HYGOTS No. 40
July 17th, 2009
Okay, so here’s the deal: ten years ago, ‘The Matrix’ helped sink modern Star Wars, and in the irony of all ironies, two films and ten years later, you’d hardly know it. Seriously, ten years later, you’d hardly know that ‘The Matrix’ was poised to do more than replace Star Wars as the geek cool movie franchise, it was going to be the future of movies, period. Well, then Peter Jackson did Lord of the Rings, Sam Raimi did Spider-Man, and ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ opened. Turns out, mass audiences aren’t into the whole “cerebral” thing.
Review: Warehouse 13, “Resonance”
July 16th, 2009
The second episode of Syfy’s Warehouse 13 aired this past Tuesday (July 14th). I suppose technically it was the third episode given that the pilot was two hours long. Anyway, promotional spots for the episode seemed to focus heavily on guest star Tricia Helfer, better known for playing a variety of Cylons — Model #6 — on Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica. She did an adequate job but the character, an F.B.I. agent, was hardly involved in the story, which probably would have worked without her entirely.
Wasteland review
July 16th, 2009
Now, if I wanted to, I could just review the recently released ‘Wasteland’ #25. For those looking to sample without worrying too much about the developments of the past twenty-four issues, it would certainly be an ideal way to start. But then I couldn’t introduce the series as the best comic book you probably have never heard of. Published by Oni Press, ‘Wasteland’ would be the new ‘Walking Dead’ if it weren’t better, more complicated, more original, but as an independent, mythology-rich and large-casted wonder that has managed to stick around for more than two years worth of issues, four current trade paperback collections (and granted a deluxe hardcover edition recently, as all the cool kids are getting) without the benefit of breast-bearing ladies on every cover or any prior precedent as an entity, comparing it to Robert Kirkman’s zombie survival saga is the best way to catch you up to speed about the scope of what we’re dealing with.
Legend of the Seeker Nominated for Emmy Award
July 16th, 2009
Nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards were released today (see the complete list at the futon critic) and among the shows up for a statue is Legend of the Seeker. I actually grew into a relatively big fan of the series over the course of its first season. The category is Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) and the episode nominated is the series premiere, “Prophecy,” for music by Joe LoDuca. I don’t often notice music in television shows so I can’t comment on the quality (I’m still disappointed the show doesn’t have proper opening credits with a theme song). But I’m sure Mr. LoDuca is thrilled to be nominated. He’s competing with five other shows: 24 and The Simpsons on FOX, Ghost Whisperer on CBS,
Quick Review: Eureka, “Welcome Back, Carter”
July 15th, 2009
Syfy’s Eureka returned after a ten-month break this past Friday (July 10th) with the first of ten new episodes completing its third season. Previously, the series was seen on Tuesdays. During the mid-season finale (“From Fear to Eternity,” originally broadcast September 23rd, 2008) a lot of things start going very, very wrong. Zoe, for example, started aging rapidly. That’s never fun. Secrets about Eva Thorne were revealed, someone was found to be pregnant and someone else was fired. Aside from that last bit, things were wrapped up quite nicely.
Comics On Sale – July 15th, 2009
July 15th, 2009
It’s new comic book day! Dozens of new books will be hitting the racks today. Head over to Previews to see the list of new comics and then hit the comments to share which books are on your pull list this week.
Rant: Pocket Books & Star Trek
July 14th, 2009
I’ve been reading Star Trek novels published by Pocket Books since I was in the second grade. I’ve consumed hundreds of novels, a few anthologies and the occasional series companion. Lately, though, I’ve found myself less and less interested in the stories being put out by Pocket Books. The question I’m forced to ask is whether the problem is with the publisher and its authors or with me. Has the Star Trek novel line become stagnant or have I simply outgrown it?
Comics I Like – July 13th, 2009
July 13th, 2009
In today’s column I discuss why I dropped Vertigo’s Air, my continued waffling over the issue of switching entirely to trade paperbacks and why I might be interested in DC’s Justice League: A Cry for Justice.
Moon review
July 13th, 2009
I’d read a few reviews of ‘Moon’ before I finally got a chance to see it, and none of them were written specifically for the genre audience. I’ve never seen ‘2001,’ so of course when it was inevitably referenced, all I had were the sequence of books to draw from, and not the famous film itself, so that won’t be my focus in this review, and you’re going to get a different perspective on what it means when you hear that for most of the movie, Sam Rockwell talks to himself, because that will be my focus, specifically what the means of that dialogue means for the genre audience.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine review
July 13th, 2009
Okay, so I’m not exactly a Marvel sort of guy. As with comics, so too with the films, I end up with more enthusiasm for DC projects. Last year was an easy pick for me when others found it difficult to choose between ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ as the best superhero flick of 2008. While I enjoyed the X-Men series, I was never quite as swept up in the Spider-Mans. I still consider ‘Daredevil’ (the original or director’s cut) to be the epitome of that clan. It’s not that Marvel screws up quite so badly on the screen as it seems to on the page (hey, my opinions, okay). Casting is usually an undeniable highlight. It’s the stories that invariably let these movies down. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is really no different.
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