Hi-Sci-Fi

by Irma Arkus

Bill C61 is still alive and well, and yet, both the ignorance of politicians on the topic of Copyright issues, and its absence from political platforms is noticeable and disturbing.

Michael Geist stopped calling Bill C61 a Copyright Bill, instead renaming it Canadian DMCA bill, and rightfully so.

It seems that this time around, elections have not produced any momentum discussing issues of privacy, surveillance, and digital rights. Instead, for the most part, we’ve given way to what could only be categorized as raw corporate interests.

Geist notes that despite the absence of Copyright issues from political discussions and platforms, there is an active movement to engage our politicians and affirm their standing on this issue. I present to you the 2008 copyright pledge:

Will you commit to a balanced approach to copyright reform that reflects the views of all Canadians by pledging:

1. To respect the rights of creators and consumers.

2. Not to support any copyright bill that undermines or weakens the Copyright Act’s users rights.

3. To fully consult with Canadians before introducing any copyright reform bill and to conduct inclusive, national hearings on any tabled bill.

While our crazy neighbours to the south are eager to create a Copyright Czar, initiating yet another type of public and law enforcement war, except this time war waged against unruly consumers, teeny boppers and confused grandmas; Canadians are perfectly happy to maintain their already existing Copyright Act without turning their country into an acid version of Big Brother society. Thus the pledge.

NDP and Green Party have thus far signed onto the pledge. No word from Liberal or Conservative camps yet.

For more coverage, visit Michael Geist’s blog here.

by Irma Arkus

You are looking at a newly *unsubscribed* New Scientist reader. Why? The publication simply did not have enough “science” for my inner scientist. And then they do this…

New Scientist staff compiled the list of favorites and most hated science fiction films. According to their nerds, Dune and Matrix are both hated and loved by all, making them contentious as expected.

That, and Blade Runner always comes up on top beating all opponents for best film. So, in other words, no surprises there.

But this begs the question - what are some of your favorite science fiction films? Best of? Worst of? Any small films you just loved?

Give me your lists people!!!

by Irma Arkus

Current ratings of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the television show based on James Cameron’s Terminator series of films, are not living up to expectations, and the show may be canceled.

Starring Summer Glau as the “cutest Terminator ever,” Thomas Dekker as John Connor a la teen years of growing pains, and Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, has thus far exceeded my expectations.

While the franchise of films, based on groundbreaking action cinema, declined in quality with its third installment, the television show focusing on Machiavellian plots by machines from future to eliminate humanity’s last hope and leader, John Connor, in his teen years, has successfully melded drama and science fiction elements.

It brought mystery back into fold with Summer Glau’s terminator character, Cameron, and generally provided me with much needed action bit to an already chock-full TV line-up of bratty high-school kids who earn more money, both in real and fake lives, than I ever will.

I would definitely find the loss of this show regrettable. Especially since it serves as a reintroduction to mythos of James Cameron’s initial concept, and a jumping point to a new franchise of films starring Christian Bale. Release date for Terminator 4: Salvation is now scheduled for May of 2009.

by Irma Arkus

First Kevin Smith, now Frosty of Collider - both have fallen for Snyder’s “Watchmen” after seeing excerpts of film.

After viewing 25 minutes of the film the jaw-dropping impression combined with audio excerpts of Snyder’s commentary can be found here.

by Irma Arkus

Recent years have not been too kind to Nicolas Cage. Of all cringe inducing experiences, the least forgivable one would be none other than Ghost Rider.

Ironically, Cage is an honest fan of the world of comics, and was heavily fighting for years to be cast in it. I remember years ago, when HiSciFi was in its infancy, Andrew snorted next to me as rumours of Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider, and (wait for it!) Superman started to trickle.

Our responses to Cage as Superman were cruel and childish, and perhaps appropriate at the time, as aging Cage had a growing pot belly, Botox was still not wiping the brows off market, and the top of his head was still “unrestored.” Andrew had a tough time imagining a Super-Hick substitute for a tightly wound Christopher Reeves wrapped in lycra.

A live-action Ghost Rider film was unimaginably complicated to make a few years ago. The closest thing to it was a rendition of Spawn, which, even though made for an entertaining introduction of CG on film, still did not provide for the kind of film quality that would leave us breathless. But things changed quickly, and the concept grew.

The first renderings of Ghost Rider were swiftly turned away as computer animation technology kept on improving, and speedily. Once the aesthetics of depicting a dude with a flaming skull on a motorcycle got one step closer to reality, the work began.

Of course, by the time 2007 came about, and Cage’s face was literally run through photoshop grind, the idea and the look still seemed dated, the storyline fell short, and all together as viewers, we all felt cheated.

Ghost Rider was truly an abominable cinematic experience. Cage’s altered face resembled a playdough pancake with too much addition of Hair-For-Men, and excessive Botox, and not just the regular Nicole Kidman brand, but CG Botox too.

The storyline was equally bad, as incoherent romance between Ghost Rider and his long lost girlfriend, played by delicious Eva Mendes, only served as a reminder that Hollywood sucks and that these actors are making too much dough to play pretend.

I cried a little when watching Ghost Rider. I cried myself asleep, during the middle of the film. The girl sitting next to me sat in awe, mouth half-open drifting with popcorn, only to turn around and say “this is a real trailer trash gem here! My folks at St. John are gonna love this stuff.” Then I cried some more.

Since then, Cage has made some really bad acting choices. His recent work has been predicated on earnings rather than quality. What started with Ghost Rider, quickly degenerated into a string of heart-breakers: Next, National Treasure, National Treasure II: Book of Secrets, Bangkok Dangerous, and now Knowing.

Even though “Knowing” is directed by Alex Proyas, who is responsible for directing some great and imaginative productions, including “Dark City,” “The Crow,” and the less likeable “I, Robot,” I still hesitate. Why? Because for one, it stars Nicolas Cage.

You need more? Knowing also has a really bad poster. And a really cheesy trailer.

Who knows, maybe the story of Nicolas Cage as Ted Myles, a teacher who turns into a defender of Rose Byrne, as he deciphers a detailed doomsday prophecy is great. I can’t really vouch for its quality until I finally watch it.

But in my defense, I would also like to present you with following fact: there is a plan to make “Ghost Rider 2.” Nuff said.

by Irma Arkus

BD Horror News leaked news that Witchblade, currently in pre-production for 2010 release, directed by Michael Rymer, is not only planned as a feature film, but one that will quickly experience a sequel.

Apparently, Top Cow and Arclight are working on an immediate sequel. One that may be simultaneously shot, a la Lord of the Rings.

I am excited. Not only does Witchblade provide for some jolly good times, but may give us that extra dose of estrogen I’ve been craving on the big screen. Now we just need to wait for casting….

This week we are joined by Danny O’Brian of Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) who gives us the goods on EFF’s upcoming lawsuit naming most of the George W. Bush cabinet as involved with illegal surveillance and wiretapping.

That, and we give you the goods on the newest of TV Fall shows - Knight Rider, worth it or not? Fringe, and Stargate Atlantis. Hold on to your hats, and do send us your love.

Sincerely,
Irma Arkus

by Irma Arkus

Idiocracy had a valid point, apparently. According to GNXP, it seems to be so - women with lesser vocabularies seem to have greater number of children.

by Irma Arkus

EFF has filed a lawsuit against NSA and current administration membership, including President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney’s chief of staff David Addington, former Attorney General and White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and others who have participated in an illegal en-masse domestic surveillance.

“In addition to suing AT&T, we’ve now opened a second front in the battle to stop the NSA’s illegal surveillance of millions of ordinary Americans and hold personally responsible those who authorized or participated in the spying program,” said Senior Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston.

The case involves a small room in San Francisco used by NSA to conduct mass surveillance illegally by its direct link to fibre-optic network.

For full coverage of EFF’s case against Bush administration read more here.

Stay tuned for audio coverage - our interview with EFF.

by Irma Arkus

Latest update on Royal Society Identity Crisis involving Reverend Professor Michael Reiss is that he submitted his resignation from his chair as Director of Education of Royal Society.

Reiss’ resignation has a wide political impact as it brought the issue of creationism and education to UK. Reiss apparently, did not necessarily prescribe to the opinion that Creationism should be introduced into the classrooms, however, his statement indicated that teachers should be allowed to discuss concepts of Creationism and Intelligent Design in a classroom environment, which, considering the lack of framework for educational environment, opens to doors to teaching religous concepts instead of evolutionary biology.

Colleagues of Reiss have expressed their concerns when hiring of Reiss, a reverend, took place, describing the situation of handing directorial position of such prestige to a deeply religious man, as “pythonesque.”

Monty Python sketches aside, the resignation of Prof. Reiss may have resulted in a short term appeasement of members of the science community, but has opened the European public to the greater political schism between religious and scientific communities.

Galileo where art thou?!!!

by Irma Arkus

Reverend / Professor Michael Reiss, the Royal Society’s Director of Education, is also a religious man, one who has declared that Creationism disguised as Intelligent Design is a desirable “theory” to explore in classroom setting. As a result of his statements, the Royal Society is facing a tremendous crisis, one which Richard Dawkins addressed today in his letter to New Scientist:

“Scientists divide into two camps over this issue: the accommodationists, who ‘respect’ creationists while disagreeing with them; and the rest of us, who see no reason to respect ignorance or stupidity,” writes Dawkins.

It seems that the days of languishing in apathy while “respecting” religious fantasies are over.

Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society, has publicly requested Reiss to step down: “Creationism, Intelligent Design etc. have no place in a science classroom discussion and should not be legitimized as acceptable alternative theories to evolution by anyone who claims to be a scientist. Ill-conceived opinions by a representative of the RS will only encourage those teachers, both scientists and otherwise, with a creationist agenda to speak about it to their students in the classroom. We would urge that Professor Reiss step down, or be asked to step down, as soon as possible,” writes Rees.

Now that chicken have come to roost, so the speak, people like Dawkins and P.Z. Myers are becoming faces of both political and scientific leadership. Question begs though, why Reiss attempted to use his position to pursue his own religious beliefs after so many years of being a member in this important professional association?

Read full letter by Dawkins here.

Susan and Mike Walsh, aka the Walshes, are giving us the preview of VCon this year - we are about to be stricken with a flood of writers, and volunteers in crazy outfits, reciting their favorite lines from Buffy,
calling upon Cthulhu, and singing those fave Filk numbers.

For more information you can check out the VCon website and see what they have prepared for this year.

I would like to point out that VCon is unlike a lot of other conventions, and I guess we can wax poetics about it, but realistically it is a smaller convention of both nerds, and professional nerds.

One thing I always found it to be is an excellent source of (protein?) resources for budding writers. Whether you’re into writing for TV, film, or developing your new horror, fantasy or sci-fi book, VCon is really the place to be. For one, many guests of honour, mostly and usually writers of highest caliber (the ones who “made it”!) are actually willing to spend an enormous amount of time and effort sitting close to your smelly self, and giving you pointers on how to earn some dough and get somewhere with your wits and talents alone!

This may not seem like much until you check out who’s who of VCon this year. For one, my favorite Can-lit figure, Robert J. Sawyer, is a constant presence at VCon. Even though he threatens every year that the funds are limited, he keeps on coming back, which means that either he has a mistress we don’t know about, or he really digs the atmosphere.

This year, Kelley Armstrong and Patrick Rothfuss are joined by a horde of authors, some of which are even going to use the opportunity of this strange Surrey, BC gathering to launch a book or two.

We are talking Don DeBrandt, Lynne Fahnestalk, Eileen Kernaghan,Robert J. Sawyer, Lisa Smedman and wait for it….Jeanne Robinson & Spider Robinson!

Another welcome (and super-cool) addition is the appearance of Dr. Jaymie Matthews who will be bringing the strange world of science to this year’s VCon. There is a rumour that even intelligent design will be addressed during workshops - this smells like trouble, and fun.

There is even something to sweat about - training with swords (and those things will cut you and kill you) and even something about Electric Fencing?!!! Whatever that is, I just hope it makes noise.

This year’s VCon is even getting cozy with the kinky side of life with “Bedroom RolePlaying for Beginners.” Which reminds me that I should dust off that Princess Leia costume.

All in all, this small, delicate flower we call VCon is going to be a party. The best part is - we are broadcasting live directly from the party, so in other words, HiSciFi will be VCon…for your ears.

by Irma Arkus

Congratulations to George Takei, who yesterday married his partner of 21 years, Brad Altman!

by Irma Arkus

SciFi Scanner released an interview with J.J.Abrams revealing the reasons for obvious lack of William Shatner in the new Star Trek film.

Abrams politely and rather diplomatically explains that Shatner has initially been very much a part of the creative process as they “actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing.” The idea though was dropped as the scene “didn’t quite feel right.”

Why didn’t it feel right? Because, suprise, suprise, Shatner was “very vocal that he didn’t want to do a cameo. We tried desperately to put him in the movie, but he was making it very clear that he wanted the movie to focus on him significantly.”

As far as appeasement of Trek fans goes, J.J. Abrams explains that dealing with fans is kind of crazy and inconsistent. One segment of fans demanded some face time from their favorite man-diva, Shatner. But then again, “a lot of the people who were proclaiming that he must be in this movie were the same people saying it must adhere to canon.” To which he asks “Well, his character died on screen. Maybe a smarter group of filmmakers could have figured out how to resolve that.”

So there. No Shatner in the movie. I will really miss him, because Shatner is fun on screen. Then again, I really look forward to seeing an entirely different version of Enterprise gracing the screen.

by Irma Arkus

Dollhouse, the newest Whedon’s production, has halted shooting for now, and is planned to return at end of September.

Fans who are eagerly awaiting the show are a little worried that this means that Fox is up to their old tricks, recalibrating the show to “appeal to a larger audience” or “appeal to greater amount of advertisers.”

Either way, there are fears that the changes will defer from the show’s promise - to allow Whedon a great deal of freedom to produce highest quality program he can think of.

Meanwhile, take a peek at the trailer for Dollhouse.

by Irma Arkus

“What will Nolan do?” is the newest obsession amongst fans of The Dark Knight. Who will inherit the burden of being the new villain to plague Batman? The most brilliant rumours indicate that none other than Phillip Seymour Hoffman will appear in role of the Penguin.

I loooove it!

by Irma Arkus

One of the more exciting offerings of fall 2008 TV is the new J.J. Abrams show “Fringe.” It daringly dips into the sci-fi territory. Moreover, it critically approaches our contemporary concerns, as new technologies are increasingly invented in private labs, further complicated by industrial military complex consisting of privately owned companies. The best bit is a response of an FBI agent who explains, and I paraphrase: These days my clearance is superceded by some private company. Exasperated, the agent points to a painful truth - so many things are copyrighted, licensed, outsourced, that it is hard to manouver the currents of investigations.

Pitying the FBI agents set aside, the show brings forth some welcome new faces, including Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham, whom you won’t recognize unless you’ve been consuming as much UK TV as I have. And even if you have watched “Mistresses,” Torv brings out something different on screen this time around. A confident, beautiful but understatedly so, Torv exudes confidence of a contempoary heroine, an aspect of TV I have been sincerely craving.

She is not uber-lip-glossed, or confused, or wearing astoundingly high heels. She works for a living, and it’s the serious kind - which is why I love it!

Science fiction aspects are there too. Not to get swept away by wardrobe choices, but the pilot episode does exactly as promised - offers us a glimpse at fringes of science. From a plane that arrives full of dissolved passengers, a la The Rock style - all virus, all deadly, all hungry for soft tissue, Dunham (Anna Torv) investigates who brought it on board and why?

Her investigation leads her to fringe scientists who slowly unravel a more complicated schema that has conspiracy written all over it. Both the guys “upstairs” and the industrial conglomerates who seem to have as many secrets to match their seemingly unlimited funds, are in some kind of web of lies and conspiracies that will take entire seasons to unravel.

To help her in her immediate quest, namely to save her dying lover and partner, Dunham turns to an unlikely source of assistance - an imprisoned Harvard scientist Dr. Walter Bishop, who sat last 30 years in a room staring at walls. To help Dunham is freedom, which is why Bishop is willing to let her in his vast vault of secrets. Their collaboration is very much dependent on Bishop’s son, Peter, played by Joshua Jackson, who allows for that extra lubrigous interaction between the crazy-but-geniuous dad and great agent Dunham in her quest to get to the truth.

X-File-ish you think? Yes. Fringe very much depends on old fans of the X-Files to awaken with new hunger for distinguishing between real science, fake science, real conspiracies, and imagined ones. That, and science! And what is better than science? Nothing. So, get watching, because the Fringe show is simply put, cool.

by Irma Arkus

Online retailers are awakening to the fact that yes, we do enjoy watching TV, just not necessarily when “they” want us to, rather when we have a chance to squeeze in an hour of fun.

Amazon.com is now joining the ranks of those offering on-demand videos. Kinda like EZTV, but costlier. $2.00 for a TV episode, and $15.00 for a - get a load of this - 24 hour rental of a movie!!! That happens to be a more expensive viewing than purchasing a movie ticket.

The question is whether the catalogue of movies bears any gems. And also, it will be intersting to see how long will it take for the “rental” software to be cracked.

It is important to acknowledge that these services offered by Apple, Netflix and Amazon are but a pale imitation of fan-based sites using p2p technology already in existance.

by Irma Arkus

One of the more intriguing rumours to hit the web are the current considerations of bringing Catwoman back to city of Gotham in the next Christopher Nolan’s production of the Big Bad Bat. The usual suspects that infuse me with that familiar bloodcurling sensation seem to be missing, and rumour is that Nolan is eager for someone more gothic, darker and mature, and he is considering Cher as Catwoman for his next production.

I’ve been a vocal proponent of simply ignoring existence of previous attempt by Pitof at Catwoman, featuring Halle Berry, and encouraging we “move on,” so to speak.

Allowing Catwoman to grace the silver screen yet again, is not only desired, but needed, as overwhelming amount of male-centered super-heroes have been gracing our screens during last few years, while their female counterparts are either entirely missing, or are supplemented by those damsels in distress cowering in darkness.

Let’s face it, we are in dire need of some female super-heroes. And they better bring them fast.

The choice of Cher seems an odd one at first, but then again, we need to consider the full impact of Heath Ledger’s cinematic performance as Joker. Until Nolan, there has been no depiction of a fantasy world so harsh, and strangely realistic, and populated with Oscar-deserving actors. Whoever inherits the task of being the Big Bad will be compared to now legendary Heath Ledger, which is why the choices of next villains must consist of ripened actors, expressive human beings, and not the usual eye-candy excuses we are “meant to enjoy” on screen.

Heath Ledger, Robert Downey Jr., Christian Bale, Edward Norton - these are some of the exceptional actors that have graced our screens in form of super-villains and super-heroes and not by accident. The act of turning comic-books to live-action performances has not only increased in popularity, but has also gained a sort of maturity in the eyes of its critics and audiences alike.

It no longer entertaining to make a super-hero fight, or fly, or have any extraordinary abilities. The amazing and unreal has been reproduced by computer-generated graphics many times over, and we are no longer satisfied by special effects alone. A semblance of a storyline with phoned-in performances by yesterdays soap-stars will just not do, because our tastes have matured. Now we want, and expect more.

This is why I am eager to think about the next Big Bad in Christopher Nolan’s films. And it is why we are to applaud the more unusual choices. In other words: Cher as Catwoman? That is interesting.

by Irma Arkus

So we’re really fired up by Snyder’s stab at the Watchmen. Once Kevin Smith stamped the film with his blessings, announcing to the world that all is OK with this film, we felt immediately better about this massive cinematic undertaking.

However, all is not well with the Watchmen. As you recall, we have previously mentioned that Terry Gilliam had the initial impetus to imagine making Alan Moores graphic novel series into a cinematic production. It just never happened. As it turns out, the license to produce the film(s) has been sitting on many production company shelves over the years - 20th Century Fox included.

Currently there is a fierce ongoing legal battle between Warner Brothers, the company that ultimately funded the Zack Snyder’s production, and that of 20th Century Fox. According to NYTimes, Fox is currently after an injunction to stop the movie from being release, as apparently, they still own the production rights.

Warner Brothers on the other hand, stated that Fox has sat on the sidelines for a few years, fully knowing that the production of the film was ongoing. In fact, there is a statement by executive producer Lawrence Gordon, who goes as far as to say that he knocked on Fox’s doors offering the project, and it is only after being rejected by Fox that Warner Brothers took on the film.

Fox’s legal team has stated that they were “unaware” of production of the film, and the whole legality of production rights transfer is at this point murky as hell. My question though is - is there really anyone, apart from maybe Osama Bin Laden, who was unaware that the Watchmen was produced?

Are we really to believe that Fox’s executives were attempting some kind of media blindness test for a few years, and only now they have noticed that there is a film with the exact title as that envelope kept in a dusty safe?

I understand that to assemble a case and a legal team to pursue possible damages or rights takes a bit of time, but at this point, these outrageous allegations by 20th Century Fox are delaying a release of a much awaited film. The Watchmen were supposed to be released in March of 2009, and now we are looking at beginning of July.

July!!!!???? I was kind of personally hoping to see it…tomorrow if possible?

Either way, this spells further delays and the Fox (how appropriate) rubbing its paws, hoping for a piece of this marvelous money-pie funded by Warner’s Brothers.

In other news…MGM is up for sale!

More on the Watchmen to follow.