http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Mon, 13 Mar 2006 10:42:55 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/03/13/104255.php Jim IaccinoThe Season 2 finale of Battlestar Galctica, entitled 'Lay Down Your Burdens- Part II,' was frakkin' fantastic. Spoilers follow; you have been warned...Advancing the clock one year later was a stroke of genius by producer Ron Moore. Womanizing President Baltar has settled on New Caprica with over half of the fleet (and it looks like half the single women as well in his chambers!!!). Apparently, the Cylons have not detected them in the nebula. But complications still arise. Starbuck's husband, Anders, is dying of pneumonia unless Kara can get Pegasus Commander Lee to give up some medical supplies; Galen Tyrol is Union President fighting for the rights of his people, with a pregnant Cally by his side; and, Roslin has gone back into teaching, trying to derive some satisfaction out of her former assignment while being assisted by Maya (who has adopted the Cylon hybrid baby, now named Isis). But all that changes when a Cylon armada appears overhead and Centurions march into the camp in Nazi-like fashion. Supposedly, when Gina blew herself up and Cloud 9 with the nuclear device Baltar gave her, lingering traces of radiation were detected by the Cylons, hence explaining their presence on New Caprica. Led by the 'changed' Six and Eight (from the earlier 'Downloaded' episode), the machine race plans to hold the humans hostage while they initiate their new plan (whatever that might be). And as the Raiders zoom overhead, all Kara can relate to Galen is that they will fight them until they can't. Wow, what an awesome cliffhanger. And coupled with the impressive special effects, this is sure to go down as one of the best (if not most controversial) episodes of the series for daring to be so different.One would think that news would not be forthcoming so soon on Galactica's third season, but it did late this week. NowPlayingMagazine interviewed Ron Moore about the direction he would take with the next batch of 20 episodes. Included below are edited highlights of the interview.First up, Battlestar Galactica will not be Occupation New Caprica for long. While the Cylons will hold the fleet on the planet, a resolution of sorts will occur by the fourth or fifth episode. According to Moore, "I don't think it will take quite as long as it took us to wrap up the arc at the beginning of the second season." The humans will return to the Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus very quickly and resume their journey to Earth.Secondly, a new arc on the Cylon home world will be introduced. "We're going to do an ongoing Cylon story where we're going to be cutting over to the Cylon world for the first time." As Lucy Lawless (Number Three aka D'anna Biers) is joining the cast for at least 10 episodes, one can only speculate that she will be one of the Cylons on the home world who will try to convince other models that it is the wrong thing to negotiate with the humans. Hopefully, Brother Cavel will show up too; an inside source at the SCI FI Channel has indicated that negotiations are underway to bring back Dean Stockwell to the series in the upcoming season.Finally, Baltar will further go down the path to darkness and corruption. "[We plan to make him] more of an antagonist." Whether his character will ever reach the depths of depravity as the original figure played by John Colicos has yet to be determined. When asked whether Gaius will be sitting up in a high chair giving orders to the Cylons like Colicos, Moore could only indicate with a chuckle, "I don't know... That's still a possibility." In other Season 3 news, SCI FI issued a press release earlier this week announcing that it would delay the series premiere until October 2006. (The release is available at thefutoncritic). Immediately, the boards went crazy, with some fans in "gloom and doom" mood. But a SCI FI source told this reviewer that "BSG is going nowhere."Reasons for the delay in airing the next batch of 20 episodes were provided: 1) SCI FI wants to have original programming throughout the entire year instead of at 10-week intervals; 2) the entire set of Galactica episodes will be shown uninterrupted; 3) SCI FI wants to try out other series that are less arc heavy in BSG's summer timeslot; and 4) it is hoped that a new combo of programs can occur in October, like Season 2 of Dr. Who with Galactica's Season 3. All these reasons make sense to this reviewer. Further, the source indicated that Galactica is their premier show, having reached critical acclaim and bringing recognition to the channel. SCI FI remains hopeful Galactica will last several more seasons, and with this programming move, it very well might.So remain hopeful, keep watching Galactica and perhaps Who as well, and stay tuned to more developments regarding this exciting show as yours truly continues coverage for many seasons to come. Video44866@blogcritics.org Mon, 13 Mar 2006 10:42:55 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/19/011320.php Jim IaccinoIt was recently announced on the BBC TV Doctor Who Homepage that the first season of new Doctor Who adventures would be shown on the SCI FI Channel Friday nights starting in March after Battlestar Galactica completed its second season run. It was also announced that SCI FI had the option of picking up the second season as well.So to bring SF viewers up to speed on this show, let me give you the Cliff Notes' version. Doctor Who is a Time Lord who originates from the planet Gallifrey. Like any Time Lord, he is capable of regenerating 12 times before he finally dies. This unique ability has kept Doctor Who on the BBC for 25 seasons from 1963-1987. Once an actor was tired of playing the part, a new one was hired to continue to play the role. My all-time favorites are the third and fourth Doctors, played respectively by Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. (The latest Who resumes where the classic one ended, with the ninth Doctor played by Christopher Eccleston.)The vehicle that the Doctor travels in is the TARDIS (which stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space). The outside of the machine resembles a police box, but the inside is almost infinite in size. As the Doctor's assistants announce repeatedly upon entering the TARDIS for the first time, "It's so much bigger on the inside than the outside." The reason why the TARDIS outwardly resembles a police box is that its chameleon circuit has been damaged, and so it remains stuck in that shape when it first landed on Earth in the 1963 pilot episode, entitled "Unearthly Child." The Doctor has had an assortment of companions over the years, some young and some old. His latest assistant, Rose Tyler (played by Billie Piper) is perhaps one of the "hottest" females that ever entered the Tardis. And sparks have definitely ignited beween the two of them in the latest season.The Doctor has also run across a number of baddies throughout the galaxy that have served as the prototypes for other sci-fi series villains like the classic Galactica Cylons or the V lizards. These monsters include: the Autons, Daleks, Cybermen and The Master (the ultimate evil Time Lord). The new Who stories have brought back some of these creatures. And I am happy to say the Daleks play a pivotal part in these soon to be aired 13 episodes. Based on what I have provided here, I hope everyone tunes in to Doctor Who mid-March. In many respects, it is the best space opera show out there. And yes, I believe it even surpasses the new Galactica in cliffhanger endings and complexity of storylines. In fact, the entire first season is one gigantic story that is highly reminiscent of the Tom Baker "Keys to Time" and the Colin Baker "Trial of a Time Lord" expansive serials on the classic show. Let's show SCI FI that intelligent viewers like us desire Who for a long time to come. So tune in after Galactica ends, and plan to be surprised! Oh, I forgot to mention the Doctor's name. It's...I forget now. You just have to check out the show yourself to get that question answered. Be seeing you in March.Like this story? Then Digg it!Please go to Digg.com by clicking here and "digging" or voting for this story. Registering is free and only takes a minute. You're of course encouraged to digg as many stories as you like. Thanks!! ~ The Blogcritics.org Editorial Team Video43821@blogcritics.org Sun, 19 Feb 2006 01:13:20 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/12/090731.php Jim IaccinoIn the latest episode of Sci-Fi's Battlestar Galactica, President Laura Roslin's aide, Billy Keikeya (played by Paul Campbell), is shot protecting the love of his life, petty Officer Dualla (Kandyse McClure). This was one of the most moving episodes of Galactica's second season, especially when Billy dies in the arms of Dualla who had just rejected his marriage proposal.Billy was one of the secondary characters in this sci-fi drama who was introduced in the miniseries and had a recurring role throughout the first two seasons of Galactica's run. But was it necessary to kill off Billy in Episode 216, appropriately entitled "Sacrifice"?This reviewer thinks it was. Billy had an innocence about him that shone through in the limited appearances he made. In fact, he was so squeaky clean that at times it did not look like he was aware of what was going on around him. According to actor Paul Campbell who plays Billy, "He [Billy] is incredibly insecure and has no history of relationships with females, and that makes it more difficult for them [Dee & Billy]" (in David Bassom's Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, p. 129). In keeping with Campbell's statements, take his proposing to Dualla (Dee) in this episode. She is taken aback because she cannot believe Billy wants to move this relationship to a whole new level. Not only is Billy unaware of Dee's true feelings, but he also does not see that she has set her sights on a new man, Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama. It is this obliviousness that really makes Billy a liability to the show. And, as Galactica is a very dark series with good always intermixing with evil, Billy just does not fit into the show's basic premise. Even Adama's son was recently shown having a relationship with, of all people, a prostitute! That certainly surprised fans, but only for a moment or two.I am sure my comments will generate a fair bit of controversy, especially for those who loved Billy for who he was. But I call them the way I see them. When a character like Billy cannot stand up to Lee Adama and tell him just how strongly he feels about his girl, then you can go no further with the character. I think Ron Moore and others reached a dead end with Billy. And if that is the case, it is better Billy goes out dying to protect the one he loves -- but can never have.Yes, Laura Roslin lost a very close member of her new 'family.' But Galactica is all about loss, and Billy was the latest casuality to remind viewers nothing ever remains the same for long -- not even platonic love. Video43508@blogcritics.org Sun, 12 Feb 2006 09:07:31 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/05/100741.php Jim IaccinoWhile SciFi's Battlestar Galactica has received critical acclaim with this season of stories, the ratings have shown a dip for Episodes 211 through 214. Listed below are the ratings for these episodes:Episode 211: "Resurrection Ship- Part 1" - 2.1 Episode 212: "Resurrection Ship- Part 2" - 1.9 Episode 213: "Epiphanies" - 1.9 Episode 214: "Black Market" - 1.8Although people are expressing "gloom and doom" for the show after Season 3, one has to put these ratings in perspective. No show in the SciFi Friday night line-up has been doing well. In fact, the Stargates have been faring even worse than Battlestar Galactica, and only Stargate: Atlantis has managed to gain a slight edge over BSG in the most recent week, earning a 1.9 over "Black Market's" 1.8.SciFi has been contacted and they are as strongly commited to Galactica as ever before. They see the ratings not only going up by the time of the season finale, but also see a long life for the series with several more seasons being planned. This is unofficial information as of right now. However, this should dispel some of the "nay-saying" going around the boards and should inspire new series fans to continue watching the exploits of their favorite battlestar without fear of it being yanked off the airwaves. If that were to happen, that would be science fiction indeed!Stay tuned for more Galactica developments in the weeks ahead. Video43202@blogcritics.org Sun, 5 Feb 2006 10:07:41 EST