Category Archives: Television / Movies

SYFY is Back?

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This was originally published in Watch The Skies for November 2014

“If I insult you, it’s probably because you deserved it.” Harlan Ellison

Disclaimer: I don’t have cable any more. More than two and a half years ago I got fed up with another rate increase. I had just taken my second paycut in an attempt to survive a floundering economy and things looked bleak. I was forced to take a long, hard look at what cable television programming had to offer me and that programming came up wanting. Choice made, cable cut. While the seperation was difficult, I believe much like dropping a dangerous addiction, I don’t miss it.

I have stated many times that I am a fan first and foremost when it comes to all things science fiction and fantasy. One of the things I enjoyed when I had cable was the channel where those things I loved could call home. Then came a number of very poor choices from that channel, not the least of those being professional wrestling. While professional wrestling is fiction of a sort it fails to meet the criteria for science fiction on every front. I spent a great deal of time bashing and despariging the network that once gave me a weekly dose of crumudgeon (and I still miss those rants). I was not alone.

While the channel carrying the name of my beloved genre was busy trying to shed the loyal fan base the entertainment, the core, the very shows that should have lived there dashed off to other channels where they met with wild success. There are now far more popular genre television shows on other channels as there are on the network that claims them, if only in title. There were a number of failed experiments in genre programs that I would have thought should have been on a channel dedicated to science fiction. It should have all been on a channel dedicated to science fiction. Reaching out and trying to attain something is vital. Own the subject, good, bad or indifferent. The channel didn’t, it ran and hid. It was, and is frustrating. The experiments, the thought provoking stories wrapped around circumstances not of this world were popping up anyplace other than “home”.

Giving credit where credit is due, the channel I have often compared to a sexually transmitted disease now seems to be owning the error of their ways. A recent article published by EW gives some insight into how things will work going forward and gets the new head of original programming Bill McGoldrick to answer some of these criticisms. The article is full of hope and positive, forward thinking statements.

“I think now it’s about giving our audience some fresh stuff.” Mr. McGoldrick said. He gave out some thoughts on where the channel has been and where he sees things going. I’m intrigued by what he has to say. I like the idea that the channel dedicated to science fiction will be heading back to outer space. The mini series Ascension looks like it could be absolutely fascinating. The other thing it is? Most importantly it’s not like other things that are on right now. The things that do the best, the ones that get the highest ratings or score the biggest returns are the things that give a story that’s different than what’s out there. I don’t want another procedural. I want compelling story telling.

They talk a good talk, but can they walk that good walk or are they just walking dead? I look forward to finding out.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/28/syfy/ The EW article is worth the read.

Old News?

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On the off chance that I catch a reader here that isn’t connected to me via Watch The Skies where I posted this originally – how original is Hollywood?

Hollywood is unoriginal. Shocking to hear I’m sure. Somebody’s gone and done a study to try to back that up. I linked it below, but I question how the whole thing is broken down, grouped and quantified. I’m not opposed to a movie based on a book (or comic) if it’s something that hasn’t been done 3 times before (rebooting Spiderman again anyone?). I’ve got something all written up and ready to take on SyFy for this month’s Watch The Skies Fanzine, but I saw this and thought I’d see what others had to say on the subject a little ahead of this month’s meeting…

Study

War and Art

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Being part of the military is an intense experience. Despite the time I served being less than 4 years in total, and never in an active combat zone, the things I witnessed and the things I did have affected me in ways that have lasted more than twenty years. I have some sad and some funny anecdotes from the various exercises, training missions and trips over seas. These stories go along with a handful of items, the artifacts and photos of that time in my life. These things bring memories and emotions along with them each time they come out of storage.

Memories when attached to pictures and small objects have a startling clarity. Even with clarity and a deep imagination, I fail to grasp the depth and connection of what the soldiers who served as part of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops from WWII have when they look at their art.
I am behind the times catching up with the documentary showing the amazing work these artists, these engineers, these soldiers did under the undiluted pressure of the Nazi war machine. Knowing the load of stuff any soldier is asked to carry these true artists were also certain to have pen or pencil and paper with them too. Sketching the war, but also crafting an amazing deception.

If you are an artist and you think from time to time, “I just can’t work under these conditions” or “well, this would be a better picture if I had the right tools” you should definitely take a peek at these inspirational artists. Imagine this quote, “…we were sleeping in hedgerows and foxholes, but nothing kept us away from going someplace to do a watercolor…” They certainly worked under conditions most artists wouldn’t. Being a soldier and being an artist are not mutually exclusive pursuits.

Take the opportunity to catch the film The Ghost Army, I highly recommend it.

Other Links:

PBS

The Atlantic

My Father Wore Rainbow Suspenders

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“Oh captain, my captain”

I clicked “like” on the post. Those were the only words there. I hadn’t seen or heard anything else related – I just knew the quote and had always enjoyed it. Always, as if there was never a time when I didn’t know a show or movie that involved Robin Williams. To a certain degree this is true. Mork and Mindy came on the air when I was 8. It hit just the right nerve or wavelength or something. It worked. Crazy, funny, alien.

Since then, you know the list: Dead Poets, Good Will Hunting, Aladdin, Good Morning Vietnam. Even the others that weren’t as popular: Club Paradise, Flubber, Hook. I’ll admit I probably reached a point where I took his stage presence for granted. Perhaps even thought, “can’t he do something that isn’t his manic ranting…” from time to time. Funny thing about that – he did. He was in just tons of things. He crossed generations as an entertainer. My daughter knows him as the voice of the genie. Most profoundly, my dad knows him as Mork. I don’t recall any conversations my dad and I may have had about TV over the years – out taste in entertainment / media are about as far apart as they can be – but Robin Williams as a performer crossed that huge gap. The title is true. My dad wore rainbow suspenders.

I am more saddened than I expected. The passing of somebody I’ve never met who lived a life so far from my own and so foreign to my way of thinking, yet he was always there. He’s been a force on television and in the movies for as long as I can recall. Robin Williams touched so many lives. He will be missed.

Mork

Wil’s new show

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I’ll start with the blasphemy just to get it out of the way – I don’t like Star Trek that much. I enjoy it, but I’m not a fanatic. For a long time I’ve said, “That’s not MY science fiction”. It was a part of a certain ensign’s career that landed him in fandom’s collective memory however, so I do understand the need for credit where it is due. In the past couple of years I’ve come to enjoy reading Wil Wheaton’s blog. I admire a lot of things about the way he approaches life in general. I love the fact that he’s so into games and gaming. I watch Table Top as soon as it comes out whenever I can (and when I can’t… it’s the internet, I can go back for it).

In case you missed it, Wil has a new show on cable. I won’t lie, I have a naked hatred for the channel he’s on. I don’t want to advertise for them. I couldn’t just ignore the new show though, so I went and watched the first episode. If you’re interested, go and check it out here.

I have decided it must be me. I’m old or something. The show was OK, but it didn’t wow me. I was hoping for at least a little insight or a segment that really worked for me. What I got was essentially talk soup for stuff I don’t watch. I wanted to like this show so much and I’m totally indifferent to seeing it again. There were some bits that made me chuckle (the dragon was very funny, but it was like 3 seconds and a totally juvenile joke) and some bits that made me wonder (signing Hugh was too long) and some stuff that was just lost on me (haven’t had cable for a long time now).

I won’t give up on the show, but I don’t know how many episodes I’ll last. I suppose all I really have to do is last a handful of episodes – if the show becomes popular I suspect it will be cancelled right away (or maybe I’m projecting toward this channel I don’t like).

Oscar Who?

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As I sit here typing this there’s an award show going on. I didn’t realize this until somebody else mentioned via social media that they were watching. I was never so wrapped up in the cult of fame that I felt the need to track these awards or anything that went along with them. Yes, I’ve watched them from time to time in the past. Yes, some of the movies nominated for this award were fantastic films. Some of the winners of various awards should have handed them back in shame rather than accept when the more deserving entrant was sitting there clapping politely.

Sports on the other hand, sports I always paid attention to. I hadn’t missed a Stuper Bowl in decades. Despite not really caring for baseball I would keep one eye on the Sox just to see if they were going to beat the Yankees this year or not (Yankees suck!). Same with the Celtics and Bruins. Other sports were bonus material. I’d pick up notes about tennis, racing, big names in golf, anything really.

Then we cut the cable in our house.

It’s been over 2 years now since we shut it off. I almost feel like I should be going to some kind of meeting. Television is an addiction. I didn’t realize it until lately. I was depending on the box in the corner to provide something to me and walking away was difficult at first. Even now I feel the pull. I’m drawn to settle into the passive state of watching the colors flash by, listening to the magic of sound effects. There’s no significant difference in the product over the past 2 years. I suspect many would agree that the product has actually declined in quality while becoming more abundant.

I missed the stupor bowl this year. Most say I didn’t miss much – the game was terrible and the commercials weren’t as tantalizing as years past. I felt like I was outside looking in on something. I was near the party, I was invited, but I didn’t have a way to get there. *Everyone* was talking about it. In the end, I’m not sure I really missed much. I heard the chatter, caught up with the best commercials after the fact and watched the highlights from the game during an on-line sports report. I acquired the same information if not the “enjoyment” factor… but then we had dinner guests that night and I found the company of friends much more warming and fun than sitting and staring at the flickering colors of a flat channel that doesn’t care about me more than how many dollars they can squeeze out of my pocket.

Television is gone. I might slip back now and again to broadcast channels, but I don’t see cable coming back… ever.