In the News: This week’s news has a theme!
- Kevin McKidd, star of “Dog Soldiers,” “Rome” and “Journeyman” is in the running to be the next Highlander when Summit Entertainment jump starts the “their can be only one” film franchise.
- Sean Connery, 78, has sat down with writer and filmmaker Murray Grigor and written his autobiography. He unveiled the book titled “Being a Scot” at the famous Edinburgh Book Festival on Monday.
- Patrick Swayze, will soon be starring in a TV spy flick called “The Beast,” thanked all his Lothian-based fans for all their love, encouragement and support offered up to him when it was announced the star of “Ghost,” “Red Dawn” and “Dirty Dancing” was undergoing chemo-therapy for pancreatic cancer.
Special Announcement: Kreg from Technorama gives the low-down on the fond adieu to the 10-year run of the Las Vegas Star Trek Experience. Go to ChuckChat.com/techorama for this two-part audio and video presentation beginning September 2nd.
Movie Talk:
- Filmmaker Kevin Smith (“Clerks,” “Dogma”) was one of the rare few given an early viewing of the new Star Trek film from J.J. Abrams. Smith has nothing but good things to say about the movie, Abrams and all the leading cast involved with the project. In two words Kevin says “It’s fantastic!”
- Get ready for it….Bollywood has created a new feature film titled “Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors” and it has set Warner Bros., owners of the Harry Potter film franchise, on a suing frenzy.
Slice of Trivia: Kurt in St. George offers up 3 clips that were inspired by a previous Slice of Trivia episode.
TV Talk:
- From HBO comes a new show based on the book series by Charlaine Harris. The television series, titled “True Blood,” takes an interesting twist on the old vampire theme and tries on the idea of humans and vampires cohabiting in mutual relationships.
- “Heroes” and “Battlestar Galactica” alums will star in a SCI FI Channel remake of “Children of the Corn.”
Interview: Dennis Hope is the head of the Lunar Embassy World Headquarters, the organization behind the ownership of real estate on the Moon. He explains why it’s important and relevant to own lunar property and why it could be profitable because of the mining of Helium-3 in the not-too-distant future. His lunar land deals have already turned Hope into a millionaire several times over and he can boast of current property owners through his Lunar Embassy as the estate of President Ronald Reagan, President Jimmy Carter and both Bush Presidents, as well as 523 celebrities such as George Lucas, Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, Barbara Walters, and over 5 million common people in 193 countries. Hope and others have formed a body called the Galactic Government. While this new government isn’t legally recognized by the U.N. it has already been put to the test when it confronted China about its plans to mine on owned lunar property… and won.
Future Talk:
- Shia LaBeouf is back on the set of the next Transformers movie with his automobile injuries written into the script.
- Jodie Benson (“The Little Mermaid”) joins Michael Keaton in a voice role for “Toy Story 3” with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
- Kristen Bell (“Heroes,” “Veronica Mars”) provides voice for the female lead in “Astro Boy.”
- Jon Favreau is helming “Iron Man 2” from a script written by him, Justin Theroux (“Tropic Thunder”) and Robert Downey Jr.
Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know. Keep your comments brief, or funny, and maybe you’ll hear your message on the voicemail show! See you next week with fresh new content.
Link: Lunar Embassy World Headquarters
Link: Technorama’s Adieu to the Star Trek Experience
Link: Peace In Space
Promo: Dragon Page “Cover to Cover”
Promo: The Gmail Podcast
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Michael says
The Dennis Hope interview was a waste of time. Probably the worst interview you’ve released in your feed. I’d rather be forced to watch BSG 1980 or Cleopatra 2525 than listen to interview subject like this…Other than that, I usually enjoy your show.
the lows says
it was funny. and you never know when you might need cheese, we might run out here on earth. you never seen wally and gromit??
darcy
Joey Pizza says
Just because he has managed to scam thousands of poeple doesnt mean he has any legitimate claims to lunar ownership. If he truly has this advanced technology that he claims to have he wouldnt need to run a con game to make money. Also what he going to do start shooting down spacrcraft who dont pay up? Is this guy a Nut or just a Conman?
Michael Mennenga says
Dennis is a character. He always has been, and like it or not, he has sold millions of pieces of paper claiming ownership. The republican party has even given him an award for his efforts. (The Cspan footage used to be out there online.)
As I said… he is a bit nuts, and passionate about what he is doing. As a scifi fan, I really hope he can do it. As a realist, he has a lot of proof to present.
The only way to quiet the skeptics is to do it. Time will tell indeed.
Rob says
Ah…I usually enjoy this show, but I have to ask why no one on the entire panel of interviewers called Hope on his claims of posessing a near-light speed drive and a means of preventing space faring nations access to the moon.
Those seem like the sorts of statements a person ought to be asked to back up. I’d have preferred no interview to one that applied willing suspension of disbelief to the real world. That’s supposed to be a device for enjoying fiction, not asessing reality.
Maybe this was a intended as a joke – I’d expect this sort of thing on April 1.
Jason says
I’m a little confused with the Lunar Embassy thing. Early in the interview, didn’t Hope say no government could claim sovernity on the moon? Then he says his group is trying to be recognized as a country. If he/they is successful in getting recognized as a country doesn’t that negate any ownership of land on the moon?
Ian N says
Crazy Joe,
I’ll see your Troll (1986) and raise you an earlier use of Harry Potter. The film Carry On Camping (1969) has a character who introduces herself as Harry Potter. Harriet is played by the ever entertaining Betty Marsden.
Domenic says
I am a big fan of your show, and was proud how you didn’t get caught up in the whole bigfoot scam…so tell me you guys have actually witnessed these claims with your own eyes, or you’re in on a big joke, otherwise I can’t believe you gave air time to this: I hope there’s a punchline or an addendum to this, otherwise my respect for all of you and your podcast has just gone down a few notches….
Michael Mennenga says
@Jason… As are we all. We got a lot more in this interview than any of us expected.
Mike says
Whoa… This weeks it sounded like a nutjob or a scam. I’d love any of what he said to be true about space travel… but people have intested billions into it and not got close. I think before the moon is an option, theres gongi to have to be an easy way to get to space; like an elevator… or railgun….? Who knows.
Anyway, I highly doubt his claims without some sort of proof. A scientist that he works with… anything.
Though it would make a really interesting story… about a millionare that gets into space first that begins ransoming the rest of the world with the threat of blowing up their space stuff if they don’t give into every whim…
And on a side note….
I had to pick Steve Eley for this too a while ago…
Seag connery from Edinburg? Really? Edinburg is in Texas…
Edinburgh.
Edin- bru{for brush) or bra…
Yes its not clear… and its unfair…
Sorry. I’m Scottish and dislike people getting my capital wrong. >_>
<_<
Carriep says
I know Slice is not hard-hitting journalism–I don’t expect it to be–but would have been nice to see you press the guy on some (any) of his claims.
The veil of secrecy he seemed to attach to most of what he was saying makes it very hard to believe. I mean, at least some of what he was saying should be able to be verified.
I’m fine with you guys giving softball interviews, that’s what you do, but when the most skeptical question asked was “can I charge rent for my spot on the moon” that’s so soft its more like one of those bizzare Japanese gelled dessert things.
Michael Mennenga says
We’ll be talking about this more in the show, but I’ll give some comment to it here and now. This came at us from left field. You should have seen us in the studio. Those long pauses, we really long. We had no idea this was coming and we were completely unprepared for what we got.
Really… We’re just happy geeks talking about scifi. This was nothing like what I expected.
Carriep says
Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely a very interesting interview. And I can see the “deer in headlights” thing going on with the additional context you’ve provided.
Sorry to come down so harshly on ya there.
Mitch from Omaha says
Regarding Kevin Smith’s praise of the upcoming Star Trek movie, I have to ask, who cares what that jackass thinks?
Remember, this is the same guy who reviewed all three Star Wars prequels and proclaimed each as the best movie in the series, and called the third prequel a “phenomenal” movie.
His opinions are worth exactly nothing. When a real reviewer comes out with commentary on the movie, then we can pay attention.
Darrell Walker says
I found the Dennis Hope interview interesting. I have heard about him before. I too would like some backing-up of his claims. Obviously the “reverse gravity drive” or whatever he calls it is a work of wishful-thinking.
But his other claim (of neutralizing ships sent to the moon) is at least possible–in theory. Perhaps some sort of EMP or something similar. However, having such a system on paper and having something real that really works are 2 totally different things. For one thing, you would need a way to track and target any such ships, and then a way to deliver the “weapon”. I seriously doubt his group has any of this hardware (or will have in the near future).
I can understand that he would not want to give details as to how the technology works (if it is for real, he wouldn’t want the governments being able to analyze the tech and come up with countermeasures), but he’s gotta give us something if he’s going to expect anyone credible to believe any of his claims.
As for mining He3, there are a multitude of issues to be overcome before that can be a reality, not the least of which is being able to get to the moon and back in a cost-effective way. Not to mention establishing lunar mining facilities that are safe and productive.
I hope there will be further interviews with Dennis that will probe into these details and try to reveal whether there’s any reality in any of this or just some more great sci-fi.