Rory McClan who plays the murderous and fire scarred Hound on Game of Thrones had a bit part as Micheal Armstrong in the 2007 action comedy Hot Fuzz.
Is it hard to believe that McClan once played such a docile and loveable character? Yarp. Arguably one of my favorite films of the last decade Hot Fuzz has such a tremendous supporting cast it does not surprise me at all that I have gone this long not connecting the dots.
Credit: [mentalFloss] via [Fark]
I’ll be honest, it has been a long time since I’ve regularly watched original programming on the SyFy Channel. After Battlestar Galactica ended its run back in 2009 there really hasn’t been much original programming to pique my interest. Remember back when it was actually the SciFi Channel and they had the vastly underrated Farscape and how great a time that was to be a fan of the genre? I’m starting to get that feeling again with every trailer I see for their new series Defiance.
io9 has seen the first three episodes of Defiance and the review is generally positive saying:
On a Syfy scale of Battlestar Galactica to Piranhaconda, Defiance is in the upper middle. It’s got heaps of promise and an amazing cast … It’s got a lot of heart and so far is a lot of fun.
Terraforming. Hot Alien Chicks. Main Character With Permanent Five O’Clock Stubble. Post Apocalyptic. It is as if the creators of Defiance made a keyword search through my science fiction wishlist. Get your DVRs or torrent clients ready because Defiance premieres April 15th at 9pm on SyFy.
Last week I finally had a chance to watch the entirety of Battlestar Galactica Blood & Chrome. As soon as the opening credits rolled I forgot how much I missed having Battlestar Galactica in my life after a four year hiatus (and yes I’m completely ignoring Caprica). The road for Blood & Chrome has been a long and winding one, it was set up as a two-hour series pilot for SyFy back in 2010 only to be shifted to a digital series and shelved for nearly two years. Last fall it was broken up into 10-part web series on Machinima, and finally broadcast as a full movie on SyFy a couple of weeks back.
Being the long time fan that I am, I waited for the SyFy broadcast because I wanted to enjoy Blood & Chrome on my home theater. And after getting that two hours of Battlestar bliss into my system I came away with the gnawing feeling that this is it for Ronald D. Moore’s vision of Battlestar Galactica. While the tone may have been right, I didn’t feel as though Blood & Chrome added anything significant to the mythos. While we got a glimpse of the First Cylon War and the beginnings of William Adama’s career in the Colonial Fleet; in the end all Blood & Chrome was really just a tease of a greater story that will go untold.
And along those lines, there was never a time where I felt that if Blood & Chrome was well received and did well enough through its three separate outlets: digital, broadcast, and Bluray/DVD that the powers that be at SyFy would be willing to green light a full season (or additional installments). There was a period of time where the original Battlestar Galactica was costing $1.5-2 million an episode. In today’s climate there are very few outlets that bankroll those kind of productions and for the most part they are on premium cable.
In the end, Blood & Chrome satiated my hunger for new Battlestar Galactica and made me want to start a fresh run through the original series on DVD. Overall the reception for the most part seems to be lukewarm; as fans are singing its praises while others seem appreciative of the effort but realize ultimately that this is the end.
Official DDOY Rating: I highly recommended this for ardent Battlestar Galactica fans looking for a little bit extra from one of the great modern science fiction series. Also fans of Caprica Six should be pleased in the final act as there is a subtle nod to everyone’s favorite skinjob.
Last year, an announcement came out of nowhere that there would be a reboot of the 1980s live action/CGI hybrid show Captain Power and the Soldiers of The Future. Not much was known, other than the new title Phoenix Rising and that the original creative team was on board.
Recently, some pictures from the Phoenix Rising writing room hit Twitter courtesy of Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens. Not only do they cleverly show off some concept art, but confirmed that development on a new action figures line has begun.
Image via @ReevesStevens
As someone who proudly carried a Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future lunchbox to school, I’m very excited to see how this new take on the franchise will play out.
via Toyark
This week’s assignment for the League was pretty straightforward, the topic was “cowboys” and I’m pretty sure that I’ve taken a pretty circuitous route this time around.
As a child of the 1980s, I spent an inordinate amount of time watching these long from toy commercials that were often referred to as “cartoons”. One such program was SilverHawks a Rankin/Bass production that shared a lot of creative forces behind Thundercats and the criminally short-lived TigerSharks (I’m thinking there’s a pattern there).
Yes, Col. Bluegrass (voiced by Larry Kenney of Lion-O fame) didn’t have the abilities of his fellow SilverHawks, but he utilized his epic guitar skills to do … stuff. I’m not really sure what exactly this cowboy is doing in space, but it didn’t stop me from watching every single weekend.
Here’s a fun and embarrassing bit of trivia. When I was about 3 1/2 years old my dad took me to see Thundercats LIVE! at the Philadelphia Civic Center. It was some kind of ridiculous variety show that somehow had the Thundercats interacting with Gumby & Pokey, the SilverHawks, and a smattering of forgettable characters. It took some digging, but I actually found an archived article from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated September 25, 1987 in which a professional reporter was tasked to REVIEW a kid’s traveling variety show.
And From Elsewhere Around the League ….
I hate to admit it, but after five episodes, I’m all in for NBC’s post-apocalyptic drama Revolution. It’s a watered down version of the genre, with a few parts Hunger Games with a little bit of Jericho (I miss that show) and a dash of Jeremiah for good measure. Each week there are parts that make little sense, but I’m just going to suspend disbelief and logic for an hour every Monday night.
In this past week’s episode “Soul Train” we learn that it took 15 years to get a steam locomotive going. I have no argument with the timeline, for at least the first five years you would be busy fighting off marauding bands of cannibals and ne’er do wells. But wouldn’t we see a proliferation of steam powered devices?
However, when my mind starts to wander I snap my attention back to the screen and ogle lead actress Tracy Spirikados ….
Image via [GQ]
Courtesy of Screen Rant comes the official cast photo for The Walking Dead’s third season. Noticeable additions are Michonne (complete with samurai sword and zombie walker pets) and the Governor. The second half of season two picked up considerably, and I’m very much looking forward to the prison, the town of Woodbury, and especially Michonne. [via Screen Rant]
According to The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, the mid-season finale has wrapped and he tweeted a picture from the set.
Many blame the disjointed start of season two to the departure of series creator/show runner Frank Darabont, who got into a rather public feud with the executives at AMC over funding and other creative decisions.
Apparently the 90-minute season premiere was actually put together from two completely different hour long episodes, one of which had an entirely different opening than what actually aired. Ain’t It Cool News is reporting that the the Blu Ray release of The Walking Dead Season Two will actually feature more of the unused footage along with commentary from new show runner Glen Mazarra. [via Ain't It Cool News]
I like much of the English speaking world, am eagerly anticipating the next season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. The third season is currently in production, and while some cast members were announced around San Diego Comic Con there was one key character yet to be cast, Mance Ryder, The King Beyond The Wall.
/Film picked up on an interview with The Wire’s Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty) who said that he was offered a substantial part (which people believe to have been that of Ryder):
“I was offered something on Game of Thrones and unfortunately, I hadn’t seen it, but my nephew and his father said, ‘Gosh, Game of Thrones is the only great show on!’ And I felt terrible, because I’d just turned them down,”
Ugh. Jimmy McNulty is one of the great damaged heroes in all of television. I really would have loved to see West in any capacity on Game of Thrones.
I could go on for hours about how damn great The Wire is. I will leave you with one of my favorite scenes from the first season while I sulk about the lack of Dominic West in Game of Thrones.
Credit: [/Film via HuffPost TV]
I’ve been on a pretty decent post-apocalytpic run of late. I’ve revisited the entire Jericho series and World War Z. I have even gone so far as to read some of those alarmist, uber right wing sponsored fiction such as One Second After. With all of the networks revealing their slate of programming for next season, ABC piqued my interest with The Last Resort.
500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receive their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they’re told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan.
Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.
Okay ABC you had me at Andre Braugher. I love that guy, I met him on the set of Hack way back in the early aughts and found him to be a really cool guy. Military intrigue with an end of the world scenario? I’m down. That says a lot since I really don’t spend any of my weeknights watching hour-long dramas anymore.
Credit: [Ain't It Cool News]
Every Monday or Tuesday I typically get a phone call or text from my father asking for further clarification on the latest episode of Game of Thrones. One of the themes that comes up in our discussions is the various religions of Westeros.
Apparently my father is not alone in his confusion, and HBO has put together a pretty succinct video which breaks down all of the gods we come across in Game of Thrones. I will warn you that there are some spoilerish images for the remainder of the second season ahead.
via [Blastr]