One of the many stories that caught my eye coming out of the San Diego Comic Con was that long time Buffy and Angel actor and Whedonverse favourite, Alexis Denisof, will be appearing in the next season of Dollhouse.
The show was given a reprieve and picked up for a second season despite poor ratings but the buzz around it seems to me, to be turning more positive. Before the show even aired on Fox, fans had started a “Save Dollhouse” campaign online and for a time it looked as if they would be very busy. As someone who came late to the show, I was obviously influenced by all of the negative press, and after watching five episodes I could understand the viewpoint of those who scorned it. The show just didn’t grab me, and as a Joss Whedon product, I was disappointed. However, I made a promise to keep watching it for the entire run and finally, in the last three or four episodes, I was glad I persisted. But it was a long time coming. If it had been any other show by any other creator, and if not for my promise, I would have stopped watching by the fourth or fifth episode.
The show meandered at the start and nowadays with shows being cut down very early, sometimes before all filmed episodes are even aired, that just won’t wash. But, it’s been given a second chance, and to be fair, not all of the problems have been the fault of the showrunners and writers. The network didn’t help by not airing the original pilot and refusing to show the last episode of the first season, Epitaph One, featuring Felicia Day. She broke the news via Twitter when she was told it would not be shown, and there was much gnashing of teeth by the fans and Joss Whedon alike I’d imagine. The good news is the Season 1 DVD includes the final unaired episode and that it was shown on the Sci-Fi Channel in the UK this week.
So, with the appearance of Alan Tudyk at the end of season 1, the regular appearance of the lovely Amy Acker throughout, and now the recurring appearance of Alexis Denisof in Season 2, is Dollhouse back on track with so many of the Whedonverse alumni? Let’s hope so. Without spoiling the show for those who haven’t seen it, it manages to come a long way in season 1 considering how it began with Alias-lite type episodes that quite often felt like one note musicals. The original setup has been radically altered and it can’t be undone, which means the story arc episodes will continue and I hope there will be less standalone ‘Echo on a field trip’ type episodes in the future. All we know about Denisof’s character is that he is a senator who will be a thorn in the side of the Dollhouse and that it is a recurring role. I can’t wait to see him back in action as he has been sorely missed from TV.
Considering my opinion of the show when it began, I never thought I’d be saying this but, I’m looking forward to watching season 2 of Dollhouse.
The Empyre, a graphic novel written by me and drawn by an artist yet to be picked, will be published by Insomnia Publications.
To read more about it and for updates you can visit Insomnia’s weekly blog – The Red Eye
Or if you want to keep track of The Empyre you can follow its progress on the Empyre Blog
So what is it all about…..well…….
On his first day in office, the Prime Minister meets a member of his Cabinet he didn’t elect – Alistair Donovan, the Secretary of State for Nocturnal Affairs.
Donovan runs a secret government department that has existed for over a hundred years. In extreme circumstances, when a swift resolution is needed, the Prime Minister calls on Donovan and his team of hand-picked specialists.
The Empyre mixes fast-paced action with politics and drama, charting how the UK starts to become a world leader in a secret technology, and the effects it has on international politics.
If you watch 24 and The West Wing on TV and enjoy comics such as Ex-Machina and Queen and Country then keep your eye out for more news on this one in future.
We recommend a lot of comics, movies and, more recently, books on the show and wherever possible we try to point people towards their local comic shop. However, we realise that some people don’t always have a local one, and it is sometimes difficult to get hold of the things we talk about. Plus some people start with the most recent episodes and work their way backwards, and we didn’t want them to miss out on some of the great stuff we’ve talked about.
So we have created our own Amazon Stores (one for the US and one for the UK) and I’ve gone back through all the episodes and compiled a massive list. These are works in progress, and I probably haven’t got everything and have missed a couple of items, but they can be easily updated. I’ve also added all of our book club selections and future selections will be added when announced.
So if you like the sound of anything we’ve talked about in an episode, you can now pick it up from one place. If you can’t find something in particular on there, or want a recommendation in a particular comics genre (western, horror etc) then let one of us know and we’ll add it as quickly as possible to the Amazon store and get back to you.
One of my big pleasures as a teenager was to go to my local video store and just browse the wall of videos there – movies that were never heard of again, with often suspect cover art. Well thanks to this website:
I’m able to relive some of those glory days, though sadly I don’t think I’m going to be able to watch any of them in the near future. C’mon internet, start streaming these things! I don’t know whether it’s the design of the covers, or just nostalgia, but so many of these movies look awesome to me!
Being Human, the BBC 3 drama about a vampire, werewolf and ghost, living together in a flat in Bristol is now available on DVD from April 20th 2009. Last year the BBC commissioned a number of TV pilots from different creative teams, and the most popular would be considered for something more. Being Human was highly successful, and an online campaign helped attract a lot of attention and a few months later it was commissioned for a 6 episode series which aired in early 2009.
The show is a mix of drama, horror and comedy, and the closest touchstones are things like Buffy and Angel. It is incredibly dark in some places, very funny in others, and it carries a 15 certificate, so is not suitable for younger viewers due to the subject matter and other adult content.
The series was an absolute delight. Clever and very well written with snappy dialogue, it explored some dark places in the lives of the three main characters, with each of them trying to come to terms with what they are and, at the same time, maintain a normal life and just fit in with their neighbours on a normal street in Bristol. They manage to pack a lot into the six episodes and the plot keeps moving briskly with each, even when some episodes focus on one character and we get a more in depth exploration of their situation and daily life.
All three actors, Russell Tovey, Lenora Critchlow and Aidan Turner are fantastic who you might have seen here and there in other shows like Doctor Who, The History Boys and The Tudors. In Being Human they are able to truly shine and prove themselves to be among some of the best of young British talent. The outstanding performance probably goes to Russell Tovey who displays remarkable range and can slip from almost Lee Evans comedic timing and physicality to utterly soul-drained emotional torment the next. Never again will you think it might be cool to be a werewolf after you witness what he goes through physically and emotionally each month which is utterly horrific.
This is British TV and the BBC at its best and I’m very happy to say Being Human did so well it has been picked up for a second season, which will be eight episodes long. To fill the gap between now and then, check out the DVD which includes a bunch of extras and the six episodes to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
We’ve mentioned The Guild starring Felicia Day a few times in the past on the show, and now in the US they’ve held the 1st Annnual Streamy Awards, that is an awards show dedicated to online media programmes. Doctor Horrible was nominated and won a bunch of awards, as did The Guild and Felicia Day herself won Best Actress in a Comedy. So huge congrats to her and everyone involved for all of their hard work and effort.
Felicia Day
Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris were both in attendence and they were there to pick up a few awards as well for Doctor Horrible.
Joss Whedon accepting an award for Doctor Horrible
Check out the Streamy Awards website for more information and a full list of all the winners and categories here
For more information about The Guild visit the website here.
The internet is bringing about a lot of change, some bad, but mostly good. Like podcasting! And blogging and all the other channels that allow you to receive news and opinions without a filter. And now, it’s brought us original programmes and ideas direct to our doorstep from creative minds that don’t have the backing of a studio. This was only the first year of the awards and the ceremony was dominated by a couple of well known shows, and they totally deserve it. I just hope next year that there will be dozens of shows and hundreds of nominations as the traditional boundaries fall away and we see some fantastic new stuff.
By far this is my favourite film of the year so far. I know there are a lot of big blockbusters coming up with a wealth of exciting special effects, but this is completely the opposite of those and yet was equally captivating and memorable. There also seems to be some confusion as to what the film is about. I’ve spoken to a few people who thought it was a film about cars, so here’s a non-spoiler review of the film to explain the premise.
Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed retiree and former Korean War veteran who just wants to be left alone. The problem is he’s got two interfering sons who want to ship him off to a retirement home, ungrateful grandkids that just want to take all his cool stuff, a nosey priest who made a promise to Walt’s late wife, and now he’s got new Chinese neighbours who irritate him. Almost against his wishes Walt befriends the two children from next door who introduce him to their family and culture.
Gran Torino is an inspiring and telling story for our times that is about family, neighbourhoods, crime, the loss of community spirit, religion, racism, how men talk to one another and friendships that don’t know any traditional borders or boundaries. It’s about fear and regret, opportunities and bravery – the kind from war – but also the kind to turn away from something and say no. The film is also about forgiveness, cultural sensitivity and finding your place in the world.
Overall is it a touching story about friendship and the entire film doesn’t put a foot wrong. From the actors, to the direction, to the music. Everything is perfect. Eastwood has done it again and although the song was nominated for a Golden Globe, the film itself deserves a lot more accolades than it received. As a big fan of Eastwood I would say this is his best film since Unforgiven which won a slew of Oscars. It really is just that darn good.
Recently the numbers of people watching Red Dwarf on the Dave channel in the UK has made a few people sit up and notice as it is now approaching its 22nd year and so a whole new generation of people are finding out about it. As a result of this, two brand new episodes have been commissioned and will be shown on Dave during the Easter weekend starting April 10th. There are also two others, one bloopers and another behind the scenes I believe.
Also inspired by this is the Better than Life convention where the guests so far are
Craig Charles
Chris Barrie
Robert Llewellyn
Danny John-Jules
Norman Lovett
Hattie Hayridge
Chloe Annett
Steven Wickham (Gelf Bride)
The event will be held on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June 2009 in The Park Inn, Bedford.
There’s recently been a new Star Trek trailer released – and it’s looking great! I must say I’m not overly thrilled by some plot elements that I’ve been hearing, however I’m still setting phasers to fun for when this get’s released next year (stardate May 9th 2009)
P.S. Apologies for my extended absence. In the last few weeks I’ve returned from Canada and started a new job (not to mention the release of Wrath of the Lich King’ so I haven’t had much time for posting. I’ll be back more frequently from now on!
