Slice of SciFi #170: Robert Picardo (“Stargate: Atlantis”)

In the News:

Warner Bros. studio and Capcom, Japan’s largest gaming company, have joined forces to create and distribute a major motion picture based on the hit video game “Lost Planet.”

Scientists have developed and are trying to perfect a new Star Trek-type device that will become a life-saving earthquake early warning system. Right now it can predict earthquakes for as much as 10 hours before they strike.

A U.S. Court of Appeals, after a decade-plus long court battle, have given Lassie’s rightful owner, the last remaining heir of creator Eric Knight, copyright control of the stories surrounding that famous collie and his human boy companion.

Movie Talk:
Of course the big movie news this weekend and next Friday are the releases of two of this year’s most highly anticipated films in which one will probably blow away the current 2008 box office record holder, “Iron Man.” That film would be “The Dark Knight,” which premiered this weekend in theaters across the globe, and the other is next weekend’s “X-Files: I Want To Believe.”

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return to reprise their most famous roles to-date — FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully for this all-new X-Files film that critics are saying will bring life back to the franchise.

Christian Bale returns as the caped crusader in “The Dark Knight,” but the real story here is Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker. His portrayal is nothing short of genius, revealing The Joker as he was always meant to be — a ruthless, intelligent, cold, psychotic, black-souled, hardened and calculating criminal with no regard for anyone, not even himself. For Ledger’s Joker all that matters is the well thought-out institution and elevated level of planned criminal mayhem and chaos for its own sake — truly making “The Dark Knight’ the motion picture to see in 2008.

Slice of Trivia: Kurt in St. George brings 3 great clips from the great year in sci-fi – 1981. These will stump your memory circuits.

TV Talk: The Showtime premium channel has signed an exclusive seven-year deal with the Weinstein Co. after Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate decided to cancel their contract renewal with the pay cable network.

Interview: Actor Robert Picardo joins our gang for a great time together talking about his new gig as a series regular on “Stargate: Atlantis” as that station’s new commander. Hey, he finally gets a uniform with pockets and can claim to be one of only a few interstellar bureaucrats “who failed upward” — a real “Dick Cheney with a sense of humor.” Bob also shares news about his annual charity event for Habitat For Humanity.

Future Talk:

With James Cameron’s next big SF epic “Avatar” coming to a wrap, it’s time to take a look at his other massive 3-D project he has been working on at the same time “Avatar” was in production, and that, of course, is “Battle Angel.”

Kate Bosworth stars as a young woman caught in a purgatorial state fighting against the horrors of having her body buried as she tries desperately to prevent a funeral director, played by Alfred Molina, from disposing of her remains. “After.Life” is set to premiere sometime in 2009.

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.

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Link: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog
Link: Habitat For Humanity: Local Affiliate Directory
Link: Robert Picardo.com
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