Stargate Atlantis stars Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett auctioning lunch for charity
Joe Flanigan
David Hewlett
Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett, stars of the science fiction show Stargate Atlantis, are currently auctioning off a chance for a fan to have lunch with them in Los Angeles. The auction will raise funds for the nonprofit organization Friends of Sarah Geary.
Joe Flanigan played Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis; David Hewlett played Dr. Rodney McKay. The two appeared in 99 episodes of “Stargate Atlantis” before the show’s 2009 finale.
From charitybuzz: Joe and David are joining with countless others to help their friend Sarah Geary survive a devastating diagnosis of ALS, a motor-neuron disorder that destroys the brain’s ability to control the rest of the body. Without disability or life insurance, Sarah and her family do not have access to the critical care needed to prevent her ALS from becoming fatal. The funds raised through charitybuzz will go directly to giving Sarah the care she needs.
Fans can bid to have lunch with Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett through October 14 at charity auction site charitybuzz at: http://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/223701 . For more information about Friends of Sarah Geary, visit http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/joeflanigan.
- Matt Price
Joe Kosinski will follow ‘Tron’ with ‘Oblivion’
Oblivion from Radical.
Radical Publishing has made inroads in the comic book field with series including “Hercules,” “Shrapnel” and “The Last Days of American Crime.” It also has made Hollywood connections, as several properties have been optioned for film. In 2011, it will expand into illustrated novels with “Oblivion,” based on a science-fiction idea from “Tron: Legacy” director Joe Kosinski.
“Rex Mundi” writer Arvid Nelson writes a science-fiction tale in which the Earth’s surface has been irradiated beyond recognition. Civilization is in ruins and under attack from Scavenger aliens. The remnants of humanity primarily live above the clouds. The preview, released at Comic-Con International, introduced Jak, a surface drone repairman who discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod. According to Radical, in the hardcover “Oblivion” illustrated novel, that discovery will set off a chain of events that will force Jak to question everything he knows.
“The Joe Kosinski project came up about two years ago, just when Joe got the job to do ‘Tron,’” said Barry Levine, president and publisher of Radical. “He pitched me a couple of ideas … this one high concept, I loved it. It was ‘Oblivion.’ About two weeks later, he sent me about five, six pages, and I said, ‘I’m doing it.’”
The illustrated novel, set to be released next summer, already has been optioned by Disney. According to Deadline, William Monahan (“The Departed”) is attached as a screenwriter.
“I was looking to make a science-fiction film that I could do on a budget,” Kosinski said in a news release about the initial concept. “It’s grown since then, but it’s intended to be a very spare science-fiction film, with a small cast but big ideas and big landscapes.”
Andree Wallin’s art in the preview draws the viewer into the landscapes, spacecraft and alien conflicts. Wallin, a digital painter from Sweden, said at deviantart.com that the art style of “Oblivion” is different from his usual work.
“The art is very different from what I usually do. While most of my personal stuff is very Michael Bay-ish in the style, ‘Oblivion’ is quite the opposite: dark, gritty and sometimes very sparse color palettes to enhance the toxic and dangerous feel to the world, but still extremely varied.”
Radical’s executive vice president, Jesse Berger, says the format of “Oblivion” will allow Radical to explore some new markets, as well,
“It’s also started a new format for Radical, that we’re really looking to explore further, which is doing prose versus just the graphic novel format,” Berger said. “We’re taking it in a different direction … it really allows us to explore different markets.”
Levine said “Oblivion” also would work well on an iPad or digital reader.
“You have two pages, and then you have a fully rendered image.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Milla Jovovich’s Fifth Element examined at Planet 46
As part of Milla Jovovich Week at Planet 46, I’ve taken a look at her role in the 1997 sci-fi film “The Fifth Element.”
As “The Fifth Element” begins, a professor uncovers an archaeological relic in 1914. It almost seems as if the viewer is about to begin an Indiana Jones-style action-adventure, perhaps starring the professor’s assistant, played by Luke Perry.
But within a few moments, the tables have turned, and 1914 is just a piece that puts the plot in motion, as a great evil is scheduled to return to planet Earth some 300 years hence. Earth’s only protection appears to be a fifth element, held by an alien race, that can overcome a great evil when wielded properly.
After a leading role in 1991′s “Return to the Blue Lagoon” and a small role in Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused,” Milla Jovovich had a comeback role in 1997 with the Fifth Element, playing Leeloo, a perfect being who is rescued from police by cab driver Korben Dallas, played by Bruce Willis.
Click here for the full article. Jovovich’s “Resident Evil: Afterlife” opens on Friday.
- Matt Price
Amanda Tapping: Nerdage’s #13 actress
Amanda Tapping (AP)
Amanda Tapping is Nerdage’s #13 actress with geek appeal. She played Samantha Carter in “Stargate SG1″ and “Stargate Atlantis.” She now stars in and executive produces “Sanctuary.” The third season of “Sanctuary,” in which she plays Dr. Helen Magnus, is in production now, and the second season comes to DVD this June.
Last fall, she talked to Nerdage about “Sanctuary”:
The show is shot primarily on green screen, using virtual sets.
“Building sets the size and the scope of the Sanctuary is nearly impossible,” said Tapping, who is also an executive producer of the show. “It gave us so much more freedom in terms of where we shot and how we shot, and places that we could go.”
Tapping said using green screen allowed for many more locations to become part of the show.
“In Season 1, we were everywhere from the Bermuda triangle to the Himalayas to the catacombs under Rome,” she said. The first season of “Sanctuary” came to DVD last month.
- Matt Price
DVD review: Surrogates
Bruce Willis stars as FBI agent Tom Greer in “Surrogates,” based on the graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele. In an alternate reality, robots have been developed that stand in for people in their everyday lives. People project their consciousness into these mechanical doppelgangers, which keep them safe from the dangers of the outside world. A small subset of humanity has rejected the use of the surrogates and lives in gated, humans-only communities. They are led by the Prophet (Ving Rhames), who decries the use of the surrogate technology.
Greer is called in to investigate the first murder in years, in which someone kills a surrogate operator via a weapon used on the surrogate. That’s not supposed to be able to happen — and it becomes an even bigger surprise when Greer discovers the murdered man is the son of the inventor of surrogates (James Cromwell).
It’s an interesting premise, but Jonathan Mostow (“Terminator 3”) doesn’t take a lot of time exploring how this world is different from our own; instead it becomes a slam-bang action flick. It’s not even entirely clear that it’s supposed to be an alternate reality without watching the audio commentary. Viewers may wonder how humanity has all these high-tech robot duplicates, but no advancements have been made in vehicles or cell phones.
Mostow has created a visually compelling film, with wide-angle shots and lots of right angles. He’s also made Hollywood actors appear even more perfect, and slightly unsettling, as robot duplicates of themselves. While the film, like “The Matrix” and others before it, has a point about overdependence on technology, it doesn’t give the audience much time to ponder.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Thoughts on new V pilot
It could be the power of nostalgia, but I didn’t find the new pilot for “V” to be as intense or as creepy as the original. ”V” is a new ABC series detailing aliens who come to earth, professing peace, but with a dark secret. Spoilers ahead as in this review of last night’s episode.
While I like Elizabeth Mitchell, her character seemed pretty clueless about her own son (Logan Huffman), who immediately supports the visitors (largely because he’s attracted to the character played by Laura Vandervoort.)
Morena Baccarin plays Anna, the leader of the Visitors, who addresses the world first via their spaceships, and then later via a very controlled interview with a TV anchor played by Scott Wolf. Joel Grestch portrays priest Father Jack Landry, who finds his small congregation growing in size once the visitors arrive, though he still doubts their intentions.
As it turns out, the aliens aren’t here for the first time – some of them have been here in disguise for years. (Though at this time, only a small group are aware of this.) The infestation of the aliens prior to their arrival was a little too similar to Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” for my taste, though that’s obviously just coincidental.
Slate points out one interpretation reads as pretty hostile towards President Obama. (The original V was an allegory about the Nazi occupation of Europe.) In the new “V,” aliens promising hope and universal health care are scaly aliens with secret plans. Meanwhile, the only people who know the truth are gun-toting conspiracy theorists.
Troy Patterson writes at Slate:
Indeed, if the show is to have the symbolic import that we expect from a science-fiction story, this is the only possible way to read V as a coherent text. The only problem with this analysis lies in its generous presupposition that the text is, in fact, coherent.
And that’s a fair point: the old “V” showcased a thoughtful allegory in the guise of a high-action sci-fi miniseries. The new show showcases better special effects and higher production values, but I’m not convinced there’s even intended to be an allegory behind it.
ABC is airing the first four episodes this fall, then holding the remainder for spring. (Perhaps somehow like the original “V” aired as a miniseries and was followed up with a season.) I’m intrigued enough to watch a few, but so far this “V” doesn’t seem to improve appreciably on the original.
- Matt Price
New ABC series V to premiere tonight
Elizabeth Mitchell (“Lost”) headlines “V,” a remake of the 1980s series about an alien occupation. Mitchell plays FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans. The rest of the cast, as reported by NewsOK’s TV blog, includes Logan Huffman as Tyler; Scott Wolf as Chad Decker; Morena Baccarin as Anna; Joel Gretsch as Father Jack; Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols; Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie; Laura Vandervoort (“Smallville”) as Lisa. The show airs at 7 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC.
With Mitchell and Vandervoort, the show has some Nerdage-friendly actresses on board. Last year, I talked to the show’s original creator, Kenneth Johnson, about his book continuing the series. The new ABC series is a reboot rather than a continuation, however. You can check out a trailer here in advance of watching tonight’s show.
- Matt Price
Planet 51 film is orbiting the Earth
To celebrate the Solar System Premiere of Columbia Pictures’ new animated comedy Planet 51, which will be released in theaters on Earth November 20, 2009, the film (on disc) is currently orbiting the planet on the International Space Station.
What better way to celebrate a space movie than … sending a movie into space?
A copy of Columbia Pictures’ animated comedy “Planet 51,” which comes to theaters Nov. 20, is currently orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station, according to a release. The film was launched on the Space Shuttle Discovery on August 28, 2009. A few days later, astronauts transferred the film to the space station.
The film is now cruising high above Earth at 17,500 miles per hour and orbiting the planet every 90 minutes. As the release notes, 90 minutes is the running time of the film, so the space-bound copy of the movie will make a full Earth orbit as the movie premieres on the ground.
Adam Lambert’s Time for Miracles video to debut online
The music video for Adam Lambert’s “Time for Miracles” will debut on MySpace Music on Wednesday, it was announced today. “Time for Miracles” is from the Roland Emmerich film 2012, which comes to theaters on Nov. 13.
The song is available for purchase on iTunes and will be included on Lambert’s upcoming album.
The video will include images from the film and will be viewable at www.myspace.com/music starting midnight Wednesday.
Adam Lambert was the runner up to Kris Allen in the eighth season of “American Idol.” In the “Idol” finale, Lambert won raves for his performance of “We Are the Champions” with Queen.
- Matt Price
Lambert is currently recording his first album on 19 Recordings/RCA Records for a November 2009 release.
Amanda Tapping: Syfy series ‘Sanctuary’ rose from ashes of Web show
Monsters, aliens and creatures now have a sanctuary. In the Syfy series “Sanctuary,” airing at 9 p.m. Fridays, Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping, “Stargate SG-1”) leads a team of scientists seeking out often-grotesque creatures. If possible, the team, which includes daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) and psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunn) will help these strange creatures, in the vast Sanctuary, a repository for the supernatural and otherworldly.
The show is shot primarily on green screen, using virtual sets.
“Building sets the size and the scope of the Sanctuary is nearly impossible,” said Tapping, who is also an executive producer of the show. “It gave us so much more freedom in terms of where we shot and how we shot, and places that we could go.”
