Category Archives: prequel
Bates Motel, Episode 9: Underwater
Holy Hippies in a Van! When you have sons, you never know what the hell they’re going to drag home. Norma has lots of surprises with her boys. Norman has a new hobby, and although, I guess it’s a step up from a pet rock; it’s still gross. Dylan brings home some new friends who will be staying at the motel. An angry, former renter has left Norma a little thank you gift, but Norma prefers her lovers; alive and breathing. What possibly could go wrong this week? In the town of White Pine Bay; your guess is as good as mine. Meet me after the jump. Read the rest of this entry
Bates Motel, Episode 1: “First You Dream, Then You Die”
Monday nights are looking a lot better for horror lovers like me, especially with A&E’s premiere of the Bates Motel created and written by Anthony Cipriano, directed by Tucker Gates, and produced by Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin. Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother, Norma Louise Bates (Vera Farmiga) are starting a new life after the death of Norman’s father. They have a motel to run in good old White Pine Bay. But this is not your normal family and this contemporary prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 Hit Psycho, will allow us to explore why little Norman becomes a cold blooded killer. Meet me after the jump.
Saturday At The Movies: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Remember, not so long ago, that sense of excitement we all had heading into our local theatres, eager to re-visit characters named Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippen, Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf?
By the time the third instalment of The Lord of the Rings franchise finished, those characters were some of our closest friends, weren’t they? Over a span of three Christmas-time seasons, they had rooted themselves, deeply, into our minds and hearts. We laughed with them, cried for them, and shared in their adventures, tragedies and triumphs. We lived alongside both them and the cinematic landscapes they inhabited: the Mines of Moria, Rivendell, Rohan, Gondor , the Shire. Middle Earth.
That sense of excitement and anticipation has nervously returned this year with the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – the first of three films, set to be released over the next three Christmas-time seasons. With new characters and new adventures (and new cinematic formats), could it possibly live up to the audience experience of its predecessor films?
The answer, my friends, is that indeed it does.
Prometheus Avenges Alien Franchise
Prometheus has been in theatres for a few weeks now, which hopefully means I’m safe to write this without blowing any secrets or surprises. If you’ve been waiting to see the movie, I understand your delay. Despite being a massive fan of H.R. Giger and most of the Alien franchise, I waited for the crowds to thin and secured some mind-shatteringly awesome seats in the 3D Ultra AVX theatre before seeing the film.
Although Prometheus suffered from some plot issues, I can confidently say that not only has H.R. Giger’s original design been rightly glorified, but Ridley Scott has gotten his proper revenge.
Not sure what the hell I’m talking about? Well, there’s a little more to Prometheus than meets the eye…
Prometheus Pre-Game – Glenn Walker Revisits Alien 3
The Alien pseudo-sideways-prequel Prometheus hits theaters in a few days, and as part of our build-up for the release here at Biff Bam Pop!, our editor-in-chief asked me to review Alien 3. At first I thought he was mad at me, punishing me. As you may have guessed, there is no love lost between me at the second Alien sequel. That said, having not seen it since I watched it in a movie theater back in May of 1992, I recently gave it a fresh viewing. These are my thoughts.
The Prequel Maneuver: Andy B on Star Trek: Countdown
We’re just days away from the release of Star Trek, the J.J. Abrams reboot of a franchise that’s seen better days. And while all eyes will be on the big screen come Friday, it’s been the comic shops where the story has really started taking shape over the last few months. It’s come in the form of Star Trek: Countdown, the official prequel to the film and a story that features some of the beloved cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Published by IDW, the company also behind the current comic incarnations of Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Terminator, Star Trek: Countdown initially hit shops as a 4 issue mini-series over the first four months of 2009, and was recently released in a trade paperback. In it, we are introduced to the character of Nero, a Romulan miner who attempts to warn his homeworld of Romulas of an impending disaster (think Krypton). The results aren’t good, and Nero soon goes from tragic hero to a merciless villain that comes into contact with Captain Picard, Worf, Geordi, and a resurrected Data (whose android body was destroyed in the final ST:TNG film, Nemesis, but whose memories were implanted into the body of android prototype B4. Yeah, it’s a little confusing). It’s no spoiler to reveal that Nero is the main villain in the new Star Trek movie, which makes the comic his first official step into Starfleet lore.
While Star Trek: Countdown isn’t quite essential reading, I’m guessing my enjoyment of the new film is going to be magnified quite a bit because I’ve read the prequel. The story, written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, was developed by Star Trek screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, so you know it’s going to have a similar vibe to what the duo were aiming for with the new film. While I’m sure we’re going to get a healthy dose of backstory to Nero in the movie, it’ll be pretty cool to watch it and have even more insight into the villain.
It was also great seeing the characters from The Next Generation one more time in a story that is actually part of the Trek canon. With the franchise on shaky ground when the last ST: TNG film Nemesis hit theaters in 2002, it really seemed like the characters had been grounded for good, especially with the reboot hitting theaters. But the fact that Picard, Data, and a few other stalwarts are a part of the new Star Trek world, even if its comic book form, should make even the most jaded trekkers smile.
IDW has been doing an excellent job with their licensed properties (pick up G.I. Joe now). The stories are well-written and compelling, and in the case of Star Trek: Countdown, they’ve created the perfect lead-in to what is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. Beam it up and check it out.
