Category Archives: sci-fi
Gilbert and Defiance, the Game and the Show
Since my all-time favorite show, “The Walking Dead” is now on hiatus, I’m keeping my eyes on Syfy’s newest show, Defiance. My review of last week’s pilot show was not only my way to introduce you and me to the premise and characters, but also for me to understand why my oldest grandson, Jimmy was so hyped over the X-Box Defiance game. I asked if I could play the game with him. He agreed, but I was sorry I asked. Why? Find out after the jump.
Transmedia Defined: Andy Burns Talks To Defiance Executive Producer Nathan Richardsson
This past Sunday saw the airing of the new Showcase/SyFy series, Defiance. The press release for the show sums up the concept nicely:
Starring Grant Bowler and Julie Benz, Defiance introduces an exotically changed planet Earth, its landscapes permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this somewhat unknown and unpredictable landscape, the richly diverse, newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully. Combining the scope of a fantasy blockbuster with the intimacy of a small-town drama, it’s the story of courage and survival in a frontier town where factions of humans and aliens must stand together against outside forces that threaten their existence. The innovative transmedia event, Defiance, is the first-ever convergence of television and online gaming, featuring an interconnected world between the two mediums as they evolve together into one overall story.
Transmedia? What does that mean? Well, luckily, we had a chance to talk via email with gaming company Trion’s Vice President of Development, Nathan Richardsson, who also happens to be the Executive Producer behind the multi-platform massive online third-person shooter, Defiance. It all ties together so nicely, doesn’t it?. Check out the live action trailer for the game below and then hit the jump and read our interview.
All Rise For Thanos Rising #1 On The Wednesday Run–April 3, 2013
I’m calling it. It’s only April and 2013 is definitely Marvel’s year.
As a furtive and ardent reader that has historically sat squarely on the DC Comics side of the comic book ledger, even I have begun to slide my way over to the “House of Ideas”. And why? Cool storytelling with a sci-fi bent!
I haven’t been this excited by a space odyssey since the “Sinestro Corps War” storyline in the pages of DC’s Green Lantern. That was in 2007. But Marvel Comics, specifically writer Jonathan Hickman, has grabbed my attention with his current run on Avengers, New Avengers and the promise of his upcoming universe-shaping mega-story, Infinity, due later this summer and fall.
That last publication will co-star the villain known as Thanos. And Thanos Rising, the first issue of which is released today, is that evil entity’s origin. And it’s a must-read.
Here’s why:
Marie Gilbert’s Top Five TV Shows of 2012
I don’t watch a lot of TV and if I’m not with my grandchildren, I’m either ghost hunting or writing paranormal stories. When I do watch, I like stories that deal with the supernatural, science fiction, or horror, so it was really hard to come up with just five favorites. “The Walking Dead” is my #1 favorite and my reviews of this brilliant show can be found here at Biff Bam Pop! I’m also a fan of “Doctor Who” and “Firefly,” but I will save my reviews of these two for another time. So let’s begin with my Top Five after the jump.
There’s No Inoculation Against This Retrovirus On The Wednesday Run – November 21, 2012
It’s a new world, isn’t it, this twenty-first century? Facebook. Twitter. Linkedin. Blogs. This Pinterest thing that I’m not really understanding.
And comic books, that very twentieth of centuries method of visual storytelling that we all still love so much, well, it’s a new world for that kind of art form, too. Your computer, your tablet, your smart phone (my new iPhone – huzzah!) have seen to that. But as much as comic books are adapting to new ways of transmission, so too are comic book creators adjusting to new ways of creating.
Case in point: Kickstarter and the advent of today’s Retrovirus.
Yeah. Go ahead. Call the CDC. They’ll even tell you it’s so. Read the rest of this entry
Big Ideas On The Big Screen – Phillip K. Dick In Hollywood
Words like “imaginative”, “mind-bending”, and “psychologically unsettling” are often applied to the science-fiction novels of Phillip K. Dick. He wrote stories with big ideas.
At the same time, his novels have been almost uncomfortably fertile ground for adaptation into big-budget Hollywood films – some faithfully, and some very, very loosely. And while we’re on the subject of Total Recall, let me mention Dick’s short story, “We Can Remember it for You Wholesale”. The story of a quiet, unassuming man who tries to book a virtual vacation only to find out that it’s actually happened has become a massive, explosive, ultraviolent action movie not once, but twice.
Twice.
Read the rest of this entry
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.
