Only Nine Top Grossing Films of the Decade Were “Original” Ideas
November 17, 2009 || Category: Editorial, Featured | 7 Comments
For years, many of us have complained about a lack of original ideas from Hollywood.
Week after week, we’ve heard and read stories about the latest comic book, toy line, video game, board game or tv show being mined for a new blockbuster in Hollywood. And that doesn’t even get into the rebooting of franchises or remaking of previously made movies or properties.
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
I should be slugging away at my National Novel Writing Month novel, but instead I choose to regale hapless readers who wander by with yet more of my thoughts on recent movies. Recent in terms of when they became available for rent, not necessarily when shown in theaters. That’s right; I cater to people who shun the company of crowds (although crowds might have been hard to find at some of these movies), and who prefer instead to enjoy, or not, their movie-viewing at home.
Scott Brown: America Is Finally Ready for “Doctor Who”
November 11, 2009 || Category: Editorial, TV News | 5 Comments
Wired columnist Scott Brown has an intriguing essay on why the United States may finally be ready to embrace “Doctor Who.”
Having been a fan since the mid-’80’s and seen the show on the verge of breaking out of its cult stutus (until Michael Grade put the show in haitus and ruined the momentum), the article [...]
I’m enjoying both the show and the ride it takes you on, but I don’t know for how much longer. Yes, yes, I know . . . give it at least six episodes. However, after only three episodes I’m already switching from enjoy-the-ride mode to let-me-look-under-the-hood mode, and what I see is iffy.
First, [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Eureka
I’ve noticed something with Eureka. No, not how the first few shows after the long absence were pretty weak. Nor how it turned around slowly and finished strong. I mean, I did notice, but I noticed something else as well.
I noticed is a consistent anti-science and [...]
Editorial: What Ever Happened to Summer Repeats?
July 20, 2009 || Category: Editorial, Featured | 6 Comments
Editorial by: Michael Hickerson (Slice of SciFi Editor)
A couple of days ago, Summer dropped me a note, saying that repeats of “Medium” had started to show up on CBS’s regular line-up. You may recall that “Medium” was dropped by NBC this year, but quickly scooped up by CBS as part of its Friday night line-up.
And [...]
Editorial: What A “Doctor Who” Movie Could Mean for the Matt Smith Era
July 9, 2009 || Category: Editorial, Featured | 18 Comments
Editorial by: Michael Hickerson (Slice of SciFi Editor)
For the upcoming San Diego Comic Con, outgoing “Doctor Who” producer Russell T. Davies has elusive promised that he would make an big announcement regarding the series. Given the fact that actor David Tennant will be making the jump across the pond to join Davies on the panel, [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
During a rare lull in my otherwise hectic life, I took a moment to examine why my life has become so hectic. I mean, I’ve always had a job, I’ve played racquetball, I read, watched movies and TV, spent time with my wife, and even listened to music. [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
In the last month or so I’ve been a little more active on FaceBook, joined Twitter, continued with occasional entries on by blog, and posted a number of photos on my SmugMug account. This is in addition to my other on-line presence; contributing to a few forums, reading [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
One of the attractions of the Star Trek universe is the quasi-Utopian idea of a society which has done away with money, where the main interests of humankind are the pursuit of knowledge and exploration. This presumes some sort of world government, and a fairly homogeneous society united [...]
Editorial: “Chuck” Vs. “Heroes”: The Season Finales
April 30, 2009 || Category: Editorial, Featured | 6 Comments
Written by: Michael Hickerson (Slice of SciFi Editor)
Monday evening, NBC aired two of the first season finales for two struggling, genre series. One is a critical favorite with a devoted loyal fanbase that was given a full-season order before the series returned this year based on the strength of its first four episodes. [...]
Editorial: So You Want to Be a “Doctor Who” Fan, Part One: The Episodes
April 22, 2009 || Category: Editorial | 5 Comments
Written by: Michael Hickerson (Farpoint Media News Director and long-time “Doctor Who” fan).
So, you’ve just finished watching “Planet of the Dead” for the tenth time, memorized the trailer for “Waters of Mars” and have analyzed every last nuance out of the scenes included and the potential anagram. And now you’ve got about seven [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
I’ve been thinking just how much successful (or relatively successful) SciFi series resemble soap operas, if not in content, definitively in the fanaticism of their followers. Most people who follow Heroes, BSG, and Lost (to name a few) might not characterize the shows as soap operas, [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
After avoiding drinking anything for a number of hours before, this past weekend I went to see the I-Max presentation of Watchmen. A few months ago I had bought and read the graphic novel, and when I finished it I had resolved not to go see the movie. [...]
Editorial: Top Ten Episodes of “Battlestar Galactica”
March 23, 2009 || Category: Editorial, Featured | 18 Comments
Six years, four seasons and over eighty episodes later, the story of the re-imagined “Battlestar Galactica” is complete. Whether you loved it, hated it or are somewhere in the middle, it’s good to know the series went out on its own terms.
“Battlestar Galactica” went from an idea that was initially scoffed at by many fans [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Perhaps not all are aware 2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy. What does this mean? It means the public will be targeted by a world-wide effort to raise awareness of what’s revolving above our heads. More precisely, we revolve under it, and I [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Following an outpouring of love, encouragement, and touching personal accounts of my previous movies commentary changing people’s lives, I was shamed into doing a follow-up. My thinking was to employ the same tone of irreverence, humor, and insightfully biting comments as my first piece, but upon some consideration I [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
I am not a movie critic, and I don’t play one on TV.  As a non-critic I tend to rate movies not on the execution of the craft, but rather on the amount of entertainment I derive from the movie. True, the amount of entertainment I derive from a [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
. . . that’s what it feels like right now. Most shows I care about are in hiatus, and the cable channels are festooned with various sports I don’t follow. Worse yet, those which don’t carry sports are sending out wave after wave of reality [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
This piece deals exclusively with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. If you have no interest in the Terminator franchise, skip this piece. But if you are a fan of the story, Terminator: SCC offers some interesting takes on terminators, and it introduces facets of the machines that are completely [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
It’s no secret I like “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”. It’s true I am pretty harsh on some of the characters when commenting on the forums, but I realize they (the human characters) are at a serious disadvantage. Per force their characterizations wear the familiar trappings of countless stories that [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
I stare at the distant hill; a restlessness brews just below conscious thought. The effort is made to concentrate at the task at hand, but the eyes keep returning to the distant hill. Soon, almost of their own volition, the feet begin a journey to the hill. Four hours [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
This is the second piece relating to the Ben Bova interview in Episode #179. I’m writing to join in on the condemnation of the media. No, I am not referring to the incredibly poor job most of them are doing with regards to the upcoming national elections [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
This piece stems from the Slice of SciFi #179 interview with Ben Bova. Having read many of Ben Bova’s books, it was a real treat listening to the all-too-short interview. And, just as most of his books did, the interview got me thinking. It made me [...]
Written by: Samuel K. Sloan (FarPoint Media Executive News Director)
In April 2002 the SCI FI Channel had issued a press release that gave a listing of all their ambitious miniseries projects. One of those was to be a 4-hour miniseries based on the “The Complete Amber Chronicles,” written by the late Roger Zelazny.
Since that [...]
Written by: Mike McCafferty (SoSF Regular Contributor)
5 things the producers of Heroes need to address to keep the fanboys and the public tuning in
Heroes is coming back for season 2.5 or 3.7, or…well, I honestly don’t know what to call this season anymore, so let’s just say it’s coming back. Heroes is that [...]
Written by: Mike McCafferty (SoSF Regular Contributor)
The Star Trek Experience closed last week after a 10-year voyage. Citing conflicts between the hotel and Experience owners (read: money), the largest ongoing Star Trek convention, complete with rides, museum, shops and props is now no more. It was a Mecca for those “of the body†to [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
My last piece dealt with the pursuit of information putting ever-increasing claims on what little time encompasses the span of our lives. It is easy to envision a time, if it’s not already here, where the amount of information available to an individual easily exceeds their ability to [...]
Written by: Samuel K. Sloan (FarPoint Media Executive News Director)
Between 1963 until only recently, NASA was the leader in space science, travel, exploration, development and research. However, it would now seem that the billions spent everyday on the war in Iraq is not only affecting other programs here on the planet but also the [...]
Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Last week I railed against the Internet’s insidious plot to curtail my productivity. This week I want to provide some concrete examples of how the Internet is able to thwart my best resolve to focus on becoming a successful (read: rich) writer, photographer, and all-around nice guy.
For the [...]
