Thursday, December 29, 2011

HELLBOY: HOUSE OF THE LIVING DEAD - A HARDCOVER GRAPHIC NOVEL


In May of 2010, Mike Mignola and Richard Corben were the writer and artist on a one-shot 32-pager Hellboy in Mexico, which I reviewed in my Hellboy in Mexico post.
Hellboy: House of the Living Dead, is a direct sequel to that one-shot, in a hardcover graphic novel format that clocks in at a whopping 56 pages! Mignola admits in his forward to the graphic novel that it was written as a love letter to the Universal horror movies of the 40’s: House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula. The story begins with Hellboy drinking in a bar, devastated over the loss of his luchador comrade to vampires. Hellboy is soon coerced into participating in an ultimate wrestling match with a massive Frankenstein-like monster! That is only the beginning of this madcap story of Hellboy’s fight and eventual confrontation with vampires, a mummy and a werewolf! Mignola’s writing is terse and intense as always and Corben’s artwork is perfectly suited to the wild visual needs of the many fantastic creatures and settings of this graphic novel. If I have any complaints with this graphic novel is the steep price of $14.99. Even at 56 pages, it is still a fairly quick read – even for someone like me, who likes to linger over fantastic art. I did not purchase this at my comic shop (where I buy all my Hellboy comics), because of the price; but instead asked for it as a Christmas present. It was a wonderful gift and I have no doubts that I’ll be reading this again – along with its prequel – in the near future!


ComicBookResources.com did an interview with Mignola about Hellboy: House of the Living Dead several months before its publication. Here are a few brief exerts:
CBR: What made you want to return to this time in HB's life?
MIGNOLA: It was so much fun doing the first one! When I did the first one-issue comic, at the end Hellboy mentions that he doesn't remember what happened the rest of the time he was in Mexico. That was really going to be it, but then I just thought, the beauty of a chunk of time that he doesn't remember -- either he doesn't remember or he says he doesn't remember because he doesn't want to tell anybody what happened -- that's a great period to tell stories, because you can do the craziest stuff and maybe it really didn't happen, maybe he was so drunk he thought this is what happened. It kind of took on a life of its own.
This story, I made up because I saw how much fun Richard had doing the "Hellboy in Mexico" stuff and I wanted to do a Hellboy in Mexico story, so I made up this story for me -- and then realized it would be so much better drawn by Richard. So I turned it over to him. I've actually plotted a couple more stories that take place in this chunk of time. So it's really that whole lost weekend. Five months in Mexico is going to be a significant chunk of Hellboy stories.
 CBR: So this is the first (or rather, second) of many?

MIGNOLA: I wouldn't say "many," but right now there's a short story I'm going to be doing for "Dark Horse Presents" that takes place in Mexico and then Richard's graphic novel. Then there's talk of at least one, if not two more after that.
CBR: Aside from Hellboy being upset about what's happened to his luchador friend, what's going on in "House of the Living Dead?"

MIGNOLA: As the story starts, he has become a wrestler. There's a beautiful opening sequence of Hellboy in the ring, tossing other Mexican wrestlers around. And then he's hired to fight somebody's champion. And it's the "go out to the crazy guy's old house" [story] and then it's like "House of Dracula" or "House of Frankenstein." For whatever reason, there are a lot of monsters in this one place. It's a parade of crazy stuff. In some places, it's really funny; in other places, it's really disturbing. In a lot of places, it's really spooky, so it does what Richard and I do really well together, which is, stuff where you go "I can't tell if this is supposed to be funny or not." Richard, more than I guess anybody I've ever worked with, you never really know which way he's going to spin stuff. Something I might write as so absurdly ridiculous funny might come across very straight the way he does it, and some stuff I had intended as very sober and sad and serious will end up kind of funny. So you have to write a certain way for Richard, where it's fine if he's plays stuff either way. In some places I'll tell him, "this needs to be really sad," "this needs to be really quiet," but a lot of it, he's so good at what he does and it's so amazing working with him, you don't always know what you're going to get. I like to give him as much room to do what he does as possible.
 I recommend reading the entire interview with Mignola at: ComicBookResources.com
Then go out and beg, borrow or steal – okay, go out and buy a copy and read Hellboy: House of the Living Dead!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

TRAILER TUESDAY! THE FADES ON BBC AMERICA!


BBC America launched their Supernatural Saturdays a few years back when they started airing first run episodes of their new series of the Doctor Who program. It began with re-runs of American TV shows like Battlestar Galactica, The X-Files and Star Trek: The Next Generation, but soon they began airing original BBC programs in their place. The first of these was the supernatural soap opera Being Human – which was popular enough on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean to have run three seasons and be picked up for a fourth. Primeval, the sci-fi show with prehistoric creatures aired their first two seasons next and would later air two more seasons on BBC America. More recently, the sci-f show Outcasts and the paranormal drama Bedlam have aired on Supernatural Saturdays.
The latest original BBC program to air on BBC America’s Supernatural Saturday is The Fades. The Fades, which aired its first season of six episodes this past September/October on BBC Three, will make its BBC America debut in January next year.

The Fades is a coming-of-age fantasy drama showcasing the supernatural skills of a reluctant teenager named Paul (Iain De Caestecker). His best friend Mac (Daniel Kaluuya) and his therapist, are completely stunned by the apocalyptic dreams that he’s been having. His twin sister Anna (Lily Loveless) is also unsympathetic of his socially awkward behavior. As if things aren’t difficult enough, Paul is seeing the spirits of the dead (known as Fades) all around him. An embittered Fade finds a way to break the barrier between the dead and the living, aiming its vengeance at Paul, Mac and their loved ones. Soon the fate of humanity rests in the hands of the two best friends, who already have enough trouble getting through the day in one piece, let alone saving the world.
Writer and creator Jack Thorne says of the show: “What makes The Fades different is that it is a fantasy show rather than a science fiction show. It’s about fairly ordinary people, none of these people act or behave like they’re superheroes. The Fades is about the world itself being an extraordinary thing and how you battle it. This old school fantasy element combined with some pretty original characters – I hope is what will make people want to watch.”

If you’re interested in the genesis of The Fades, you can read Thorne’s blog at this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2011/09/the_fades.shtml

The Fades premieres Saturday, January 14 at 9/8c as part of of BBC America’s Supernatural Saturday. Watch the trailer for The Fades and decide for yourself if this Saturday Supernatural show is for you!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY GHOUL YEAR!

MERRY CHRISTMAS GANG!


From all the GUARDIANS OF THE GENRE!




Fritz "Doc" Freakenstein: I hope everyone has a wicked cool Christmas! I know this year all the good boys and ghouls will get the sci-fi, fantasy and horror DVDs and Blu-rays that they asked for. Comic books make cool stocking stuffers and graphic novels and sc-fi and fantasy books make good gifts too. Merry Christmas everyone!

Bill E. Bones: At this time of year, I even miss that misoneistic malpracticer of the necromantic arts, Zombzany the Necromancer. What I don’t miss, is our annual Christmas tradition of watching White Zombie, which was Zombzany’s idea of a Christmas classic! Merry Christmas my boney friends!


Major Mac Maniac: Howdy, Kids! I’m spaced ta be whishin’ y’all a Merry Christmas and a Hippy New Year! Here’s ta hopin’ that there’ll be more spaced out sci-fi flicks ta see at the theater and on the boob tube. Until then, I’ll be blastin’ off!
Nope! That little rug rat ain't me, but it could be a young Phileas!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

TROK TUESDAY! CHAMELEON CURCUIT - STILL GOT LEGS!



In anticipation of the new Doctor Who Christmas Special - The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe - which will air on BBC America Christmas Day at 9pm - I bring you TROCK TUESDAY!

My favorite Trock band [if you want an explanation of Trock, read my FRIDAY NIGHT ... TROCK! GALIFREYAN HISTORY 101 BY CHAMELEON CIRCUIT post] Chameleon Circuit has released their second CD "Still Got Legs"! You can buy the CD at DFTBA Records or at ITunes.

Here is a fan made video of their song "The Big Bang 2". Trock on!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

OLD MAN’S WAR: A SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL BY JOHN SCALZI


I haven’t used GUARDIANS OF THE GENRE! to review the books I read, because most of the books I read either didn’t  motivate me enough to spend my time reviewing; or I didn’t think enough of the followers of this blog would be interested in reading them.
As I mentioned in my SHELFARI IS DA SHIZNIT! post April 18, 2010, I joined this social networking website devoted to books earlier that month. I have been using Shelfari’s features – which include creating your own custom profile, building a virtual bookshelf , rating and discuss books and discovering new books – for the past nineteen months and have surprised myself by posting thirty-one (mostly short) reviews of the forty-five books I’ve posted there as having read in the past two years.
Anyone interesting in reading some of my book reviews, or just some of the books that I’ve read, can click on the Shelfari widget in the right column of this blog (right below the “Labels for lookin’”) or click on this link: http://www.shelfari.com/?kmi=2369330.
I was sufficiently excited by Old Man’s War by John Scalzi to share with you this brief review.
Vincent Chong's artwork for the Subterranean Press limited edition of Old Man’s War
John Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War” is definitely in the tradition of Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" and Haldeman's "Forever War”. However, Mr. Scalzi’s take on future war is more concerned with how technology affects man, than in the actual combat itself.
The point-of –view character of “Old Man’s War”, John Perry, is very much an everyman. But unlike the characters from the previously mentioned classics (both of which I’ve read and liked), Perry is an elderly man who volunteers to join the Colonial Defense Forces, [MINOR SPOILER] so that he will be put into the body of a young man and given a second chance at life – provided he survives his ten years of service. This gives his character a different outlook on advanced technologies, alien conflict and general human philosophy. Scalzi examines all these topics and more, while advancing the plot of Perry’s training in the CDF and his eventual trail-by-combat.
I greatly enjoyed “Old Man’s War” and its humanistic approach to the problems of future war. I will definitely be reading the sequel “The Ghost Brigades”!
For science fiction fans who have been dissatisfied with the recent depictions of human and alien conflict in both film and Television, you may find reading Old Man’s War will satiate your need for a more in-depth  depiction of the subject.
Director Wolfgang Petersen
If you need any more motivation to read this book: Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to the John Scalzi novel Old Man’s War, with Wolfgang Petersen attached to direct and David Self adapting the tale into a large-scale science fiction project. Scott Stuber will produce through his Stuber Pictures banner, with Petersen also producing.

Read the book now, so that when you see the movie you can groan along with me and say, “The book was better!”


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

TRAILER TUESDAY! LOST GIRL IS FOUND ON SYFY!


The cable network SyFy is presenting a new supernatural show this January: Lost Girl. “In one year, Lost Girl has electrified viewers in Canada and around the world. We’re delighted to bring this fascinating, high-octane series, which depicts a unique world and memorable heroine, to the Syfy audience,” says Thomas Vitale, executive VP, programming at Syfy. Lost Girl premieres on Syfy Monday, January 16, at 10/9c.


Here is the description of Lost Girl from its Canadian cable network Showcase web site:
Lost Girl follows supernatural seductress Bo (Anna Silk: Being Erica; Billable Hours), a Succubus who feeds on the sexual energy (sometimes called “Chi”) of humans.  Growing up with human parents, Bo has no reason to believe she's anything other than the girl next door – until she drains her boyfriend to death in their first sexual encounter. Once she hits the road, Bo discovers she is one of the Fae, creatures of legend and folklore, who pass as humans while feeding off them secretly, as they have for millennia. Relieved yet horrified to find out that she is not alone, Bo is faced with choosing an allegiance between the Dark and Light Fae clans.  Bo decides to take the middle path between the humans and the Fae while embarking on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin.

With the help of her human sidekick, Kenzi (Ksenia Solo: Black Swan, Life Unexpected), Bo takes on a challenge every week helping a Fae or human client who comes to her to solve a mystery, or to right a wrong.  Already in a love triangle with Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried: Ben Hur, The Bridge; The Tudors), a sexy Fae working as a human police detective, and the beautiful human scientist, Lauren (Zoie Palmer: The Guard; Instant Star) who works for the Fae, Bo’s love life is about to get even more complicated.
For a fan of supernatural shows in general, and Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer in particular, Lost Girl looks like it could be in a very similar vein.
Syfy has ordered the two seasons of the show from Prodigy Pictures that have already aired in Canada. Here’s a trailer from the Canadian telecast!
 
 

Monday, November 28, 2011

TRAILER TUESDAY! THE DARKEST HOUR - MORE MOVIE ALEINS INVADE EARTH!


The Darkest Hour is an alien invasion movie that follows two other alien invasion films released to theaters in the past year. Battle: Los Angeles was released March 11 this year and met with critical indifference and only moderate financial success (it grossed $85 million dollars and cost $70 million to make). Skyline was released on November 12, 2010 and met with critical loathing and financial failure (it grossed $21 million dollars and cost $10 million to make). I personally liked Battle: Los Angeles more than Skyline, but found things to like about both of them, while still finding them to be flawed.


The Darkest Hour is coming out with very little fanfare or “push” from its distributor Summit Entertainment, other than a modest trailer and TV advertisement campaign. Its estimated budget is $44 million dollars, so one would think to be financially successful it would have to make about twice that much domestically. The trailer shows high production value and emphasizes the attractive cast and extensive sci-fi special effects. Other than the fact that our cast of characters seem to become involved in some sort of alien resistance, little else of the plot is revealed.

This is only director Chris Gorak’s  second feature film. I haven’t seen his first film, the modestly budgeted 2006 thriller Right At Your Door, so I don’t have any idea what level of skill or sophistication that he might bring to this film. The screenplay is by Jon Spaihts, who has no other writing credits; but is listed as the writer of the screenplay for Ridley Scott’s upcoming science fiction film Prometheus, so we can hope that he is more than just competent.



The lead actor appears to be Emile Hirsch. The only film I’ve seen him in is Speed Racer, in which he played the title character and it certainly didn’t give him much of an opportunity to show his range as an actor. Rachael Taylor is apparently the female lead. The only film of hers I’ve seen is Transformers, in which she played one of the consulting computer geeks to the military. Her character, Maggie Madsen, seemed smart and quick witted, but she really didn’t have enough screen time to judge her as an actress. The rest of the “American” cast - Olivia Thirlby, Joel Kinnaman and Max Minghella – are all attractive young actors whose work I’ve never seen.






One thing The Darkest Hour has going for it is that it is set in and was entirely filmed in and around Moscow, Russia, which is still a location that most American audiences are not well familiar with. The set pieces – particularly the exterior shots – look outstanding, so this gives the film a “one up” on recent alien invasion films that have been very American-west-coast centric.



All of these unknowns do not bode well for The Darkest Hour being a great or even good film. Still, the trailer has a certain “gosh-wow” appeal and that just might be enough to get this sci-fi geek into the theater after the crazy that is Christmas. Watch the trailer for The Darkest Hour and judge for yourself! The Darkest Hour is being released to theaters December 23 2011.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON - PART TEN


In Part Ten, the final episode of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Major Maniac is sitting on Zombzany’s throne, slurping down the last of his coffee and entertaining Bill E. Bones, who is sitting by his side. Zombzany stands impatiently to the side, holding his necromancer’s magically charged staff menacingly and inquires of the Major that now that the Sci-Fi Marathon is concluded would he be “blasting off” the premises soon?

 
 Major Maniac reluctantly concurs that he will indeed be leaving Zombzany’s tomb now because he is starting to feel “like a gopher whose exits are all cut off.” Major Maniac reminds Zombzany to “cut loose” once and a while and then leaves exclaiming his famous sign-off.
As soon as Major Maniac has withdrawn from his tomb, Zombzany returns to his rightful position on it.  Zombzany inquires of his zombie slaves why they did not come to their Master’s aid when he was being attacked by Maniac’s “demon”. When he receives an unsatisfactory reply, Zombzany tosses Bill E. Bones back into his dungeon cell and warns his other zombie slaves that he will receive an adequate answer even if he must wait all night. With a flash of his powerful staff, Zombzany bids his viewers a “frightful farewell.”

Enjoy Part Ten of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON - PART NINE


In Part Nine, the penultimate episode of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Zombzany is laying prone pinned to the ground by an alien creature. Major Maniac approaches the entangled combatants and encourages the alien “critter” to stop playing with his food. Slowly, Zombzany and the “critter” become untangled and Zombzany demands to know who and what the alien creature is. Major Maniac explains that Grimlin, or “Grimer” as Maniac prefers to call him, is a shape-shifting alien that rescued him from an “involuntary spacewalk” that involved Russian cosmonauts and an empty bottle of Vodka.
 Zombzany quickly tires of Major Maniac’s dialect-infested discourse and demands an answer as to why Maniac has invaded his sacred cemetery by crash-landing his space vessel in it. Major Maniac tells Zombzany that “fer a dead galoot, you sure is impatient,” and then proceeds to explain to the hoary horror host that he needs a lesson from himself in “how to host a real nitro orbital zippy Sci-Fi Marathon!” Maniac invites himself into Zombzany’s tomb, where he can fill in for Zombzany as the host for the final flick of the evening.

Enjoy Part Nine of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!


Monday, November 14, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON - PART EIGHT

In Part Eight of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Zombzany is stalking through his graveyard, using the light of his necromancy-charged staff to find his way through the smoke enshrouded night. Zombzany has sent his slow and dimwitted zombie servant Sebastian ahead to the underdeveloped region of Zombzany’s cemetery to investigate the cause of the crash, but as usual the zombie appears to have gotten lost. Zombzany is forced to explore the area himself, when he is taken by surprise and attacked by an unknown creature. Zombzany seems to be held captive by the creature, so he calls for help from all his zombie slaves.
In the meantime, Bill E. Bones has returned to the safety of Zombzany’s tomb and has actually taken a seat on Zombzany’s “throne”. Bill hears Zombzany’s summons for assistance, but still upset at being bashed and banished by his Master, he chooses to ignore it. Instead, Bill E. Bones introduces the next sci-fi film of the Sci-Fi Marathon.
Enjoy Part Eight of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON - PART SEVEN


In Part Seven of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Zombzany exclaims that the end of the previous film has brought on the night. Bill E. Bones is a little too excited and breaks out into song, which Zombzany brings to an abrupt end with a well-placed blow to Bone‘s thick skull. Zombzany tries to recall something about the next sci-fi film of the marathon, when Bones disturbs him several times with an emergency. Zombzany declares that his zombie servant has interrupted him for the last time and hurls Bones into the ether with some type of spell.
Almost immediately thereafter, a loud crash can be heard in the distance and Zombzany is suddenly pelted with debris and smoke from the unknown craft or object. Undaunted, Zombzany orders Myron the zombie cameraman to start projecting the next film, while he exits his tomb to confront whatever or whoever has dared crash land in his cemetery!
Enjoy Part Seven of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

TRAILER TUESDAY! DRAGON AGE : REDEMPTION - THE WEB SERIES!

I have never, nor will I ever be likely to, play the role-playing video game Dragon Age II. I do however enjoy well-produced fantasy films and TV shows. What got my attention in regards to Dragon Age: Redemption is that it is a web series written by and staring Felicia Day. For those of you who are not fans of original web series (shame on you), Felicia Day is the creator, writer and star of The Guild; a web series now having just completed it's fifth season. The Guild revolves around the lives of an online guild, The Knights of Good, who play countless hours of an MMORPG video game, aptly named "The Game".

While The Guild is funny and satirical, Dragon Age: Redemption is decidedly played as straight adventure-drama. Dragon Age: Redemption is a six-part web series set in the world of the EA/Bioware RPG Dragon Age. The series tells the story of Tallis, an Elvish assassin, who gets a last chance at redemption when she's sent to capture a rogue Qunari mage intent on wreaking havoc in the world.

Directed by Peter Winther
Written by Felicia Day
Executive Producers: Dan Kaplow, Felicia Day, Kim Evey
Executive Producer: Greg Aronowitz
Produced by Peter Winther, William Mesa, Emily Wallin
Written or Contributed by: Jeremy Shane
Starring: Falicia Day, Marcia Battise, Doug Jones and Adam Rayner

Check out the trailer and see if Dragon Age: Redemption is for you!


Monday, October 31, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON - PART SIX


In Part Six of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Zombzany attempts to find some information on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s horrific acting from the evening’s previous film in his Encyclopedia of Horror, but is unsuccessful. Zombzany’s lack of knowledge on the science fiction film genre is making hosting the Sci-Fi Marathon nearly impossible. Zombzany continues to harass his zombie servant Bill E. Bones as to the location of his Science Fiction Film Encyclopedia and Bill (who hid the book in Part Five) claims he has Sebastian looking for it in every grave. With much distain, Zombzany introduces the next Sci-Fi film of the marathon.


Enjoy Part Six of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!


Monday, October 24, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON – PART FIVE


In Part Five of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Zombzany receives another call from Major Maniac. Maniac complains to Zombzany that he is not using “that there nitro orbital zippy script” that he faxed him. Zombzany informs the Major that he will not be using the script that is full of “imbecilic idioms”! Zombzany hangs up the phone and is about to continue the SF Marathon by reading another entry from his Science Fiction Encyclopedia, when he notices that it is missing.


Enjoy Part Five of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

TRAILER TUESDAY! ONCE UPON A TIME ON ABC!


Once Upon A Time is a new fantasy series that premiers this Sunday that I originally had no intentions of watching.  Fairy tales held little appeal to me as a child or as an adult. Still, the more I read, heard and saw about this series, the more I became intrigued. Here is the official synopsis on ABC's web site.


"For us, that’s what a fairytale is. It’s that ability to think your life will get better. It’s why you buy a lottery ticket—because if you win you get to tell your boss that you’re quitting and you get to move to Paris or wherever and be who you always wanted to be. And that’s Cinderella, right? One day she’s sweeping up and the next she’s going to the ball. Adam and I just wanted to write about something hopeful that for one hour a week allows one to put everything aside and have that feeling that your dreams just may come true."


- Edward Kitsis, Co-Creator/Executive Producer



Emma Swan's life has been anything but a fairytale. A 28-year-old bail bonds person, she’s been taking care of herself since she was abandoned as a baby. But when Henry — the son she gave up 10 years ago — finds her, everything changes. Henry is desperate for his mom’s help and thinks that Emma is actually the long, lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Yes, the actual Snow White and Prince Charming. Even stranger, Henry believes that Storybrooke, the sleepy New England town he calls home, is really part of a curse cast by the Evil Queen, freezing fairytale characters in the modern world with no memory of their former selves.

Of course the seen-it-all Emma doesn’t believe a word, but when she gets to Storybrooke, she can’t help sensing that everything’s not quite what it seems. As Henry shows Emma around with the help of his fairytale book, the town, and its inhabitants like Henry’s therapist Archie Hopper and the enigmatic Mr. Gold, seem just strange enough to set off her already suspicious nature. She becomes even more concerned for Henry when she meets his adopted mother, Regina, who he suspects is none other than the Evil Queen herself!

Storybrooke is a place where magic has been forgotten — but is still powerfully close — and happily ever after seems just out of reach. In order to understand where the fairytale world’s former inhabitants came from, and what ultimately led to the Evil Queen’s wrath, you’ll need a glimpse into their previous lives. But it might just turn everything you’ve ever believed about these characters upside-down.

Meanwhile, the epic battle for the future of all worlds, modern and fairytale alike, is about to begin. For good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.

"We kept circling back to the idea of fairytales. The very first stories that you hear when you're a kid. They're full of magic and heroics and fear and joy. But we also found fairytales are full of all these unanswered questions. Like why is Grumpy grumpy? Why is Geppetto so lonely that he'd actually carve a little boy out of wood? And did the Evil Queen really try to kill Snow White simply because of vanity? With Once Upon A Time, we set out to explore those questions and not re-tell these stories but attempt to dig beneath what we all know and try to discover something new."

- Adam Horowitz, Co-Creator/Executive Producer



Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis conceived the show seven years prior joining the writing staff of Lost,  but wanted to wait until that series was over to focus on this project.

In May 2011, Jane Espenson was added as a co-executive producer and Liz Tigelaar was brought on as a consulting producer.  Damon Lindelof served as a consultant on the show's pilot. Kitsis described Lindelof as his and Horowitz's "godfather", while Horowitz said that Lindelof's "name isn't on the show, but his DNA is in it," and that he will continue to advise the two. They also noted that Disney has allowed them access to their fairy tale characters for use in the series. "They've given us license," Kitsis said. "I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time anyone's shown Snow White with a sword, or pregnant."

Both Horowitz and Kitsis later emphasized that the series will focus more on the characters themselves and won't feature a "complex" storyline, which reportedly was the primary focus. "We don't want this to be a mythology show," said Kitsis. "It's about characters and characters first.



I was not a fan of Lost and gave up on that series' muddled mythology after two seasons. Still, it sounds like Horowitz and Kritsis may have learned from Lost and will not dwell on the mystery over the story and characters on Once Upon A Time. Plus, unlike Lost, Once Upon A Time clearly emphasises at the start that it is a fantasy series. Unlike Lost, which initially had illusions as posing as a Science Fiction series. At least with Once Upon A Time I know what I'm in for right away.

Here is the trailer for Once Upon A Time, which premiers on ABC on October 23 at 8pm.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

ZOMBZANY AND MAJOR MANIAC'S SCI-FI MARATHON - PART 4


In Part Four of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon, Zombzany is informed by his zombie cameraman Myron that a fan letter has arrived in the post. His loyal, but dimwitted zombie manservant Sebastian delivers the missive and Zombzany proceeds to read the letter. As Zombzany reads the letter, he gradually realizes that it is less-than-complimentary on his previous appearance as a horror host. Zombzany becomes so incensed by the letter’s disparaging commentaries that he tears the letter to shreds and stomps off set in a huff. Zombzany soon returns to the set somewhat embarrassed and dashes off a brief introduction to the next film of the Sci-Fi Marathon.

Enjoy Part Four of Zombzany and Major Maniac's Sci-Fi Marathon!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

TRAILER TUESDAY! THE WALKING DEAD - SEASON 2!


TRAILER TUESDAY RETURNS FROM THE DEAD!
APROAPRIATELY ENOUGH WITH THE WALKING DEAD!

American Movie Classics brings back The Walking Dead with a second season of thirteen episodes. If you missed out on the first season of six episodes, here is the official synopsis from AMC for season one:
Waking up in an empty hospital after weeks in a coma, County Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) finds himself utterly alone. The world as he knows it is gone, ravaged by a zombie epidemic. The Walking Dead tells the story of the weeks and months that follow after the apocalypse. Based on Robert Kirkman's hugely successful and popular comic book series, AMC's The Walking Dead is an epic, edge-of-your-seat drama where personal struggles are magnified against a backdrop of moment-to-moment survival. A survivalist story at its core, the series explores how the living are changed by the overwhelming realization that those who survive can be far more dangerous than the mindless walkers roaming the earth. They themselves have become the walking dead.


Here is the official plot tease from AMC for season two:
The Walking Dead is back with its much anticipated second season. When we last left the The Walking Dead, the characters were in the midst of a high-intensity struggle to survive, fleeing the CDC as it burst into flames. In Season 2, they are still on the move, facing more threats and obstacles than ever. Rick leads the group out of Atlanta. On the highway, they are stopped by a threat unlike anything they have seen before. The group searches for someone who has gone missing.
There has been some controversy surrounding the second season. In July 2011, series developer and showrunner Frank Darabont stepped down from his position as showrunner for the series, with believed reasoning he was unable to adjust to the schedule of running a television series. Executive producer Glen Mazzara will be the series' new showrunner.  Darabont's sudden departure further sparked controversy in August when The Hollywood Reporter broke a story revealing that Darabont had in fact been fired due to issues of the show's reduced budget and a strained relationship with AMC executives. Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter went off on Frank Darabont being fired as showrunner of The Walking Dead on Twitter saying, “Darabont reacted strongly to slashed budgets. He made mistakes, he was fired."  "No creative in town will trust AMC to back up their artists." "I don't know MW, got no beef with him. Just hate that Darabont is being demonized. No one has the balls to tell the truth. MM gutted AMC.” Regardless of the reasons for the changes in season two’s showrunner and purported reduced budget, I as a fan of the show can only hope that the quality of the show remains as high as the first season.


I have only read the first six issues of the Image Comics that The Walking Dead is based on and didn’t enjoy it enough to continue reading it. The Walking Dead is continuing to be published as a monthly black-and-white comic book series. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, who was replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward. The comics series has already run to 89 issues, so there is plenty of stories for the AMC TV series to draw on. Readers of the comic have already been warned by producers of the show that the AMC series will not follow the comics series plot exactly.
Season 2 of The Walking Dead premieres with a 90-minute episode on Sun., Oct. 16 at 9/8c. After the first seven episodes air, the series will go on hiatus, and then return on February 12, 2012, where the final six episodes of the season will begin airing.
Enjoy the trailer for The Walking Dead, Season Two!