It is a prequel to J. R. R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings. Kate Madison put together all of her savings (the budget for an hour long movie was Ł25.000 – Ł8000 of Madison’s own money and Ł17.000 they have managed to raise after the trailer was posted on YouTube) and using a cast and crew of volunteers she shot the whole thing over the course of six years. Orcs and all.
Majority of the movie was shot in my favorite part of England (mainly Sussex and Essex) to keep the cost down (yay for that – it is a beautiful part of England and contrary to what I have been told by some locals it is not dull in the slightest so there).
It is inspiring to see people pursue their passion and while many would find it daunting to try and follow in Peter Jackson’s footsteps (I’ve seen Lord of the Rings a numerous occasions and it still blows my mind every single time) Kate Madison took a leap of faith and plunged right in. How can you not be inspired by that?
Down below you can see the trailer and if you wish to see the whole movie you can do so on YouTube. Yes for free.
And if you wish to learn more about the movie and the whole process visit their website.
I was watching Fringe last week (it was really, REALLY good compared to episodes before that which were just meh in my opinion). Anyhoo so I was a happy camper that the story was finally moving along etc and then I read over at GMMR that this is it until April 1st! Seriously? Seriously!
Then there is Flashforward. Now I quite enjoyed that one BUT it is not returning until March 18. In TV land that is ages, absolute ages. Not to mention showrunners are jumping ship left, right and center. First Marc Guggenheim and now David Goyer (although and allegedly he is working on the script for Batman 3 with Christoper Nolan and his brother – can’t blame him for jumping ship for that one).
Another show I quite enjoyed is V – that doesn’t return until March 30. They are still casting new people though so I suppose that is good news.
And I love me some Lost dear readers I do, but I’m blond and between you and me sometimes when I try to figure it out well… it makes my head hurt a bit
On the plus side it will give me more time to wrestle with The Dark Tower – yes I’m shamefaced to admit I haven’t got pass Gunslinger and I plan to make up for it now.
So tell me dear readers are any of your favorite shows off the air?
do you pay any attention to the sets of your favorite TV shows or movies? I know I do. I might not be the handiest person when it comes to hammers (or heaven forbid automatic drills) but I can paint them walls like nobody’s business. And we all know what kind of aesthetic we like, don’t we?
Down below are some of the movie sets I have found particularly appealing. I do have to mention I wanted to add White Collar too because the main character Neil Caffery (played by Matt Bomer) lives in absolutely stunning abode in New York. Some further digging revealed it is the Schinasi Mansion (the only free standing single family mansion in Manhattan) but unfortunately I could not find any set pics.
I have been thinking about doing this post for ages but it was this post by Holly over at Decor8 that finally given me the much needed kick in the arse to do some writing.
So tell me dear readers – did you ever see a movie or a TV set set that you just loved? Feel free to share your likes and dislikes down below in the comments.
I loved Jeffrey Dean Morgan on Grey’s Anatomy. I liked him even better as Papa Winchester on Supernatural. Watchmen was ok and we shall mention nothing about those rom coms (in Accidental Husband Uma Thurman had to pick between him and Colin Firth – silly woman she should have gone for both tsk!).
Anyhow Jeffrey Dean Morgan will star in the upcoming movie The Losers, which is loosely based on the DC comic. On the plus side – it seems in this one he doesn’t die in the first 5 minutes
The original Battlestar Galactica series was created in the late 1970s as a TV version of immensely popular Star Wars movie. A story about space-faring ancestors of mankind began successfully but quickly plummeted in its ratings that led to the series’ cancellation. So when in 2003 SciFi Channel announced its remake led by producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, nostalgic fans took notice. But the new Battlestar Galactica turned out to be a whole different beast then its shallow predecessor. And a frightful beast it was, one spawned from the events of 9/11 and War on Terror.
Series begins with a surprise attack by Cylons – a robotic creatures used by humans for a long time until they finally rebelled. Decades later, they return to attack humans, killing billions with nuclear weaponry. Only a handful of survivors remain, running away in a search of a new home. Their leader is President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) – a politician of minor importance whose function was handed down to her simply because the rest of the government perished. Her position is undermined by the military pragmatics like Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos) but also by democratic idealists led by political prisoner Tom Zarek (Richard Hatch). Aside of robots and space ships, the world of Battlestar Galactica is pretty much as our own.
The characters of the series – like narcissistic and possibly insane Gaius Baltar (James Callis), dysfunctional pilot Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) or idealistic officer Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) – grew up in prosperous democratic society only to end up in a war no one expected. Traumatized from a frightening terrorist attack and faced with an uncertain future, they soon become paranoid as well when they realize that their attackers are now androids – robots visually and even internally indistinguishable from humans.
But, as Cylon agents infiltrate the ranks of survivors to sow distrust, panic and destruction, we learn they’re far from monolithic, faceless evil. They have their own goals, ideals, conflicts and even religion – something that humans find especially abhorrent. Creatures that were once dismissed as a mere resource to be exploited turned into beings possessing all the human emotions, both good and bad.
Moral and political quandaries rose throughout the series: what good are democratic traditions when mere survival is at stake and quick and decisive actions are required? How much liberty are people willing to sacrifice in order to gain security, even if it’s only symbolic? To what lengths are humanity’s leaders willing to go in order to ensure mankind’s future? Is there any possibility of trust between opponents bent on mutual genocide?
For the most part, there were no easy answers. We might cheer the characters on in one moment and hate them in another. One week, viewers might have been disgusted by Cylon experiments on humans; in the following episode they were equally horrified by beating and torture of Cylon prisoner by its human captors. Faced not only with enemy threat, but also with failing technology, diminishing resources and societal unrest, many characters in the series slowly sank into PTSP, alcoholism, drug abuse and even suicide.
And yet… there’s a silver lining of humanism throughout this almost savagely realistic SF series. By showing us the imperfection of individual insight, it made a strong case for necessity to listen and tolerate dissenting opinions, if only to better grasp the nuances of reality. And, while the writers of the series recognized flaws and faults of individuals and society in general, they also pointed out amazing perseverance of human spirit, even when faced with the series of crushing defeats.
Where all too often we see TV and movie heroes sprouting slogans about heroism, trust or compassion, Battlestar Galactica managed to convey to its viewers the price of such ideals – the burden, the risk and the sacrifice they demand – that made them realize their true value. The more the series insisted on its gritty realism the more it reminded us how similar we all are in our hopes, flaws and problems. To claim all that and to make it not sound like a cheap truism just might have been the greatest accomplishment of this series. After all, in this turbulent decade, that message all too often got ignored.
Mr. Fry went to San Francisco to see the big iPad reveal (can totally picturing him going all fanboyish, with ruddy cheeks and yelling quite loudly – gimme,gimme, gimme
Our lovely friend Amy is happy Jack Bauer is back – check out the Carnival of Bauer over at TV Tyrant
Ooooh we are getting Walter vs William Bell showdown on Fringe – EW
Guy Ritchie sets aside Lobo to do Sherlock Holmes sequel – LA Times
So Ugly Betty has been canceled. It would be easy to blame ABC for their scheduling f-ckery, not unlike Friday Night Lights and NBC, moving the show from one day to the next and killing it on a Friday and then confusing the viewers and of course they suck and should hear it and we hate them but there’s also the question of viewers…and if we’re using Friday as an argument, consider the dumbassness of Ghost Whisperer which does just fine on Friday. So to me, what’s maddening is not so much a matter of the networks being assholes, which is always the case anyway, but the matter of what people watch. Sh-t,
that’s what.
You know you totally should. It has been my “feel good” TV for a while although I will admit they have been threading water in season three. But this season has been quite, quite good. And fun. Much like Betty herself who is going through a transformation of a sort, the series is going through its Renaissance. It is not that they have changed the format or anything of the sort I think the writers just built upon what they already had and made it 10 times better.
The story lines are interesting but not OTT, some fresh blood has been brought in the form of Adam Rodriguez (of CSI fame who seems to be flourishing now that he got away from Horatio Caine’s watchful eye) and I’m still totally loving on Betty, Mark, Amanda, Hilda, Justin. Even Daniel. And some rumors have been floating around that Liza Minelli is set to appear on the show. If true how utterly, utterly fab! (Cabaret is one of my all time favorites).
I do hate it when network start to mess around with shows (only with the ones I like, natch) but when they start changing air times and air dates etc it never, ever bodes well (think Jericho, Eli Stone, hell any show you might have liked that got canceled. Once they start fiddling with it, it is never for the better). Ugly Betty’s ratings have been (for the lack of a better word) dismal this season (compared to when the series started). And it is irks me just so because the show by far surpassed everything they have done so far.
Maybe they should bring in Salma Hayek again. Maybe they only have one season left in them, but be as it may my dear readers do give it a watch I promise you you won’t be disappointed.
I am not the one for post-apocalyptic movies. I never understood Mad Max fascination. And then that dislike was cemented with the opening sequence of Waterworld – you remember that scene when Kevin Costner pees in a cup and then drinks it? All I will say is ewww… and I don’t get disgusted that easily
Anyhow there is a bit of a buzz about The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. It is a story about a man traveling through post-apocalyptic America who is trying to save a sacred book that holds the secret on how to save the humanity. Now no matter how much I like Denzel Washington I thought of giving this one a miss but then I’ve read it also stars Gary Oldman. And I like Gary Oldman. So I just might give it a watch after all. You can check out the trailer below and do let me know dear readers if you have seen The Book of Eli and most importantly if it is any good.
