I was rewatching "Ties of Blood and Water" last night and I realized two things:
a) Major Kira's character has a lot more depth than when she was screaming at Sisko's desk in the first episode, and b) The Ghemor storyline was never fully fleshed out, which means there's a fanfic in there somewhere.
On a side note, if you've never seen the ep, I highly reccomend it. It's from DS9 season 5. It has Dukat, Weyoun, and a large helping of Kira. Sisko, Dukat, and Weyoun sit down to have a drink (of poisoned kanar), Nerys and Julian have a cute moment (the actors were married at the time), and it's really sweet and sad and all those things we love about DS9.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
And Friday... Partial
Friday, August 8
The first guest this day before my birthday was Malcolm McDowell. What a guy. Just – what a guy. What a guy, what a guy, what a guy. He has an amazing presence, plus what he said about my question was just – perfection.
See, when they filmed Generations, Soran shot Kirk in the back. Wait, you say, didn't Kirk fall off a bridge? Well, yes, he did. See, people were upset by the whole shot-in-the-back thing, so they decided to reshoot so that Kirk fell off a bridge instead, because someone thought we'd like that better. Yeah-huh.
So, anyway, my question for Malcolm: “Originally, you shot Kirk in the back and he died.”
He was all, “Uh-huh.”
“And they changed it so he fell off a bridge.”
“Uh huh.”
I was waiting for a reaction, so I said, “So you went from being a murderer to manslaughter.”
“Who let her in here?!?!?!” he yelled.
When the laughter died down (go me!) I said, “How did you feel about that?”
“Well,” he said, “I thought it was pathetic.”
Booya. I got high-fived as I walked back to my seat.
He's not a Trekkie. He's actually a fan of 2001. I knew there had to be at least one out there. He says it took Sci-Fi from Flash Gordon to 2001. Never mind that Star Trek was in the middle of that. Lousy thing to say at a convention.
There was a lot of talk about Heroes, which he didn't want to do but his son was so excited that he did it anyway, and by the way, his character is not so wounded as we were led to believe.
There were lots of Clockwork Orange questions, which I've never read or seen but really should, but anyway his most challenging role was something called The Monster of Rostoff, in which he played a pedophile cannibal serial killer. Good grief.
He's a good villain.
A little side note – he made Time After Time with Nick Meyer (in which he did not play the villain) and met his wife on that film. Good deal. And if you don't know who Nick Meyer is, you suck.
Someone also asked him probably my favorite question, which you could tell he was unprepared for because he never really got it. “What would you do in Soran's place?” As in, if you had to kill 230 Million people to get your dead wife and children back, would you.
Jeepers.
Susie Plakson isn't my favorite, but she passes the time and she's tall. Really tall. Extremely tall. She's been launching a musical career, which is neat. And she's older than you'd think, is all I'll say there.
One amusing thing – did you know she was Selar? Selar and K'Eyhlar and SheQ and one of the Andorians. She beat Jeff Combs.
Anyway, she audidtioned for a doctor on Star Trek got it, and then they called her in to be measured for her ears. And that's how she learned she'd be playing a Vulcan.
I won't pretend I'm not bitter about Enterprise because that would be a lie, but Jolene Blalock, guys. Amazing.
I've always seen T'Pol as a big problem, not because of the character or actor but because she's so obviously there for the sex appeal. That said, she's so funny, so charming, and so much a fan that it just kills you.
She's been a fan her whole life.
I actually feel pity for her now – because she was the fan in the show that failed. Not that that was her fault, but what a horrible thing to have happen.
There were a lot of questions dealing with the Vulcan restraint. Leonard Nimoy has said often that he really felt repressed as Spock, that the character took a while to take off on the weekend and then he had to be back at work. She never consulted with Nimoy (“God, I wish.”), but she had a very different experience. Nimoy had to remain stoic all the time. Jolene, well...
“I was the one leaving hershey bars in Connor's toilet....and then I'd get outside and go, [crap]!, I forgot the saran wrap!”
Yeah.
She didn't feel it like Nimoy, I think, but she did have dreams about doing Hamlet in her living room in T'Pol's catsuit, and yes, she did say catsuit.
There was one that became a running thing: “If you were in the desert, would you want Archer or Trip with you?”
Trip.
Yay! My shipper heart beats faster. She indicated that she was in favor of that particular ship, too, so good on her. I mean, she certainly seemed enthusiastic.
She wasn't a big fan of the Xindi arc – maybe if it had been more about Enterprise than the Xindi, that would be different. But it wasn't. Manny made the show better, she said. No argument here. He took the shows and took risks and they “started to bend and mold and shift.”
Yes, they did. And the most telling statement:
“Berman had a formula from TNG and it carried over to the next incarnations...first two seasons he just would not bend, would not budge.”
Which is what I've been saying for years.
She would be open to being in the new movies – T'Pol should still be alive then.
I can't say I'd object.
“My biggest influence is James Cagney...everything I do is in homage to Jimmy Cagney.”
-Malcolm McDowell
“There's nothing wrong with doing six scenes and having the world hate you.”
-Malcolm McDowell, on playing villains
“If I was gay, I probably would have married him.”
-Malcolm McDowell on Colin Firth
“Only through science fiction do you pose the question, 'what if-?'... only the sci-fi genre divides the lines between us.”
-Jolene Blalock
“Berman had a formula from TNG and it carried over to the next incarnations...first two seasons he just would not bend, would not budge.”
-Jolene Blalock
The first guest this day before my birthday was Malcolm McDowell. What a guy. Just – what a guy. What a guy, what a guy, what a guy. He has an amazing presence, plus what he said about my question was just – perfection.
See, when they filmed Generations, Soran shot Kirk in the back. Wait, you say, didn't Kirk fall off a bridge? Well, yes, he did. See, people were upset by the whole shot-in-the-back thing, so they decided to reshoot so that Kirk fell off a bridge instead, because someone thought we'd like that better. Yeah-huh.
So, anyway, my question for Malcolm: “Originally, you shot Kirk in the back and he died.”
He was all, “Uh-huh.”
“And they changed it so he fell off a bridge.”
“Uh huh.”
I was waiting for a reaction, so I said, “So you went from being a murderer to manslaughter.”
“Who let her in here?!?!?!” he yelled.
When the laughter died down (go me!) I said, “How did you feel about that?”
“Well,” he said, “I thought it was pathetic.”
Booya. I got high-fived as I walked back to my seat.
He's not a Trekkie. He's actually a fan of 2001. I knew there had to be at least one out there. He says it took Sci-Fi from Flash Gordon to 2001. Never mind that Star Trek was in the middle of that. Lousy thing to say at a convention.
There was a lot of talk about Heroes, which he didn't want to do but his son was so excited that he did it anyway, and by the way, his character is not so wounded as we were led to believe.
There were lots of Clockwork Orange questions, which I've never read or seen but really should, but anyway his most challenging role was something called The Monster of Rostoff, in which he played a pedophile cannibal serial killer. Good grief.
He's a good villain.
A little side note – he made Time After Time with Nick Meyer (in which he did not play the villain) and met his wife on that film. Good deal. And if you don't know who Nick Meyer is, you suck.
Someone also asked him probably my favorite question, which you could tell he was unprepared for because he never really got it. “What would you do in Soran's place?” As in, if you had to kill 230 Million people to get your dead wife and children back, would you.
Jeepers.
Susie Plakson isn't my favorite, but she passes the time and she's tall. Really tall. Extremely tall. She's been launching a musical career, which is neat. And she's older than you'd think, is all I'll say there.
One amusing thing – did you know she was Selar? Selar and K'Eyhlar and SheQ and one of the Andorians. She beat Jeff Combs.
Anyway, she audidtioned for a doctor on Star Trek got it, and then they called her in to be measured for her ears. And that's how she learned she'd be playing a Vulcan.
I won't pretend I'm not bitter about Enterprise because that would be a lie, but Jolene Blalock, guys. Amazing.
I've always seen T'Pol as a big problem, not because of the character or actor but because she's so obviously there for the sex appeal. That said, she's so funny, so charming, and so much a fan that it just kills you.
She's been a fan her whole life.
I actually feel pity for her now – because she was the fan in the show that failed. Not that that was her fault, but what a horrible thing to have happen.
There were a lot of questions dealing with the Vulcan restraint. Leonard Nimoy has said often that he really felt repressed as Spock, that the character took a while to take off on the weekend and then he had to be back at work. She never consulted with Nimoy (“God, I wish.”), but she had a very different experience. Nimoy had to remain stoic all the time. Jolene, well...
“I was the one leaving hershey bars in Connor's toilet....and then I'd get outside and go, [crap]!, I forgot the saran wrap!”
Yeah.
She didn't feel it like Nimoy, I think, but she did have dreams about doing Hamlet in her living room in T'Pol's catsuit, and yes, she did say catsuit.
There was one that became a running thing: “If you were in the desert, would you want Archer or Trip with you?”
Trip.
Yay! My shipper heart beats faster. She indicated that she was in favor of that particular ship, too, so good on her. I mean, she certainly seemed enthusiastic.
She wasn't a big fan of the Xindi arc – maybe if it had been more about Enterprise than the Xindi, that would be different. But it wasn't. Manny made the show better, she said. No argument here. He took the shows and took risks and they “started to bend and mold and shift.”
Yes, they did. And the most telling statement:
“Berman had a formula from TNG and it carried over to the next incarnations...first two seasons he just would not bend, would not budge.”
Which is what I've been saying for years.
She would be open to being in the new movies – T'Pol should still be alive then.
I can't say I'd object.
“My biggest influence is James Cagney...everything I do is in homage to Jimmy Cagney.”
-Malcolm McDowell
“There's nothing wrong with doing six scenes and having the world hate you.”
-Malcolm McDowell, on playing villains
“If I was gay, I probably would have married him.”
-Malcolm McDowell on Colin Firth
“Only through science fiction do you pose the question, 'what if-?'... only the sci-fi genre divides the lines between us.”
-Jolene Blalock
“Berman had a formula from TNG and it carried over to the next incarnations...first two seasons he just would not bend, would not budge.”
-Jolene Blalock
On Thursday...
Thursday, August 7
I started out with Rigel and Patrick Woida, who designed the Phoenix lander. That was cool from an intellectual capacity, but it wasn't exactly layman-friendly. There were some neat pictures, which I think you can get on the web, and a lot of humor about the ice they found on Mars, which they're very excited about. Anyway, like I said, fun, not hugely layman friendly.
However...
Grace Lee Whitney, dude. Wow. What an amazing person to have onstage, even with two co-guests. She really has a grip on herself now, despite the problems she had at the time, and she was just amazing to listen to. Her wig that she wore – that got stolen. We'll discuss that later. She was onstage with Michael Forrest (Apollo) and Sandra Smith (Janice Lester), who were also wonderful. Sandra Smith especially – I've often thought she made a better Kirk than Shatner did.
The Okudas were also there. I missed them last year, which was a mistake. They talked about the process of TOS Remasterd and showed some great footage. Their production work was something like this:
1.Watch ep and take notes
2.Meet and rewatch ep
3.play with starship toys
4.order pizza
5.eat pizza
6.meet with CBS
7.digital work revised over the internet
Sounds complicated.
“The Menagerie”, with the dome shot, was one that they had to force the people at CBS digital to look at ahead of time, and when they did they went “Oh, crap,” or something to that effect. I can see why. It's not exactly a common shot for today, much less in 1964 when they shot it.
They also talked about why it was needed, and I have to admit that that reason is fine with me. I always hated TOS Remastered when people were talking just for the hell of it, but it is pretty. Veeeery pretty. Doesn't change much. Okay, I lied. It changes a lot of little things. Just look at Murasaki 312 before and after. We'll live.
They added some things that weren't shown (the Gorn ship in Arena) and clarified things that were just blurs of light (Mudd's ship in “Mudd's Women”). All okay.
One thing I was not onboard with was the changing of the tombstone in Where No Man to “James T. Kirk”. We've been knocking that around for years, and now they want to come in with a magic eraser and fix it? They debated, and waffled back and forth, and finally asked the fans at a convention, who wanted to do it – but they ran out of time and couldn't. Which I'm fine with. Actually more than fine, thanking God.
I've often thought about the look of the NX-01. It's crap, and I mean that in the nice way. It doesn't look like a pre-1701 ship. It just doesn't. More on that later too, but anyway, I got the Okudas to answer my question about that. Their answer – it just rocked my world. I was so upset with them, for so long, and now, well... I still am. But at the same time, I'm not.
See, apparently, it wasn't actually more futuristic. They were shooting for something that resembles the style we have today evolving toward the tech level of TOS, and keeping in mind that in TOS they had no idea what computers were going to be capable of. Now that doesn't excuse Archer's ready room (Kirk didn't get no stinkin' ready room), but it does make me relax a little bit about their intentions. But that's not all. The best is yet to come.
Had Enterprise run all seven years, we would have seen their display panels evolve toward the blinky pattern of TOS. They were so concerned with continuity, they studied the panel blinking on TOS. But that's not the best part.
No the best part is a quote from Michael Freaking Okuda: “Since you're asking that question... we obviously weren't entirely successful.”
Holy. Freaking. Shit.
He doesn't say, “I'm sorry,” but I'll call it an apology. Which was all I wanted.
“The last year,” Denise added, “was actually a gift.”
I couldn't agree more.
Brent Spiner and Marina Sirtis were next, and they were amazingly funny. Brent is such a crackup. What I love is hearing them joke about Patrick Stewart, and how Brent is trying to be him (not really). Marina said at one point that he could do it if he'd just start dating 28-year-olds. Ouch. Marina sang Avril Lavine (I know I spelled that wrong) and then took a question from a woman who had named her son “Patrick James Tiberius Kirk”. Marina's response? “Oh my God, what did you do to your child?!?!”
Brent just wanted to know if she'd considered “Brent Data Spot”?
My cat's name is Genesis Spot.
But I digress.
They took a question from someone who was nineteen. (She was an embryo when we started!) and were asked to go into character a bit and do some improv, but they couldn't just do that. Finally Marina says, “Captain, he's hiding something,” and Brent did the head twitch. You had to be there, maybe.
One of the best questions was for Brent: how did you play Data so serious when you're so funny?
Answer? “I faked it!” Which is pretty much my whole philosophy of confidence. If you don't know how to do something, just pretend you do, or you know you can learn, and then go out and get the For Dummies book. That simple.
Anyway, it turns out someone stole the Troi wig too. What is it with wig security at Paramount! Ugh!
I'd love to love Rod Roddenberry, but he's just not being loveable. He comes and talks about Roddenberry.com, he's not funny ever. This time he brought his friend Trevor, who is his co-conspirator on Roddenberry.com and that was better, plus his mom was there briefly. She is not looking well, but then she's gotta be about eighty. She was in a wheelchair and looks very thin – but you can still see Number One, and Nurse Chapel, and definitely Lwaxana.
Anyway, Rod was annoying me there too, because he was running interference for her. Is she really so feeble that she can't answer questions put to her? Her answers, when she got a word in edgewise, wouldn't indicate that at all. And yet she's been doing this longer than Rod's been alive, why would he run interference for her now?
It worries me.
They snuck her off the stage during the showing of a video and part of me wonders if we'll ever see her again at a convention. What was sad was that there weren't many questions for her – and yes, I did ask one. Rod spent five minutes making me repeat it while she tried to answer in the background. It was frustrating.
Garrett Wang was up next, and he was really hilarious, just like I always thought he'd be. Okay, so I still have a liiiitle crush. Anyway, he had great stories, one I just love about George Takei and a similar one about Kate Mulgrew. He complained about Harry's lack of promotion, and then he told a story about meeting someone named Harry Kim who was, at one point, Ensign Harry Kim. In the Navy. Our Navy. Too cool.
He wanted to have Endgame to To Be Continued. Yeah, I think many of us, despite the years of torture by such masterpieces as “Shattered” and “The 37s” would have liked that too, given the actual ending of Endgame. Then make a TV movie or something.
Anyway, there was another story about Jeri Ryan's elbow and one about Pon Farr that I'll probably write up later. Just trust me, hilarious.
Great quotes of the day:
“Some of them I'm not enamored of.”
-Michael Forrest on Shakespeare's plays
“We love the originals – Star Trek was the first.”
-Michael Okuda
“Look, if you feel this strongly about it, why don't you come onboard. Otherwise, don't complain.”
-Dave Rossi, as quoted by Michael Okuda, after Michael had turned down TOS Remastered but then listed about 8 billion things they had to do.
“...maybe we weren't entirely successful.”
-Michael Okuda, on trying to make the NX-01 look less futuristic than the 1701.
“The last year [of Enterprise] was actually a gift.”
-Denise Okuda
“Shouldn't it be Doctor Whom?”
-Brent Spiner, on Doctor Who
“Between [Brent] and his CD and Michael Dorn and his airplane it's a wonder I can get a word in edgewise.”
-Marina Sirtis
“Star Trek will live because – look around you.”
-Majel Barrett Roddenberry
“Star Trek is Gene Roddenberry's. No one else's.”
-Majel Barrett Roddenberry
“Ensign Kim is the love child of Uhura and Data.”
-Garrett Wang
I'd just also like to say that I was gifted during this weekend by the incredible generosity of the Trekkies at this convention. They made it possible for me to do things like go to the strip and visit the Experience (for the last time ever), and I am eternally grateful.
I started out with Rigel and Patrick Woida, who designed the Phoenix lander. That was cool from an intellectual capacity, but it wasn't exactly layman-friendly. There were some neat pictures, which I think you can get on the web, and a lot of humor about the ice they found on Mars, which they're very excited about. Anyway, like I said, fun, not hugely layman friendly.
However...
Grace Lee Whitney, dude. Wow. What an amazing person to have onstage, even with two co-guests. She really has a grip on herself now, despite the problems she had at the time, and she was just amazing to listen to. Her wig that she wore – that got stolen. We'll discuss that later. She was onstage with Michael Forrest (Apollo) and Sandra Smith (Janice Lester), who were also wonderful. Sandra Smith especially – I've often thought she made a better Kirk than Shatner did.
The Okudas were also there. I missed them last year, which was a mistake. They talked about the process of TOS Remasterd and showed some great footage. Their production work was something like this:
1.Watch ep and take notes
2.Meet and rewatch ep
3.play with starship toys
4.order pizza
5.eat pizza
6.meet with CBS
7.digital work revised over the internet
Sounds complicated.
“The Menagerie”, with the dome shot, was one that they had to force the people at CBS digital to look at ahead of time, and when they did they went “Oh, crap,” or something to that effect. I can see why. It's not exactly a common shot for today, much less in 1964 when they shot it.
They also talked about why it was needed, and I have to admit that that reason is fine with me. I always hated TOS Remastered when people were talking just for the hell of it, but it is pretty. Veeeery pretty. Doesn't change much. Okay, I lied. It changes a lot of little things. Just look at Murasaki 312 before and after. We'll live.
They added some things that weren't shown (the Gorn ship in Arena) and clarified things that were just blurs of light (Mudd's ship in “Mudd's Women”). All okay.
One thing I was not onboard with was the changing of the tombstone in Where No Man to “James T. Kirk”. We've been knocking that around for years, and now they want to come in with a magic eraser and fix it? They debated, and waffled back and forth, and finally asked the fans at a convention, who wanted to do it – but they ran out of time and couldn't. Which I'm fine with. Actually more than fine, thanking God.
I've often thought about the look of the NX-01. It's crap, and I mean that in the nice way. It doesn't look like a pre-1701 ship. It just doesn't. More on that later too, but anyway, I got the Okudas to answer my question about that. Their answer – it just rocked my world. I was so upset with them, for so long, and now, well... I still am. But at the same time, I'm not.
See, apparently, it wasn't actually more futuristic. They were shooting for something that resembles the style we have today evolving toward the tech level of TOS, and keeping in mind that in TOS they had no idea what computers were going to be capable of. Now that doesn't excuse Archer's ready room (Kirk didn't get no stinkin' ready room), but it does make me relax a little bit about their intentions. But that's not all. The best is yet to come.
Had Enterprise run all seven years, we would have seen their display panels evolve toward the blinky pattern of TOS. They were so concerned with continuity, they studied the panel blinking on TOS. But that's not the best part.
No the best part is a quote from Michael Freaking Okuda: “Since you're asking that question... we obviously weren't entirely successful.”
Holy. Freaking. Shit.
He doesn't say, “I'm sorry,” but I'll call it an apology. Which was all I wanted.
“The last year,” Denise added, “was actually a gift.”
I couldn't agree more.
Brent Spiner and Marina Sirtis were next, and they were amazingly funny. Brent is such a crackup. What I love is hearing them joke about Patrick Stewart, and how Brent is trying to be him (not really). Marina said at one point that he could do it if he'd just start dating 28-year-olds. Ouch. Marina sang Avril Lavine (I know I spelled that wrong) and then took a question from a woman who had named her son “Patrick James Tiberius Kirk”. Marina's response? “Oh my God, what did you do to your child?!?!”
Brent just wanted to know if she'd considered “Brent Data Spot”?
My cat's name is Genesis Spot.
But I digress.
They took a question from someone who was nineteen. (She was an embryo when we started!) and were asked to go into character a bit and do some improv, but they couldn't just do that. Finally Marina says, “Captain, he's hiding something,” and Brent did the head twitch. You had to be there, maybe.
One of the best questions was for Brent: how did you play Data so serious when you're so funny?
Answer? “I faked it!” Which is pretty much my whole philosophy of confidence. If you don't know how to do something, just pretend you do, or you know you can learn, and then go out and get the For Dummies book. That simple.
Anyway, it turns out someone stole the Troi wig too. What is it with wig security at Paramount! Ugh!
I'd love to love Rod Roddenberry, but he's just not being loveable. He comes and talks about Roddenberry.com, he's not funny ever. This time he brought his friend Trevor, who is his co-conspirator on Roddenberry.com and that was better, plus his mom was there briefly. She is not looking well, but then she's gotta be about eighty. She was in a wheelchair and looks very thin – but you can still see Number One, and Nurse Chapel, and definitely Lwaxana.
Anyway, Rod was annoying me there too, because he was running interference for her. Is she really so feeble that she can't answer questions put to her? Her answers, when she got a word in edgewise, wouldn't indicate that at all. And yet she's been doing this longer than Rod's been alive, why would he run interference for her now?
It worries me.
They snuck her off the stage during the showing of a video and part of me wonders if we'll ever see her again at a convention. What was sad was that there weren't many questions for her – and yes, I did ask one. Rod spent five minutes making me repeat it while she tried to answer in the background. It was frustrating.
Garrett Wang was up next, and he was really hilarious, just like I always thought he'd be. Okay, so I still have a liiiitle crush. Anyway, he had great stories, one I just love about George Takei and a similar one about Kate Mulgrew. He complained about Harry's lack of promotion, and then he told a story about meeting someone named Harry Kim who was, at one point, Ensign Harry Kim. In the Navy. Our Navy. Too cool.
He wanted to have Endgame to To Be Continued. Yeah, I think many of us, despite the years of torture by such masterpieces as “Shattered” and “The 37s” would have liked that too, given the actual ending of Endgame. Then make a TV movie or something.
Anyway, there was another story about Jeri Ryan's elbow and one about Pon Farr that I'll probably write up later. Just trust me, hilarious.
Great quotes of the day:
“Some of them I'm not enamored of.”
-Michael Forrest on Shakespeare's plays
“We love the originals – Star Trek was the first.”
-Michael Okuda
“Look, if you feel this strongly about it, why don't you come onboard. Otherwise, don't complain.”
-Dave Rossi, as quoted by Michael Okuda, after Michael had turned down TOS Remastered but then listed about 8 billion things they had to do.
“...maybe we weren't entirely successful.”
-Michael Okuda, on trying to make the NX-01 look less futuristic than the 1701.
“The last year [of Enterprise] was actually a gift.”
-Denise Okuda
“Shouldn't it be Doctor Whom?”
-Brent Spiner, on Doctor Who
“Between [Brent] and his CD and Michael Dorn and his airplane it's a wonder I can get a word in edgewise.”
-Marina Sirtis
“Star Trek will live because – look around you.”
-Majel Barrett Roddenberry
“Star Trek is Gene Roddenberry's. No one else's.”
-Majel Barrett Roddenberry
“Ensign Kim is the love child of Uhura and Data.”
-Garrett Wang
I'd just also like to say that I was gifted during this weekend by the incredible generosity of the Trekkies at this convention. They made it possible for me to do things like go to the strip and visit the Experience (for the last time ever), and I am eternally grateful.
What do you do if the matter/antimatter containment fails?
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1683878951/bctid1691247585
That's a video of some guy at comic-con asking JJ Abrams and Bob Orci one question.
He got a good one.
It's spoiler-free. More of a Trek knowledge one.
That's a video of some guy at comic-con asking JJ Abrams and Bob Orci one question.
He got a good one.
It's spoiler-free. More of a Trek knowledge one.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Hey, guess what!
Really briefly becaue I found a wifi spot but forgot my notebook - I got the Okudas to answer The Question, I addressed Majel Barrett Roddenberry, I got within touching distance of George Takei, and now I discover that not only do I share a birthday with Gillian Anderson - I share one with Eric Bana as well. How cool is that!
I'll be posting a more complete thing... just...later. I have to go to the convention now. Yay!
I'll be posting a more complete thing... just...later. I have to go to the convention now. Yay!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Now I'm Angry
I love Rose Tyler. Like, a lot. She was an awesome character and I love wearing hoodies because of her, m'kay? If that's stupid, so be it. Also, I was a huuuuge Ten/Rose fan, so... yeah.
And then here comes Steven Moffat, the new head Doctor Who guy (I know I'm new to the show, but who cares, it's awesome, which is probably why I never watched it sooner - I got hook-ed) Anyway, he says, and I quote, "You have to hand it to the Doctor for dumping a slightly needy girlfriend by palming her off on a copy of himself."
Way to bring in the Ten/Rose fans, Moffat old chap!
And then here comes Steven Moffat, the new head Doctor Who guy (I know I'm new to the show, but who cares, it's awesome, which is probably why I never watched it sooner - I got hook-ed) Anyway, he says, and I quote, "You have to hand it to the Doctor for dumping a slightly needy girlfriend by palming her off on a copy of himself."
Way to bring in the Ten/Rose fans, Moffat old chap!
Bill Shatner's LiveVideo
So on Bill's new weblog it has some behind-the-scenes of his WOW commercials. Ordinarily I wouldn't watch behind-the-scenes of a commercial, but he's Bill Shatner, so... wow. It shows him not knowing the meaning of something the director says. Now, I don't know what that word means either but it's an interesting choice to post on your own LiveVideo.
Two Days
Leaving for Vegas in two days. I'm getting my notes together and whatnot.
My birthday is Saturday, which is when Brannon's planning to show up (bringing Manny Coto as a sacrificial lamb and a sneak preview of 24 to distract us with).
Leonard and Zach on Sunday.
Wish me luck getting a question there.
My birthday is Saturday, which is when Brannon's planning to show up (bringing Manny Coto as a sacrificial lamb and a sneak preview of 24 to distract us with).
Leonard and Zach on Sunday.
Wish me luck getting a question there.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Let's Recap
Recently rewatched "Before and After". Let's recap.
Kes warns Janeway that eleven months from now they're going to meet a species called the Krenim that will wreak havoc. Leaving aside the Temporal Prime Directive implications, Janeway welcomes full knowledge of their future.
Kes leaves the ship, and sends them 10 years closer to home.
They still run into the Krenim (in fact, they spend two episodes running into the Krenim). Anyone?
My friend at work tells me that the Krenim were expanding their space with their timeship thingy but ten thousand light years seems like a stretch for that to apply.
Kes warns Janeway that eleven months from now they're going to meet a species called the Krenim that will wreak havoc. Leaving aside the Temporal Prime Directive implications, Janeway welcomes full knowledge of their future.
Kes leaves the ship, and sends them 10 years closer to home.
They still run into the Krenim (in fact, they spend two episodes running into the Krenim). Anyone?
My friend at work tells me that the Krenim were expanding their space with their timeship thingy but ten thousand light years seems like a stretch for that to apply.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Truth still has some bite SPOILERS AFTER ALL
I know a lot of people were wondering.
But I won't spoil the ending.
I'll only say this: fans will love it. Non-fans will love it. If there isn't another, that's okay because it ended well. If there is another, there's room for that too.
Do you remember the baseball ep, where Mulder taught Scully to hit the ball at the end? Remember the relaxed, carefree moment, where just for that one minute they'd won that little moment to just be ? Remember how we all felt about that, for them, and for us? Well, that's how it ended. Only without the baseball.
There were little things. There was Samantha - even though Mulder knows she's dead, there was Samantha. There was Scully and her issues - finally getting out of the car, I guess. There were pencils in the ceiling. There was Skinner. There was a jerk at the FBI. There was pain. There was joy. It was true classic X-Files. And it was beautiful. And now I don't even want to believe, I do believe that the last few years were just a break in what is otherwise a very good time for Sci-Fi, and that everything will be okay. They mentioned some classic cases - and they drew on some they didn't mention. They mentioned Gerry Schnauss and Clyde Bruckman. Scully had moments. Mulder had moments. Skinner had a really interesting moment.
I cried. I gasped. I had trouble remembering to breathe when the theme rang out. It was a small town theater that had more than half the seats empty, which is the most packed I've ever seen that theater.
I smiled, and laughed, and then at the end - I can't say (shouldn't say. Bad bad bad), except to say that they've earned that. Give it four years and we'll have a nice Christmas movie in 2012, I think, because this was good and they still have to wrap up the mythology or I will beat Chris Carter to death with a truck.
Not really.
Because I can't lift a truck.
Maybe a snowplow.
You'll get that later if you don't get it yet.
Oh, and you know what?
Mulder finally found a place where his cell phone won't work!
That totally had spoilers. I'm adding a warning to the title.
I Want to Believe
No, I haven't seen it yet for a variety of reasons.
I'm about to, though.
I have faith in this movie. I don't know how to express my faith except to say that I Want to Believe, as trite and cliched as that sounds these days. It's a little like "Who ya gonna call?" (never usable again) but it still fits the situation.
Today, more than most, I see the parallels between Star Trek and The X-Files. Beloved Sci-Fi, suffering from... let's just say creative overshooting and call it good. Each has a movie - this one chance to recover what they've lost.
Star Trek's not out yet. There's nothing I can do, and it makes me feel helpless. But I can help The X-Files while I wait - and trust that the X-Files fans will help me out when it's my turn.
I'll come back with spoilers.
I'm about to, though.
I have faith in this movie. I don't know how to express my faith except to say that I Want to Believe, as trite and cliched as that sounds these days. It's a little like "Who ya gonna call?" (never usable again) but it still fits the situation.
Today, more than most, I see the parallels between Star Trek and The X-Files. Beloved Sci-Fi, suffering from... let's just say creative overshooting and call it good. Each has a movie - this one chance to recover what they've lost.
Star Trek's not out yet. There's nothing I can do, and it makes me feel helpless. But I can help The X-Files while I wait - and trust that the X-Files fans will help me out when it's my turn.
I'll come back with spoilers.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
It sounds insane, but...
Someone has actually decided they want to build the Utopia Planitia shipyards.
http://utopiaplanitiagroup.blogspot.com
And I get to help! Go me!
http://utopiaplanitiagroup.blogspot.com
And I get to help! Go me!
Randy Pausch died today.
His last lecture became highly popular online, and he was given a small role in the new Trek movie.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
I change my wallpaper every day...
There's a point to me telling you this. When I changed my wallpaper today, I put one up that says "Let's make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise."
Now, lately we've had to worry that that just might happen. Something could go very wrong with the movie, something did go very wrong with Enterprise, and yeah, everyone's a little scared. It's a scary time.
But let's talk about X-Files for a moment.
To say it's had ups (Season 6) and downs (Season 9) would be an understatement. Tonight, though, it gets another chance, and we get another chance to believe. It's not called "I Want to Believe" for nothing, you know.
Tonight, we see the thing we've wanted for Trek happen to another franchise (one that a lot of people love with that same kind of passion that I have for Trek) and we know that this can happen for us too. It doesn't matter if the movie flops tomorrow - what matters is that now, tonight, there is a chance for a revival or a rebirth or whatever you want to call it. It's not the one we've been waiting for - 297 days, folks - but for now it represents the chance we're going to have soon.
And it's not like I don't like the X-Files. Really really love it, actually.
So even though we're not even close to the release of Star Trek - although we're not exactly far away either - take this chance to revel in the victory we're waiting for for our own franchise and hope that it foreshadows what's coming for us (assuming our movie rocks. Which it had better).
Mostly I'm writing this because I'm tired, but also excited to be alive at this time, when nerds are finally cool.
Now, lately we've had to worry that that just might happen. Something could go very wrong with the movie, something did go very wrong with Enterprise, and yeah, everyone's a little scared. It's a scary time.
But let's talk about X-Files for a moment.
To say it's had ups (Season 6) and downs (Season 9) would be an understatement. Tonight, though, it gets another chance, and we get another chance to believe. It's not called "I Want to Believe" for nothing, you know.
Tonight, we see the thing we've wanted for Trek happen to another franchise (one that a lot of people love with that same kind of passion that I have for Trek) and we know that this can happen for us too. It doesn't matter if the movie flops tomorrow - what matters is that now, tonight, there is a chance for a revival or a rebirth or whatever you want to call it. It's not the one we've been waiting for - 297 days, folks - but for now it represents the chance we're going to have soon.
And it's not like I don't like the X-Files. Really really love it, actually.
So even though we're not even close to the release of Star Trek - although we're not exactly far away either - take this chance to revel in the victory we're waiting for for our own franchise and hope that it foreshadows what's coming for us (assuming our movie rocks. Which it had better).
Mostly I'm writing this because I'm tired, but also excited to be alive at this time, when nerds are finally cool.
Nero's ears
Spoiler heavy. Just so we're clear.
So, Nero is the villain. We've been told this.
The Villains are Romulans. We've been told this too.
Why are Nero's ears rounded?
Alex Kurtzman says Nero isn't necessarily a Romulan.
So...
Great to finally hear something from Kurtzman!
So, Nero is the villain. We've been told this.
The Villains are Romulans. We've been told this too.
Why are Nero's ears rounded?
Alex Kurtzman says Nero isn't necessarily a Romulan.
So...
Great to finally hear something from Kurtzman!
Spoilers Make the World go 'Round. Or Boldly. Whatever.
Leonard Nimoy just did a Trekmovie interview where he said that the movie is more of an adventure story than a social commentary. Uh-oh. That's one of the things I liked LEAST about Voyager and Enterprise.
He goes on to say that it does tell us revenge is bad, which I think we figured out very well from Nemesis, thank you! Whole new set of worries there.
Leonard also says he was concerned about acting as Spock after 18 years. Once he got on the set, that went away, and the director and the cast were wonderful and we'll all be very happy.
Well, if there's one thing he knows, it's us. I feel better now.
TWOK was a revenge movie too, you know.
And on a size-and-scope scale, this is bigger than TMP. Jeebus. And it's going to run away with the record for Star Trek box-office gains (I know my opening-day plans are certainly going to reflect that).
He goes on to say that it does tell us revenge is bad, which I think we figured out very well from Nemesis, thank you! Whole new set of worries there.
Leonard also says he was concerned about acting as Spock after 18 years. Once he got on the set, that went away, and the director and the cast were wonderful and we'll all be very happy.
Well, if there's one thing he knows, it's us. I feel better now.
TWOK was a revenge movie too, you know.
And on a size-and-scope scale, this is bigger than TMP. Jeebus. And it's going to run away with the record for Star Trek box-office gains (I know my opening-day plans are certainly going to reflect that).
Geekalicious
That would be Doctor Who (in Levis) shaking hands with some guy and Patrick freaking Stewart standing Right There. Awesome. Okay, Doctor Freaking Who is really David Tennant, who is pretty damn hot and BTW.... Geekalicious! Nerdalicious! Whatever!
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