Science Fiction (and Fantasy) on Television

Thursday 29th May 2003

Garfield turns 25 next month. The creation of Jim Davis is famous in comic strip form around the world and has several animated videos to his name. But now the big screen beckons and a CGI in live action film is in the works. Bill Murray gets the cat's whiskers and will likely do a great job at voicing Garfield's cynical catlike attitude to life. Breckin Meyer is Jon and Jennifer Love Hewitt is Liz. Screenplay is by Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow who brought you Toy Story.

Friday 23rd May 2003

A few years ago, the Dungeons and Dragons movie was released to considerable criticism. It had a number of problems such as bad writing and bad direction and it seems many US audiences didn't get that the British actors involved (e.g. Jeremy Irons as the big bad guy) were doing a pantomime performance - i.e. they were not taking it seriously. Easy to miss as some of the others involved evidently were taking it seriously, which in itself is funny. The biggest problem is perhaps the delusion that a D&D film should be aimed at teenagers. 20 years ago maybe, but many of those who grew up playing are still interested or even still play. So why am I talking about this now? Well the movie has gone on in TV and DVD sales to get into profit and so they're going to make the sequel. If they can address the big errors of the first, it could even be a decent film.

Thursday 22nd May 2003

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favourite books as a child. The wonderful story by Roald Dahl was made into a film titled after the other main character, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder - after over 30 years, still a very fun movie (although Dahl wasn't overly pleased with the final result, even though he did the screenplay himself). Can the magic be recaptured once more? Who would dare? Well Tim Burton would. Don't think of Planet of the Apes - think more of Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow or even Batman - fantasy films with a dark edge. The original film was criticized at the time for its darker side... but now, particularly with Harry Potter underlining it, it is obvious even to film studios that kids love a bit of dark just as much as adults! Of course, most of us always knew that. The new film will be named after the book and I hear Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston may be producing. Watch this space to find out who will be the new Wonka.

Sunday 18th May 2003

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been bigging it up at Cannes. In full flow about how wonderful Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines is, he has not been modest about it, "It is a fantastic movie. It has the best special effects you have ever seen in your life. It has incredible stunts that are absolutely gigantic. The movie turned out to be a straight '10'!" - stating this standing in front of The Matrix and Charlies Angels posters. Still, the film cost gigantic money and the trailers look like much of it has been spent visually. How long to recoup $130 million? Well, definitely less than a week. It is little reported, but when Arnie says "I'll be back!" he means literally as The Terminator. If T3 does well (and it will) then he really is going to make more Terminator movies, seeing himself merely in the middle of his acting career. And as much as that is likely to have its critics, I say go for it Arnie. Forget the critics, forget the preconceptions about age or any of the rest of it. Arnold has starred in more SF films than just about anyone and it is just fine by me if he continues to do so.

Saturday 17th May 2003

This week there has been news of the seventh series of Stargate SG-1, particularly at SCI FI Wire. Michael Shanks talks of his return as Dr. Daniel Jackson after his "de-ascension" and the many new adventures they are filming, including space battles, meeting new cultures and old friends (presumably trying to find any that are still alive...) plus looking for the 'lost city' and much more. Christopher Judge, Amanda Tapping and Michael Shanks will all be getting increased storylines with episodes that focus on each of them at some point and Richard Dean Anderson (Col. Jack O'Neill ) will still be in all the episodes, but in a reduced role, to give the others more screen time. They are also getting more involved with writing and directing for occasinal episodes (including Corin Nemec in a story he pitched). Above all, they all want to keep the fun and entertainment of the series.

Saturday 17th May 2003

Coming Attractions at Cinescape has news of the SF comic book series Y: The Last Man being optioned by New Line Cinema as a feature film. (Not to be confused with last year's 'comedy', The Last Man). The story is of the sole male survivor of a plague that has wiped out all other male people on the planet. Well there is also his male monkey. Hopefully will be much better than The Last Man on Planet Earth where 'savage' men were wiped out and a female scientist clones a new man... And perhaps this one will get to screen sooner than the "last human" script, I Am Legend by Mark Protosevich which has been floating around for years despite obviously being excellent. This being the story of The Last Man on Earth and Omega Man, where a virus has mutated people to become very strong and vicious and murder anyone normal. Only one man manages to keep them at bay.

Friday 16th May 2003

I wasn't going to bother reporting about the 4-DVD Indiana Jones set out in November this year, but I've got just annoyed to do so. How can they possibly describe it as "complete" or "ultimate" Indiana Jones when, as I reported ages ago, the fourth Indiana Jones movie is a definite done deal? We already know it will take place quite some time after WWII, possibly even in the 60s (to cater for Ford's advanced age - he's old enough to play his own father...). We know filming begins in 2004 (and as of now, Ford isn't doing anything else until then). We know Frank Darabont is doing the screenplay. We know that John Williams is doing the music. We know Vic Armstrong will again be organising stunts. We know that John Rhys-Davies will sadly probably not be returning as Sallah - a real shame as he is one of the very best of all the characters in all three Indy films and he would happily reprise his role. We know that there will almost certainly be some hot female doing action stuff. We hear it is a possibility that Sean Connery will reprise his role as Indiana's Dad. We even know it probably won't be out until July 2005 (maybe just after SW3). But basically, this DVD set is NOT the "Complete Collection"!!!
For more info, you could try the official site, but you'd be better off checking out theraider.net

Friday 16th May 2003

In the first Cannes report at Dark Horizons, an interesting snippet pops out - the possibility of making the most excellent satirical SF novel "Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut into a film.

Thursday 15th May 2003

Moviehole has news of the “Revelations” trilogy. It seems that Jessica Alba and Orlando Bloom have definitely been approached to star. With Jessica's Dark Angel days over and still no big movie, she might be very keen. Orlando 'Legolas' Bloom is of course one of the hottest actors around.

Wednesday 14th May 2003

In a footnote to my report last week on Doctor Who saying how unlikely the BBC reviving it is, BBCi actually reports on a survey by Dixons (major UK electrical goods retail chain) which asked customers to vote for the TV show they most missed and wanted to come back. Doctor Who was number one. Blake's 7 came in third place (just after Dallas).

Wednesday 14th May 2003

Five Children and It is a classic (century old) children's book by Edith Nesbit. It is to be a film. The five kids stay with their uncle (Kenneth Branagh) and meet up with a Sand Fairy (voice of Eddie Izzard) who grants them one wish per day. Freddie Highmore who plays Peter Pan (in Neverland movie due out next year) will play one of the children.

Wednesday 14th May 2003

Check out the Shoreline Entertainment's site for news about Judge Dredd: Dredd Reckoning and Judge Dredd: Possession. Not likely to be intellectually challenging, but offer the opportunity for big spectacle and maybe this time they'll make the character a bit more like the comic instead of having his personality overridden by the actor.

Tuesday 13th May 2003

It is some way off yet as they're still filming the third one, but in Harry Potter 4: The Goblet of Fire, somebody has to be cast as Voldemort. According to the Z review, the name that has been suggested by production people is Rowan Atkinson. Best known to many as Blackadder, and now internationally famous as Mr Bean and Johnny English, the Blackadder character is the one that makes the possibilty of him doing Voldemort seriously worth considering!

Tuesday 13th May 2003

HELLBOY is shaping up nicely. With the first picture of Ron Perlman as Hellboy at the official site, we can at last see how he'll look. If you haven't already, check out the interviews. It seems clear to me that Guillermo del Toro is exactly the right director and Ron Perlman exactly the right actor to make this a comic book film worthy of cult status. So forget your silly Spider-Man and your cute Daredevil - here is the real thing.

Monday 12th May 2003

Not a big surprise that Angel will be renewed for another season (but no guesses at more than that). The Hollywood Reporter has pre-announced for WB that there will be at least one more season. Thank goodness they haven't done the stupid with this series! Fans will already know that Spike (James Masters) joins Angel from BtVS. Following are some of the Buffy writers and definitely a bigger involvement by creator Joss Whedon.

Friday 9th May 2003

BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey has gone on record, in response to a question from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, as saying she doesn't want to raise false hopes about Doctor Who being revived. She says, "If there was a refreshing, affordable treatment for a new series available and we could navigate ourselves around some potentially troublesome rights' issue, then I would consider reviving the series." Affordable? Rights issues? Yeah, we know you're basically saying when hell freezes over aren't you? After all, the almost total absence of any other SF from the BBC in recent years hardly inspires any hope does it? Ironically, the other piece of Doctor news today is that the 40th anniversary special two CD set on the history of Doctor Who is being released by BBC Radio.

Thursday 3rd May 2003

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette carries an article (highlighted by Blade Runner site BRmovie.com) where Edward James Olmos talks of his role as Adama in the new Battlestar Galactica. Referring to the reimagining of the series with its consequent significant changes, he said, "If you're a staunch purist, then you won't like it, but if you're open to a new look at that situation, you might." Fair warning and really, there would be no point making the series exactly the same anyway, particularly given the script and budget problems inflicted on the original series. Ironically, given his role in Blade Runner as a hunter of Replicants that look just like humans, we will get Cylons in the new BG that are clone products and also look just like humans.

Thursday 3rd May 2003

Here's an idea for a new SF TV show - an android that looks completely human, the last of a series placed on Earth through the years by aliens to protect humans and help them develop. Imagine a benevolent Replicant Data Gort Terminator of sorts. Some of the older SF fans or the particularly knowledgeable will have cottoned on that I am referring to the 1974 Gene Roddenberry TV pilot movie called "The Questor Tapes". Due to a falling out, the series itself never happened. But according to the official Star Trek site, it is finally on its way. Herbert Wright, who has a long association with Trek, particularly ST:TNG has bought the rights from the Roddenberry family and is pushing ahead with creating the series that will stay true to Gene's original Questor character. (The ST:TNG Data - Tasha Yar liaison is of Questor origin as are a number of Data's traits.) In the pilot for Questor, the Android could not be completed by its creator and was put together by an international group with a different agenda, (not fully understanding it). With incomplete programming, Questor escapes and through adventures also seeks answers for himself. Treated well, this really could go into Dickian/Blade Runner territory with questions of "Who Am I" and "What is Human". Anyone with any original Questor material of any sort is being asked to make contact.

Thursday 1st May 2003

Off we go in a month that brings us the first mega blockbusting action sequels of "Summer" 2003: X2: X-Men United and Matrix Reloaded. While the universe is not going to stop just because a couple of movies have been released, media will be filled with reports, reviews, advertising for films and merchandise and all the rest. I don't feel the need to compare the two films directly, but do ponder on how they will stand up as sequels. At this point, having seen neither, I can only comment on the snippets, trailers, teasers and whispers.

X2 looks like being X-Men, but bigger and better, with more character development. Keeping fans of the first and not caring too much about opening up to a wider audience, though with a children rating, no doubt not getting quite dark enough. X2 doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is.

With Matrix 2 though, we get the mishmash of reconstituted SF and philosophical themes "inspired" by other films, books, etc. along with balletic fighting and shiny black outfits. And more. But there are big concerns here. Firstly, is the "more" that we get any better or simply trying to outdo its own predecessor and in the process does it keep the magic? Big questions like, if 'KeaNeo' can do the "Superman thing", why does he bother hanging around to fight a hundred Agent Smiths before flying off? Is the long motorcycle chase anything more than video game action? Is the video game part of the movie and vice versa? More importantly, have the Wachowski Brothers bought into a belief in their own talent at SF and philosophy? Although I thought that The Matrix did have a lot of excellent themes in it, these are essentially reworked and represented with a lovely leather coat, (but like Neo's coat, which is actually made of wool, perhaps not what they pretend to be). More 'research' and hence more 'deep' speeches by Laurence Fishburne might just carry through, but equally might end up sounding like the philosophical soundbites they in fact are - interesting to discuss, but anathema to the flow of an action film.

The superhype, Animatrix, game and second sequel before Christmas may be a wise decision to make it a protracted, single 7 month event, because if there had been another long break before Matrix 3, I'm not sure the wider audience would wind itself up quite so much for a third occasion. Given that the two sequels cover a period of about 3 days between them, it is almost like a single extra-long movie anyway. Clearly, what is assured is that the action will be big and spectacular, the SFX amazing and the philosophy repackaged into bite-size chunks for the 2-second generation.

But this is where I do my own Moebius impression - after you go around a Moebius Strip in a complete circle, you find yourself on the backside of where you started. None of what I have written above actually matters in the slightest. The Matrix films are fantasy escapist entertainment, so probably best just to relax and soak up the 'cool' - enjoy the fun and don't expect your life to change.

Archive Index

Archive Index

Odyssey 5, Firefly, Star Trek, X-Files, Babylon 5, Crusade, Dr Who, Andromeda, Lexx, Dark Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Invisible Man, Stargate SG-1, Blake's 7, Farscape, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Lone Gunmen, The Avengers, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Red Dwarf, Roswell, Total Recall 2070, Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess, Earth: Final Conflict, Charmed, Alien Nation, Futurama, Outer Limits and so many more. Essential information, background, links, etc. on all Science Fiction and Fantasy shows are here!