List of 12 greatest sci-fi shows

Considering the nnews that the Push is being developed into a television series, I thought about what in fact are the best science fiction television series ever? Well ever may be a bit too long, but at least since I have been alive and that I have seen.

Every list I have come across seems to be geared toward promoting advertising sales, patronizing some target group of readers, and/or restricted or inclusive to shows that really don't qualify as sci-fi. So here is my list, from best to worst, without influence of advertising rates, job security, or pandering.

1. Star Trek. Make all the comparisons you want, argue the inconsistencies and quality all day but the fact is this is the best sci-fi television show ever. It influnced everything to come after it, and continues to endure decades after it ended.

2. Dr. Who. The same theme and plot continues to appear on televisions across the world since 1963, that says a lot. It may not have the reach of Star Trek, but every serious sci-fi fan knows the show. To many Americans it's the television equvalent of the World Cup - the world knows it but America thinks it can do better. And actually we did, just once.

3. Farscape. Besides the Fugitive name another show that had so much fan adoration that the network had to respond? This show put Sci-Fi Channel on the map, and the manner in which it was taken off television had a lot to do with the change of the cable network to Syfy. Literally the best collection of science fiction ideas done incedibly well on television.

4. Babylon 5. Another great assortment of sci-fi ideas, done with style and serious attention to plot and details. Way before it's time.

5. Superman. I mean the original George Reeves series. Yes it was campy, but it just had a spark to it. It took the incredulous and made it enjoyable. Something almost all shows on television since have failed miserably to do.

6. Flash Gordon. Yes this was a television series long before it was a cartoon, movie, or porno. Buster Keaton took you on an adventure and every week you wanted to join him. The effects were bad, the acting anything but stellar. Yet it came together as more than it's parts.

7. Futurama. Comedic, animated, and enjoyable. Who says sci-fi can't be funny?

8. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Serious anime, with strong plots and engaging characters. The science is solid, if futuristic. The art is cool. The themes are adult. The plots make more sense than almost anything on television. See it.

9. Star Trek Deep Space 9. Much of the flair and storytelling of the original came back in this series. The Federation stopped being wimps, Kingons got to fight, and aliens were alien. Amazing what a bit of imagination can do.

10. V. The miniseries shocked and amazed everyone. It reminded us that if an alien could get to Earth they likely were superior, since we can't get to them. It's a sci-fi future just seconds away from reality. And it encompassed political issues and human frailties that technology or delusions of granduer cannot conquer.

11. Alien Nation. The most honest depiction of the bias and incoherent fears that exist in the human race (and America) right now. Perhaps only Archie Bunker made it more obvious that we all have a long way to go still.

12. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It's British, bare-bones effects, funny, and completely silly. Another example of how the absurd, mixed with sci-fi, can be widly entertaining.

Other great shows worth mention: The Greatest American Hero, Wild Wild West, Twillight Zone, UFO, The Avengers, X-Files, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Space: 1999, Sliders, Six Million Dollar Man, Quantum Leap, Max Headroom, First Wave, Firefly, Torchwood

Not included for consideration: Cartoons - ie. Jetsons, Starblazers, Battle of the Planets, Code Lyocko, Digimon, ect.; Shows that have nothing to do with science - Get Smart, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, Bewitched, Batman, Dead Like Me, Night Stalker, Airwolf, Highlander, Highlander: The Raven, ect.

Shows to avoid forever: Homeboys in Space, Ark II, Automan, Battlestar Galactica (revision), Star Trek Enterprise, Knight Rider (remake), Logan's Run, Mutant X, Primeval, Roswell, any seaQuest, Swamp Thing

Like the list? Did I miss anything? Let me know.

Push: the television series

There is somethig about sci-fi on television that just makes you wonder. Occassionally you can get great shows like Farscape, Dr. Who, The Invisible Man, the original Battlestar Galactica, even The Six Million Dollar Man and Eureka fall into this category. But more often you get shows like Homeboys in Space (be happy you didn't see it), The Battlestar Galactica remake, Santuary, Demons, the V revisioned series and soon Push.

Push is the failed movie that most in the world never bothered to watch. It was a January 2009 release that can be summed up as a revisioned cross between X-Men and Firestarter. To say that it was a waste of time is to give the film credit.

But in Hollywood, where useless ideas and revisioning of anything someone else did is better than an original idea, a failed movie is exactly what television needs. Thus Push is about to become a television show.

So far there are no entertainers attached to the proposed show. Which is no surprise because I can't imagine who would need the money that badly if they are established. There is also no television network admitting they want the idea, broadcast or cable. My guess is that this will wind up on the SyFy Network, because they have proven they have no clue what good sci-fi is.

The plot is unknown but a couple of conclusions can be made. There will be omnipresent bad guys who are Government agents. There will be a young guy and woman that are being chased by the agents. There will be a huge world of pther people that are equally hiding from agents, mostly criminals, that will want to use the guy and woman as much as the agents do. At the end of each episode the duo will escape and continue to evade everyone, ala Bill Bixby at the end of every episode of The Hulk (the 70's television show which wasn't bad for the time).

Most likely the summation I just made will be more exciting and far easier to understand than the show will be. Because if you start with an inferior base, and then strip out the better qualities, you really get junk unworthy of anything put mindless goo. Which is not what sci-fi is about.

Could I be wrong about Push the television series? Sure, just as I was wrong about Demons (I hoped it would be new and different, but it turned out to be a rehash of Buffy the Vampire Killer). But betting odds are in my favor that this will be closer to the short-lived Mutant X (anthor show trying to score off of the X-Men movie craze) than Star Trek, Andromeda, Farscape, or even Ark II (based on the bad Damnation Alley movie, and something only those around since the 70's will have any clue about).

Dr. Who - End of Time pt2

So having seen the last of the David Tennant Doctor I am filled with loss. Seeing the new Doctor I am equally filled with dread and a sense that Twilight has usurped the TARDIS.

The episode The End of Time Part 2 was a mix of really interesting conclusions to virtually every loose end since the 10th Doctor, and perhaps the worst introduction to the 12th Doctor. While I thought that the way the Master was dealt with was a bit short, it was quite fitting. The return of the Time Lords was even more brief, and so much less satisfying.

It's hard to put it all into simple thoughts. The fact that Wilf was the man knocking, that The Master was so inhumane because he was the victim of an even worse atrocity, it all just fit. It was a bit too pat, too simple.

Ok, let me start over. The concept of a Master that was every person in the world was great. The fact that he wanted to use that planetary army to track down the source of the drumming that plagued his life and drove him insane was a bit of a surprise. Then again, his initial intention was to find the source so he could destroy it was very much in line with his character.

I liked how he was acknowledging his need of the Doctor as much as the Doctor needed him. How there was a symbiotic nature to them both, a destiny that required them both in equal parts.

The thought that the Time Lords were as warped and destructive as the Daleks is quite the twist. That they became cruel and homicidal, in fact even more monsters than the Master himself. It does explain why the Doctor used the "Moment" to destroy both races. It explains why he is so guilty and looking for retribution.

Still, the brief introduction of the Time Lords left me wanting to see more. The fact that they were sent back, possibly with The Master does mean they might be able to get back out again (since he was the key to them getting out in the first place). In fact they were almost useless. Though it was nice to see the Doctor's mother, or at least I think the woman appearing to Wilf was the Doctor's mother.

The way the Doctor traveled to give a final gift to all his companions before he regenerated was sweet. It was touching in much the way that Groundhog Day was funny. And his timing seemed ever so much inspired by that movie.

I was surprised by the marriage of Mickey and Martha Jones. Martha looked great with the braids though. Nice to see Captain Jack Harkness again. Though the 2 scenes seem to confirm that Torchwood is over, but since time is not a factor we can't be sure.

Then came the new Doctor.

I really don't like this kid. He looks odd. He acts juvenile. His actions are just not inspiring. Of Course I am over the age of 15 so I don't think they are trying to play this new Doctor to fans like me.

Looking at the scenes of what is to come I think that a clear move away from the old fans is coming. This is the Doctor for fans of Twilight and pre-teens. It's a Doctor that is geared to the fads of the current times and an insult to those that have followed sci-fi and this series for decades.

I hate to say it, but I think that the series has just gone from the most popular Doctor to the least. At least in terms of any fan that has enough maturity and refined taste to prefer quality. From what we have been shown I am left with the thought of how soon we might see the 13th Doctor.

John Simms and David Tennant have done Dr. Who well. As have all the companions. I will miss the series and their characterizations.

Dr. Who - End of Time pt 1 - thoughts

So having seen the Dr. Who episode End of Time Part 1 I am both filled with questions, and potentially filled with dread. But the episode started off to a pace that was way under par, so my feeling now is surprising.

The fact that the Master is back was great. I really like John Simms as the Master. Plus there was the assurance that The Master cannot die off, just as other standards of Dr. Who - the Daleks as an exaple - should not.

But for all the energy that John Simms brought to the episode, literally, the first 20 minutes or so are just flat. We get to see Donna and her grandfather again. Both we find out are integral to the plot. Just how is the real question.

Throughout the episode I was wondering how the Master will cause the death of the David Tennant. Until it hit me that he won't do it. I think that the grandfather is the one that will do it. Though Donna might be a cause, though that seems remote.

Basically we know, fans of Dr. Who that is, that the next episode will be the first appearance of the 11th Doctor. Which is something I'm not looking forward to. But I think that the sum total of the existence of the 10th Doctor will be revealed as well.

In the next episode I believe that we will find out that the 9th Doctor did not kill all the Time Lords. Like the Daleks, just a few escaped. And they have been waiting, judging the Doctor on what he did and has done since killing almost every Time Lord and Dalek. He will be put on trial, a trial that will sure find him guilty (having breached Time in the Water of Mars episode).

But back to the episode at hand.

Some things in this episode just don't make much sense. Like the Doctor walking into the line of fire of the Master. How could he have been so sure the Master wouldn't just kill him? Especially if he is so ravenously hungry that he is eating people regularly. I mean a Time Lord must contain a whole lot more energy than a human right?

What is that damn drumming the Master hears? Is it the judge of the Time Lords (Timothy Dalton) bringing the Doctor and the Master to trial for their crimes? Is it some fixed point in time that the Master fears understanding (like The Architect of The Matrix Reloaded)?

I liked the fact that EVERY human, except Donna and her grandfather, become the Master but it still doesn't make sense. If the device was to fix or heal an entire planet, how did it overwrite the genetic data of all humans to make Master clones? Are all the clones linked to the original Master - thus they all die if he dies? Will Donna, or her grandfather, sarifice their life to resequece all the Master clones back into regular people?

And what about that line that Torchwood is defunct? I know Captain Jack Harkness went to space for a while, but does that mean the show is done? Will the 11th Doctor ever meet up with Jack in the future, and how might that go? Wouldn't UNIT have rushed in to recover everything they could from Torchwood before someone else got their hands on all that potentially deadly alien stuff?

Obviously all of these issues will not be completely resolved in the next episode. Likely the return of the Time Lords, the Doctor being a renegade again, the death of Donna (she is supposed to burn up now that she has her memories, and possibly the power, back) and the eventual escape of the Master are all things that will be left for the 11th Doctor to figure out and deal with.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed by this episode. All the hype and anticipation of the departure of David Tennant's Doctor and the arrival of the new, geeky, kid (who am not impressed by) created a huge bar to hurdle. This episode did not do it. The next may, but that's a lot of information to cover in 1 episode.

Either way, I am a Doctor Who fan, and I will be watching next week.

Television Review: V - the 2009 series

Well I just finished watching the new V television series on ABC. It does lead one to have several thoughts.

When I watch a sci-fi show, I generally keep an eye out for the 8 critical factors all good sci-fi must have. They are:

Originality

Obey Rules

Writing

Special effects

Plot

Acting

Visuals

Sound

When all of these elements exist and are done well you get Star Wars (episode 4), Star Trek (the original), Blade Runner, and Battlestar Galactica (the original) to name a few frfom movies and television. When they are not, you get Quark - exactly, no one even remembers the show.

The heavily revisioned V loses on originality. But it does ok on sound, visuals, acting and special effects. Just ok, not great or awesome. There is nothing impressive there. (though Morena Baccarin does look good as Anna)

As for obeying the rules, let me clarify. In every sci-fi film or movie, the beginning is critical. In the first 5 - 10 minutes almost every rule of the world or universe being displayed are provided. If there are lasers, if there are superheroes, if a person can control magnetisim or bounce bullets off their chest. The keys to all of what follows are set up immediately, and can only be added on in that context. The Alien vs. Predator movies come to mind as examples of what happens when the rules get broken. You get a crap product.

In this revisioned V series, the rules are still not clear. The aliens have interstellar travel capabilities, look human, are reptillian. They have superior technology and a massive amount of information about Earth. And that's about all we know.

The writing, as well as the plot, is stiff. It all sounds pretty close to right, but not quite. It's almost what you might expect people to say, but not really. Of course that could just be because this is the pilot episode so the creative juices and character development has yet to take place.

The biggest problem I have is with the plot. It jumps all over the place. It skips past vital information. It is obvious in its path and observation. It's slow paced to the point of boredom. It is unengaging, unless you compare it to American Idol - but watching paint dry could be compared in the same way.

Plus there are problems. Lots of them. Some becuase I am old enough to have seen the original, some just intrinsic to this version.

We see that the entire program has been feminized. Which clues us in right from the start that this will be a PC program. Get ready for the political messages as entertainment.

As I guessed all the male characters have major issues. All the women characters assuming all the roles of position and power, which is not a bad thing persay except in the original both sexes had power and position for the good and ill of humanity. It's a subtle message, but a political one all the same.

The men are flawed even when we don't see them. The father and ex-husband of FBI agent Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) has abandoned his kid. He is so insensitive that he doesn't even speak with his child when the world changes.

Agent Evans is the overworked, dedicated, mother/father, of a teen that just wants to rebel. You just have to feel for her troubles, don't you? I didn't.

But they are 2 examples of what the show sets up as the dominant theme. Men are weak, women will save them and the world. Aren't we lucky, because being equals just won't cut it.

But we skip from that to a terrorist cell. A group that increases chatter as everyone else is caught off guard as the aliens arrive. Not that anyone panics with 29 (down from 50 - some places in the world just don't count as much as they did 20 years ago) alien ships in the sky. Not that any of the religious fanatics might go bezerk with this new question directly facing them.

But before we get far we already know that Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut) has a secret. And we are pretty sure that he is a terrorist, likely an alien as well. They telegraphed that punch, like all of them in the show, from about 3 miles out.

Just as fast we get to see that the media is exactly the sleazy ratings whores that many presume them to be. And we get to see that in yet another sex change from the original.

It just does downhill from there. The jewish family from the original - gone as expected. The connection to Nazi's gone. The V itself is now a positive propoganda symbol instead of a resistance sign. The sympathizer boy remains the same though, even as his future love interest is sex changed, and his charcter is combined with the role of the girl that was too dumb to appreciate what she was doing.

I was wrong on one critical thing though. There is diversity in this television show. It doesn't rise to the level of the 1980's but it is better than average for 2009. We have A Black man and A Hispanic woman. We even get to see AN Asian woman. Ocassionally we get to see a few people of color in the background, because this is NYC after all. So I did get that much wrong and I am glad they did get it right (in as weak a version as they did).

Still this show pales in comparision to the original. It has gaps in logic, like if the conspiracy group is so smart, why didn't they check out Nichols? How in the hell did they find this out, and why didn't they spread the word sooner? How do they know ALL the plans of the aliens from day one? Why didn't they have a plan in place for when this happened?

2 things that I did find interesting were:

They slipped in universal healthcare. Except the implication (likely unintended) is that it is a means of gathering sheep that wish to be lead - even to the slaughter.

The fact that those in power can command and pervert the media with such ease. The compromising of Chad Decker (Scott Wolf) seems so much like the way the Obama Administration cuckholded MSNBC. Again I'm sure that was not the intended thought, but there it was.

Overall this television series looks to be worse than I had imagined in my preview. It waters down the sci-fi, and the political grandness of the original, to a meaningless and bland waste of time. It supplants PC themes for plot and motives. It berates and lectures at the audience in a quiet and Hollywood-esque manner.

This show won't make it one season I think. It would have to make dramatic and sweeping changes just to make me watch one more episode. This isn't groundbreaking, sci-fi, or even entertaining. It's the result of of a bunch of Hollywood execs trying to save cash and reusing a great idea in a horrible way.

The only way I can see anyone recommending this program is if the only other option is watching any reality television program, or because your television is stuch on ABC and can't be turned off. Or they were paid a big salary.

Television preview: V (2009)

In yet another in the long line of revisioned entertainment, ABC will be reworking a true classic. V was one of the big mini-series of the 80's. It was a hit, with great writing decent effects and better than average acting. Now it will become likely something far less.

Hollywood has sometime ago abandonded any pretense at trying to create anything new. Movies have rehashed even the least interesting of television shows, and even some of the more obscure comic books. So it is no surprise that television would follow in this trend. At least it's not yet another "reality" program.

V is basically a story of aliens that come to Earth. They appear as good guys, they help us with issues ranging from disease to feeding the world. They do all this just out of the goodness of their hearts. And billions of people, plus their Governments, fall in line to almost worship there aliens. Plus they look just like us!

Then we learn that all is not as shiny and gold as it appears. The aliens have sinister plans. They have the book, How To Serve Man. Thus a small group try to fight to remove the aliens.

How all of this will be played out on ABC today is another question. Likely there will be massive changes. The original had huge references to the growth of the Nazi Party. They hit upon issues like natural resources, freedom, and quality of life. I doubt any of that will be in the revisioned remake.

The first clue to what may happen is the fact that this seems to be planned as a television series. So it will not hold the same punch as the original episodes did. Add to that the fact that many of the main characters have been changed (like the lead becoming a single woman with a child instead of a man and a child). Plus the nature of the media to spin political rhetoric is far more abundant today than then, so be prepared to see a flood of pro-liberal imagery.

Early reviews state

"E! Online rated the pilot episode "on a scale of 1 to 10, we give it an 11. V is the best pilot we've seen in, well, forever." The website Seat42F rated the pilot episode A+, applauding its cast and effects and naming it one of the best pilots in years. USA Today's Robert Bianco named V on his list of the top ten new shows, stating that the remake is well-made and "quickly establishes its own identity."

Pretty good reviews for a remake. Which means either the reviewers are like many watching tv now, and never saw the original or television has gotten so bad that anything above mundane is exceptional. I tend to believe both will be accurate.

The cast will include:

• Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans
• Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols
• Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry
• Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie Stevens
• Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans
• Morena Baccarin as Anna, the leader of the Visitors
• Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, a Visitor
• Scott Wolf as Chad Decker, a reporter

Chestnut and Wolf are probably the best know of the whole cast. So who knows if the acting will be good.

Overall I find revisioned television shows, and movies, to generally be inferior to the originals they copy. Writers generally change the best aspects of the original and destroy the intent. Directors focus on trivial or far less interesting aspects of the original. And it's really bad news when a director, with the writers, decide that they found a way to improve on the original (ie. Dukes of Hazzard, Starsky & Hutch, Battlestar Galactica, ect).

Will V become a sensation? Can it provide the impact and drama that caused the original to be a massive hit? Will even I be interested enough to watch broadcast television again?

Probably not. But the premiere might be worth watching. For those that never saw the original it will likely be fantastic, for those that have boredom may ensue. I'd like to be wrong, but I doubt it. Odds are 3 - 1 that it does not get renewed.

Television Review: Stargate Universe

It was coming and you had to say, 'Not another Stargate show'. It would seem that Stargate has a never ending run on SyFy Channel. But the question has to be, will this be worth watching?

Well having seen the opening episode, the answer is unclear. This is just another in a long string of Stargate spinoffs. But it has elements of something new and better (than the pervious Stargate spinoffs) as well. Not a lot of them, but some.

The show is focused on remnants of a dozen other sci-fi television shows and movies. Like most things from Hollywood these days, this is unoriginal rewriting of what you have already seen.

Obviously there is a huge reference to Stargate SG-1. Add to that a general feeling of the recent revisioning of Battlestar Galactica. A touch of Star Trek, a dash of Lost In Space (the television series and not the movie) too.

The show is focused around a group of people forced to run to an alien ship "several hundred billion light years from Earth". The people are a mix of techs, soldiers, mid-level bureacrats, and miscellaneous others. In total we start with 80 people and are down one before this episode ends.

The reason why they ran to this ship is unimportant. Suffice to say they beamed up to a ship on automatic pilot, that is on a mission of exploration of the Universe. They have no control over what the ship does, other than opening and closing various doors and looking at a schematic. Oh, and asking it for help.

The ship, called Destiny once translated, is 1000's of years old. It has been through a ringer, and as such has various holes in it - mostly bloclked by sealed doors and a force feild. It has air, though its air filtration system is broken after milenia of constant use. And we hit the first snafu in logic as well as the initial problem that must be resolved.

If this thing is as old as they say, and it has been constantly running, with a constant leak, how is there any air left? And how ironic that it is just enough to keep these 80 people alive for just a couple of hours before someone makes the ultimate sacrifice. Which was supposed to be dramatic and pull at your emotions, but winds up being just another plot device that you really don't care about.

But logic is not a big requirement in most sci-fi shows these days. Which is funny as that should be the most important thing in a show of this nature. Setup rules by which viewers can understand how things work in this entertaining fluff, then stick with them. But back to the program itself.

Skip to the characters. This is sort of like Gilligan's Island. We have a professor - who happens to be the morally ambiguous twin of the revisioned Giaus Baltar (Battlestar Galactica). We have a Maryanne - the daughter of a Senator. We have a Gilligan - Eli the kid who won a trip that he was never ready for. We have a Skipper - the Colonel that will run things (actually he is more like Adama from Galactica). The rest have yet to be sorted out yet.

The acting is bland at best. You really don't care about any of these people at any point in the show. You never get a sense of imminent danger or doom. If they all died you wouldn't care, and you know they won't because this is only episode one.

The writing for the show is basic. Even with lots of speeches by the major characters, you never hear anything that grabs you. The lines are by and large forgetable. Which matches the tone and acting.

The scenery is a nice Star Trek-ish warp speed rip off. And you get multiple chances to see that as the show moves along. Beyond that it is basic as well. Big box rooms with some gadgets here and there. It could easily be the extra sets of Galactica, and/or several other sci-fi shows and movies.

This has a lot working against it. But as I watched the program and caught problem after problem, I admit that I kept watching. More than once I was waiting for someone to get killed, usually because they were messing around with some alien device they did not know or wandering somewhere that has a function they don't understand.

The inclusion of Eli (Gilligan) is perhaps the most vital character at this stage. He is the viewers that haven't watched every episode and spinoff of SG-1. And thus he is told various vital items that a viewer at home would love to know. Though he also takes all of this very well considering he just found out about spaceships aliens and being on the other side of the universe in about 48 hours.

I suppose that is one of the reasons I kept watching. To see what Eli would do next. That and waiting for Baltar.. excuse me, the proferssor - Dr. Rush - to screw over everyone in the pursuit of exploration and science.

There are 2 seperate love stories in the series. There is a bunch of political and leadership issues. There are a surprising number of women, and a bit of diversity in the cast. So most general factors are covered.

Basically I think this show needs to pick up on everything by episode 3 or they will lose whomever is left after this preimere. The slow pacing, the copied characters, the overall blandness and boring acting just aren't enough to capture viewers.

Battlestar Galactica has ended

Well at least the Sci-Fi Channel (or now more accurately SyFy) revisioned version has ended. And I can’t say that I’m not happy about that.

Honestly I did not like the series. It’s not Battlestar Galactica. Some of the core elements were there, like the look of the ship and the names of some of the characters, but the heart of it was some other sci-fi show. Had they completely changed the name I might have even liked it. Though I doubt it.

Yes, I’m one of those guys that couldn’t get over the fact that the show wrecked the characters. From taking leading characters and changing their race to changing their sex, the show was about putting a new idea in an old shell. Which I dislike.

But on occasion, when I was really bored I watched an episode or 2. Mostly I watched to see one thing. The relationship between Baltar and Six. That’s it. To me they were the most interesting characters in the whole show. Everyone else was just mostly a waste of time.

So in seeing that Baltar was a messed up kid that resented his father and his past, and yet came full circle to become exactly that was interesting. To see that Six and Baltar ultimately were to be together, because they deeply love each other was a welcome end to their story arcs.

I do have to say I find it interesting that most of the surviving people were all in Africa, yet not one of them are Black. Funny how that works out.

And Kara Thrace is a ghost, or angel, or some other wacky unexplained thing. I can enjoy that since I couldn’t buy her character as Starbuck or anything else and she is gone.

It’s funny to see the series end in the way it did. I mean the very last scenes. Where the internal head Six and Baltar, rip-offs of Harvey (as in Farscape), turn out to be weak versions of The Architect and Oracle (Matrix). With a bit of quasi-religious meaning thrown in. I found it especially humorous that the Six was taking the Oracle route in proclaiming that it won’t be an endless cycle, that it will change and essentially,

“Everything that has a beginning has an end.”

Preachy and a rip-off. But that is the nature of the show. Maybe if I could have been sucked into the show I would think otherwise, but I wasn’t. I’m sure fans will have lots to say about all the characters and meanings of it all. I’m just stuck with the plot-holes and copying of other, far better, sci-fi work.

Of course it all won’t end here. This is the SyFy Channel after all. There are going to be spin-offs and other takes on the story forever. Kind of like the way that Stargate will never end. Talk about repeating forever.

Maybe the Caprica series will be good. I doubt it from what I have heard. But at least that will be a fresh start. It may be a spin-off but at least it’s not a revisioning.

At least Eureka still looks to be going forward. So far.

NBC tries a touch of honesty with SyFy Channel

Somewhere around 16 years ago there was a buzz on the internet. People were excited about a new cable network. Finally there would be some respect and attention paid to the tens of millions of fans (in just the U.S.) of science fiction. It was called the Sci-Fi channel.

That anticipation quickly became boredom and apathy as the line up of the channel was far from what most expected. Much of the original line-up of shows were unintelligent, unimaginative and low-budget at best. Still an early hit for the channel was the Lexx series. So they held on.

The channel went on to create another growing success called The Invisible Man, with a new and unique take on the original movie concept. Still a low-budget enterprise, it too had a following, until they dropped it suddenly. First Wave also had a following. In fact I think at the time First Wave was the biggest hit the Channel had. The addition of Traci Lords didn’t hurt ratings either.

Through this entire time the management of Sci-Fi was in a battle. They knew they needed something to generate some buzz. They needed something new and fresh. They needed to make an impact with the fanbase responsible to comic book, Star Wars, and other conventions. The fans of science fiction were diverse, intelligent, and remarkably more inclined to spend money in the genre than just about any other. Yet they had no idea what sci-fi was, let alone good science fiction. But they did get lucky.

Thus came Farscape. A series that literally put Sci-Fi on the map. They grew their viewers and raised money for advertising. They were able to cross-promote other programs on the network that before never had notice. In fact the channel gained so much attention that they were bought by NBC.

Which brought the company solidly back into the realm of brain-dead, poll oriented, lowest common denominator programming. And one of the first blows in getting to a level where fans of watching grass grow could be on par with people that prefer the X-men, Terminator, Star Trek, and the X-files was the removal of Farscape. Because the management didn’t get it, and thought they were smarter than the core audience.

Thus began the now endless rotation of retreads, rip-offs, and anything but science fiction at the Sci-Fi channel.

Since that time the channel has brought on the over extended Stargate SG-1 series. A show that previously failed at 2 other networks. But it was the best and only sci-fi show they had – that they could wrap their small brains around. And that show created a spin off that no one I know has seen. And that will spin-off yet another show. Essentially the same show, just different locations and actors. How innovative.

But to fill the rest of the time slots, the NBC executives that were at their best with comedy shows based on nothing (Seinfeld) or delusions (Friends), decided to go with shows based on interpreting dreams, a scam artist that speaks with dead people, guys that moonlight as ghost hunters in rigged scenarios, a bad rip-off of Candid Camera, a reality contest based on video games, wrestling, and an unlimited supply of made-for-tv movies that are blatant copies of good/bad theatrical movies [ie. Alien Apocalypse was the horrendous copy of the new Planet of the Apes and Independance Day - a mix that did not work yet Sci-Fi called it their highest rated movie ever]. The alternative to a poorly scripted copy of a movie is the giant animal film (usually snakes, sometimes spiders) or nature-gone-wild films (a trip to the 1970’s, just done worse).

Suffice to say they accomplished one thing. They abandoned the core science fiction audience, with the exception of Eureka (which is original and decent) and Battlestar Galactica (an abysmal rendering of someone’s Cliff Notes version of the original popular series).

The final nail in the coffin is the news that Sci-Fi Channel will now be changing their name. It’s about time. They long ago stopped giving a crap about the purpose of the channel in favor of just another broadcast television channel on cable. They have some of the least intelligent, worst acted, rushed productions on television today. There is no cohesive theme to the channel. But they damn well reached the bottom of the barrel in terms of lowest common denominator.

So I’m happy to say that the channel will get a new name. Sadly it sounds the same as the old name, just spelled different. SyFy. I’m not sure who this is supposed to fool, or what they hope to inspire. But I’m not in the lowest denominator category so I’m sure it’s not meant to get my attention.

If I were them I’d call the channel – BDOA (Brain-dead On Arrival), or CPH (Couch Potatoe Heaven). Maybe the last one could have the slogan – “no need to think or act”.

So now the search will go on. One day there may be a channel among the over 500 that actually gets sci-fi fans. Maybe it will respect the intelligence of the fans. Maybe it will reward their support by keeping its word and programming that actually has something to do with its theme. We’ve gotten a glimpse of what that channel could be, so maybe one day.

At least NBC has stopped lying to the public and themselves and changed the name. Now if they could just go away altogether I’d be happy.

The greatest television show ever

Now on the other side of the television world is the #4 greatest cult television show ever. It also happens to be my personal pick as the best frelling show ever. Yes, it’s Farscape.

I love this show. It was funny, smart, romantic, outrageous, daring, serious and sci-fi. Often all in the same episode. There really is no program I can name that it can be compared to, nor is its equal. Of course I’m a full on fan. And yes I know the show was cancelled a while ago so don’t get your mivonks twisted.

Still, the best program to ever be on the Sci-Fi Channel (which I still dislike overall) is a hardy beast. Kind of like a frellin’ dentic. Don’t ask and never fry one up.



Don’t be dismayed at the fact that the writer’s strike delayed the webisodes. They are still on track to air this year. And I advise all the fans to check it out. We can get this television show back on the air.

The only thing that upsets me, is the fact that the show will still be tied to the Sci-Fi Channel. You know, the people that ignored some 2 million emails, phone calls, and letters demanding the network live up to their promise to the viewers that keep it alive. A bunch of fahrbot drannits. The management of that network is the biggest bunch of liars this side of D.C. – in my humble opinion.

Now here is some news that may entice old fans. The webisodes are said to contain scenes with D’Argo Sun-Crichton. I have to believe that that kid is going to be quite the bad ass. Imagine walking into a bar and chatting up a woman (or female of whatever species) and mentioning that you are the son of the guy who started and ended the war between the Scarran and Peacekeeper Empires. Add to that that your uncle is the dominar of 600 billion Hynerians. I think she might be impressed.

Of course that same kid would have quite a few old enemies of his father (Human), mother (Sebacean), uncles (Luxan, Hynerian, and Stykeran/Banik) and aunts (Delvian and Nebari), hunting him for revenge. Which combined might equal about a galaxy or so. Then again his back up includes his half-sister who rules an empire of her own. What a family.

If none of this makes sense, don’t worry. You’ll hear all about it once the webisodes, and hopefully the television show itself, hits the internet. But if you want to really know more, and you should unless you are a tralk, you can check out this nifty resource that I found.

FARSCAPE ENCYCLOPEDIA PROJECT

As for me I just want a copy of the RPG game to bide me over til the webisodes start.

Who to be Dr. Who?

Now that we know David Tennant will be regenerating into another Doctor at the end of 2009, the big question is who will become the new Dr. Who?

We can be sure of one thing, the actor will be British. So that narrows the field slightly. Going beyond that I feel pretty secure in also stating that the Doctor will be a man – though I’d put the chance of it being a woman at 1%. If such a thing were to happen it would end the series. Not because an actress is not capable, but because of the incredible lore that has been created up to this date.

So the Doctor will be a man, British, not ugly, about 30 – 35. The actor will have to be able to give credibility to being 900 some odd years old, wise, stupendously smart, a loner, and more than likely straight. These are all things we can be sure of as things the Doctor must convey.

Well here are some of the favorites from England via the Telegraph

David Morrissey - not a shot in the world. While the Doctor does not need, and often shouldn’t be famous (internationally at least) he does need a flair about him. I just don’t see the flair here. Plus he looks to effeminate (though initially the same might have been said about Tennant).

Robert Carlyle - a far better choice. I recall him in the movie Formula 51, with Samuel Jackson. Not the best movie but he does have a fun and vibrant style to him. He’s energetic and moderately charismatic. And he displays more than just a bit of darkness in him. A definite bonus in being the Doctor. Definitely in the running, in my opinion.

Patterson Joseph - a bold choice. Nothing says that the Doctor can’t be Black. It would definitely be a first, and ground breaking. Considering it’s the 21st century it’s not a terrible choice. And it opens up a host of new storylines that have yet to be covered. New ground is always interesting. Sadly, I don’t think the BBC is that strong willed though. Odds out, but worth a bet.

Catherine Tate - did I just mention the odds of a woman? Won’t happen. Again, not because of her talent. It just doesn’t fit the lore that has been created. Though it really throws up questions about what a Time Lord is, and about the children of the Doctor. But then again, she is human.

Rhys Ifans - Americans will recognize this guy as the field goal kicker in the movie The Replacements. I put him on the same level as Morrissey. He just doesn’t have the look. Not that there haven’t been lanky Doctors, but this guy just looks like he’d drop the first time a Dalek landed near him.

John Simm - hello! Well the British are known for being quirky, and having an unusual humor. I can’t see this. He was the Master after all. Does that mean that all Time Lords could have (or did) look exactly the same, just rotating through the different bodies at different times? I don’t buy it. Simm is a great choice, and had he not already been a Time Lord I’d think he could pull off the Doctor. But some changes are too bizarre even in the Doctor’s universe.

Though there is the possibility that the Master planned for the escape of the Doctor in Last of the Time Lords and did not die as he appeared to. He might have been the woman/wife that accompanied him (or at least his mind was) and thus escaped death and is now a woman. That might allow the Doctor to take his form – as a tribute to the only other Time Lord to survive the last great Time War. But I admit this is reaching a bit.

But if The Master can be The Doctor, then so can an American. And since this is impossible, I would love to see Robert Downey Jr. be the Doctor. He can be dark, does drama exceptionally well, isn’t bad at comedy, does accents better than average, and has the looks. And he’s done scifi well enough to have a blockbuster international hit. He’s just not British, nor available.

Another impossible choice would be Jamie Foxx. Ok, stop laughing. Yes I know Foxx is best known for more comedic roles. But as the up-coming The Soloist (with Downey) is yet another film in a string of far more dramatic and powerful roles for this talented actor. He has the bonus of being Black and thus the same new storylines as Joseph. So he can hit a balance on several levels. I don’t think he can do accents though. And again he is unavailable.

But for an American choice that is available, though still impossible I call on Terrence Howard. Having just been ejected from the Iron Man 2 movie he has time to fill. He can do a range of roles, though I don’t recall outright comedic ones. He has great looks – women will love him on the television every week. He also can fulfill the Joseph storylines. And he too has done scifi to exuberant levels (also with Downey).

So my 3 American choices won’t happen, without a Paradox Machine if you have one handy, so I have to say that of the above choices it will likely be Robert Carlyle. The BBC is just not bold enough for it to be any other choice, and Carlyle isn’t bad in any consideration anyway.

Copies and cop-outs on terlevision

I was speaking with a couple of friends today and I noticed 2 television commercials. The commercials were very different, dealing with separate networks and programs, but they had one thing in common. They both exemplified the fact that Hollywood is completely and utterly devoid of any ideas. It reminds me that the fact that there was a strike by screenwriters was utterly pointless, as they don’t deserve to be paid to rewrite ideas already created by someone else (and done better).

The first commercial is for the show Life on Mars. Now this is a good show. It’s unique and catches your attention. A cop may or may not be transported back to 1973 for a purpose that he is not sure of, but someone or something does. He has to learn the purpose in order to make it back to our time. The catch is the fact that the cop is in a coma in our time. So is it real or not?

Sound interesting? It should be. The show was a hit on the BBC a couple of years ago. If you want to know what will happen in the series just check here. The show is only 2 season long, but since broadcast television is enslaved by reality TV anything that has any intelligence is a welcome change. If you don’t get the BBC, I can tell you that the show is very good.

The American version will likely change the slang, and some of the situations. Expect a different take on racism, sexism, and the drug culture from England. But other than that, much like the Office and Coupling, this will likely be a virtual word for word copy. Invariably the British version is better.

The other commercial is for the new show on the Sci-Fi channel. Actually 2 as I have just seen. Chase and Estate of Panic. Both of these reality network rejects have nothing to do with science, though it’s full of fiction.

Since the Sci-fi channel was bought there has yet to be any original thoughts beyond Eureka! The channel is a waste of brain cells. They remake the oldest and worst science fiction movies and call them original. They thrive on the concept of the giant animal movie, ala 1950’s b-movies. They have covered every angle of nature gone mad films from the 1970’s, twice. It the execs on this channel had any original thoughts they would be dangerous.

Chase is just what it sounds like. A bunch of people run around a set while a bunch of people dress as Agents from the Matrix movies tries to catch them. The last one gets money. Even people who drive only with left turns, and those that watch them, will be bored to tears in the middle of the first episode. I hate to say it but American Idol (also a British transplant) is filled with more entertainment.

Estate of Panic is basically a remake of Fear Factor in a house. You go through rooms with challenges set to freak out the player and those watching. Hidden in the rooms is money. The more you collect the more you keep. If you freak out too much you can get out, but you lose the cash.

Now does any of this sound remotely like science fiction? The channel would be better off showing reruns of the Buster Keaton Flash Gordon series. The only real question I have is when will this channel completely fail so someone else can buy the name and get something even moderately bad, but in the genre, on the air.

And the real joy is that in January there will be 500 channels because of the forced move to HD television. That means even more opportunities to see this swill that is supposed to be entertainment. If these are the best that television can come up with I suggest reading a dictionary.

Eureka! murders main character and love is in the air

Well when Eureka! says they will be removing a main character of the show they really don’t lie.

Long-time readers know that I am a major sci-fi fan. That does not normally translate into any desire to watch the D-grade revisioned 1950’s monster movies (or 1970’s natural disaster, or recent and far infereior remakes of current scifi flop movies) that populate the Sci-Fi channel; when it’s not pushing non-science fiction programs like wrestling or Scare Tactics. My dislike of the channel reached a peak after they abruptly ended the Farscape series, and lied to the public about the whole thing. No I still haven’t forgotten what they did.

But 3 seasons ago I gave the channel a chance with a new show called Eureka! I’ve written a bit about it, and I recommend the show. It’s humorous, not to techy, nor geeky – those those elements play into the program strongly.

Now in the beginning of season 2 they really too fans on a loop. In an almost J.R. Ewing-esque episode we got to see a future Eureka that had life going almost idealicly for most of the main characters. In fact Sheriff Carter and Dr. Blake expecting a child, Henry doing well with his love interest Kim, Zoey graduating valedictorian, Deputy Lupo romantically involved with Matt Frewer’s scientist of nature character (I can’t recall his name), and Dr. Blake’s son cured of his connection with the Entity and his autism.

By the end of that episode all the characters were reverted to a much different world, where almost all of those eventualities were impossible, and only Henry was left with a memory of it. Thus the drama of the 2nd season.

But one major loophole was the fact that the relationship between Dr. Blake and Sherrif Carter was never resolved. Tonight they started that resolution.

**spoilers will result if you read further**

Not only did this episode take care of the impending marriage of Dr. Stark it opened the door for Carter. It introduced another new character to the series, ‘Stretch’ the sister of Carter. And it deepened the mystery of what the new overseer, whatever the her name is (I’ll call her the shark til I remember).

Done in a style reminiscent of Groundhog Day, Carter is reliving the same 10 hours of Dr. Blake and Stark's wedding day. Except he remembers each loop, and as the days advance he is injured by the restart. And he has to go through the anguish of watching Dr. Blake marry Stark several times. Each time the day restarts right after Henry mentions that ‘love is eternal, and if anyone has an objection speak now or forever hold your tongue' while looking over at Carter.

It’s pretty funny watching Carter trying to convince everyone that time is looping, and knowing their reactions before they even speak at points. The best part is when he decides to give Dr. Blake a kiss to see if that would fix things (on the basis of his sister’s suggestion). It didn’t, but it did provide a nice insight to the fact she has been conflicted about the marriage for several episodes and has deep feelings for Carter.

The source of this is a guy in GD running his own experiment with light and time. Again. But in trying to fix the problem takes 2 lives. The time management scientist and Stark.

Stark, convinced in a different loop by Carter singing a memorized scientific theorem, is working on a fix before the next restart as it would result in the death of everyone. At the critical moment, an automatated piece breaks down requiring a person to set of the device to fix the timeline. Sheriff Carter volunteers, but has insufficient knowledge to run the device. Fargo, who had been working with Stark and was the only other person aware of the full ramifications, volunteered. Stark compliments him for his self-less guesture and then takes the critical role.

Just before the device gets triggered he asks Carter, by first name which he has never called him, to take care of Allison (Dr. Blake) for him because she will need it. Obviously he knows that fixed or not he won’t be around to brag, get married, or anything.

And when he does fade away in a mass of photons and gas he has the usual smarmy look on his face that is his penchant.

Carter then proceeds to the wedding grounds (for the 4th or 5th time) and this time the loop has been closed. He walks up to Allison and as she realizes the seriousness of the situation lays down crying, with him beside her.

Most series would only permanently kill off a character if there was some kind of major issue on the set or a pay conflict. Neither were rumored that I am aware of. So this may not be as permanent a death as it seems. Eureka is the home of the most brilliant minds after all, and several people have been brought back from apparent death before.

What might be most interesting is if the relationship between Carter and Dr. Blake grows as it had in the alternate future, and then Stark reappears to drive Carter nuts. That would be just like Stark too.

Overall it was a good, touching and at a couple of points funny episode. The series has matured well, and other than the inclusion of Zane (the new love interest of Deputy Lupo I don’t like) all the characters work well together.

But I wonder what the device is in the field, giving off all the odd radiation, in the shape of an O.G.R.E. (if you are familiar with Steve Jackson Games G.E.V. you will be familiar with that) and was responsible for an explosion like a nuclear bomb? My guess is that it is an O.G.R.E. – mach 1 – and the shark is trying to dig it up to try to use it’s circuitry for a business advantage. To bad it still is functional and has it’s own mind on what it wants to do.

Just my guess.

Movie Preview: The Day The Earth Stood Still

Expect to hear a bunch of hype in the near future because Keanu Reeves is about to have another film come out. Much like the Matrix series, this film will also be a sci-fi film. But this time the film will be far less difficult for some to follow. That’s because Keanu Reeves has jumped onto the ‘revisioned’ bandwagon.

As I’ve said in the past, I have no love for revisioned movies or television shows. They are virtually all inevitably horrendous films, and most flop as badly as their warped re-telling of the stories are far from the mark. Unless you were a fan of Dukes of Hazzard, Starsky & Hutch, the first Hulk movie, or any number of other complete foul-ups. Of course Hollywood seems not to care because they keep rolling out these screwed up remakes, en masse. I suppose the money brought in by these abysmal Cliffnotes version of good ideas is enough to cover the cost of making the movies – obviously they are saving tons of cash on writers.

In this case the remake is of the classic film The Day The Earth Stood Still. A great film from 1951. Black & White, low end special effects (especially by today’s standards), but well acted and a better than average storyline.



The new film will likely lose all the nuance, and subtle political message of the original film. In fact I expect the film will make a political point like using a sledgehammer to open a sunflower seed.



What I can say is that they stole the image of the black globe of death from AKIRA. And I note that they are going for the PC-friendly idea in the son being of (presumably) mixed race. And there is the benefit of appealing to women with the hint of the line

“If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives.”

Such a hokey line and idea never was in the first film, but I’m sure it will garner positive reviews from women’s groups because she is so important to the world.

Of course between now and December 12th further movie video clips will be released, and it’s possible that the connecting parts of the film will justify the line, and might even make it worthwhile. But from this video trailer I have to say that I’m not excited by Keanu’s Agent Smith-like acting or the apparent storyline. But we will see.

Prepare for Doomsday - 3.2.2008.1

So what do you do if you are in Hollywood, you don’t have a remake available, no ‘revisioned’ classic television shows on the table, and nary a comic book (even an unpopular one) in site? You make up a movie with bits of other films, no name actors, and a low budget.

That is how I would describe the previews of Doomsday. A bit of several good money-making clips with a pro-feminist twist for good measure. I mean the while thing reminds me of 5 sci-fi films (not counting low budget films). Those movies are Escape from New York, 28 Days Later, Mad Max, Transporter (ok, not a sci-fi but action), and Alien.

From what I can tell we start with 28 Days Later, because some virus is released killing a good part of the world, or threatens to. A last bastion of humanity is secluded in a walled off city (Day of the Dead/Aeon Flux/Waterworld/Resident Evil). Out in the badlands surrounding the city is a crazy chaotic new society of (probably) post-apocalyptic mutants/survivors. So an adventurer/loner that travels the wasteland (Mad Max) is given a mission because a cure was identified and lost or otherwise unattainable. The Loner/adventurer needs to get whatever it is and bring it back. The loner has a souped up vehicle (Transporter/Knight Rider/Ghost Rider) to help do this. Of course the Item is held in the stronghold of the mutant/survivors (Escape from New York) that have their own barbaric society based on brutality. I’m sure they throw a timeframe ticking away too.

Oh. Where does Alien come in? Like in that movie we have a heroine, because that sells really well these days.

Seriously, this all does not bode well for the film. Besides being formulaic, when was the last time you saw a film that blatantly stole ideas from better films well? Excluding, in fact, including spoofs. The low budget aspect virtually ensures that the below-the-line costs of the film were spent on the special effects. Probably a good bit of the above-the-line too.

So the net of it all is what? A less than entertaining mash-up of ideas done better previously. My suggestion is to skip spending the $20 or so per person to see this in the theater. Wait 6 months and get the DVD for $10 - 15 and watch it on a rainy/snowy night when the car is busted.

Could I be wrong? Sure, but the odds of this being good are about the same as television suddenly realizing the world is made up of more than just White people. I’d sooner bet on Britney Spears making a comeback and/or being named mother of the year than this movie being a hit. The only real positive for it is that the female lead is good looking, and there isn’t another action or sci-fi film out to compete with it. [Jumper is so bad as to not count.]

If you are masochistic enough to see this film in theaters, do let me know how close I’ve come.

Previews of 2008 films - 11.30.2007.1

Recently I was in the movies watching the Hitman movie and of course before the film there were several trailers. One of the trailers was for the new Will Smith film I Am Legend. I think that will be a good remake, this is the 4th reiteration of the film. I’ve spoken about this film before.

But there were 2 other trailers that also caught my attention. Both have A-list stars in them, and in each one of those stars is also African American. Both are Sci-fi films, and as longtime readers know I love comic books, video games and scifi. (Yes I’m a bit of a geek) But the big differences in the 2 films are the date they will be coming out and the quality of the films. One will bomb almost assuredly, the other should do well as long as it’s not up against Iron Man.

I’ll start with the worst and go to the best.

Jumper is trash. Not only did I get that impression from the trailer, but it is confirmed when the trailer states the movie will be out in mid-February. The worst of films almost always start off the year and appear between the middle of January thru February. It’s a dead time, with only a slight break for romance movies targeting the Valentine’s Day holiday. But romance movies don’t bring in the money.

This film has several fatal flaws. They are so big even Mr. Samuel Jackson can’t save the film with his presence. The big problem? They went for CGI heavy effects and forgot about the plot, and you can’t blame this on the writers strike. As you can see in the clip, the main character is a X-men-esque type with the power to jump from anyplace in the world to any other. Ok. Anything he holds onto goes with him. OK. So when he jumps to some other place in the world how can a rope catch him half a world away and pull him back? The rope was after the fact, and once it went through shouldn’t Mr. Jackson be pulled to the kid? Sci-fi films that rip off good ideas for quick bucks on a gimmick tend to fail. So will this I bet. See for yourself.



On the other end of the spectrum we have a more action based film with sci fi elements. WANTED looks to do quite well. It has Mr. Morgan Freeman (as a headmaster assassin – a bit different if he really is a bad guy), and the lovely Mrs. Angelina Jolie. It a movie about top assassins, so good that the laws of physics fail. [Yes a Matrix rip off, but it looks like they paid for a plot too] Our everyday guy, turned super killer looks plain vanilla enough. The chance for massive gunfights with really hi-tech guns seems excellent. And Mrs. Jolie looks great in those outfits.



Neither film will win an Oscar, granted. But my money says that WANTED is a winner, and Jumper will only look like a strong film when compared to Redacted or Lions for Lambs (the theme of both I hate, and happy to see them burning up in red tape).

Well you know what I think, what do you think of them. Which does better? And I still say Iron Man is the early leader for best blockbuster, and overall best film, of the year 2008.

Sanaa Lathan and the other side of interracial dating

I was caught between a couple of items today, the ratings on several network broadcast and cable television programs, when I noticed something a bit more enticing. It wasn’t the fact that Mr. George Clooney has done so well in the Oscars race this year. A far less glamorized movie that will be coming out shortly - Something New.

When I first noticed anything about this movie, it was that it was a love story. Being a fan of sci-fi and action films, and more than occasionally watching what friends call ‘high intellect’ films, love stories don’t usually hit my radar. Not that there is anything wrong with them. And I don’t mean to imply they are ‘chick flicks’ and I’m too manly to see them. It’s just not my thing.

This film does have an interesting twist on the theme though. The couple is an interracial one. Even more interesting is that the woman is a Black African American and the man is White. In its own way I think this film is similar in cultural impact to Guess Who’s Coming Home to Dinner, except this time it’s the Black culture that gets the surprise.

It’s not a new thing, interracial couples have been around a long time. They are socially accepted moreso now than ever before, I think the late 70's and early 80's was the turning point in the nation. The portrayal of a Black African American woman in an interracial couple is different though. Black women have long been the champions of the call to ‘Keep it black’ and ‘Stay true to your people’ in my experience. [I have known many women who believe the above strongly. I have seen some lash out at a white girlfriend of a black male, just because she was with him and he had never dated the woman. I have even had a woman I dated breakup with me due to the fact that I had dated ‘outside the race barrier’. I find both actions incredibly stupid and repulsive.] Much of the return to Africa and re-embracement of traditional African culture, has been lead by black women at least on a community basis as I have seen.

Yet as Ms. Sanaa Lathan states “...about 42.4 percent of black women in America aren't married. Black women are shooting up the corporate ladder way faster than our black male counterparts. And (black men) are either dating outside their race, in jail or dying...” [By the way my poem I rejoice in me may give you an idea of how I feel about my place in American society] The surprise is still there as, in my experience, Black African American women more than any other group including Hispanic women have stated (some shouted) they will stand by their Black African American man. Quite the diametric I think.

It will be very interesting to see how this movie does, especially in cities with high ‘minority’ populations. It is well known that many Black African American actors will not do movies or scenes that have a White female as a love interest or sexual partner. At least its well known in the communities I’ve been in. Mr. Denzel Washington has never done so nor several other prominent Black actors. The fear is alienating the Black female audience. Alienate them and watch movie sales along with star power disappear. Even Mr. Wesley Snipes has felt the backlash, I believe, if not in moviegoers definitely in the black media.

The big question though is why is this such a big deal? Interracial dating, in a movie or in real life, should not be such a question. Or am I mistaken. Does it matter what color your mate is, since the only person it should hold importance to is you and your mate. Obviously to racists it make quite the difference, but what about everyone else? I wouldn’t call Black women racist for having a belief in having a strong black family, just as I wouldn’t say that about a white female. But where is the line, if it exists at all, that crosses to the extreme. [My personal examples above seem well beyond that point but others may disagree.]

So I find that while I still will not go to see this movie, it's still a love story and they have no interest to me, I will probably watch a couple of minutes when it on DVD or regular cable among friends and/or family just to see how everyone reacts. If nothing else I find that the premise is timely, and culturally dynamic.

This is what I think, what do you think?