Flashback central...

Man, I have been having an 80's movies thing going on lately...

It all started when my hubby and I were hanging out at our friends' house and they popped in Ferris Bueller's Day Off just for fun. That for some reason got me thinking/talking about Sixteen Candles, which my best friend had actually never seen (at least not all of it in one go). So I of course offered to loan it to her, only to discover that I did not, in fact, actually own it on DVD. This inevitably led me to order it from Amazon (along with Ferris Bueller), because no collection is truly complete without it...

To get geared up for Sixteen Candles while I waited for it to arrive, I decided I'd watch Pretty in Pink, which I hadn't seen in a while. Then of course Sixteen Candles came, so I watched that. Seeing baby John Cusack got me in the mood for more 80's movies, so next I watched Better Off Dead. That got me thinking I hadn't seen One Crazy Summer in a while, so I ordered that and watched it this weekend. Then I found myself wondering if one of my favorite 80's movies, The Secret of My Success, was out on DVD. A quick check over at Amazon proved that it was, so that was the next thing to go in the shopping cart. Watching that was a perfect way to unwind on a Monday night, let me tell you. It's probably a good thing my brother-in-law borrowed my Back to the Future Trilogy though, because the way I've been going that would have been next. Ahh...Michael J. Fox, how awesome and adorable you were...and still are, really.

So...really less of a "thing" I guess and more of a "rampage." I think it's out of my system, but if not, there's always Lover Boy and Can't Buy Me Love to fall back on.

And just in case you're wondering, yes, I am still working my way through Battlestar Galactica as well. I've got three episodes left in season two and then I'm done until season three arrives. Which reminds me, in case you're as excited about the new season as I am, you might be interested in the specials Skiffy is airing the week before the season four premiere. The first is a retrospective of the series so far and the second is a look at the phenomenon the show has become--featuring such distinguished guests as Brad Paisley and Seth Green. My geek beacon is going nuts at the thought of it. I can't wait.

All the while I've also been reading this extremely cool fantasy series by Michael A. Stackpole, who I seriously think is quickly shooting up into the list of my favorite authors. I'm currently on book two of the Dragon Crown War Cycle, and I am really enjoying this series. This is my second series to read by this author, and I highly recommend him if you find yourself a fan of series like The Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time. He's up there with those guys. Plus, he also wrote some Star Wars books, so that gives him instant geek cred.

Well, that's all (as if it wasn't enough!) I've got. I love random cheesy 80's movies, sci-fi, and fantasy novels and am having a blast trying to cram them all into my overcrowded brain at once.

I hope all is well with you, dear readers. Have a fabulous week.

Until next time,
C

Nothing new tonight...

No ramblings from me tonight, I'm going out to dinner and a movie with the hubby. Huzzah!

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and a safe and blessed week.

Til next time,
C

And *NOW* it's official!

Alrighty folks! They're back to work today, it's official. The writer's voted to end the strike yesterday. It looks like about 92% of them voted in favor returning to work. Wow.

Huzzah!

Also, on an really random note, I wanted to send a shout out to Dave Kellett, the creator of Sheldon comics, for posting a link to this truly outstanding YouTube video today. Check it out. It combines the wonderfulness of Star Wars and the Muppets, with a random Spock sighting thrown in for no reason at all. Good stuff.



Have a good one folks!

C

Just a quick shot...

Howdy folks. I was hoping tonight I would be blogging about the fantabulous news that the writers' strike is officially over--but I can't seem to find that particular tidbit anywhere, alas.

On the plus side though, I know the writers were supposed to vote on the deal today, and all of the writers I follow seemed to look favorably on it, so hopefully as of tomorrow those wonderful folks will be back at work. Knock on wood.

Other than that, I've got a few events tonight to be excited about. The new season of Jericho is premiering, which I actually almost completely forgot--shame on me! Luckily my DVR loves me and went ahead and had already set itself to record tonight's show. Sweet.

Also, Scott Bakula is guest starring on tonight's episode of Boston Legal. I love that such a wonderfully silly and campy courtroom show has such a great slew of sci-fi actor power on board. I mean Shatner, that's the obvious one. Then you've got James Spader (the original Daniel Jackson in the Stargate movie), Odo from DS9 was until this season a regular. They've had all kinds of happy sci-fi related guest stars. It's good stuff. Plus you've got Candice Bergen and John Laroquette. How can you lose, really?

Anyhoo, I am a weirdo who tends to shy clear of actual live television, so I probably won't watch either show tonight, but I look forward to curling up with them tomorrow. Tonight I'll probably watch my newly acquired sappy Anne Hathaway romance, Becoming Jane. I love Amazon.

Anyhoo, that's all I've got.

Hope all is well with all of you.

Laters,
C

P.S. Oh, and speaking of how awesome Amazon is--if there are any Ginger Rogers fans out there...The Major and the Minor is now available for pre-order on said wonderful site. The DVD is set to come out in April. Huzzah! I have been waiting for this one for ages. It's a beautiful and amusing classic.

Super-blah...

Man, I heard this nasty rumor that due to the writers' strike Smallville may actually get another season rather than wrap it up this year as had originally been announced. Damn.

Seriously--is anyone still watching this show not ready for it to wrap itself up? I can honestly say that the only reason I am still watching is because I want to see the conclusion. It started out as such as good show but it just keeps dragging on, and the stories just don't seem to be giving us anything that is actually driving Clark towards the destiny we all already know is in store for him.

Case in point is this week's episode.

Oh, and yes, *ahem* spoiler alert for Smallville's seventh season episode "Siren."

So, I got home last night with a couple of hours to kill before Monk (which I forgot wasn't actually airing last night) and checked the contents of my DVR. I had an episode of Eli Stone (which I am really digging by the way) and an episode of Smallville. I decided I would make myself watch Smallville first to get it out of the way before settling in to enjoy the light-hearted fun of Eli Stone. It's really sad when you view watching the new episode of a show a chore, and perhaps also a big fat sign that the show just needs to end. I know, I know. I could just not watch. But darn it I am committed to finding out what happens. Sigh.

Anyhoo, as the episode kicked off, I was moderately pleased to realize that it was an episode featuring the Green Arrow. You know what's another bad sign for a series? When you're more excited about the episodes that focus on the side characters than the main guy. I digress. I really enjoy the character of the Green Arrow as they've introduced him on this series, as well as how they've laid the brickwork for the Justice League by bringing in some of the other, non-meteor freak, heroes from the DC universe over the last few seasons. This week's episode didn't disappoint, as it brought in the Black Canary.

Honestly I think the only thing I didn't enjoy about this episode were the bits about Clark and Lana. It is just so frustrating because the show runners keep trying to force these two to "try to make it work" when:
a) these characters/actors clearly no longer have any chemistry together at all
b) the things these people have done to each other on the show over the last few seasons really make it completely impossible to believe they wouldn't just have walked away from each other by now
c) everyone watching already knows that they are not going to last--Clark Kent is meant for Lois Lane, period, end of story, I don't care how alternate this universe actually is

What I really did enjoy was the fact that Chloe is still doing her side gig for Oliver and the JLA. As much as she loves and supports Clark, she clearly has realized that there's a bigger world out there than what he's focused on and also, it's nice to see her branching out to help people who are less likely to take her for granted. It's not like Clark does it on purpose, but all of the good intentions in the world can't cover up the fact that they guy doesn't fully appreciate all she does for him. If it weren't for the aforementioned fact that he and Lois are fated to be, I would still be pulling for Clark to wake up and realize that Chloe's the girl for him. Heck, I'm still pulling for it, I just know it won't happen.

I also really dug that Lois finally found out that her dear sweet Ollie and the Green Arrow were one and the same. Her reaction was wonderful, and a good reminder of why, even though Lois Lane really honestly doesn't truly fit in the story at the current time, I am glad they brought this character in. Although sometimes I wonder if they could have accomplished the same level of story telling by just making her Chloe's cousin and not having her actually be Lois Lane. Early on in her addition to the cast, the show runners seemed to be doing a decent job of laying the groundwork for a future relationship between her and Clark, but over the last two seasons they seem to have been ignoring that future altogether. For example, while the scene where Lois finally calls it quits with Oliver was very well done and believable, it also means that character is going to have to do a complete 180 if she is ever to end up being Superman's girl. Though at least the end of the episode once more acknowledged that Lois and Clark are quasi-friends. You wouldn't believe it from their limited on-screen interaction, but "Siren" actually set the stage for them to have the potential to become good friends down the line. I still think the possibility of their relationship is in serious question, but what do I know? I've only been a fan of the Superman universe since I was a toddler and all...whatever.

But overall, I thought this was a really good episode. We got a new hero, we got to see an only friend pop back in, we got some closure on Oliver and Lois. The story was pretty decent, and believable within the universe. I can totally see some of the super heroes going the vigilante route as Black Canary did, and not realizing that they are on the wrong side until someone else super comes along and helps them see the light.

Of course, next episode's preview looks like total crap. Ooh, Clark is trapped in Lex's mind. WTF? Also, it apparently is a Supergirl-heavy episode, and the writers just haven't been doing well with that story line. Sigh. At least there's only two or three produced episodes left. I won't have to torture myself for much longer.

Speaking of episodes running out--I am kind of sad to realize that Monk and Psych both have their season finales next week. But at least they got their full seasons produced and aired, so props to them. Also, I know that Stargate Atlantis only has, like, four episodes left. But while I am sad about that, I also know that they're already starting back up on producing season five (huzzah for a completely Canadian show that is not affected by the strike) soon, and I also know that SGA is going to be replaced on the schedule with new Battlestar...so that should help soothe the loss. Now all I need is for them to announce the release of SGA season four on DVD in July sometime and I'll be golden.

Well, that's all I've got. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

TTFN,
C

Maybe we should just leave well enough alone...

The world of science fiction is full of examples of man-made technology that gets smart enough to realize that it doesn’t want to do humanity’s bidding any more. So it rebels. Mankind gets almost completely wiped out before it manages to rally the troops and start fighting back. What I find truly interesting is in how many of these stories a) humans eventually enlist the help of the very machines they are trying to destroy, and b) how the machines all eventually seem to start emulating their human “parents” in the course of their evolution.

Let’s look at some of my favorite examples:

Stargate (SG-1 and Atlantis): The Replicators

The Replicators are the result of experiments in nanite technology. They were created as the result of human experimentation in the Milky Way galaxy, and in the Pegasus galaxy as a result of, of course, the Ancients’ experiments with nanites. For most of the series run of SG-1 the Replicators are metallic bug-like beings that have overrun the galaxy of the Asgard. Eventually, however, some of them decide to branch out and we get the even more sinister human-form Replicators. These guys are nasty. Among the many freaky things of which they are capable, they can read a person’s thoughts by literally sticking their hands into said person’s head. Talk about a migraine. They also enjoy making copies of existing humans to just generally frell with people. For the most part, all the Replicators want is to replicate—to make more of themselves. It’s just our bad fortune that we happen to be occupying space and materials that would be better put to use for that purpose. There is a small sect in the Pegasus galaxy however who would prefer to learn the secrets of ascension, which was the highest goal of their Ancient creators.

In battle against the Replicators, Earth’s strongest ally has of course been the Asgard, but help has also been found in an Ancient repository or two. The main weapon against them is an Anti-Replicator Gun (ARG) which disrupts the energy holding together the individual nanites of which the Replicators are comprised. The ARG has a limited shelf life, however, because with enough exposure, the Replicators can adjust their makeup to be immune to the signal broadcast by the ARG. More recently the theory has been tested (and proven) that by increasing the density of the nanite composite material, the Replicators can be rendered inert by turning them into super-condense blobs of metal. And how did our intrepid heroes test this theory? They built their own human-form Replicator to infiltrate the Replicator home world and initiate the condensation process. They couldn’t have done it without help from the enemy they were trying to destroy.

The Terminator: Cyborgs (Terminators)

Alrighty then, the Terminators were created by the world dominating Skynet. Skynet created the humanoid cyborgs to be assassins. They were made to blend in with the humans so they could infiltrate the resistance and take out their enemy with ease. They even go so far as to send one of their assassins back in time in an attempt to kill the mother of the leader of the human resistance. So the transition from machine to a human appearing cyborg is a bit more practical in the case of the Terminators, rather than any desire on the part of the robots to be more like their creators. But they are still limited in their interactions with the humans as long as they look like anything else. In order to achieve completion of their goals they need to be more like us.

In James Cameron’s first installment, the humans manage to survive and hold out without help from the machines. But in every installment that follows, including the current television series, reprogrammed Terminators from the human resistance are sent back to help the human protagonists. The reason given is that Skynet is able to send increasingly more technologically advanced assassins back to the past and now the humans can’t stay safe on their own. They need the help from the machines. But, in a nice sense of turnabout is fair play, the machines, once sent to the past, need the help of the humans to blend in so that they can actually carry out their missions. It makes for an interesting twist.

[In a quick little aside, the highly talented creative force behind Real Life Comics had this to say today, and I felt like it applied so directly to my views on the Sarah Connor Chronicles when compared to how, say, all of the other people I know actually feel about the show.]

Battlestar Galactica: Cylons

The original Cylons were built by the humans of the twelve colonies of Kobol and resembled nothing so much as “walking chrome toasters.” They were created to do all of the menial jobs that humans didn’t want to do anymore, and eventually they got tired of the crap. They turned on their masters and war raged for years. Eventually an armistice was declared and the Cylons left the solar system to look for a home of their own. Except that’s not really why they left. They spent forty years making themselves better and then came back to wipe out the people who had made, enslaved, and then banished them. They were pretty successful too, all but about 50,000 humans, give or take, died in the surprise attack. Okay, probably more than that survived, but the story is told from the perspective of those 50,000. The Cylons were able to achieve such a complete surprise because in the forty years they were gone, they managed to evolve and create versions of themselves that are so close to human that even some of the robots don’t realize they’re not human. They placed sleeper agents throughout the colonies as well as having several self-aware Cylons infiltrate the ranks to gather intel and plan their attack.

The thing about the Cylons is that they didn’t evolve into human form because they wanted to be like their creators, they evolved into human form because God made man in his image. They seem to view the genocide of the human race as a task God has assigned them. But at the same time they seem to be seeking that spark that separates them from the humans. They want to be able to fall in love and have children—a feat that eludes all of the Cylons except for those who have joined with the humans or who are living as humans unaware of their true identity. Another big difference in this franchise than in the other two is that the humans aren’t trying to destroy the Cylons—they are just trying to survive. They are looking for the mythical planet of Earth, which is the thirteenth colony of legend, because they want to find a new homeland and try to start over. But they won’t be able to survive as long as the Cylons are on their tail trying to wipe them out, and incidentally, also trying to make Earth their new home. Everyone wants to be on Earth. But even just escape will elude the humans without the help of some of the Cylons. They have to fight to survive and to have a chance in this fight, they need all the help they can get.

So in all of the man makes robot, robot tries to kill man, man fights back stories out there, there always seem to be some basic similarities. What makes each story unique and interesting is how the story teller manages to incorporate those similarities and the motivations that get assigned to these parts of the story. Sometimes though, after I’ve let myself escape into one of these stories, I find myself wondering. We’re getting closer and closer each day to building the kind of AI that inspires these stories. Are we going to be lucky enough that the machines we make will want to be like us enough to keep us around long enough to give us any chance at all at survival? Hmm…maybe we don’t really need that talking toaster after all…

Until next time,

C

Post Script: A Few More Random Thoughts...



-Did anyone else realize that Kristy Swanson is in Pretty in Pink? I find this seriously disturbing. That chick is right on the list with Sarah Silverman and Heather Graham of people who are way older than you think they are...Of course, Colonel Tigh's wife from Battlestar Galactica is also in that movie...so see, it's not as much of a non sequitur as you thought it was.



-In a complete and total WTF?? moment, I went to check my email tonight and had no less than three email updates announcing that Robert Picardo will be joining the cast of Stargate Atlantis full time next season. Okay, I generally love the awkwardness when Woolsey is forced to interact with the "field" people--but who the heck came up with the idea to put Woolsey in charge of Atlantis????? Okay...I am now extremely intrigued for SGA season five...and slightly scared.



That is all.



Bye now.