‘Tron 2.0’ Adds Original Castmember

If any fans of the original “Tron” were worried this would be more of a flashy remake than a sequel, with pretty young things replacing their 80s favorites, they can take heart. ComingSoon.net reports that Bruce Boxleitner has joined the cast, reuniting with his co-star Jeff Bridges.

It’s easy to figure out who Boxleitner is probably playing — Tron himself. Yes, the title actually refers to a character, the program-within-a-program that must help Kevin Flynn survive the deadly computer game he was sucked into. Boxleitner played Tron and his human designer, Alan Bradley. What can I say? It was the Matrix before the Matrix, readers.

While plot details are being kept top secret, “Tron 2.0” is supposed to be the next chapter of virtual reality. Last week, we told you Olivia Wilde was playing a cyberspace worker who joins in the fight against the MCP, and that Beau Garrett was playing a virtual siren.

While the Master Control Program was supposedly defeated in the first film, it obviously resurrects — and if the test footage shown at San Diego Comic-Con, and the actresses’ roles are any indication of where the plot might go, it might be a world where people go voluntarily … only to find that it’s not all fun and computer games.

What role Tron/Bradley play in that, we can only guess. Will he be a corrupted programer, controlling the MCP? Will the MCP control him? Who knows! But wondering is half of the Movie Blog, right?

Are you interested in “Tron 2.0” at all? Got any guesses as to what it might be about? Or are you bored with virtual reality after the trainwreck of “The Matrix” trilogy?

VHS is completely dead

The last of the somewhat big distributor of VHS films has shipped the beloved (and hated) tape for the last time.
Ryan J. Kugler, co-owner of Distribution Video Audio, Palm Harbor, Florida said "It's dead, this is it, this is the last Christmas, without a doubt."
However, VHS had an amazing run and I'm sure it is a testament to the fact that DVD will also be here for many years. When a format becomes as main stream as DVD and VHS it takes some time to kill them completely off.

Review of "Chuck vs. Santa Claus"

Chuck
Mondays on NBC at 9/8
“Chuck vs. Santa Claus”
Written by Scott Rosenbaum
Directed by Robert Duncan McNeill

Warning: this review contains some spoilers. If you’d rather not know what the story is going to include, bookmark this page and read it after viewing.

Talk about a fulcrum (turning point). The sweet, funny comedy that was Chuck turned dark and angsty in the last five minutes of this end-of-the-year episode. How very typical of this show that an episode full of elves, shiny presents, and Santa comes down to a moment of true grief for Charles Bartowski and his little friend Morgan. The ending of this episode could have permanently harshed the mellow for Chuck, but the show’s consistently light-hearted approach (or maybe that should be “heartwarming” approach) spared us the kind of letdown that would turn me away. Instead, we are left wanting the next episode now, to find out whether Chuck can get past what he thinks of as a vast betrayal.

The episode takes place entirely within the Buy More, and this time we have the whole gang in attendance: Ellie and Awesome show up before opening time to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, as Chuck, the Nerd Herd, and the BuyMorians are preparing for a horde of crazed shoppers. Even Anna is back, midriff-baring elf suit and all. But before the store can even open, the entire store is taken hostage a la Die Hard. Ned Ryerson (cute call back to Groundhog Day) is a frightened little nebbish of a guy, recently laid off, who only wants to buy some Christmas gifts for his children. Played by Jed Rees (Galaxy Quest), he’s a quiet and almost self-effacing villain. Chuck, eager to avoid bloodshed, locks the store and tries to bond with the gunman. Meanwhile, Casey and Sarah find out about the hostage situation, and enter from the Castle, determined to spirit Chuck away to safety and then extract the rest of the hostages. Chuck, however, adamantly refuses to leave his sister and friends; in the ensuing argument, Ned’s gun fires and takes out one of Casey’s toes. Ouch.

The most interesting thing about this first half of the episode is how Chuck handles the crisis. He shows a little nervousness—understandable in the circumstances—but generally behaves with cool restraint. Brother-in-law-to-be Devin wants to take down the gunman. Chuck, who actually has experience in life-threatening situations, talks him out of it. Ned allows everyone to “telephone their loved ones”. Though played for laughs, this scene was creepily reminiscent of the desperate last phone calls from the 911 victims to loved ones. Ned calls his wife, Lester dials a phone sex line, Jeff calls his mother in prison, and Big Mike calls his cousin Al. Al turns out to be Sergeant Al Powell—the very same Al Powell who was a character in Die Hard, and played by the very same Reginald VelJohnson. Linking Big Mike to Al Powell was a stroke of pure genius that paid off several times in the episode.

Alas, poor Sarah has no one to call. As she tells Chuck in the opening, she doesn’t “do” Christmas, because in the Burton household, Christmas just meant “the annual Salvation Army con job”. Chuck meets Sarah in a quiet corner for some reassurance, and an early Christmas present—Chuck gives Sarah his mother’s charm bracelet. It’s not an engagement ring, but it’s proof of love. And charming (ahem) proof at that. This tender moment is broken up by the arrival of hostage negotiator Frank Mauser (Michael Rooker, Tombstone).

And at this turning point, surprises start popping up. No sooner does the negotiator walk into the Buy More, then Chuck flashes on him: Mauser is a Fulcrum agent. He’s not shy about it, either; he freely tells Chuck that he, Chuck, is the only reason this hostage situation is happening. It’s a ploy by Fulcrum to smoke out Bryce Larkin and the Intersect (apparently Fulcrum still believes that Larkin has the stolen database). While I was not entirely surprised to find that Mauser was a Fulcrum mole, I was completely floored when Ned turned out to be a Fulcrum agent. Kudos to Rees for completely convincing me of Ned’s mousiness. To save his sister from being killed by Ned, Chuck confesses quietly to Mauser that he has the Intersect in his head.

This is dangerous ground for Chuck. Mauser tells him he can save his friends and family only by going with Fulcrum. Chuck asks to say goodbye to his sister, whom he will never see again. Chuck knows that this is no ordinary crime; Fulcrum will leave no witnesses behind. He hints to Awesome that this time, violence is an option. Devin rounds up his troops, strategizes a game plan to take out Ned, and deploys as Mauser is taking Chuck out of the store. Morgan rises like Rambo from a pile of fake snow to take out Ned with a snow-blower. Meanwhile, Sarah and Casey foil Mauser’s attempt to abduct Chuck, and chase Mauser into a Christmas tree lot. With sweet Christmas carols playing in the background, Sarah Walker stalks the Fulcrum agent. When she finds him, he nearly knocks her out, but she finally gets the upper hand and holds a gun on him. Mauser mocks her, tells her that Chuck’s secret is out and Fulcrum will pursue him to the ends of the earth. I sat there wondering if this guy wanted Sarah to shoot him; sure enough, she does—just in time for Chuck to arrive and witness what looks like cold-blooded murder to him.

And this is a fulcrum, if you will, a turning point not just for the tone of the episode, but for Chuck himself. Unaware that Chuck has seen her shoot Mauser, Sarah brightly reassures him that he has been arrested and taken away. For Chuck, this is much worse than seeing Sarah shoot someone—she has lied to him. Despite his complete trust in her, despite giving her an heirloom bracelet from his mother, despite his love for her, Sarah Walker lies to him. There’s really no reason for her to conceal from Chuck the realities of the situation, but she does it as routinely as breathing. Honesty is the bedrock of Chuck’s character, something he values more highly than Sarah, apparently, can understand. Con artist, murderer, and now liar—the shine is off Sarah Walker for Chuck. Sitting disconsolately next to Morgan (whose own world is shattered when he sees Anna kissing Lester), he ends the 2008 season staring unhappily at his future, looking as lonely as a boy who has lost his dog. This was a surprisingly adult, bittersweet ending for the episode, deftly blending comedy and pathos.

I would call this easily one of the best episodes of Chuck so far. Well written, with direction (especially in the second half) that takes advantage of the pitch-perfect comedic timing of the cast, it has laughs enough, in-jokes enough, and physical comedy enough to entertain on a completely superficial level. At the same time, it deepens and complicates the emotional story of Chuck, his family, his friends, and Sarah Walker. It does so, however, at the risk of treading on soap opera territory. The “drama” of soap opera rests on people not telling one another things that they normally would; I will definitely need to see a good reason why Sarah felt she had to lie to Chuck. Otherwise, it becomes a mere plot device to keep them apart. And frankly, that train is leaving the station. The writers need to get over their prejudices and get Sarah and Chuck together and move on with this storyline. Endless frustration is not funny.

“Chuck vs. Santa Claus” also leaves some loose ends. “Ned” is still alive, and he knows Chuck is the Intersect. What if he gets free? Will there be a moment when Chuck realizes that everything would have worked out fine if he’d only done what Sarah told him to do? Will he blame himself for the death of Lt. Mauser? I look for this loose thread to be knitted up sometime in February (yes, February), when Chuck returns.

This episode was an early Christmas gift for NBC, rounding up 7.6 million viewers, an increase of more than half a million over last week. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to put NBC higher than second place for the night; sitcoms with laugh tracks still rule the airwaves. Still, even runner-up status beats the abysmal numbers Chuck has been struggling with all year. Here’s hoping a seven-week hiatus doesn’t result in slippage. See you next year.

True Blood around the world

Harris sold a Sookie Stackhouse Companion to Ginjer Buchanan at Ace Books. Harris will edit the volume and write a new Sookie novella for it.

Since the launch of the HBO series True Blood, based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels, Bilmes has negotiated numerous foreign deals for the series, which is now available or forthcoming in 23 languages. In France, J’ai Lu has continued with the series, buying rights to the newest novel From Dead to Worse, as did Russian publisher AST (which also re-licensed the first two books), while Estonian publisher Keskus continued with Living Dead in Dallas, Dutch publisher Luitingh moved on to Dead as a Doornail, and Open Book in Korea added books number 3 through 8 to their list. Brazilian publisher Saraiva came on board to the series, taking rights to the second, third, and fourth Sookie novels, while Santillana in Spain took pocket rights to the first three books and volume rights to the remainder of the series. Portuguese publisher Navalha will launch with the first three Sookie novels, Norwegian publisher Cappelen with the first two, Japanese publisher Softbank with the first three, and Israeli publisher Kidmat Eden with Dead Until Dark. In the UK, the Hachette group has decided to consolidate the entire Sookie Stackhouse series under Jo Fletcher at Orion/Gollancz, moving the first four books over from their Little Brown/Orbit imprint. Gollancz will rejacket the books, beginning in early 2009, for the Australian market, to coincide with the launch of True Blood on the Showcase channel. Later in Spring 2009, they’ll launch in England, ahead of the British True Blood launch on Fox.

HBO offers other True Blood launch dates around the globe: 23 December 2008 on France’s Orange; December 2008 on Canal Plus in Spain; January 2009 in Israeli network DBS; 1 February 2009 on Be.tv in Belgium; 9 February 2009 on HBO Asia; February 2009 throughout Eastern Europe via HBO CE; and March 2009 for SVY (Sweden) and YLE (Finland) second airings.

In domestic publication numbers, Nielsen Bookscan records that a boxed set of the first seven Sookie paperbacks has been the #1 selling boxed set in the country for four straight weeks, with weekly sales thousands of copies ahead of the next closest title on the list. More than 100,000 copies of the boxed set have been shipped. From Dead to Worse, the most recent hardcover, now has 180,000 copies in print.

Moffat promises new Who monsters

Steven Moffat has told Doctor Who fans to expect "new monsters" when he becomes the show's executive producer and lead writer. Moffat, who is replacing executive producer Russell T Davies, was speaking at arts and comic book convention Comic-Con in California. He told fans not to expect too many appearances from old characters.

"We're not in the business of being nostalgic, we're making nostalgia for the future, new monsters, new friends."

He was responding to their questions about the possibility of guest appearances from old characters - such as ex-Doctor Who companion Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen in the 1970s - as well as old enemies.

He told the San Diego convention: "Doctor Who is at its best when it's brand new and you've always got to remember that there's a new bunch of eight-year-olds watching every year and it has to be original - it has to belong to them."

But he said continuity when old characters did return was not difficult to achieve.

"Having taken the precaution of having memorised every single event in Doctor Who's history, it's fairly easy for me to keep continuity because I remember it all.

"In the end, a television series which embraces both the ideas of parallel universe and the concept of changing time can't have a continuity error - it can't.

"It's impossible for Doctor Who to get it wrong because we can just say 'he changed time, it's a time warp, it happens'."

'Just exciting'

Moffat has already written some of the most memorable Doctor Who episodes of recent times including Blink , of series three - which featured terrifying weeping angels - for which he picked up the best writer Bafta earlier this year.

Asked about his reputation for writing scary episodes he said: "If people are worried that because I'm taking over Doctor Who it's going to be just really, really frightening, if that's your concern then… tough."

He also spoke to fans for the first time about getting the job he has "always wanted".

The writer said the prospect of taking over from Davies for the fifth series - due to be shown on BBC One in spring 2010 - was "just exciting". It was announced he was taking the job in May.

"I suppose it should be daunting or nerve-wracking but it's not a real job like working in a hospital - it's just fun."

He added: "I mean it's hard work too but most things that are fun are hard work."

Last week, Moffat denied a newspaper report that he "quit" a deal to work on Steven Spielberg's forthcoming Tintin trilogy because of the doctor Who job.

A newspaper report that he had "turned down" a two-film deal with Spielberg was "a bit misleading", he told the BBC News website.

He had planned to finish Tintin before starting Doctor Who but was delayed by the US writers' strike, he added.

Davies will remain in charge of four specials to be shown in 2009.

Black Gate #12 available as free pdf for a limited time

To promote the fact that Black Gate is now available as a pdf file, in addition to the usual print edition, issue #12 (Summer 2008) is being offered as a free download "for a limited time." To access the free magazine, subtitled "Adventures in Fantasy Literature," see blackgate.com, where you can download the magazine as one complete, 18.9 Mb file, or as two smaller pieces (10.8 and 8.2 Mb).

The contents of this issue include:

Fiction:
"Oblivion is the Sweetest Wine" by John R. Fultz
"Payment in Full" by James Enge
"Houses of the Dead" by Martha Wells
"The Wily Thing" by Constance Cooper
"The Soldiers of Serenity" by Todd McAulty
"Knives Under the Spring Moon" by Ed Carmien
"Whispers from the Stone" by Howard Andrew Jones
"Tumithak and the Ancient Word" by Charles R. Tanner (classic reprint)

Feature:
"Legends of the Ancient World: Orcs of the High Mountains" by Jerry Meyer, Jr. (a solo adventure game story)

Columns:
Gaming: Fantasy Game Reviews by Howard Andrew Jones
Book Reviews

Departments:
Editorial: "Solitaire Fantasy Gaming" by John O'Neill
Letters
Knights of the Dinner Table: "The Java Joint" by Jolly Blackburn, Steve Johansson, and John O'Neill (comic strip)

Cover art is by Bruce Pennington; interior art by Storn Cook, Mark Evans, John Kaufmann, Chuck Lukacs, Michael Vilardi, and John Woolley.

Black Gate is published quarterly by New Epoch Press; published and edited by John O'Neill; Howard Andrew Jones is the managing editor, and Rich Horton and Todd McAulty are the contributing editors.

Tech Company That Junked Unopened Rebate Claims Pays $10k In Fines

It's no secret that most people hate rebate programs. They're a pain to deal with, so many people don't even send in the rebate forms -- and then, the various companies that receive them often go out of their way to find reasons to reject them. However, a tech company in San Jose named Vastech went a bit further than that. Rather than coming up with ways to void the rebates, it was caught having thrown over a thousand unopened rebate claims into the garbage. The company has now paid up on all the rebates that it had junked and has agreed to pay a $10,000 fine on top of that. To be honest, that seems rather low for deceiving the public.

Let's Sue YouTube

While we all wait for the outcome of Viacom's billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube, it appears that some other media companies aren't waiting around. Italian media firm MediaSet, which just so happens to be owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has sued YouTube and Google for $779 million (almost as much as Viacom is suing for!). MediaSet claims that the 4,643 videos on YouTube that infringe on its copyrights have cost it 315,700 viewer days. Apparently, MediaSet prefers not to take into consideration (a) that most videos on YouTube are limited to under 10 minutes, meaning that it's a poor replacement for watching on TV and (b) that people who watch on YouTube aren't necessarily people who would have watched it on TV and (c) that folks who watch something on YouTube may, in turn, be convinced to watch a show on TV that they wouldn't have watched otherwise. Why bother with little pesky details like that when you can just sue a huge company that has a lot of cash. Given that the Italian government is already trying to put Google execs in jail over some YouTube videos, this looks like a larger Italian campaign against YouTube in general.

Feldman Bares All In Lost Boys 2

Corey Feldman, who appears in the upcoming DVD sequel Lost Boys: The Tribe, told SCI FI Wire that he reveals "a little more of the emotional backdrop of what goes on inside Edgar Frog's mind" as he revisits his famous role from 1987's original The Lost Boys.
"You've got a guy that's been over the trenches, that's been in the battles, and now this is his way of life," Feldman said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego over the weekend.
Part of that new adult way of life includes a sex scene between Feldman as Frog and a male vampire during the course of the film. Originally reluctant to tackle the scene, Feldman credits director P.J. Pesce for "being adventurous in the idea." He added: "I think we pull it off. It just gives a little more inside of what he's thinking, what makes him tick."
Lost Boys: The Tribe is the sequel to the hit '80s teen vampire movie. Tribe focuses primarily on a new set of characters, with Tad Hilgenbrink and Autumn Reeser starring as newcomers to the vampire-infested town of Luna Bay. Angus Sutherland--brother of original Lost Boys star Kiefer Sutherland--takes on the role of the new head vampire, who has a love affair with Reeser's character.
Pesce's goal was to recapture the essence of what made the original film so popular, while providing viewers with a fresh story. "The thing that was so special about the first movie was the tone ... an open-eyed look at what if a family member was actually a vampire," Pesce said in a separate interview. "Well, it's such an absurd idea that it has to be approached with humor. Our number-one mandate that I gave to myself and to them was, 'What would you really do?' ... This has got to be truthful. Humor grows out of that, and that sense of absurdist ... realization that [one of] your family is a member of the undead."
Feldman added: "It's really its own movie. ... It stands alone. But it also certainly pays homage to the other movie."
Fans looking for familiar faces from the original film won't be disappointed. "There's lots of ... character tie-ins that we did," Feldman said. "Obviously, having Angus Sutherland playing the bad vampire is a nice nod to his brother doing the original. We have Corey [Haim] and Jamison [Newlander] there as cameos."

A ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Sequel

They did it with “Toy Story” twice. They’re doing it with “Cars” next. They’ve been rumored to want to do it with “The Incredibles” for years. Pixar is officially in the sequel business these days, with further installments of some of their most popular franchises in the works. So how come we never hear about “Monsters, Inc. 2”? “We’ve thought about it,” “Monsters, Inc.” director Pete Doctor told MTV News about the possibility for a sequel. “We’ve got a couple ideas.” In the moment, those ideas are being filtered into a “Monsters, Inc” roller-coaster at the Walt Disney Resorts, which should open in a couple of years. But a movie? Doctor’s revelation, of course, is a far cry from an actual announcement. Or is it? When I followed up with Doctor about the nature of the ideas all he would say is “I can neither confirm nor deny.” (And he did it in a nervous voice). Is it a denial? A non-denial denial? An admission we’re on to something?

Robocop To Be Rated R

In welcome news today from MTV.com comes word that the Darren Aronofsky-helmed Robocop reboot will probably be rated R. This is very good news. Some people were concerned that MGM would push for a more teen-friendly PG-13 rating for this “re-imagining instead of an R rating that would be more in line with the original film directed by Paul Vorhoeven from way back in 1987. As a matter of fact the original was so violent that it had to be trimmed down to acheive its R rating because the MPAA gave the first cut of the film an X rating. Producer Mike Medavoy had this to say about the film:

“Well I was involved with the original ‘Robocop,’ and it was an R, and the likelihood is that this will be an R. It’s likely to be an R unless the director cuts back on some of it.”

Based on Aronofsky’s previous work it’s not likely he’ll be going for a PG-13 rating.

The new Robocop film is not a sequel, so I guess we can stop calling it Robocop 4. Instead of “remake” or “reboot” Medavoy prefers the currently chic ”reimagining.” It will not be tied to anything that has come before in the series, so it will be the Batman Begins of the Robocop movie franchise.

Rumors of the film being shot as a 3D feature were also shot down.

Robocop is set to open some time in 2010.

Angelina Jolie as Catwoman?

Even though most of us are still basking in the afterglow (more like after-gloom) of The Dark Knight, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next Batman film. Well, apparently we’re not the only ones looking ahead. According to fanboy site Comic Book Movie, actress/world savior/supermom Angelina Jolie is also hoping to become part of Christopher Nolan’s Bat-universe, by donning the super-tight tights and fierce claws of Catwoman for the third film in the franchise.

(Just picturing Jolie wearing the cat suit begins to erase the horrible memory of that Halle Berry flick.)

Best of all is the source from which this news has stemmed: former Catwoman Julie Newmar is quoted as telling the New York Daily News:

“Angelina would own the part,” said Newmar. “My industry friends tell me [she] has made inquiries about the role,”

Well, it seems as though Newmar is a lot more comfortable passing the torch than Jack Nicholson was. And let’s face it, Angelina playing Catwoman would be as sultry, badass, and downright sweat-inducing as any actress could possibly be in the role. Unfortunately, The Daily News article goes on to remind us that in a recent interview, Dark Knight writers David Goyer and John Nolan stated that, as of now, they are reluctant to include Catwoman in the third film. Maybe Angelina can change all that. The woman has been known to sway men in the past.

I for one think that Catwoman is a logical step for the next film. The Dark Knight left off with Batman being falsely accused of murder, sandwiched between cops and criminals, more alone than ever, with his only love interest having been blown to smithereens. A fella’s got to have some kind of relief, and a woman in a skin-hugging cat suit, who also likes a bit of midnight roof hopping, is never a bad place to start.

Is Google's Proprietary Tech Stack Destroying Its Acquisitions?

While Google has bought plenty of small startups, almost none of those deals have amounted to very much. It almost seems like most of the startups disappear into Google forever. There are a few exceptions such as YouTube and (maybe) Writely. But the list of startups that have simply languished or died is much longer. TechCrunchIT is running an interesting post that suggests one of the key reasons: Google's proprietary tech stack. While Google is a big open source supporter for lower level infrastructure, once you get above that -- it's very much a strong believer in doing everything its own way. I've heard from friends at Google about the difficulty they've had learning to deal with Google's tech stack -- and certainly have heard how it's slowed down the progress of some Google acquisitions while they learn how to "transition."
In fact, some have pointed out that this is one of the side benefits to Google's AppEngine offering. Since it exposes some of Google's tech stack to folks for them to develop and run their applications, it will make it much easier to integrate them into Google at a later date. So, for startups whose strategy is to get acquired by Google (and, I should note, if you start with that strategy, you're probably going to fail), it may make sense to develop on AppEngine just because you're already signaling to Google that the integration costs are significantly lower.
Still, this highlights one of the major downsides to Google's belief that it can do everything much better than everyone else by starting from scratch: in doing so, it actually makes it much harder to capitalize on synergies from many acquisition targets. Yes, there are reasons to go against the "standard" way of doing things, but there are significant costs as well.

The MPAA Thinks You're Stupid

Apparently the MPAA is quite worried that people watching a movie trailer might not understand that a gun pointed at the screen can't actually shoot through the screen. The organization is forcing preview trailers that show someone pointing a gun directly at the screen to actually change the video or cut that scene out of the ad. As the report at the AV Club asks, is the MPAA worried that someone from a century ago who's never seen TV or a movie is going to suddenly show up and freak out? Anyone who's seen the movie This Film Is Not Yet Rated knows that the MPAA works in mysterious ways, but this just seems ridiculous.

Whedon To Reshoot Dollhouse

Joss Whedon, who is readying his new SF series Dollhouse for Fox, told fans on his official blog that he is shooting a new first episode to clarify the series' setup.
The original pilot episode, which some viewers found confusing, will now become the show's second episode.
"The fact is, I'm very proud of the ep we shot, and the series is making me crazy with the excitement," Whedon wrote. "But I tend to come at things sideways, and there were a few clarity issues for some viewers. There were also some slight issues with tone--I was in a dark, noir kind of place (where, as many of you know, I make my home) and didn't bring the visceral pop the network had expected from the script. The network was cool about it, but not sure how to come out of the gate with the ep."
Whedon was quick to point out that shooting a new first episode was his idea, not the network's. That was perhaps an effort to deflect comparisons with Whedon's previous series on Fox, Firefly, for which the network ordered Whedon to shoot a new first episode and use the pilot later in the show's initial season. Airing the episodes out of sequence was credited in part for that series' poor ratings.
Whedon said that he won't show clips from Dollhouse as originally planned at Comic-Con International, which starts on July 24, as a result of the reshoots.
As for the original pilot, it will air as a second episode relatively intact, Whedon said.
Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku, is slated to air starting in January 2009.

Moffat Looks Ahead

Steven Moffat, who is set to take over the job of executive producer of the BBC's Doctor Who from current show runner Russell T. Davies, told SCI FI Wire that he is currently planning the fifth season of the new incarnation, due to air in 2010 following a series of five specials next year.
"It's all happening in this head," Moffat said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 23. "I know where I want it to start. I don't mean to make it sound very grand. It's very simple, just where I want it to be when it takes off. So [Russell's] arranged for that."
Moffat, who has written some of the most popular episodes of the new series so far, said that his new role as executive producer will require him to approach writing from an entirely different perspective.
"There are a bunch of things I've always wanted to see in Doctor Who, yes, but now it's slightly different--it's very different in my new position," Moffat said. "Obviously, I only turned up once a year, and practically my brief was to write, in effect, the Moffat episode--the one that's very different, the one that's a bit timey-wimey or a bit scary. And that's all they were expecting. And they would just tell me, 'Go, and do your thing.' So I would do my Moffat-y thing--whatever the f--k that is--in a very, very pronounced way. But you couldn't have a whole series like that. If you started a series with 'Silence of the Library' or 'Blink,' people would turn off. You can't have that as the first episode. It's just too grim. So it's different contemplating it from this position, very, very different."
The series will also continue to embrace a wide range of tones and genres, Moffat said. Rather than adapting the show to his particular writing style, he looks forward to experimenting with different voices to maintain the show's variety.
"That's not what the show's about," Moffat said. "Kids aren't rushing to their television sets to see how much of the Moffat voice will get through. All you can do is make exciting television episodes and experiment with different voices. I've quite deliberately and purposefully--it's not been an accident--had a very consistent voice in Doctor Who, because that enables Russell to manage me. He knows what he's going to get. He knew it was going to be dark before [he] got it, because that's what he said it was. 'You'll be doing a dark one.' Whereas Russell in Doctor Who will write everything from 'Partners in Crime' to 'Midnight,' and those two have nothing in common as far as voice is concerned. It's two totally different takes on the same show. And that's quite exciting for me, too, because I get to write episodes that I wouldn't normally write, that wouldn't be expected of me."
Moffat hopes that the long wait between seasons, punctuated by the specials, will make the audience more excited for its return. "Part of the reason behind the gap year was thinking, 'Starve them for a year. Make them want it back. Return it to event status.'"

Alice role for Australian actress

Australian actress Mia Wasikowska is in final talks to star in director Tim Burton's Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, according to a report. The 18-year-old is set to land the role after a long search for the title character, the Hollywood Reporter says. The actress started out in Australian TV drama All Saints and stars in US series In Treatment. She also appears alongside Daniel Craig in war drama Defiance, due out later in the year. Burton's take on Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy novel will use a mixture of live action and animation and will be made in 3D. Filming is due to begin in November, the Hollywood Reporter said. Wasikowska has just finished filming her role as a young fan of aviator Amelia Earhart in Mira Nair's biopic Amelia, starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

Doctor Who signing ban at Hamlet

 

David Tennant plays the Danish prince in Shakespeare's' Hamlet

Doctor Who and Star Trek fans have been banned from having sci-fi merchandise signed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart while they star in Hamlet.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) says only programmes and other Hamlet merchandise can be autographed at the stage door.

Tennant and Stewart are starring in the RSC production at the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford.

The first preview begins later, and the play opens on 5 August.

Hamlet director, Gregory Doran, recently said fans arrive at the stage door with "bags" of Doctor Who merchandise for Tennant to autograph.

Disappointment

In a statement, the RSC said the level of interest in Tennant and Stewart meant "limits" had to be imposed.

Patrick Stewart has two roles in the production

"Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC's current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company," the RSC said.

"It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone.

"We apologise if this causes any disappointment."

Signs outlining the no autographs policy have reportedly been erected in the window at the stage door.

Tennant's performance in Hamlet has been hotly anticipated, with tickets exchanging hands on the internet auction site eBay for up to £215 each.

David Tennant talked to Andrew Marr in June about his new role as Hamlet

The 37-year-old Scottish actor, who takes on the lead role of Hamlet, made his debut as the Time Lord in Doctor Who in 2005.

His previous RSC credits include Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors.

Stewart is best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek, but has a string of critically acclaimed stage performances to his name.

He plays two roles in the RSC production of Hamlet - Claudius and the Ghost.

Microsoft Gives Vista Backdoor Keys To The Police

It's long been assumed that Microsoft has built in various "backdoors" for law enforcement to get around its own security, but now reader Kevin Stapp writes in to let us know that the company has also been literally handing out the keys to law enforcement. Apparently, they're giving out special USB keys that simply get around Microsoft's security, allowing the holder of the key to very quickly get forensic information (including internet surfing history), passwords and supposedly encrypted data off of a laptop. While you can understand why police like this, the very fact that the backdoor is there and that a bunch of these USB keys are out there pretty much guarantees that those with nefarious intent also have such keys. The second you build in such backdoors, no matter how noble the reason, you can rest assured that they will be used by criminals as well. No matter what, for those of you who didn't already know it, now you have more evidence as to why trusting Microsoft's "security" isn't such a good idea.

FOX Greenlights "Virtuality"

According to various sources, FOX has greenlit a two-hour back-door Sci-Fi pilot entitled "Virtuality".

Ronald D. Moore (better known for his work on "Battlestar Galactica") wrote the "Virtuality" pilot with another BSG alum, Michael Taylor. They will also act as producers (not a bad gig, eh?).

"Virtuality" will center on the crew of the starship Phaeton, which is on a 10-year exploratory mission. The hook of the series is that the ship has "state-of-the-art virtual reality modules that let the crew escape their constrained surroundings". The series will revolve around the consequences of a bug in the virtual reality system.

To me, this sounds fairly interesting! With Moore at the help, I would expect great things. The virtual reality concept should allow the writers to explore a ton of cool concepts without bogging down in the typical starship plots - i.e. moving the ship from planet to planet to find new environments. Kudos to FOX for granting this concept a chance!

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (aka "ST3") is an upcoming science fiction film written and directed by Edward Neumeier. The film is a sequel to Starship Troopers and Starship Troopers 2. Starship Troopers: Marauder will star Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico) and Jolene Blalock (T'Pol from Star Trek: Enterprise) who plays Captain Lola Beck. Released directly to DVD. The film is currently stated for a release date of July 15, 2008.
Here is the movie trailer:

'OpenMac' Promises $399 Headless Mac... But Not From Apple

A company called Psystar has started advertising a $399 computer called "OpenMac" which claims to be a Leopard compatible Mac built from standard PC-parts. For $399, you get a tower computer with the following specs:
- 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 2GB of DDR2 667 memory
- Integrated Intel GMA 950 Graphics
- 20x DVD+/-R Drive
- 4 USB Ports
- 250GB 7200RPM Drive
Many of the components can be upgraded, however. For example, the graphics card can be updated to a GeForce 8600GT 512MB for $155 more.
Psystar is marketing this as a cheaper and more expandable alternative to a true Apple Mac.

When comparing base configurations, the Mac Mini costs 150% of the price of the OpenMac while offering poorer performance, smaller storage space, and RAM. Not only that but the Mac Mini doesn't have the option for an nVidia GeForce 8600 video card like the OpenMac does so playing games on it is a lost cause.

The company claims that the machine is Leopard compatible with some "minimal patching" but does offer Leopard pre-installed. This is reportedly accomplished by using parts that are known to be compatible with Mac OS X Leopard, as well as the use of an EFI emulator.

With the EFI V8 emulator it is possible to install Leopard's kernel straight from the DVD that you purchased at the Apple store barring the addition of a few drivers to ensure that everything boots and runs smoothly.

Readers should note that these claims have not been independently verified, so this should not seen as an endorsement of this product. However, the technology appears to be derived from the osx86project, which has allowed hobbyists to install Mac OS X on their non-Apple PCs.
The concept is an interesting possibility, and will certainly draw the attention of Apple. The use of Leopard on non Apple-branded hardware is a violation of its End User License Agreement (EULA) and is specifically prohibited.
Update: Psystar appears to have changed the name of their product to "Open Computer". Whether this is a response to a direct request from Apple or is simply an internal company decision in recognition of possible trademark infringement remains unknown.

10 Freeware Software Nobody Knows About - But Should

It’s always a shame when a great program is not heard about by most people - especially when it’s free. Here are the top 10 freeware software that many people still haven’t tried, but definitely should.

 

10. Sharepod

If you want to get all those files off your iPod and into your computer, then this is the program for you. Sharepod was used to show how to freely and easily transfer files from an iPod to PC.

 

9. ConTEXT

Not only is this a great notepad replacement, it is also a great help for software developers.

 

8. IrfanView

Simply put, this is a simple graphic viewer. It has many essential features like email, Thumbnail/preview option, various Effects, changing color depth, and, of course, an extensive file format support.

 

7. Windows Live Writer

Although still in beta, this makes blogging both easy and comfortable. It supports many blog services, including WordPress, Blogger, and TypePad, and also has a some very good plugins.

 

6. Foxit Reader

This is the adobe reader replacement. It is much faster than adobe reader, and much friendlier to use. Try this once, and you’ll never go back.

 

5. Snipping Tool

Comes installed in Windows Vista. This program lets you take screenshots of the whole screen, only a certain program, free-form, or rectangular snips. Immediately after taking the screen shot, you are given the choice of editing it and saving it into your computer. They couldn’t have made it easier.

[Edit: Some people pointed out that this isn’t necessarily freeware because you need to have Vista in order to use it. MWSnap can be used instead of it. Thanks TemporalBeing and everyone else who pointed that out.]

 

4. Blender

Did you ever see the amazing CGI movies Pixar makes, like Ratatouille? Well, with Blender, you can make similar computer generated graphics that will amaze everyone.

 

3. ImgBurn

ImgBurn is great tool to create image files from discs and burn images to discs. It even supports HD DVD and Blu-ray. There is no need to use an high cost programs for images.

 

2. MusikCube

This is what iTunes should be like. An easy to use, uncluttered, lightweight program, which will convert most people to it after seconds of use. The plugins that are available will make for an easy transition, like being able to grab ratings from iTunes or Windows Media Player and import them to MusikCube.

 

1. AutoHotkey

This is the one of the most essential programs ever - if you know how to use it. With AutoHotkey, you can write scripts that automate keystrokes, which can save you a lot of time. You can make it automate annoying internship jobs, like copying and pasting a bunch of text from one place to another, to more complex applications like Lifehacker’s Texter. The beauty of it all is that it very easy to learn and master.

Impressions: "The Sarah Jane Adventures"

"The Sarah Jane Adventures" premiered on the SCI FI Channel last Friday night, kicking off this seasons 'Sci-Friday' slate. he show is based on the life of Sarah Jane Smith after her time as a companion to the Doctor is over. It' also should be noted that it is produced by Russell T. Davies, who also is in charge of "Doctor Who", so "Sarah Jane" was worth checking out on that fact alone.

Here are my first impressions of the show:

The Good

I was pleasantly surprised by the work of Yasmin Paige, who plays Sarah's young sidekick 'Maria'. Even though the show is about Sarah Jane, Maria steals the focus of every scene she is in. She will be the 'companion' to Sarah Jane's version of the Doctor - and that's a good thing.

I also like that Sarah has a stash of alien gizmos and gadgetry. Her 'Sonic Lipstick' fits perfectly in the series, while the other gadgets (probably with the help of 'Luke', the other sidekick) will provide a good basis for Sarah to defeat the alien of the week.

The Not-So-Good

There was a significant amount of overacting. I know the show is trying to skew to a younger audience, but, at one point, I found myself waiting for the villain to go 'Mwahahahahaha!'. I suspect that it will work itself out, as the actors, writers and directors get a feel for each other.

I also thought the debut was a bit long. The premiere was ninety minutes and overall, it was paced fairly well. I did think there was some fluff added to extend it out, though. It was like they had a good seventy-five minutes or so of episode (commercials included, of course) and instead of cutting it down to an hour, they expanded it. Not a bad decision, but still noticeable.

The Bottom Line

It's pretty good. If the acting/writing levels out, I think "The Sarah Jane Adventures" will evolve into a gateway drug to "Doctor Who" - it has the same feel, just on a younger, toned down level.

Blockbuster In Surprise Bid To Buy Circuit City

The news came out early this morning that Blockbuster was making an unsolicited bid to buy Circuit City, which has left many scratching their heads, saying that the synergy isn't all that obvious. Circuit City has been in trouble for a while, and Blockbuster (while a lot healthier than Circuit City) has been facing its own series of challenges. While it's unclear what Blockbuster's plans are, the deal actually could make sense if Blockbuster was really looking distantly into the future about where its market is heading. It knows as well as anybody that video delivery is moving to the internet eventually -- at which point its business model gets a lot trickier. Yet, by owning a retailer selling hardware -- and the rights to content to be distributed to that hardware, things could actually get interesting. Now, I'll say ahead of time that I doubt this is where Blockbuster is heading, but with both movie distribution rights and the ability to sell hardware, it could embrace the economics of infinite goods, by packaging content (infinite) with hardware (scarce), creating a much more compelling offering, than competitors to either firm alone.

Lexi Alexander Gives Quick Punisher Update

If you can believe it, the next Punisher film may be better than the previous one, and it's directed by a girl.

Ok... a woman. Ok, ok... a hot-looking woman.

On her personal blog, director Lexi Alexander gave a brief update on the status of Punisher: Warzone (aka Punisher 2 although it's the third Punisher movie). Among her comments was this one in reply to Ray asking how much the studio wanted to cut the movie:

"Well, thank God it went well and, although I'll probably have to compromise on a few minor notes, it’s not nearly as bad as some of my filmmaker friends predicted it would be. I guess I got away with an actual okay studio experience (knocking on wood since it’s not quite over yet)."

The release date has also been pushed back to December 5th from it's previous September 12th date. Lexi was told this was a good thing, since for some reason violent movies do well in December. Go figure.

For more details including some colorful metaphors, head on over to her blog below.

I don't know why, but I've good a good gut feeling about this one...

Source: LexiAlexander.com

George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead on DVD

Genius Products will release George A. Romero's "Diary of the Dead" on DVD this May 20th. This is the fifth installment in Romero's "Dead" series.
Special features have not been announced yet.
Synopsis:
A group of film students document the rise of the living dead in George A. Romero's latest zombie epic.

Comcast To Save Jericho?

Not only does Comcast bring you all your favorite television programming over the cable-ways, they also make deals that could possibly save some of your favorite programming for additional life on the airways.

Much like the DirecTV / NBC deal that's resurrecting Friday Night Lights (FNL) for a third season, Comcast and CBS are in talks to bring Jericho back to viewers. This particular tidbit is provided by anonymous "insiders" and it makes for an interesting tidbit, but I'm not sure we can hold our breath on this one yet. It's too early to tell if these new business models are really going to pay off.

As an example of "these new business models", let me touch on the Friday Night Lights scenario. Apparently NBC got enough mini-footballs in the mail from FNL fans to consider a resurrection of sorts, and probably helped illuminate the way for the DirecTV - NBC deal being brokered.

The deal is this: NBC's deal with DirecTV would keep Friday Night Lights on the air for a third season, first airing on DirecTV, then later on in "repeats" on NBC. In turn, DirecTV helps defray production costs of the show for the right to air FNL first. This keeps the show afloat, and the reruns are then played over on NBC. Everyone wins... if this works out.

Stargate May Have Another Spinoff

When Stargate SG-1 ended after 10 years, I was surprised to find myself feeling abandoned to some degree. I became comfortable following the familiar characters and the evolving conflicts between humanity and its off-world relationships - kind of like going to work every day. Sure, we have Stargate: Atlantis, but it just isn't quite the same as Stargate SG-1. Atlantis is like a new job. Same 'ol, same 'ol, but a new place to do it in.

But if anyone out there wants to see a new twist on Stargate, there may be some hope for you.

A third live-action series is being conceived by Stargate: Atlantis co-creators Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper called Stargate: Universe and they are looking to make it an independent storyline of the already established Stargate realm.

Instead of a planet or city-bound stargate, the series will take place on a ship that was part of an Ancient experiment probably millions of years ago, but abandoned due to the whole ascension thing.

The background of Stargate Universe is that the Ancients had one unmanned ship go out into the universe placing stargates, and there was a second ship to follow up and explore.

In the Stargate mythos, travelers use a 7-symbol gate address to travel from planet to planet. An eighth chevron allows for travel to different galaxies and by using the proper ninth chevron, travelers will discover the second unmanned Ancient ship.

The pitch for this new show was received well by Sci-Fi Channel but the writers strike was one hurdle that slowed things down. However the bigger hurdle is that the new series would be an expensive show to produce. Wright and Cooper feel they've done the Stargate series right so far and believe they can pull this off, but they don't want to settle for a cheaper version which they don't think would pan out as successfully.

If it does happen, things will go into motion after Atlantis has concluded its run, moving the franchise forward while still holding true to the established background and history.

Amazon: Buy Two Blu-ray Discs, Get One Free

Amazon.com has a new "Buy Two Blu-ray Discs, Get One Free" sale up. Don't miss it. Offer valid through April 18, 2008.
You have 58 titles to choose from including hits like Blade Runner, Fifth Element, Pan's Labyrinth and many more.
Shop the sale!

Star Wars / Darth Maul 1:6 Scale Figure

Darth Maul
Second Chance Opportunity

RAH
12 inch Figure

Item Number: 4362

Manufactured by: Medicom Toy

Price: US $149.99

Summary
Sideshow is pleased to announce that Medicom Toy Coporation has granted 1,000 pcs of the 12-inch RAH Darth Maul figure for the US market. The figure is highly authentic and film accurate, and ready to take life on your shelf in any dynamic pose that you desire. Medicom Toy's RAH body is one of the most articulated 12-inch figure bodies available, capable of nearly any pose that the human (or superhero) body can achieve.
Each Darth Maul figure includes interchangeable hands and a display base, a removable hooded cloak, and comes packaged in a beautiful window display box.
International customers are welcome to order.

Please note: The Medicom RAH series is highly detailed, very well articulated, and of exceptional quality, however, the Medicom 12-inch RAH line is not in the same scale as the Sideshow 12-inch figure line. Please note that the Medicom figures are crafted in a slightly smaller scale than the Sideshow figures.

Specs
License: Star Wars

Product Type: 12 inch Figure

 

Product Size: 12" H (304.8mm)*

 

Box Size: 14.00" H (355.6mm) x 7.00" W (177.8mm) x 4.00" L (101.6mm)*

 

Est. Shipping Weight: 3.00 lbs (1.36 kg)*

Sideshow Collectibles, Inc. - Star Wars / Darth Maul 1:6 Scale Figure

Witchblade: The Complete Series on DVD

On July 22, Warner Bros. will release the entire two-season run of TNT's "Witchblade" starring Yancy Butler as a DVD boxed set.
Synopsis:
While investigating the murder of her childhood friend, NYPD Detective Sara Pezzini comes in contact with an ancient gauntlet, which melds onto her wrist and protects her from harm -- forever changing her destiny. It is the Witchblade, an ancient weapon that heightens her powers of perception and transforms into a formidable sword that is one with its wearer. With an arsenal of amazing powers -- and a mind of its own -- the Witchblade is both a blessing and a curse. Now Sara must learn its secrets in order to master its mystery before it masters her.
Based on the best-selling comic book of the same name, WITCHBLADE is a one-hour drama series starring Yancy Butler (Drop Zone, Hard Target) as the fierce and sexy Sara Pezzini. WITCHBLADE is produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc. and Halsted Pictures, in association with Warner Bros. Television. Ralph Hemecker (Millennium, The X-Files) serves as executive producer with Dan Halsted (Any Given Sunday, The Virgin Suicides) of Halsted Pictures and Marc Silvestri of Top Cow Productions.

017 - Ten Bad Tech Ads

017 - Ten Bad Tech Ads
The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Geek - Ten Bad Tech Ads: The tech industry has a rich and hilarious history of being unable to promote itself as anything other than unutterably dorky. Originally I was going to call this 'The top ten worst tech ads', but as I hunted around and discovered these are pure gold. They are shockingly bad, but you'll derive so much pleasure from watching them it didn't seem right to use 'worst' anymore. Anyway, I've collected ten of my favorites -- in no particular order -- that made my laugh, either because they feature lyrics, awful singing, pathetic old technology, Steve Ballmer or some combination of all of the above. To watch videos I played tonight go to - http://thescifigeek.blogspot.com Promos played: Remember The 80s, Geek By Night, and Treks in Sci-Fi

Ark of Truth Soundtrack

FreeClyde Music announced a limited release of the soundtrack to Stargate: The Ark of Truth, the straight-to-DVD movie based on SCI FI Channel's original series Stargate SG-1, featuring music by the show's longtime composer Joel Goldsmith. The CD drops on April 18, but can be pre-ordered online.
The CD features music recorded live with the Seattle Northwest Sinfonia and includes a 16-page full-color booklet with articles by Ark of Truth writer/director Robert C. Cooper, executive producer Brad Wright and Goldsmith. The CD will also feature original artwork by the FreeClyde team and photography from the film.
The first 100 pre-orders will be signed by the composer. The CD can be purchased at Goldsmith's official Web site.

Sci-Fi TV on NBC

NBC unveiled a 2008-'09 television schedule that's dominated by new and returning SF, fantasy and horror programming, including a series revival of Knight Rider and a new anthology series called Fear Itself, as well as the renewal of Medium, whose fate had been in question.
The announcements came at the network's "infront" (the new nickname for upfronts) presentation to advertisers in New York on April 2.
The shows and miniseries will be part of the network's ambitious 52-week program strategy and will premiere anytime between this May and summer 2009.
The new series include Kings, Fear Itself and Knight Rider, all of which had been expected to make the schedule, as well as the surprise entries My Own Worst Enemy and The Listener.
Waiting in the wings is Merlin. Also on the way is The Last Templar, a Da Vinci Code-esque miniseries.
Returning shows include Chuck and Heroes, which had previously been announced and which will premiere in September, and Medium, which was reportedly on the bubble but will return next winter for a fifth season.
Speaking of the NBC slate in his presentation, Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, said, "There is a ton of noise out there. There is a cacophony of crap. Even the sports pages are filled with scandal. We need to break through and deliver eternal themes and heroic themes and entertaining themes and escapist themes. We're going to give you real heroes and superheroes, and we're going to engage you with our content in a dramatic, emotional way."
Debuting on May 29:
Fear Itself. The show, a horror anthology series from the makers of Masters of Horror, will feature such stars as John Billingsley and Shiri Appleby and showcase the talents of directors including Brad Anderson, Mary Harron, Ernest Dickerson, Ronny Yu, John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon.
Shows on the fall 2008-'09 schedule:
Chuck, airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Heroes, airing Mondays at 9 p.m.
My Own Worst Enemy, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. Christian Slater makes his television series debut as Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert and married father of two who learns that he has an alter ego named Edward Albright, an operative who speaks numerous languages and can kill with his teeth. The network is touting it as "Jekyll and Hyde meets Jason Bourne." Heroes veteran David Semel directed the pilot and will stay on as executive producer.
Knight Rider, airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. NBC scored a hit with a two-hour backdoor pilot movie that aired in February, and the series picks up where the movie left off. K.I.T.T., the supercar with a mind of its own, returns, as do stars Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison.
Shows debuting in winter 2009:
Merlin, airing Sundays at 8 p.m. A fantasy series set in Camelot but inspired by 21st-century storytelling, Merlin stars Colin Morgan (Doctor Who) as the title character and Bradley James as Arthur, and it explores the characters' lives before they became legends. Co-stars include Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Richard Wilson and Angel Coulby.
Kings, airing Sundays at 10. A modern-day spin on the King David tale, the show stars Christopher Egan as David and Ian McShane as the king. Michael Green (Heroes) penned the pilot and will executive-produce. I Am Legend helmer Francis Lawrence directed the pilot and will executive-produce the series as well.
Series debuting in summer 2009:
The Listener, airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. Toby Logan (Craig Olejinik of Thirteen Ghosts) is a 24-year-old paramedic and telepath who's always ignored his ability to hear people's thoughts ... until now. Having changed his mind, he uses his unique gift to help others.
Miniseries debuting in 2009:
The Last Templar. In this four-hour miniseries, four horsemen dressed as knights crash the New York Metropolitan Museum during the opening of an exhibition of Vatican treasures and swipe an arcane medieval decoder, thereby sending an archaeologist (Mira Sorvino) and an FBI agent (Scott Foley) on a wild chase for the secrets of the Knights Templar. Co-stars include Victor Garber and Omar Sharif.

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs on DVD

Fox will release "Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs" on DVD this June 24th. Don't miss this thrilling conclusion to Futurama: Benders Big Score!
Extras will include Audio commentaries, a "Long-Lost, Full-Length Adventure Produced for the Futurama XBOX Video Game," "Deleted Scenes," and lots more!
Synopsis:
Bender and the Planet Express crew must work to fix rips between their universe and another inhabited by a planet-sized, tentacle alien which soon takes over the Earth and uses it's ability to control Fry to command an entire religion which takes over and convinces the inhabitants of Earth to abandon the Earth to live in a pseudo-heaven, leaving the robots of the world to inherit the planet.

eBay Bans Auctions Of Digital Goods

We've pointed out more than a few times how digital goods muck up traditional markets that are based on the concept of scarcity, and it appears that eBay has come to the same conclusion. It's now banned the direct sale of purely digital goods from either its auctions or its direct sales offerings. Instead, those who want to sell digital goods need to put up a classified ad on the site, rather than a transactional platform. The basic reason has to do with the (wouldn't you know it?) infinitely reproduceable nature of digital goods. That allows eBay sellers to list the same product many, many, many times over, since they have an infinite supply. This practice is screwing up listings and (more importantly) is being used to manipulate feedback ratings, and so eBay has done away with it.

Second Futurama DVD In June

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the second of four new Futurama movies, The Beast With a Billion Backs, on DVD June 24.
The company described the movie this way: In their latest extraterrestrial exploit, Bender, Fry, Leela and the crew encounter a repulsive, planet-sized creature with billions of probing tentacles and find themselves involved in a disturbing--yet sensuous--interplanetary love story.
The movie will feature guest voice performances from David Cross, Brittany Murphy, Dan Castellaneta and physicist Stephen Hawking.
Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs also features bonus materials, including commentary from Matt Groening and David X. Cohen and cast members Billy West, John DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche, as well as director Peter Avanzino and producers Claudia Katz, Lee Supercinski and Michael Rowe. Other extras include a 30-minute "Lost Futurama Adventure" and behind-the-scenes featurettes "Meet Yivo!" (with David Cross) and "A Brief History of Deathball," as well as a sneak peek at the next Futurama movie, Bender's Game. The disc also contains storyboard animatics, deleted scenes and bloopers. Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs will carry a suggested retail price of $29.98.

Iron Man Robert Downey Jr Addresses His Past

Robert Downey Jr., who plays the title character in Jon Favreau's upcoming Iron Man movie, told SCI FI Wire that he's aware that his personal history resonates with that of his character, millionaire playboy Tony Stark, who has his own history of substance abuse.
The tabloid-fodder Oscar nominee--who is perhaps better known for his prison sentence (on drug- and alcohol-related charges) and rehab stints than for his critically acclaimed performances in such films as Chaplin and The Singing Detective--addressed the issue in a question from SCI FI Wire on the film's Playa Vista, Calif., set last June.
Downey, who successfully completed rehab in 2002 and by all accounts has been clean and sober since, is ready for the inevitable question.
"I think when someone has had a fundamental change, and they're not just trying to backpedal and make it seem like 'I'm going to rehab again, everything's fine,' whatever, ... my thing is, what else is attractive [to me about the role] is, yeah, Tony Stark, he's been known to go bonkers and be so irresponsible that he's, like, too hammered to put on his shoes," Downey says in his typical elliptical way. "And [when they approached me,] I was like, 'Really?' And they were like, 'Yeah, really.'"
Even so, Downey downplays the significance of his personal history to the casting and the character. "There's so much stuff in this movie as it is that we decided not to do, like, the Pirandello thing," he says, referring to the Italian dramatist and his play, Six Characters in Search of an Author, in which the lines between actors and their characters are blurred. "But I get it. In a way, that's why it's, like, ideally suited for me, and I'm ideally suited for it."
In a well-known 1979 Iron Man comic arc, "Demon in a Bottle," Stark struggles with alcoholism, a first for a major superhero character.
That particular aspect of Stark's character won't come up in the first Iron Man movie, but will be addressed in any sequels, director Favreau says. He acknowledges the similarities between Stark and Downey's own personal histories, but added that the casting allowed him to go to new places.
"When we cast Robert--when he was approved and we got him to be in the movie and Marvel gave it the OK--it completely freed me," Favreau said. "Because I knew I was halfway there to having a movie that I could be proud of. ... I can't think of anybody better than him. He brings a reality, a humor, a panache, ... a life of experience. ... There's a lot of Tony Stark in him, and that's so much better than trying to teach somebody to pretend that they are funny or pretend that they are smart or pretend that they are talented." Iron Man opens May 2.

William Sanders sells collection to Norilana Books

William Sanders sold East of the Sun and West of Fort Smith to Norilana Books, which plans to publish it in September 2008. The book will be a reprint collection, which Norilana calls "the definitive short fiction collection by award winning author William Sanders. It will gather into one volume all of his previously collected short work in addition to several previously unseen originals.

Supernatural Gets A Fourth Year?

Sera Gamble, producer of The CW's Supernatural, told SCI FI Wire that the writers are brimming with story possibilities for the show's upcoming fourth season, which The CW recently announced.
"[Series creator and executive producer] Eric [Kripke] has some really strong ideas for how to expand the mythology next season," Gamble said in an interview. "We've been pitching ideas to each other that have [gotten] everybody really excited. ... First, we got deeply philosophical, and then we went back to 'Hey, how can we chop a bunch of people's heads off with these ideas?'"
Gamble added that the early pickup by The CW means that the writers can set things up as the third season winds down. "We're especially excited that we heard about the pickup early enough that we can start working on what we're going to be doing at the beginning of next season now, so we can thread some things in," she said.
The current third season, which was interrupted by the recently settled writers' strike, concentrated on the battle by Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) against the demon army unleashed at the end of the previous year. Meanwhile, the season is building to a resolution of Dean's dilemma: He struck a deal with a demon to trade his soul for Sam's life. He has only a year to live.
Kripke told Gamble that he has "an idea for a good turn that the mythology could take [in the middle of next season] that's related to the demon mythology that we've been building and that we concentrated on in season three," Gamble said.
The producers are thinking in terms of a five-year arc for the series, Gamble added. "There are aspects of the mythology that have always been plotted out," she said. "There's approximately a five-year plan that's been in place since the show began."
But, Gamble added, the details of the fourth season are being honed now. "Additionally, we have a list of several monsters that we've been dying to do for a long time that we're going to get a chance to do now," she said. "I call it the beer-and-popcorn episodes. They're really like meat and potatoes. Like, sit down, watch scary things, blood spatter hits the camera, and people scream and clutch each other in fear. And that's the end of your hour," she added with a laugh.
The third season will resume with new episodes, starting April 24, building to the season finale, written by Kripke, in which Dean must face the deal he struck with a demon to save Sam's life. The strike-shortened season has caused the writers to abbreviate some of the planned stories, but Dean's fate will remain front and center as the season comes to a close, Gamble said, offering a few spoilers.
"The season finale takes place on the very last day before his card gets pulled by the demon," Gamble said. "It's a fight to the finish. Several of the players that we've been watching deal with this over the course of the season will be in the episode. We said we weren't going to make it easy for them, and we've made it pretty difficult, bordering upon impossible."
Will Dean survive and elude hell's clutches? "For all you know, [in the fourth season] it's going to be Sam with a flashlight in haunted houses with a special cell phone that calls hell," Gamble said with tongue in cheek. "Everyone has a theory. Everyone will find out soon enough. They just have to wait a few more months."

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=51330

Superman lawsuit

You good folks might have heard a mention here or there about "some Superman lawsuit." But after the news just now coming out, I'm pretty sure you'll know more about it.

According to The New York Times:

"A federal judge here on Wednesday ruled that the heirs of Jerome Siegel -- who 70 years ago sold the rights to the action hero he created with Joseph Shuster to Detective Comics for $130 -- were entitled to reclaim their share of the U.S. copyright to the character."

Apparently, the international rights to Superman remain the property of Time Warner.

There's also the chance that if this decision sticks it will open a can of worms with the heirs of 'Supes' co-creator Joseph "Joe" Shuster in 2013.

And it's also become a question-mark as to whether or not the Siegels are owed any profits for film ventures like 2006's Superman Returns or its currently-in-development sequel Superman: The Man of Steel for 2010; not to mention, the increasingly looking-like-its-not-going-to-happen-anyway Justice League Mortal!

This thing will continue to be dragged out in the courts for years.

Time Warner (via their legal muscle) will probably get this decision over-turned. At least, that's what I see happening.

Source: The New York Times

New Star Trek Trailer With Indiana Jones

  
Screen Rant has received word from someone who has been a reliable source in the past stating that "it's 100% that there will be a new Star Trek trailer with Indiana Jones."

According to the source, the new trailer will be a continuation of what we saw in the teaser trailer - showing further progress on the construction of the USS Enterprise with technicians working on the ship. There will be new audio, but no word on whether we will see or hear any of the cast
members.

So, that means we'll be seeing the new trailer in movie theaters on May 22nd, the release date for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

As mentioned previously, the release date for Star Trek 11 has been pushed back from December 2008 to May 2009.

V for Vendetta heads to Blu-ray

On May 20, Warner Bros. will release "V for Vendetta" on Blu-ray. Previously, the title was only available in high definition on HD DVD.
Synopsis:
Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

Sequel Cataclysmo and the Battle for Earth to be released next week

  Independent filmmaker Kevin Christensen writes "I recently directed a science-fiction action comedy feature film called Cataclysmo and the Time Boys. It's inspired by Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, about two men from 500 years in the future who are sent back in time to the present to stop a worldwide catastrophe called 'Cataclysmo.'" The film has been serialized into 24 5-minute episodes, and the entire film is online at webserials.com and on youtube.

On 4 April, he'll release the sequel, Cataclysmo and the Battle for Earth, in which "Johnny, Bucky, and Samantha return to save Earth from the devastating effects of Cataclysmo. In their greatest battle yet, our heroes face off against a worldwide army of gorillas… but the real trouble begins when they realize that they may not be alone.…"

Cerra Flies To Dark Swarm

Erica Cerra, who plays Deputy Jo Lupo on SCI FI Channel's original series Eureka, told SCI FI Wire that she'll co-star in the upcoming SF film Dark Swarm.
Dark Swarm follows a group of people who've survived an attack on Earth by carnivorous alien creatures and who prepare to make one last stand against them.
"It's all CGI," Cerra said in an interview. "It's supposed to be really cool. It's an all-green-screen sort of film. I don't know how much of it I can give away. But the basic setup is that there is something sort of taking over the Earth. ... Initially, they're under the impression it's a swarm, but then they start to kind of unravel what exactly it is."
Cerra is joined in the cast by popular genre actors Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1) and Ed Wasser (Babylon 5). Tim Pyle (Decaying Orbit) has co-written and will direct. Pyle will also handle the visual effects, as he's done on such productions as Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and the SCI FI original miniseries Children of Dune.
Asked if she's a hero or a victim in the film, Cerra laughed and replied: "Both."
Dark Swarm goes into production this summer with an eye toward a 2009 release.

Jericho Looking For New Home

Carol Barbee, executive producer of CBS' canceled post-apocalyptic series Jericho, told SCI FI Wire that talks are ongoing to find the show another home, perhaps on a cable network.
"I can't really say [much] about specifics, and, ... partially, it's because I'm not the one having those conversations," Barbee said in an interview on March 24, the eve of the show's final episode. "[CBS] Paramount [Television, which produces the show,] has been pursing it, and our agents have been into that, so, you know, I am pushing those people and coming up with ideas to have those people pursue."
Barbee wouldn't offer details about any talks. "There were several ideas that have been floated, and there was some interest, but we'll have to see," she said. "It wasn't something that could be sewn up before we were going to air the finale. ... It would have been better had we been able to announce one with the other, but it just didn't happen that fast."
Barbee said that she and the show's cast and crew got official word of the show's cancellation at the end of last week, in time to choose one of two endings for the season finale: A cliffhanger or a series ender. "We were told that they were having a meeting on Thursday, ... internally at CBS, to decide which of the endings to show for this Tuesday night's finale, and then we were given the heads up after that meeting that they were going to show the alternate [ending, with the series finale], which obviously to us meant that we were going to finish our run on CBS," Barbee said. Barbee asked CBS to delay its formal announcement for 24 hours so she could inform the cast and crew; the news broke on Friday.
If Jericho is not picked up for another season by a TV network, Barbee said that she could envision it living on in some other form. "There's definitely an Internet series to be had, and we always talked about a graphic novel, and ... a movie," Barbee said. "I mean, there are lots of things that I could easily see as a way to continue the story."
But time may be running out. Jericho wrapped its second season of episodes back in November, just as the writers' strike was beginning. Since then, the cast and crew have been freed to pursue other projects, and the show's sets and backlot have been dismantled and either destroyed or put into storage. Barbee herself has moved on to another series, Swingtown, created by Jericho alumnus Mike Kelley, about the lives of couples experimenting with sexual and social mores in a 1970s Chicago suburb, which will air on CBS this summer and is shooting on the same stages once occupied by Jericho.
Looking back on Jericho, Barbee was pleased that it attracted a core of die-hard fans who were responsible for getting CBS to resurrect the show for a second season. "We appreciated the second life that we had, and we feel like we've made the most of it, and we will just be forever indebted to the fans for taking us on this amazing ride," she said. "I think it will always be a highlight in our careers, that we got to be a part of that." Jericho's finale, "Patriots and Tyrants," airs March 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
(Fans wishing to write SCI FI Channel about picking Jericho up should NOT use the scifiwire@scifi.com e-mail address, but rather should send snail mail here: SCI FI Channel, 21st Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112.)

Sanctuary Is All New

Amanda Tapping, star and executive producer of SCI FI Channel's upcoming new series Sanctuary, told SCI FI Wire that the show will differ significantly from the Web series on which it is based.
SCI FI Channel announced in late January that it had ordered 13 episodes of Sanctuary, which was created by Damian Kindler and co-written by Martin Wood, both of whom, like Tapping, are veterans of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.
Tapping will reprise her role as Dr. Helen Magnus, an apparently immortal doctor and scientist who seeks to locate, aid and protect supernatural creatures. To adapt the high-definition digital Web series for television, SCI FI has ordered up a new pilot.
"The fact is it's already evolving," Tapping said in an interview at the channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York earlier this month. "Our pilot that we're now going to start shooting is very different from what you've seen on the Web. But [Magnus] is still this crazy character. She's 157 years old, and she's very eccentric and very sexy and very unapologetic. I love it."
Tapping, who will continue to guest-star on Atlantis as Col. Samantha Carter, said that the transition to television opens up all sorts of possibilities for Sanctuary.
"It gives us a good home base," Tapping said. "SCI FI is the perfect fit for this show and for me, because I have worked with the network for so long. It made so much sense to stay with this network. They understand the genre. They understand the fans. And now they understand multimedia platforms in terms of utilizing social networking, which is what our company is all about. So it's a perfect fit." Sanctuary will premiere later this year.