tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68435082024-03-08T10:35:50.853+10:00The Slayer LibraryTv blabs, movie blabs, book blabs. Lots of blab, but no flab.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.comBlogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1136554652626083632006-01-06T23:30:00.000+10:002006-01-06T23:37:32.640+10:00ApologiesThe thing about new Blogger toys is sometimes I don't realise I've started something. I had no idea that moderating comments meant that they would all be lumped in cyber-hell until I discovered where they ended up. Thanks to the curiosity of Lisa Rullsenberg I discovered that comments were being published, but not appearing under any posts.<br /><br />I have rectified the problem and switched off the moderation function. How annoying that Blogger stopped sending me the comment emails (which would make sense because I would know that I had comments waiting to be 'moderated').<br /><br />Well all is better and the comments should be up and running now.<br /><br />No wonder I was feeling like no one was reading this!Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1136298032200760742006-01-04T00:19:00.000+10:002006-01-06T20:25:51.923+10:00Pop UpsI just discovered a pop-up widow appeared when I loaded my blog.<br /><br />Has this been happening for long?<br /><br />I'll have to work out what is causing it. Grrr.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1136210213653697602006-01-02T23:18:00.000+10:002006-01-04T18:53:04.340+10:00The Movie, The Book and My ThoughtsI have always enjoyed reading, but as a child growing didn't actually read many books. It wasn't until I was in my third year of university that I really started devouring books (not "actually", cause the paper cuts would be painful). So, I had never read the famous children's series, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia</span>. Of course, I saw the BBC TV mini-series on ABC as a kid and was enthralled by it. I remember making sure I was home to see it each week. I found the Witch terribly scary and the idea of getting turned into stone quite horrifying.<br /><br />Fast forward a decade or so and I'd still not managed to read the books. I have so many books sitting on my shelves unread and even more in the bookshop waiting to be put on my shelves that the thought of starting a thousand page series rather put me off. That was until I found out that the movie based on the second volume was being released. I then made it my mission to have at least read the first two books before seeing the film.<br /><br />Early in December I pick up a one-volume edition of the series and crack the cover. For me, The Magicians Nephew wasn't anything special. Sure, it had some great visuals with the 7ft Queen rampaging through London and the creation of Narnia itself is wonderfully described, but I found the two children to be rather irritating and didn't really find much to like in either of them. I had to force myself to read the book hoping that it would get better and my perseverance would be rewarded. The final few chapters were worth it. I liked the animals and their treatment of the funny Humans.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">TLTWATW</span>) didn't grab me at the start either. I found the children to be rather simple. I think perhaps I approached the books with an exceedingly high expectation resulting in my being over critical of the story. Even though it is wonderfully imaginative and stimulating I felt it lacked the depth I've come to expect from children's books published today. I think I would like to re-read <span style="font-style: italic;">TLTWATW</span> without the pressure I put upon myself to read it before the film's release and allow myself to get caught up in the wonder of Narnia.<br /><br />After a rough start with the books I admit to being a little dubious about the filmic adaptation of <span style="font-style: italic;">TLTWATW</span>. Could the book that I felt was a little light on plot be translated into an engaging film? My answer would be yes. Mostly.<br /><br />Director Andrew Adamson's previous credits are the two Shrek animated films. Both are wonderful (the second film less so) twists on traditional fairy tales that delighted audiences and thrilled studio executives. Stepping from CGI based animation into a huge live-action, CGI-heavy movie was a natural step, if not a massive leap.<br /><br />The first half of <span style="font-style: italic;">TLTWATW</span> crawls along at a rather slow pace. The text is liberally translated to screen and the film suffers at time from lengthy dialogue scenes. All of it important dialogue for the story, but not presented with a building sense of urgency. The children seem to unwittingly walk into most of the situations they find themselves in, and hardly make any sort of decision for themselves.<br /><br />The film picks up pace as the children start to be hunted by the White Witch, played with great menace by Tilda Swinton. The chase across the frozen lake was a great addition.<br /><br />The overlapping of some major events and the hastening of some of the chase sequences from book to screen certainly added in making the second half of the movie very enjoyable. The masters at WETA Workshop have worked their wonders again creating a vast array of creatures that will hopefully stand the test of time.<br /><br />The final battle is epic on a smaller scale than we have become used to. The film beefs this part of the story up a great deal and really runs with the battle, although it never goes so far as to put off the younger viewers.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe</span> is a solid fantasy film that will delight younger audiences and provide quite good entertainment for accompanying parents.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1136083240608480882006-01-01T12:18:00.000+10:002006-01-04T18:57:15.126+10:00Double the BuffyHappy New Year!<br /><br />How appropriate that my first post for 2006 be about my favourite of TV shows.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy </span>is back on TV. It seems that Seven are quite attached to the show and have rerun it over the Summer for the past few years. This week sees double the fun with two (that's right, TWO) eps aired back to back. Or maybe back to front, cause other wise the second ep would be backwards and that would be confusing. Anyway, the two eps are 'Reptile Boy' then 'Halloween'.<br /><br />'Reptile Boy' isn't the best of eps. Although it does give Cordelia some great lines when trying to convince Buffy to go to the party. 'Halloween' is one of my favourite eps from the show. All the characters shine and the actors have a lot of fun. Xander gets to be the macho hero for once, Willow gets sexy for the first time, Cordelia is her usual self to pronounce the other's changes more, Buffy proves she's crap at accents, and Giles gets to scream like a little girl when Willow walks through a wall. Fun!<br /><br />Returning to TV Sunday night, of Jan 8, is the highlight of last Summer, <span style="font-style: italic;">Carnivale</span>. If you didn't get to see the last series, go to your local video shop and hire it, or even better, go buy it! It's the weirdest, most confronting TV series you'll see. It comes from HBO in the USA (otherwise known as "the land of sex and swearing", rather like our SBS) and really is a milestone in TV drama. Naturally it was cancelled after its second season.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1135954951879520362005-12-31T00:25:00.000+10:002006-01-01T12:48:17.416+10:00Goodbye Uncle Enyos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4659/80/1600/vincent-schiavella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4659/80/320/vincent-schiavella.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The man who always appeared to be serious or sad passed away on Boxing Day.<br /><br />We know Vincent Schialvella because he played Uncle Enyos to Jenny Calendar. A well known character actor he guest starred in numerous TV shows including <span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The X-Files, Star Trek: TNG</span>; performed voices in <span style="font-style: italic;">Hey Arnold!, Family Guy, and Batman</span> TV series. In his 57 years, he appeared and voiced nearly 100 movies, TV movies and video games. He died from lung cancer.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1131547553737895602005-11-10T00:27:00.000+10:002005-11-28T01:07:33.016+10:00Mostly CrapI'm browsing <span>Bloglines</span> for the first time in ages and I'm wading through hundreds of news headlines from Yahoo, Ain't It Cool News, <span>Joblo's</span> Movie Emporium, Rotten Tomatoes and the cream of the crop, People Magazine (the US entertainment <span>mag</span>, not the Aussie porno...).<br /><br />I have it in there because it occasionally has articles that are interesting to me. The problem is I have to wade through mounds of crap about Madonna's new song pissing off Rabbis, Brad's family liking Angelina, <span>Uma's</span> break-up with Ethan, Paris' break-up with herself, and Jennifer <span>Garner's</span> <span>Affleck</span>-spawn. I just don't care.<br /><br />Now if any of these people decided to find their talent and involve themselves in an interesting and unique project, I DO want to hear about that. But you don't go to People Magazine for actual info.<br /><br />However... As I'm slowly getting back in the loop of my movie and TV news I was interested to discover that a new Bond has been <a href="http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1117514,00.html">announced</a>, by his Mum! <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0185819/">Daniel Craig</a> (someone who is selfish enough to have two first names) doesn't strike me as a Bond. He seems more like a second rate Bond villain. That's just my first impression. The only thing I've seen him in is Tomb Raider 2, which disguised actors with talent behind a crap script and appalling direction.<br /><br />The other <span>titbit</span> I <a href="http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1116137,00.html">gleaned</a> is that the new <span>eps</span> of the second season of Desperate Housewives aren't doing so well. Apparently it's lost its freshness. The main character's aren't in any scenes together and the menace has gone out of the plot. I wondered how long the secrets would keep going, but I didn't <span>foresee</span> them getting tired at the start of the second season! Sounds like whomever was in charge last year isn't as invested <span>any more</span>. It's happened before, and sounds like it's happened again.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1131427346941651842005-11-08T14:50:00.000+10:002005-11-28T01:14:52.020+10:00Return to TransmissionAfter a few weeks of non-blogging I return with news of what some of our old favs from Buffy and Angel are doing in TV land.<br /><br />TV Week <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/Insider/default.htm?rmDate=11072005">interviewed</a> Joss and reports his opinions of each actor. A pretty poor excuse for an article really, but it does tell us where we'll be able to see the actors next.<br /><br />In summary:<br />Alyson Hannigan is starring in the sitcom <a href="http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/">How I Met Your Mother</a>.<br />David Boreanaz is FBI agent Seeley Booth (possibly one of the stupidest names...ever!) in the procedural <a href="http://www.fox.com/bones/">Bones</a>.<br />Charisma Carpenter has a reoccurring role on <a href="http://www.upn.com/shows/veronica_mars/">Veronica Mars</a> as Kendall Casablancas.<br />Nick Brendon is a funny chef in <a href="http://www.fox.com/kitchen/">Kitchen Confidential</a>. Glad to see he's back on track and out of rehab.<br />And finally,<br />James Marsters is back what he does best: playing the bad guy. Except this time the small town he terrorises is called, well, <a href="http://thewb.warnerbros.com/web/show.jsp?id=SM">Smallville</a>. He plays Professor Fine, aka Brainiac.<br />And Mr Whedon himself is going to make an appearance on Veronica Mars as a rental-car manager.<br /><br />I've no idea whether any of these shows are likely to see the light of day here. Smallville disappeared during its second season because Nine thought prime-time Saturday night was a good time to air a show struggling for ratings. Dolts.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1129559418594535752005-10-18T00:26:00.000+10:002005-10-18T00:30:18.603+10:00Be WatchingOn <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/whatson/index.php3?progdate=22:10:2005">Sunday night</a> at 6:30pm<br /><br />SBS is airing a doco called "Down Under" about Aussies working in Cirque Du Soleil. Sounds interesting:<br /><blockquote>This documentary series, presented by Richard Snashall introduces us to Anita Nelving, an Australian from the Hills district of Sydney who now resides in Montreal after joining Cirque du Soleil at its headquarters in Singapore. Anita takes us on a tour of Cirque du Soleil's headquarters where 2000 people work, and where every piece of costume is individually made and dyed. We also meet Martina Howard, an Australian expatriate who works as a performing artist with the circus.</blockquote>Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1129185021836739372005-10-13T16:25:00.000+10:002005-10-13T16:30:21.846+10:00Spoiler FreeNow, I've done my best to leave out any spoilers. I do mention a couple of plot points, but nothing that gives anything away other than setting up where things are at. I will hopefully get my other post out soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>is Joss Whedon’s first big trip into the cinema. He’s visited before with the scripts for <span style="font-style: italic;">Toy Story</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Alien 4</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Titan A.E</span>. but this is his first go in the directors chair. <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>picks up 6 months after the last episode of <span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly</span>. Mal and the crew are still finding it difficult to get work, legitimate and not-so legitimate. River is as vague as always and Simon seems even more protective of her.<br /><br />The film opens with an introduction that zips along; revisiting and revising some of the history of the show, and quickly setting up the universe for those unfamiliar or new. The introduction of The Operative who has been sent to retrieve River is deftly handled and Chiwetel Ejiofor instantly establishes himself as a worthy foe for the Serenity crew.<br /><br />All the original TV cast are back in their roles, but sadly the format of a film doesn’t allow enough time for all of them to have meaty roles. Mal and River are the focus, with Simon, Zoe, Wash, Jayne and Kaylee as general crew and support. Inara has barely an introduction which may confuse the uninitiated. Book appears, but is sadly not around enough.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>herself has had a facelift. Some major redesigns of the cargo bay make it much colder. There seems to be no extra living quarters behind the medical bay that were used on so much in the show, and there a few extra little rooms here and there. I like most of the changes, but I think overall the ship felt colder and not as homely.<br /><br />Joss’ direction has the film speeding along. The crew run from fight to fight or away from The Operative. In essence this is a chase film that spans a few worlds and the action is what keeps it all going. After <span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel </span>Joss knows how to film a fight scene and River is the star of the biggest ones. Mal is also in usual form: getting his arse kicked numerous times.<br /><br />I did feel in some of the dialogue heavy scenes that the editing was a little TV-like. Cutting back and forth between people’s faces a lot rather than using an interestingly framed master shot. There were a lot of these types of shots, but I think old habits die hard, and it’s understandable for a TV-like element to inhabit this film.<br /><br />As is typical of Whedon’s work, the surprises are good, and the shocks are like being hit with a sledgehammer. If you know <span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly</span>, expect to be shaken to your core by what happens. For those unfamiliar, don’t get too comfortable in your seat because this is a wild ride that doesn’t wait around for anyone who’s fallen behind.<br /><br />An excellent send off for the series. An excellent stand-alone product. A new glimmer of hope that quality sci-fi is still possible.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128431958453610402005-10-04T23:11:00.000+10:002005-10-04T23:19:18.466+10:00That's Me! Clever AND Dangerous...I got an interesting result:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://images.quizfarm.com/1127582577sqriver.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><blockquote>You scored as <b>River Tam</b>. The Fugitive. You are clever and dangerous, which is a nasty combination. The fact you are crazy too just adds to your charm. They did bad things to you, but you know their secrets. They will regret how they made you.<br /><br />River Tam - 81%<br />Zoe Alleyne Washburne - 69%<br />Simon Tam - 56%<br />Hoban 'Wash' Washburne - 50%<br />The Operative - 50%<br />Capt. Mal Reynolds - 44%<br />Inara Serra - 38%<br />Kaylee Frye - 38%<br />Shepherd Derrial Book - 38%<br />Jayne Cobb - 25%<br /><br /><a href="http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=79387">Which Serenity character are you?</a></blockquote><a href="http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=79387"></a>I am kinda glad that I relate the least with Jayne.<br /><br />Found via <a href="http://onedogsaid.blogspot.com/">One Dog Said To Another</a>.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128348905257352212005-10-03T23:57:00.000+10:002005-10-04T00:15:05.343+10:00It's Not Too BadIt's certainly no <span style="font-style: italic;">Titanic</span>, but $10.1mil isn't that bad.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1910&p=.htm">Box Office Mojo</a> has <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>at #2 in the opening weekend's box office, only losing out to Flightplan.<br /><br />Honestly, I don't think anyone expected the BDM to make a killing. It's a solid film that will hopefully sustain.<br /><br />In it's first day of release here in Oz <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>made <a href="http://serenitymovie.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=1185">$280, 763</a> which put it in 5th place behind the other school holiday releases.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128347397665678812005-10-03T23:34:00.000+10:002005-10-03T23:49:57.726+10:00No Pressure. Really.While doing some research for my much anticipated <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>post, I discovered that the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AQS0F/ref=cm_aya_asin.title/102-9224343-2858561?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance"><span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly </span></a>DVDs are currently #3 at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/new-for-you/top-sellers/-/dvd/all/ref=pd_dp_ts_d_1/102-9224343-2858561">Amazon</a>!<br /><br />Which is bloody shiny if you ask me.<br /><br />It is currently in front of <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman Begins, Star Wars</span> (the last middle one), even <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Desperate Housewives</span>!<br /><br />I intend to write two <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>posts. One for those who haven't seen <span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly </span>or wish to remain spoiler free, and another that is an in-depth look. Both will be clearly marked.<br /><br />Not that I feel any pressure about writing these...!<br /><br />I am going to see the BDM again tomorrow. Cheap Tuesdays rule!Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128002890100822622005-09-30T00:06:00.000+10:002005-09-30T00:08:10.106+10:00And The Band Played OnAnother in the endless list of <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>reviews. This <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=493&e=6&u=/ap/20050928/ap_en_mo/film_review_serenity">Associated Press</a> review is well written, and positive, if a little too spoilery.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128002494266099342005-09-29T23:53:00.000+10:002005-09-30T00:10:11.200+10:00Much Better<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/">Rotten Tomatoes</a>, the site I love to hate, has <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/serenity/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity</span></a> at 73% fresh, which is excellent! Much better than it was last night (a barely fresh 63%). The reviews are varied and most are actually a good read, even to get the blood boiling. Victoria Alexander's review is by far the worst. I can accept that she hated the film, but she has the eloquence of week-old road-kill, and... I'll stop before I say something truly mean.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128001264585954292005-09-29T23:38:00.000+10:002005-09-29T23:43:21.260+10:00In The Spirit...of sharing, an email from <a href="http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity">Joss</a>:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Well boys and girls and boys dressed as girls and girls dressed as Kaylee, the time is almost upon us. This Friday we take that old rust-bucket out of the shipyard and see if she can breach atmo. It's been a long (to paraphrase a band I like) strange trip, and it'll be nice finally to show everybody what it is we've been tinkering with all this time. You already know you have my thanks, from the hardcore fans to the softcore... fans.... let me try that again. From the people manning the booths, buying DVD sets for their friends, getting banners seen everywhere on Australian TV, raffling artwork for ticketholders (Adam Hughes, take a bow), to the most casual fan who just wants to see the flick and won't ever even read this. You guys are the fuel in the engine, the Fire in the Fly, the weird green stuff coming out of Serenity's butt. (Hmmm. Forget that last one. I'm a little bit out of control here.)<br /><br />Everyone needs something to keep them going. Mal has his ship. Zoe has her integrity. Jayne has Vera. And I've got you guys.<br /><br />So what now? There have been so many posts about seeing it, seeing it again, the first weekend, the second weekend, being enthusiastic without being obnoxious (and yes, it IS hard to see over the pom-pom of a Jayne hat), buying tickets in advance, making a noise... I honestly wouldn't know what to add. I can tell you this: the movie will play in about 2200 hundred theaters, which is a good number. Too many, and you get empty theaters with no energy -- not enough, and you get, well, not enough. It may be hard to find in some areas but it'll be out there. Leave no multiplex unturned! This is going to be a ground war, peeps -- we have to hold the valley for a long while. However it opens, it needs to HOLD. Instead of the Alliance we'll be fighting viewer apathy, fear of something new, the urge to wait for DVD, and Jessica Alba in a bikini. (Although I have it on good authority that she spends 90% of the film in a huge wooly parka. Make sure that gets out.)<br /><br />The day this puppy opens, I'll be seeing it with my family (don't worry, there's a lot of them, and they're all paying) and then I'm off to Europe to learn the word 'Browncoats' in nine different languages -- 'cause like I said, it's all about holding. I'll never be far from a computer, though, so I can check in with y'all. Thanks for every damn thing.<br /><br />And remember, amidst all the urgency to make this an event, all the work and the worry, to take two hours and just enjoy yourself. That is, after all, what all this fighting's about.<br /><br />-joss.<br /></blockquote><br />I'm spreading the word, how 'bout you?Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1128001094593672232005-09-29T23:22:00.000+10:002005-09-29T23:38:14.636+10:00Movie Maybe, But Can't CartoonTV Guide's <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/AskAusiello/default.htm?rmDate=09282005"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ask Ausiello</span></a> has an interview with the "Man of the Moment", Joss Whedon about possible Buffy projects:<span style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span><blockquote><span style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><b>Question:</b> Buffy, Angel, Spike — anything?!? — Tammy</span><span id="SummaryGenerator1"><p><b>Ausiello:</b> How 'bout all of the above, and then some? I just hung up with Sir <strong>Joss Whedon</strong>, and the chatty Cathy dished on all of your favourite things in the galaxy, from the Buffyverse to <em>Veronica Mars</em> (his new obsession) and back. Ready for takeoff? Read on for some highlights from our Q&A session (that's quips and anecdotes for you newbies). </p><p><b><em>Serenity </em>is opening in two days. How does it feel?<br /></b>It feels good. I like the movie. It's a good time. </p> <p><b>Did Universal tell you how much this one needs to gross for there to be a sequel?<br /></b>More than it cost. I don't think [we'll know] right away whether or not there'll be a second one because, obviously, DVD is the new box office. And I also think of this as a slow-growth movie. It's not about shock and awe first weekend; it's about word of mouth. It's about whether the film has legs.</p> <p><b>How'd your <em>Veronica Mars</em> cameo go?<br /></b>Well, I don't want to say [I'm] the new <b>Brando</b>, but I <i>do</i> want to say I'm the new <b>Franklin Pangborn</b>…. It was nice, because I had it with <strong>Kristen Bell</strong>, who's really good and helped me get through my inability to act on film. Apart from that, it was somewhat unremarkable to anybody who wasn't me.</p> <p><b>Did you ever think your endorsement of a TV show would carry as much weight as your <a href="http://whedonesque.com/index.php?comments=7502">rave review</a> of <em>Mars</em> did?<br /></b>I really didn't. I just got on the Internet because I was feelin' it. I was just <i>feelin</i>' it. I <i>loved</i> that show. I was like, "I gotta get on the Internet and tell peeps about this." [Executive producer] <b>Joel Silver</b> called me and said, "Why didn't you tell us you were going to do that?!" I said, "Here's the point: I didn't <i>know</i> I was going to do that." After the last six episodes [from Season 1], which we watched in a day, I was just on fire. I haven't been a fanboy like that since the days of old.</p> <p><b>Any chance you might write or direct an episode?<br /></b>To direct would be fun, if I had time. To write, quite frankly, I'd be intimidated. Their stuff is <i>tight</i>. I would be nervous as hell, and it would take me a really long time. I would love to do one, but I don't have time and [<strong>Rob Thomas</strong>] doesn't need me so, ultimately, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon.</p> <p><b>You spoke to Tim Minear about writing and directing the Spike movie. Where do things stand?<br /></b>Things stand that all of the art guys — the people who would be involved artistically — have been trading phone calls going, "Wouldn't this be cool? Wouldn't this be cool?" We don't have a paradigm set up yet. We don't have anything solid to announce. I'm just making sure that the creative people I need are in place before I set up a whole deal and then <strong>James Marsters</strong> goes, "Gosh, you know? That's kind of behind me now." Or [if] I don't have a writer I can trust, because I don't have time to do it all myself; I need one of my peeps. And there's no greater peep for something like this than Mr.<strong> </strong>Minear. I'm optimistic that I will actually have something to say in the near future, but at this point it's still me and my buddies going, "Wouldn't it be cool?"</p> <p><b>Have you spoken to David Janollari at WB yet?<br /></b>I'm not going to go into the deal-making stuff at all.</p> <p><b>Can you tell us if you've spoken to anyone aside from James about appearing in the movie?<br /></b>Yes, I have. </p> <p><b>Amy Acker?<br /></b>Yes, I have. Well, you know, I see Amy a lot, I see <strong>Alyson</strong> [<strong>Hannigan</strong>] a lot and <strong>Alexis</strong> [<strong>Denisof</strong>]. I've spoken to a couple of people just because we're making conversation, and they don't hate the idea. The worst thing that could happen is that somebody would be too busy because, as we know, all of my alumni are taking over the world.</p> <p><b>Do you see Alyson/Willow being a part of it?<br /></b>You know, if I get a chance to use Alyson, I'll use Alyson. That's a given. There's no maybe about that. The maybe is, does she have time? And if she <i>does</i> have time, shouldn't she be busy doing <em>Veronica Mars</em>, where we need to know more about her character?</p> <p><b>Have you finished writing <em>Wonder Woman</em>?<br /></b>No. <i>No</i>. God, no.</p> <p><b>What stage are you in? Have you started?<br /></b>The writing stage is just one big stage, and I'm in it. Yes I have [started], but I'm still putting the pieces in place.</p> <p><b>Is there a production start date?<br /></b>No. That was one of the stipulations, that we would let the thing happen organically. Because, ultimately, a lot of work needs to be done. It has to be just right or it's going to be bad, and I'm not looking for that.</p> <p><b>Have you given any more thought to casting?<br /></b>No, I sure haven't.</p> <p><b>One last thing: Should I assume the <em>Buffy</em> animated series is dead?<br /></b>That's a good word for it. I think dead and possibly buried. Or even cremated.</p></span></blockquote><span id="SummaryGenerator1"><p></p></span>Veronica Mars is still yet to surface here in Oz, and I'm hoping it will appear over the Summer.<br /><br />I am sad that the animated Buffy is dead and buried, I think it would have been an interesting retrospective.<br /><br />It seems that some sort of movie is likely, and that Spike will be central. I still think <span style="font-style: italic;">Spike and Andrew's Excellent Adventure</span> sounds like a hit.<br /><br />Although, with this news (also from <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/Entertainment/default.htm?rmDate=09242005">TV Guide</a>):<br /><blockquote><span id="SummaryGenerator1"><span style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">GOING, GOING, <i>GONER</i>:</span> Buffyverse ruler <strong>Joss Whedon</strong> — whose <em>Firefly</em> flick <em>Serenity</em> hits theatres one week from today — has inked a seven-figure deal with Universal to write and direct the fantasy thriller <em>Goner</em>. "It's the story of a young woman's journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics," he tells <em>Variety</em>. "It's certainly darker than <em>Serenity</em>, and there are a lot of left turns along the way. It is something I had in mind for a while, and it just poured out of me when I finished my film." Of course, <em>Goner </em>will have to wait until Whedon finishes Warner Bros.' big-screen <em>Wonder Woman</em> flick and (hopefully) gets the ball rolling on that long-rumoured Spike TV movie (hint hint, nudge nudge, slap slap).</span></blockquote><span id="SummaryGenerator1">It may be even longer before something Buffy related gets off the ground. Although, I wouldn't be unhappy if Joss handed the reins over to Tim Minear so that he could still be making movies.<br /></span>Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1127573501316064582005-09-25T00:50:00.000+10:002005-09-25T00:51:41.323+10:00For Future ReferenceThe worst possible spoonerism to say in public comes from these two words:<br /><br />Car Stunts.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1127572628955816262005-09-25T00:33:00.000+10:002005-09-25T00:37:08.963+10:00Another DayAnother <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>poster.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4659/80/1600/serenity_ver3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4659/80/320/serenity_ver3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1127571843825595862005-09-25T00:15:00.000+10:002005-09-25T00:24:03.833+10:00It's Gorram Cheap!Thanks to the wonderful <a href="http://mattyb.customer.netspace.net.au/">Kirsten</a> for letting me know that <a href="http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/">JB Hifi</a> have <a href="http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvds/id/84646">Firefly DVDs</a> in stock! And what makes this news even better is they are only $36.98 at the moment. A steal!<br /><br />Am wondering whether I need a second set...Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1127570603647385982005-09-24T23:44:00.000+10:002005-09-25T00:03:23.656+10:00Looking Way Ahead<a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/Entertainment/default.htm?rmDate=09232005">TV Guide</a> reports that Mr Whedon (some refer to him as <span style="font-style: italic;">God</span>) has signed up for another write/direct combo with Universal. Here's what they say:<br /><br /><span id="SummaryGenerator1"><span style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></span><blockquote><span style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">GOING, GOING, <i>GONER</i>:</span> Buffyverse ruler <strong>Joss Whedon</strong> — whose <em>Firefly</em> flick <em>Serenity</em> hits theaters one week from today — has inked a seven-figure deal with Universal to write and direct the fantasy thriller <em>Goner</em>. "It's the story of a young woman's journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics," he tells <em>Variety</em>. "It's certainly darker than <em>Serenity</em>, and there are a lot of left turns along the way. It is something I had in mind for a while, and it just poured out of me when I finished my film." Of course, <em>Goner </em>will have to wait until Whedon finishes Warner Bros.' big-screen <em>Wonder Woman</em> flick and (hopefully) gets the ball rolling on that long-rumored Spike TV movie (hint hint, nudge nudge, slap slap).</blockquote></span>Would I like to see another <span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy </span>related production? Of course! Do I particularly want to see one based around Spike? Not as much.<br /><br />I read in an interview (at the moment I can't remember with whom) a while ago that said that Spike is at his best when he is working off someone else as an annoyance or outsider. It's why he worked so well on <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel</span>. Being the antithesis of Angel created many memorable moments in the show's final season. The same works with his time on <span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy</span>: firstly it was Spike and Dru, then Spike and Xander, then Spike and Giles, then Spike and Harmony, then Spike and Buffy (you guess which of those combos were sexual...). So for a Spike centric story to have the best potential to succeed he would have to be paired with someone who provides the greatest conflict. As both Gellar and Boreanaz have both expressed no interest in revisiting the roles there are fewer interesting combinations. Dru would be the next obvious choice, but taking into account the status of the characters at the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel </span>season five I would imagine that would lead to a historical story, or perhaps one well entrenched with flashbacks.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Spike and Andrew Ride Again</span> perhaps?Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1127141188896071282005-09-19T23:59:00.000+10:002005-09-20T00:46:28.960+10:00Big Damn PostI'd not been to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>Oz forums for a couple of days, so missed out on a few interesting things, but after browsing and lurking will give you all the juicy stuff.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.threedworld.com.au/whatson/whatson_flicksdvds.php?id=144">Three D World</a> give <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>five bigguns in an excellent review.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thebenchwarmers.com.au/serenity.htm">The Benchwarmers</a>, two outrageous guys on selected radio networks around Australia at 4pm weekdays, are running a <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>competition. Win a trip to Universal Studios in LA and five nights accom. Shiny!<br /><br />Men's mag <a href="http://www.fhm.com.au/winstuff_show.php?id=61#">FHM</a> are also running a <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>Comp. Choose a name for the spaceship you would have and win a <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>pack.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.titanmagazines.com/">Titan Magazines</a>, the folks who brings us the <span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel </span>mags, are releasing a <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>Movie Magazine. It'll be a one off and will hopefully appear here before the film opens, rather than three months down the track like every other UK mag.<br /><br />Joss talked to TV Week while he was here and this question was posed:<br /><blockquote><b>Australia’s education minister, Brendan Nelson, recently had a go at universities because there are more students studying <i>Buffy</i> than Milton. How do you feel about people studying <i>Buffy</i> at university?</b><br /> <br />I think they should be. There’s two reasons. One, because there’s not an episode of that show which we didn’t have a very specific intent for. There’s no episode that was just there to spin a yarn. They all were trying to capture something, even if it was just like a certain experience. There was always philosophical and political discussion about what it was we were trying to say. But even if none of that was the case, even if it was just a show that people took to, the fact that it’s made such an inroad into popular culture means that it should be studied for whatever it is popular culture seems to have needed that made it grasp onto it. Do I think it’s as good as Milton’s poems? Well, I’m not, like, a big Milton-head. I don’t think it’s as good as Emily Dickinson’s poems. Do I think it’s the greatest literature ever? I don’t think it is. Do I think it’s topical and thoughtful and deals with issues of human morality and personal responsibility and a lot of things that need to be talked about both academically and casually, yes. So I’m all for it.</blockquote>Joss is also in an article and poster in this month's <a href="http://www.filmink.com.au/home/">FilmInk</a> magazine.<br /><br />Greater Union - Birch, Carroll & Coyle are running a competition for <span style="font-style: italic;">Serenity </span>prize-packs. Due to their terms and conditions I can't link to their site. Which is stupid! I'm advertising them. Get over yourself GU! Anyhoo... go enter the comp at Greater Union dot com dot au.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly </span>DVDs are currently in 9th place in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AQS0F/qid=1127026564/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9325323-0538514?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846">Amazon DVD</a> sales rank. Pretty bloody shiny!<br /><br />Here in Oz, you'd be hard pressed to find a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Firefly </span>anywhere. Search <a href="http://dvdplaza.com.au/">DVD Plaza</a> for Firefly and you can only backorder.<br /><br />Joss will be on the Triple J morning show tomorrow morning, so I'd better get to bed so I'll be awake for it!Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1126970576918074022005-09-18T01:07:00.000+10:002005-09-18T01:22:59.256+10:00The Little Post That CouldI found an interesting blog via a post from <a href="http://mattyb.customer.netspace.net.au/">Kirsten</a>. <a href="http://whatmeaning.blogspot.com/">Draic</a> was inspired to write about it, and as yet hasn't. As I think this is an excellent blog and art project I wanted to mention it here. If Draic does post about it, I'm sure fair better observations will be made.<br /><br /><a href="http://postsecret.blogspot.com/">Post Secret</a> is "ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a home-made postcard."<br /><br />So you basically anonymously spill the beans to the world via a postcard that you make with your secret as the main message.<br /><br />My advice is let the whole blog load first and read away.<br /><br />Some secrets are touching, some very funny, others a little disturbing, a couple downright scary.<br /><br />I hope those who send postcards are able to use this project as a way of getting past the reason for keeping these secrets in.<br /><br />I'm trying to think if I have some secret that would be worthy of a postcard.<br /><br />"I have a blog"<br /><br />Nope, people already know that...Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1126795001041251352005-09-16T00:28:00.000+10:002005-09-16T00:36:41.046+10:00Average ReviewsI've been reading quite a few reviews of Serenity and the word is mostly positive. Sadly though, one of the reviews from here is in Empire Magazine. I have to say that it's possibly the most wishy-washy review I've read in that mag for quite a long time. It compares Serenity to other sci-fi films and talks about the B-grade cast, but does very litle commenting on the actual film.<br /><br />A very well written <a href="http://www.yourmovies.com.au/index.cfm?action=movie_info&title_id=15305">review</a> can be found at <a href="http://www.yourmovies.com.au">Your Movies</a>, an Australian movie site. Sign up for the weekly newsletter and on <span class="postbody">Wednesday, September 21, you will be able to see the Serenity review, trailer, synopsis and an interview with Joss Whedon.<br /><br />Woo!<br /></span>Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1126793042760565852005-09-15T23:56:00.000+10:002005-09-19T01:13:14.576+10:00Mind Your NutsTim Burton is developing a taste for remakes. <span style="font-style: italic;">Planet of the Apes</span> was received with mixed reviews, and I admit to some trepidation about how he would treat Dahl’s text. I am a fan of the beloved original adaptation with its wacky songs and Gene Wilder’s memorable performance. The original film departed from Dahl’s text and the result is far more, pardon the pun, sugar coated.<br /><br />Burton’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Chocolate Factory</span> isn’t strictly a remake. It is not a re-treatment of the original film, instead it returns to the text as its source of inspiration. It would be like calling Peter Jackson’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Lord of the Rings</span> a remake of the 1978 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_%281978_movie%29">animated film</a>; an unlikely comparison.<br /><br />So with an open mind I went to <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</span>. Admittedly, I couldn’t help but carry the baggage of the original with me. Watching it on TV a few days before probably didn’t help...<br /><br />The first thing you’ll notice is Burton’s unique visual style and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000384/">Danny Elfman’s</a> fantastic score. This pairing is so complimentary that it would be disturbing to have one without the other.<br /><br />Burton creates a cold lifeless village surround the Wonka’s towering brobdingnagian factory which invokes the feeling of a Russian town rather than of an English one. Charlie Bucket (that’s “Boo-kay”) lives with his parents and all four grandparents in a tiny dilapidated shack in the middle of a recently demolished block of houses.<br /><br />Charlie’s parents are played by Noah Talor and Helena Bonham Carter (another Burton regular and Fiance, who wore bad teeth to match Taylor’s naturally bad set). Rather thankless roles for both, but gives Charlie someone to want to come home to.<br /><br />Never leaving a bed in the living area are the four grandparents in some sort of weird seniors pyjama party. Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) is the liveliest of the bunch, sharing late-night stories with Charlie about his time working in the factory before Wonka shut everyone out.<br /><br />Freddie Highmore presents a wide-eyed and innocent Charlie whose love of his family is his strongest emotion. At all times he is the selfless and reserved, the archetypal perfect little boy. This works well, but I think I would have liked to see him have some basic human vice. Once we meet the other <span style="font-style: italic;">Golden Ticket</span> winners, Charlie’s purity stands out even more.<br /><br />When the search for the Golden Tickets commences the film picks up some pace. Burton expertly introduces the four horrible children, and doesn’t hold back in the disgust that we should feel for them. The other disgusting children are Augustus Gloop, Mike Teavee, Violet Beauregarde and Verruca Salt, who will drive you to your end by the time she meets hers. Burton doesn’t hold back in telling us how disgusting the kids are, to the extent of having multiple characters repeating how repellent they are.<br /><br />We know that Charlie has to find a ticket, otherwise what’s the point? But still we hope and hope that he finds one. The inevitable happens and Charlie is off to the Factory. G’pa Joe accompanies Charlie, and this is explained because he used to work at the factory. A rather flimsy excuse, and Charlie’s parents were certainly a little disappointed to not go with him. I think perhaps that these poor people are a little to positive. For example, a little more bitterness would have been appropriate when Mr. Bucket (“Boo-kay”) loses his job to a machine.<br /><br />When Willy Wonka makes his grand entrance to the tunes of Disneyland-eske puppetry that goes horribly wrong, ending in fire, is when the film takes it’s distinct turn for the weird.<br /><br />Depp is a rather enigmatic actor. Most of his best work seems to be about dealing with an inner child of some sort. Edward Scissorhands, Finding Neverland, Pirates of the Caribbean, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Benny and Joon, and even his detective characters in Sleepy Hollow and From Hell. His take on Wonka is possibly the most extreme. The bobbed wig, very pale face, perfectly aligned pearly white teeth and icy-blue eyes allow Depp to delve into the eccentricities of this odd individual. The way he takes on effeminate body poses and a higher pitched voice adds a layer of ambiguity that takes Depp’s Wonka to another level of oddity.<br /><br />When Wonka first appears on screen, his extreme anti-social behaviour first shows itself and rather than being welcomed to the factory, you have the distinct feeling he doesn’t really want you there. It’s this conflict, of being invited yet unwanted, that rides along under the main action. Continuing that odd feeling.<br /><br />The children are perfectly disgusting little beasts and Augustus is destined for a fudgey ending. Then we lose each of the horrid children one by one. Each of these episodes stands alone as great segments, but I don’t think Burton was successful in welding them together. The pace during the middle act is jarringly random.<br /><br />Burton’s liberal use of a slight soft focus gives all of Wonka’s world a slightly ethereal and fantasyland look. I loved the Chocolate Room, The Sorting Room and the Wonkavision studio; the homage to Kubrick’s <span style="font-style: italic;">2001: A Space Odyssey</span> was brilliantly executed. I was disappointed with the Inventing Room. It seemed too shiny and preconceived. A place of invention should be random and chaotic, where anything and everything is a possibility.<br /><br />The flashback scenes were an interesting journey through Wonka’s subconscious, but I’m a little baffled as to why Burton chose to follow this path. <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</span> is clearly marketed towards kids, being based on a kids book and all, making the choice off delving into the childhood traumas of Wonka a bizarre choice. The average 12 year old or younger wouldn’t care that because Wonka was unloved as a child he’s grown up to be a family-abhorring recluse with a penchant for orange little men. If this is some of Burton’s own demons bleeding into his work, then another film would have been a better place.<br /><br />The paradox of both cinematic adaptations of Dahl’s book is that the both are cross titled. <span style="font-style: italic;">Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</span> is in fact Charlie’s journey of self discovery, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</span> is all about Wonka.<br /><br />On the whole I had an enjoyable time watching this film. Wonka’s factory is a world of wonder and wacky, and Deep Roy’s Oompa Loompas are fantastic. Sadly the sound wasn’t terribly clear in the songs, so some of the words were unintelligible.<br /><br />Younger audiences will find most of the factory scenes entertaining, will lose interest during the flashbacks, and possibly want to leave once Charlie leaves the factory. I am glad that the movie continued beyond the Glass Elevator breaking through the roof, and happy how it wasn’t a simple rounding out of the story. As an adult I found this satisfying, but I don’t think Burton found the right mix of plot and subplot to appease both types of audience.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843508.post-1126275659003082552005-09-10T00:10:00.000+10:002005-09-10T00:20:59.010+10:00See What Happens...When you put anything Joss related in an online poll at <a href="http://movies.msn.com/movies/2005Fall/Home">MSN Movies</a>. Rabid fans tell all their friends about the poll!<br /><br />The poll is surveying the most anticipated 'fall' movie. Serenity went from 10% to 38% very quickly once the poll was mentioned on the <a href="http://fireflyfans.net/news.asp?newsid=763">Fireflyfans</a> webboards.Casynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816744324234199739noreply@blogger.com1