you don't know who Liam Sullivan, you might know him better as the character Kelly, who has been featured in the web music video phenomena "Shoes." Liam Sullivan has gotten a lot of press about the show due to his internet fame, and continually comes out with new episodes and Kelly music videos as often as he can. You can watch the show on it's YouTube Channel.

The Guild--Did you really think that I would leave this out? A show for geeks, gamers, internet lovers, and the people who know them. Created by Felicia Day, who also writes and acts in the show, it is the must-see web sitcom that has started to gain some supporters and viewers within the last year. You can go to their YouTube Channel to check out the first season, and MSN is currently streaming season two.

There you go. As far as web TV, that is what I've been watching over the last year or so. It's not much, but I think this blog turned out pretty well considering time restraints. Hopefully I can start to post voice comments for whenever life gets too crazy with tests and papers--just a little wish of mine.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

BSG 4.5 Thoughts

2009-01-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank everyone for dealing with my very long and random post from the other day. I had a lot of energy and divergent creative thinking that I needed to shake off, and blogging about a random idea was the best way to do it.

Anyway, I've noticed that everyone has been commenting on BSG Season Four: Part Deux, and I noticed that I'm a little behind on my personal views of the second beginning of the end. So, I'm just going to briefly comment on the first two episodes, and then I'll talk minorly about all of the characters.

BEWARE! SPOILERS GALORE! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OF SEASON FOUR OF BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (OR ANY BSG AT ALL) DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER!

AGAIN! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Okay, let's talk some Battlestar.

The first episode was so depressing that I still have a problem with sitting down and watching it in its entirety. On my first try, I just walked out of the den and looked up the synopsis on Wikipedia. I know, blasphemy, but the episode was really a downer.

But I really enjoyed the second episode. I can't believe that was Ron Moore's directorial debut. That was a fantastic job, in my humble opinion.

And now some brief character commentary:

Tigh and Six for "Odd Couple of the Year." It's strange to see both of them calm and somewhat cheery... I have this forboding feeling about it. Maybe it's because of all the tragic plays I have to read, or the amount of Joss Whedon TV I've been watching.

Can I just say how sad I was when I discovered that Dee committed suicide? That was seriously... wow. Just wow.

Poor [former] Chief. Ron Moore is just treating him like crap. But maybe he'll get revenge on Tory when it's revealed that she killed Callie. Yes... this would be excellent.

Speaking of which, why is Tory not dead yet? I love that she hasn't been in the recent episodes... but I'd prefer it if she were dead. Ron Moore, I know you can hear/read thousands of fan comments about this... I sure hope that you comply with those demands.

I totally love the Adm. Adama/Pres. Roslin relationship. Seeing them on screen being a cute older couple makes me want to post smiley faces and hearts on every website I have.

Gaeta, I get that you're pissed--I can't blame you--but bashing a woman's husband is a no no. Even if he is a Cylon.

Lee Adama is not as good at PR as he thinks he is. Seriously, plan out an outline before you accidently let the Fifth's gender slip. That's the one of the first things they teach you in Intro to Public Relations--I should know, I took a class on it.

And Starbuck, I'm putting you in the same boat as Tyrol. I feel really bad for you. Geez, Ron Moore is a jerk to his characters. At least Starbuck is still kind of up to kicking ass and taking names, though.

Seeing Gaius Baltar back in his scientist role was interesting from what little I've seen of the first episode. And his drunken tirade about God was interesting. Tell us how you really feel, Baltar...

And the Vice President can lick the dirt off of my high heeled boots. The end.

Yeah. That's all I got for right now. I'll try to do this a little more as more episodes air. March is going to be a very sad month.

2009-01-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

I would just like to mention that the following post is what happens when I a) don't get enough sleep, b) have way to much sugar, c) suddenly have a lot of free time, or d) all of the above. Just have fun with it.

Rico, the host of the Treks in Sci-Fi podcast, is having a Re-Casting Star Trek: TNG Contest. I thought it was a fantastic idea when I first heard about it and I'm so excited about the lists you can now vote for. Due to the craziness of school starting and keeping up with my work schedule, I didn't have a lot of time to even think about entering the contest. However, if there's one thing that I love more than anything in the world, it's casting projects that do not exist yet, so I thought I'd give it a go anyway. You know, just to play around with some ideas.

But I don't want it to be any ordinary cast list--I cast imaginary remakes all the time, as does any geek who chooses to daydream during class. So I thought of something that would immediately set my list apart--what if I casted "Star Trek: The Next Generation"--the musical! I know it's one of the worst ideas ever, but I sincerely think it's a fun idea that combines two of my greatest loves and I thought that I'd give it a go. Some of them might be names that you recognize, but I thought it would also be fun to write bios for all of the actors that includes some info about the very fake, awful musical I'm creating for the purpose of this blog post. I've also included some links to clips of each actor doing their thing, whether it be on stage or on screen.

To note again, this is just me having fun. TNG is not, will not, and should never be a musical. Ever. It would be terrible.
___________________________________________________________________

Star Trek: The Next Generation MUSICAL SPECTACULAR!

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
as played by Michael Cerveris

Michael Cerveris is the 2004 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of John Wilkes Booth in the revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins, and a three-time Tony nominee for his work in The Who's Tommy (1994), Sweeney Todd (2005 revival), and LoveMusik (2007). Other stage roles: Giorgio in Passion, Kent in King Lear, Mr. Andrews in Titanic: The Musical, and his acclaimed turn as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His film and TV credits include The Mexican (Frank), "CSI" (Sid Booth Goggle), and Fox's "Fringe" (the Observer).

Cerveris will be singing songs "Welcome to the Enterprise," "Among the Borg," the showstopping ballad "Make it So."

Dr. Beverly Crusher
as played by Bernadette Peters

Bernadette Peters is a two-time Tony Award winner for her leading roles in Song and Dance and the 1998 revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Peters has had leading roles in other memorable Broadway productions such as Mack and Mabel, Sunday in the Park with George, The Goodbye Girl, Into the Woods, and Gypsy. She has several film and television credits that include The Jerk, Annie, Pennies from Heaven (Golden Globe nomination), Anastasia (voice of Sophie), It Runs in the Family, "Animaniacs" (voice of Rita the Cat), "Ally McBeal" (guest star; Emmy nomination), "Bobbie's Girl" (Daytime Emmy nomination), and ABC's adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" (Stepmother).

Peters will be performing a tap duet with the character Data as well as singing the song "Before the Stargazer."

Commander William T. Riker
as played by Raul Esparza

Raul Esparza is a three-time Tony nominee (Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, Stephen Sondheim's Company, Boy George's Taboo) who is currently on Broadway performing in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow. Other credits include the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, Off-Broadway's tick... tick... BOOM!, The Normal Heart, the national tour of Evita, the film Find Me Guilty, and ABC's "Pushing Daisies."

The creative team have added two new solos for Riker, "The Conquests of Commander Riker" and "Take Command," along with a duet with Deanna Troi (see below bio for details).

Counselor Deanna Troi
as played by Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel is renowned for her star turn as Elphaba in Wicked, which won her the 2004 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She is also known for her performance as Maureen Johnson in the original Broadway production of Rent (Tony nom.), which she recreated for the 2005 film adaptation. Off-Broadway's The Wild Party, See What I Wanna See, and the Disney film Enchanted.

The role of Deanna, a Betazoid with empathic abilities, currently has only two main songs in the show--"I Feel" and a love duet with Riker called "Imzadi (Beloved)." However, more songs may be added during the show's out of town tryout.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
as played by Elijah Kelley

Elijah Kelley is known to most audiences for his film debut in 2007's Hairspray, in which he played Seaweed. His next film venture will be a biopic about the life of Sammy Davis, Jr.

Geordi currently has no songs of his own, but is featured promenantly in the number "Promotions," an ensemble (or as the creators have been joking, and "ensign-ble") where Geordi has a featured solo and dances with the Ensigns.

Lt. Commander Data
as played by Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris returns to the stage as Lt. Comm. Data, the android who goes on a personal journey to be more human. His previous Broadway credits include Cabaret, Proof, and the Tony-winning revival of Assassins. Other stage credits the Los Angeles production of Rent. Film and TV credits include "Doogie Howser M.D.," "How I Met Your Mother," and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

The character has two solos--"Ode to Spot" (based on the popular poem from the series) and "Binary Code"--and will sing the reprise of Deanna Troi's solo "I Feel." As mentioned before, Harris will also be performing a tap duet with Bernadette Peters's Beverly Crusher.

Lt. Worf
as played by Jesse L. Martin

Known for his television run in NBC's "Law and Order," Jesse L. Martin is known to musical fans as the original Collins in Broadway's Rent, a role which he recreated for the 2005 film adaptation. Other works include TV's "Ally McBeal," "X-Files" (guest star), and "A Christmas Carol."

Though not confirmed by the producers or creative team, word is that they are working on an as yet untitled song for Worf entirely sung in Klingon.

Ensign Wesley Crusher
as played by the three Billy Elliot boys (David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik)

All three boys made their Broadway debut in Elton John's Billy Elliot: The Musical. They will rotate in the role of Wesley Crusher, whose character has been redesigned to fit child actors and is also the featured dancer of the show and has several dance solos throughout, including the new musical number "The Enterprise-D Ballet," which is featured at the beginning of Act Two.

Guinan
as played by Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald is four-time Tony Winner (Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun) and has been Tony-nominated for her performances in Marie Christine and 110 in the Shade. McDonald has also been nominated for two Primetime Emmys for her work as a supporting actress in television adaptations of "Wit" and "A Raisin in the Sun." She is currently a regular in ABC's "Private Practice."

The character of Guinan was written into the show after it's initial workshop, after urging from producers as well as fans of the television show. The creative team are fervently writing a new song for McDonald's character.

___________________________________________________________________

See? Now wasn't that fun? Okay, maybe it was a little headache-y, in the words of Broadway blogger Seth Rudetsky. By the way, if you read Seth Rudetsky's blog or Playbill.com column Onstage and Backstage, I think my works are about as ADD as his. I think his stuff is much more interesting, but I'm a fan of his anyway.

Anyway, I assure you that the cast lists that the forum members are much better than this one, and more importantly they have names of actors that everyone will recognize off the bat. If you haven't voted yet, go to the Treks in Sci-Fi Forum and do so--I'm personally having a hard time picking out of all of them. And if you're someone who's been lurking around on that forum for a little bit, go register!

Thanks for reading my bit of randomness today.

Short Post About a Great Talent

2008-12-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

This post is mainly to gush over the work of Aimee Steinberger, who is by far one of the most talented artists in the blogosphere. I've been a big fan of her work for a few years, and I always look forward to any original work or fan art she posts. Her work has it's own style, but shares some similarities with Disney animator Glen Keane, who is the artist behind the life of the Beast, Pocahontas, and countless other memorable characters. If you have time, feel free to click on the link reading "*sakura kiss*" to check out her blog, or you can visit her website, Aimee's Studio. She also has a graphic novel out entitled Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan that you should check out.

And best of all, she's a Doctor Who fangirl as well. Sweet!

I don't know when I'll be able to post again, but just in case, I'll leave you with the latest piece by Aimee that has a familiar message...

Happy New Year - Doctor Who by ~aimeekitty on deviant ART

My Big and Slightly Clever Comeback

2008-12-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been forever and a day since I've posted anything, but I have my reasons. You see, I've been traveling through time and space with this nice chap with a really nice and tailored-to-fit pinstripe suit and... not buying it? Well, truth is that I recently discovered that I am a Slayer and I've been training my stuffy Watcher to battle vampires and demons and... no? Sylar stole my brain... and... nada. Um... I'm Catwoman?

Fine, then. Here are the real reasons I've been away from my keyboard: work, school/semester finals, and finishing up the entire series of Buffy. Happy now? Look, I'm being all honest and stuff. Geez, frakin' A-Team...

All joking aside, I'll discuss what I've been up to, apart from hiding in my dark little room with my school books and frizzled stress hair.

I saw the film version of Twilight, and I gotta tell you, I liked the movie more than I liked the book. Much more. Ever since I finished the first book in Stephenie Meyer's saga, I've discovered little by little that the book was not the mixed bag that I thought it was and that I had more issues with it than I realized. Can I understand why so many people like the book? Yes. But here's the deal--I don't like it. At all. It's poorly plotted, characters are far from three-dimensional, and it doesn't contain any real honesty about what love and romance involves. I personally believe that the movie improves on that and makes the relationship a little more realistic and the plot more consistent. Now, is it the best movie in the world? No, but I enjoyed it a lot because the screenwriter knew what to add and what to cut. Sadly, they didn't cut out my least favorite line, but I'll talk more about that in a second.

What I liked about the movie:

Robert Pattinson aka Cedric Diggory. That's pretty much the main reason why I went to see the movie. And no, not just because he's cute... although, physicality was the main draw. From what I saw in the previews, he obviously had a presence that commanded attention and I wanted to see if his performance could hold up to that. And it did. Awesome job, Rob. (Hee hee, that rhymed. I'm so juvenile.)
Kristen Stewart made Bella likable. Hardest. Job. Ever.
Catherine Hardwicke's direction for most of the film. The "confession scene" was the only extremely awkward point of the film, but everything else was great.
Praise the screenwriter for making necessary changes for the sake of smooth movement throughout the film. Hallelujah!

What I disliked about the film.

Wag a finger in the screenwriter's face for allowing one of the most horrendous pieces of dialogue to grace the screen: "And so the lion loved the lamb." For shame! No, wait, that line was in the book first. Wave that finger in front of Stephenie Meyer first and then move on to the screenwriter.
The entirety of the extremely, extremely, extremely awkward "confession scene." Seriously, you guys, it hurt me deep inside.
The blatantly obvious Stephenie Meyer cameo. Look, I love cameos. But the main point of the cameo is so that it's not as obvious as the sun shining and you have to play a game of, "Really, that's him/her?" To me, it's meant to be a game of "Where's Waldo" that does not take any focus from the story.

The part of the movie that still mesmerizes me:

The Edward/Bella kiss.

The part of the movie that makes me laugh really hard unintentionally:

When Edward looks at Bella with his face covered in sparkles and shinies yelling at the top of his lungs, "Bella, this is the face of a killer!" (So for those of you reading, beware of those five-year-olds who thought it fun to cover their face with glitter paint at carnivals and circuses. They're actually cold-blooded, murderous fiends.)

Overall, I'd say see the movie if you find enjoyment in watching pretty boys for two hours straight. I found it to be good times. Good times, friend.

In other news, I bought the complete series collections of Buffy, Firefly, and Angel. I've mainly been focusing on Buffy and only a few hours ago, I finished the series finale of Buffy and cried my eyes out simply due to the raw emotion and positive energy behind the show's final message. That and there was also a lot of killing and dying... that can kind of take a toll on a viewer. And what have I taken away from the final season of Buffy? I finally understand the shipping of Spike and Buffy. Or "Spuffy," as a lot of those hip, young fanfic writers are calling it. I still love the Buffy/Angel romance (combining their names would make no sense), but Spike/Buffy was a wonderful love story. I will be re-watching Firefly next, and then I will be getting back into Angel. Well, I still need to finish season two of Dead Like Me as well... oh, poo I've got some hardcore watching to do.

As far as Doctor Who stuff goes, it's been kind of dry, with the exception of eagerly awaiting the Christmas special and re-watching season two with some of my friends who are new to it. (BTW, forgot how awesome The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit are. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.) It's interesting to see how differently they react to different characters and storylines. In fact, I've spoken with other Doctor Who fans and noticed how we were all almost polar in our point of views. One hates Martha, one adores Martha, one hates Donna, one hates Donna and Rose, one thinks Donna is awesome, one loves Nine more, one loves Ten more, one has a love/hate thing with Mickey, one prefers Moffat to Davies, one thinks Moffat is merely okay, etc. Someone needs to do a sociological study on this anomaly.

Speaking of Anomaly with a capital A, I recently served as a guest on the Anomaly Podcast entitled "Anomaly of Star Wars Christmas Special." That's right, I seen the "Star Wars Holiday Special," and to those of you who have criticized the prequels and blame George Lucas for destroying his own work probably have not seen this abomination. But I cannot say that you should watch it to believe it--I will not subject you to that torture. Just believe me when I say that it's awful and I have yet to see anything as bad as that. However, as the intention of the podcast episode was to make fun of it, I found the moments that stood out to me and grinned (well, clenched my teeth, morelike) and beared it. It's a great podcast edited by Anomaly co-host Jen, and I highly recommend listening to it for the comments made by Angela and my co-guest Gerald, who are simply hilarious. A brief warning, I am quite loud in real life and I forgot to tone down my volume in front of the mike, so just be aware that the very loud girl who might sound like a pre-pubescent boy is me. Yes, I'm very, very insecure. I will most likely be whispering the next time I'm in front of a microphone. (My name is KC, and I'm an Anomaly.) So, if you're interested in hearing my little quips on poor quality TV, go to iTunes and look up "Anomaly" in the search bar, and it should pop up under the podcast section of the results.

Also, watch season two of The Guild as well as the new webisodes of BSG: Face of the Enemy. Both are extremely awesome and if you're going to read my blog about nonsense, then you should probably find the time to watch well-written entertainment.

That's all for now. I hope you all enjoyed this very long post. Maybe the next time I write it won't be half a year from now. Ha ha... ha... ha... *knocks on wood*

In Response to David Tennant Leaving Doctor Who

2008-11-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of posting these past two or three weeks. My time has mostly been divided between school, work, and my recent obsession with Twitter. I have sincerely missed posting on the blog about any recent sci-fi/fantasy or general entertainment news, but alas, life gets in the way of many joys. However, I always seem to manage to find time to write on Twitter about trivial things, so if ever I go MIA for a bit, feel free to check out the Twitterpated part of Geek Chic that is found right above the links section. Or, if you already have an account on Twitter, feel free to follow me if you're not already. (For those of you who are nostalgic enough to get the reference, "twitterpated" is indeed from Bambi.)

Also, I keep promising a post on "Human Nature" from Doctor Who. I don't think I can promise that anymore. I'd like to do a post on it as it is one of my favorite two-part episodes, but there's so much material to talk about in the episode and so little time that I don't know when I'll be able to blog about my notes. Maybe it might come up during this winter depending on what the schedule for the Christmas holidays is. If I had the money for the equipment, it probably would have been easier to do a podcast about the episode, but alas... no money to be found. Thus, time must pass for a written analysis.

It has been a few weeks since my last post, and as many of you probably know, David Tennant has announced that he is ending his run as the Tenth Doctor on "Doctor Who" at the end of 2009. He made the announcement via satellite at the NTA's after winning Best Dramatic Actor, and tons of people have posted videos of this announcement on various websites and have reacted accordingly. For those of you who have yet to see it or hear of it (and I can't imagine how you haven't since even Perez Hilton has mentioned it) here's the video of the event.

Now, I will admit that when David announced that he was leaving the series, I was very sad. He was my Doctor--he was my first and the one I related to the most. However, I'm not lying when I say that I had hoped he would choose a good time to leave the series in order to pursue other projects. Of course, I was hoping for some period of time after Moffat's first series as the executive producer and head writer, but that's not the point. I can understand that as an actor, there is a time when you know you have to leave a popular and beloved character behind. And it helps that David is not only an extremely talented actor but also a very intelligent man, and he has pointed out in several interviews that he thought very carefully about when he was going to leave the series and how he believes that if he stayed on for too long it would grow stale. So good on you, David. And I personally can't wait for the last four specials of your run and also any of your future projects. (Hopefully a Broadway transfer for Hamlet if it proves popular, and a transfer into feature films would be nice too. But that's just me wanting to spread the David Tennant love around the world.)

As for rumors of who the next Doctor will be, and Steven Moffat has mentioned that he wants actors "40 plus and weird-looking." The name that has been circling around for quite a bit has been James Nesbitt of Moffat's "Jekyll" mini-series, and I think he enormously talented and quite capable of pulling off the dark qualities of Moffat's writing. Of course, it's all speculation right now, and I'm just excited to see who is going to take on the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor. To that lucky actor, I wish you the best.

Although I don't know when I'll be able to post again or what the next topic will be about, make sure you keep checking the blog or follow me on Twitter or Facebook or Myspace or whatever you use. Also, I highly enjoy any comments or suggestions you may have for the blog, so feel free to post them here. Thanks a bunch for reading and hopefully you'll hear from me again soon.

I'll finish off the post with an interview with David after his announcement.

Reactions to TV Series

2008-10-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, congrats to Buffy alumni Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof, who will be parents as of spring of 2009. Their baby is probably going to be one of the cutest creatures that ever crossed the earth, especially if it gets Alyson's beautiful doe eyes.

I thought I would focus my post this week on how I felt about the most recent episodes of the TV shows I've been watching. If you're not a big fan of spoilers, don't read the rest of this post. If you've seen it, or if you're like me and you simply don't care about being spoiled, feel free to continue.

Project Runway--I stopped watching after Kenley began advancing despite mouthing off to the judges. Her designs weren't original, and even if they were, they were awful. And what's the deal with allowing her to go on to the final four after giving attitude to Heidi Klum! What's that all about, people? You don't do that! Yeah, yeah, Santino and Jeffrey had negative attitudes, but they were often directed at Nina Garcia who, while a big name in her own right, is not the producer and superstar that Heidi Klum is. And Leanne winning? I have a problem with her too... maybe it's her incessant eye rolling. Ugh, this season just made me so angry.

Pushing Daisies--This is one of the only hour-long shows you can watch and have a big, fat smile on your face afterwards. Last week's episode with the nunnery and Chuck, Ned, and Emerson pretending to be Vatican Police was just hysterical. And it seems like we'll be seeing more of Pigby in the next few episodes. And as an incentive, tonight David Arquette is going to be on as a "frescort"--a hired best friend. Still waiting for Stephen Root from "Office Space" to make his appearance in this season though. May that tidbit be more of an incentive to continue watching the show!

Sanctuary--... still feeling a little iffy about the show. For some reason, I'm just not thrilled with the show despite it's interesting concept. But the main guy is cute. That's a plus, right?

Family Guy--An episode set in 1930s, Nazi-occupied Germany? Love it! And once again, Stewie and Brian prove to be the funniest characters in the show, followed by Peter and Chris. The best part was when they made fun of Temple of Doom, which is by far the worst of the Indiana Jones films, but still the best to make fun of.

Big Bang Theory--I heart Sheldon. And as each episode goes on, you begin to notice Sheldon getting more lines than even Leonard. He's even getting more screen time with Penny than Leonard is! It's amazingly awesome, but is it because the writers enjoy writing the character, or because Sheldon has become the fan favorite and that's what gets ratings? Is it both? Is it neither, and if so what is the reason? Discuss amongst yourselves.

How I Met Your Mother--I knew Stella was going to break up with Ted in some form or fashion, but I didn't think she'd leave him at the altar... with the biological father of her child. Sure their personalities weren't a good match and Ted seemed to be getting steam-rolled by her wants and desires. But seriously, that was just twisted.

Speaking of twisted...

Fringe--Sure, there was disturbing stuff in the last episode. But I've kind of been desensitized since the second episode where the woman in the second episode experienced pregnancy and birth in less than six hours. Now that is frightening people... And can we get a little more Walter and Peter screen time? Those two characters just make the show for me. So does the Observer, but that's another story.

SNL--It's funny! It's found a way to become funny during years of a hilarity drought! Best moments of this past week were the Palin Rap, and when Mark Wahlberg confronts Andy Samburg about his imitation of him.

Battlestar Galactica--Oh, wait. There won't be a new episode until 2009.

I guess I'll go ahead and do Doctor Who.

Doctor Who--Oh yeah... there are only going to be four one-hour specials in 2009, and a new season won't appear until 2010!

Ron Moore and Russell T. Davies/Steven Moffat, why do you hate me so!

That's it for now. Next time, I'll try to get an analysis of Human Nature from Doctor Who in.

Small Entertainment Post

2008-10-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

A few little entertainment updates.

The new Twilight trailer was recently released online for internet audiences. I must admit that after reading the book, I'm a little less excited because I feel like the material is only so-so. However, the characters seem more dynamic on screen than they do on paper, so I'm willing to give the film a shot when it comes out. That and everything is shot so beautifully.

I realize I keep promising to review "Sanctuary," but I've come to accept that a decent critique would be very difficult to write as of the moment. To be quite honest, I'm not sure how I feel about "Sanctuary" quite yet. The concept behind the series is intriguing and it is shot beautifully, but I felt the pilot was not very strong as far as script was concerned. I found the second episode to be more enjoyable than the first, but the plot seemed to be very slow-moving and some of the dialogue was bothersome (ex. "This was not in the brochure."). Again, it is too soon to say what my official opinion is of the show, and it has a lot of potential. I will continue to watch the show and see how my personal ideas develops as the first season goes on. I suppose that's kind of a review, but I don't think it really counts.

And again, please watch your favorite shows. I bring this up because even Kristin Chenoweth is posting a blog on Myspace asking her fans to watch her show. There are only two shows this year that have been guaranteed a full season, and some of these shows that are doing poorly are returning series. Support "Pushing Daisies" (excellent), "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (also excellent), "Chuck" (hilarious), and so on and so forth.

I apologize for the short post this week, but with midterms and work, it's been difficult to type up something longer than a few paragraphs. Next time, I will try to put up my post for my long-awaited critique/analyzation of "Human Nature/Family of Blood" from season three of Doctor Who. I've yet to decide if it will be posted at Bad Wolf Bay, Geek Chic, or even both. We shall see.

Low Ratings Equals Not Good

2008-10-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

I know I promised a review of "Sanctuary," but I will be waiting for the second episode to premiere on Friday as I found the pilot to be lacking in some respects. After all, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" didn't have a whirlwind fantastic beginning and it ran for seven seasons.

All right, it seems as if the Writer's Strike last year has affected the fall season in a negative way thus far. Ratings have dropped for returning shows and have started pretty low for new shows. Among the shows that might be in trouble are "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (FOX), "Pushing Daisies" (ABC), and "Chuck" (NBC). In fact, the new TV show "Fringe" (FOX) is extremely lucky that it is getting a full season as it began with only so-so ratings. I encourage everyone to try to watch their favorite show when it airs to improve ratings for shows that might end up on the chopping block. The Nielsen ratings do not measure how much viewers like a show, but how many people watch them. So watch them, talk to your family and friends into watching them, and perhaps you can buy the first season of your fave show if you haven't already. The most creative and well-written shows are becoming extinct, and the top broadcast TV shows as of late September were crime shows and reality shows.

I'm not saying abandon your social life, but we don't want to lose anymore shows that have the caliber of "Firefly" and "Arrested Development." Come on, people, watch a little TV.

An Extremely Brief Update

2008-10-04T15:05:00.001-07:00

You know how in my previous post a made a little song wish list for Olive and Alfredo if they were to have a duet in "Pushing Daisies." Well, I went to a website entitled The Piemaker and found this little link. Even if it doesn't happen this season, this makes the dream a little more real.

For anyone who missed last week's episode of "Fringe," you can watch it and other shows you've missed at Hulu.com. John Noble and Joshua Jackson keep bringing amazing performances to each minute of the show and I hope that they will get some recognition for it in the near future. You can also watch the first episode of the new Sci-Fi Channel series "Sanctuary" over on Hulu as well. I will be posting a review of the first episode sometime within the next couple of days.

And for anyone who reads this blog and wonders why I don't post as often as I should, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I'll always post updates on what I'm working on for the blog(s) and what is keeping me from posting. And if you don't wish to join Twitter but still wonder what I'm up to, you can always scroll down and read the "Twitterpated" section of my blog. But if you would like convincing, Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible, The Guild) and Diablo Cody (screenwriter Juno) have Twitters...

Enjoy what's left of the weekend, and I'll be posting again... sooner or later.

Silly Love Songs for Two "Pushing Daisies" Characters

2008-09-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

The second season of Pushing Daisies is premiering this Wednesday, October 1st. Many fans of the show are looking forward to the continuation of Ned and Chuck's romance and a look inside of some of last year's revelations. However, I count myself as one of the many people who wish to see a future episode featuring the unrequited love story between Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) and recurring character Alfredo Alderisio (Raul Esparza).

Kristin Chenoweth, a 1999 Tony Award-winner and well-known for her performance as Glinda in Broadway's Wicked, has gotten to show off her voice in various episodes of Pushing Daisies. And many Broadway fans know Raul Esparza as a three-time Tony Award nominee whose musical credits include The Rocky Horror Show, Tick Tick Boom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the 2006 revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company. As these two performers are known for their unique singing styles and amazing vocal range, theater lovers are hoping to see Olive and Alfredo sing a duet sometime during this upcoming season. Even though it may be a while before Esparza returns to the Pushing Daisies set for more than one episode--he will be starring in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow alongside Jeremy Piven--it seems that no one can seem to get over their love for this pairing or their musical talents.

So what I've done is compiled a list of five songs that I could hear as a duet between Olive and Alfredo, based on their respective actors' vocal range and style.

1. "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton (famously performed by Whitney Houston)--It's a mix of accepting the unrequited state of love and an eternal pledge that sort of sums up what Olive and 'Fredo's relationship is all about. Both Chenoweth and Esparza (especially Esparza!) are capable of pulling off the sincerity and intensity that the lyrics and musical composition has to offer.

2. "Open Arms" by Journey--Just beginning with the second verse, I feel like this would be the song that would bring Olive and 'Fredo together. Appropriately touching and cheesy, and plenty of opportunity to belt out those high notes.

3. "Tonight" from West Side Story--All right, my theater geek really came through this time. Sue me. It would be funny to see this in a dream or fantasy sequence of some sort. And then viewers unfamiliar with her other works can really get a taste of Chenoweth's soprano.

4. "As the World Falls Down" by David Bowie--Remember 'Fredo's fear of the oxygen leaving the room and basically destroying the atmosphere of Earth? That's how he bonded with Olive? Remember? Yeah, I just thought that this song would be a good combination of his love and his paranoia. Maybe it's a silly choice for a duet or even a solo, but I'm not going to change my mind.

5. "Like Someone in Love" performed by Ella Fitzgerald--Just one of those sweet old-time love songs that can work as a duet between two people who could very well be suited for one another.

And if Mr. Esparza had to have a solo all by himself, I'm gonna have to go with Shameless by Billy Joel. I heard Esparza's cover of the song on a radio show, and it was so powerful that I just can't get over it. In fact, most love songs by Billy Joel would be a good idea.

That's the list for right now. I'm actually starting to get a little inspired to make a playlist after picking out these songs. While I figure out what to make my next post about, you can have a little listen of what Kristin and Raul are capable of.

Recommended TV Viewing

2008-09-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Before I begin a brief discussion on some of my recommended TV shows, here's the only funny clip from last week's Emmy Awards.

Very disappointing awards show, I must say... both in presentation and in selected winners. I guess I'm just a little bitter that fellow geeks Rainn Wilson and NPH lost to Jeremy Piven again. Stupid Piven, you already have two.

So, the fall season has begun and that means a lot of new shows are premiering, as well as some more familiar shows returning for a new season. Fall programming will be primarily be packed with sitcoms, but these series aren't what sitcoms used to be. The days of "Seinfeld" and "Friends" is gone, and this season we will see the return of "The Office" and the Emmy-winning "30 Rock." Both shows break the traditional rules of 30-minute comedy and become vehicles that showbiz experts like Carrie Fisher (Stars Wars, "30 Rock") and Joss Whedon (creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," directing stints on "The Office") wish to take part in. Also make sure that you catch the new seasons of "The Big Bang Theory" and "How I Met Your Mother," both of which offer many geeky references to pop culture franchises including Batman and Star Wars.

Feel like your missing out on anything? Yeah, same here. For the TV shows that I myself desperately need to catch up with, popular hit shows "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Heroes" have recently premiered their new seasons. Other shows that will be premiering within the next few weeks include "Pushing Daisies," "Dirty Sexy Money," and "Chuck." And if you're still completely baffled by the plot of "Lost," the Sci-Fi Channel is rerunning the first season on Monday nights. Make sure you check your local listings before viewing. Hopefully we'll be able to catch up with the series by the time the next season premieres... just as long as we watch each and every episode.

However, one of the most talked about new shows this season is probably "Fringe," which is produced by mastermind J.J. Abrams. This series has gotten off to a great start with critics and viewers alike and promises to have an interesting story arc. It is not a show that you can sit down to dinner with--in fact, you should probably eat an hour or two ahead of time if you have a weak stomach--but the writing is phenomenal and the performances are amazing, especially by Joshua Jackson (Pacey in Dawson's Creek) and John Noble (Denethor in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy). I highly recommend that you watch the first couple of episodes on Hulu, and also catch the next episode on the Fox Network, Tuesday nights. Make sure you check local listings.

As for TV on DVD, if you haven't checked it out yet, make sure you watch both seasons of Brit-com, "Spaced." The premise follows twenty-somethings Daisy and Tim as they go apartment hunting and must pretend to be a couple in order to lease a flat. Co-stars Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson-Hynes also created and wrote all fourteen episodes in the series, which are filled with silly and delightful fun filled with references to the sci-fi universe and what it means to become an adult... if that part ever happens at all. The series is meant to be seen by adult audiences as it features adult language, sexual references, some nudity, and very, very, very little violence. If you would like some convincing, go ahead and watch this very popular clip (beware of language).

2008-09-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just something silly for Monty Python and Star Trek fans alike.

Episode Analysis--Angel, "I Will Remember You"

2008-09-13T21:48:00.001-07:00

A brief note to anyone and everyone who has yet to see Buffy or Angel. This post contains spoilers, and I highly suggest that you watch these shows from the beginning before you read any more of this post. For those who have seen Buffy but have yet to see Angel from the beginning, you can watch the first season here. Those who have yet to see a single episode of Buffy or Angel, please watch the very first episode of Buffy here. Thank you so much for reading this little message before continuing with the post, and I hope that you enjoy some good quality material. As for the rest of you who are going to read this post anyway, you might get a little confused here and there, but I at least hope it will encourage you to watch Buffy and Angel from the beginning.

Today I will discuss the episode "I Will Remember You" from Angel, Season One. This episode begins after the events of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled "Pangs," during which Angel is determined to save Buffy's life after his colleague Doyle has a vision of her in a fight to the death. Angel's mistake is that he tries to do so in secret, despite the fact that everyone except Buffy come to learn of his presence in Sunnydale. The action continues in "I Will Remember You," when Angel returns to Los Angeles and discovers that Buffy is in town as well after she shows up in his office expecting answers for his "skulking." They're interrupted by a demon who tries to kill them both, and when Angel and Buffy separate paths to hunt the creature down, Angel enters a fight with him and a bizarre event occurs when the blood of the demon mixes with his own. Angel falls to the floor and the audience hears the beating of a heart... Angel is alive. Afterwards the episode deals with Angel's humanity and what he chooses to do with his life after regaining a heartbeat. All he is certain of is that he wants one constant factor in his future, and that factor is Buffy Summers.

Buffy and Angel's relationship has always been compared to first love, the love you thought would last forever. Yet there's a difference between their love for one another compared to that of normal teenagers outside of the television universe. For the most part, Angel and Buffy essentially have the same goals despite their differing reasons behind it--Buffy has a duty, Angel's looking for redemption--and their personalities and attitudes complement each other. However, because Angel is a vampire and his soul is cursed, it does not allow the two of them to have a long-lasting relationship. In the Buffy Season Two episode "Surprise," Angel and Buffy share a night together that results in a true moment of happiness, after which Angel's soul disappears and the predatory Angelus has taken over. When Angel regains his soul and attempts at another relationship with Buffy, he and everyone else begin to see that he is drawing Buffy away from the normal life that she craves. Thus he chooses the worst and best path for the two of them by breaking up with her. Throughout both series, you see them move on with their lives, but they still have such a strong bond that it seems like their romantic love will never dissipate. This particular episode is one of my favorites because it illustrates the image of two people who are clearly meant to be together, but due to some obstacle are not able to remain together. Sadly, that obstacle for Buffy and Angel is eternal fight on behalf of the world.

When Buffy confronts Angel about his attempt to remain hidden from her, her feelings convey both a bitter tone and also gratefulness. After all, without his help she would be dead. However, their plan is to lead they're own separate lives and move on so long as they have a romantic connection with each other. As soon as Angel becomes human, their options begin to open up because their aren't any risks between the two of them. He can go out into the day, the two of them can spend the night together, they can have a mini-picnic in his bedroom. For the first time in over 200 years, Angel can be truly happy without losing his soul. Of course, with most Joss Whedon shows, no one can have a happy ending. After an almost fatal fight between Buffy, the Mohra demon and Angel, the latter decides to ask the Powers that Be to return him to his vampire state so that he can help Buffy rather than serve as a crutch. As Angel says, he has realized more than ever how much he loves Buffy.

Angel's decision to remain a vampire in this episode marks the second time that he denies a chance at a seemingly normal existence. A few episodes before, he destroyed a ring that would have given him the power to walk in daylight without turning to ash whenever he put it on. Instead, he takes some well-deserved time to enjoy the sun after he endured a good amount of torture and smashes the ring as soon as the sun sets. His reason? He needs to protect the people who are lost in the dark rather than the people who already have help during the day. That, and what if Angelus came into being again? Do we really want one of the most monstrous vampires ever to exist to have full-access to daytime hours? But this situation with Buffy is different. Yes, he could live out the rest of his life as a human with Buffy at his side, but that also means that Buffy will be fighting against the baddies all by herself. As a human, Angel would be limited in his strength and his fighting prowess, and he wouldn't be able to live knowing that he would not be able to help if Buffy were to get hurt. It's the question that has been brought up in almost every TV show: what would you do if you knew you had the power to save the world, but it meant that you had to give up your happiness and humanity? The heroes choice always remains the same... and so do their regrets in making the decision.

Although the episode is not written by Joss Whedon himself, writers David Greenwalt and Jeannine Renshaw capture the spirit of Buffy and Angel's relationship perfectly, and their portrayal of Angel's sheer wonder and joy at the fact that he is a human is played out perfectly. The scene in which Angel begins to eat everything in the refrigerator is simply hysterical, but the fact that it has seriously been centuries since he has been able to eat and taste a piece of bread is something that Greenwalt and Renshaw carefully considered. Every scene in this episode is completely memorable and combines elements of drama, comedy, action, and romance successfully. This episode is truly remarkable and remains my foremost favorite episode of any Whedon vehicle.

And now a few of my favorite things from this episode...

Favorite line--Cordelia's remark on the possibility that Angel and Buffy are having sex: "Oh, please. They have the forbidden love of all time, they haven't seen each other in months... I'm sure they're down there right now having tea and crackers!" *cut to Angel pouring a cup of tea for Buffy*

Favorite Scene--Angel's last moments with Buffy in his human state. I tear up every time he walks down the stairs to tell her what he has just asked of the Oracles. And when Buffy begins to cry and deny that she'll forget what has happened, I begin to bawl. Beautiful writing and acting for this scene.

Best Performance(s)--Definitely a tie between David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Yes, this is mostly a Buffy/Angel centric episode, but the chemistry between these two have always been strong and I have yet to see a TV couple from another show who is able to move me as much as these two do. (By the way, another good episode for the Buffy/Angel pairing is "Amends" from season three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) Boreanaz also gets to play a little with his comedy skills that he gets to show off in his new TV venture Bones.

I know I could have gone more in depth with the episode--I came very close to writing paragraphs about the symbolic meaning of Angel and Buffy's wardrobe in the episode...yeesh--but I decided to focus on the important aspect of the episode, which is the love story between Angel and Buffy.

2008-09-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to the Dr. Horrible Sing-A-Long soundtrack all day, and because I have this song stuck in my head, I'm gonna get it stuck in yours. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA-ha-ha-h-*cough*-*cough*-*hack*... ahem... ha.

By the way, I'm getting my notes together for a real post that will analyze "I Will Remember You" from season one of Angel. If you have yet to see any Angel (or Buffy, for that matter) you may want skip out on reading that post until you have caught up on everything. In the mean time, check out blogs like Whedonesque which posts Whedon news daily, or you can visit Felicia Day's blog. You can also visit the Treks in Sci-Fi website and visit their forums. 'Til later, keep yourselves busy.

Shirt of the Day

2008-09-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

I think this t-shirt pretty much sums up my view of things.

I Want to be a Vampire Women's Tank Top
Buy this product at CafePress
Designed by Obsession Design

Yep. I think this is one of the many things that I might want for my birthday. And BTW, who else is excited about the Buffy MMO? Cannot wait, cannot wait...

Bones, Singing to the Sing-Along Blog, and Anomalies... Again.

2008-09-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have a few updates for today for those of you who are jonesing for some entertainment news, with a particular focus on anything that is related to science-fiction or fantasy.

First of all, I have been watching a few shows on Hulu recently, and I have been hooked on the show "Bones" after watching a few episodes of the first season. It features the talents of Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz in the lead roles of the scientist and the FBI agent as they solve crimes based on what is left of the victims of various deaths and murders. This show is really about the interaction between Deschanel and Boreanaz that make the show worth while, as well as the rest of the cast who partake in roles that are more fun and lively than that of the grim CSI. And it is definitely a trip to see Boreanaz in a role that is very different than his breakout role in Joss Whedon's "Angel." (In other words, he smiles in Bones... like full-on smile. Not "broody-mood-sexy smirk.") The two-hour season four premiere entitled "Yanks in the U.K." airs at 8pm/7pm central on the Fox Network.

Also, our favorite Anomalies have posted a new podcast on iTunes as of Saturday, August 30th in which they discuss the Star Trek: TNG episode "Ship in a Bottle." I had the privilege of listening to them record while I worked on Jen's Star Trek audio drama, and I get a little mention in the episode because I silently made myself known when Angela begins to talk about nice girls who go for not-so-good guys. Not necessarily something where you want to scream, "Oh, oh, that's me!" However, I couldn't help myself and thus the deed is done. You can listen to an extended version of their podcast at Treks in Sci-Fi, and their episode will be Podcast #188.

Speaking of iTunes, the soundtrack for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog has just been released on iTunes for $9.99. Fourteen songs are featured on the soundtrack, including popular hits "Freeze Ray," "My Eyes," "Everyone's a Hero," and my personal favorite, "Bad Horse Chorus." Vocal artists include Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and the Whedon Brothers. (Yes, all three Whedon brothers--Joss, Jed, and Zack--provide the voices for the Bad Horse Chorus.)

And for all of you Iron Man fans out there, the feature film that stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark is coming to DVD and Blu-ray on September 30th. So save up you're money and enjoy the snarky goodness of Downey's amazing portrayal of the bad-ass millionaire.

Book Review: Twilight

2008-08-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Please be aware that the following review has spoilers. If you are interested in the book and you wish to know what my opinion without knowing what happens, I strongly suggest that you read the concluding paragraph of this review. Thank you.

Unlike the majority of readers who had finished it in a single day, it took me two and a half weeks to complete Twilight, Stephenie Meyer's first book in the popular Twilight Saga. Twilight begins its story with a girl named Isabella Swann, who calls herself "Bella" for short, who has chosen to move in with her father after her mother gets remarried to a minor league baseball player. Now her life-long ties to Phoenix, Arizona gone and now has to deal with the dreary and wet-weathered Forks, Washington, Bella. However, there is one person in Forks that attracts Bella's attention away from her disdain for her new small town home. His name is Edward Cullen, and he's one of the most beautiful men that has graced the earth along with his adopted siblings. The catch? He's a vampire.

While Meyer's plot idea is interesting and an attempt to recreate a familiar tale about forbidden love, the story itself is very difficult to get into. Not much action occurs in the beginning of the book with the example of a near fatal car accident that the vampire Edward saves Bella from, and then after that the reader is subjected to one-hundred to two-hundred more pages of Bella's narrative before another point of action occurs. While she may be attempting to imitate Jane Austen's classic romance Pride and Prejudice, the reader mainly reads about Bella's thoughts that carry the same thought over and over: "He's so arrogant... and yet he's so beautiful. I think I love him." And rather than learning about the vampires a little bit at a time like it appears to be during the beginning of Bella's relationship with Edward, poor Edward is then forced to convey the entire history of how he and his family became immortal blood-sucking beauties within the course of two chapters. Although his monologue is insightful, it is very out of character for him to reveal so much to anyone all at once considering how secretive he must be to hide his true identity. Meyer tries to create a love that is unbreakable and yet extremely complicated by the supernatural differences between the two, one can't help but remember other media outlets that have told the same story in a more successful manner. The most popular example of this would be Joss Whedon's Buffy and Angel story arc in the first three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is often what Twilight is compared to in terms of basic storyline.

It is often important to have a main character that the reader can relate to in terms of personality and universal obstacles that many people face every day. Bella is not one of those characters. Even though she is referred to as an adult in a teenager's body, there are many ways of portraying that without actually making her behave and perform tasks that a thirty year old woman would know how to do. Also, some of her character choices seem a little too "omniscient," if that is the correct term for it. There is not one thought in Bella's mind that is irrational--although Edward would disagree--and the only time she shows a shallow state of mind is in terms of Edward's physical beauty, and nothing else seems to matter to her. With such focus on his face and body, one questions the sort of love that Bella really has for Edward. It is not until the last two or three chapters that Bella becomes a more suitable heroine and her irrational yet understandable sacrifices make her a bit more human. But the tragedy is that this moment doesn't happen soon enough or last long enough for the reader to side with her.

Despite the fact that Meyer is unable to make her lead female character realistic--or in my personal opinion, likable--she is able to bring other characters to life that are predominantly male. Edward's mysterious and attractive qualities make him an intriguing character, and despite Bella's (or Meyer's) constant use of the word beautiful referring to his physical appearance, it's Edward's cocky personality and humility that draws the eye of the reader. The menacing James is also fleshed out extremely well, and the chapter "Hide and Seek" where he contacts one of the characters with a phone call. Sadly, other characters are left underdeveloped or too much information is revealed all at once about them. While Meyer may not have anticipated the three sequels that followed, she seems to have a problem with balancing character and plot development.

Although there are many versions of the vampire mythology that share many similarities, Meyer's attempt to create an original background for these already popular creatures is a miss. Some of her ideas are intriguing, such as making vampires more primal and animalistic rather than demons, equipped with a venom that can turn their victims into one of their own after a long and painful transformation. But there are some other details that fall flat, such as the sparkling skin in direct sunlight or the individual "superpowers" that some of the Cullens possess. The most absurd of these powers is the ability possessed by one Cullen brother to control the emotions of any being within a certain range. It probably would have been a more interesting aspect if the vampires were more of a race or species that shared the same qualities and powers rather than the league of blood-drinking Super Friends.

As for Meyer's skills as a writer, I will say that for her first professional work as an author, this is an impressive work as far as imagery and half of the dialogue goes. She has an eye for vivid images and describes objects and events in such a way that is elaborative and beautiful, but it is also to the point and does not stray into Tolkien territory. Despite already mentioned issues with the forced narrative that Edward must tell, the chapter entitled "Confessions" is a good example of her descriptive technique. And again, while she has some issues with developing some of her characters, there are others that she immediately understands and successfully translates them into well-written products of the world she has created.

Despite its potential, Twilight is mediocre in terms of plot development and her character Bella is not a heroine that can be defined as strong or realistic. However, if there is any reason to read this book, it would be insight to the male characters of the piece, especially the sarcastic love interest Edward. And while the plot lacks substance and the writing is mostly what some may call "fluff," Meyer is definitely one of the few writers that can paint a clear picture of a scene without having the need to outdo Dickens or Tolkien with the amount of adjectives needed to describe a tree that Bella may happen to see. Would I recommend the book to someone who is a fantasy or sci-fi fan? I would probably say wait for the movie. Would I recommend it to someone who wasn't a fantasy or sci-fi fan? I probably would, because aside from the Harry Potter series, it's one of the few books that could be something that they would enjoy as an outsider to the fantasy genre.

2008-08-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

A real post is on the way, I promise. I'm almost finished with Twilight and will have a book review up soon, and I plan on doing a Buffy or Angel post of sorts. I'm also going to put up a new post over at my Doctor Who blog Bad Wolf Bay soon enough. In the meantime, kill some hours by looking at I Can Has Cheezburger or I Has A Hotdog for some really cute and cleverly captioned animal photos.

more animals

see more puppies

Repo! A Genetic Opera Trailer

2008-08-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Repo! A Genetic Opera is a movie that combines the genres of sci-fi, horror, and rock opera into a single entity. Starring Anthony Stewart Head ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and Sarah Brightman (Broadway's original Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera"), Repo! tells the story of a girl hidden from the world, her father with a dark secret, and a future where the human race doesn't stand a chance.

Brief Update

2008-08-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm halfway through Twilight as of right now, so I will be putting off my other two books for another couple of days in order to post my review of it relatively soon. I'm probably the only person in the state of Texas who has not finished this book within the course of twenty-four hours. I don't quite understand how any human being can reserve an entire day for reading a book, but I can agree that the story is slightly addicting.

Treks in Sci-Fi has just released a new podcast where Rico has the main topic focused on an animated Trek episode entitled "Time Trap." Meds also talks about his opinion of the most recent season of Doctor Who, and I agree with him on most of his points, but with a few exceptions, especially when it comes to his ideas on "The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky" and Donna Noble. He loved the former and hated the latter, whereas I hated the former and loved the latter. But to each his or her own, and I appreciate Meds's views on the season.

And in a brief focus on music, I'm considering buying the album You're Awful, I Love You by the band Ludo, who take their name from the lovable monster in Labyrinth. The CD showcases their most recent hit "Love Me Dead," which has been used in advertisements for the Fox drama "House." You can check out Ludo's Myspace page for more info on the band and their touring schedule. And of course, I have a strong interest in the self-titled album by the folk music comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, who sing songs like "The Humans are Dead," "Bowie," and "The Hiphopopotamus Vs. The Rhymenocerus." Feel free to check out their Myspace page as well, and also check out the website for their HBO TV series.