Nerd Alert, Nerd Alert

January 16, 2014 — Leave a comment

Do you have some free time over the next 11 weeks? Then I’ve found a great project for you!

The University of Michigan is offering the following great course.

Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World

We understand the world — and our selves — through stories. Then some of those hopes and fears become the world.

“Fantasy is a key term both in psychology and in the art and artifice of humanity. The things we make, including our stories, reflect, serve, and often shape our needs and desires. We see this everywhere from fairy tale to kiddie lit to myth; from “Cinderella” to Alice in Wonderland to Superman; from building a fort as a child to building ideal, planned cities as whole societies. Fantasy in ways both entertaining and practical serves our persistent needs and desires and illuminates the human mind. Fantasy expresses itself in many ways, from the comfort we feel in the godlike powers of a fairy godmother to the seductive unease we feel confronting Dracula” Continued Here

Quick Movie Review – August: Osage County

January 14, 2014 — 1 Comment

August Osage County movie

I knew that I was going to love this film! It’s extremely funny, extremely depressing and equally powerful. But compared to what else is being released right now, at least it’s about something. The queen of acting Meryl Streep outdoes herself as one of the craziest, pill-popping matriarchs in movie history. After a family member spontaneously goes missing all of the children are called home to farmsville Oklahoma. Some of the children haven’t been home in a while and the movie doesn’t take long to reveal why. The secrets that are literally eating them up alive are about to come flying across the dining room table. So brace yourself, every kitchen or table scene is something to behold!

This is an enormous ensemble cast (Sam Shepard, Juliette Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Abigail Breslin, Julia Roberts) and every single performance is outstanding. Each character’s introduction and backstory were managed methodically by slowly having the relatives come home one at a time. If the audience can swim through all of the mudslinging, guilt trips, screaming, no-holds-barred drama, pie and character assassination, it might reach the same conclusion I came to: there’s love in there somewhere.

Rating: 8.5 out of 9

Guest Blogger from Seattle

How to Kill a Promising Show in a Few Quick Steps

December 3, 2013 — Leave a comment

almosthuman

I’m looking at you Fox. I see The Powers That Be haven’t learned their mistakes from the late great Firefly. Last night’s episode of Almost Human was good but was something about the show was a little off. So, a reliable source (my co-worker) told me the show is being shown out of order. The order has been the Pilot, Episode 5, Episode 7 and Episode 6. The studios need to learn to trust its audience and let them see the development of the characters and the building of plots as the showrunners intended. The fastest way to kill a show is to broadcast it out of order in the hopes of luring in a audience with sexy action but inadvertently turn it into a jumbled mess.

Quick Movie Review – Closed Circuit

December 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

You don’t have to know much about British intelligence or like British people to enjoy this film. All that you need to know is that uptight Brits racially profile their subjects like crazy, have cameras everywhere, have serious PTSD from terrorist attacks and wear weird white wigs in the courtroom. Closed Circuit begins with a marketplace bombing that kills 120 civilians. As barristers (ahem.. attorneys), Eric Bana (Deadfall, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Nero from Star Trek) and Rebecca Hall (The Awakening, The Town) fight to prosecute and defend the suspect, respectively. The strange thing about Farroukh Erdogan is that he ain’t talking – not even to save his own skin. As the “why” behind his silence slowly unfolds, the body count starts climbing and the games begin. The expression of emotion is so repressed in these characters that you only realize that they’re afraid when they start running. Irish great Ciaran Hinds (The Woman in Black, The Debt) and Jim Broadbent (The Debt, Another Year) brought a dab of intrigue to this thriller.

Available on DVD January 7, 2014

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas…

December 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

… and catch “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians” this Thursday, December 5, in theaters across the country. The stars of RiffTrax – Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett are back and ready to elevate this film with their classic snark.

SCCM Still

“The Martians kidnap Santa because there is nobody on Mars to give their children presents.” (IMDB)

For tickets click here

Culture for Geeks!

November 20, 2013 — Leave a comment

2D9733993-museum-science-fiction_blocks_desktop_medium

Science-fiction museum to open in Washington, D.C.

Fans of Captain Kirk and Captain Nemo unite: A new science-fiction museum coming to Washington, D.C.

Its creators announced plans for the museum, which will cover a broad sampling of science fiction across literature, television, film, music, video games and art, on Nov. 4. They hope to open a preview space within a year, and launch the full museum in the beginning of 2017.

“There really wasn’t a comprehensive science-fiction museum here in the United States or internationally,” said Greg Viggiano, executive director of the new venture. “I thought, maybe somebody should do something about this,” Viggiano told LiveScience.

Continued here

Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz Exhibit

November 20, 2013 — Leave a comment

ortiz-posters

As a huge Star Trek Fan, I am happy to see Trek’s renaissance in today’s pop culture. Opening today at the Paley Center and running until January 5, 2014

Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz Exhibit

“Artist Juan Ortiz’s groundbreaking effort to personify each of the series’ seventy-nine episodes, and the original pilot, through a collection of original art posters embodies his passion for the series, the transformational Sixties, and the often visceral reaction generated by each episode”

Continued here

Blogger about town, Cherry Davis, attended the Exhibit Preview on Monday and here is her first look:

Interview with Nichelle Nichols about Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry & Uhura:

Juan Ortiz and Nichelle Nichols talk about the new Star Trek Poster Exhibit: