The second reason is Morena Baccarin, doe-eyed leader of the alien Visitors. The new Science Fiction Goddess for which expletive-free descriptions are inadequate. So bare with me as I try to compromise my opinions of her with the censorship that I intellectually realize is absolutely necessary. Just for a paragraph or so.

To begin: that beep fine as a motha-beep. She’s got that shaking going on like Donkey-Kong, and a way about her that makes a beep wanna beep. I don’t even know how she does it… but from Firefly to SG-1, she fits her characters like a beep-beep hand-delivered by Yahweh himself. Like Helen of Troy before her, I have absolutely no doubt that her face alone was enough to launch those twenty-nine, gargantuan space-ships. And however many they have hiding in high-orbit.

All the more interesting, this role in V isn’t her first decent into villainy. For those of you unfamiliar, as Stargate SG-1’s Adria, she plagued the Universe as a partially ascended super-being that could phase through walls, throw fireballs, and gracefully leap over gas giants in a single bound. All the while managing to keep her wonderfully comely appearance in perfect order. Somehow that all segue’s impeccably into this new role. Even knowing there is an alien-reptile peeking out from beneath that stoic, cutely-innocent expression of her’s, I can’t pull my eyes away. And her continued participation in this show more or less guarantees that I’ll watch it as long as she’s a part. Even if it back-slides in the direction Flash Forward already has.

But back to my first point. As much as I hate to admit it, there is more to talk about.

Overall, V was refreshing. As stated above, this is especially so with Flash Forward on hand to compare it too. Sure, the story proved a tad formulaic at times, and consequently predictable… but there are still a few twists hiding within the pilot’s plot that might pleasantly surprise you. Also, the progression of the story felt a little rushed at times… almost as if the show’s writers wanted to hurry up through the rigors of initial exposition and get right into the invisible war aspect. Which, I have to admit, I can’t really blame them for. This is just the beginning, after all.

One last element that pulsed frustration was the resonance the show’s writer’s attempted to force with current events. From the post 9-11 whackness to a counter-terrorism FBI agent as its central character. Even this show, it would seem, isn’t entirely cliche’ free. But for this day and age, it’s pretty damn close.

There was far more good than bad, however. The story has a definite hook, the characters have– for the most part– some depth, and even the special effects are top notch. Not once, for instance, did I get tired of those skyline shots of the alien ships above various cities of the world. Even if the Science Fiction genre has tortured that particular visual to hell and back.

The cast– just in case you didn’t get enough of my opinion above– is a big selling factor. Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost’s Juliet) seems to succeed in feeling far more natural then her Lost sister on Flash Forward does (Sonya Walger). And my man Alan Tudyk (Firefly’s Wash) being in it– and as a character with a bit of a surprise, no less– makes it all the more invigorating.

The Nazi-poster-boy looking Priest’s (Joel Gretsch) storyline came off a little contrived, unfortunately. From the moment he starts questioning the changing world around him, to his donning of street clothes in order to deliver a bloody envelope to a secret meeting, the character just wasn’t gelling with me. On the other hand, Morris Chestnut’s character Ryan has a whole lot of promise. Right from the get-go, it’s made abundantly clear that he’s a man trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and a dark past. A past I won’t ruin here, just in case you have yet to check the pilot out.

So let’s hope V continues to take steps in the right direction. And that the twists keep coming. The show, as it stands, is filled with potential… and it would break my heart to see it all wasted. Not to mention see Ms. Baccarin out of a job.

Since this episode aired, many fans and acting groups have tried to put on performances reenacting the musical, or showing sing-along screenings only to be shut down due to copyright infringements. However, as Henry Mazza (co-founder of buffysings.com) has proven, it can be done. On September 19, 2009, one such showing was held in Houston, TX, brought to us by the organizations SWAMP (Southwest Alternate Media Project) and Discovery Green, complete with a special guest appearance by Amber Benson (Tara). Benson who was there promoting her new book, “Death’s Daughter”, met with fans prior to the screening for a Q&A and book signing. While the screening itself was free, tickets for the meet and greet with Benson sold at $40 a-piece at the door and goodie bags filled with props to use throughout the screening could be purchased for $2. Despite the small fees, all profit made was generously donated to charity as was stipulated by the rights to hold the screening.

After the meet and greet with Benson, over 200 fans gathered at Houston’s Discovery Green park to watch the episode on a blow up screen under the stars. While waiting for the sun to set, Mazza took the stage as MC of the event and got the crowd pumped for an unforgettable night. During this time the winner of the online Twitter contest was brought up to the stage along with Benson to perform Buffy-oke, which is the reenacting of a scene from the series. In this case the scene was of Buffy and Angel at Angel’s apartment after their night of passion from Buffy Season 2’s “Innocence”. The surprise twist for Benson was that she would play the role of Angel! Both did a wonderful job with their roles, and if nothing else gave everyone a good laugh despite the heartbreaking content their performances were based on. Fans were also ecstatically surprised with a special showing of yet another Emmy nominated episode, season 4’s “Hush”, preceding the main event.

During the OMWF screening itself fans were encouraged to not only sing along, but to partake with the “tools” found in their goodie bags. This included blowing bubbles for Tara’s song “Under Your Spell”, during the line “spirits and charms in the air”, throwing streamers in the air for Tara’s “climactic” moment at the end of “Under Your Spell”, getting up and dancing with Anya and Xander during “I’ll Never Tell”, putting on a pair of plastic vampire fangs during Spike’s “Rest In Peace”, holding up lighters or cellphones during Giles’ ballad “Standing” and the group number “Let it Burn”, getting up and holding hands with each other during “Where Do We Go From Here”, continuously shouting “Shut Up, Dawn” over any of Dawn’s lines throughout the episode, and waving monster finger puppets at the end of the episode, while “Grr Argg”ing with the Mutant Enemy logo.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Personally, I felt yelling over Dawn’s lines was a bit distasteful, even if the character was annoying at times, but all in all it was a fantastic night that this Buffy fan will never forget. There were even some moments that had me tearing up while singing along with such a huge crowd that shared my love for the show during “I Have Theory”, “Standing”, and “Where Do We Go From Here”. Call me a geek, I admit it myself.

Find out more about SWAMP at http://www.swamp.org

Find out more about Discovery Green at http://www.discoverygreen.com/

Find new screenings or how to host your own Buffy Sing Along at http://www.buffysings.com

Our boy Dexter has got himself a new nemesis.

Whom, you ask, could possibly stand up to Michael C. Hall going all righteous Patrick Bateman on Miami’s criminal underbelly? To his methodical genius, advanced jujitsu, and boy-bookish charm?

Like a dose of sodium-pentothal to our collective carotid artery, our mystery guest steps forward.

A man who has faced down a raging sasquatch with a vaguely disgusted glance, then made himself a sandwich. A man who has chased windmill-giants and bandied words with the world’s most lovable ogre. Who has gone toe to toe with Jeff Goldblum, and likes to kill in his birthday suit. I think, by now, you know just who I’m talking about.

Admittedly, being excited over a naked John Lithgow is never a place I expected to find myself. Certainly it fits perfectly into the realm of those curious circumstances for which life can’t adequately prepare you. Like your first car crash, or Elektronic Supersonik. But from the minute I realized it wasn’t just a bath he was neurotically preparing for, up until he told that kid on the boardwalk that his choice of an ice cream flavor was repulsive, I’ve been hooked.

He’s the first thing that set the “oh shit, that’s creepy” hairs on the back of my neck on edge since this show’s first season. And I have to say… even those earlier tastes of what macabre lengths this show was willing to get into didn’t effect me like this nut job already has. The villains of this show have always had issues, not to mention our lovable antihero. But whatever the hell is going on in this guy’s head is steps and shadows beyond the rest. While Dexter’s “dark passenger” might always have one hand on the wheel… I think Naked Lithgow’s is in complete control.

Lithgow is the man in every way that shouldn’t be cool. Even when he was repeatedly groaning out eerie no’s beneath the scalding hot water of a darkened YMCA shower. Or when he watched the life drain from his victim’s face via a vanity mirror. Sick shit! Plus, brothers built like a peach colored brick house. Mighty, mighty, and letting it all hang out.

But that’s enough about Naked Lithgow. I don’t want to spoil the cool, refreshing breeze his character is invoking by dragging him through the muck of too much hype. Instead, a few words about the rest of the show. Which, naturally, was the usual mix of positive and negative elements the third season taught me to expect.

While I thought, for instance, that the new family dynamic with which Dexter must contend will prove revitalizing to a formula that has begun to drag, I found some other areas of the story wanting.  Like why is the focus on Quin suddenly intensifying? He’s just not very interesting. And are they attempting to revive that lost Dexter-Doakes friction… or is it just me?

Also, like Dexter committing murder in the 1st on too little sleep, the editing felt noticeably sloppy. Or maybe it was just the production in general. Even the writing was clumsy and a little predictable. From the minute you see that pretty reporter approach Quin, for instance, you know what they’re trying to do.

But some of the other changes might spin out well. I always enjoy watching Batista keep his pimp hand strong, and Lundy chasing down the one killer who has managed to escape him repeatedly might prove interesting.

So… despite the few criticisms I have, my focus will remain firmly on John Lithgow’s surprisingly firm backside. And the promise of the first good story arc since the initial season that it brings. So what do you think? Is Dexter going to learn some lessons and move on to a fifth season… or is Naked Lithgow, like the plagues of Egypt, marking the end of a series that has perhaps gone as far as it is able?

But now Stargate is getting the attention it deserves. And the budget! Behold, Stargate Universe in all of its above glory!

Firstly, the cast certainly seems interesting. Including both Robert Carlyle (bad ass Begbie from Trainspotting) and Lou Diamond Phillips. Not to mention cameos from the original cast of SG-1, sans Christopher Judge, unfortunately. Directing and writing it are, of course, alum’s of both SG- 1 and Stargate Atlantis.

What has me on the edge of my seat, however, is just how crisp it feels. How refined. Whatever production hurdles the creators came across with the first two shows, it would seem, they have definitely surpassed now.

The story sounds interesting as well. The following summary is from Syfy’s website:

“A group of soldiers, scientists and civilians, fleeing an attack, find themselves stranded far from Earth on a mammoth Ancient ship known as the Destiny. They must live in the limbo of time and space, cling to the notion of hope, locked on an unknown course in search of home. Now the group’s fates lie at the mercy of the ship as they face the challenges of meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air. Through the danger and adventures, some will be revealed as heroes, some will be shown as villains…and some won’t make it out at all.”

Stargate Universe premier’s this Friday, October 2nd. Be there, or be a wasted chevron!

Sorry about that last line… but it had to be done.

Open on blatant hook: the aftermath of a catastrophic event designed solely to snag viewers nice and early. Pretty, English, possibly eye-linered Joseph Fiennes pulls himself from a flipped over, ruined car and looks onto a city immersed in chaos. All the traditional imagery follows: woman calling for help while holding her dying husband’s head in her lap, shocked people stumbling around with wounded hands on wounded heads and/or wounded necks… even a screaming man on fire that seems incapable of recalling the old axiom of stopping, dropping, and rolling.

After this quick little taste of things to come, we jump back to four hours earlier. Naturally.

Here we’re subjected to Mr. Fiennes and Lost’s Sonya Walger–two gifted British actors–playing the typical American couple with painfully typical American accents. He playfully claims that he hates her, she calls him babe, and I throw up a little in my mouth.

A few steps later brings homeboy into an Alcoholic’s Anonymous meeting with what might be a hillbilly, and the real disappointment sets in. Network TV actually expects us to accept another tortured, AA hero. Now, I understand and fully respect the fact that all good heroes need character flaws, but isn’t this particular downfall getting a tad cliché? If the show’s creators were determined to spotlight substance abuse, why not try something a little more refreshing and gritty, like methamphetamine or cocaine? Imagine Joseph Fiennes twitching between action sequences… ‘nuff said.

Anyway, a clumsy series of character introductions later, and the show builds suspense for the oncoming mass black out. Car chase over here, above mentioned hillbilly climbing electric pole over there, just a dash of hospital operation room drama, a shore-side suicide, and a babysitter in mid-coitis…   boom! Fade to black and the beginning of some slightly contrived-feeling mystery, and we pick up where the show started: city in chaos. Only this time a fuel tanker explodes and a helicopter crashes into a high rise. All of this in just over eleven minutes. Ye gods.

Beyond that, I’m not even sure what else to mention. I guess the show does pose some excellent questions, such as, how the hell does it only take the FBI approximately five hours to accept precognitive visions as viable evidence in their investigation? Or why wasn’t Dominic Monaghan in the pilot? And why, in God’s name, is the show’s hero so into standing on top of ruined cars?

John Cho is in the show as well, and his acting is, of course, top-notch. Although (through no fault of his own) the most interesting thing about the character is the cool scar pattern on his face  he sports through most of the pilot. And you’ll love the closest thing to a nemesis the show’s heroes have–Suspect Zero–yet another cliché, tortured, and the one man walking around during the mass blackout.

Part of me wishes I could Flash Back and reclaim that hour of my life. But who knows, maybe there is potential here. I’ll at least check out next week’s episode in support of my man Dominic.

#7

The Cleveland Show
FOX – Sept. 27th

Click here to view the embedded video.

#6

Shark Tank
ABC – Sept. 29th

Click here to view the embedded video.

#5

Flash Forward
ABC – Sept. 24th

Click here to view the embedded video.

#4

Community
NBC – Sept. 17th

Click here to view the embedded video.

#3

Stargate Universe
SyFy – Oct. 2nd

Click here to view the embedded video.

#2

Bored To Death
HBO – Sept. 20th

Click here to view the embedded video.

#1

V
ABC – Nov. 3rd

Click here to view the embedded video.

Did I miss any? What will you be watching, new and old?

Admittedly, I’ve only seen about 20 minutes of the show, and as of yet, I’m thinking I was correct to assume so. But I’m open to find out if the show is worth checking out. Is it just another scifi “original” series (ie ripoff?) from the station who hasn’t produced quality original content since SG-1? After peeling away the bad acting, cheesy writing, and shaky camera work, is there a nugget of good story underneath? Let me know in the comments below!

Katyń

(DVD)

Andrzej Wajda, recipient of an honorary Academy Award, releases Katyń. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007, Katyń is the story of the Katyń Forrest Massacre during WWII. Thousands of Polish military officers, policemen, intellectuals and civilian prisoners of war were brutally murdered by Soviet NKVD. Katyń is not only historically abominable, but personally as well — as Andrzej Wajda’s own father was one of these murdered intellectuals.

Rating: A

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25th Anniversary Film Collection

(DVD and Blu-ray)

This box-set contains all four TMNT movies (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Secret Of The Ooze, Turtles in Time, and TMNT), as well as a collector’s tin and four cloth turtle masks.

Nerd Rage: While the cloth masks are a pretty sweet gimmick, the collection lacks the special features one would really want in an anniversary release. Where is the “Coming Out of Their Shells” Tour? Or the Barbara Walters Interview? How about Behind the Shell: The Making Of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles documentary? Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation? Or this Un-aired Pilot? Or the old anti-drug commercial? Maybe the numerous TMNT toy commercials? Or even this Ninja Turtles/Power Rangers Cross-over Episode of Power Rangers In Space? … I think I’ve made my point.

Rating: B-

Super Friends: The Lost Episodes

(DVD )

Contains 24 Never-Before-Aired episodes of the 1983 Hanna-Barbera Cartoon. Also comes with 2 bonus download-able PDF format DC comics.

Nerd Rage: Doesn’t contain ALL of the Lost Episodes, only a plurality.

Rating: B

Other Notable Blu-ray Releases: I Love You, Man, The Ninth Gate, St. Elmo’s Fire, Monsters, Inc., Starman, & Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

Other Notable DVD Releases: I Love You, Man, DJ Spooky and Matthew Shipp Trio, & Sugar Hill Gang: Hip Hop Anniversary Europe Tour

And now… The Worst Release of this Glorious Tuesday:

Zorro: Generation Z – Volume 2

“Action…adventure…fast motorcycles…a female friend who calls herself The Scarlet Whip…and one of the most enduring and legendary heroes of all time! Diego de la Vega is a modern-day young man starting his first year of college. A descendant of past Zorros, he feels compelled to pick up the mantle of his ancestors when the city of his birth grows increasingly corrupt. Being a modern Zorro means no longer riding a horse. Instead, Zorro fights crime on a very cool purple motorcycle called the Tornado-Z with crime-fighting tools that include a Z-Pod, Z-Phone and other surprises. This is the ZORRO FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM!”

Click here to view the embedded video.

And that about wraps up this Glorious Tuesday. I hope you feel revitalized, I know I do. See you next week.

Watch it there or view it (along with some clues/questions) after the break.

Release Schedule:

• Episode 1: July 23rd, 2009
• Episode 2: August 4th, 2009
• Episode 3: September 8th, 2009
• Episode 4: October 15th, 2009
• Episode 5: November 16th, 2009

Some things to look out for:

• How did the uniform get out into the public?
• The “Flying Saucer” they show after the janitor story seems to say “LOST” on it.
• Allusions to DI owning Area 51
• Two recruitment locations are named: Portland, OR (old news) and Area 51 (new news)
• Interview with the parents of Olivia Goodspeed, a teacher we met in Season 5 on the Island.
• Strange test question: “Who is your constant?” – I would like to see how applicants answered this question!

That’s it for now. Notice something we missed? Let us know in the comments!

I’ve been able to forgive the SciFi channel for many things over the years. Their silly quasi- original monster movies, for one. Or the fact that they only play Star Trek: Next Generation on Mondays. Even that ridiculous looking vampire detective show my brother is always talking about, that I’m sure has the words night and/or moon in the title. But their newest move, at last, has managed to drive the proverbial wooden stake home.

As you’ve no doubt seen lately, they no longer work under the above mentioned moniker. Instead, they’re now functioning under the puerilely phonetic Syfy… a perfectly framed representation of the fact that even this cherished channel is acquiescing to America’s new wave of marketing mishaps.

Like Pizza Hut, for example, which is now simply known as The Hut. Why? Who wants to eat at a Hut? When the concept of a Hut was once modified by the promise of Pizza… perhaps. But now the only imagery that comes to mind is of a rough and tumble dive nestled somewhere close to a dying river, constructed of mismatched pieces of wood and perhaps some kind of straw. Who wants to eat there?

Or Radio Shack, who rumors suggest might drop the Radio and become, you guessed it, the Shack. Would you buy a Y-Splitter from someone wearing overalls? That kind of inane change is going to force me into Best Buy for all my cabling needs.

But that’s enough digression.

I’m not sure what brought this change onto the Syfy channel, whether it was the their inability to trademark the name SciFi, or their desire to distance themselves from their namesake genre. Are they going the route of the one time Arts and Entertainment channel, known now as A&E, which made the change in order to make way for new and decidedly less cultured entertainment? Or is there some other, darker plot afoot?

I don’t mean to come off totally negative, either, as the channel still has some good to offer. I can’t find Next Generation on anywhere else, even if its only for one night a week… and the new Stargate show coming this fall seems promising in a Lou Diamond Phillips kind of way. But I can’t help gritting my teeth at the vowel-less tag every time it flashes on the screen, and wondering just how long its going to take me to grow accustomed to. My only hope is that the channel, like a rose, proves to smell the same by any other name. Even if it looks like it belongs to a new energy drink.

What can we hope to learn from this? Will it feature our intrepid survivors? Will it bring us any resolution? Darlton have already confirmed that the DHARMA plot is already wrapped up within the show, so this may be our last chance to get answers.

Continue reading to watch video.

UPDATE: Release schedule:

• Episode 1: July 23rd, 2009
• Episode 2: August 4th, 2009
• Episode 3: September 8th, 2009
• Episode 4: October 15th, 2009
• Episode 5: November 16th, 2009