In My Own Little World!

As a member of a primitive tribe during the dawn of man, 21-year-old mammoth hunter D'Leh (Steven Strait) travels through unknown lands on a quest to rescue his people from extinction. D'Leh, leading an army, uncovers a lost civilization while in pursuit of a warlord who kidnapped his love, Evolet (Camilla Belle). D'Leh and his army encounter saber-toothed cats, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures in the journey to save his tribe.

I think this is going to be a great film but I am worried that it will be similar to "Clan of the Cave Bear". Instead of a woman from a lost tribe you have a man that finds a lost tribe. All in all I think this is a fresh take on an old story. So far the movies that have been coming out have been Sci-fi or Action Adventure.

I look forward to seeing this when it shows and hopefully it will be entertaining and fun.

I am sure that by now you all have seen the headlines and watched the new and know of the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger. Personally I was a big fan of his and found him to be one of the more promising actors in the world today. Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment.

The Academy Award-nominated actor was 28 and was found naked and unresponsive, facedown on the floor at the foot of his bed by a housekeeper trying to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse, Police are saying that they found prescription pills next to the bed that looked to be for Anti-Anxiety and Sleeping Disorder and believe that this may be an accidental overdose.

Police have stated that no note was found and there was no indication of foul play and they believe by all indications that this was not a suicide. Ledger was found at about 3 p.m., and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel about 3:30 p.m.

A crowd of onlookers, photographers and reporters gathered outside the apartment building after news of Ledger's death was reported. Police officers were called in to guard the doors from news crews, paparazzi and anyone else wanting to get too closer glimpse of the actor.

Ledger's family called his death "very tragic, untimely and accidental". Heath's father Kim announced on the Australian news "Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him.He was a down-to-earth, generous, kindhearted, life-loving, unselfish individual extremely inspirational to many."

The autopsy that was performed this morning and so far the evidence is inconclusive as to the cause of death. According to officials it could take up to 15 days for the information to be accurately determined.

Heath ledger left behind a 2 year old daughter from his girlfriend Michelle Williams as well as other assorted family. He was a gifted actor, a great person and will be missed by the world.

Our Hearts and Blessings go out to his family and loved one.

Well I took advantage of the weekend lull in my schedule and went to see Cloverfield. Let me tell you that I was a little disappointed in the movie. I was impressed with the special effects but that was about it. The camera footage was very nauseating and was almost a little too much to watch. The monster was pretty cool but you don't really get to see too much of it because the the camera footage is so jerky and bad.

As I stated before, I was excited to see this film because it was a J.J. Abrams film. However, I was worried about this being just a Sci-fi version of the Blair Witch Project and I was right on. The story was not complete, it did not tell us where the monster came from. It did not really tell us if the monster was destroyed. It gave no real explanation of the creature other than it was really big, dropped little bugs that could infect you with something that made you explode and was damn near indestructible.

When the credits rolled there were so many people just sitting in the theater wondering if that was it. As the music started people slowly got up and walked out but still looking at the screen like they were waiting for more to happen. I sat and waited till the very end just in case (but mostly because I was disappointed and wanting more). My wife was with me as was my father and my wife looked at me after the credits and said quite disgustedly "What the hell was that". Then I had to listen to how dumb that was for the next hour. Now I am going to have to go see at least 4 chick flicks to make up for it.

All-in-all, I was a little disappointed in this film as was most of the people that I saw in the theater. This was not J.J. Abrams best in my opinion.

If you're a big Sci-fi fan like myself then you already know about the upcoming apocalyptic thriller Doomsday, the newest film from The Descent director Neil Marshall. A brand new trailer has launched for this sci-fi action thriller and I have included it for you in this post.

Personally I think the trailer looks good. However, I find some similarities to films like Mad Max or Escape from New York. Even thought the scenes and the action will be top notch, I am worried that they are trying to compete with the likes of the 28days films or other apocalyptic films of this nature that have come out recently or will be coming out in 08.

Looking at the previews I think I might want to watch it but will it be worth the price of admission, or will I just wait to add it to my ever growing Netflix list. Reading about the film on other web sites I find myself torn with the concept of the film itself, thinking that they are trying to rekindle the flame that was once the Mad Max franchise and this time instead of a gritty Aussie they got a stunning brunette with a great rack to attract all the fan boys to the theaters.

Either way I am sure that the film will captivate the fan boys and keep the action junkies on the edge of their seats. I look forward to the film when it releases and I am sure I will provide you all with an update to it once I have finally seen it in all its big screen glory. Until then, enjoy the preview below.

Here are the rest of the films that I want to see in 2008. I had several Trailers lined up for these but Blogger is having an issue with its Video uploader and I was not willing to postpone my post another night. I can't express how excited I am for this year and the movies that are going to be released. I will keep updating this as more and more movies are revealed.

5/16 - The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian
The next installment of the Magical World of Narnia is here. The 4 Pevensie children have returned to Narnia, this time 1300 years have passed and an evil King rules the land. This looks like it is going to be another hit. The previews look like there is more action this time and the story is more complex. Look for it to hit theaters on May 16th.

5/22 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Harrison Ford is at it again, this time with Shia LaBeouf as his side kick. On May 22nd we will be dazzled with another Indiana Jones hit, this time to search for a city built around a cursed Crystal Skull. As with all the other Indiana Jones films, there will be danger, traps and I am not sure if they followed tradition, but it sure wouldn't be an Indiana Jones film without Nazi's. This looks to be the only blockbuster that is anticipated for Memorial weekend so mark your calendars and dust of your bull whip because the the adventure begins again.

6/13 - The Happening
The Happening is a paranoid thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis. The film will portray the earth's plants unleashing airborne neurotoxins that cause people to commit violent suicide. Mark Walberg and Zooey Deschanel star as an estranged couple who must escape this apocalyptic epidemic. This may be one of his better movies. I am looking forward to this because Mark Walberg is in it and he has become a great actor. Look for this one opening on June 13th in theaters.

6/13 - The Incredible Hulk
In what some are calling a reboot and others are calling a sequel the new Incredible Hulk hits theaters on June 13th. This time Bruce Banner is on the run from the United States Army and General "Thunderbolt" Ross, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into the Hulk. Meanwhile, a soldier named Emil Blonsky repeats the accident that gave Banner his powers, but as he is unable to change back to human form, he blames Banner and seeks his revenge. I am looking forward to this because Edward Norton is playing Bruce Banner and from everything I have been reading, the effects, story and dark edgy feel of the film are everything that the first one should have been.

6/27 - Wanted
A young man finds out his long lost father is an assassin. And when his father is murdered, the son is recruited into his father's old organization and trained by a man named Sloan to follow in his dad's footsteps. I am looking forward to this as I was a big fan of the comic. The action sequences are tight and the story is pretty original. Look for this to be a favorite among the fan boys and a hit with the action junkies.

7/2 - Hancock
A hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who's trying to repair his image. This look like a riot, Will Smith is funny and the thought of a Superhero bum is just great. I look forward to lots of laughs with the regular wit that is Will Smith.

7/11 - Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy is at it again with his team mates right behind him. This time the creatures of the Mythical world that once ruled over earth, before the times of man, want to retake there place on earth. Lead by a warrior that has Hellboy out skilled and out numbered, Hellboy must use all the resources at his disposal to insure that his home on Earth remains intact and free of evil. I loved the first Hellboy and I am looking forward to the sequel. With the creative team of Pan's Labyrinth heading up the show its bound to be a visually stunning and absolutely incredible film.
7/18 - The Dark Knight
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker. As a comic book junky and a fan of Batman Returns, I am really looking forward to this next installment. I am wondering if the rumors are true that they will reveal Two Face as the next villain in this installment or will Harvey Dent be, well just Harvey Dent. I guess only time will tell. All I know id that Heath Ledger is shaping up to be one hell of a Joker.

8/1 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
In the Far East, trouble-seeking father-and-son duo Rick and Alex O'Connell unearth the mummy of the first Emperor of Qin -- a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard centuries ago. I am a fan of the Mummy series and I think this is going to be another great addition to this already popular franchise.

2008 is going to be a great year for movies. I look forward to all of the hits that I have been reading about for the last couple of years finally coming to the screen. I will list all the movies that I am looking forward to with a little insight on how I think they will be.



1/18 - Cloverfield
As I stated in my last post, unless you have been living under a rock, you all know that there is little info circulating about the film "Cloverfield", releasing January 18, other than a few choice teasers and some interesting stills that have been leaked to the web. I just hope it is all worth it! Some are concerned that the film is not going to live up to the hype. However, if you are a J.J. Abrams fan, you know that he never disappoints.



5/2 - Iron Man
The much anticipated and much awaited Iron Man starts on May 2nd and let me tell you I can not wait. I have been following the all the little tidbits of info on this since I first read about it in Wizard Magazine 2 years ago. At first I was very skeptical about Robert Downey Jr. playing Tony Stark, but then I saw the sneaked trailer that was floating around the net and it all fit. I think Robert Downey makes a great Tony Stark and I think this movie is going to be the big hit of the summer. Look for it in theaters in May.



5/9 - Speed Racer
This is something that I thought I would never see, yet I am completely drawn to it. As a kid I remember watching all the Speed Racer episodes on TV. Then I got older and continued to watch them on the Cartoon channel late at night. Now I can find them occasionally on the Boomerang channel, and even in my 30's I am still fascinated by this show. I guess this is the next logical step for this animated icon. I am certainly going to catch this live action version of the popular cartoon when it debuts in theaters in May.

This is the first part of my review of the upcoming 2008 blockbusters. Stay tuned and I will fill you in on other great hits that you will want to catch.

Labels: Movies, Reviews, Trailers

The anticipation of this film is starting to drive people mad! It looks like the PR people at Paramount Pictures hit a home run with the media hype on this film. Unless you have been living under a rock, you all know that there is little info circulating about the film "Cloverfield", releasing January 18, 2008. Other than a few choice teasers and some interesting stills that have been leaked and placed on various web sites. I like the concept of a film that is done from the peoples point of view instead of watching it from a distance. I think this will add to the suspense of a film like this. For those of you that have been living under a rock and don't know what I am talking about, let me fill you in. "Cloverfield" is rumored to be filmed entirely from the point of view of a group of friends and their Handycam. What was supposed to be a going away party for a good friend turned out to be a fight for there lives to not only get out of the city, but to get a glimpse of the monster that was devastating New York. Now the concept of a Handycam generated movie is not new, "The Blair Witch Project" did the same thing back in July of 1999. However, I think this is going to take it one step further. This will be done with more suspense and more action and from what I am reading, you don't get to see the monster till like the last moments of the movie, everything else is glimpses and shadows that entice you and keep you guessing. I know that the Handycam changes hands several times in the film and from what I am hearing about it, they begin with a large group and end up with a few left. Nothing is concrete and as I said earlier, this is all very tight lipped at the moment. We only have a week left before we can finally put the rumors to rest and get the facts on this highly anticipated film and then I can do a proper review. Until then, enjoy the teaser.

Labels: Cloverfield, Movies, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Trailers

For those of you that missed "The Invasion" in theaters because you thought it was yet another remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (myself included), never fear. "The Invasion" releases on DVD on January 29, 2008. I recently had a screener pop across my desk and decided that I needed to give it a fair chance. After watching it I was mildly surprised at the film overall. There were some aspects of the film that did remind you of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". However, unlike those films there were no pod people or Gigantic plants roaming the streets. Instead this take was much more plausible. In "The Invasion", starring Nicole Kidman and Danial Craig, the aliens are actually a complex spore that invades the human body and essentially rewrites the basic aggression sequence and other essential strands of our DNA and takes over like a parasite or a virus. There are some people that are immune to the invaders and through out the film these people are hunted down and we assume, destroyed. The invaders can only take over the body at its weakest state, when you are asleep and inactive. This is when the spore takes control and start to do its little deed of converting you into one of them. mind you, this transformation is mealy mental, but there are a few physical side effects. Like a large membrane that forms over you while you sleep, like a cocoon. It also seems that the converted people are working like one large community or Hive, kind of like a collective. I found a few flaws to this, in one scene a man on the subway tells Nicole Kidman that you can fool them, you just show no emotion. In several other scenes they state that they all know what each other is doing and they are all connected. If this was the case then they should have known who was converted and who wasn't regardless of how you acted. This to me was a major flaw in the story line. I liked that the invaders were thwarted by science instead of gunning down a small town or nuking a city into extension like we see in so many of these films. in this you could step away from the film and say to yourself "I can see this happening". They took the most logical form of an alien invasion and built the story around that. All-in-all I think the film was ok, regardless of it flaws. It kept me entertained and intrigued. Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig make a great on screen team and the underlying message that is in the story will leave you thinking, are we truly alone and would we be better off being ourselves, or one of them.

If you ask any average person if they saw "Surface" on Monday's in 2005 most would say no. If you asked any fan boy, comic book geek or just all around sci-fi fan they would not only tell you yes, but give you a hundred reasons why it was one of the best sci-fi series on TV to date. However, not even the panicked screams of 10,000 virgin geeks could stop the preplanned conclusion of the series. It was reported on several sci-fi forums that the writers were told from the start that the series may not go further than a year, and that they should write the final episode to go either way. This to me says that they TV exec's were not interested in the ever growing popularity of sci-fi based series. Instead they worked on producing more over 50's crowd or reality niche TV shows that seems to be ever expanding and increasingly more ridiculous. You can look out on the net and find forum after forum and article after article of people complaining about the loss of what could have been a series equal to that of the current "Hero's" (NBC's redeeming quality) or the over 20 years and still going in syndication "Star Trek" franchise. But the upper echelon's of TV God-hood don't care about the niche market or the hoard's of faithful sci-fi viewers that would kill for anything that has great effects and a rich story. I would have to say that this was one of the biggest mistakes that NBC made and in the log run it could have cost them millions of viewers that will now go to other channels instead of NBC. "Star Trek the Next Generation", was on TV for a long time and managed to spin off "Star Trek, Deep Space Nine", Star Trek Voyager and the prequel series "Star Trek: Enterprise". All with decent track records (over 5 years) and all starting on Fox and now in syndication. Fox is not afraid to give something a chance it seems. Something I think other stations should try and not for just one season either. Actually give a show a chance! Anyone that watches a serious TV series, especially one with an ever growing plot and an in depth character make-up knows that it may take half a season or even a full season for a series to pick up speed. They really should have signed "Surface" for no less than 3 seasons. I think this would have given the series adequate time to build a following and prove its worth, and quite possibly still be running to date. With any luck this will go the way of Stargate SG-1 (originally shown on Showtime) and get picked up by the Sci-fi channel and they will continue on with the series, the story line itself had so much potential. Then fan boys like myself will finally get to enjoy the rest of the story (because we know there is more) and have some resemblance of closure to what could have been a resounding hit. Look for the DVD set in your store and be sure to pick it up, I promise that it will keep you interested and you will want more.

When this series started I had such high hopes for it. I am a big fan of the 1980's Movie staring Staring Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless! Yes, it was a little campy, but what wasn't back in the 80's. The film captivated audiences then, and to this day the die hard fan boys like myself are still enthralled by its glitzy costumes and it obvious over acting! I myself went on the first day of the DVD release to buy a copy, and then forced my wife to watch it. I personally have watched the DVD 3 more times since (I've been busy or it would have been more). The series started on the Sci-fi channel in August of 2007 with hopes of competing with the likes of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica all Sci-fi series and all doing successful. The series premier was less than desirable and left viewers wondering what the writers were thinking. I told myself that I would give it the same chance that I gave Painkiller Jane (another flop that could have been better). I would watch the first season and then make a choice to continue on, sometimes the seasons are off to a slow start, take SG-1 for instance. They really didn't start to fly till the middle of the first season. However, the more I watched the more painful it got. With cheap looking costumes and and a complete rewrite of the story line itself it didn't resemble the Flash Gordon movie or the 1930's TV show (or the less popular 1950's TV series). The Ming played by Max Von Sydow was ruthless in a very classy, imperialistic almost elegant way. The Ming in the TV series played by John Ralston is almost Nazi like. He dictates over the planet with an unrelenting Iron fist, taking neither man, woman or child into consideration and claiming his actions as "For the good of the people!". This last episode was a perfect example of the Nazi like stylization of the character. Forcing genetic purification and purging (killing) anyone with even a 1% abnormality in there blood. I think the Sci-fi channel went way off base with this series. It could have been so much better with the proper writing and the proper budgeting. I would have liked to seen something that would rival that of the Stargate Franchise in story and effects. I am going to give it a little more time to see if Sci-fi can pull this series out of the pit that it currently resides in. I will give you more of my views on this show as the series progresses.

Tonight was the premier of the new season of Stargate Atlantis. I have to say that this was one of their better openings. The alliance between the Wraith and the Atlantis team proved to be a worth while venture and the added support of the drift folks that Shepard ran into a few episodes back turned out to be a pleasant surprise. However, I have a feeling that Shepard's little crush is going to pose a serious threat in the future. She has proved to be a very devious and cunning adversary and now that she knows the location of Atlantis I foresee her trying to exert her new found power over the team. As will be the Wraith that fled the battle in the end, you have a Wraith high guard out their that controls his own fleet of hive ships that knows the location of Atlantis, can we say security threat. And lets not forget the surprise ending that i am sure left some jaws dropping. The presence of Dr. Elizabeth Weir on an Ancient battle cruiser with her own crew and this announcement of a plan proved to be very interesting. The question now is, which Weir is this, the one that volunteered to be decoys or the Weir that is supposed to be dead. Hopefully the next few episodes will shed some light on that and help to unfold the mysterious plot that she is going to set in motion. All-in all, the series premier was very excellent and the visual effects were stunning as always, it gave be goose bumps to see that fleet of ships jumping into hyperspace. As I had stated before, I hope the creative team of Stargate Atlantis will continue with this momentum and provide even more exciting and complex story arc's. I look forward to the future episodes and I am sure I will have more to say about the series later.

Little is out about the up-coming season 4 of Battlestar Galactica, other than a few promo trailers and the new premier date of March 2008. Looking around the web I am finding no leaks about the season other than rumor and speculation, nothing concrete. I anxiously await the premiere because of how season 3 ended, with Starbuck decked in white telling Apollo "Follow me" like some kind of messiah. It was exciting and spine tingling all at the same time. I literally had hairs standing up because I wanted to see what happened next. I scoped out the Sci-Fi channel web site and could not find anything other then the normal "Test your BSG Knowledge, take this quiz" stuff that they always do. From what I have seen of the previews and from what I have heard through the grape vine, I am sure that this season will be a great one. I know that they are going to incorporate more of the Pegasus crew into the story line and hopefully shed some light on what happened to Starbuck and maybe answer some of the questions that have now come up thanks to the "Razor" mini movie that was released. It seems to me that the creative team behind "Battlestar Galactica" is working to raise the bar of every new season. I just hope that they can keep up this momentum and the rumors floating around the water cooler about this being there final season are just that, rumors!

Labels: Adama, Appolo, Battlestar, Battlestar Galactica, Boomer, Cylons, Galactica, Series, Starbuck, TV, Viper

Season 4 of Stargate Atlantis continues tomorrow January 4th and I am excited as always. This year is being promoted as one of the better seasons. With the war between the Replicators and the Wraith reaching explosive proportions and the Atlantis team trying desperately to stay out of the cross hairs of both parties. However, it looks like an alliance with the Wraith is going to be needed in order to defeat the greater threat of the Replicators. Look for the Atlantis team to be weary of there new alliance with the Wraith, due to past encounters that the Wraith have tried to exploit. I am sure that the Wraith are going to do everything in there power to find a way to turn the alliance in their favor while the replicators will put up a fight in order to save the existence that they have created for themselves. I also look forward to see how they incorporate this new rouge group of replicators that want nothing to do with this war but instead want to ascend like the Ancients that created them. I will be curious if this new band of replicators will get wiped out with the rest of them or will they in time see that their counter parts were correct and be a threat to the Atlantis team again, possibly worse this time. All-in-all I think that this season is going to be great and action packed. I would like to see them incorporate more of the SG-1 team into the mix and possibly down the line merge the two series as one with multiple story arc's from the Earth side as well as the Pegasus galaxy. I think that if they want to keep this franchise alive and mimic the success of the SG-1 series, they will have to broaden the story arc's and incorporate a more complex format. I can see this series going for quite some time with fan's clamoring for anything that is produced. I look forward to tomorrow and will provide you with an update to this after I watch the episode.

Labels: Atlantis, Episode, Gate, Reviews, Series, SG-1, SG1, Stargate, TV

If you are a Stargate SG-1 fan (as I am) and felt that the final episode left more questions than answers. Well, never fear! The fine people in the Stargate franchise have decided to release a direct-to-DVD movie written by Robert C. Cooper called "Stargate: The Ark of Truth". The movie went into production in April 2007 and will be released in the US on March 11, 2008. This movie will be what should have been the conclusion of Stargate SG-1's Ori story arc, which began in "Avalon". The Ori storyline was originally expected to continue into SG-1's eleventh season, but the series was canceled by the Sci-Fi Channel in August 2006. Therefore, the movie's storyline will pick up after "Unending", the SG-1 series finale, but will take place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. I had the pleasure to catch a screener of this DVD before it's release and I have to tell you that I was impressed and felt a little more satisfied with the outcome of the story arc. The movie will cover SG-1's attempt to recover the "Ark of Truth", a piece of Alteran technology developed before the Ancients left for the Milky Way. In an attempt to prevent the Ori and their followers rising to power, the "Arc" was created to essentially "brainwash" individuals, for instance Priors, into believing whatever "truth" was programmed into the device. The Ancients' non-interference policy and belief in free will resulted in the device never being used. Even though the gift of Ascension promised by Origin is a lie, the freedom to believe was something the Alterans ultimately decided they did not have the right to restrict. In the movie however, there is interference from an ascended being (as there always has been) to help guide the team in the right direction to find the "Arc". However, they are not alone and the Ori's army and legion's of Priors are hot on their heals trying to get there hands on this piece of technology that they believe, will aid them in the effort to convert the universe to worship the Ori. This movie has all of the action and drama that you would expect from the TV series, so fans should not be disappointed. Look for this to hit the shelves in March of 08 and don't be surprised if you see it still air on the Sci-Fi channel before the end of the year.

Labels: Ark, Ark of Truth, Atlantis, Gate, Movies, Reviews, Series, SG-1, SG1, Stargate, Stargate: The Ark of Truth, Truth, TV

Recently, I was honored with a screening of the new "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" TV series that will air on Fox with a special two night premier on January 13 and 14. This small screen adaptation of the widely popular "Terminator" franchise fills in the gap between the 2nd and 3rd Terminator movies. It tells the story of Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and her quest to stop Skynet and the destruction of humanity. While giving us a glimpse of the steps she takes to train John (Thomas Dekkerin) to be the leader of the resistance in the event that she fails. In this pilot episode, she is still running. Not content with the destruction of the man and the labs responsible for creating the machines. She is still haunted by a strong feeling that she will never be safe. Her fears are realized when a Terminator unit tries to kill John in his class room but is saved by a second Terminator unit named Cameron (Summer Glau) (a girl in his new school that he thought was interested in him for other reasons) who was sent to protect him. To top it all off, she is being perused by an FBI agent named James Ellison (Richard T. Jones). He is determined that Sarah is crazy, a threat to everyone and should be locked away for eternity. In the pilot you can see that Agent Ellison is beginning to realize that there are some things going on that he can not quite understand and is beginning to question weather Sarah is really crazy or in over her head. Originally, when I saw the previews for this series I was a little frightened that it might be cheesy and that the special effects would not translate well to the small screen. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of technical precision that was put into the make up and special effects. In one scene the Terminator unit that tries to kill John cuts his leg open to retrieve a gun hidden inside. The exposed endoskeleton that was shown was impressively detailed and didn't look cheap at all. Other recent TV adaptations of films like "Flash Gordon" have been seriously lacking in not only the special effects department but in the writing as well, coming off very campy and almost child like in its approach. "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is a good example of what movie adaptations should be like, allowing the writing and special effects to draw the viewers into the story instead of just simply relying on the popularity of the films to bring the viewers in. I think that if Fox keeps up this level of quality with the other episodes then they will be contenders with other Sci-Fi based series like "Heroes", "The Bionic Woman" and "Stargate Atlantis".

Labels: Chronicles, Episode, Fox, John Conner, Pilot, Sarah Conner, Series, Terminator, TV

I took advantage of the holiday to go see a movie that I have been anxiously awaiting. "I Am Legend" is about Robert Neville, a brilliant scientist that could not contain a terrible virus that is unstoppable, incurable, and man-made. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. The story unfolds three years after the holocaust with Neville faithfully sending out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors. However, the virus that was supposed to be the cure for cancer has Mutated the remanding members of humanity, turning them into hyper aggressive night stalkers. Mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time. This movie is based off of the book "The Last Man on Earth" written by Richard Matheson back in the 50's. In 1964 the book was adapted to a movie by the same name directed by Ubaldo Ragona. However, this adaptation was more of a zombie movie set in the future rather than a sci-fi flick, with people coming out of there graves at night and returning to them by day. In 1971 "The Omega Man" was released and was yet again a slightly altered version of the book. Directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston. In this adaptation the fall of man was due to a biological war and Heston's immunity due to an experimental vaccine. I liked the new version better because it was more plausible. It showed not only the depth of or destruction but is gave us a glimpse at how one man can make a difference. The action and writing were top notch and Will Smith played the character superbly as always. In my personal opinion this movie was worth the price of admission and I will most certainly purchase it on DVD when it's released.

Labels: Holocaust, I Am Legend, Movies, Omega Man, Reviews, Richard Matheson, Will Smith